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 By Stephen Dinan, founder and CEO of The Shift Network
It is with incredible joy that The Shift Network team is sharing with you the first World Peace Library: From Inner to International — Creating a Global Culture of Peace.
This Library is a gift from our hearts to yours. It is a Free educational resource for You: To find peace within yourself & to create peace within your family, community and world.
The World Peace Library is designed to inspire, inform and involve people by highlighting best practices from around the world. It has over 300 audio recordings with inspirational stories, skills training and powerful solutions by the world’s top peacebuilders, social change leaders, scientists, Indigenous elders and spiritual mentors.
The World Peace Library organically grew out of our experience producing online peace summits — Peace Week (2010–11), Youth Rising for Peace (2012) and Summer of Peace (2012–ongoing.) From this “bird's eye” view, we could see there was a much bigger narrative of peace emerging than anyone had ever imagined!
This bigger story of peace gives us all hope as people are finding solutions to the most challenging problems on the planet. The new story of peace is springing forth from the hearts, minds and souls of people of all races and religions as we each help to make the world a better place, starting right where we are with the people closest to us.
It is The Shift Network’s intention to accelerate this new narrative of peace and to advance the United Nations’ efforts of promoting a culture of peace. We encourage you to share the World Peace Library far and wide and to form World Peace Library “book clubs” to study and apply the lessons in daily life. Please “like” the World Peace Library Facebook Page and share your experience of using the Library to promote peace in your family, schools and community so we all can learn from you.
We want to thank all the people involved in creating the World Peace Library — all of the inspiring speakers, partner organizations and especially CarolAnne Robinson, Michael Dubois, Briana Lorenz-Marrow, Alison Marks, Stevee Postman and Philip Hellmich. We also thank the Wisdom Council of esteemed peacebuilders that guides our peace efforts.
In this edition of The Catalyst, we have articles from our Wisdom Council members Ambassador Chowdhury, Deborah Moldow and Michael Nagler. We also have an inspiring article by Archbishop Desmond Tutu announcing 1 Billion Acts of Peace. We are proudly partnering with Nobel Peace Laureates, PeaceJam, Google and others to spread the word about 1 Billion Acts of Peace — we encourage you to join too!
We are republishing an article from Philip Hellmich, our Director of Peace, about how the new narrative of peace emerged from the Summer of Peace and other summits (an edited version was published by the United Nations in China last year).
We also are highlighting Sanctuary of the Open Heart in Shift Philanthropy, a group we are proud to support; our friend Rita Canning in the Member Profile; and, internationally acclaimed Niyaz as the Featured Artist. Enjoy this edition of The Catalyst. While there are many global crises facing us, there is plenty of evidence that there is a new wave of peace manifesting on Earth.
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 World Peace Library: From Inner to International — A Free Educational Resource for You: To Find Peace Within Yourself & to Create Peace Within Your Family, Community and World. The World Peace Library has over 300 audio recordings with inspirational stories, skills training and powerful solutions by the world's top peacebuilders, social change leaders, scientists, Indigenous elders and spiritual mentors.The World Peace Library is a gift to the world from The Shift Network. To learn more, go to www.worldpeacelibrary.com.
 PeaceJam: 1 Billion Acts of Peace
PeaceJam and Nobel Peace Laureates launched an initiative calling for 1 Billion Acts of Peace. The Shift Network is delighted to join this global campaign alongside Google and many other companies and organizations. For more information on how you can join, go to: http://www.1billionacts.org
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 Is Peace Even Possible in Modern, Global Society?
By Archbishop Desmond Tutu (submitted by PeaceJam)
Tuesday, November 11th was celebrated worldwide as Remembrance Day. This holiday was created to mark the end of World War I, which formally concluded in the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1919. World War I was supposed to be 'the war to end all wars'. Were we foolish to ever believe that this could be so . . . [read more]
 Culture of Peace — Humanity's Essential Faith
By Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury
As the world was coming out of the debilitating grip of the Cold War, its peace-loving people got truly energized to take steps to shun war and conflict forever and secure peace in a sustainable way for all. Soon after assuming my responsibility as Bangladesh's Ambassador to the United Nations, I got deeply engaged in these deliberations so that the much promised "peace dividend" has a real impact in making peace take a permanent place in the hearts of men and women and in the policies of the nations of the world . . . [read more]
 Welcoming 2015 — The U.N. International Year of Light
By Rev. Deborah Moldow
Have you ever flown across the globe at night? You cannot help but notice the stark contrast between the "haves" and the "have-nots": the difference in what they have is light. What a perfect symbol of much-needed balance to contemplate, especially in this season when so many celebrate the coming of the light . . . [read more]
 Peacebuilding Through Nonviolence: The State of the Art
By Michael N. Nagler
The world is a bewildering place, and its problems are baffling: where do we begin to tackle them? Like Goethe's Faust, who yearned to 'see the forces and the seeds' that cause things, I have been on my own search for many years, and I find that there is one "force," or seed of all the turmoil and destruction in the modern world; personal, planetary, and international, and that is our image of the human being. When we think of ourselves as separate, material objects doomed to compete for scarce resources, it is only a matter of time before these problems become so critical that we must solve them or perish. And that time is now . . . [read more]
 Creating a New Narrative of Peace
By Philip Hellmich
Sanskrit has 108 words for love. Islam has 99 names for God.
