Cultivating Inner Peace for Outer Peace

“The wound is the place where the light enters in” – Rumi

When we imagine a peaceful world, our attention often focuses onto what we can change in the ‘outer world’ to build peace and prevent violence.

But as a mighty oak grows from a tiny acorn, so seeds of peace must be planted within our hearts and minds before being gently nurtured into reality in the outer world.

Some of the richest ground in which to ‘grow peace’, are the most tender places within: our hurts, our pains, and inner conflicts. This workshop will explore the opportunities waiting for us within our wounds and inner conflicts, recognising the rich and fertile ground they provide in which to grow the seeds of peace.

This experiential workshop, led by Karin Augustat, Helen Tanner, Bianca Neff and Nino Lotishvili, four Rotary Peace Fellows from Germany, UK, Spain, and Georgia, will explore and weave together four perspectives on cultivating inner peace, each with a practical, personal application:

1. Approaches of Social Healing: How to overcome trauma, mistrust and division (includes practical exercises)

2. Pain: The Problem and Promise of inner pain in our peacebuilding efforts.

3. Forgiveness: Transforming pain and suffering into Freedom, Peace and Love through the ancient practice of Self-Compassion and Forgiveness.

4. Personal Development: by acknowledging our own shadow parts and our inner pain we start embracing and accepting and embracing ourselves as a whole.

Presenters

Nino Lotishvili, an intercultural communication specialist, the founder of Peace Research Centre Tbilisi and Mindful Georgia (Georgia)

Helen Tanner, a peacebuilder, forgiveness guide, trainer, and qualified psychotherapist with an extensive portfolio of working in the UK -including seven years as Charity Director- and internationally in countries including Botswana, Tunisia and war-affected Libya, Myanmar, South Sudan, Kosovo, and Belfast (UK).

Bianca Neff, a humanitarian professional, the founder of Petra Peacebuilders, an NGO dedicated to providing trauma healing and resilience support for peacebuilders (Spain/USA).

Karin Augustat, a social anthropologist and psychologist, international expert in development cooperation with international organisations in various fields including psycho-social support and peacebuilding (Germany).

This skills-based workshop is part of the Global Peace Conference “Weaving a Shared Future Together”.

See the program here: https://sites.google.com/rpfaa.org/gpc-2021/program

You will receive the links for participation after registering here: https://sites.google.com/rpfaa.org/gpc-2021