Movement Magazine: Issue 161

Building relationships,
building peace.
Lessons from Brixton
CHIPS (Christian International Peace
Service) runs peacemaking projects in
communities all over the world. Paul
moved to Brixton, South London, in
2014 to establish a new project focused
on three of the housing estates which
have been most affected by violence.
The project seeks to build and empower
stronger communities to tackle the
root causes of conflict including
mental health and school exclusions, and
to prevent youth violence. Here he shares
what he’s learned from his time there.
Strong relationships are core to successful
peacemaking. Many believe that we just have
to deal with the “issues” and
causes of conflict, and then
everyone will get along – but that
is to overlook that peace is not
the same as the absence of conflict.
There will always be difference, and that
difference will sometimes lead to conflict – it is
through good relationships that we can learn to build a
future together and learn from these conflicts, rather
than let them destroy us. How, then, can we go about
building effective relationships in an area of tension? Our
experience of living and working in Brixton for six years
has given us some interesting insights.
20 MOVEMENT Issue 161