Japanese has 14 words for beauty. We've got one word for Peace....
We don't have enough words to accurately describe all the different types of peace.
I think it was Socrates who once said if you don't have a word to describe something, then how can you think about it?
— Steve Killelea (Co-Founder of the Global Peace Index)
As news of the latest crisis in Syria reaches the world, we are reminded of the need to strengthen our capacity for outer and inner peace. It's time to create a new story about peace. We need a narrative that speaks to the human complexity of the inner spirit, to international relations, to dialogues across multiple sectors of society — including healing humanity's relationship with the Earth. We need an understanding of peace broad enough to embrace the deep inner spiritual realms, along with the grounded, and at times even hard-nosed, practical actions that can transform difficult situations locally and globally.
To read more, click here.
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 Please Join Me in Praying for Peace
By Rita Canning
For over 35 years, my life has been dedicated to serving the Divine by helping individuals to experience transformation and awakening. Through a synthesis of Eastern and Western teachings, techniques and higher energy I've been able help to bring about real spiritual awareness for people and show them how to integrate it into their lives . . . [read more]
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Awaken into Action Virtual Training Event – Stephen Dinan is pleased to announce his participation in Awaken into Action — Changing the World One Dream at a Time. He has watched Beth, Laura and Terry have the courage to go past what they thought possible and create this extraordinary event. They've had the great honor to interview many thought leaders such as Gangaji, Bruce Lipton, Gary Zukav, and Maya Angelou just before she passed away. They want to help you move past your fears and become the leader you are meant to be! Register up for your complimentary ticket: click here.
 James O’Dea’s New Book: The Shift Network is delighted to announce our lead peace faculty James O'Dea has published a new book: The Conscious Activist: Where Activism Meets Mysticism. The Conscious Activist is truly a masterpiece for our time as it describes the many rigorous initiations needed before the power of the activist can become one with the power of the mystic. To order your copy, click here.
 Film screenings of Awake: The Life of Yogananda are being extended in Theaters across the United States and Canada. To find a showing near you or to arrange for a screening, click here. (The filmmakers were interviewed in the Summer of Peace, the recording is available for free.)
 A gift for you: to clear what’s standing between you and life dreams. Lion Goodman, one of The Shift Network’s faculty members, has brought out iClearIt, an amazing new app for the iPhone and iPad. It’s a powerful process for clearing whatever is in your way: physical discomfort, pain, emotional upset, bad feelings, or resistance to doing what you need to do. A videotaped coach walks you through every step of this embodied mindfulness process. It works like magic, and the app is getting rave reviews. Lion is generously offering the app for free, for a very limited time. Visit www.iClearIt.com to learn more, and to access your free copy of iClearIt.
Sandra Ingerman New Book and CD: The Shift Network is delighted to announce these new releases by Sandra Ingerman, one of our prolific faculty:
 Walking in Light: The Everyday Empowerment of a Shamanic Life (Sounds True, February 2015) is a resource filled with practices, journeys, and insights to help you improve your state of health and well-being, deepen your relationship with spirit and nature, tap into your creative potential, and live from the heart. Sandra Ingerman offers a complete guide for living in a shamanic way — empowered by purpose, focus, and deep connection to the spiritual dimensions. The passion behind writing this book comes from Sandra’s deep commitment to share tools to maintain a state of hope and feel empowered during these times of change and to teach how we can be positive changemakers for all of life and the Earth by integrating spiritual practices into our lives. To order your copy, click here.
 With “Shamanic Visioning Music: Taiko Drum Journeys” (Sounds True, February 2015), renowned teacher Sandra Ingerman and the performers of Taiko Sol bring you an album of taiko music specifically created for the practice of shamanic journeying. Featuring dynamic drumming arrangements of Nagado and Odaiko drums and Sandra’s invaluable guidance for using this music to enter altered states of consciousness, this is a perfect addition to any shamanic library. To order your copy, click here.
Internationally renowned, Yuval Ron Ensemble released a new video that can be used as a tool for spreading the message of Peace and Unity. The video features wisdom quotes from some of the great sages of humanity along with a devotional song from the Yuval Ron Ensemble titled "Ya Rab" from the CD Seeker of Truth. To watch, click here.
Sign Petition to Establish a United Kingdom Department of Peace. The Ministry of Peace would shift the paradigm towards a new architecture of peace by supporting and establishing activities that promote a culture of peace in the United Kingdom and the world. To sign the petition, click here.
The Alliance for Peacebuilding Update: The Post-2015 Agenda is the strategic plan UN Member States are currently developing that will take effect at the UN General Assembly in September, when the Millennium Development Goals officially expire. Throughout 2014, United Nations Member States through the Open Working Group process have been drafting a new set of goals, called the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Alliance for Peacebuilding, several AfP members, and numerous international partners have been part of a global movement to ensure the new SDGs not only seek to end the symptoms of poverty but also address its root causes, such as inequalities, exclusion, and abuse of basic rights.
