Supporting the Love Your Neighbour campaign is a great example of something peaceful you can do.
Who is responsible for Peace in our community?
or Ordinary People?
Peace begins with all of us: we don’t have to wait for someone to give us permission to start being peaceful!
So let’s start living more peacefully today: pop into Peace Hub and pledge to Do Something Peaceful. Write down one thing you will do to help make our community more peaceful. It could be as simple as sharing a cup of tea! Pop your address or email on the back, and we’ll send you a freindly message in a couple of weeks to see how you’ve gotten on.
Not sure where to start? Try these ideas: click on each for more info on how to go about taking action for peace.
Be friendly / offer to do an everyday task to help someone
Peace begins with lots of small acts of kindness: in response to recent events, a grassroots initiative has spring up: Love Your Neighbour – Do Something Kind Today. Share acts of kindness that you give or receive with #loveyourneighbour.
Have a cup of tea with someone you wouldn’t normally get to know
This is an initiative started by the group Hope not Hate. Organise to have tea with someone who is ‘different’ to you, either in pairs, in groups, at your Mosque or other place of worship, at your community centre, in your school, with someone who is homeless. The options and ideas are endless. Why not take a picture and share with the hashtag #ourcupoftea.
Find a volunteering opportunity
The Birmingham Volunteer Centre is the place to go – they have information on a wide range of volunteering opportunities depending on how much time you’re able to give. Drop in to the centre at 138 Digbeth High St between 10 and 4 Tue-Thu, or browse volunteering opportunities online anytime.
Donate to a foodbank
The Trussel Trust run foodbanks in Birmingham to help people in crisis – you can donate at Spring Hill Tesco and other sites in the city. Foodbanks need non-perishable food: ring 0121 236 2997 or visit the Trussel Trust website to check which items they particularly need at the moment.
Support a local community initiative
Many of the local areas in Birmingham (and beyond) have a Community Forum for people to share ideas and take action for their local community. And amenities like parks and museums often have a ‘Friends of…’ group that make sure they are maintained, or fundraise to keep these important parts of the community going. Check public noticeboards or places of worship near where you live, or search for activities happening in your local area online.
Shop at a local independent rather than a big chain
Independent Birmingham has information on independent cafes, bars, restaurants and shops. They also run a loyalty card scheme: for £15 a year you can get discounts at over 80 independent businesses in the city. Round the corner from Peace Hub is 6/8 Kafe (on Temple Row) – a great independent café, where you can find more information about the scheme, or visit the Independent Birmingham website.
Join an activist group
Organisations from Oxfam to Amnesty International have groups of local supporters that meet regularly to learn about peace & justice issues and plan ways to take action. Take a look at the leaflets available at Peace Hub, or search for organisations that work on an issue you care about online – there will usually be a ‘get involved’ or ‘find a local group’ link on their website.
Pop in between 11 and 2 Tue – Fri or 4 and 6 Tue – Thu for more ideas and the chance to meet other friendly people who want to make peace in our city.