As we begin the 25th anniversary conference for Creators of Peace at Caux, 6 women from our global network from Australia, Burundi, Fiji, Norway, Switzerland and Syria will share their reflections on what a 'living peace' means to them.
Bek Brown, a member of the Conference Organising Committee, begins by sharing her thoughts on what will make this week of ‘living peace’ so special.
I think what makes CoP unique from other women's organisations is that it focuses on changing oneself and the inner journey rather than trying to change someone else or something else in society. From that perspective it goes very deep – and for many women who are involved it has been transformational. The other unique aspect of CoP are the Creators of Peace Circles where women are given the opportunity to share their stories with others. For some women this is the first time that they have ever had their pain acknowledged and it can be the beginning of a new story.
To have women from all over the world come together to explore their personal experiences of what it means to be Creators of Peace will be very special. Together we will explore the global peace dialogue and determine a common global focus for the years ahead. I think the theme ‘Living Peace’ is so important because for peace to have any impact it needs to be more than words. It needs to be lived out and put into practice. There will also be a focus on the power of narratives and telling a new story for our time. I think this will be a particular highlight. Change the stories and you change the world!
I was at the CoP conference in Sydney in 2009 and it was incredible to be surrounded by so many interesting, committed and passionate women. I came away totally inspired and re-energised. I especially liked the small group time as it was a chance to really connect with others on a deep level and explore my own life in a safe space. So I think the 'Living Peace' week will be a life-altering experience for many who come.
I am on the organizing committee, so I have been busy with all sorts of tasks such as, booking in speakers, planning the program, promotion and fundraising. It is very much a team effort and we have women from around the world helping to make this a wonderful conference.
I think that moment when we are all together for the opening of the conference will be pretty special. All the hard work will be worth it! We have some amazing speakers such as 2005 London bombing survivor and peace advocate, Dr. Gill Hicks and 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laurent, Leymah Gbowee, who I am really looking forward to learning from, as well as all of the participants who will bring their own incredible stories and experiences.
Go to http://www.caux.ch/living-peace for more information, then follow the links to Facebook and Twitter for live streaming and to join the conversation about what living peace means to you...