Dear Friends,
Following a summer of unrest in the UK, with protests and riots in numerous cities, many are feeling fearful, distressed or angry. Many people feel unheard. How do we navigate these responses? Where can communities find resilience? What role do empathy, imagination and contemplation play in peacework? How can we engage a national and local conversation about the root causes of the conflicts at play? What do peacemakers have to offer to such a conversation?
We invite you to our Peacework workshop Carousel on 21st October - a full day of workshops led by experienced peace-makers. The day will consist of 4 diverse workshops that you’ll rotate through, exploring the inner and outer dimensions of peace-making, and equipping you with a wide range of tools and approaches for navigating conflict.
Or for a deeper dive into the skills of peace-making and conflict transformation, we are excited to be offering a 4-day training opportunity for the first time, in November. In partnership with Dialogue for Peaceful Change, this is a highly practical training that can be applied in a wide variety of settings.
On 20th September, we’ll also be running a Facilitation Training. Whether you’re new to facilitation, wanting to better deal with tension or tricky dynamics, or just looking for some inspiration in your work with groups, this workshop may be for you.
Listen to the World autumn season launches on 3rd September with an amazing collaboration between Cuban virtuoso guitarist Ahmed Dickinson Cárdenas and Irish flutist Danielle Rogan. Their music incorporates the infectious Afro-Cuban rhythms for which Ahmed is known, with elements drawn from richly diverse global and genre-crossing influences.
And there’s still time to book Spiritual Ecology Workshop Carousel, with workshops from the wonderful Angharad Wynne, Justine Huxley, and members of the St Ethelburga’s team. This day will take you on a journey through indigeneity, non-human sentience, and practising spiritual ecology in the everyday.
We’re also thrilled to announce the release of our new YouTube Playlist from the Spiritual Ecology Conference! This playlist features a series of talks exploring the links between spirituality, ecology and peacemaking. We encourage you to explore the content, and to share and subscribe!
And we’re delighted to offer With Nature in Mind again this September. The programme offers a chance for local Londoners, and refugees and sanctuary seekers to come together, building friendships and community through shared appreciation of nature.
Join us!
With warmest wishes,
Tarot Couzyn and the St Ethelburga’s team