AFSC St. Louis Program Director Barbara Gunn Lartey, front; Midwest Regional Group member and Friend Steve Tamari; and Midwest Regional Director Sharon Goens-Bradley
Elevating Peacebuilding in St. Louis: A Year of Bold, Inspired Action
When I joined the AFSC family as Program Director for St. Louis Peacebuilding, I carried with me a deep commitment to nurturing spaces for healing, empowerment, and transformation. These first months have been an incredible journey of collaboration, growth, and action—all guided by the vision of abolishing systems of injustice and building a more peaceful, equitable world.
Abolition in Action and Quaker Connections
Our efforts to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline reflect abolitionist principles, creating spaces where youth challenge systemic barriers and foster transformation—within themselves and their communities. Through partnerships with local high schools, we teach mediation, de-escalation, and self-regulation, nurturing restorative practices that build safer, more equitable environments. From connecting with local Quaker communities to invigorating Program Committees and collaborating with grassroots organizers and youth leaders, our work has been as inspiring as it is humbling.
From left, Sharon Goens-Bradley, Ti Dunigan, Alex Jones, and Barbara Gunn Lartey set intentions during a candle-making workshop.
Celebrations and Milestones
Among our early milestones was hosting Regional Director Sharon Goens-Bradley for a reflective team retreat in St. Louis. Together, we set powerful intentions during a candle-making teambuilding experience, rooting our work in shared purpose and setting a strong foundation to deepen our impact in 2025. A special shoutout to Mary Zerkel, Associate Regional Director for the Midwest Region, for her leadership and guidance during Sharon’s restorative sabbatical.
From left, Ti Dunigan and Alex Jones at the Big 3 Midwest Youth Summer Intensive discuss equipping youth changemakers to question the source.
This year also brought transformative highlights, including the Big 3 Midwest Youth Summer Intensive, where we partnered with our Minnesota and Chicago teams to amplify youth leadership across the Midwest. Thank you, Minneapolis, for your vibrant hospitality!
We’ve also met and embraced significant, memorable moments! Ti Dunigan’s fellowship concluded with a November celebration honoring his courage and advocacy, from strengthening community partnerships to bold activism against human rights atrocities in Gaza. Ti embraced his fellowship in a manner that exemplifies the very heart of peacebuilding.
At the Missouri Juvenile Justice Conference, Alex Jones, Program Coordinator, fearlessly shared with 300 attendees their powerful testimony that underscored the critical need for gender-affirming care, inspiring us all to speak truth to power. Both Ti and Alex embodied the very heart of peacebuilding: standing firmly in courage and the commitment to “do good” and do it well.
AFSC Collabs
Another pivotal moment included my visit with AFSC programs in California, where I connected with inspiring our staff and deepened our vision for peacebuilding. The Los Angeles Roots for Peace urban farm showed how healing justice spaces can transform lives, offering hands-on, intergenerational learning.
AFSC staff in the Bay Area welcome Barbara Gunn Lartey.
In the Bay Area, the California Healing Justice Program offered profound lessons on reimagining militarized systems and centering community voices in transformation. Youth from 67 Sueños shared how community organizing empowered them to amplify their voices in systems often designed to silence them.
An Ericka Huggins quotation at the Black Panther Museum in Oakland
A visit to the Black Panther Museum reminded us of the enduring legacies of resistance as we chart new paths forward. These experiences are already shaping plans for restorative spaces in St. Louis, including urban gardens and deeper youth engagement.
What’s Next for St. Louis Peacebuilding?
Looking ahead to 2025, we’re planting seeds for bold new initiatives: launching community surveys and focus groups to inform our work, hosting a staff retreat to align our vision with California-inspired insights, and creating a “Peacebuilder Patron” campaign to grow grassroots support.
This April, I’m honored to represent St. Louis Peacebuilding at the annual AFSC Corporation Meeting in Philadelphia, where I’ll lead a workshop centering the life of Prudence Crandall. Her unwavering commitment to justice and authentic allyship reminds us of the transformational power of standing firmly in solidarity.
Now, more than ever, in this era of political uncertainty and fractured coalitions, we are called to disrupt the systems that divide us, cultivate spaces of healing and growth, and transform our communities with courage, creativity, and, yes—love.
In Peace and Solidarity,
Barbara Gunn Lartey