Global Peace Building Foundation

02/14/2019

On October 27, 2018 Tom Etzel's home town, Pittsburgh, experienced an act of extreme violence born from hatred of the ‘other’. He was shocked and outraged by killings at the Jewish synagogue in Squirrel Hill, but similar to his reaction after September 11, 2001, he was not focused on retaliation. Instead, he wondered, how can we unify, and find peace, together? He is not alone in this sentiment. After the killings at the synagogue, communities of other religious faiths spoke out and lent support to the Jewish community here.

Tom remains as committed as ever to addressing the questions he had after 9/11: how can we address the attitudes and perceptions of youth and children in order to end generational cycles of hatred and fear? What can we do so that young people feel less isolated and alone? How can we connect children and teens so that they are open, interested, and engaged with those that are different from them?

Thanks to your financial support, GPBF provides grants to organizations that are developing responses to these urgent questions. For example, Musicians without Borders creates one of the only opportunities in Mitrovica, Kosovo for youth of different religions and ethnicities to interact. Seeds of Peace facilitates dialogue and interaction for Palestinian and Israeli young people. In Northern Ireland, years after the conflict there, Catholic and Protestant young people are teammates on the basketball court thanks to Peace Players International. Dancing Classrooms Pittsburgh focuses on ballroom dancing for 5th and 8th graders to learn to accept and embrace difference. GPBF supports all of these organizations.

These are heartwarming, inspiring examples. But, as a “numbers guy”, Tom is also driven by evidence. He takes his mission of stewarding your gifts very, very seriously. The work of the organizations above is backed by evidence. Initial data from the programs GPBF supports demonstrates that attitudes between young people improve significantly through participation in the programs. The small act of bringing people together contributes to lasting peace and understanding.

Spread the love. Take a stand against prejudice and hatred. Take a stand for openness and understanding. Contribute at any level to GPBF to affirm your belief in the right of children and teens to live in peace.

Thank you for your generosity. Donors will be recognized on our website in March 2019.

07/15/2018

Read Tom's article on how his background in business influences his philanthropic giving!

Two donors giving for global peace and security argue that nonprofits in this field need to get more sophisticated to attract greater funding—and that embracing business practices can help.

05/03/2018

Great video regarding the transformative work of this GPBF grantee, PeacePlayers in Belfast, Northern Ireland!

01/31/2018

With sincere appreciation we thank our 2017 donors! Their generosity allows us to make grants to peacebuilding organizations working with youth in conflict-affected environments.

http://www.globalpeacebuilding.org/news-and-events/

12/14/2017

12/05/2017

Hello Friends,

From right here in Pittsburgh to across the ocean in Belfast, many children and teens grow up surrounded by prejudice, stereotypes, and hatred because they are perceived as different. These negative messages and attitudes can lead to hostility and violence between groups. Don’t young people deserve better? Here is your chance to help young people unite, not divide, around their difference.

I know you share my belief that all young people deserve to live in a peaceful and secure world. Please take action now to end cycles of discrimination. You can support young people coming together to find their common interests, build understanding, and undo fear of “the other”.

Evidence shows that negative attitudes and perceptions can be reduced by promoting contact and familiarity between the conflicting groups. This is called the Contact Theory, and GPBF provides grants directly to organizations doing this valuable work in places like, Kosovo, Northern Ireland, the Middle East, Maine and here in Pittsburgh. Initial data from the programs we support demonstrates that attitudes between young people improve significantly through participation in the programs. The small act of bringing people together contributes to lasting peace and understanding.

At a time when just reading the news can cause us to despair about the state of our local communities and the world afar, there is positive action we can take. Donate to GPBF-- create your own impact.

We have established the following Giving Levels. A gift at any level is meaningful.

Ambassador ($2,000 or more)
Diplomat ($500 to $1,999)
Peace Builder ($100 to $499)
Friend (less than $100)

Thank you for your generosity. Donors will be recognized on our website in January 2018.

Sincerely,
Tom Etzel, Founder & Executive Director

09/29/2017

With much excitement, the Global Peacebuilding Foundation (GPBF) announces its newest grantee: Musicians without Borders (MwB). MwB will receive a $500 Precision Micro Grant℠ joining Dancing Classrooms Pittsburgh, PeacePlayers International, and Seeds of Peace in GPBF’s roster of grantees. Like the other grantees, MwB facilitates relationships across difference, helping young people overcome prejudice, stereotyping, hatred and fear.

Founded in 1999, MwB focuses on the power of music to build peace, connect people, empower musicians as social activists, and train local youth as changemakers. This particular grant will support inter-ethnic workshops in the Mitrovica Rock School (Mitrovica, Kosovo). Mitrovica is Europe's most divided city, with Serbs and Albanians living on different sides of the River Ibar ever since the end of the war in 1999. An entire post-war generation has grown up isolated and divided from ‘the other’.

Before the war, Mitrovica was a rock music city, a tradition of which both sides are still proud. The Mitrovica Rock School restores this rock music culture by providing a neutral platform for youth from both sides to meet as young musicians and aspiring rock stars. They provide daily lessons and band coaching sessions, all of which connect youth through weekly inter-ethnic workshops and its program for ethnically mixed bands. Over 900 youth have attended the Mitrovica Rock School since its launch in 2008.

Working in communities over the long-term, MwB has observed that participants in their programs experience less fear of the other, increased willingness to engage across difference, an increase in freedom of movement, and increased empathy.

