PEACE (People's Educational Action and Community Evocation) is a 28 year-old non-government, non-profit organization, established in 1993-94 that has been working for inclusive growth and sustainable development of deprived and marginalised people in the Gajapati and Ganjam district of Odisha. With a broad vision of facilitating and structuring a society where communities are capable of making their own choices, meeting their survival needs and leading a self-reliant and sustainable life with dignity, PEACE aims to reach out as an enabling institution to improve quality of life of deprived tribal communities. Since inception the organisation has worked in partnership with communities and govt. departments for overall development of the backward villages.
It has come up with appropriate mechanisms of strengthening women's self-help saving groups; introducing sustainable agricultural practices; increasing people's participation in local self-governance; improving enrolment, retention and the quality of teaching in primary schools. As an organisation, it focuses on Primary Education, Sustainable Livelihood, village sanitation and hygiene education and community health. It also addresses issues such as participatory irrigation, child rights, and HIV/AIDS prevention, while focusing on women and children in particular.
Genesis..
The present president and executive director of PEACE Mr. Bhikari Charana Behera had been participating in different social activities like cleaning of medical campuses, village streets, planting trees along village roads during his schooling period in remote tribal pocket Mohana under undivided Ganjam district of Odisha. The college period also witnessed his participation and leadership in the social and cultural activities. He was elected the President of a registered social institution namely Maharaj Krushnachandra Gajapati Yubak Sangha, Mohana during 1984-86 and then secretary of Neelachala Sanskrutik Sangha, Mohana during 1987-90. The knowledge and experience gained during this period inspired him to start a state-wide network organization namely PEACE to take-up development work in an organized way involving a group of dedicated and committed band of hard working and spirited people during 1993-94.The activities of PEACE started just after the registration during 1993-94 in Ganjam and Gajapati district.