Kit Miller, author of the newest Pace e Bene book Culture Shift: Nonviolence at Work, is coming to the West Coast! If you’re in the area, join us for this book reading at Canticle Farms. We hope to see you there!

Our friends at the M. K. Gandhi Institute are holding regular online grief circles, free and open to everyone.

What keeps you up at night? What contributes to hopelessness? Join Kit Miller & Maria da Silva for support in community, to honor our pain for the world and to unlock love and energy. Every kind of grief is welcome.

Join online Grief Circles biweekly on Thursdays, from 12-1 pm EST on Zoom between October 10 and December 19, 2024.

Tending to the Movement: Gospel Nonviolence in Action

90-Minute Online Workshop with Dr. Jerry Maynard
Friday, November 1, 2024
11am-12:30pm PT // 12-1:30pm MT // 1-2:30pm CT // 2-3:30pm ET
$30, scholarships available.

How can we find strength and resilience in our faith during these uncertain times? Are you seeking ways to deepen your impact in the movement for justice? What practices can sustain our movements as we navigate the challenges ahead?

This workshop will focus on the practice of protest and movement chaplaincy as a gospel nonviolence approach to sustaining our movements both on the ground and at large. We will explore the spirituality of gospel nonviolence, providing practical steps to offer support in the field while fostering a deep connection to our mission. Together, we will examine how our shared experiences and faith can empower us to cultivate hope and resilience.

Participants will have the opportunity to plan for the world we wish to see in the post-election season and beyond, cultivating a vision for the next four years.

 What You Will Gain:

• A working knowledge of protest and movement chaplaincy, enabling you to engage meaningfully with your community.

• Practical tools to prepare for street demonstrations, ensuring you are well-equipped for action.

• Insights into spiritual approaches for sustaining movements, grounding your work in faith and purpose.

• Resources for ongoing formation that you can utilize in your houses of worship, organizing communities, and other spaces where you plan for a more just world.

• An opportunity to collaborate with others, planning and envisioning how we can cultivate the necessary power to birth a sustainable future for peace, people, and our planet.

Let us gather together to support each other with nerve and spirit!

Facilitator

Rev. Dr. Jerry Maynard (he/they) is The People's Priest; a spiritual renegade and social revolutionary. As a Two-Spirit Indigenous Person (Xochihua) Father Jerry strives to offer healing medicine at the intersections of church & society through pastoral care & public witness in Houston, TX. A respected leader in progressive christian and interfaith circles, Father Jerry has played crucial roles in grassroots efforts to foster radical inclusion and social justice. As a scholar and educator, Dr. Jerry has published books, essays, and articles that cover timely and timeless topics including postmodernism, protest chaplaincy queer hermeneutics, practical spirituality and much more.

Scholarships

No one is ever turned away from our courses. If you need a scholarship, simply email info@paceebene.org. We will ask if you would like to make a sliding scale donation or if you would like a full scholarship. Any answer is fine. No explanation needed. That's it! Please take us up on this offer if it is helpful for you. 

Culture Shift Book Celebration with Author Kit Miller

Saturday, October 26, 2024
9-10am PT / 10-11am MT / 11am-12pm CT / 12pm-1pm ET
Free to join—register below! 

Reading this book filled me with belief in a peaceful alternative future for our world, one that any one of us can help create through the 'small' everyday practices and choices that she guides us through."

Kıvanç Çubukçu

Join Pace e Bene in celebrating the release of Kit Miller’s new book Culture Shift: Nonviolence at Work! This book extends an invitation to start building a culture of nonviolence in the places where you spend the most time—with your family and religious groups, in roles where you volunteer and those where you work for pay. In these pages you will learn how to embrace everyday opportunities for leadership and help create environments that support and uplift all who work within them.

Event Highlights:

• Engage in lively discussions and share your thoughts on the book.

• Connect with like-minded individuals passionate about nonviolence.

• Take part in a short Q&A session with the author, Kit Miller.

For signing up and attending the event, receive a 10% discount on purchasing the book. The book will be available on September 10, so you have time to get your copy, dive in, and bring your thoughts to this special gathering.

Learn more and order yours here, and sign up below.

Training for Trainers: Certification for Leading Engaging Nonviolence

8-Week Online Course with Rivera Sun
Tuesdays October 15–December 10, 2024
No Class November 5
1-3pm PT // 2-4pm MT // 3-5pm CT // 4-6pm ET
$150, scholarships available.

Are you passionate about teaching, training, and facilitating workshops? Do you aspire to lead impactful workshops on nonviolence and make a difference in your community? Join us for an intensive 8-week series designed to equip you with the skills needed to facilitate Pace e Bene's core training: Engaging Nonviolence. Whether you’re facilitating online or in-person, this course will ground you in the essential facilitation skills and participatory methods that define Pace e Bene’s approach.  

For over 30 years, Pace e Bene has empowered tens of thousands of individuals with the principles of active nonviolence. Our expertise spans from in-person workshops to comprehensive online courses, providing deep insights into conflict resolution, social change, and transformational practices.  

This training is for you if:

• You want to facilitate or train a small group, class, or larger workshop.

• You’re just starting and seek more confidence in speaking about nonviolence.

• You’re already educating about nonviolence and want to enhance your skills.

• You’re looking for participatory exercises and engaging teaching methods.

• You’re interested in the wisdom and perspectives gained from decades in the field.

Key Modules We Will Cover:

• The Violence Spectrum: Understand the many dimensions of violence and its impacts.

• Definitions of Violence: Clarify what constitutes violence and nonviolence.

• 5 Dimensions of Nonviolence: Explore the multifaceted nature of nonviolence.

• Mindmap for Exploring Nonviolence: Visualize and connect different aspects of nonviolence.

• Two Hands of Nonviolence: Learn the balance between assertiveness and compassion.

• Conflict Styles: Identify and navigate different approaches to conflict.

• Nonviolence Quotes: Reflect on powerful quotes that inspire and guide.

• Beloved Community: Build inclusive and supportive communities.

• Mainstreams & Margins: Address issues of power and inclusion.

• Building/Dividing Community: Learn strategies to foster unity and resolve divisions.

