Not long ago, I had the opportunity to lead a training with a group of Community Violence Interrupters and frontline Community Violence Intervention (CVI) leaders. We talked about the usual essentials—effective communication, conflict mediation, credible presence—but we also leaned into something many in the room weren’t quite expecting: the importance of documenting your development.
I asked, as I often do in rooms like this, “Are you keeping track of your training, professional development, and the on-the-ground investments you are making daily?” A few heads nodded. Most didn’t. Then I introduced a phrase weaved within a statement that tends to catch people off guard:
“You’ve got to capture your flight hours.”
The looks I got were familiar: blank stares, a few nervous chuckles, that unmistakable “What is this brother talking about?” expression. So, I broke it down.
If I’m getting on a commercial flight, 30,000+ feet in the air, I want a seasoned pilot in the cockpit—someone with some serious flight hours. Someone who’s trained, practiced, has demonstrably logged experience, and proven they can get passengers from point A to point B safely, time and time again. I’m not interested in someone who just read “the manual”. I want someone who’s been up there—repeatedly.
In aviation, pilots log their “flight hours” to measure their time, skill, and experience in the air. It is their way of documenting the practice and responsibility that comes with safely carrying lives to and from their destinations.
In the APZone, we honor our frontline workers with a similar measure: Peace Hours. Peace hours serve as CVIs equivalent to a pilot’s flight hours.
Peace Hours represent the time, experiences, and growth of those who step into the heart of conflict to reduce gun violence and create safe passage for others. Every Peace Hour is more than a unit of time—it is a record of courage, care, and craft. It reflects the conversations held with someone on the brink, the trust built on a corner, the tension defused before harm could unfold, the consistent presence that proves peace is possible.
So, here’s a couple of questions to “CVI” professionals:
Why would we trust the lives of the people we serve to practitioners who haven’t been keeping track of their own “flight hours”? Why should these high value individuals from impacted communities trust service providers who cannot produce an extensive and proven track record of providing healing-centered work—where significant “peace hours” have been logged?
In CVI, every hour spent in the field—building trust, de-escalating conflict, navigating street dynamics, supporting healing—is a peace hour. And yet too many of our leaders fail to capture them. We’ve got practitioners flying missions every day who have no formal record of their experience. That must change.
Because here’s the truth:
- Certification is coming.
- Standards are being developed.
- And credibility will increasingly depend on more than stories—it will depend on records.
CVI leaders must begin treating their work with the professionalism it deserves. That means building a training portfolio. Logging street outreach hours. Documenting mediations, mentorship sessions, and crisis interventions.
Supervisors must take this seriously too—helping their teams track performance and development just like any respected field would.
Logging Peace Hours reminds us that the work is not abstract; it is lived, practiced, and sharpened over time. Just as no two flights are the same, no two Peace Hours are the same—each is shaped by the people, the pain, the overcome, and the possibilities of that moment. Together, they form a living record of frontline mastery and a testament to the sacred responsibility of advancing peace.
Peace Hours allow us to say with pride: “I have invested this much of my life into saving and changing lives.” They are a mark of professionalism and a measure of devotion, reminding us that every hour spent advancing peace is an hour that reshapes the future.
Pilots don’t just fly.
They log every flight.
They grow through every hour.
They earn trust through proof of experience.
CVI professionals must do the same with respect to their work.
Let’s not underestimate the value of the learning that happens every day on the frontlines. And let’s not let that learning go unrecognized. By capturing your peace hours, you’re not just tracking time—you’re building your résumé, your reputation, and ultimately your readiness for a future where CVI is recognized as the essential, lifesaving, professional public safety strategy it truly is.
Your peace hours matter. Start logging them today.