When the public thinks of peace, they imagine two leaders shaking hands and signing a treaty; but rarely does the public learn what led to that moment, or what followed. Those are important stories, but our attention moves quickly to the next conflict, the next emergency. If we want to see more of those moments — making peace, resolving conflicts, finding common ground — we must all learn how to build peace and how to sustain it.

Broader and deeper public support for nonviolent solutions to conflict is critical to expanding the practice of peacebuilding. But peacebuilding will continue to be starved for resources until the public recognizes the practice as a viable alternative to war and violence and demand that their governments invest significant resources in creating peaceful solutions to conflict. So what needs to happen?

I believe journalists play a critical role in educating the public. As a result, investing in journalists’ understanding of the peace process and peacebuilding is a highly leveraged investment. This is what motivated us to launch Making Peace Visible: Peace and Conflict in the Media (originally called War Stories Peace Stories) as a global series of symposia to bring journalists and peacebuilders together to help reimagine the way the news media covers peace and conflict.

We are proud to be part of a growing body of individuals and organizations trying to capture the public imagination on peace on how to build it. I invite you to join us.