• Pieces of the Truth: Embrace diverse perspectives in understanding conflicts.

• Cultural Beliefs & Attitudes About Nonviolence: Challenge and reshape societal views.

• Working With Emotions: Manage and utilize emotions effectively in order to reduce violence.

• CLARA Method for De-escalation: Master techniques for preventing aggression and attacks.

• Principles of Nonviolence: Internalize core principles to guide your actions.

• Gandhi & Constructive Program: Study historical examples of nonviolent movements.

• Soul Force Exercise: Strengthen your inner resolve and commitment to nonviolence.

• Nonviolent History: Learn from past movements and their successes.

• Nonviolent Tactics: Discover practical tactics for nonviolent activism.

Interactive and Engaging:

Our training sessions are highly interactive, featuring group discussions, role-playing exercises, and hands-on activities to ensure an engaging and practical learning experience. We also offer flexibility to accommodate different learning styles and schedules, including recorded sessions for later viewing.

Certification Outcomes:

• Certificate of Participation: All participants will receive a certificate acknowledging their effort and learning. This provides formal recognition and encourages continued growth in nonviolence education.

• Selective Certification: Graduates may apply for full certification to organize and host their own Engaging Nonviolence Trainings. A review process will ensure candidates meet our high standards.

• Join Our Trainers Community: Graduates may have the opportunity to join the Pace e Bene trainers' community. This could include being called upon for workshops and related topics in their area, offering chances to contribute to and engage with our network of trainers.

• Mentorship and Support: Certified trainers will receive ongoing mentorship, including regular check-ins and access to additional resources, ensuring their continued success and alignment with Pace e Bene’s values.

What You Will Gain:

• Enhanced Facilitation Skills: Confidently lead nonviolence workshops and discussions.

• Practical Tools and Techniques: Utilize effective methods for teaching nonviolence.

• Stronger Community Connections: Build relationships with a supportive network of nonviolence trainers and advocates.

• Deeper Understanding: Gain comprehensive knowledge of nonviolence principles and practices.

• Personal Growth: Transform your approach to conflict and relationships through nonviolent principles.

Ready to Join?

If you have any questions or need more information, just reach out. We're here to help! Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your skills and make a lasting impact.

Building Peace through Laughter, Play, and Relaxation

90-minute Online Workshop with Dan Rudolph
Saturday, October 12, 2024
9-10:30am PT // 10-11:30am MT // 11-12:30pm CT // 12-1:30pm ET
$30, scholarships available

This workshop will be an interactive exploration of laughter, play, and relaxation. Through guided play-based activities, you’ll be given an opportunity to connect with others and rediscover your child-like playfulness. We'll explore the physiological benefits of laughter and share practical techniques to integrate more laughter into your daily rhythms. You'll also learn relaxation practices to help calm your body and mind amidst the world's turmoil. This workshop aims to equip you with tools and practices to infuse more peace into your life, your community, and the world.

What You Will Gain:

• Joy and Well-being: Practical skills to integrate laughter practices into your life.

• Relaxation Tools: Techniques to cultivate relaxation in your body and mind.

• Playful Connection: Opportunities to connect with your child-like playfulness.

• Community and Sharing: A fun space for meaningful connections and sharing

Join us for an interactive workshop designed to bring joy, play, and relaxation into your day!

Facilitator

Dan is the founder, and chief developer of Unified Playfulness. He has trained and learned from various renowned clown and playfulness teachers including; Avner Eisenberg, Anthony Trahair, Mery Miguez, Barnaby King, Moshe Cohen and many others. He has also spent 2.5 years living in a monastic setting, practicing and learning about meditation practices and mystical wisdom. His work integrates wisdom from both playfulness and mindfulness lineages and has a focus rooted in systems change. His online course Play From Home supports people to integrate more play into their daily lives, and build happier habits. Unified Playfulness - Lifestyle Labs are a series of workshops designed for people to make tangible changes in their life through the power of play, community, and commitment. For more information, you can reach Dan at danrudolph108@gmail.com.

Support Dan’s research or join a Think Tank exploring how play connects to various practice areas. Access the funding proposal here.

Meta Peace Team and Pax Christi USA are hosting this timely workshop on how to keep peace at polling places. Register on their site below.

Skills to Defuse Tensions at the Polls

We’re all aware that the run-up to the November presidential elections is becoming very tense.  As concerned citizens who are also committed to nonviolence, we will explore how to creatively and safely grapple with these potential conflicts: What does it mean to be "creatively nonviolent", how are these tools used, and how can good-hearted, well-intentioned individuals disagree yet still live in community together?  

Meta Peace Team and Pax Christi USA are teaming up to offer this practical skills workshop to help ensure a safer voting experience for everyone this Fall.  Our emphasis will be on recognizing potential threats before they erupt, utilizing effective de-escalation language & skills, and basic Bystander Intervention: 

• What do you do when you’re alone and you see someone being harassed?  

• What do you do when that 'someone being harassed' is YOU?

Participants will learn and gain practice in specific skills and tools that are useful both in conflict intervention situations and in daily life.

Nonviolence 101: A Teach-In & Introduction

Don’t Miss This Unique Opportunity: Join Us for a FREE 1.5-Hour Webinar on Nonviolence!  
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
4-5:30pm PT // 5-6:30pm MT // 6-7:30pm CT // 7-8:30pm ET
Free, register below.

In honor of the International Day of Nonviolence and Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday, we invite you to participate in a once-a-year opportunity to engage in a meaningful discussion about the transformative philosophy of nonviolence. Hosted by Pace e Bene, this FREE 1.5-hour webinar is not just another online event; it’s your chance to explore the ideas, skills, practices, tools, and actions that can help us move beyond violence and passivity during this pivotal week for the movement.  

This introduction to nonviolence will equip you with practical insights to reshape how you navigate conflicts in your life.

Share this opportunity with fellow peace advocates, friends, and family!

What is Nonviolence?

It’s a way of life, a philosophy, a set of practices, and a toolbox for making change. It can help you deal with conflicts at home or work. It can be used to transform society. Nonviolence is a BIG idea—and this teach-in is a chance to explore it a little.