MwB believes that “War divides. Music connects.” GPBF is proud to support MwB as they engage with the young people of Mitrovica to build peace and understanding.

https://www.musicianswithoutborders.org/

08/11/2017

GPBF has been a proud member of the Peace and Security Funders Group (PSFG) since 2014. PSFG is a network of public, private and family foundations, and individual philanthropists who are committed to promoting international peace and global security.

In April 2017, PSFG and Foundation Center launched the second annual Peace and Security Funding Index which details data and trends from 2014 about the 290 foundations that supported over 1,800 organizations with more than $357 million spread across nearly 2,800 grants. Peace and security funders are indeed making important contributions to global peace and stability, despite making up less than 1% of total foundation giving. The Index is a valuable resource and we are grateful for GPBF’s giving to be reflected in this data.

To learn more, visit www.peaceandsecurityindex.org.

What Do Peace and Security Grants Support? Preventing and Mitigating Conflict Conflict and Atrocities Prevention $13.5 Million 4% of peace and security funding Explore More > Countering Violent Extremism and Counter-Terrorism $11.7 Million 3% of peace and security funding Explore More > Gender-based...

07/22/2017

PeacePlayers International (PPI), a Global Peace Building Foundation (GPBF) grantee, was recently selected a winner of the 2017 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Sports Award. GPBF is proud to support PPI in their efforts to bridge divides through basketball.

Given to just three organizations yearly, the $7,500 award recognizes honorees for their “innovative and influential approaches to using sports to improve the Culture of Health in their communities.” For more than 40 years, the RWJF has worked to improve health and health care. The Sports Award honors the efforts of PPI to build healthier communities through sport.

The award will help PPI raise awareness as they partner with Nike to expand their programming in the United States (Brooklyn, Baltimore, Detroit), striving towards a world where youth who play together can learn to live together. We congratulate PPI on this honor and look forward to our continued collaboration.

07/18/2017

In December, Global Peace Building Foundation (GPBF) issued its 3rd Precision Micro Grant℠ to Dancing Classrooms Pittsburgh. Dancing Classrooms Pittsburgh is a program of the Pittsburgh Mercy Health System. Dancing Classrooms Pittsburgh offers a 10-week social development program for 5th and 8th graders, focusing on ballroom dancing as a vehicle to change the lives of children, "transforming lives one step at a time”. GPBF’s grant is in support of the "Colors of the Rainbow Spring Team Match", an exciting competition that showcases the skills of Dancing Classrooms students.

Dancing Classrooms Pittsburgh builds positive social awareness, confidence, and self-esteem in children through social dance and curriculum-based teaching. The dancing helps break down social barriers between children, educates them on honor and respect, serves to improve self- confidence, and facilitates communication and cooperation. On the dance floor, children learn to accept and embrace difference.

Pittsburgh Mercy Health System introduced Dancing Classrooms to Pittsburgh in 2009. To date, more than 3,300 children in Pittsburgh Public Schools, Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh/Extra Mile Education Foundation elementary schools, Urban League Charter School and Environmental Charter School at Frick Park have benefited from this program.

GPBF honors Dancing Classrooms Pittsburgh for their work in creating a culture of peace and acceptance among our city’s children.

06/27/2017

In December 2016, Global Peace Building Foundation (GPBF) distributed a Precision Micro-Grant℠ to Seeds of Peace (SOP) International Peace Camp in Maine. This is the 5th Precision Micro-Grant that GPBF has issued to SOP. The grant recognizes the Peace Camp’s commitment to undo the hatred, fear, and violence that is passed down from one generation to the next in different conflict settings.

The International Peace Camp, a core SOP program, provides a safe space for teenagers and educators to come together across lines of conflict, in a traditional summer camp setting. Dialogue is central to the summer experience and creates an opportunity for participants to see the human face of those they may have previously viewed as ‘enemies’. Participants build relationships based on mutual trust and respect, perceptions and attitudes shift, and they gain insights into the root issues that divide them.

SOP’s network now encompasses over 6,000 alumni throughout the Middle East, South Asia, Europe, and the United States who are uniquely positioned to lead change in their home countries. SOP programming helps young people build the skills and relationships they need to accelerate social, economic, and political changes essential for peace.

Research demonstrates that SOP is having an impact. We honor their commitment to breaking the cycle of conflict and their contributions to building the sustainable peace that all youth and children deserve.

06/18/2017

In December 2016, Global Peace Building Foundation distributed a Precision Micro-Grant℠ to PeacePlayers International - Northern Ireland (PPI-NI) in support of their programs in Northern Ireland. This is the 5th grant that GPBF has provided the global organization.

Through sports, PPI-NI educates and unites young people in divided communities. PPI-NI’s programs are built on the belief that "children who play together can learn to live together." PPI-NI bridges divides, develops leaders, and changes perceptions in what continues to be a very segregated Northern Ireland.

Recent political actions in Northern Ireland are dividing people and forcing them back into traditional trenches. However, the efforts by PPI-NI at the grassroots level to convene young people, facilitate opportunities for regular and sustained contact, start important community relations conversations, and provide training and capacity building are making a difference. Between September and December 2016, PPI-NI worked with 1,056 Catholic and Protestant youth.

Since 2002, over 20,000 young people have participated in PPI-NI programs where sport is a unifier. PPI-NI is doing its part to build a generation of “Champions for Peace”, young leaders equipped with the experience and skills to have the conversations across divides and build relationships of trust.

In providing this latest grant, GPBF recognizes PPI-NI’s serious commitment to undo the hatred, fears, and violence that has passed down from one generation to the next in Northern Ireland. We support their work to help thousands of young Catholics and Protestants use sport to challenge sectarianism, prejudice and racism, while developing new friendships.