We frequently forget that peace begins at home and spreads abroad. Let peace begin with me, the song goes. And making peace with those closest to home can be even more difficult than sitting down at the peace table with a foreign enemy.
The World Affairs Council of Harrisburg recently honored several organizations and individuals who have become known as peacemakers in our community. Indeed, they are "Peacemakers in Our Midst," as the award so aptly titles these worthy seekers of both peace and justice. As the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg invited internationally acclaimed speakers to provide insights on peacemaking efforts in the Middle East, Africa and Turkey, we did not neglect to focus on the peacemakers closer to home.
Our 2017 honorees included:
Neighborhood Dispute Settlement
Pine Street Presbyterian Church
Joyce Bylander – Dickinson College
Dr. Rukhsana Rahman
Athar Rafiq
Ann Marie Judson
Samia Malik
Dr. Kurt DeGoede, Elizabethtown College
Each of these honorees is more than deserving of the title "peacemaker," and the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg is honored that they accepted our community's appreciation of their service over many years to help build a more equitable world.
We also thank Abdulahmit Bilici, Trita Parsi and Yewanda Austin, our three keynote speakers, for their riveting presentations and insights into the complex issues of global peacemaking. Together, working in our local communities and on the world stage, we may one day be able to answer the question that seems so elusive -- Whither Peace?