Creating a Culture of Peace Facilitator Training Sponsored by St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church

St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Tucson Arizona will sponsor Creating a Culture of Peace facilitator training on March 6-8, 2026. This training will be facilitated by Barbara Gessner and Daniel Petersen-Snyder. Anyone who has taken the Creating a Culture of Peace basic training and wants to help others improve their ability to make nonviolent personal and social change may register to take part in this training.

The training reviews the content of the basic training; particularly how each module builds on the previous ones and informs those that follow leading to the development of concrete actionable plans to bring about change. Emphases is placed on the process which calls for a wide range of skills in order to utilize the many teaching tools used in the training. However, most of the focus of training is on enhancing the participants facilitation skills.

Emphasis is placed on the collaborative nature of the training and on creating a safe learning environment. Skills explored include understanding and handling group dynamics, noticing – both individual responses to events and ideas, group interactions and exchanges, and mood or “tone”- eliciting input through open ended questions, follow up, seeking clarification and active listening.

The opening, each module, and closing are all reviewed through the lens of skill development. Participants are asked to imagine the kind of facilitator that they want to be and to revisit that and reflect on it periodically.

How modules are introduced, presented and reviewed is addressed from selection of openings, presentation of content, eliciting input and summing up. Participants plan and present one of the modules. Finally, there is group review of the process of this training, another opportunity to reflect on growth that has occurred and growth that is planned for, and individual meetings with the facilitators.

As with the basic training the process is engaging, collaborative and fun. You will work and learn together with other participants, develop relationships, and make friends.

We ask that you commit to the entire process and to valuing and practicing active nonviolence. There will be a small fee for the training to cover meals and materials. Each participant will receive a Facilitators Manual and supporting material.

The training is sponsored by St. Michael and All Angels church in Tucson as part of our commitment to our community and social justice and is open to all.

For information please contact Daniel Petersen-Snyder a dpetersensnyder@gmail.com