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon just released a Synthesis Report on December 4th that summarizes where UN Member States’ have arrived in the drafting process at this time, and provides a vision for a holistic framework that addresses both poverty and its structural causes through environmentally sustainable systems. A real victory for the peacebuilding community — and the world — is the inclusion of a whole stream of work on peaceful and just societies. The recognition that development cannot occur without peace is a central theme of the the new SDGs, and a breakthrough in creating a holistic set of goals.
If you have an announcement to share, please write: editor@theshiftnetwork.com
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2014
Catalyst: (#26, 12/28) (#25, 12/14) (#24, 11/30) (#23, 11/16) (#22, 11/1) (#21, 10/19) (#20, 10/5) (#19, 9/21) (#18, 9/14) (#17, 9/01) (#16, 8/17) (#15, 8/3) (#14, 7/20) (#13, 7/4) (#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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Share the World Peace Library with your family, friends and/or community groups.
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 Authentic Awakening in Action: The Foundations of a 21st Century Transformational Practice in Work, Love, and Life with renowned mystic and spiritual teacher Thomas Huebl —
Discover the keys to cultivating a deeply fulfilling spiritual practice that keeps you grounded, present and centered amidst the pressures and challenges of everyday life.
Saturday, January 3, 2015 10:00am Pacific
 Freedom and Resolve: The Conscious Dance of Surrender & Awakening with spiritual teacher and author Gangaji
— Have you hungered for an authentic spiritual opening that allows you to expand into freedom and ultimate truth, while also walking your worldly path with grace, clarity and resolve?
New Live Course Starts Wednesday, January 7, 2015
 Igniting the Flame of Prayer: How the Practice of Evolutionary Prayer Can Transform Your Life and Birth the Divine Human in You with pioneering contemporary spiritual teacher & internationally renowned scholar
Andrew Harvey
— Receive initiation into the ancient science and practice of sacred prayer from the world's esoteric traditions to illumine your body, commune more deeply with the Divine and help birth heaven on Earth.
14-Week Immersion Starts Thursday, January 8, 2015
More Upcoming Events: (all subject to change)
January
• Winter of Wellness summit
• Rising Women Rising World summit
• Scilla Elworthy 7-week course
• Thomas Huebl 9-week course
• Peace Ambassador Training 14-week course
• Barbara Marx Hubbard 5-month intensive
• Devaa Haley Mitchell & Elayne Doughty 7-month program
February
• Body Intelligence Summit
• Sandra Ingerman 7-week course
• Katie & Gay Hendricks 7-week course
• Terry Patten 7-week course
• Sofia Diaz 7-week course
• Andrew Harvey 7-week course
• Tim Kelley 6-month intensive
March
• Transforming Aging Summit
• Thrive Summit
• Whole Earth Summit
• HeartMath 7-week course
• Ron Pevny 7-week course
• Mark Matousek 7-week course
• Ken Page 10-week course |
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Sanctuary of the Open Heart — The Shift Network is a proud supporter of the Sanctuary of the Open Heart, a non-profit organization expanding our global community dedicated to the wisdom teachings of the Divine Feminine and to building a Sanctuary devoted to the awakening of humanity. We strongly believe in their approach to creating a balance of feminine and masculine consciousness that we believe is greatly needed in the world today. To learn more, click here.
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1 Billion Acts of Peace is a global community of everyday people performing thoughtful actions that contribute to world peace. The Peacejam Foundation, Google, Wells Fargo, Hill+Knowlton Strategies and many others have come together to create the "One Billion Acts of Peace" Campaign — an international global citizens' movement designed to tackle the most important problems facing our planet. To learn more, click here.
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Niyaz
By Jeffrey Kihn
Niyaz was founded in 2004 by Iranian-born singer Azam Ali (formerly of Vas), Montreal-based multi-instrumentalist Loga Ramin Torkian (co-founder of Axiom of Choice), and two-time Grammy nominee Carmen Rizzo (engineer for Alanis Morissette and Coldplay). Niyaz, which means "yearning", was established as a platform to create social and political awareness through music rooted in, yet not limited by, tradition. Niyaz first stepped onto the world stage in 2005, as their self-titled debut album appeared at #1 on iTunes, and since then has performed in the United States, Canada, France, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Turkey, India, Dubai, Mexico, Slovenia, Italy, Portugal, UK, Croatia, Tunisia, and Austria.
During their recent live show at Yoshi's in San Francisco, which I attended, the band members spoke directly to the importance of bringing traditional music of the Middle East into the Western world and immigrant communities. Niyaz explores the folk music of regions around Azam's and Loga's native Iran, to shed light onto the plight of immigrants as well as minority ethnic and religious groups who struggle to maintain their identities. They closed their set with a spontaneous folk song from Afghanistan, which Azam sang directly to an old Afghan woman in the audience, bringing us all to tears.
Although most of their lyrics are in languages impossible for the average listener to understand, the music of Niyaz takes us on a quest into the universal human depths. It is a journey filled with a message of hope against injustice and oppression, a tribute to beauty, cultural and spiritual diversity, freedom and dignity for all.
To learn more about Niyaz's music and concert tours, visit their website.
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