Living Peace in Everyday Life: HWPL’s Community-Based Peace Actions Across Continents

Across different regions of the world, peace is often discussed as a political goal or a diplomatic outcome. Yet in many communities, peace is being practiced in much quieter, more practical ways—through dialogue, cooperation, and shared responsibility in daily life.

In late 2025, Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) continued this approach by combining interfaith dialogue with hands-on civic participation, showing how peace can take shape not only in words, but in everyday actions. Recent activities in Zambia and Germany illustrate how this model works across cultures and contexts.

Interfaith Dialogue in Zambia: Peace as a Shared Social Responsibility

On November 15, HWPL’s Zambia branch hosted an online interfaith dialogue under its World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Office, titled “The Role of Religion, Part II.”
The session followed an earlier dialogue held in October and brought together religious leaders, youth, journalists, civil society members, and local officials from across Zambia.

Participants included representatives connected to the Vice President’s Office, reflecting how discussions on religion and peace are increasingly viewed as relevant to public policy and social stability—not only faith communities.

The session opened with remarks from a Lusaka-based communication specialist, who emphasized that peace is not a topic reserved for theologians alone. Instead, religious values influence how communities respond to social tension, coexistence, and conflict prevention in everyday life.

Young participants shared a strong interest in learning how people of different faiths can live within the same community without fear, avoidance, or mistrust. For many, the dialogue highlighted that religious diversity does not have to lead to division—it can become a starting point for understanding and cooperation.

Speakers from Islamic, Jewish, and Baha’i traditions each described peace not merely as the absence of violence, but as a practice rooted in responsibility, respect, education, and protection of human dignity. Despite differing theological backgrounds, the discussion converged on one idea: peace becomes real when it is expressed through consistent personal choices and social behavior.

From Dialogue to Action: Community Cleanup in Frankfurt, Germany

While peace was being discussed online in Africa, it was being practiced on the streets of Europe.

On August 30, volunteers in Frankfurt’s Sachsenhausen district participated in a community cleanup initiative jointly organized by HWPL Germany and the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG). Despite rainy weather, 22 volunteers took part in removing cigarette butts, broken glass, and hazardous waste from family-friendly public areas, including playgrounds frequently used by children.

This activity was part of an ongoing effort that has continued regularly since April 2023. Over the past two years, volunteers have conducted dozens of cleanup actions across Frankfurt, collecting more than 125 kilograms of waste in total.

Earlier initiatives included a one-hour “Kippen-Catch” campaign near Frankfurt Central Station, where participants collected over 500 cigarette butts while raising environmental awareness through creative social media engagement.

For volunteers, these efforts represent more than environmental care. Many described clean and safe public spaces as symbols of shared responsibility, especially toward younger generations. Maintaining everyday environments, they explained, is a tangible way to express values such as care, cooperation, and peace.

Peace as a Daily Practice, Not an Abstract Ideal

Although the Zambian dialogue and the German cleanup activities took very different forms, both reflect the same underlying principle: peace grows through repeated, practical actions carried out by ordinary people.

Rather than treating peace as a distant ideal shaped only by institutions or treaties, HWPL’s approach brings it into daily life—through conversation, mutual understanding, and visible acts of service. Religious dialogue encourages reflection and empathy, while community volunteering turns shared values into action.

According to organizers, the goal is not immediate or dramatic outcomes, but the steady accumulation of trust, understanding, and civic responsibility across communities. Over time, these small but consistent efforts may help peace become a normal part of social life rather than an exception.

As these initiatives continue, they offer a reminder that peace does not begin only in conference halls or legal documents—it often starts in everyday choices made by individuals working together for the common good.

Source: https://vo.la/BENUzko