Peacebuilding

Peacemaker in Action Nominations

At Tanenbaum, we respond to the wars, religious tensions and sectarian battles that make the world so dangerous by working with religiously motivated men and women who are putting peace into action and working to resolve these conflicts – including those involving religion. These individuals are fueled by faith to stop human suffering and foster reconciliation. These are our Peacemakers in Action.

Thank you to everyone for submitting your peacemaker nominations!

Award Criteria

For the Peacemakers in Action Award, peacemaking is defined broadly. It includes a multitude of activities that stop and then transform armed conflict – and ultimately help to build peace. As a result, Tanenbaum’s Peacemaker in Action awardees are from diverse peacemaking and peacebuilding backgrounds, as well as different religions. Some Peacemakers are educators, some clergy; others are NGO directors, government officials, negotiators, and activists.

To be selected, the following five criteria must be evident in candidates’ nomination materials:

  1. Religious Motivation. Their peacemaking work has been fueled by their religious and/or spiritual beliefs.
  2. Armed Conflict. They work or have worked in an area of armed conflict.
  3. At Risk. Their lives and/or liberty have been at risk as they pursued peace.
  4. Locally Based. They are closely connected to the conflict situation at the local level. Most awardees are indigenous to the communities they serve, but some have left their original homes and spent many years embedded in a new environment.
  5. Relatively Unknown. Despite their impact, they have not received significant international attention or support at the time of selection.

Awardees Receive

1. Increased public recognition for their efforts and achievements.
Tanenbaum promotes the Peacemakers’ work through the media when it is safe to do so and, when possible, offers them opportunities to participate in U.S. and international events. Awardees are encouraged to maintain communication with Tanenbaum on a regular but convenient basis, so that they may receive these benefits.

2. $15,000 to reinforce their work.
Past awardees have used this money to fund discrete projects or, if they direct non-governmental organizations, to support operations. Awardees are required to provide a written summary of how they used the monetary award to further their religious peacemaking work within one year of receiving the award.

3. Membership in a worldwide practitioners’ Network.
Together, Tanenbaum’s Peacemakers in Action established a formal Network, enabling them to work together across borders in their common purpose: the transformation of conflicts and the reconciliation of people in building a more peaceful, just and sustainable world. All Peacemakers, including new awardees, automatically become members of this Network, enabling them to tap into this unique and powerful resource for outreach and collective action, personal growth and mutual support.

4. An in-depth case study describing their religious peacemaking work.
Tanenbaum produces Peacemaker case studies to educate others about the Peacemakers’ strategies and techniques, as well as inspire others through their life stories. Those who receive the award are expected to participate in interviews that provide information for their case study. The first set of case studies was published in the book Peacemakers in Action: Profiles of Religion in Conflict Resolution, written by Tanenbaum and edited by Dr. David Little (Cambridge University Press, 2007). Tanenbaum’s groundbreaking new publication, Peacemakers in Action: Profiles in Religious Peacebuilding – Vol II is now available! Case studies may be presented in formats including but not limited to written articles, video interviews, audio recordings, and photographic documentation.

5. Expert training.
Tanenbaum has convened Peacemakers for Working Retreats in Amman, New York, Sarajevo, and New Jersey, where they exchanged knowledge and strengthened their skills through trainings led by fellow Peacemakers and international leaders in the field. Subjects have included combating extremism, how to work with the media, manage an NGO, engage the UN, address negative texts within religious traditions, negotiate ceasefires, involve women and marginalized groups in peacemaking and build effective networks.