Find resources on intergroup dialogue, conflict resolution, and cross-cultural collaboration. Creating a Peaceable School Community Building Communities through Youth Leadership and Teen-Adult Dialogues By Steve Fortier, M.S. Communiteam Communities and youth leaders across the country are experiencing two powerful shifts in mindset and actions. One shift is a growing realization that the Community Building process is an essential component of efforts to create healthier communities while addressing a variety of health, social and economic issues.
Communities can view challenges as opportunities for development and growth.
A second shift is in the community's view of young people. Today, more communities and organizations are recognizing that our youth are a great resource, capable of making significant contributions to their schools and other organizations, as well as the entire community. Working separately, these shifts are having an enormous positive impact on the health and well-being of our communities. Woven together these two concepts can have an even greater impact. This paper will feature two ways in which youth leaders are contributing to creating healthier schools, communities, neighborhoods, organizations and families by taking leadership roles in local community building initiatives.