Peace Through Action Meet-Ups

Peace Through Action Meet-Ups Activity Summary

What are Peace Through Action Meet-Ups?

Peace Through Action Meet-Ups are Peace Through Action® USA’s activity for small groups to gather and participants to make personal action plans to increase peace in their relationships and communities.

What does the meet-up cover?

The meet-up helps you figure out what you can do to improve your relationships and communities. You will consider what causes matter to you most and how those causes connect to your values. You will reflect on what motivates you to act. You will mix that information into an online search. The search produces a list of actions you can take for your relationships and communities that match what you care about the most and what you are comfortable doing.

What happens at the meet-up?

A meet-up activity leader will guide a small group through a set of questions to get participants thinking about what’s important to them and how they prefer to get involved in a cause or project. Each of you in the group will come up with your own answers. But you will get to share what you’re discovering along the way, if you want. That way everyone in the group can learn a bit what other people are coming up with. Plus, it’s a nice way for people to have a friendly time together.

Then, you will enter your information into ChatGPT (an artificial intelligence chatbot). ChatGPT produces a set of actions that range from quick or informal to organized or requiring commitment. Because of the ChatGPT component, Peace Through Action set this activity to be completed with a personal computer, tablet, or even a mobile phone. (We do have a backup plan the activity leader can offer if you don’t have a device.) The meet-up will last about 90 minutes.

What’s supposed to result from the meet-up?

We hope you will leave the meet-up with actions you can take to improve the social condition of your relationships and communities. They should match what motivates you, increasing the likelihood you will do something. And you might become closer to someone you know who’s at the meet-up or meet someone new.

Who are Peace Through Action Meet-Ups for?

Peace Through Action Meet-Ups don’t require any special knowledge. Anyone can join one. This activity is great for people who are unhappy with the way people are not getting along these days, whether that’s someone you’re with all the time, or generally. Think of it as a good activity for people who are “sick and tired of being sick and tired” and wanting to do something beyond worry, complain, or give up.

How do I attend a meet-up?

Here’s the thing. Peace Through Action is set up to equip everyday people to teach other everyday people, which is to say, our peers. Each of us should be able to discover action opportunities without having to go through all sorts of hoops.

So, that means the best way you can attend a Peace Through Action meet-up is to volunteer to lead one yourself!

An added benefit of leading a meet-up is that you can decide who you want to invite and when and where to do it.

If leading a meet-up yourself is out of the question, how about asking a family member, friend, colleague, or peer to lead one? Or pair up with someone and lead a meet-up together.

I’m considering volunteering to lead a meet-up. What support do you provide volunteers?

We’ve got you covered. For the meet-up itself, we provide you with a script to follow. You and the meet-up participants will each have your resources, although you could print your script if that’s easier for you.

That’s not all.

We have an activity delivery guide and worksheet to help you plan and prepare your meet-up.

We have sample messages and customizable graphics files to help you promote your meet-up.

And we will hop on a chat or call to provide one-to-one support. Simply ask us for a session by email to volunteering @ peacethroughaction.org.

I want to review the meet-up resources before I decide to lead one. Where can I find them?

Meet-Ups resources are posted on this webpage. Go to the resources section below.

Some resources for activity leaders only are on a password-protected webpage. We will give you access to that page after you have signed up to volunteer.

I want to lead a meet-up. How might I bring it to my community?

The easiest thing to do is ask a small group of people you know. That could be your friends, family members, co-workers, people from your faith community, neighbors, or a mix of people from various aspects of your life.

If you want to open your meet-up to anyone from your community, you could post your gathering on Meetup, Nextdoor, or your neighborhood’s Google Group or listserv. Or post flyers on community bulletin boards at your neighborhood library, grocery stores, and laundromats.

Okay, I’m in. How do I sign up to lead a meet-up?

First, go to the meet-ups activity leader volunteer page to make sure you know what activity leaders do and our expectations of them.

Then, complete this volunteer interest form. We accept applications continuously.

A member of our team will contact you to take the next steps together.

I’m not ready to lead a session. I know someone who might. What should I do?

First, encourage them to do it! There’s nothing like being asked.

Second, send them to this webpage. They can read the information and decide whether to volunteer.

Check in with them, not to hassle, but to continue to encourage them.

Leading a Peace Through Action meet-up isn’t for me. What else can I do to increase peace in my relationships and communities?

Visit our Do Something for Peace webpage and choose another of our actions.