Circles of Compassion

		Report of training workshop 2007
		Report of training workshop 2006
		Report of training workshop 2004
		Report of training workshop 2003
		List of Circles of Compassion

Report of first capacity training workshop
"How to create and maintain Circles of Compassion"

convened by the Women's World Summit Foundation WWSF*
in partnership with THE Millionth Circle Initiative and the Findhorn Foundation

John Knox International Center, Geneva, October 17-19, 2003

37 persons (including five trainers) from 13 countries in four continents took part in the first session. Geneva trainers Elly and Pierre Pradervand from the Women’s World Summit Foundation were joined by Peggy Sebera and Leslie Lanes (USA), two experienced circle trainers from the Millionth Circle Initiative, and by May East from the Findhorn Foundation (Scotland).

Most participants were women, but three men also took part. The training was given in English, with simultaneous translation offered for French-speaking participants during full plenary sessions every morning. They were women and men of great depth, deep compassion and confirmed active community leaders in their countries.

Three smaller training circles were formed on the first day, two in English and one in French, to allow for an immediate exercise of circle work in smaller groups. Participants and trainers felt the international flavour of the meeting as a major plus, and found the John Knox International House to be a most favourable venue - especially given the fact that the plenary hall was round and just seated the number of participants present.

Plenary training sessions included an in depth introduction of circle guidelines and principles, background information of the Millionth Circle movement and WWSF, a presentation on Why Circles of Compassion and a World Day for Circles of Compassion -2 November, presentations of shadow work, the ladder of inference, the theme forgiveness and the gentle art of blessing, as well as deepening the understanding of compassion which was especially appreciated, all the more as several participants added their own input to these sessions, which added a special flavour to the training. The quality of the sharing was outstanding.

Feedback from participants was straightforward and very honest, sometimes extremely humorous but also very moving. One exercise on ‘feeling’ compassion where participants faced each other was felt to be challenging by many, but was a very concrete and direct way of enabling participants to realise that it implies a down-to-earth commitment in the quality of one’s everyday relationships.

The introduction of the United Nations Millennium Development goals by WWSF was considered by many to be most important, as it helps to give a possible concrete focus to Circles of Compassion for those hearing the cry of the world and searching to include a development agenda in their community circles.

The final sharing of participant commitments to action was extremely rich, with quite a few participants committing themselves to starting Circles of Compassion in the near future in their communities and/or countries, and others marking the World Day for Circles of Compassion to be commemorated on 2 November.

It was felt that future trainings would be well worth organising again in Geneva next year, possibly more oriented to the European field. Around 30 participants was felt to be a good number for such training workshops.

* Women's World Summit Foundation WWSF, POB 143, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland
Tel: +41 (0)22 738.66.19 - Fax +41 (0)22 738.82.48 -
E-mail: wwsf@wwsf.ch - Internet www.woman.ch

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