What to Expect:
This virtual workshop will introduce you to the fundamental concepts of nonviolence, providing an alternative to the violence our society faces. We’ll discuss nonviolence towards ourselves, others, and our communities, covering topics such as:

• Understanding the spectrum of violence and nonviolence

• Self-care practices

• Skills for managing conflict

• Nonviolent solutions to systemic violence

• Techniques for de-escalation and violence interruption

Key Topics Include:

• Definition and principles of nonviolence

• Practical tools, strategies, and skills for conflict resolution

• The role of nonviolence in driving social change

• Real-life applications and examples of nonviolent action

Bring Your Questions!
This interactive webinar will feature lively discussions, participant comments, and ample time for questions. We’ll share stories, videos, and practical skills that you can apply in your own life.

Part of a Bigger Movement:
This teach-in is part of the Campaign Nonviolence Action Days (September 21-October 2), a time for thousands of actions and events aimed at fostering a culture of peace and active nonviolence, free from war, poverty, racism, and environmental destruction. On October 2, as we honor Mahatma Gandhi, join us and the Nonviolent Cities Project in this collective effort to promote nonviolence.

We Are The Nonviolent Cities Project 

1-hour virtual teach-in on the International Day of Nonviolence
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
2-3pm PT // 3-4pm MT // 4-5pm CT // 5-6pm ET
Free, register below.

Join organizers with the Nonviolent Cities Project at this virtual teach-in on October 2, the International Day of Nonviolence, and learn how they’ve been advancing nonviolence skills, practices, solutions, and action in their local towns, cities, and communities. 

This one-hour virtual teach-in will include organizers from Owensboro and Louisville, KY; Little Rock, AR; Seaford, DE; Joliet, IL; Corsicana, TX; Cincinnati, OH; Opelika, AL; Morro Bay, CA;  Phoenix, AZ; Rochester, NY; and more. This teach-in will be a roundtable discussion with the organizers, with time for Q&A and discussion. If you’ve been curious about the Nonviolent Cities Project, join us! 

You’ll hear about projects like replacing cops in schools with unarmed peacekeepers from the local neighborhood, training children and youth in conflict skills, peace art displays at local libraries; gun violence prevention efforts; proclamations and resolutions; and many other initiatives. 

Please spread the word among friends and colleagues. We’d love to see lots of people join this nonviolence teach-in. Everyone is welcome. 

This teach-in is part of the Campaign Nonviolence Action Days, September 21-October 2. During this time, there will be thousands of actions and events to build a culture of peace and active nonviolence, free from war, poverty, racism, and environmental destruction. On October 2, the International Day of Nonviolence and Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday, the Nonviolent Cities Project joins many other groups and individuals in hosting a nonviolence teach-in to honor the day. 

About the Nonviolent Cities Project:

The Nonviolent Cities Project not only envisions cities that could become nonviolent, it is working to make this vision a reality across the US and the world. 

From “Nonviolent Morro Bay” in California to “Nonviolent Owensboro” in Kentucky to “Nonviolent Austin” in Texas to “Twin Cities Nonviolent” in Minnesota, the Nonviolent Cities Project fosters nonviolent actions (like protests, boycotts, and strikes), nonviolent solutions (like restorative justice, renewable energy, and trauma healing), and nonviolent policies (like affordable housing and healthcare, community safety teams, and violence de-escalation). 

Wherever systemic or structural violence exists, Nonviolent Cities work to dismantle it and replace it with the viable alternatives that form the infrastructure of a culture of nonviolence. 

Learn more: https://paceebene.org/nonviolent-cities

Friends in the Rochester, NY, area—you’re invited to this book release party!

Join Kit Miller and the Gandhi Institute staff to celebrate the publication of Culture Shift: Nonviolence at Work. The event will include refreshments, a reading, author Q&A and wonderful humans.

Friday September 27, 4:00-5:30pm. All books sold at the event will raise funds for the Gandhi Institute's beautiful and essential work in Rochester, and beyond.

The Metta Center for Nonviolence and Ela Gandhi invite you to celebrate the launch of our new book Courage, on August 21 from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM (Pacific)! The key to unlocking (or unleashing) our person power is developing a courageous inner harmony that, even through fear, will help us remain steadfast in our goal to implement nonviolent alternatives that will rewrite the old stories that are harmful to our planet and humanity. 

During this contentious election year, not only for the United States but for over 60 countries, we must challenge ourselves to go against the grain by humanizing our neighbors near and far, especially those whom we disagree with politically. With courage, determination, and love, we can create long-lasting community and connection. 

Following the book launch on August 21, stay awhile for a 10 am (Pacific) screening of “Third Harmony: Nonviolence and the New Story of Human Nature,” a documentary film that explores in beautiful depth, the greatest overlooked resource in the human experience. Check out the 2-minute trailer here! 

To register for the book launch, pre-order Courage, and watch the “Third Harmony” privately, click this link. We are also setting up screenings of the film with facilitated conversations about courage and nonviolence after each screening for organizations and businesses around the world. If you would like to know more about screening the film for your organization, please be in touch with us! 

We en(courage) you to take a chance on courage and nonviolence! To learn more, explore the Metta Center for Nonviolence’s website. 

We look forward to connecting with you and hopefully seeing you on August 21. To learn more and register for this event, please visit this page. 

Yoga & Nonviolence: Moving Toward a State of Inner Peace

2-Hour Online Workshop with Lara Schaffler
Saturday, August 10, 2024
10am-12pm PT // 11am-1pm MT // 12-2pm CT // 1-3pm ET
$30, scholarships available

Yoga isn't just about physical poses; it's a holistic practice that touches every aspect of our being, that’s why it has a long-lasting connection to nonviolence. For thousands of years, yoga philosophy has addressed human health and behavior to (re)establish our natural state of integral well-being, encompassing the physical body, mind, emotions, and spirit.

In this engaging workshop, we'll dive deep into this historic connection and explore how we can apply these timeless principles in today's world. Through the enlightening lens of the polyvagal theory, we'll unravel the mysteries of the autonomic nervous system and uncover the keys to inner peace and understand how safety, co-regulation, and connection are essential to human health.

