[Catalyst #15] Peace from Syria to our hearts: shifting to a culture of peace

By Stephen Dinan, founder and CEO of The Shift Network

With the drums of war beating with Syria, it's ever more imperative for us to ramp up our skills as peacebuilders—on both the outer and inner levels.

In today's issue of the Catalyst, we have many insightful articles on how to activate peaceful solutions to Syria, cultivate the power of prayer, participate in the 11 Days of Global Unity (that concludes with the International Day of Peace), and understand Gandhi's nonviolent prayer work on a deeper level.

There are beautiful virtual and live events this month, including a 3-day Peace Day broadcast you can read about below. It draws from hundreds of events worldwide, and culminates with the Be the Peace global meditations—aiming for 500 participating cities worldwide. Additionally, we will also take the time to honor Avon Mattison, a beautiful pioneer of peace, who has led the way on this work for decades.

Rather than sliding into yet another destructive and polarizing war prematurely, please join us in making this month one in which peace breaks out all over. Our Prayer for Syria call yesterday—featuring 6 inspiring peace leaders—was profoundly touching and powerful. You can access it here, and we'll be launching a new prayer site soon.

BeThePeace
Join us on the International Day of Peace for a Global Synchronized Meditation in hundreds of cities around the world. On September 21st, organizations around our planet are collaborating to create 3 Moments of Inner Peace at 12:00 midnight, 12:00 noon, and the following 12:00 midnight GMT.

Syria: How Peace Ambassadors Should Respond
By James O'Dea
James is on the Shift Network Peace Faculty, Former President of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, Former Director of Amnesty International (Washington, DC Office), social healer, activist, teacher, and Summer of Peace Wisdom council member.
www.jamesodea.com

We have trained over one thousand Peace Ambassadors, and we will be convening another training in November. How should Peace Ambassadors and peacebuilders respond to Syria?

In building a global culture of peace, our work is about long-term whole system global transformation, and at the same time, radically skillful personal peacemaking. This also means we have to respond to immediate crises, like Syria, and other imminent threats to peace which demand an effective response . . . [read more]

Gandhi's Prayer
By Stephanie Van Hook
Stephanie is the Executive Director of the Metta Center for Nonviolence
www.mettacenter.org

"I am praying for the light that will dispel the darkness; let all those with a living faith in nonviolence join me in the prayer." M.K. Gandhi

Gandhi was once given a seemingly impossible scenario: what would he do if a plane were flying over his ashram to bomb him? He rose to the challenge with an equally challenging answer—he would pray for the pilot. Some may take Gandhi's response as preposterous. I argue, however, that his call to prayer was consistent with his vision of nonviolent strategy, for at least three reasons . . . [read more]

Syria's Pathway to Healing
By Stephen Dinan, founder and CEO of The Shift Network

While the situation may seem hopeless in Syria, I do believe there is a pathway to a transformational outcome—one that results in real evolution for our world.

That pathway begins by looking at the situation with the lens of our new, global consciousness: how do we ensure that criminal acts on the scale being perpetrated now, are stopped and transformed for the good of all future generations? . . . [read more]

BeThePeace: September 21, 2013
By David Nicol, Director of the Gaiafield Project and Center for Subtle Activism, Member of Summer of Peace Leadership Team
www.gaiafield.net

At the heart of the (r)evolutionary shift being called forth on the planet today, is the emergence of a truly planetary consciousness. First and foremost, it is an awareness of ourselves as planetary beings, in interdependent relationship with each other, and with all the creatures who walk, swim, fly, and scuttle with us on this Earth. An awareness that extends care and compassion to all earthlings, not just members of our family, tribe or nation. An awareness that, perhaps, may actually represent the dawning self-perception of the great global being itself . . . [read more]

11 Days of Global Unity—11 Ways You Can Change The World
By Rick Ulfik, Founder of We, The World and the WE Campaign at WE.net 11 Days of Global Unity—September 11-21
www.11DaysOfGlobalUnity.org

The evening of September 21st 2004 was a peak experience in my life, and in the lives of 500 people who participated in the launch event of 11 Days of Global Unity in New York City. Celebrating the International Day of Peace, it took place in the old "Limelight" (also known as Avalon), a church that had been converted into a disco at 20th Street and 6th Avenue in Manhattan . . . [read more]

Peace Day Global Broadcast
By Stephen Fantl
Stephen Fantl is a producer with PeaceDay TV and member of the Summer of Peace Leadership Team. Stephen played a key role in the Birth 2012 global broadcast.
www.peaceday.tv

The International Day of Peace (IDP) was established in 1981 by a United Nations resolution (supported by all member states), and on 7 September 2001, the UN General Assembly fixed the date of 21 September as the permanent day of observance each year. The observance is to devote a specific time to concentrate the efforts of the UN and its Member States as well as of the whole of humankind, "...to promoting the ideals of Peace and to giving positive evidence of their commitment to Peace in all viable ways. This day should be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of Peace within and among all nations and principles." As a result of this day, cease fires have taken place that allow aid organizations to safely deliver medicines, books or computers for education, and check on refugees; the day has a very significant impact that can be measured . . . [read more]

For submissions and recommendations, email editor@theshiftnetwork.com.

