GlobalNewscast September, 2021

GlobalNewscast

September, 2021

Reports from Liaisons for International Cities of Peace

LATEST UPDATE!
The Cities of Peace Movement is Thriving!

Great news for global peace! As of today, there are over 330 International Cities of Peace in 69 countries on all six  continents. Our 332nd will be announced this week. That means hundreds of committed ICP Liaisons — those who provide liaison communication between the ICP association and their communities — are organizing thousands of peacemakers on practical-oriented Peace Teams around the globe. After 13 years of dedicated growth, 2021 is the year we kick into high gear…

Introducing the Peacemaker Superhighway!

As you know, humanity has existential threats coming from all areas: pandemics, global warming, nuclear standoffs, the rise of dictators, too many to list! It’s up to us, humanity, people, the humble, the talented. Nation states do not seem to be doing a very good job, so they need practical help. The rise of Cities of Peace in villages, towns, and communities are where ideals meet practical work for peace. Yet we haven’t a lot of time. That’s why we need a Superhighway for Peacemakers to collaborate and increase efficiency. We’d love to hear from you — ideas, comments, needs and desires. Above all, if you haven’t already, consider establishing a community of peace in your area. Having a successful platform for peace to back you up gives an extra boost for all the peacemaking you’ve been doing for decades. See details below.

What are Your Plans for Peace Month? Peace Week? Peace Day?

ANNOUNCING!

ICP COLLABORATIVE WORKSPACE™ ROLLS-OUT IN SEPTEMBER

The ICP Workspace has been set up so that YOU and your colleagues are the center of this Peacemaker Superhighway. Each person is important. YOU will build this Workspace:

• Teachers will create classes.
• Liaisons will upload their Action Plans and create effective Peace Teams.
• Facilitators and Board Members will provide mentoring and logistics.
• Sponsors will preview the Action Plans and determine support.

The Workspace provides many, many tools, including:

• Classrooms, Chat, Meet, Collections, YouTube Channels, Templates and Forms.
• Each member will have 30MB of free personal Drive storage.
• Plus, in Shared Drives, you will find presentations, logos, and other ICP materials.
• You can check out Podcasts, Travel ideas, and Maps.
• Everyone belongs to a Group, such as ICP Asia, or Facilitators, or Sponsors.
• Create a Contacts database and a Team calendar.
• Use the Action Plan Template to upload your Plan to the Group Shared Drive.
• The Google Suite provides extensive software free of charge:
• Docs (like Word), Slides (like PowerPoint(, and Sheets (like Excel)

Chat, Meet, and Groups make collaboration easy and productive. Become a leader of your Continent or a volunteer for ICP Central — whatever you do will contribute to global peace!

From the Liaisons in Ojai, California, U.S.A: International City of Peace

Path of Reconciliation: Listening and Speaking from the Heart

Peace building and actionable steps for International Cities of Peace
by Lisa & Brian Berman • AwakeningPeace.org

Part of any conflict is a poor communication, a lack of understanding and discovering common values behind chosen strategies. This leads to a kind of disconnection and puts a strain on any relationships whether it’s a couple, a parent and child, best friends, co-workers, community relations, or nations.

As humans we have the essential need for belonging and being heard. When we are in a conflict, we feel separate from the ‘other,’ and easily judge who is right and wrong. How can we learn to listen and speak from the heart while having opposing views in a connecting manner?

Compassionate listening can serve here as a path of reconnection, healing and reconciliation. When deep listening is happening, a heart-to-heart connection establishes, bridges are built, and we meet as humans not through our identifications or beliefs. We meet beyond right and wrong; we meet on the basis of our humanness and common values. Then reconciliation can happen, healing can happen, and peace is possible. This approach is much more than listening to the words. It involves listening to the feelings and emotions behind the words. As you ‘feel’ the communication, you start to understand the other more deeply with their underlying emotions, such as frustration, worry, fear, anger etc.

You discover also their motives, needs and values that drive their actions like justice, safety, love, truth, respect and so on. You will be able to identify the deeper meaning of what someone is trying to say or achieve.

Practicing the skills of speaking and listening from the heart will begin a reconnection and assist you to reconcile in a conflict. You will need to slow down, putting your own mind and agenda beside, neutralize your emotions, remaining open to the other person and listen with compassion.

Guidance for peace building and reconciliation:

• Listen with a compassionate open heart, without judgment or preconceived beliefs
• Speak from your heart, what is present and authentic
• Listen beyond the story to the feelings and the deeper motives behind
• Allow silence, a quiet moment before you begin to speak
• Reflect back and acknowledge what you have heard

Listening and speaking from the heart is a practice, engage in it daily. It is essential for a thriving community to be connected and cultivate a healthy dialogue.

NEW CITIES OF PEACE THIS QUARTER!

STAY SAFE • WEAR MASKS IN HOT SPOTS • GET THE VACCINE!

The progress we’ve made is extraordinary. Please help keep the momentum for world peace at a rate that expresses the needs and challenges of humanity. We need you. Thank you.

© 2021, International Cities of Peace is a registered trademark of Cities of Peace, Inc.