This workshop is designed for everyone, regardless of your familiarity with yoga. Whether you're a seasoned practitioner or completely new to yoga, you'll find value in this inclusive and welcoming space. You will experience the power of gentle physical postures and breathing exercises that will support your journey towards nonviolence and self-regulation. You don't have to be a "yoga person" to enjoy these sessions; everyone can take a moment to cultivate greater peace, joy, and connection in their everyday lives.

In this workshop we will:

• Understand the Definition of Yoga and Its Connection to Nonviolence: Learn how yoga supports individual growth and betterment physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

• Explore the Definition of Violence: Gain a deeper understanding of what nonviolence entails.

• Learn Yoga's Principles to Address Violence: Discover how principles such as ahimsa (nonviolence), satya (truthfulness), and svadhaya (self-study/discovery) can address violence towards oneself and society.

• Practice Gentle Physical Postures and Breathing Exercises: Enhance self-awareness, self-regulation, and empowerment through Yoga practices.

• Engage in Questions and Discussion: Participate in an interactive session for further clarification and discussion.

Join us and discover how a moment of mindfulness can transform your entire day. Embrace the opportunity to nourish your body, mind, and spirit through the wisdom of Yoga and Nonviolence. 

Facilitator

My name is Lara, and I am a dedicated yoga teacher and successful business owner of Evomina: World of Scent. Before returning to Austria, my journey took me all over the world, with my last big adventure being in Costa Rica. There, I earned my master's degree from the University for Peace, an international institution of higher education for peace and conflict studies where understanding, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence among peoples and nations are experienced. In this environment, I also taught yoga classes. Currently, I am focusing on my business with aromatherapy and unique fragrances. Additionally, I specialize in offering personalized 1:1 yoga sessions, sharing my expertise and passion for holistic well-being.

I deeply believe in the power of nonviolence and integrate its principles into my yoga practice, promoting peace and harmony both on and off the mat. My workshops are designed to help individuals cultivate inner peace and resilience through the combined practices of yoga and nonviolent communication. By merging these disciplines, I aim to foster a more compassionate and peaceful world, one breath at a time.

On August 6, 2024, women religious across the country will join in a virtual prayer service to commemorate the tragic events of August 6 and 9, 1945, when the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. The event is being organized by the Franciscan Peace Center, a ministry of the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa on the anniversary of these bombings that resulted in the deaths of over 200,000 people and marked a somber chapter in human history.

Despite the devastating humanitarian impact of these bombings, the threat of nuclear weapons remains ever-present. Today, the world's nuclear-armed states possess a combined total of approximately 12,100 nuclear warheads, posing a significant risk to global safety and peace.

Open to the public, this solemn event will unite people of faith in a period of prayerful reflection and commitment to peace as we strive to create a world free from the threat of nuclear weapons. As we remember the suffering of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we pray that world leaders will commit to end the manufacturing of these weapons of mass destruction and to alleviate the damage already caused by the arms race.

Joining the Franciscan Peace Center, the event is co-sponsored by numerous women religious communities and leadership teams that share a dedication to peacebuilding including:

• Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes

• Dominican Sisters of Racine, Wisconsin

• Holy Union Sisters USA

• Presentation Sisters Union - USA Unit

• School Sisters of Notre Dame, Central Pacific Province

• Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati

• Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Congregational Leadership

• Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Western Province Leadership

• Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur – Ohio Province

• Sisters of Saint Francis of Rochester, Minnesota

• Sisters of St. Francis of Tiffin, Ohio

• Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston

• Sisters of Saint Joseph of Philadelphia

• Sisters of the Humility of Mary

The virtual prayer service will take place via Zoom on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm CDT. The event will be recorded.  Please join us by registering in advance here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Id6AX0QESi2y_OFAnOEFEA#/registration

Changemaker Youth Grants Closing Ceremony & Celebration

Saturday, August 3, 2024
8-10am Pacific / 9-11am Mountain / 10am-12pm Central / 11am-1pm Eastern
Everyone is welcome. 

Join the 2024 Changemaker Youth Grants recipients to hear about their creative projects to address violence. These nine bright ideas organized by over twenty-six youth ages 12-23 have supported emotional learning for young students, created accessible sensory rooms, empowered women and youth, rallied for peace, and much more. From theater performances to interfaith peace festivals, they’ve used creativity to foster a culture of nonviolence in schools, communities, and the world. 

At this Closing Ceremony and Celebration, join the Changemakers, family members, and friends in hearing how the projects went and what the impacts were. Youth will share photos, videos, and stories. From community art projects to innovative apps, you’ll love hearing about these projects. 

Everyone is welcome! Tell friends.

Conflict in the Comments 2.0

A 90-minute online conversation
Friday, July 26, 2024
9am PT // 10am MT // 11am CT // 12pm ET
Free, register below

Relationships are being created, nourished, and sometimes destroyed in online spaces. Are there ways to nourish authentic dialogue and conflict resolution when things get painful online? How can we deal with online hate and misinformation—or friends and relatives reposting such things—and get through heated arguments to meaningful communication?

Join Rivera Sun and Dominic Barter to explore these questions and emergent best practices for an online conversation, moderated by Erin Thompson.

These online skills can also translate into a toolbox that we can use in the street or around the dinner table to shift from fighting to opening hearts and minds.

Register Now!

Author/Activist Rivera Sun, is the Editor of Nonviolence News, a nationwide trainer in strategy for nonviolent movements, and the author of many books and novels, including The Dandelion Insurrection and The Way Between. She is the Advancing Nonviolence Coordinator for Pace e Bene and has been a social media for social change coordinator for Campaign Nonviolence, Metta Center for Nonviolence, and others.

Dominic Barter is internationally recognized as a reference in the field of restorative responses to conflict, starting in the gang-controlled shantytown favelas of Rio de Janeiro. He has spent over 28 years developing empathetic social technologies of dialogue, including 10 years as a collaborator in Redes Cordiais, a Brazilian program for social media influencers, politicians and journalists.

Deep Gratitude to our Friends and Cosponsors at M. K. Gahndhi Institute.

