Love conquers all.

What is the problem?

Fear. At the center of violence and conflict is fear. We have a fear of loss, of being alone, and we fear being vulnerable. We fear ideas and religions that don’t match up with our own. So from this fear stems fighting. It starts with attitudes and words, and then it escalates to fists and bombs. So, when it seems that all of this unsettled attitude is all around us, what does one do? We call in the peacemakers. At Preemptive Love, it’s a global movement of peacemakers that are changing the way we engage the world’s most unsettled conflicts by confronting them with acts of love, not fear.

How does this organization show love to the world in the face of fear?

There are many ways that Preemptive Love goes out and reaches lives. They work in emergency relief for families victimized by ISIS, they help make lifesaving heart surgeries for children possible, they provide education for at-risk children, provide grants for small business owners, provide peacemaking in conflict-zones, and counsel to policymakers in Washington D.C, London, and Baghdad. They currently have offices in Tobruk, Syria, two locations in Iraq, and Iran. So far they have provided 2,200 lifesaving operations for children, over 1 million pounds of food aid for ISIS victims, and over 95 businesses have started by the displaced men and women.

They do amazing work in providing for those overseas in the Middle East to have a second chance and a brighter future. One Empowerment story, as they call it, comes from a woman named Madeeha. Madeeha’s family and family farm was attacked in 2003, when Coalition soldiers entered the farm where her family worked. Fighting broke out, and too late for them to flee, her family came into the line of fire, killing her mother and brother, and leaving her with an arm that had to be amputated. She and her sister were left with ten orphans to feed and take care of. ISIS then came, and the horror was relived and Madeeha and her family escaped to Baghdad where other families were staying, and that is where she found Preemptive Love. She decided it was time to start working and provide for her family, and she borrowed 70 American dollars and began selling vegetables, and now, her business is growing with all her hard work. The grant that Preemptive Love provided her allows her to keep expanding her store and her profits, so that she can continue to take care of her family and community.

If that isn’t an amazing redemption story, I don’t know what is!

Their impact is reaching deep, and they have core values to match with the impact. Preemptive Love’s core values would start out with one of the most important ones: love anyway. We all have our own political beliefs, and our own religious beliefs, but we are called to love anyways. They call us to wrap our arms around those we fear, and invite others to do the same. Their second core value is to simply show up. Presence matters. Healing starts when we bring our entire being into a problem, including our fears. Ask questions, risk failure, and don’t hide. Their third core value is “get out of the way.” This means stepping back after we show up, so that others can stand on their own. Step back and see the bigger picture.

How can you help this amazing organization? As with every non-profit, there are ways to give. You can go online and donate any amount to help provide for things such as business empowerment, surgeries, or disaster relief. You can also go on to their website and shop their collection, where the proceeds go to areas in need. You can buy products that are specifically made by refugees! They make things like soap and candles that you can purchase, and you can also invest in a refugee’s small business, and provide the tools or animals they need.

Will you join the fight in the Middle East by acting out of love, and not fear? By opening your heart and arms to those in need?

Check out their website! http://www.preemptivelove.org/

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