The Vocational Pause

"The practice, if we can call it a practice, is to notice the significance of the moment and insights emerging, and to hold and intentionally enter the deeper space the pause created."

Peacebuilding, particularly in settings of deep-rooted conflict, is never easy – hectic, demanding, at times overwhelming, and enterprise for which we cannot always see concrete results. Sometimes, when I describe to others the nature of this work, the difficulties faced, the risks required, and the few, if any, signs of success, on more than one occasion I have found myself facing a blank stare. And the inevitable question: “Why do you do this work?” In the midst of the conversation, I pause – even going silent for a moment. In order not to appear out of sorts, recovery may come with a quick explanation, a slight exaggeration of a recent event that went well, or a quick appeal to an idealistic motivation. But inside, the question has stopped me short.

I have come to refer to this moment as the vocational pause…

From “Supporting Creative, Whole Peacebuilders: An Apprenticeship Program,” by John Paul Lederach, in Faith and Practice in Conflict Resolution: Toward a Multidimensional Approach, edited by Rachel M. Goldberg.

read

Once downloaded, PDFs can be translated via Google Translate

english

book

Reflective Peacebuilding: A Planning, Monitoring and Learning Toolkit

A toolkit intended to improve peacebuilders’ ability to be reflective practitioners which involves enhancing peacebuilders’ capacity to design and impact transformative change, and track and improve upon those changes over time in unpredictable conflict contexts.

2007