2022 PeacePlayers Impact Report FINAL - Flipbook - Page 49
THE EVOLUTION OF PEACEPLAYERS UNITED
STATES: HOW EARLY CHALLENGES ARE
LEADING TO DEEPER IMPACT
A pivotal moment occurred at a spring staff retreat in 2018. In the words of Bryan Franklin, a project
manager during the early days of PeacePlayers United States, it was “the Aha moment of ‘Oh, we
really need to change this.’”
U.S. staff and PeacePlayers board members were brought together to reflect on the past year of
programming, and to discuss the next steps for PeacePlayers in the United States. Some staff entered
the meeting already understanding that a shift needed to occur. But through the discussion, it also
became clear to many others that PeacePlayers needed to shift away from working with police, and
move into a focus on racial equity. Up until this point, equity and justice had not been central pieces
in PeacePlayers’ messaging, or mission, and so the shift was not just significant, but new for the
entire global movement.
FIND THE FULL ORIGIN STORY AT PEACEPLAYERS.ORG/UNITED-STATES
47