Peace Begins at Home: How to Raise Children Who Become the Peacemakers of the World

90-Minute Online Workshop with Sarah Moore
Thursday, June 27, 2024
10-11:30am PT // 11am-12:30pm MT // 12-1:30pm CT // 1-2:30pm ET
$30, scholarships available

This workshop will empower parents and caregivers, and all adults who spend time with children, to begin (or continue) healing inner child wounds that are holding them back from embodying complete non-violence in all relationships (including relationships with themselves). Additionally, it will help them take that work forward into nurturing more peaceful relationships with all children in their lives. “Peace Begins at Home” refers not only to the literal homes in which we raise children, but also to our inner “homes”—our thoughts, our habits, and our emotional narratives. Participants will learn ways to release some of the cultural narratives and pain that hold them back from having the meaningful, ease-filled relationships they truly desire, and how to find more peace, joy, and connection in their daily lives.

By taking this course, you can learn:

• Actionable tools that help embody nonviolence in thought, word, and action as it relates to raising or working with children

• How to rewrite the scripts that you have about children and their behavior, and replace them with healthier perspectives

• How to eschew often long-held feelings of shame and guilt and feel more grace towards yourself, so you have more grace to pass along to children

• Ways to express your needs authentically, without placing blame or shame on children—while also addressing many long-held misconceptions about best parenting practices. 

Facilitator

Sarah R. Moore is the author of Peaceful Discipline and founder of Dandelion Seeds Positive Parenting. As a certified Master Trainer in conscious parenting and Chairperson of the Board for the American Society for the Positive Care of Children, she’s also a public speaker, parent coach, armchair neuroscientist, and most importantly, a Mama. Her work has been featured on NBC, CBS, and SiriusXM, and in countless international parenting magazines. With training in child development, trauma recovery, interpersonal neurobiology, improv comedy and play, her work supports parents and caregivers around the globe. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest & Threads.

The Assisi, Italy Peace & Justice Pilgrimage
June 23 - 30, 2024

Sponsored by the Franciscan Action Network and Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service

Led by Pace e Bene’s Dr. Ken Butigan and Friar Michael Lasky, OFM

Join Pace e Bene and Franciscan Action Network for a one-week pilgrimage to Assisi, Italy June 23 - June 30, 2024, to pray, study the lives of St. Francis and St. Clare, build community, and deepen your commitment to Gospel nonviolence. Together, we will walk in the footsteps of these peacemakers whose courageous nonviolence, compassion for others, kinship with creation, and work for peace and reconciliation have inspired people everywhere.

The Peace & Justice Pilgrimage to Assisi seeks applications for 30 pilgrims. Participants would be invited to make this journey not as a sight-seeing trip, but as a pilgrimage to learn how the examples of St. Francis and St. Clare can help us take another step on our own paths of spirituality and action. This trip then will be a retreat time of prayer, personal renewal, and invigorating discussion, a holy pilgrimage in the long tradition of Christian spirituality.

Discover more details and sign up to join the pilgrimage at the link below.

Pace e Bene is cosponsoring this event.

They say there is light at the end of the tunnel. For over 75 years under occupation, we've been striving to see that light of freedom and justice. Join us for our premiere event on 18 May where Palestinians will take you on a journey through that tunnel, answering questions like: Do Palestinians still have hope? What does hope look like? What does it mean for Palestinians to live under an apartheid system? Allow the film to give you a window into what it’s like to be a human rights observer supporting the community in Hebron, and learn how we turn our pain into a guiding light for our path forward. Get a glimpse of how checkpoints affect Palestinians and how we can open our eyes to the new day. Hope and light are the one things they can't take from us.  https://cpt.org/programs/palestine/light-documentary

Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation 26th Annual Spring Assembly

Supporting Movements for a Just and Peaceful World
Keynote Speaker: Kathy Kelly

On Saturday, May 18th, 2024, Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation will hold its 26th annual Spring Assembly. This will be by Zoom and will be from 9am-12:45pm Pacific, with Zoom access open at 8:45am. This year's theme: Supporting Movements For a Just and Peaceful World. All interested people are welcome. Feel free to spread the word.

The planning group is thrilled to have as our Keynote speaker Kathy Kelly who will speak on: "Ring the Bells That Still Can Ring: Movements, Worldwide, to End the Scourge of War." She is board president of World Beyond War and a coordinator of the Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal. Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, she has volunteered with an international network to assist young people forced to flee from that country. She has been incarcerated in federal prison for resisting militarism and war. As a war tax refuser, she has successfully avoided payment of federal income taxes for the past four decades. With Voices in the Wilderness companions, she broke economic sanctions against Iraq 27 times. She has lived alongside ordinary people during wars in Iraq, Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Nicaragua. She believes women and children enduring such conflict have been her finest teachers.

There will be Discussion Groups, Q & A, Reports from Youth Activists, and music honoring the late activist Holly Gwinn Graham.

Suggested donation: $0 to $20.

Registration: https://wwfor2024sa.brownpapertickets.com/

See website: https://wwfor.org/spring-assembly-2024/ for additional information, including other ways to register, schedule events for the Assembly, and other information.

People Power & Peace

6-Week Online Course with Rivera Sun
Mondays, May 6 – June 17, 2024
No Class May 27
1-2:30pm PT // 2-3:30pm MT // 3-4:30pm CT // 4-5:30pm ET
$95, scholarships available

We have more power than we think. Everyday people, like you and me, have the potential to halt or prevent war through nonviolent strategies.

Join us for an inspiring 6-week course, where you'll explore powerful stories from around the globe. From Liberia to Northern Ireland, Colombia to the Philippines, you'll discover how communities have successfully halted or averted wars through nonviolent action.

Through fascinating real-life examples, you will learn from effective strategies used in peacebuilding initiatives, civilian-based defense, and nonviolent actions. You will discover practical approaches used before, during, and after a war erupts - leaving you with a comprehensive understanding of how people power can be used at every stage of a conflict.

This participatory, engaging course will include breakout room discussions, creative exercises, and weekly assignments to take the knowledge deeper. A detailed resource list of more articles, books, and documentaries is offered for each session. This course is designed to empower you! You'll connect to practical strategies and powerful tools for how you can foster peace in our world and in your community.

