Peace Circles
What is a Peace Circle?
Creators of Peace Circles are small gatherings of (usually) women who meet weekly or over a weekend with trained facilitators to explore what it means to create peace in the heart, home and community. It is a series of deep conversations that build community and connection, develop resilience, and ignite our capacities to build peace.
Why Creators of Peace Circles?
Creators of Peace Circles guide participants through personal reflection and dialogue to an awareness of the needs in their own lives and communities. It encourages participants to explore paths toward creating peace. Peace Circles invite participants to move beyond blame to responsibility and creativity to find their unique contribution.
Why Creators of Peace Circles?
The format is designed to adapt to the cultural and social needs of each community. Peace Circles are usually facilitated by two women who have experienced Peace Circles and been trained to be a facilitator.
The session schedules may vary depending on community needs and the number of participants, though the duration is approximately 20 hours. Peace Circles may be weekly 3-hour sessions over 8 weeks, 3 nonconsecutive days a week, 3 consecutive days (weekend retreat), or 2 days (consecutively or not) plus 2 evenings.
Creators of Peace offers some guiding principles and each group develops and agrees upon their own operating agreements for their time together. Key to these is listening openly while not giving advice. The program is based on 10 Gathering Points and story sharing.
The Gathering Points explored are:
- What is peace anyway?
- Circles of concern
- What destroys peace & what builds it?
- Qualities of a peace creator
- Inner peace
- Listening to others
- Inner listening
- The power of forgiveness
- Peace in practice
- Evaluate & commit
Are Peace Circles for Women Only?
As Peace Circles are designed to adapt to the needs of the community they are facilitated for, the genders of participants will also reflect those needs. We encourage all genders or non-gendered people to explore their roles as peace creators.
In some situations, it is essential to maintain the safety of a women-only space where women may feel more freedom to express themselves. Peace circles are women-led, and originated as women-only spaces. They are evolving in many contexts
to include all genders and respond to the needs of the community in which they are hosted.
Are there virtual Peace Circles?
Yes! Our facilitators have increasingly led remote, virtual Peace Circles. We are excited about the opportunity provided by virtual gatherings to connect people across physical distances.
Are Peace Circles Facilitated in Different Languages?
Yes. Many facilitators are bilingual. All facilitators across the network follow the same manual, which is available in English, French, Arabic, Hindi, Portuguese and Spanish.
Experience a Creators of Peace Circle
Facilitate a Peace Circle
Host a Peace Circle
Book a Peace Circle
Book Creators of Peace to facilitate a Peace Circle for your company or organisation or ask us how we can partner to bring Peace Circles into your programming.
Looking to self-host a small discussion group of your own? Check out this guide:
"The Creators of Peace Circle is cutting edge peace building training where participants explore how personal transformation and conflict resolution skills connects with and can support activism on wider global human rights issues that many of us are concerned about."
"Peace needs to be made, both inner and outer. It’s an ongoing process– the restoration of relationships with self, others, earth. Justice and sustainable development are key parts to making peace possible — positive peace, not just the absence of violence."
"After sharing my story, and having it received in the most loving and supportive way imaginable by my Peace Circle “sisters,” I decided that my story needed to change. I refused to give anymore attention to the pain and injustice I had faced, and decided to turn my experiences into creating a new story of empowerment and resilience."