Peterborough residents are generously sharing their pledges to make their homes, workplaces and communities a better place. To date, we’ve received close to 90 promises. As well, two local elementary school teachers spread the word about the campaign to approximately 200 students, who then made peace promises of their own.

Lead writer Roderick Benns isn’t surprised the Peace Builder Campaign has caught on in the community.

“I think people want to reach out to others to make connections,” he says.

“It's human nature. Everyone needs to belong, to identify with something larger than oneself.”

Launched during October’s Month Without Violence, the Peterborough Peace Builder Campaign calls on residents to make a promise of action to reduce violence and build a stronger community. The Peaceful Communities steering group intends to build social capital through the exercise and create an inventory of the positive things happening in the Peterborough area.

Since October, peacefulcommunities.ca has been sharing the stories of residents who have made a commitment to creating change in their own lives or in the lives of others.

One woman promised to teach the peaceful art of tai chi to seniors.

Another person pledged to educate herself more about violence, while another made a promise to create a walking school bus to her child’s school. While the promises and the people making them vary, they clearly have in common a desire to build a better Peterborough.

Roderick says often people are engaged civically but don’t realize their actions are such.

“It is said, for instance, that high school students who are aware of their political leanings before they leave high school have a greater chance of becoming civically engaged in the future. People are civically engaged often and don't even realize it.”

Voting, volunteering and serving as a board member at a local agency are just a few ways people are involved in their communities, Roderick notes. From its inception, The Peace Builder Campaign called on people to make promises that didn’t necessarily entail sweeping acts of humanitarianism. Sample promises included cutting the lawn for an elderly neighbour, offering a stressed-out parent a break for a few hours or helping out at a community event.

The campaign is starting to take hold and the peacefulcommunities.ca news team is nailing down editorial direction for the next few months, says Roderick.

Sheri Fiegehen, the other lead writer for the site, says the news team doesn’t have a specific target for the number of promises it hopes to receive.

“We don't have a figure in mind as of yet, but we're hoping our email and fax will be over-flowing with promises within the next few weeks,” says Sheri.

The newsroom invites people to send promises by clicking here.

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Articles may be reprinted with permission. Contact us at peaceful@newsroom5.com or 1-800-294-0051