The Global Peace Building Foundation is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based organization that funds peacebuilding groups around the world. The organization works with activist groups, mostly overseas, that try to build connections between conflicting individuals at a local level.

The group operates through the contact theory, which theorizes that negative attitudes between different conflicting groups can be reduced by promoting contact and familiarity between the groups. ¹

Background

Tom Etzel founded the Global Peace Building Foundation on September 11, 2010. His niece, Katie McCloskey, worked on the 97^th floor of the World Trade Center when American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Etzel’s high school friend, Ken Waldie, was on board the airliner. ²

Contact Theory

The Global Peace Building Foundation operates on contact theory. Researcher Gordon Allport developed contact theory in the 1950s based on the belief that separation and unfamiliarity between conflicting groups can, and often does, breed negative attitudes, such as stereotypes and prejudices, which can potentially escalate into hostility and violence. Allport theorized that negative attitudes could be reduced by promoting contact and familiarity between the conflicting groups. ³

The group claims that contact theory best works when it is used among youth and children’s peacebuilding programs. The change in attitudes and beliefs, which happens in the formative stage of a young person’s life, creates the conditions necessary for youth to form lasting relationships built on mutual trust and respect. ⁴

How The Group Works

The Global Peace Building Foundation promotes contact theory to three types of groups that it funds that are involved in dialogue, sports, and the arts. All three approaches are rooted in a substantive peace education curriculum. The group works almost exclusively with children and youth in conflict zones. ⁵

The group makes “micro grants” to groups. The groups it funds must have financial reporting systems in place and an ongoing plan for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of their programs. ⁶

Grantees

The Global Peace Building Foundation funds Peace Players International, Seeds of Peace, Dancing Classrooms Pittsburgh, Musicians without Borders, Sterling Park Elementary School, Breaking Ground, and Jerusalem Youth Chorus. ⁷

Peace Players International uses sport to bring Catholic and Protestant youth together in Northern Ireland through their integrated basketball program. ⁸

Seeds of Peace is a camp in Otisfield, Maine which brings together Israeli and Palestinian youth and encourages them to build relationships with each other. ⁹

Dancing Classrooms Pittsburgh operates a 10-week social development and ballroom dancing course for students in fifth through eighth grades. ¹⁰

Musicians Without Borders supports the Mitrovica Rock School in Mitrovica, Kosovo which features ethnically mixed bands. ¹¹

Sterling Park Elementary School’s music curriculum introduces students to different cultures through music. ¹²

Breaking Ground operates in Cameroon and educates children about non-violence and peaceful conflict resolution. ¹³

Jerusalem Youth Chorus is a choral and dialogue program for Israeli and Palestinian youth in Jerusalem. ¹⁴

Leadership

The Global Peace Building Foundation’s executive director is Tom Etzel. Etzel is an accountant. ¹⁵

Finances

According to the Global Peace Building Foundation’s 2023 financial statement, the group had $11,823 in revenue, $6,391 in expenses, and $27,741 in assets. ¹⁶

According to the group’s website, Etzel is the group’s largest single donor, giving more than $2,000. ¹⁷

1. Etzel, Thomas B. “Breaking the Cycle: How to Build Sustainable Peace Using Contact Theory.” Truthout, October 7, 2015. https://truthout.org/articles/breaking-the-cycle-how-to-build-sustainable-peace-using-contact-theory/.
2. “Who We Are.” GPBF. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.globalpeacebuilding.org/who-we-are.
3.  Etzel, Thomas B. “Breaking the Cycle: How to Build Sustainable Peace Using Contact Theory.” Truthout, October 7, 2015. https://truthout.org/articles/breaking-the-cycle-how-to-build-sustainable-peace-using-contact-theory/.
4.  Etzel, Thomas B. “Breaking the Cycle: How to Build Sustainable Peace Using Contact Theory.” Truthout, October 7, 2015. https://truthout.org/articles/breaking-the-cycle-how-to-build-sustainable-peace-using-contact-theory/.
5. “Rising from the Ashes: The Shift Network.” The Shift Network, July 31, 2014. https://theshiftnetwork.com/blog/2014-07-31/rising-ashes.
6. Lauenstein, Milt, and Tom Etzel. “Bang for the Buck: How Our Business Background Influences Our Philanthropy.” Inside Philanthropy, July 10, 2018. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2018/7/9/how-our-business-background-influences-our-philanthropy.
7. “Grantees.” GPBF. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.globalpeacebuilding.org/grantees.
8. “Grantees.” GPBF. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.globalpeacebuilding.org/grantees.
9. “Grantees.” GPBF. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.globalpeacebuilding.org/grantees.
10. “Grantees.” GPBF. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.globalpeacebuilding.org/grantees.
11. “Grantees.” GPBF. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.globalpeacebuilding.org/grantees.
12. “Grantees.” GPBF. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.globalpeacebuilding.org/grantees.
13. “Grantees.” GPBF. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.globalpeacebuilding.org/grantees.
14. “Grantees.” GPBF. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.globalpeacebuilding.org/grantees.
15. “Who We Are.” GPBF. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.globalpeacebuilding.org/who-we-are.
16. “2023 Financial Statement.” GPBF. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/579a2205414fb501f0e3d1a8/t/65da0d8354111a7510352652/1708789123852/GLOBAL+PEACE+-+12-31-23+F.S..pdf.
17. “News.” GPBF. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.globalpeacebuilding.org/news-and-events.