About Peacebuilding Connections

People are coming together faster than ever due to increased travel, trade, and technology. Challenges like limited resources, climate change, and public health crises are adding great complexity and pressure to our ever converging world. If communities work together and rely on each other, this great convergence will be manageable and harmonious. If communities center around selfishness, segregation, and individualism, they will fail to address the challenges of today and tomorrow. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said “we must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”

Unfortunately, we live in a period where individualism and selfishness take center stage, leading to human suffering and environmental destruction. Advertisements, movies, music, and popular art sell people ideal images of themselves, not ideal images of their community or environment. For us to reverse course we must make a joint effort to recognize our collective interdependence and act in ways that show our commitment to that ideal.

 About Founder Bob Schlehuber - Click here for CV.

In 2013, ​​Bob Schlehuber founded Peacebuilding Connections. Peacebuilding Connections has produced numerous concerts, parades, marches, protests, theater productions, radio shows, study groups, and other social movements that generate and support broad and diverse community-based coalitions for social change. Bob brings his passion as an artist, producer, and organizer to build relationships between individuals and organizations that are working for justice in communities across the United States and around the world.

Peacebuilding Connections projects deepen community relationships while increasing the capacity of a community to address a range of political, social, economic issues; including housing, homelessness, public safety, education, health, workforce development, civility, mutual understanding, and international peace and conflict resolution.

Bob holds a B.A. in Communications and Political Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2008), and a M.A. in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from the American University School of International Service in Washington, DC (2013). His approach to peacebuilding includes social network analysis, facilitating small-group discussion and dialogue, and identifying and breaking down silos that occur among diverse community organizations and institutions.

Between his undergraduate and graduate studies, Bob served for two years as a Youth Development Peace Corps volunteer in Eastern Ukraine (2009-2011). While in Ukraine Bob launched a school newspaper, ran summer ecology camps, and oversaw USAID grants to Peace Corps volunteers. While serving in the Peace Corps, Bob co-launched Operation Respect - Ukraine. Working alongside a wide range of community partners, Operation Respect established Ukraine’s first social and emotional character development curriculum.

From left to right: Bob with mentors Dr. Abdul Aziz Said and Dr. Mubarak Awad; Bob with Returned Peace Corps Volunteers on a “Peace Walk” at the US Capital; Bob facilities a post-show discussion at Mosaic Theater of Washington, D.C.

Upon returning to the United States in 2013 Bob launched Operation Respect - Rock River Valley, which generated cross-sectoral collaboration among community and business leaders in Rockford, Illinois. At this time, Bob founded a collaborative effort with Rockford artist Roland Poska whereby the artist’s collection of unique lithographic prints are toured at local events and places of historical significance, and the public is invited to sign the piece as a “Declaration of Interdependence”. The Declaration of Interdependence is an on-going participatory art project that is centered on each participant's commitment to end violence, end prejudice, and achieve respect for all. Over the past ten years, this project has been implemented in over 50 cities in  10 countries on 5 continents, collecting thousands of signatures along the way.

While living in Washington, D.C. Bob also worked at Mosaic Theater, a local theater company featuring productions that deal with topical and historical themes and narratives around social justice, reconciliation, and reckoning.  Bob facilitated post-show discussions with the audience and notable guest discussants and experts including artists, journalists, government and academics, as well as leaders from the business community.   Over a three years time, these post-show discussions connected thousands of residents to one another by combining world class cutting-edge theater with thoughtful and illuminating dialogue.

From left-right; Public Safety Working Group meeting in Washington, D.C. - Heartbeat: Israeli-Palestinian Youth Music Project in Rockford, Il. - Students hold the Declaration of Interdependence in La Paz, Bolivia

During this same period, Bob launched the Washington, DC Ward 1 Public Safety Coalition, which addressed the links between gun violence and poverty in the heart of the District. The coalition brought together community neighbors and institutions to better organize and mobilize resources to reduce gun violence. In March of 2020 the Ward 1 Public Safety Coalition grew into the Mutual Aid Movement DC (MAM DC). MAM DC expanded the work of the Public Safety Coalition to deliver health, housing, education, and food support to residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Internationally, Bob has worked extensively to build peace between Israeli and Palestinian communities through the music project “Heartbeat.” The collective of young Israeli and Palestinian musicians have toured the US several times. Bob has produced several of Heartbeat’s concerts, managed the group's 25 US concert tour in 2015, and oversaw engagement with audiences around a message of reconciliation and peace.

Testimonials

“Robert is a rare example of an exceptionally creative, dynamic, and resolute organizer who possesses a global understanding of how our country can be an ever greater force for good, for equity and for peace in the world. Additionally, he has translated this understanding into concrete action. In my opinion, the young Mr. Schlehuber belongs at the top of anyone’s list of those who are most likely to head the next generation of truly gifted leaders of America.” - Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary

“Dear Mr. Schlehuber,

I’ve learned in my last years in high school that change, especially social change, starts with each of us. This made your visit so encouraging. You showed us that if you are passionate for something, you can make a difference, and there is always something you can do to help people, from the Peace Corps to your peacebuilding organization. Hearing you draw out a passion for social change from every one of us gave me so much hope that this generation will create lasting change.”

- letter excerpt from Cate Paterson, Bethesda Chevy Chase High School, in Opening Minds, Stirring Hearts: The Peace Studies Class, by Colman McCarthy

“Bob's Peace Corps service was especially notable as he showed such wide range versatility. I am honored to recommend Bob; he will be a wonderful addition to any organization or project that would have him.” - Douglass Teschner, Peace Corps Ukraine, County Director

“l am beyond impressed at Bob's process, from project ideation to the final product.” - Professor Caroline Light, Harvard University

"Very impressive job getting student engagement. Congrats. Well done!" - Professor Bob Sicina, American University

"Bob's peacebuilding work fosters a powerful sense of belonging across diverse cultures." - Andrew Gray, Resident Life, Stanford University

Peacebuilding Connections Mentors

The following individuals have been and will continue to be vital in shaping Peacebuilding Connections work and passion. Peacebuilding Connections is deeply grateful for the example each of the mentors have set as professionals within their fields and as overall people. Please click on the images to learn more about each of their work.