Diversity faces similar problems, for instance, in education, access to public services, or job security. The recognition of commonalities can help to break down barriers, establish communication channels, and even promote friendships. Moreover, the OSCE’s experiences show the added value of gender-sensitive approaches and activities focused on bringing younger generations together. Civil society actors, community representatives, and religious leaders are also well placed to reach out to other communities, and can benefit from the international community’s support in facilitating such contacts. Engaging religious leaders in interfaith dialogue helps to build resilience to any kind of incident that might see religion exploited to further inter-ethnic or inter-community tensions. Initiatives originating at the community- or grassroots level have the specific advantage of being closely imbedded in the actual needs and interests of divided communities. Such bottom-up approaches might, therefore, gain quicker traction than top-down initiatives developed at the national level. That said, any effort to build sustainable peace through the promotion of cohesive societies requires a strong mix of community-level initiatives that are supported by national strategies and leaders. 94