Two People Who Moved the State of Georgia: Building Peace Through DPCW Resolutions

 

A total of seven local governments in the U.S. state of Georgia have now adopted resolutions supporting the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW). These include the City of South Fulton, the City of Fairburn, the City of Jonesboro, the City of Atlanta, the City of Palmetto, the City of Stonecrest, and DeKalb County.

Behind these resolutions are two key figures who devoted themselves to advancing this effort: Sonia Tyler, Executive Assistant in the Office of the CEO of DeKalb County, and Maya Taylor, Founder and President of the Arrow Youth Leadership Council International (AYLCI).

Both Ms. Tyler and Dr. Taylor experienced personal events that led them to recognize the reality of violence and the responsibility communities have to address it. These experiences became an inner driving force behind their continued public service and peacebuilding efforts.

 

Sonia Tyler: A Life Devoted to Bridging Different Worlds

Sonia Tyler, Executive Assistant in the Office of the CEO of DeKalb County, is a Congolese American whose worldview and values have been shaped by living across multiple regions of the world. Born in Paris, France, to a Congolese mother and an American father, she spent her formative years growing up in Saudi Arabia. From an early age, she naturally learned how to understand and bridge different cultures, perspectives, and experiences. Today, that multicultural upbringing continues to define her work in public administration and community engagement, where she serves as a bridge between diverse people and communities.

Tyler has long believed that remaining silent in the face of injustice and suffering only allows that suffering to continue. This conviction was deeply influenced by her Congolese heritage and her childhood experiences abroad. Growing up, discussions about the ongoing conflict and violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were common in her household. Having witnessed relatives and family acquaintances lose their lives to conflict, the tragedy of war became a deeply personal reality for her. Although she was born in Paris, Tyler lived in Saudi Arabia from the age of two until fourteen, where she also experienced the realities of war firsthand. During the Gulf War, she became stranded in Thailand because of the conflict. Later, while participating in a track and field competition in Kuwait, she directly witnessed the devastating aftermath of war. There she met children who had lost loved ones and whose homes and communities had been destroyed. Those encounters profoundly impressed upon her how war can permanently alter both individual lives and entire communities. These experiences inspired her lifelong commitment to refusing silence in the face of injustice and to building understanding, compassion, and peace.

After immigrating to the United States, Tyler encountered an unexpected reality. Although she had grown up understanding the devastating consequences of war and political conflict, she was deeply shocked by the prevalence of everyday violence within American communities. Even having witnessed the effects of armed conflict overseas, she never imagined that the frequency of gun violence and the fear it created would make the United States feel, in some respects, even more dangerous. This realization strengthened her determination to help create communities where every person feels safe, respected, and valued as an integral member of society.

Her perspective has also influenced her son. Tyler shared that he developed a deep interest in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. She often reflects on how King’s message continues to inspire people across generations and remains profoundly relevant today.

Tyler’s dedication to her community extends far beyond her public office. Through the Fruitful Community Foundation, she has supported environmental protection initiatives and youth leadership development. She has also collaborated with the Roots & Shoots program of the Jane Goodall Institute, founded by renowned primatologist and environmentalist Dr. Jane Goodall. In addition, Tyler serves as a producer of The ScottLite Show, a community-focused talk show that highlights local leaders, entrepreneurs, artists, nonprofit organizations, and changemakers working to strengthen DeKalb County and neighboring communities. Throughout all of her work, Tyler consistently emphasizes the importance of genuine communication. She believes that sincerely listening to others and engaging in honest dialogue are the essential first steps toward resolving conflict, building trust, and creating stronger, more connected communities.

 

Sonia Tyler’s Connection with HWPL

In 2020, Tyler experienced the tragic loss of her younger brother, who was murdered. Following his death, she made a conscious decision to step forward publicly and build relationships with more people.

She first encountered HWPL during the 2023 Peace Walk. She did not attend alone. Accompanying her were her niece, who had lost her father, as well as her daughter and her daughter’s friend. Tyler recalls being deeply moved by both the messages delivered by the speakers and the atmosphere of the event. Above all, she remembers the warmth and kindness shown by the HWPL staff, who welcomed her and her family from the very beginning.

“At the Peace Walk, we experienced genuine human warmth. And that warmth continued long after the event.”

— Sonia Tyler, Executive Assistant, Office of the CEO of DeKalb County

What began as a single encounter in 2023 ultimately became the foundation for the peace resolution adopted by DeKalb County two years later.

 

 

Why DeKalb County?

Tyler explains the background behind DeKalb County’s passing of a resolution based on the DPCW as follows:

“DeKalb County had already established compassion as one of its core community values. That created the right foundation for advancing this resolution.”

Working together with Commissioner Michelle Long Spears, who represents District 2 of DeKalb County, Tyler helped transform that shared value into an official resolution. Even after Tyler stepped down from her previous role as Chief of Staff, Commissioner Long Spears continued seeking creative ways to put peace into practice throughout the community.

Their work did not end with the passage of the resolution. Together, they also supported initiatives such as PAWS, an animal welfare organization, demonstrating how peacebuilding can extend beyond human relationships to include compassion for animals and the broader community.

