The "Peace Begins With Me" campaign shares the powerful stories of individuals—both UN peacekeepers and the communities they serve—who are striving to bring peace to conflict-affected areas. These stories are a source of inspiration, reminding a global audience that peace is not just the work of a few but a collective responsibility. The campaign’s message is clear: peace begins with each of us.
For over 76 years, United Nations peacekeepers have stood on the frontlines of some of the world’s most devastating conflicts, working tirelessly to prevent violence, protect civilians, promote human rights, and uphold the rule of law. Since its inception, more than two million men and women have served in these efforts, and over 4,100 have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving under the UN flag. Today, around 87,000 peacekeepers operate in increasingly complex and hazardous environments, navigating rising global tensions and multifaceted conflicts.
While UN Peacekeeping remains a vital instrument of international cooperation and solidarity, the campaign underscores that the pursuit of peace is not the responsibility of peacekeepers alone. It calls on every individual, regardless of location or background, to actively participate in building and sustaining peace. The "Peace Begins With Me" campaign advocates for a global call to action, inviting everyone to take meaningful steps, no matter how small, toward a more peaceful world. True peace is a shared journey, and it starts with each of us embracing our role in creating a better future for all.
The "Peace Begins With Me" campaign was brought to life through a strategic blend of impactful storytelling, modern design, and a wide-reaching digital presence. The goal was to connect the global community with the inspiring stories of UN peacekeepers and peacebuilders, highlighting their skills, tenacity, and determination. At the core of the campaign was the message that peace is a shared responsibility, and everyone has a role to play.
We modernized the image of UN peacekeeping through vibrant, bold visuals and a memorable logo that reinforced the campaign’s message. The logo, prominently displayed across all campaign materials, served as a constant reminder that peace begins with each individual. This approach was especially effective in appealing to younger, digital-savvy audiences who may not have been familiar with traditional peacekeeping efforts. By using a sleek, modern design, we aimed to make peacekeeping relatable, engaging, and inspiring.
Videos played a crucial role in humanizing peacekeeping efforts. They showcased the collaborative nature of peace, featuring peacekeepers and communities working together in conflict zones. We utilized various video formats—vlog-style footage, motion graphics, and stylized visuals—to tell compelling stories that would resonate with an online audience. The videos emphasized that peace is not just a global issue but a personal one, aligning with the campaign’s central message, "Peace Begins With Me." Collaborations with influencers, UN organizations, and Member States expanded the reach of these videos, helping to engage new audiences and increase visibility.
We published content across all UN Peacekeeping social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn, targeting a global audience of adults aged 25-34. A key element of our strategy was building anticipation through teaser videos and engaging posts, leading up to significant milestones like the International Day of Peace. Our social media management strategy leveraged influencer collaborations, audience engagement through interactive posts, and the sharing of personal stories to build a connection with followers and increase participation.
To create a more immersive experience, we partnered with design firm Elkanodata to develop a dedicated microsite for the campaign. The site was designed to be interactive and user-friendly, featuring engaging visuals, storytelling elements, and articles that communicated the campaign’s core message: peace is a collective responsibility. The microsite honored the sacrifices of UN peacekeepers while making the message of peace accessible to a broader audience, including those unfamiliar with UN Peacekeeping.
The campaign took on various forms depending on the focus, including notable sub-campaigns such as the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, "Peace Begins With Her" (focused on women peacekeepers), and the 2023 Peacekeeping Ministerial in Ghana. Each sub-campaign targeted specific aspects of peacekeeping, broadening the campaign’s reach and impact.
The small content creation team faced challenges in managing the extensive scope of the campaign, including coordinating influencers, producing a high volume of content, and maintaining engagement across multiple platforms. Despite these hurdles, the campaign was a resounding success, achieving record engagement without media spend, reaching millions of views, and resonating with both traditional and new audiences.
The "Peace Begins With Me" campaign acheived exceptional results in terms of engagement, reach, and audience impact. With a 4% overall engagement rate across social media platforms, the campaign significantly outperformed the industry average of 1.5%, especially in the non-profit sector. Daily posts and tailored campaigns consistently engaged audiences, demonstrating the effectiveness of the content strategy.
Character-driven storytelling emerged as one of the campaign's most powerful tools. Posts featuring personal stories, accompanied by high-quality photos from peacekeeping missions, resonated deeply with users. The campaign was able to visually capture the dedication and humanity of peacekeepers, further expanding its reach and fostering connection with new audiences.
On Peacekeepers' Day (29 May, 2024), the campaign saw an even higher average engagement rate of 5.6%, well above the year's 4% average. This strong performance showed that the content not only resonated with the audience but also inspired meaningful interaction and support. The campaign’s use of influencers, celebrities, and UN Peacekeeping personnel helped amplify this engagement.
Additionally, the poetry video associated with the campaign became the most successful video across all platforms, with 2.2 million views on Instagram, 40,000 on YouTube, and 50,000 on X. The majority of these interactions came from non-followers, proving that the campaign successfully reached new, untapped audiences.
The campaign also brought a total of 440K new followers to UN Peacekeeping digital channels which increased by 42% in 2023 reaching 1.5 million followers in early 2024.
Overall, the "Peace Begins With Me" campaign not only met its objectives but also raised global awareness, engaged diverse audiences, and promoted a powerful message of individual responsibility in the pursuit of peace.
