Nuts & Bolts

Nuts and Bolts

Peace Work

Sample Agenda 

Introduction:  Hellos/introduction to facilitators & their hopes/overview of process; read posted version of agenda/ask for consensus on “Cooperative Agreements”

Gathering:  (Go ‘Round) “Something I do that relaxes me is…” (e.g.)

Exercise:  Different exercises for different phases of group development.  Affirmation & common ground exercises build trust… When trust is established we move toward skill-building, cooperation and conflict resolution

Light & Lively: These are playful, creative, energizing activities or circle games that lighten energy and allow trauma bubbles to dissipate in laughter

Exercise: Some form of skill or self-awareness-enhancing activity:  Skills include listening, “feeling or I-message statements” for expressing self assertively, empathy, etc.

Debrief thoroughly (dig for people’s experience & insight)

Evaluation/Planning:  Find out how everyone felt about each activity.  Does anyone want to contribute or co-facilitate next time?

Closing:  Uplifting goodbye… i.e. “Gift Share”: we tell, in turn, the person to our left, “A gift I see in you is…”  A quick closing might be an inspiring reading or a loving wish someone has for the group…

Depending on available time, you may want to leave parts out, but beginning a group with a gathering, doing at least one exercise & an affectionate closing makes for a very lovely and productive experience!

Some “Peace Work” Benefits: 

  • Peace Work works with a large number of participants & facilitators, thereby transforming entire community
  • It is easily “personalize-able” to assist with each group’s individual desires or goals
  • It’s easy to learn! & develops leadership skills, interpersonal-skills, self-confidence, etc.
  • It furnishes insight into self & others; develops self-responsibility
  • It equalizes power which encourages true community
  • It has a non-dogmatic spiritual/philosophical basis
  • It provides a safe, relatively painless, way to go deep… and a playful way to move through the “deep” – It’s fun!
  • It is delightfully creative: find, arrange and/or make up exercises and agendas to fit needs
  • It uses a flexible format: blocks of any curricula can be interwoven
  • It works best with “concurrent documentation,” if you have to document — evaluate before “closing”
  • It provides tools & format transferable to other life situations
  • It isn’t taught. What is learned comes from our own life experience, proving us all powerful healers!

 

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