Community peacemaking begins with the people involved—their relationships, family connections, culture, responsibilities, history and place.

There is no single format that will be right for every conflict. The way peacemaking unfolds should reflect who is involved, how people are connected, what has happened and what may help them move towards peace.

Some people may need time and individual support before they are ready to engage with others. Cultural or family guidance may be needed. Trusted people may need to provide support. Conversations may happen gradually, in different places and at a pace that allows people to feel safe, heard and respected.

This does not mean peacemaking works without structure or boundaries. Safety, authority and responsible practice remain essential. However, the form of peacemaking should respond to the people and relationships involved, rather than requiring people to fit within a predetermined method.

Peace is not simply the absence of fighting. It grows through relationships that are strong enough to hold people safely within family and community life. Peacemaking may help people understand one another, recognise their responsibilities, repair harm and regain a sense of connection and belonging.

This will not always mean returning a relationship to what it was before. Peace may involve rebuilding trust, establishing respectful boundaries or finding a safer way for people to live alongside one another. What matters is that the outcome strengthens safety, connection and the possibility of continuing community life.

People before process means that the pathway is shaped around the people. The process serves the relationships — not the other way around.