THE MANY FACES OF THOSE INVOLVED IN PEACEMAKING

Last week, at the National Conf lict Resolution Center’s Peacemaker Awards, I was reminded of the diversity of people who are actively waging peace. And I was encouraged by it.

Like Local Peacemaker honorees Ekene and Nene Okolo, who started an Instagram account (@Blackinpusd) inviting students and alumni of color to share their experiences in the Poway Unified School District.

The outpouring led to long-term changes at the district, which immediately adopted a districtwide racial equity and inclusion plan. Black educators were hired. School libraries added hundreds of books ref lecting the diversity of our country.

At the awards ceremony, the sisters recalled the dinner table conversation that prompted them to act. They never imagined that their platform would get so big or influential. “It shows how advocacy can go a long way — that fighting for what’s right is so important,” Ekene said. So, the Okolo sisters continue to amplify the voices of people who have been silenced for so long.

Then there’s Chula Vista police Officer Jeffrey Pace, who spoke about his work with NCRC.

Pace understands that the essence of policing is conf lict resolution — facilitating discussions that allow people to move forward in a peaceful manner (the outcome everyone seeks). With pain in his voice, the 35-year veteran of the force told us, “(Policing) is very hard right now. A lot of people don’t see this uniform as a symbol of justice.” As a result, those people are reluctant to come to the table for conversation, believing they won’t be heard.

So, Pace perseveres to bring community members and police officers together for dialogue, in order to achieve greater understanding.

And there’s National Peacemaker Award recipient Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden. Fauci noted that while science and medicine aren’t typically hotbeds of conf lict, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to intense debate and division in our country.

Fauci shared three guideposts for communicating in tough times: Tell the truth, even if inconvenient, and speak truth to power; communicate often, with transparency — both what you know and what you don’t; and speak to foster understanding, not to impress, meeting people where they are.

So, Fauci perseveres to unite our country in an effort to defeat a common foe: the COVID-19 pathogen.

Just as peacemakers are diverse, so are the solutions for resolving conf lict. At the event, UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep Khosla announced the launch of something truly extraordinary: the Applied Research Center for Civility, a joint venture between the university and the National Conf lict Resolution Center. The Center for Civility will look at best practices for healing our entrenched divisions.

I first imagined a Center for Civility five years ago. We were in the thick of a presidential slugfest between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. It was a nasty and contentious time. Civil society was at its nadir.

Of course, that notorious election was just the latest chapter in what is Americans’ long and dark history of being uncivil toward one another.

• In our schools, a decadeslong reliance on punitive practices — like suspension and expulsion — disproportionately affects students of color. Disconnecting from school and community often entangles these young people in the juvenile justice system, fueling the school-to-prison pipeline.

• In our workplaces, sexual harassment persists, despite well-intentioned training programs. The data is stark: Up to 85 percent of women say they’ve been harassed on the job. But most harassment goes unreported. And while the #Metoo movement has shined a light on abuse against women, harassment pervades in other forms, too.

• In our communities, intolerance and hatred are on the rise. Increasingly, these feelings manifest in violent acts. White supremacists are now our most significant terrorist threat. We regularly hear horrifying stories of Asian Americans, often elderly, who are being attacked on our streets.

NCRC is working to address all of these challenges. But with civility as we know it on life support, we still have a lot to learn.

A country that spends more than $190 billion a year on medical research may be wise to also invest in research that will create a more just and humane future for its people.

The Applied Research Center for Civility will seek solutions to our deepening polarization. That’s a different sort of threat to our public health, but also a very real one.

Like our peacemakers, we at NCRC will continue trying to make our society better. We will do so knowing that the path forward begins with a single step. I’m ready to take it.