Peace Gathering on Facebook!

Visit the Peace Gathering event page on Facebook, and invite your friends to visit as well.

Building the community of Peace

For those of you who are contemplating attending the Peace Gathering, and wondering if you want to commit to being there for all four days....

A fundamental truth is that the core of peace-making is relationship. Relationship to one another, relationship to the "tribe", relationship to the Earth ~ our interconnectedness is one of the human race's most enduring and transcendent qualities.

So the Peace Gathering is designed to foster our sense of connection to those for whom Peace is a priority. Diving deeply into the field of Community takes time ~ and presence. Bring your whole Self to the gathering ~ including your willingness to make time for relationships with other Peace Makers to take root and blossom. We are truly Planting Seeds of Peace for the Planet ~ and gardening takes time!

Come Hear Different Perspectives on Peace

Seven keynote speakers will bring to the gathering their perspectives to fostering peace on the planet. You can read their complete biographies at www.hopespringsinstitute.org./peace.html.

A pattern is weaving between these speakers. In terms of peace those at the gathering will hear: current state events that are happening--what can be done--what you can do individually to strive for peace on the planet. The theme and flow emerging is:

Thursday morning/afternoon and Friday morning--Healing:

• Healing the Planet--Flordemayo--Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers
• Healing Peace in Northern Ireland--Kate Fitzpatrick--Peace Activist & Musician--Donegal, Ireland
• Healing Collective Trauma--Gina Ross--President International Trauma Institute US & Israel

Friday afternoon and Saturday Morning--Actions:

• Armed with Art--Alice Lovelace--Poet, Playwright & Organizer for Social and Economic Justice
• The Role of Dissent--Ann Wright--Colonel (Ret) US Army & Anti-War Activist
• Pilgrims of Peace--Bhanumathy Vasudevan--Social Scientist & OD Consultant-Tamil Nadu, India

Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning--Stepping into Activism:

• Global Cafe event
• Feminism, Activism and Waging Peace--Alexandra Merrill--Feminist & Transnational Consultant

This gathering will also include a variety of optional activities, entertainment, fabulous food and exciting opportunities for networking with like-minded souls. Go to www.hopespringsinstitute.org/peace.html to register.

Caravan to the Peace Gathering!

Our vision is to have 150 people gathered for these 4 days in June. Can you just imagine being in the beauty & power of Hope Springs, connecting with that many individuals deeply interested in and committed to peace? I'm simply floored by the potential....

And there's some incentive to bring your friends along! If you register in a group of 7 (or more), you can attend for $777 a person. That's a 10% discount of the regular registration fee. So begin spreading the word among your circle of friends, and your communities ~ and caravan together to the Peace Gathering!

MUSE Choir at the Peace Gathering

I am really excited that MUSE Cincinnati's Women's Choir is going to perform on Friday night of the Peace Gathering. I'm connected deeply with both the choir (Alto 1 for 12 years) and with Hope Springs, and I know that the missions of the two organizations are nearly identical. I'm inspired by each community, and I'm so glad that this relationship will now begin to flower.

Can you tell that MUSE's color is turquoise?

International Peace Gathering

June 23-27, 2010

6pm Wednesday to 12 Noon Sunday
$863 Room, Board & Supplies Provided

VISION
The Hope Springs International Peace Gathering supports, reinforces and celebrates activism, social justice and transformative change; events that build international peace; efforts that choose optimism over cynicism, hope over despair and community over isolation.

The Outcomes we hope for are to:

Focus on peace building at all levels; individual/ interpersonal - group/organization and global
Learn about peace building efforts around the world
Understand that we live in a world of interconnected relationships
Celebrate and Honor our cultural differences and heritages
Foster a call to activism as a force for social change
Maintain an attitude of support, appreciation and differentiation in support of the common good - Peace on the Planet.