Across the Communion, churches are involved in grassroots peacemaking in places of conflict and unrest. On International Peace Day, Anglican News spoke to people working for justice with peace in their contexts to highlight the importance of investing time, energy and resources in peacemaking.

21 September is the International Day of Peace

The International Day of Peace is a day designated by the United Nations that ‘invites us all to do our part for peace’. This year’s theme is ‘Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day’. This seeks to honour the 'everyday architects of peace': the people driving local action, laying the groundwork for stability and building lasting peace from the ground up. The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said: ‘Let us all be inspired by the courage of those who champion peace in neighbourhoods, classrooms and communities. And let’s call on world leaders to invest in a peaceful future for all people.’

Peacemaking in the Anglican Communion

Faith groups often play a vital role in working for peace and justice in their communities. They collaborate with other agencies in advocacy, humanitarian aid and providing a safe place in areas of conflict and hardship.

The Anglican Peace and Justice Network

The Anglican Peace and Justice Network (APJN) is a recognised network of the Anglican Communion which connects Anglicans around the world who share a passion for conflict transformation, peacebuilding and seeking Christ-centred justice for all people.

By sharing stories of hope from local contexts to the wider Communion, APJN supports Anglicans in responding to the Five Marks of Mission, focusing on the Fourth Mark: ‘To seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation’. The network meets online and in-person regularly and hosts frequent prayer meetings and events to advocate for peace with justice, joining Anglicans from around the world in prayer and hope.

Anglicans at the United Nations

The Anglican Communion Office stands with Anglicans in advocating for justice, peace and equality. It represents the distinctive voice of Anglicans in civil society and at the United Nations regarding the needs of people and planet.

This international advocacy strengthens trust between churches and international organisations, particularly in peacekeeping and refugee responses, to maximise the impact of efforts to reduce conflict, relieve suffering, transform injustice and restore creation.

From the United Nations in New York, Martha Jarvis, Special Representative to the United Nations for the Anglican Communion, shared, 'This year's International Day of Peace falls on the same day as world leaders arrive at the UN in New York to address the General Assembly. Their presence and words are important and we pray for them. What matters most, however, are everyday decisions to make peace, build trust and seek justice.

‘Those decisions, that perhaps only God sees, turn grand speeches into the presence of the kingdom of God in families, communities and nations around the world. Those decisions mean leaders can speak with integrity and courage and are inspirational in churches across the Anglican Communion. I pray that God helps each of us to be architects of peace to the people around us.’

Supporting people displaced by conflict in South Sudan

The Dioceses of Kajo-Keji and Liwolo have been making a humanitarian appeal for stability and peace in their context, amid rising tensions in the region that are causing the displacement of thousands of people.

The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, the Rt Revd Anthony Poggo, recently visited camps established in the Diocese of Liwolo to support the wave of internally displaced people fleeing conflict over border disputes. During the visit, the Rt Revd Dr James Lule, Bishop of neighbouring Kajo-Keji Diocese, said those displaced were ‘in great pain, especially when it comes to food and medical supplies because there are not enough’. For those returning to their homes, his prayer was that ‘peace may continue to return so that the ministry of the church also may progress’.

Interfaith peacemakers in Northern Mozambique

Northern Mozambique experiences frequent outbursts of conflict due to the insurgency of armed extremist groups. Clashes cause displacement and the impact is compounded by ecological crises.

The Peace Clubs across Mozambique are an interfaith network composed of religious and community leaders who work together to promote unity in the community and social cohesion between faith groups in conflict-affected regions.

Cremecilda Da Sousa, a member of the Peace Clubs from the Anglican Diocese of Nampula, reflected on the 2026 theme, saying, ‘It is important to invest in peace by giving our time and strength and our resources,’ because ‘it’s our calling.’ Speaking about the initiative, she said, ‘This union makes us a foundation of stability [and] our greatest hope is that peace will become part of our culture’.

Nura Ali, a community and peace worker in the region, described the Peace Clubs as a pioneering movement involving Mozambique’s Anglican Church, Christian Council and Islamic Council. She said their activities centred on ‘preventing the culture of violence… We act as a bridge and promote community dialogue.’

Peace in the Holy Land

Highlighting the work of young peacemakers

At the most recent meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council in 2026, the Anglican Communion Youth Network (ACYN) hosted the event titled 'A Living Legacy: young voices and the work of peace', with the Archbishop of Jerusalem, the Most Revd Hosam Naoum.

At the event, Archbishop Hossam, a frequent public advocate for peace and reconciliation, shared his belief that Christians of all ages should be involved in peacebuilding: ‘Youth ministry was and still [is a] big part of my vocation’. He reflected that churches sometimes treat young people as if they are the ‘future of the Church’, but they are not ‘in the making… they are the present of the Church. They are the here and now’ and, he felt, should not be excluded from peacemaking. He encouraged church leaders to ‘invest in empowering emerging leaders’.

During the event, young Anglicans spoke about peacemaking in their regions around the Communion and considered the church’s role in peacebuilding and advocacy. Perspectives were heard from Hong Kong, Kenya, Ghana and Palestine about the various forms peacebuilding can take.

The youth delegates highlighted the Difference course as a positive influence in reframing perceptions and developing a mindset of reconciliation. Difference is an international digital resource that helps equip people to see transformation through everyday encounters.

Palestine

The Revd Deacon Saba Kerry of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem is a member of the Anglican Consultative Council Standing Committee and Co-Chair of the Anglican Communion Youth Network in the Middle East and South Asia Region.

Reflecting on the theme of this year’s International Day of Peace, Revd Saba urged all Christians to continue investing in peace, saying that it is the ‘restoration of broken relationships between human beings.’ He said that to invest in peace is ‘to participate in God’s work of restoring the relationships through which human beings and all creation can flourish.’

Revd Saba shared that in the Holy Land, ‘Anglicans are trying our best to be advocates and ambassadors for peace and reconciliation, while insisting that peace cannot be separated from justice. Much of this work happens through the slow ministry of presence: accompanying communities, serving the vulnerable, creating spaces for encounter and dialogue across religious and social divisions and seeking to build or restore relationships.’

More information

Find out more about the Anglican Peace and Justice Network.

Learn more about the work of the Anglican Communion Office at the United Nations, advocating for justice with peace.

See a recent article about the Church in South Sudan’s response to people displaced due to conflict.

Read an article about the event at ACC-19, which celebrated young voices in peace and reconciliation.

Discover how Anglicans are talking about peace and reconciliation around the world.