A Peacebuilder’s Path from National Service Duty to Mediation. Member Spotlight: Elijah Lee
Born and raised in Singapore, Elijah Lee grew up surrounded by diversity only understanding its deeper value later. Like every male citizen, he served his National Service in Singapore Armed Forces for at least two years, developing skills that later shaped his work in peacebuilding and conflict resolution. Elijah explains that national service is not only about defending the nation. It also serves another purpose. In his words, “the military is a place where the government brings people together.” Young men from every background share the same spaces, routines, and challenges. “We come together and do things in common, suffering, training, everything,” he recalls.
Those experiences became his first real exposure to conflict as avoidance / dispute resolution as tool for growth. In both his neighborhood and his intentionally diverse school environment , clashing of different worldviews were common. He remembers the discomfort vividly. “We all had a different way of thinking,” he says. Early conflicts in school and later in the military forced him to examine his own assumptions. “It forced us to let go of our differences and find common ground. We needed to get productive to complete our mission.” One of the most important lessons he carried forward was the ability to release his personal pride. “You need to let go of the personal ego that does not help the situation,” he says. “See the strength in teammates. Value can be different, but we can do this together.”
He now believes that peace is not something that floats into existence on its own. “I realized peacebuilding is not just an ‘oh I wish’ idea. It can be engineered. We may not be there on the first attempt but every attempt helps us learn something.” His path toward becoming a peacebuilder did not start with a sudden insight. It was gradual. As his mindset shifted and he began to see the value of peace work, he understood that “peacebuilding is an ongoing process.” He emphasizes that peace should not be confused with silence. “Peace is not the absence of conflict but rather facing the challenge head on and learning to navigate it.” If a situation seems too calm, he sees it as a sign to be alert. “When things are too peaceful, that is like a red flag. I want to explore what can rock that peace.”
One of the most impactful moments in his early adulthood came during a project with close friends. Their relationships had always felt harmonious, but when a sudden catastrophe struck, trust evaporated quickly. “The initial response was to doubt and question each other despite years of knowing each other,” he remembers. The experience forced him to examine what their friendship was built on. “We love peace but we do not really build it,” he says. He found himself asking a difficult question. “Am I going to continue to be a pacifist or am I going to continue to build peace with these people?” That moment pushed him deeper into peace work. He also credits the Japanese martial art of aikido for shaping his understanding of conflict. Methods include teaching practitioners to flow with the direction of an attack instead of resisting it.“If an attacker is striking you, instead of defending it and taking up your energy, glide with it,” he explains. The practice taught him how to maintain balance. “I learned to shift my position to go with the attack. I need to be grounded so I do not lose my balance.” In aikido he discovered a metaphor for mediation. Redirecting energy creates the space for new perspectives. “We need a third force to guide us,” he says. This insight led him to pursue mediation training at the Singapore Mediation Centre – where he was also coached by Rotary Club of Peace Builders Singapore’s charted President Anil Changaroth (an internationally accredited dispute resolution practitioner & fellow MBBI member) . Mediators, he says, “can be the third force to help move the parties into a new direction more effectively” while keeping everyone grounded- a skillset that Elijah has observed is sometimes lacking with even some who have been trained and/or supposedly advocate it – hence Elijah’s path with not just training /accredition but also having it as his essence/core values and constantly practising it.
Today, his peacebuilding work operates on two fronts. The first is through the Rotary Club of Peace Builders Singapore, – the 1st Cause Based club in District 3310 (made up of over 75 clubs from Johor, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore) chartered by a fellow MBBI member Anil Changaroth. Elijah is part of the club members developing the club’s signature project ‘A Pathway to Peace Building – Youth Mentoring and Protection’ – that essentially will educate and train youth in Singapore, the region and beyond on tackling conflicts and disputes and protection (including in bullying and mental health). Elijah and Charter President Anil currently represent the club in a District 3300 Global Grant project – The ASEAN Youth Peacebuilding programme that working with over 40 youths from the 11 ASEAN nations – and are both part of the MBBI team that is delivering a 3 days programme (as part of the 12 days residential part of the programme in Jan 2026) – that trains the youth with peacebuilding skills and applies them to real regional issues. Current conflicts in Thailand and Cambodia, he notes, offer the perfect opportunity to show how these tools work in real life.
Elijah’s second front is through his company’s programs, Acorn Training for college and university students. He focuses on communication, negotiation, and conflict navigation. He finds young people refreshingly creative. “The young people are capable of coming up with creative ways to resolve conflicts,” he says. The best part, he adds, is when they return to their own communities and improve the quality of their relationships. It gives them “a feeling of not have I survived, but I conquered.”
Creating safe spaces for collaboration remains one of his biggest challenges, especially in multicultural environments shaped by hierarchy and deeply rooted beliefs. He addresses this by embracing differences instead of minimizing them. Within the Rotary Club, he sees a model of what is possible. Members come from many backgrounds, yet maintain spontaneity, respect, and a shared desire to understand one another.
He hopes peacebuilding will continue across generations. “I hope to influence my child,” he says. Even children face conflict through bullying and peer pressure, and he sees these moments as essential teaching opportunities. Kids often react instantly to what they see. Guiding them to build bridges can change both their behavior and their understanding of human nature. “Every generation, every age group, it is better to start somewhere rather than nowhere at all.”
To him, peacebuilding cannot be measured in checklists. “Peace is not a job to be done,” he says. Instead, he believes success occurs when someone begins to carry peace in their consciousness. “If I can help another person be aware and build, I think success is when peace has spread on. It is awareness to action.”
Over time his understanding of conflict has changed dramatically. “Peace is not the absence of war or conflict, rather how we navigate in the presence of it,” he reflects. He believes conflict is necessary. “Conflict brings out whatever we have been sweeping under the rug.” What matters is how intentionally we respond. Raised in an Asian environment where conflict was viewed negatively, he eventually learned that disagreement can be constructive if approached with clarity and care.
Despite the turbulence in the world today, he remains hopeful. The more chaotic things appear, the more he sees the need for peace. “Problems have potential to create or generate a solution,” he says. He believes technology, including AI, can make mediation more accessible. With translation tools and improved communication support, “AI will make mediation more precise and enhance the human touch.”
Looking ahead, he is focused on addressing bullying and power imbalances in Singapore. He wants to break the mentality of fixed hierarchies. He also hopes to continue exploring how technology can support mediation processes. Through the ASEAN program, he is committed to training younger generations so that they, in turn, can influence their communities.
Through every challenge and every story he has encountered, one belief remains central to his life. Peace must always be built, and it must always be rebuilt. It may begin in a military camp, on an aikido mat or in a classroom discussion. It may begin in a moment of anger between friends or in a child’s experience on a playground. Every attempt matters. Every intentional action brings someone closer to understanding. For Elijah, that is where peace truly begins.
Article by Shamailah Islam, MBBI Writer