• Discover inspiring stories: Dive into captivating real-world examples from Algeria, Nicaragua, the Philippines, and beyond, where communities have successfully halted or averted wars through nonviolent strategies.

• Explore nonviolent strategies: Examine how societies effectively stopped, replaced, or prevented war through various nonviolent strategies, including peacebuilding, citizen-led ceasefires, and nonviolent action.

• Delve into powerful peace work: Investigate the role of local ceasefires, zones of peace, civilian-based defense and peace teams like Nonviolent Peaceforce, discovering how they've made a tangible difference in conflict zones worldwide.

• Find your power: Tap into your capacity to build peace and learn to apply the strategies, practices, and skills from this course. 

As we bear witness to ongoing conflicts in regions like Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and beyond, this course equips you with the knowledge and tools to push for peace in surprising and effective ways. By understanding and learning from these inspiring stories, you'll come away with renewed vision, ideas for action, and the knowledge of how people like you have taken meaningful action to build a more peaceful world. 

You will:

• Come away with ideas for action on ongoing conflicts

• Learn from current and historic examples

• Understand the role of nonviolent action in peace efforts

• Discover we have more power than we think

• Explore promising strategies like peace teams and civilian-based defense

• Have chances to apply knowledge to your peace efforts

Week 1 - People Power & Peace: Using an impressive range of strategies, ordinary people like you and me are finding ways to replace, prevent, halt, and end war. These stories give us new tools and approaches for working for peace.

Week 2 - Replacing War With Nonviolent Struggle: With mass protests, boycotts, strikes, and other actions, people are achieving major social-political goals without the use of violence. We will look at examples from Bolivia to Estonia and beyond to see how nonviolent struggle is replacing war. 

Week 3 - Preventing War From Breaking Out: From Algeria to Niger to the Philippines, there are extraordinary examples of how people have intervened when wars seemed inevitable. We will learn from these examples and many more.

Week 4 - Waging Struggle Differently: When war crashes down around us, it’s not just a choice of ‘kill or be killed’. Examples from Nazi-occupied countries during WWII and by enslaved African-Americans during the US Civil War show that the ‘resistance’ often includes powerful ways of ‘fighting’ without violence. This session will also examine the role of civilian-based defense in Lithuania, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, Quebec and beyond.

Week 5 - Peace Teams, Ceasefires & Bringing War To a Close: From Liberia to Northern Ireland, people power has stopped brutal and entrenched wars. In this session, we will look at those examples, and also the role of peace teams, zones of peace (such as in Colombia), and citizen-led ceasefires in bringing wars to a close.

Week 6 - Building Lasting Peace: By fostering a culture of peace and dismantling the military-industrial complex, societies can make wars less likely to occur. We will look at examples of nations without armies, anti-militarism campaigns, draft resistance, military base closures, peace education, and peace infrastructure around the world.

Facilitator

Author/Activist Rivera Sun is the Editor of Nonviolence News, a nationwide trainer in strategy for nonviolent movements, and the author of many books and novels, including The Dandelion Insurrection and The Way Between. She serves on the Advisory Board of World Beyond War and Backbone Campaign. Rivera helps coordinate Campaign Nonviolence Action Days and our Nonviolent Cities Project. www.riverasun.com

Register Below

River Dragon Launch Party, Book Discussion, and Author Q&A

Tuesday, April 23, 2024
4-5:30pm PT // 5-6:30pm MT // 6-7:30pm CT // 7-8:30pm ET
RSVP here and invite friends. 

Will Ari Ara risk everything—the crown, love, even her life—for what she believes?

Calling all readers, educators, and peace-lovers! It’s time to bring an exciting new peace novel into the world. Join the community of readers publishing River Dragon, the newest novel in the award-winning Ari Ara Series.

At long last, fifteen-year-old Ari Ara is returning to the riverlands to take up her duties as royal heir. Nervous and excited, she leaps into the heart-pounding tests that will prove she’s worthy of the throne. But hidden dangers lurk beneath the rituals of the Ordeal of Queens. Ancestor spirits haunt her. Nightmares plague her. Not everyone wants a follower of the Way Between as the next ruler. Surrounded by warriors and war culture, Ari Ara’s commitment to peace threatens her chances of wearing the crown. A hard choice lies before her: will she stay true to what she believes? Or will she stay silent so that she can become queen?

Through triumph and disaster, heartbreak and friendship, Ari Ara rises to the challenges of each test. But when a long-buried secret comes to light, the true cost of peace is revealed.

“Peace literature at its best. This book is water in a world on fire.”

Find more about the book here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/river-dragon/x/4376219#/

Peaceful Creativity: Unified Playfulness for Inner Transformation

2-Hour Online Workshop with Daniel Rudolph
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
9-11am PT // 10am-12pm MT // 11am-1pm CT // 12-2pm ET
$30, scholarships available

Embark on a transformative journey towards inner peace through the power of creativity and playfulness. The Peaceful Creativity workshop is designed to empower individuals to infuse their lives with a deeper sense of creativity, joy, and tranquility, thereby cultivating a greater sense of inner peace in their daily routines and relationships.

In this enriching workshop, participants will explore practical skills and perspectives that can be directly applied to their lives. Through embodied practice and reflection, attendees will uncover the transformative potential of creativity as a pathway to inner peace.

What you will get out of this workshop:

• Practical tools for incorporating playfulness into your daily life

• Opportunities for movement and stillness practices 

• Permission to slow down and be authentic, silly, creative and out of the ordinary

• Space to play, share, reflect with others in a meaningful way.

• Tangible practices to train creative, lateral, thinking.

Don't miss out on this chance to embark on a journey of self-discovery and inner transformation through the joy of play! Secure your spot today and get ready for a joy-filled adventure towards a more peaceful and fulfilling life.

