Alberta Peace Education /Culture of Peace Program Conference : 

"BUILDING PEACE - ONE COMMUNITY AT A TIME 

DEVELOPMENT OF AN ALBERTA CULTURE OF PEACE PROGRAM AND ALBERTA PEACE EDUCATION STRATEGY"

REGISTRATION FORM - click here to register

General - October 25 - 26, 2008 – Location is the Avatamsaka Buddhist Monastery ( 10^th Street West and 4^th Ave on the Bow River ; see http://www.avatamsaka.ca ), Calgary, Alberta - Alberta Peace Education /Culture of Peace Program Conference - a 2 day interactive symposium and dialogue led by Richard Shultz (specialist in Open Space Technology) with co-facilitation by process consultant and Canadian Centres for Teaching Peace director Robert Stewart, C.A., C.M.C.(bio) ; and Dr. Larry Fisk (professor in Peace Studies and past President of the Canadian Peace Research and Education Association) (bio).. 

INVITATION LETTER - please read

Purpose/theme - BUILDING PEACE: ONE COMMUNITY AT A TIME - A venue for the further development of an Alberta Culture of Peace Program and Alberta Peace Education Strategy, connecting with the development of a Vision and Action Plan for a National Culture of Peace Program in Canada , following the principles of the United Nations Culture of Peace and Non-violence Program. 

Agenda:

The main part of the Symposium (October 25 – 26) will utilize the Open Space Technology ("OST"), an extraordinarily simple approach which enables groups of people, large and small, to engage complex, chaotic, confusing and conflicted issues in a Peaceful fashion (reference further description at http://www.peace.ca/ost.htm ).  Participants create a bulletin board on which to identify issues (guided by the purpose or theme), open a market place to arrange time and place particulars -- and multiple dialogues are on their way.  In support, there are certain planned speakers:

Thursday, October 23 - 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm [Location: the Avatamsaka Buddhist Monastery] – “Raising Social Intelligence: The Heart of Peace Education” led by Dr. Larry Fisk.  An opening presentation comparing Karl Albrecht's "Social Intelligence: The New Science of Success" and Daniel Goleman's "Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships" -- a mention of S.P.A.C.E. and in what ways are the two SI emphases: "success" as against "human relationships", contradictory or complementary?  Followed by the suggestive question: “What can we add to, or reinforce in, SI theory and practice from the fields of "positive psychology, evolutionary dynamics, progressive Christian theology, Buddhist mindfulness, prolonged-exposure therapy (Virtual Iraq); Viktor Frankl's logotherapy (the human "will to meaning"), Gabor Mate on addiction, and other studies of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, aging, change, suffering and dying?”  In short, how do we live--both act and "be"--as broadly socially intelligent, non-violent and creative or "peaceable" persons.  In spite of there being plenty of material which might be presented or suggested, this will be a participant-oriented "workshop".  Questions for consideration will be posed in groups of two to four.  For example, "When have you acted with the utmost of social intelligence as you now understand it?  When not? Why? Why not?  What knowledge and/or skills do you think you require to be more socially intelligent?  What are your strongest attributes making you "socially intelligent".  Where would you look for strengthening your "low suit".

Friday, October 24 – 9:00 am – 12:00 noon [Location: the Avatamsaka Buddhist Monastery] – “Macropeace: An Overview of a Canadian Culture of Peace Program” led by Robert (Bob) Stewart.  Bob will lead a discussion providing an overview of how a Canadian Culture of Peace Program, the U.N. Culture of Peace Program, an Alberta Culture of Peace Program, an Alberta Peace Education Strategy, Community Centres for Teaching Peace and Peace Cafés fit together to build a culture of peace.  References: http://www.peace.ca/EVOLVING%20CANADIAN%20CULTURE%20OF%20PEACE%20PROGRAM%202005.ppt ; http://www.peacecafe.ca ; My Vision of a Culture of Peace Program by Bob Stewart

Friday, October 24 – 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm [Location: the Avatamsaka Buddhist Monastery] – “Social Entrepreneurism: a way of the future” led by Rob Porter, Manager of the Hamilton Peace Cafe and Robert (Bob) Stewart, C.A., C.M.C.  A social entrepreneur is someone who recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create, and manage a venture to make social change. Whereas a business entrepreneur typically measures performance in profit and return, a social entrepreneur assesses success in terms of the impact s/he has on society. While social entrepreneurs often work through nonprofits and citizen groups, many work in the private and governmental sectors.  This workshop will help participants to make use of the principles of social entrepreneurism.  

Friday, October 24 - 7:30 pm [Location: Parkdale United Church, 2919 8th Ave NW] - "Singing for Peace: Celtic Songs of Life and Laughter" featuring Calgary Folk musician Rod Walsh with Graeme Tait, Kathy Pepers and Christie Simmons.  Tickets: $15 at the door, $13 advance, $8 students/low income.  Call 403-270-7366 to order your tickets.  A benefit concert for Project Ploughshares Calgary www.ploughsharescalgary.ca 

Saturday, October 25, 2008, 9:00 am to 4:30 pm (Location: the Avatamsaka Buddhist Monastery)

1. Introduction by Richard Shultz, Open Space Facilitator on the dialogue methodology.

2. Participants create a bulletin board on which to identify issues (guided by the purpose or theme of an Alberta Culture of Peace Program and Peace Education Strategy;  for example, see below), open a market place to arrange time and place particulars -- and multiple dialogues are on their way.  The individuals that identify the issues will lead those discussions.  Participants will go to the dialogues that interest them most.  Summaries of dialogue highlights are prepared for distribution to all.

