Peace Center Training and Offerings

Create a Culture of Compassion

CompassionateUSA is a national campaign that strives to help heal collective trauma and decrease violence by promoting compassion as a critical skill and value in our personal and social lives.

The campaign is a project created by the San Antonio Peace Center in collaboration with the Alamo Colleges District and the City of San Antonio. It is supported by the Charter for Compassion (CFC), a global network of over 2,500 partners and 600 cities committed to fostering compassion in all aspects of life.

CompassionateUSA is a national campaign to promote compassion as a critical skill and value in our personal and social lives.

The campaign offers the following components:

• A dedicated website
• A six-part video series that introduces a variety of skills and concepts that promote more compassion-centered living. Each video features a content expert, relatable stories, and short reflective exercises to help learners deepen their practice.
• A free, self-paced online micro-course offered through Coursera. The course guides learners through skills and practices to become more compassionate to themselves and others and to nurture deeper connections and compassion in their communities. The course consists of six modules that include videos, readings, reflections, and exercises to help learners understand and apply the concepts of compassion. Participants who complete the course earn a free digital badge from Credly.
• A toolkit that contains resources and tips to help learners create a compassionate community in their own context.

The San Antonio Peace Center offers a variety of Compassionate programs and services, including:

• Compassion Circles, reflection and practice sessions based on the CompassionateUSA curriculum.
• Video screening and discussion sessions on topics related to compassion.
• Workshops that focus on the individual skills of compassion, such as emotional awareness, self-compassion, and compassion in systems
• Retreats that provide a deeper immersion in the practice of compassion.

Our workshops and retreats can be tailored to specific themes and purposes, and we offer them to a variety of sectors, including:

• Education
• Healthcare
• Business
• Non-profit organizations
• Faith communities

Join us in creating a more compassionate world!

CompassionateUSA

Experience a Safe Space to Explore Your Inner Life

Renewal and Wholeness retreats are designed to create a safe and intentional space where you can explore the many intersections of your life. Led by skilled facilitators, these retreats invite you to learn from your own “inner teacher” through the practice of “Formation.”

What is Formation?

Formation is a practice developed by Parker Palmer, a Quaker educator and author. Palmer believes each person has an inner source of truth that can guide their work and life. He also believes that we need to create spaces to safely explore our inner lives and connect with our deepest values.

What will you learn?

On a Renewal and Wholeness retreat, you will learn how to:

• Create a quiet, focused, and disciplined space where you can listen to your inner voice
• Explore your values and vision for your life
• Identify your challenges and fears
• Draw on stories from your own journey, as well as insights from poets, storytellers, artists, the natural world, and various wisdom traditions to gain new insights
• Learn principles and practices that can be applied to your daily life and work
• Connect with others who are seeking similar insights

Who is this for?

Renewal and Wholeness retreats are for individuals and groups from a variety of sectors, including:

• Education
• Healthcare
• Business
• Non-profit organizations
• Faith communities

Retreats can be focused on:

• Leadership
• Discovering purpose
• Organizational change
• And more!

Interested in organizing a Renewal and Wholeness Circle for your organization or community?

The team at the San Antonio Peace Center is here to support you in organizing a Renewal and Wholeness experience.  Complete the interest form below, and we'll be in touch.

Together, we can create a more whole and integrated world.

Racial Healing Circles

Deepen Your Understanding and Connections

Racial Healing Circles are a powerful tool for raising awareness, compassion, and empathy around race. In these circles, participants come together to share their stories, listen to each other with intention, and learn from one another's experiences.

Emotional and Transformative

Racial Healing Circles can be an emotional experience, as conversations can unearth truths and conscious and unconscious biases. However, they can also be incredibly transformative, as participants come to see each other as human beings, not just as members of different groups.

Safe and Supportive Space

Each Racial Healing Circle is led by a trained facilitator who helps to create a safe and supportive space for participants to share their stories. The facilitator also helps to ensure that the conversations are productive and respectful.

A Process, Not a Solution

Racial Healing Circles are not a solution, but they are a process that can help us to move toward a more just and equitable society. By deepening our understanding of each other's experiences, we can build stronger relationships and create more compassionate communities.

Interested in Organizing a Circle?

 Interested in organizing a Racial Healing Circle for your organization or community?

The team at the San Antonio Peace Center is here to support you in organizing a Racial Healing Circle.  Complete the interest form below, and we'll be in touch.

Together, we can create a more just and equitable society

Learn how to intervene safely and effectively in escalating situations.

The San Antonio Peace Center offers Active Bystander Workshops for organizations of all sizes. In this informative and interactive workshop, participants will learn the foundations of nonviolence and practical tips and techniques that can help build a safer community.

