The Peace Action, Training and Research Institute of Romania (PATRIR) was founded in 2001 as a non-governmental, non-profit, politically independent organization in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The institute has as basic principles non-violence, conflict transformation, the promotion of human rights through information and awareness raising by solutions oriented, social, political and economic analysis. PATRIR was created as a result of numerous dialogues with representatives from various social sectors, as a response to the need of change within the local communities. In its strive to support the local communities in their development and meeting everyday challenges, the Institute lays its activity on to four pillars: action, training, research, advocacy and awareness raising. It joins together diagnosis, necessary to identify problems and challenges with prognosis and therapy, disseminating information and making sure that the promoted message reaches across communities. PATRIR is the joint effort of hard working people believing in its values. These people coordinate, work or volunteer for the existing departments and programmes, or in the administrative division of the Institute.

While the impacts and effects of war and armed conflicts are enough to make even the most courageous lose hope and question whether there is indeed anything we can do to make the world a better place, there is another, quieter and perhaps more powerful story unfolding; one less visible to the world’s television cameras and photographers. It is the story of increasing numbers of individuals in their thousands and tens of thousands and organisations on all continents working in peacebuilding; of a field becoming ever more collaborative, experienced and capable; of governments and citizens increasingly recognizing that to overcome war and violence we need to commit the intelligence and responsibility to invest in peacebuilding and developing our capacities to handle conflicts effectively. Peacebuilding is not a ‘soft’ field, an abstract field, or an idealistic way of dealing with violent conflict any more than medicine is soft, abstract or idealistic as a way of dealing with sickness and disease. It is essential, necessary and achievable.

PATRIR is one of many authors and contributors to this story. Through patience, dedication, hard work, and a commitment to professionalism and passion, the Institute is working to enable both immediate results and long-term contributions to building an architecture, culture, and practice of peacebuilding. It is working with practitioners, policy makers and the public to deepen our knowledge, skills and understanding, and to make visible an important choice. The choice of whether we continue policies and practices which escalate violence, insecurity and instability for billions of people world-wide, or whether we find alternatives, and commit our social, economic, political, scientific, cultural and human resources and capacities to transforming conflicts by peaceful, determined means. That choice of overcoming all forms of structural, cultural and direct violence is up to us; every single one of us.