Sunday, October 26, 2008, 9:00 am to 4:30 pm (same location; with breaks throughout the day)

1. Open Space dialogue continues.

2. Symposium conclusion, bringing together dialogue highlights into a draft Vision and Action Plan for an Alberta Culture of Peace Program and Peace Education Strategy.  Results, including planned follow-up, will be distributed to participants, and will be posted on the Internet.

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ISSUES MARKETPLACE

The following issues have been identified to date, for potential dialogue (in no particular order):

• A discussion of the Vision and Action Plan for Peace Education in Alberta and other fundamentals to build peace (see http://www.peace.ca/albertaconference2003summary.htm and "Alberta Culture of Peace Program Proposal" for past work and recommendations put forth for consideration and action)
• a proposed Department of Peace (background reading http://www.departmentofpeacecanada.com )
• working groups and organizational structure (for an example of what that might look like to start the discussion refer to http://www.peace.ca/appendixb.htm ; note that, due to our technical limitations, this sample organization chart is linear -- it can be redrawn into a circle or, possibly more suitably, into a "web")
• an Alberta Culture of Peace Program email listserv communication (for subscribing see instructions below)
• Alberta business: a part of the problem and/or a part of the solution
• the Leadership Crisis
• future Alberta Culture of Peace Program symposiums
• engaging key stakeholders, such as government, business community, media, etc.
• consideration of working subcommittees (eg. education, healthy communities, ethics and values, sustainable economy and ecology, foreign policy, the military, human rights and responsibilities, racism and tolerance, interfaith, gender, research, justice, conflict transformation, etc.) 
• resources (available, needed, how to fill the gap, etc.)
• Buddhist approaches to building peace
• Community Centres for Teaching Peace and Peace Cafes
• Action Planning: Where we go from here
• other

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BACKGROUND/ISSUES PAPERS

Participants at the Symposium are invited to submit articles and papers addressing our Purpose/Theme - "Building Peace One Community at at Time - An Alberta Culture of Peace Program": the desired outcome is the development of a vision and action for an Alberta Culture of Peace Program, to help build peace in our communities and world.  It is recommended that you read these articles prior to the Conference.

1. Senator Douglas Roche's book "The Human Right To Peace". (background reading is the book, highlights at  http://www.peace.ca/rochebookreview.htm and http://www.peace.ca/humanrighttopeace.htm  )

2. The Canadian Culture of Peace Program web site at http://www.cultureofpeace.ca

3. The proceedings of the First Alberta Peace Education Conference at http://www.peace.ca/AlbertaAgenda2003.htm and resulting recommendations http://www.peace.ca/albertaconference2003summary.htm  

4. Bob Stewart's article "My Vision for the Culture of Peace Program"

5. Bob Stewart article "Alberta Culture of Peace Program Proposal"

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REGISTRATION

For the main part of the Symposium, the early registration price prior to September 30 is $75.00, after which the registration price will be $100.00.  Cancellations are allowed up to October 10 with a 15% cancellation fee.  Though refunds are not possible for cancellations after October 10, registrants unable to attend can assign their participation to someone else.  Note - places will be reserved for students at a reduced registration fee of $25.00 CDN (To September 30 $15.00 CDN) and seniors students at a reduced registration fee of $50.00 CDN (To September 30 $25.00 CDN). 

Our conferences are designed to cover our costs.  Any surplus is provided to the Canadian Peace Education Foundation.  Anyone who wishes to participate but can not afford the registration fee may offer to provide 'services in kind' and attend.

REGISTRATION FORM - click here to register

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ALBERTAPEACEEDUCATION EMAIL LISTSERVER SUBSCRIBE:

An AlbertaPeaceEducation email listserver has been set up to facilitate communications, networking and information dissemination with respect to peace education in Alberta .  If anyone would like to participate in the Alberta Peace Initiative discussion and developments, then from the email account they wish to have on the listserve, send an empty letter to: 
 AlbertaPeaceEducation-subscribe@yahoogroups.com . Once sent, then Yahoo will send a welcome letter, and ask that you confirm that you wish to join the listserve.  The confirmation is simply to hit the reply button and send the welcome letter right back to Yahoo.  If you change your mind and decide not to join after all, then simply do  not reply, or you can send an empty letter to
AlbertaPeaceEducation-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com .  For more information, visit the AlbertaPeaceEducation webpage at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AlbertaPeaceEducation   .  If you have any problems, contact the list moderator Bob Stewart at stewartr [at] peace.ca .  You can also read past correspondence on the AlbertaPeaceEducation site, once registered.