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 By Stephen Dinan, founder and CEO of The Shift Network
It is that time of year: the start of the Summer of Peace! This year we have a rocking summit featuring Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Eckhart Tolle, Amy Goodman and over 70 peacebuilders from around the world!
The free summit will run throughout the summer (winter for southern hemisphere) with the final celebration on the International Day of Peace - September 21st. To register for for the Summer of Peace for free, click here.
The Summer of Peace is raising awareness about the practical ways to transform conflict in your heart, relationships and the world. It also is highlighting the work of many incredible initiatives, such as the World Peace and Prayer Day (created by Chief Arvol Looking Horse), the Compassion Games, Peace Pole Project, 11 Days of Global Unity, PeaceLink Live, BeThePeace and many others.
Co-Produced by 11 Days of Global Unity, the Gaiafield Project, PeaceLink Live and numerous other partners, the Summer of Peace is an invitation to deepen your daily practice and to contribute to an emerging global science of peacebuilding.
In this edition, we have articles written by Summer of Peace partners, including David Nicol, Fumi Johns Stewart and our own Philip Hellmich, who invite you to join global meditations and prayer for peace, starting with the World Peace Prayer on June 21st. Scilla Elworthy, nominated three times for a Nobel Peace Prize, skillfully links inner peace to international peacebuilding. Jon Ramer provides a beautiful update on the Compassion Games, an inspiring initiative that has individuals and cities around the world competing to see who is the most compassionate! The Compassion Games are fun and inspiring, I encourage you to participate!
I also wanted to draw attention to a HuffPo blog written by Marianne Williamson, who provides powerful reflections on conscious politics in the United States after her run for Congress. We congratulate her for a bold, courageous and inspiring run.
Finally, our two member profiles are so inspiring! PJ Hirabayashi, a Peace Ambassador, tells how she overcame ethnic prejudices as a Japanese American to create TaikoPeace. She is now traveling to Bethlehem and Japan on a mission of peace through music. Susan Olesek with Elam Chance provides an inspiring look at the the Enneagram Prison Project
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   Spirituality and Peace — Global Meditations and Prayers for Peace
By David Nicol, Fumi Johns Stewart and Philip M. Hellmich
From the dawn of humanity, people have prayed and meditated for personal benefit and collective peace. Ancient spiritual traditions and modern science are finding common ground as scientific research is proving the efficacy of prayer and meditation in both promoting positive benefits in health and influencing events in the outer world. An emerging field known as 'subtle activism' is advancing the notion that consciousness-based practices like meditation and prayer may indeed play a crucial role in supporting change in the world . . . [read more]
 Bridging Inner Peace and International Peacebuilding
By Dr. Scilla Elworthy
Anyone who is an idealist or visionary — as well as being a realist — will probably be trying to bridge the gulf in understanding between the hard realities of politics, and what might erroneously be called the 'soft' disciplines that foster inner peace, such as psychology, meditation and self-awareness. Anyone who is a pioneer of new ideas will encounter cynicism — that's part of the job description. But the question is: how best to deal with it?
Some giants like South Africa's Archbishop Tutu will simply laugh, while throwing the cynic a glance of such piercing twinkling intelligence that the bubble of aggressiveness bursts
. . . [read more]
 Compassion Games: Looking Back and Forward
By Jon Ramer
What was the result when inmates at the California Institution for Women competed in last year's annual Compassion Games: Survival of the Kindest?
For the first time in the institution's history, 11 days went by without a single violent incident.
That's radical . . . [read more]
 Are You Serious?
By Marianne Williamson
I didn't place in the top two in last week's House of Representatives District 33 primary election, and while of course I was disappointed I was certainly not devastated or even truly sad.
But I've heard things in the aftermath of the election that indeed have made me sad — not because people didn't vote for me, but because of why in many cases people said they didn't vote for me. These issues relate not just to an election, but to an attitude that pervades our culture in relation to anyone with a so-called "spiritual" perspective . . . [read more]
For submissions and recommendations, email editor@theshiftnetwork.com.