Facilitator

Dan is the founder, and chief developer of Unified Playfulness.He has trained and learned from various renowned clown and playfulness teachers including; Avner Eisenberg, Anthony Trahair, Mery Miguez, Barnaby King, Moshe Cohen and many others. He has also spent 2.5 years living in a monastic setting, practicing and learning about meditation practices and mystical wisdom. His work integrates wisdom from both playfulness and mindfulness lineages and has a focus rooted in systems change. He regularly offers and facilitates online and in-person sessions with individuals and groups. For more information you can reach Dan here: danrudolph108@gmail.com

Please join in for a beautiful day with peacemakers from many different activist and religious organizations when we come together to remember victims and to pray for an end to violence!  We will gather at 2:00pm at Heifer International, walk through the River Market and across the Junction Bridge to rest at the Beacon of Peace & Hope for an inspiring 3:00pm Remembrance Service of those who perished at the hand of violence during this past year in central Arkansas.  

To see our 2023 Pilgrimage and Remembrance service please view the livestream at Facebook Live Remembrance Service

Pace e Bene is a sponsor of this event. Find more information here: https://www.pilgrimageforpeace.com/

Engaging Nonviolence II: Inner Skills & Outer Practices For Interpersonal and Social Conflict

Co-Facilitated by Nina Koevoets & Rivera Sun
Wednesdays, March 6 – April 10, 2024
9-10:30am PT // 10-11:30am MT // 11am-12:30pm CT // 12-1:30pm ET
$95, scholarships available

In this new 6-week online course, you will explore the power of nonviolence in our relationships, communities, and daily lives. Engaging Nonviolence II explores skills for interpersonal conflicts, builds our inner awareness, and fosters our capacity to engage nonviolence in wider settings, such as interrupting harassment on the subway, or participating in nonviolent actions. 

When we learn nonviolent practices, we gain ways to communicate, problem-solve, and deal with the challenges we face. From friends and family to coworkers and community, this 6-week course offers practical, useful skills for a wide variety of interpersonal conflicts. We will look deeply into ourselves to find our potential—and barriers—around activating nonviolent power and each week will offer new opportunities to put what we’re learning into practice. With your fellow participants, you will have many chances to explore role plays, dive into exercises, and engage in group discussions. Pace e Bene trainings are fun, participatory, and always lively. 

Co-facilitated by Pace e Bene trainers Rivera Sun and Nina Koevoets (who coauthored the Engaging Nonviolence Study Guide), this 6-week course draws from many sessions of the book as well as integrates new knowledge. Purchasing the Engaging Nonviolence Study Guide is recommended, but not required. 

Engaging Nonviolence II is open to people of all experience levels. You do not need to have taken Engaging Nonviolence I (our introductory class) to take this course. 

We will look at:

• Session 1: Conflict & Identity

• Session 2: Inner Awareness & Nonviolence

• Session 3: Communicating Through Challenges 

• Session 4: Stepping Up, Stepping In

• Session 5: (Nonviolent) Power

• Session 6: Unleashing Our Potential

Facilitators

Nina Koevoets has been studying nonviolence and conflict resolution for more than a decade. Her master in Conflict Resolution did not include what regular people can do to build peace, so she sought answers elsewhere. She joined a training program with the Metta Center for Nonviolence in the USA and worked several months in India and Israel-Palestine. These experiences gave her new perspectives and ideas about the challenges and potential of nonviolent action. In 2015 she implemented her own training courses that included exercises from the Engage Study Program. As she became more familiar with the materials by facilitating several trainings and workshops the idea for a new Study Program became more clear and so this book came into existence.

Author/Activist Rivera Sun is the Editor of Nonviolence News, a nationwide trainer in strategy for nonviolent movements, and the author of many books and novels, including The Dandelion Insurrection and The Way Between. She serves on the Advisory Board of World Beyond War and Backbone Campaign. Rivera helps coordinate Campaign Nonviolence Action Days and our Nonviolent Cities Project. www.riverasun.com

Register Below

Read For Peace! All-Ages Book Group on The Crown of Light 

Co-Facilitated by Savanna Holden & Rivera Sun
Tuesdays, February 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2024
4-5pm PT // 5-6pm MT // 6-7pm CT // 7-8pm ET
$60, scholarships available (Please ask! We want you to come.)
Intergenerational, open to ages 11 and up
Books must be purchased separately. Find them here or ebooks here.

Special Offer: Bring a younger or older friend for free. 

Build a culture of peace through peace literature and readers of all ages!

Bring your kids, grandparents, and friends of all ages to this lively, 4-week discussion group that explores an exciting fantasy novel about waging peace. Author Rivera Sun and youth facilitator Savanna Holden are co-facilitating a special intergenerational book club on The Crown of Light. 

The novel is a part of the award-winning Ari Ara Series and tells the story of a nonviolent Peace Force that halts violence and stops war in the border region between two feuding nations. Note: You do not need to have read the other books in the series. This story stands alone.

Readers age 11 and up will enjoy this book group. This story features a 14-year-old heroine and an intergenerational group of friends. 

With readers of all ages, this book group will have engaging conversations about the scenes of waging peace, the characters’ commitment to nonviolence, and the challenges they surmount. Discussion will be interspersed with real life examples, trainings in the skills the characters are learning, and some of the nonfiction stories that inspired the book. A great way to learn peace skills!

Stories of peace grow cultures of peace. 

Please bring an older/younger friend with you to this book group. Once you have registered, you can send us their email to ensure that they get the zoom link and invitation.

About the Book

In the jagged peaks of the Border Mountains, Ari Ara revives the ancient legend of the Peace Force, gathering friends and strangers to stop violence and prevent war. With the Way Between guiding their footsteps, they set out to wage peace. Before long, a rising threat makes them take drastic action.

Mysterious raiders are attacking villages, burning homes and terrifying families. Fingers point to the secretive Paika. For centuries, their clans have survived by double-crossing and backstabbing everyone else. But when young Finn Paikason is caught spying on the Peace Force, he swears the raiders are imposters. Ari Ara wants to believe him, but can she trust him? She can’t be certain – especially since this boy with storm-tossed eyes might be stealing her heart.

Stopping fights among villagers, thwarting bandit ambushes, and preventing battles across borders, Ari Ara and her friends seek the truth amidst a web of lies. Old enemies come back to haunt them. Friendships are strained to breaking. Tensions heighten between the two nations. When the Lost Heir is taken hostage, the Peace Force races to solve the mystery before the sparks of violence erupt into war.

Your heart will race along with the heroine’s in this exciting tale of waging peace.

