Workshops in Lower Hutt and Auckland

Within the two first weeks of June, two Creators of Peace workshops took place in New Zealand. Starting from 6 June, participants to the two day workshop were welcomed by Glenys Wood at the IofC Centre in Lower Hutt. The second workshop was held at the Mercy Spirituality Centre in Auckland. These Creators of Peace workshops were facilitated by Christina DeAngelis, from Australia and Zhanna Petrukovich from Russia with help and support of Initiatives of Change New Zealand. In Wellington women who had already participated in a Peace Circle took part, as well as those who were interested in knowing more. In Auckland ladies from the Pan Pacific South-East Asian Women’s Association helped to host the event.

The aim of the workshops was to allow more women to experience a Creators of Peace Circle and learn how they can use this format to create peace in their own communities.

The workshops were a mixture of interactive exercises and sharing. The sessions outlined the Creators of Peace Circles structure, content and practical questions about facilitating them. Each group was diverse in nationality, age and background. There were 18 women at the first workshop in Lower Hutt and 15 in Auckland.

Most of the women were strangers to each other, but after the very first exercises when they were asked in pairs to find as many things in common as possible to share with the rest of the group, one would think that they were meeting as old friends. During the workshops there was time to look at some of the gathering points of the Creators of Peace Circles, such as Images of peace, What destroys peace and what builds it? What qualities are needed in a peace creator? The power of forgiveness, Listening to others and Inner listening. Studying the story of Irene Laure as an example of a peace creator inspired many at the Lower Hutt workshop. Story sharing in small groups helped women to see how connection and trust is built during a Creators of Peace Circle as they found so much in common with each other in their small groups.

The groups had a chance to take the stage and act out how greed or fear can destroy peace and how sharing and compassion build it. While the acting was a lot of fun, it also expanded our awareness of the possibilities of creating peace and transforming situations in everyday life.

At the workshop in Auckland, discussion and role plays on active listening helped participants understand how important it is to really listen. In both workshops they expressed that they felt at peace and respected when listened to and the willingness to apply this in their lives, made them better listeners. One shared how she often does not listen closely to others, but rather tries to give advice. The exercise helped her find a new way of supporting people.

Each workshop ended with the question, ‘How do I feel about being a creator of peace?’ As we shared we passed a ball of string to each other, thus weaving a web of connection and trust that is at the heart of Creators of Peace. Many were inspired, daunted, humbled… All of us were grateful for the amazing spirit that was created in such a short time. This is what can happen when a space to share and listen is created.

Glenys has a vision for Creators of Peace Circles in New Zealand as a tool to bring together women from different groups, such as Maori and Pakeha, to work towards reconciliation on a deeper, ‘soul to soul’ level. ‘At government level a lot is being done to address the injustices of the past, but this is the tip of the iceberg of division and lack of trust in society. Creators of Peace workshops can help to deal with the hidden iceberg beneath, to melt the fear and mistrust that has the potential for conflict’.

‘Wanganui women could host peace circles in the future’, announced The River City Press on 25 June. With a photo and interview with Christina and Zhanna, Peace Circles were introduced to the city. Our hosts in Wanganui, Tiahuia Abraham and Fran Dalziel, with eight others from New Zealand will attend the International Creators of Peace conference in Sydney, ‘Creating a Culture of Peace - what will it take?’ in September – October this year. Some places are still available, but registrations are needed as soon as possible. We hope that these women will bring back to New Zealand an inspiring wave of peace. The adventure and learning of Creators of Peace goes on.