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 TaikoPeace
By PJ Hirabayashi, a Peace Ambassador
I am a baby boomer, a sansei woman (third-generation Japanese American) born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. I was an adventurous and happy pre-schooler, as free as flying on a swing reaching toward the sky. When I entered public school, my radiant spirit was shattered by the harsh taunts of classmates, who didn't know better that I was not the WWII Japan enemy. The silent pain from not being accepted or included flattened my self-esteem and confidence. I didn't want to be Japanese nor did I understand my Japanese cultural roots . . . [read more]
 My Own Personal Prison
By Susan Olesek with Elam Chance
A Look into the Enneagram Prison Project
Thirty-seven years ago my mother took her life and my world turned upside down. I would spend the next thirty years telling myself some version of "...if I was better, bad things wouldn't happen." Little did I know that a roomful of supposed "hardened criminals," in a little Texas prison, would be the ones to school me in self-acceptance. Over the years, my early childhood trauma translated into an unconscious obligation to improve myself, and the world, enough so that I might be deserving of a place in it. This became my own personal prison. It was in working with 100 incarcerated men using the Enneagram — a psychological system that explains why we do what we do with astonishing precision — when I began to recall that self-worth is inherent, not earned. The experience would change the personal and professional trajectory of my life forever . . . [read more]
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Help your community become an International City of Peace and together we can reach the Goal 2020: 1000 Cities of Peace. For more information: click here.
- The Facebook page: click here.
- The Global Feast for Peace: click here.
- The Eugene City of Peace organization has many resources for communities working toward a culture of peace: click here.
JOIN the Compassion Games and make your community safer, kinder, more just and a better place to live. By participating, players are called upon to perform acts of service and kindness in our neighborhoods, on the job, in service-providing agencies, and wherever their daily journey takes them. The acts of service are organized projects or simple acts of kindness to aid a neighbor in need or just for the pure joy of it! The 2014 Games will run from September 11th through September 21st, 2014 and involves people around the world. You can join now by clicking here!
Children of the Earth has released a new CD — Wisdom of the Heart:
Songs to Inspire Transcendence and Peace. Accomplished celebrities include Tina Turner of international fame with Regula Curti and Dechen Shak-Dagsay. Children of the Earth also offer a Spiritual Activism Handbook to help young and older people to experience inner revolution for social evolution. To learn more, click here.
JOIN a global oneness campaign for youth and families that invites youth to proclaim their connectedness through dancing and singing in flashmobs. To learn more, click here.
2014 GLOBAL PEACE INDEX – June 18 – join the Institute for Economics and Peace as they gear up to launch the 2014 Global Peace Index on the 18th of June. This year the Global Peace Index report will focus on identifying countries most at risk of instability and conflict; it will explore the institutions that underpin peaceful societies, and look at the link between conflict risk, resilience and peacebuilding institutions. To learn more, click here.
Celebrate Life Festival (CLF), one of Europe's largest spiritual events with more than 1,000 attendees live and online, invites you to join the Mystical Summer School – Renaissance of Spirit from July 24th to August 3rd, 2014. In the eleventh year of the CLF, people from all over the world will study the mystical principles and in a dynamic mix of exploration and celebration, exercises and encounters, develop a culture that places awakening in the center of everyday life. To learn more, click here.
Breath Immersion – From Science to Samadhi – August 24–29 – Breath Immersion to explore leading-edge research and learn how to integrate and advance the power of breath into our modern world. Those new and experienced in breath practice are invited to participate in building a healthier world together. To learn more, click here.
THE ECONOMICS OF SUSTAINABILITY – Emerging Models for a Healthy Planet – OCTOBER 6–9, 2014 - FORT MASON, SF, CA – The Economics of Sustainability conference is looking 50 years into the future. Our challenge is to bring forth a transformation of cultural and economic relationships so that environmental sustainability, social justice, and economic democracy become our way of life. To learn more, click here.
Help Take Taiko to Bethlehem in Palestine – Bringing a week of Taiko drumming workshops to Bet Lahem Live Festival, building to performances by a local community group & professional duo performance. This project is sponsored by Peace Ambassador PJ Hirabayashi. To learn more, click here.
