Learning to Communicate After Birth: Maruko Breland on Marriage, Motherhood, and Asking for Help
In S1E3 of Women and Families in Peacebuilding, host Jeanne Bessell speaks with Maruko Breland about how communication with her husband changed after the birth of their second child, and how honesty, mentorship, and trust helped their family find a new rhythm. The birth of a child can bring deep joy, but it can also […]
Raising Children with Love, Purpose, and Consistency
In this episode of Global Peace Women, host Jeanne Bessell speaks with Irene Kizito, a mother of four from Nairobi, Kenya, about intentional parenting, shared values, marriage, and raising children with love. Family has a culture, shaped not only by what parents say, but by what children see every day: the tone used at home, […]
Bridging Cultures with Shared Values: Bambie Panta on Love, Marriage, and Building a Family Across Differences
In S1E4 of Women and Families in Peacebuilding, host Jeanne Bessell speaks with Bambie Panta about the beauty and challenge of cross-cultural marriage, and how shared values, communication, and trust can help turn differences into a stronger family foundation. Marriage is never built by two people who are exactly the same. Every couple brings different […]
Faith, Family, and the Village That Helps Raise a Child
In Season 1, Episode 5 of Women and Families in Peacebuilding, host Jeanne Bessell speaks with Harriet Bukondika from Uganda about motherhood, tradition, faith, and the community support that helps families thrive. There is a quiet kind of strength in a mother’s story. It is not always found in grand speeches or perfect moments. Sometimes […]
Where Peace Begins: Families, Youth, and the Next Generation of Peacebuilders
Peacebuilding often begins in the quietest places around family tables, in classrooms, and in everyday conversations between generations. Long before young people enter public life, they are shaped by the values, relationships, and examples they experience at home. “Family is the heart of peacebuilding.” This participant reflection captured the spirit of Global Peace Women’s webinar, “Raising […]
Youth Leadership Begins at Home
The first lesson in leadership begins at home. – By Jeanne Bessell Over the last month, we had conversations with youth about the impact their parents and families have had on their lives. We saw, over and over again, that there is a big impact. Positively, they shared about seeing their parents serve their communities, […]
What if we talked about postpartum with more honesty, more compassion, and more support?
The sleepless nights. The emotional shifts. The quiet strength behind every “I’m okay.” The beautiful transformation that changes a woman forever. Motherhood is not just about raising a child ; it is also about rediscovering yourself. Through every challenge, every tear, and every breakthrough, a new identity is born with three powerful words: “I am […]
The Future Starts at Home
~by Jeanne Bessell, community blog contributor Every year, on the International Day of Families, we are reminded of something simple but often overlooked: “Families matter. ” Not just in a sentimental way, not just as a tradition, but as the place where the future is quietly […]
Why Do Families Matter for Peace?
–By Jeanne Bessell Did you know, peace doesn’t begin in governments, policies, or global agreements but in our homes? It’s easy to think of peace as something distant, something negotiated in faraway rooms by people in positions of power. But the truth is, peace is first learned in the smallest and most intimate places: within […]