Community-Based Training for generating nonviolent power.

Creating a Culture of Peace (CCP) is a nationwide program for community-based peacemaking. The innovative design of CCP provides a holistic and practical foundation in spiritually-grounded active nonviolence. Participants come to recognize their own power for making personal and social changes without violence and improve their skills for respectful engagement with opponents, instead of confrontation that polarizes and demonizes.

Focus

Unlike trainings that focus only on anti-war protest, CCP training is an incubator for participants to raise issues which most concern them: group controversy and conflict, neighborhood violence, domestic violence, climate change, war and militarism, discrimination, video games, homelessness, peace education, and health care.

Feature

The training is highly participatory.

It does not depend on reading a book or lectures.

It draws upon the wisdom, experience and talents of all the participants and on the skills and knowledge of trainers.

Mutual Learning

Mutual learning occurs through storytelling, meditation, small group sharing, brainstorming, role plays, thought-provoking exercises, music and movement. CCP offers training on nonviolence principles, analysis of social change and community-building, skills for peacemaking, and resources. Every group chooses and plans concrete projects for change.

About

people laughing and talking outside during daytime
CCP emphasizes two forms of active nonviolence: Constructive Nonviolence includes the ways of creating a just and peaceful culture by developing new relationships, new practices, and new institutions. Nonviolent Resistance includes tactics such as boycotts, petitions, and rallies; it is designed to protest, and even to interfere with, injustice and oppression. Both forms are enhanced by increased democratic participation.

CCP is offered in communities across the country. Within its first four years, CCP traveled to 36 states and Palestine, trained thousands of participants and 300 trainers, and was adopted by national and regional faith groups and Veterans for Peace.