Although Tyler is encouraged by the progress that has been made, she believes the resolution should serve as the beginning rather than the end of the process. She emphasizes that it must lead to concrete action by developing violence-prevention programs centered on peace education rather than remaining simply a symbolic declaration.

She also believes peace education should become an established part of public institutions and that the resolution itself should inspire meaningful community conversations. According to Tyler, empathetic dialogue is the starting point for understanding one another and overcoming fear of those who may seem unfamiliar or different.

 

What Made DeKalb County’s Peace Resolution a Powerful Example

How can one determine whether a local government is ready to adopt a peace resolution? Tyler points to several concrete policies that DeKalb County was already pursuing at the time. These included increasing the minimum wage for county employees, investing in the county’s police department, and expanding investments in education.

These initiatives demonstrated that DeKalb County had gone beyond simply embracing the word “compassion.” The county was already putting that value into practice through tangible policies and financial investment. For Tyler, adopting the DPCW resolution was therefore not introducing a new direction but officially affirming the meaningful changes the county had already been working toward.

For communities seeking to promote the DPCW, Tyler advises first understanding what the local community genuinely needs and values. Rather than imposing an agenda from the outside, she believes success comes from working alongside the existing priorities and momentum within the community.

She also emphasizes the importance of consistent communication. Approximately every three weeks, she sent residents a letter titled “Did You Know?” to share information about local issues and public policies. She believes the most important thing is not to make decisions on behalf of people, but to enable them to participate directly in the process.

“There is beautiful work for us to accomplish together. To create a better world, we must seek one another. Ultimately, building a better world depends on all of us.”

— Sonia Tyler, Executive Assistant, Office of the CEO of DeKalb County

 

 

Maya Taylor: A Commitment Born from Personal Experience

Maya Taylor, Founder and President of the Arrow Youth Leadership Council International (AYLCI), speaks openly about the origins of her work. As a young person, she herself benefited from the guidance of a mentor. Through that experience, she came to understand how profoundly one caring adult can influence the life of a child. This realization has shaped the deep concern she feels today for the challenges facing young people in Atlanta.

Recognizing the growing crises of youth violence, suicide, poverty, and low literacy rates, AYLCI formally declared a State of Emergency for Georgia’s Youth to draw attention to the urgent realities confronting young people across the state.

For Taylor, the solution does not lie with individuals alone but with the community as a whole. She believes communities must work together to change the negative narratives surrounding youth and teach children how to live, grow, and thrive alongside one another.

Her central message is clear: “One World, One Team.”

 

 

Advancing DPCW Resolutions Through Practical Partnerships

Over the years, Taylor has built meaningful partnerships connecting youth with their communities. Her work has led to collaborations with professional sports organizations, including Atlanta Dream, Atlanta Hawks, and the College Park Skyhawks. Internationally renowned soccer players, local schools, and numerous community organizations—including HWPL and IPYG—have also supported her initiatives.

Her efforts eventually expanded into partnerships with both local and state governments. In 2025, the City of South Fulton, Georgia, became the first municipality in the state to officially adopt and proclaim a city resolution based on the DPCW, affirming its shared commitment to peace.

Taylor explains that this kind of formal and public recognition fundamentally changes the nature of an initiative.

 “Our work is no longer simply a one-time event. It becomes an important turning point that creates lasting social change.”

— Maya Taylor, Founder and President, Arrow Youth Leadership Council International

Her role as a founder remains the same as it was from the beginning: to train the next generation of young leaders to discover their potential and transform both their communities and the world.

 

 

Play4Peace ATL 2026: A Youth-Led Peace Initiative Led by Maya Taylor

In June of this year, AYLCI partnered with HWPL to host the Play4Peace ATL 2026 Global Peace Youth Leadership Camp, a three-week program centered around soccer as a vehicle for peace education and leadership development.

Through the camp, the two organizations directly supported more than 200 young leaders and indirectly reached approximately 1,000 people, including their families and members of the wider community.

The program went far beyond sports activities. Participants learned cooperation, communication, conflict resolution, and leadership, while experiencing how to live and work alongside people from different backgrounds.

The motto of the Arrow Youth Leadership Council International is, “Our children will always play, so they may as well play for peace.” Through sports, young people were given the opportunity to develop both leadership skills and a culture of peace simultaneously.

 

 

What the Resolutions Mean to These Two Messengers of Peace

Although Sonia Tyler and Maya Taylor come from different backgrounds, their understanding of the significance of the DPCW resolution is remarkably aligned. Both view the resolution not as the culmination of peacebuilding efforts but as the beginning of a sustained and institutionalized commitment to peace within the community.

For Tyler, that commitment is embodied in the value of compassion, a principle she has worked to put into practice through public policy and community investment. For Taylor, the resolution represents a transition from isolated events to a lasting movement capable of creating meaningful social change.

Peace cannot be achieved through declarations alone. It must be formalized through institutions and public policy, and it must be translated into concrete action. Ultimately, peace should not belong to any one individual or organization; it must become a shared value embraced and practiced by the entire community.