Practical Peace Solutions Sessions

Practical Peace Solutions Sessions Activity Summary

What are Practical Peace Solutions Sessions?

Practical Peace Solutions Sessions are Peace Through Action® USA’s series of workshops that demonstrate real-life application of constructive communication and conflict resolution skills.

What do these sessions cover?

The Practical Peace Solutions Sessions series helps everyday people to prevent and prepare to solve miscommunications and conflicts that occur as part of daily living. Misunderstandings and disputes are inevitable. We can manage how we respond to them. And let’s face it, we all could improve.

Think of typical challenges that come up between people—neighbors in a dispute over property lines, parents pleading with their children to clean up their rooms, co-workers upset over the state of the office break room. This series explores those types of situations.

We release Practical Peace Solutions Sessions modules continuously. We post them on this webpage and announce their availability on our social media channels. Follow our socials or check our website now and then and see what we’ve added.

What happens at the sessions?

You will learn a communication or conflict resolution technique and then practice using it through a structured role-play or scenario. You will break into small groups first and figure out a solution together. The full group will re-gather, and everyone will compare notes. Your activity leader will conclude by sharing Peace Through Action’s recommended solution. The sessions will last for about 30 minutes.

What’s supposed to result from these sessions?

We hope you will leave your session with a new strategy, trick, or tip that you can pull out of your back pocket when facing a real-life situation like the one explored.

Who are these sessions for?

Since we are exploring everyday challenges that everyday people confront, everyone can benefit from a Practical Peace Solutions Sessions workshop.

How do I take one of these sessions?

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 resolve low-level conflicts without professional intervention. But we do need some pointers.

So, that means the best way you can take one of these sessions is to volunteer to lead one yourself!

An added benefit of leading a session is that you can decide who you want to receive it, and when and where to do it.

If leading a session 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 session together.

If you would like Peace Through Action to present a session to your group using an online meeting, contact programs @ peacethroughaction.org.

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

We’ve got you covered. For the session itself, we provide you with a script to follow, an optional PowerPoint presentation if you want to show it, and optional participant materials if you want to copy and distribute them. The session can run fine without the PowerPoint or the participant materials. We made them in case they give leaders extra confidence.

That’s not all.

We have an activity delivery guide and worksheet to help you plan and prepare your session.

We have sample messages and customizable graphics files to help you promote your session.

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

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

Session resources are posted on this webpage in the section below.

We reserve the display version of the PowerPoint presentation and a few other resources for activity leaders 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 session. How might I bring it to my community?

Start with groups you’re already part of. For example, your workplace may provide or permit brief “lunch and learn” sessions. You could ask the HR director whether you can present your session. If you belong to a faith congregation, civic group, or social support group, they often look to their own people to make brief presentations. Ask if you can offer your session. You could do it as an activity with a group of friends or students.

Another way to get your session into your community would be to contact your public library, adult education provider (often a community college), or private or religious community organization with social purposes and ask whether they would host and promote your session as one of their offerings.

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

First, go to the peace skills 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 Practical Peace Solutions Sessions workshop 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.