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"The
Peacemaker Training has helped me to find the deep heart of loving action inside
of me. I find myself on a path that brings up my deepest commitments to the world.
I feel the most "me" that I’ve ever experienced. My life feels
purposeful. I am on this planet for a reason, to be part of the great change.
I have the Peacemaker Training, and especially Judith and Fleet, to thank for
this. " —Renee Rosario, therapist and peace activist
"My
introduction to the Peacemaker Institute yearlong training was a 4-day "Street
Retreat" in Denver. This deep "plunge" experience not only amplified
my empathy for the plight of the homeless in America, butalso deepened my awareness
of the vulnerable "soft spot" in my heart that has so often prevented
me from looking suffering in
the face. To experience the feeling of being invisible to so many people, even
knowing I would soon return to my own home, wore me down to the point that I wanted
to make MYSELF invisible. This experience, and others during the year, have taught
me the value of facing suffering head on in transforming it for ourselves and
others." —Eric Wilden, homeless advocate and activist
"Integral Peacemaker Training has provided me with effective methods for building bridges between my contemplative spiritual practice and the secular realm of social engagement and activity. It's integrative approach has expanded my awareness of the interconnectedness of self and other in interpersonal relationships, and also, in a wider, more expansive view, in societal and political manifestations as a part of groups and systems of all kinds. I consider this training one of the most important I have ever undertaken." —Cindy Cochran, Portland Shambhala Center member
“I cannot begin to tell you the many ways I see myself changing as a result of the work we have done together so far. I am a much better parent, partner and pal (just ask my child, my girl, and my friends). A lot has happened since I started the training and the best part is that I have been able (and more surprisingly willing) to love every minute of it.” —LeslieBelt, Austin TX
"The
Peacemaker Training prepared me to do the meaningful work I’ve yearned to
do for a long time on behalf of of women as a Life Coach. The training has helped
me combine coaching with social welfare work through Boulder’s Project Work
Together. There I coach and co-facilitate workshops for women who are coming off
of welfare and becoming self-sufficient. I also facilitate the Self-Care aspect
of the Life Skills Training that local welfare recipients must take part in.
I am in the process of creating an on-going group for low-income women where they
will come together and be supported in making and meeting life goals while incorporating
good self-care and personal tools for empowerment. I am also looking to become
affiliated with a program that is working on women’s human rights issues
around the world." —Debra Lambert, Coach
"The Peacemaker Training took me past my resistance into places I needed to reclaim. It has helped me on the path to wholeness." —Joshua Weinstein, Wilderness Retreat Leader
"I
came to the Peacemaker Institute Training searching for what I felt I was missing.
The day I signed the agreement I knew nothing about the training other than I
felt a resonance --spirit was saying, "YES". The yearlong training has required a commitment of time, energy, and love. There
are many unforgettable experiences stemming from the weekly sessions and workshops,
and many come directly from the experience of growing with a deeply dedicated
community.
"During
this year, I have grown immeasurably. Internally, I have learned how to sit in
the fire of my own fears, feeling my heart break and heal repeatedly, and coming
to a place of compassion and understanding, from which arises the source of peace
within. This newfound understanding flows into my outer world, as I perceive people
and events in a new light.
"Outwardly
I have acquired and integrated a practical set of skills, information, and way
of being in the world, which enables me to provide direct service to a variety
of communities. This summer I will be traveling to Kenya with Peace Initiatives
International - Africa, to visit and share with women various formats of peaceful
dialogue and community organizing. Since January I have been working with teen-age
girls from a correctional facility and their moms to heal and reestablish their
relationships. Presently, I am in process of organizing an affinity group, a group
of people with a common vision to focus on issues in Denver, expanding the work
that I am doing with correctional facilities, and bringing peaceful dialogue into
the public schools." —Karen Clayton, activist
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