YELLOWKNIFE CENTRE FOR HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT

YELLOWKNIFE CENTRE FOR TEACHING PEACE & PEACE CAFE

Below please find a summary and detailed information on our new Yellowknife Centre.

We are hosting meetings as follows:

YELLOWKNIFE CENTRE FOR TEACHING PEACE – Robert Stewart will be in the Peace Cafe for info and discussion meetings on the new Centre from Sunday January 30, 2011 to Monday February 7, 2011 at the Peace Building (old MacKay Building), 1st Floor, 4910 – 50^th Street. For more info: www.peace.ca/yellowknife.htm , Bob Stewart stewartr[at]peace.ca 873-5595. While Robert (i.e. Bob "the elder"; there are two of "us" Bobs) is travelling, Bob Stewart "the younger" (445-3565) is available in the Peace Cafe as host. Please drop in to share your ideas of what you would like to see happening with the Centre (see our initial Survey linked below). (I suggest you call first to ensure our availability.)

This will be part of an ongoing set of gatherings and information, to be posted here.

YELLOWKNIFE CENTRE FOR TEACHING PEACE AND PEACE CAFE PROJECT SUMMARY

My name is Bob Stewart. I am a Chartered Accountant and Certified Management Consultant in Yellowknife. I am also Director of Canadian Centres for Teaching Peace ( www.peace.ca ) and initiator of Peace Cafés across the country ( www.peacecafe.ca ). I am interested in doing a feasibility study on the creation of a Centre for teaching peace and holistic development in Yellowknife, following our Peace Café model (but more encompassing).

I see this as a Yellowknife Resource Centre (with informational and human resources, training, etc.) to help people with their self development, empowerment, and to help with our community’s development. It would provide the space for people to come together, explore what we can do individually and collectively to help in our evolution. It would attract organizations and people involved in development, life skills coaching and the healing arts. It would be a resource for the other communities of the NWT as well.

I own an office building in Yellowknife that currently has space available which could be ideal. It is the new Peace Building (old MacKay Building) at 4910 – 50^th Street downtown. I am looking at donating the space for the start up of the operation.

I believe this is an amazing and very positive initiative, and would love to share thoughts on what is possible in Yellowknife. A number of years ago, I learned how much I had to learn to be more successful in life, relationships and career, and find peace, despite my formal education and training. It seems like our school systems and parents did not teach us some of the most important things to succeed in life (no fault of our parents – no one taught them). It also seems like stress has become the major dis-ease today. I have spent the last 15 years on the path of learning, informing and empowering people and organizations to be more successful (however they measure success for themselves). And while I have lots of my own thoughts, I also believe that the wisdom exists within Yellowknife to evolve higher individually and collectively. In fact, I believe each Member of the community has a unique piece of the puzzle to bring to the party, and is to be honoured for that. So my hope is to create spaces where people can come together to share information, develop their visions, plan ways forward, inspire action and help “build people”. People building people, following a self-help model with mentors. We wish to collaborate with existing organizations and people (i.e. enhance and not duplicate), akin to a Barefoot University (eg. http://www.barefoot-university.org.za ).

In preparation for making Community Connections, I have started to develop an inventory of organizations and people in Yellowknife that I think would be supportive of this initiative, which I copy at the following link http://www.peace.ca/ykctpinventory.htm . If you are interested to discuss this initiative or know of others that should be added to the list, please let me know. I used the term “Peace” (while many may not self-identify as a “Peace” organization or person) because of my background and I believe it is a good description for me for the time being. Personally, I believe the vast majority wish for peace in their lives, communities and world but may not know what they can do about it, and I see an important role to help as visionaries and guides on the path to Peace. (In fact, at Canadian Centres for Teaching Peace, we use the Inukshuk as our symbol as guides to safe passage.)

I visualize my role is to act as a catalyst and facilitator to advance the idea of Centres for Teaching Peace in Yellowknife and beyond, providing process assistance based on past experience at Canadian Centres for Teaching Peace (for a summary, click on link), while honouring and empowering individual contribution and autonomy. I can help create the spaces, help plant seeds, and what works best will grow.

Thank you for your consideration.
Robert Stewart
873-5595; fax 873-5596
Email stewartr[at]peace.ca

YELLOWKNIFE CENTRE FOR TEACHING PEACE AND PEACE CAFE EMAIL LISTSERVER - SUBSCRIBE:
Join us on the Yellowknife Centre for Teaching Peace and Peace Cafe "YKCTP" email listserver for the next round of discussion and planning for upcoming meetings, conferences and activities. We use Yahoo Groups as a tool for networking, communications, dialogue and information dissemination. We need help and your participation - click on this link to visit the web page and join or send a blank email to yellowknifepeacecafe-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

"How will the Yellowknife Centre for Teaching Peace and Peace Café work structurally?”

“What is Bob Stewart’s role, inspirations and motivation in this?”

“What is the vision of the programming side of YKCTP, and time line?”

What are the initial "House Rules" you envisage to hold the space safe, and the guidelines of the Culture of Peace Program you refer to?

What is our relationship with "GOD"?“ “To what extent, if any, is Canadian Centres for Teaching Peace and the Peace Cafés a religious or spiritual organization?”

“Is there a cost to hosting an event or workshop in the Peace Café?” The economics of Peace building through Peace education.

"Peace Cafe - What is the Big Idea?"

"Who Wants Peace and Coffee in Yellowknife?" - 45 minute video explaining Peace Cafes (It is actually called "Who Wants Peace and Coffee in Calgary, Albert?" but you will get the idea of how this brilliant idea works in your Community.)

OTHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Yellowknifer newspaper article "Peace Cafe Opens" November 10, 2010

Participant Survey - What would you like to see with the Yellowknife Centre for Teaching Peace and Peace Cafe?

Preliminary Inventory of "Peace" Organizations and People in Yellowknife - there are a lot of "us"

Preliminary Bibliography of "Peace" Literature of the North

Summary of YK Peace Cafe meetings November 1 - 5, 2010

Next Steps and Discussion Forums to be held December 1 - 10, 2010

Minutes of Yellowknife Peace Cafe Dialogues December 1 to 7, 2010

Yellowknifer newspaper article - Peace Cafe is looking for Speakers January 12, 2011

Invitation for Presenters, workshops etc. at the Yellowknife Centre for Teaching Peace and Peace Cafe

Invitation for Expressions of Interest for tenancy in the "Peace Incubator Mall"

Help Wanted: Yellowknife Centre for Teaching Peace Director Job Description