Reviews

“The Crown of Light is a book that contains everything a great novel needs: a heroic female protagonist, colorful supporting characters, adventure, suspense, and most importantly, nonviolence used as a means to solve conflicts. I highly recommend the Ari Ara Series to educators and students!” —Robin Wildman, Nonviolent Schools Rhode Island

"I have been in youth work forty-five years, and I have never encountered a more important work than the Ari Ara series to share with young people and their advocates.” —Michael Harrington

“Ari Ara is the bedtime reading adventure for younger generations that completes my circle of peace literature.” —Patrick Hiller, father, bed-time story reader, Peace and Conflict Studies scholar

“The entire Ari Ara Series offers students a warm, exciting, and hopeful adventure, full of problem-solving, love of life, and worthy models of personal growth and peacemaking.” —Scott Springer, The Bay School, Maine

Pace e Bene is cosponsoring this event.

“To love our enemies means we have to begin the process of ending our preparations to kill them, including our preparations to drop nuclear weapons on them.”

—Living in the Light of Christ’s Peace: A Conversation Toward Nuclear Disarmament
A Pastoral Letter by Most Reverend John C. Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe
January 11, 2022, page 16

As we approach the second anniversary of Archbishop Wester’s pastoral letter, cited above, and the third anniversary of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) entering into force, Pax Christi Massachusetts is planning an online forum on January 27, 2024, 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm ET, entitled Building a World Without Nuclear Weapons: An Urgent Imperative, to examine the existential threat and moral implications of nuclear weapons, to enter into dialogue about solutions, and to urge prayer and action from individuals and groups.

Registration details are still being developed, but three powerful speakers have already been secured: Archbishop Wester; Dr. Ira Helfand, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW)/Back from the Brink, and Marie Dennis, Catholic Nonviolent Initiative/Pax Christi International. Claire Schaeffer-Duffy of SS. Francis and Therese Catholic Worker, Worcester, will serve as moderator.

Making Magic Happen: Troubleshooting 101

Two-hour training with Rivera Sun
Thursday January 11, 2024
4-6pm Pacific / 5-7pm Mountain / 6-8pm Central / 7-9pm Eastern
$30, scholarships available

Tech trouble. Disgruntled students. Breakout room mishaps. Microaggressions. Airtime hogs. In this two-hour course, we’ll explore how to handle the bumps and problems that can arise during an online training. We’ll look at how to avert or avoid some of them. And we’ll talk about what to do if something goes wrong. This webinar will be facilitated by Rivera Sun, and designed to be highly participatory. Bring your questions! Come with examples! Be ready to share your ideas and approaches to troubleshooting. Our time together will be compassionate and anchored in non-judgment. A sense of humor and perhaps even some laughter will guide us through accepting our humanness, looking at “mistakes,” and creatively finding alternatives for moving forward. This webinar is useful for experienced and new facilitators, alike. (It may also be useful for folks who are running meetings online.) 

You will learn:

• Skills for handling challenging participants

• Nonviolent approaches to dealing with conflict

• Ways to address problems among participants

• Simple tricks for dealing with tech trouble

• And more . . .

Pace e Bene trainers have facilitated dozens of courses and trained thousands of people online. Our course participants appreciate our personable, heart-centered approach. We emphasize participatory learning and use tech to tap into group knowledge and wisdom. From meditations to games to immersive exercises to role plays, we have skills to share with you about how to lead trainings with joy, laughter, soulfulness, humanness and professionality. Our approach to technology is to keep it simple and seamless, prioritizing human connection and deep learning. On top of this, we are fearless and playful in trying new things with virtual tech, leading to some of the most enjoyable and meaningful courses in nonviolence available online.

Sign up for all four of the Making Magic Happen Trainings here. 

We are gearing up to do a Train the Trainers Intensive with our Engaging Nonviolence Curriculum in February-March 2024. Interested? Let us know here.

Course Fee: $30. Scholarships are available for anyone who cannot afford to attend. Email Erin at info@paceebene.org to request a scholarship. If you can pay the full fee, consider adding a higher amount for the scholarship fund to increase accessibility for others to participate. 

Making Magic Happen: Keeping It Lively

Two-hour training with Rivera Sun
Thursday December 7, 2023
4-6pm Pacific / 5-7pm Mountain / 6-8pm Central / 7-9pm Eastern
$30, scholarships available

Energize. Inspire. Engage. Keeping it lively in virtual trainings takes skill and creativity. In this two-hour webinar with Rivera Sun, explore how you can keep people awake, active, and ready for more. We’ll look at everything from how to structure your webinar to how to use breakout rooms skillfully. Along the way, you’ll get a closer look at how to make the chatbox useful (not distracting), how to vary discussion, Q & A, and slides, and how to use short videos to infuse a sense of fun and entertainment into your training. This course is useful for anyone interested in doing online presentations, whether that’s a formal webinar or an informal teach-in with a group of friends. Everyone is welcome from beginners to seasoned instructors. 

You will learn:

• How to plan a fun and lively course

• How to use participatory exercises

• How tech can engage (without getting complicated)

• How to use music, photos, art, poetry to liven things up

• How, when, and why to use breakout rooms

• And more … 

Pace e Bene trainers have facilitated dozens of courses and trained thousands of people online. Our course participants appreciate our personable, heart-centered approach. We emphasize participatory learning and use tech to tap into group knowledge and wisdom. From meditations to games to immersive exercises to role plays, we have skills to share with you about how to lead trainings with joy, laughter, soulfulness, humanness and professionality. Our approach to technology is to keep it simple and seamless, prioritizing human connection and deep learning. On top of this, we are fearless and playful in trying new things with virtual tech, leading to some of the most enjoyable and meaningful courses in nonviolence available online.

Sign up for all four of the Making Magic Happen Trainings here. 

We are gearing up to do a Train the Trainers Intensive with our Engaging Nonviolence Curriculum in February-March 2024. Interested? Let us know here.

Course Fee: $30. Scholarships are available for anyone who cannot afford to attend. Email Erin at info@paceebene.org to request a scholarship. If you can pay the full fee, consider adding a higher amount for the scholarship fund to increase accessibility for others to participate.