The Summer of Peace is delighted to be promotional co-sponsors for these events:

Peace Forum 2013
Paths to Peace: Building Compassion and Commitment for Transformation
Sunday, September 8 2013 – 1:15pm–6:00pm
Pacific School of Religion
1798 Scenic Avenue, Berkeley, CA

Compassion Games: Survival of the Kindest
September 11–21, 2013
Join the Shift Network Community in participating!
New press release – click here

11 Days of Global Unity
September 11–21, 2013

International Day of Peace
September 21, 2013

BeThePeace
September 20–21, 2013
Synchronized Global Meditations

PeaceDayTV Global Broadcast
September 20–22, 2013
If you have a special video, an event that should be covered live, or a message of peace please contact Stephen Fantl, Broadcast Director, by e-mailing to stephen@peaceday.tv

Peace One Day
September 21, 2013
Global events featuring Jeremy Gilley, Jude Law, Elton John and others celebrating the International Day of Peace.

PeaceDay Live
September 21, 2013
Celebrate the International Day of Peace with music, movies and meditation.

EarthDance
September 20-23, 2013
Global synchronized music and dance events, over 600 locations, 80 countries.

Playing for Change Day
September 21, 2013
Benefit concerts around the world.

Santa Rosa, CA - Sept. 21
World Peace Day—Unity Church—Join Stephen Dinan and Devaa Haley Mitchell who are featured speakers for this live Peace Day event!

Eugene, OR - Sept. 19-21
Multiple Peace Events—Philip Hellmich, Director of Peace, a featured speaker.

Avon Mattison, Pathways To Peace (PTP) and the International Day of Peace
By David Wick, PTP Director & CPI Team Leader, adapted from original article by Eric Kasum

On September 21, we observe the 31st annual UN International Day of Peace, a.k.a. "Peace Day." This Peace Day also serves as the annual highlight of the Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI).

To commemorate this historic day, in 2012 the Catalyst interviewed Avon Mattison, co-founder of Pathways To Peace, and one of the pioneers who worked with the United Nations to create the International Day of Peace. Her decades of work in Peace offer an inspiring story of someone who had an idea, took action on it, and is having a tremendous impact on Peacebuilding today. Her story also sheds light on the history and significance of the International Day of Peace . . . [read more]

2013 Catalyst: (#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)

2013 Issue 15 • Sep 8

The Shift Catalyst is a bi-weekly ezine for conscious change, powered by The Shift Network.

• Shift Network Update
• Headline Video
• Featured Articles
• Movement News
• Profiles
• Action of the Week
• Shift Spotlight
• Partner Spotlight
• Allies of the Shift
• Back Issues

Like Us. Collaborate!

Create or attend a BeThePeace meditation event on Sept. 21. There will be groups in hundreds of cities participating in what could be the largest synchronized global meditation events in history. Together, we can create a collective field of "subtle activism."

Summer of Peace – The Summer of Peace will feature sessions about Moving Beyond Gun Violence on Sept. 10, featuring Jamira Burley (Shift Innovation Award winner who became a peacebuilder after the murder of her brother), William Killebrew IV (a peacebuilder who witnessed the murder of his mother and brother); Dot Maver (Summer of Peace Wisdom Council), Heart Phoenix (President of the River Phoenix Center for Peace Building) and more.

summit.summerofpeace.net

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3-day retreat with Devaa Haley Mitchell and Elayne Doughty: October 4–7, 2013. Registration is now open for our highest-rated retreat of the year! Join us for a 3-day, life-changing retreat...

Evolve Yourself, Evolve Our World with Shift Network Courses

	Manifesting the Mystic Christ Within: Advanced Immersion with Bill Bauman Not too late to join!

	Integral Meditation for Optimal Health with Dr. Elliott Dacher Starts September 9

	Awakened Intimacy with Thomas Huebl Free call September 10 Course starts September 24

	Accessing Your Authentic Power with Gary Zukav Free call September 11

	The Wisdom of the Grandmothers with The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers Starts September 18


Soulful Women Certificate Program Starts January 22, 2014

Heartmath on the Mexican Riveria!
Join Howard Martin and Rollin McCraty for Activating the Intuitive Heart: Creating a Heart-Centered Global Community
October 16–20
Watch their video message here.
Register by October 1 for $100 discount here.

The Foundation for Conscious Evolution

The Shift Movie

Humanity's Team

Green America

The National Peace Academy

Sacred Centers

Center for Sacred Studies

International Cities of Peace

Agape International Spiritual Center

Gaiafield Project

Click here to apply for inclusion above.