At its core, The 12 Habits of Peacemakers encourages individuals to become advocates for peaceful relationships and for resolving conflict through everyday interactions at home, at work, and within the community.

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“In this growing climate of separation and hostility, we are stepping up to take personal responsibility for lowering the temperature of the human interactions we encounter every day,” said a Rotary Club President Eric Moye.

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The project has its roots in a highly successful Rotary youth initiative developed between 2000 and 2008 by Rotary Club member Elaine Parke. Known as 12 Caring Habits, the program used engaging multimedia materials to introduce twelve monthly peace-based values in Pittsburgh area schools and communities.

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First piloted in 1998 at Aliquippa Middle School under the leadership of Principal Dr. Melvin Steals, the Caring Habits initiative produced measurable results. Academic performance improved, bullying declined, and within two years the program earned the Pennsylvania State Violence Free Youth Award, presented by then Governor Tom Ridge.

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Inspired by those results, members of the Rotary Club of Pittsburgh adopted the Caring Habits program as a club youth service project in 2000. Four Pittsburgh schools were sponsored, with outcomes later evaluated by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

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As part of the outreach, a Rotarians in the Classroom manual was developed, and members visited participating schools monthly to reinforce the importance of healthy peace values and constructive conflict resolution.

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In 2008, Parke relocated from the Pittsburgh region to continue developing the 12 Peace Habits initiative, first in north central Pennsylvania near Warren and later in West Virginia, where she currently resides.

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In recognition of more than 35 years of peace focused work, Parke was honored on September 13, 2025, with a Lifetime Achievement Award as an Exceptional International Woman of Peace by Pathways to Peace, a United Nations affiliated non-governmental organization.

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“With the launch of 12 Habits of Peacemakers, it is time for ‘Peace Begins With Me’ to become more than a song,” said Parke.  It is designed as an umbrella initiative under which individuals and schools can engage in a growing range of peace building actions to transform the climate of human relations.

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A new half day workshop currently in development, “Everyday Peacemakers” will teach practical mediation principles such as active listening, finding common ground, and reducing reactivity. Unlike formal mediation processes, this approach is designed for everyday situations where tensions are escalating and relationships matter.