Amid global challenges including conflict, social justice movements and the requirement for community resilience, visionary leaders in peace education and psychological safety play a critical role in developing a more inclusive and harmonious society. These leaders are architects of transformative systems that prioritize well-being, mutual understanding and sustainable growth for all. Their work extends to traditional conflict resolution, creating environments where individuals feel valued, empowered and capable of contributing to collective progress.
Tamara C Larson, CEO & Founder of Learn Peace Canada & Grow Leaders, exemplifies such leadership. She believes that true peace is not just the absence of conflict but the presence of equitable relationships, mutual respect and empathy. Through innovative frameworks that integrate nonviolent communication, restorative justice and empathy-based learning, she creates spaces where psychological safety is prioritized. In these environments, individuals—whether in schools, communities, or workplaces—feel empowered to share their perspectives without fear of judgment or retaliation.
A central aspect of her work is promoting emotional well-being, especially in communities impacted by trauma and conflict. By developing open dialogue and collective healing, she helps communities build stronger, more compassionate foundations. Her approach links peacebuilding with social justice, advocating for policies that dismantle systemic barriers, promote equity and ensure that everyone has access to the resources they need to thrive.
Through her visionary leadership, she is driving sustainable change, creating safer, more resilient communities, and inspiring others to build a future where peace, justice and well-being are accessible to all.
The Importance of Inclusive Cultures
Tamara grew up in a family business with a teacher mother, instilling in her a strong work ethic, entrepreneurial spirit and a sense of privilege and responsibility to help others. Her experience in a toxic workplace and a violent incident inspired her to create inclusive, safe spaces grounded in psychological health and safety.
As a dedicated Rotarian, she has worked with youth, developed programs and served as an Empowering Girls Ambassador, focusing on human rights and positive peace. She founded Grow Leaders to foster inclusive cultures of wellness and safety and later established Learn Peace Canada, a not-for-profit for peace education. Today, Grow Leaders and Learn Peace Canada work together to drive systemic change.
Building Compassionate Communities
Tamara views peace education as more than just training for non-violence; it’s a pathway to fostering diversity, creativity and innovation in today’s interconnected world. She believes that for individuals and organizations to thrive, embracing diverse perspectives is crucial. Peace education, in her view, includes understanding biases, critical thinking, inclusive leadership, and the practices of empathy, respect and compassionate action—essential for harmony in communities and organizations.
Through Learn Peace Canada, she empowers individuals and communities with transformational learning, co-develops peace education tools and offers leadership development. Focused on the 8 pillars of positive peace, her work aims to ensure access to basic human needs like housing, education and healthcare. Her commitment is to create a safer, more inclusive world by removing systemic barriers and developing equity.
Creating Sustainable Resources for Women Leaders
Tamara believes the world requires peace now more than ever. Recognizing her privilege, she is committed to creating a more equitable and sustainable world. In October 2023, she participated in the Women’s Leadership for Peace program at the UN, enhancing her faith in the importance of women’s leadership in peacebuilding.
Passionate about cultivating positive peace, she focuses on including women’s voices in peace negotiations, as they are often most affected by conflict. She launched Empowering Women 4 Peace to provide resources, mentorship, and support for women and allies, advocating for SDG 5 (Gender Equity) and SDG 16 (Peaceful Societies). The initiative aims to empower women to lead, build strong communities and achieve pay equity, work-life balance, and self-care.
Developing Tools for Human Rights Leadership
Tamara recognizes that in a world shaped by change and uncertainty, peace education must remain adaptable and relevant. She collaborates with stakeholders and educational institutions to co-develop tools and resources addressing critical societal issues like sustainability, gender equity, bias awareness, racism, poverty, and human rights leadership.
Her work is supported by the Youth Advisory Council, which involves young leaders in creating impactful peace education initiatives and investing in their growth and the future of society. Learn Peace Canada has joined The Greening Education Partnership, a global initiative focused on climate action through education.
Launched at the UN’s Transforming Education Summit in 2022, the partnership equips learners with the skills and knowledge to tackle the climate crisis. Through this membership, she contributes to a global movement combining peace education and climate action for a sustainable future.
Cultivating Trust in Leadership
Tamara’s work centers on creating inclusive, safe spaces that foster long-term cultures of positive peace, ensuring no one is left behind. As CEO, she builds teams, partnerships and initiatives aligned with her vision. Her role as a peace ambassador is rooted in diversity, equity and inclusion, while as a wellness advocate, she promotes mental health and psychological safety.
Leading by example, she believes trust and mutual respect are built through authentic leadership. She embraces personal growth, setting realistic goals, celebrating small wins and living her values openly. She credits much of her success to the support of her husband, family and friends, whose encouragement has helped turn her dreams into reality.
Advocating for Equity and Inclusion Effectively
Tamara is inspired by Maya Angelou’s words, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” Acknowledging her privilege, she strives to use her resources to uplift others. She recognizes the harsh reality that many lack equal opportunities and basic rights, which drives her commitment to change.
She believes transformational leadership is about creating safe, inclusive spaces for brave conversations that develop creativity, critical thinking and innovation. By prioritizing equity, inclusion and opportunity, she envisions a world where everyone can thrive.
Tamara advocates for leadership grounded in kindness, empathy and compassionate action, encouraging individuals to work together to build strong, healthy communities. For her, creating a more equitable world is not just an ideal but a responsibility.
Co-creating Solutions for a Compassionate World
Tamara is inspired by Brené Brown’s belief in embracing discomfort for growth: “Stay curious and resist choosing comfort over courage.” She believes true inclusion comes from valuing the diversity found in language, race, religion, gender, socioeconomic status, and more. For Tamara, creating inclusive, safe spaces for brave conversations means listening to understand, asking questions and co-creating solutions, all while prioritizing human rights leadership.
She believes peace starts within each of us—by embracing differences as opportunities for growth, we build trust, respect, and fairness. Through collaboration with key stakeholders, she promotes value-based leadership, ensuring that efforts toward inclusion and equity align with shared values and long-term goals, creating a more compassionate and inclusive world for all.
Integrating Wellness in Organizations
Tamara genuinely believes in the power of mentorship, drawing inspiration from young leaders’ fearless visions for a better world. While working in human rights leadership, she acknowledges the despair that can arise, yet finds hope in the acts of courage, kindness and selflessness that emerge during times of tragedy.
As a humanitarian focused on positive peace, she sees the profound impact of even small acts of compassion. She is also a strong advocate for self-care, emphasizing the importance of mental, emotional and physical wellness for both individuals and organizations. She believes that wellness is essential to building strong, resilient communities and fostering positive peace.
By integrating wellness into organizational and community efforts, she works to create environments where individuals thrive and contribute meaningfully to collective well-being.
The Impact of Kindness on Leadership Practices
Tamara views leadership in human rights as both challenging and rewarding, with peace education playing a key role in developing diversity, equity and inclusion. She believes today’s communities are vibrant mosaics of cultures, languages, religions, and traditions, offering invaluable opportunities for learning and collaboration.
She advocates for embracing diversity, encouraging individuals to actively listen, appreciate differences and understand the perspectives being shared. Through collaboration and co-creation, she believes we can address societal challenges more effectively and build a more inclusive, connected world.
Leading with kindness, empathy and understanding, she believes, is essential in building a more compassionate world. She calls on leaders to choose compassionate action in all their endeavors, knowing that through collective effort, we can achieve greater impact.
For Tamara, the message is clear: Together, we are better. Together, we are stronger.
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