What is an Active Bystander?

An Active Bystander is someone who takes action to prevent or intervene in a situation where someone is being harmed or at risk of being harmed. Active Bystanders can intervene in a variety of ways, including:

• Directly intervening: This could involve speaking up to the person who is harming someone else or physically intervening to stop the harm.
• Indirectly intervening: This could involve de-escalating the situation, supporting the victim, or calling for help.
• Creating a culture of nonviolence: This could involve educating others about nonviolence or modeling nonviolent behavior in their own lives.

What will you learn in the Active Bystander Workshop?

In the Active Bystander Workshop, you will learn:

• The foundations of nonviolence
• How to assess a situation and determine the best course of action
• Practical tips and techniques for intervening in a safe and effective manner
• How to create a culture of nonviolence in your organization

Who should attend the Active Bystander Workshop?

The Active Bystander Workshop is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn how to intervene safely and effectively in escalating situations. This includes:

• Employees of all levels
• Students
• Community members
• Anyone who wants to make a difference in their community

Length: 2 hours

Interested in Active Bystander Training?

 Interested in organizing an Active Bystander Training for your organization or community?

The team at the San Antonio Peace Center is here to support you. Complete the interest form below, and we'll be in touch.

Make a difference in your community by becoming an Active Bystander!

Crossing Borders: Build Stronger Connections

Crossing Borders is a workshop that helps people build stronger connections with each other, regardless of their differences.

Each workshop begins with a presentation on a specific topic, such as well-being, civic engagement, or cross-cultural connections. Participants then watch thought-provoking media related to the topic, such as films, documentaries, or news clips.

After watching the media, participants engage in a structured dialogue about the topic. The facilitator helps to keep the conversation productive and respectful and encourages participants to share their own experiences and perspectives.

The workshop is led by a trained facilitator who guides participants through a series of interactive activities and discussions.

What you'll learn:

• How to view the world from multiple perspectives
• How to build stronger relationships with people from different backgrounds
• How to become more civically engaged
• How to take action to create a more just and equitable society

Why it's important:

In today's world, it's more important than ever to be able to build strong connections with people from different backgrounds. Crossing Borders can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to do just that.

Who it's for:

Crossing Borders is for anyone who wants to build stronger connections with others. Whether you're interested in learning more about cross-cultural understanding, civic engagement, or well-being, Crossing Borders can help you achieve your goals.

Interested in organizing a Crossing Borders experience for your organization or community?

The team at the San Antonio Peace Center is here to support you.  Complete the interest form below, and we'll be in touch.

Together, we can create a more just and equitable society.

https://crossingborders.education/

Everyone in the community has an important role to play in being a suicide-safer community. LivingWorks will prepare everyone in your organization to play a life-saving role, building a powerful safety network for your employees and those they support

Peace and Conflict Studies at Northwest Vista College:

The Peace and Conflict Studies program at Northwest Vista College is designed to help students develop the skills and knowledge they need to promote peace and justice in our world.

Students in the Peace and Conflict Studies program learn to:

• Analyze the causes of conflict and violence
• Develop strategies for resolving conflict peacefully
• Build bridges between people from different cultures and backgrounds
• Promote compassion, justice, and equality
• Work effectively in teams and organizations

The Peace and Conflict Studies program is an interdisciplinary program that offers a variety of courses across disciplines that explore issues of war and peace, identity, non-violent philosophy, conflict resolution, peacebuilding, recovery from trauma, restorative justice, and social justice principles.

The program also offers a variety of opportunities for students to get involved in hands-on peacebuilding work. Students can participate in internships, volunteer projects, and student organizations that are working to make our world a more peaceful place.

In addition to the benefits mentioned above, students who complete the Peace and Conflict Studies program at Northwest Vista College are eligible to receive a transcript distinction. NVC offers a transcript distinction for students in Peace & Conflict. Students are required to take Humanities 1302 (HUMA 1302—Introduction to Peace & Conflict) and 6 additional hours of coursework labeled “Peace & Conflict Emphasis.” This distinction recognizes students who have demonstrated a commitment to peacebuilding and conflict transformation through their coursework and extracurricular activities.

The Peace and Conflict Studies program at Northwest Vista College is a great option for students who are passionate about making a difference in the world. The program offers a rigorous academic curriculum that will prepare students for a variety of careers.

If you are interested in learning more about the Peace and Conflict Studies program at Northwest Vista College, please visit the program website or contact Neil Lewis, the program advisor, at:

Contact info:

Nlewis7@alamo.edu or 210-486-4826