“Peace agreements are milestones, not finish lines.”
Last week, I had the privilege of joining a group of Israeli and Palestinian emerging leaders in Belfast to learn from the Northern Irish peace process with Rethinking Conflict, thanks to our consultants at Amal-Tikva.
I came home with several powerful reminders.
- Peace is never free. It requires courage, compromise, and difficult sacrifices—but the price of peace is always lower than the price of war.
- Peacebuilding doesn’t end when an agreement is signed. In many ways, that’s when the real work begins. Trauma can be passed from one generation to the next unless societies continue investing in healing, trust, and reconciliation.
- Civil society is indispensable. Governments may negotiate peace agreements, but it is people on the ground who keep them alive. Civil society is the glue that transforms political agreements into lasting relationships—and that glue should never be allowed to dry.
- I was deeply inspired by the extraordinary role women played in Northern Ireland. Across divides, they built bridges, created spaces for dialogue, and kept pushing for peace when others had given up.
The most moving moments were meeting bereaved parents and former prisoners—conversations that constantly reminded me of friends from the Parents Circle–Families Forum, Combatants for Peace, and Ali Abu Awwad, whose words stayed with me throughout the trip:
“The painful price of peace is always cheaper than the terrible price of war.”
Thank you to Amal-Tikva, Rethinking Conflict, and this remarkable cohort of young Israeli and Palestinian leaders. I return home more convinced than ever that peace agreements are milestones, not finish lines. Building peace is the work of generations.