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2014 Catalyst: (#12, 6/15) (#11, 6/1) (#10, 5/18) (#9, 5/4) (#8, 4/20) (#7, 4/6) (#6, 3/23) (#5, 3/9) (#4, 2/22) (#3, 2/8) (#2, 1/26) (#1, 1/12)
2013 Catalyst: (#22, 12/14) (#21, 11/30) (#20, 11/16) (#19, 11/3) (#18, 10/20) (#17, 10/6) (#16, 9/21) (#15, 9/8) (#14, 8/25) (#13, 8/4) (#12, 7/21), (#11, 7/7), (#10, 6/16) (#9, 6/2) (#8, 5/12) (#7, 4/28) (#6, 4/14) (#5, 3/24) (#4, 2/24) (#3, 2/9) (#2, 1/26) (#1, 1/13)
Birth 2012 Catalyst: (#15, 12/9) (#14, 12/1) (#13, 11/22) (#12, 11/10) (#11, 11/3) (#10, 10/20) (#9, 10/6) (#8, 9/16) (#7, 9/8) (#6, 8/25) (#5, 8/16) (#4, 8/4) (#3, 7/28) (#2, 7/21) (#1, 7/14)
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Join the virtual World Peace Prayer global event on June 21st — register at the Summer of Peace by clicking here; and/or, attend live the World Peace and Prayer Day events June 17–22 in Wappingers, NY — click here.
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 The New Model for Feminine Fulfillment: The 7 Essentials for Creating an Inspiring Life That You Truly Love. Come learn the key elements of the new feminine model for success, one that can lead you towards the life of your dreams with Inspiring Women Summit founder Devaa Haley Mitchell. Monday June 16th at 5:30 PM Pacific
 The Love Transmission: A Virtual Ignition of Your Heart. Bathe in a field of grace and open your heart and soul to the recognition that you are the Divine in a body and you can love ALL of what arises because that is ultimately the truth of who you are. With renowned mystic Bill Bauman.
Wednesday June 25 at 5:30 PM Pacific
 The Liberating Power of the Enneagram. A 10-Week Journey with renowned Enneagram teachers Russ Hudson & Jessica Dibb.
Begins June 25th
 The Power of Love: The Art and Science of Extraordinary Relationships. A 7-Week course with Relationship Experts Lion Goodman & Carista Luminare, Ph.D.
Begins June 26th
More Upcoming Events: (all subject to change)
June
• Devaa Haley Mitchell 8-week course
• Oscar Miro-Quesada 8-month intensive
• Sacred Awakening Series
July
• Shakti Summit
• Lisa Schrader 7-week course
• Bill Bauman 7-week course
• Dawson Church 7-week course
• Saniel Bonder 7-week course
• Robert Moss 7-week course
• Joey Klein 7-week course
August
• Future of Yoga mini-summit
• Laura Cornell 8-week course
• Sally Kempton 7-week course
• Bill Bauman intensive
September
• John Perkins 9-month intensive
• Miranda Macpherson 8-week course
• Lisa Schrader 9-month intensive
• Enneagram 9-month intensive
• Tim Kelley 7-week course
October
• Enlightened Business Summit
• James O'Dea 6-week course
• Andrew Harvey 7-week course
• Bill Bauman 7-week course |
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World Peace and Prayer Day — also known as, Honoring Sacred Sites Day, was envisioned and brought forth by Chief Arvol Looking Horse as a day to join worldwide communities and people of all races, ages, genders, and faiths, who share concern for the welfare of the Earth and humanity. To learn more, click here.
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Dixon's Violin
By Eleanor Tara
Have you ever been led on a transformational journey by a Digital Violinist? Dixon's life purpose is to make sure you have that experience. Under the moniker, Dixon's Violin, he inspires listeners through his music, baring his soul in a unique and mesmerizing way. Classically trained from a young age, Dixon has undergone an evolution from a symphony violinist to a music shaman. His passionate energy will enchant, transform and inspire you. Get a flavor of his live performance by watching this video or enjoy his recorded music here. You also can learn more about Dixon's Violin by clicking here.
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