Building Peace – how can we be useful?

May 27 – 29, 2017

Peace can be built – here’s how to do it. A TED talk and workshop with Scilla Elworthy.

Course Description

WHAT CAUSES THE CRISES WE’RE FACING?
HOW PEACE CAN BE BUILT.
WHO CAN DO IT?

Many people feel powerless in the face of what they see on TV or read in the news – a world in crisis, with wars and violence erupting across the globe. This workshop is for all those who want to step out of helplessness and apply their own personal skills to do something about the challenges now facing us.

We shall investigate the forces that drive armed conflict – global warming, migration, the rich-poor gap, and terrorism. Then, by contrast, show what is already effective in building peace at both local and international levels.

We’ll spend the major part of the afternoon responding to the question “what can I do about all this?”
We’ll investigate not only the myriad opportunities for service opening up, but also look into the skills we all need if we are to be effective in our chosen actions.

Timetable

Saturday 27th May: Supper at 7pm, followed by listening to Scilla’s TED Talk.
Sunday 28th May: Seminar and a workshop.
Monday 29th May: Informal conversation, concluding with lunch.

NB. This is a Bank Holiday Weekend.

Location

The location is in the grounds of Chisholme House, a beautiful estate in the moors of the Scottish Borders, an hour and a half from Edinburgh, Newcastle and Carlisle.

The Chisholme Institute is a school dedicated to exploring the essential unity of all existence, the true nature of the self, and how our understanding of this informs how we are in the world.

Scilla Elworthy

Scilla Elworthy, PhD has been three times nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the Oxford Research Group, which she founded in 1982 to develop effective dialogue between nuclear weapons policy-makers and their critics. She founded Peace Direct in 2003 to fund, promote and learn from local peace-builders in conflict areas, and was adviser to Peter Gabriel, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Sir Richard Branson in setting up ‘The Elders’. She co-founded ‘Rising Women Rising World’ in 2014, and teaches self knowledge to young social entrepreneurs.

“We need individuals like Dr Elworthy to start the work of preventing war…
This has been my personal dream for many years.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Her latest publication is ‘Pioneering the Possible: awakened leadership for a world that works’.
Scilla’s TED talk on non-violence has been viewed by over 1,100,000 people.

Booking & Fees

Cost:

Non-residential (Sunday only): £50 / £30* includes lunch

Residential (shared accommodation): £120 / £90*
Residential (single room if available): £140

Additional night (eg. arrive Friday):
Single – add £45
Shared – add £35 / £30*

*Concession for 25 and under

Enquiries & Booking:
info@chisholme.org
Tel: +44 (0)1450 880215
Booking website

Course / Event location

The Chisholme Institute, Chisholme House, Hawick TD9 7PH, UK

Mirrors of the Transcendent in the Cosmos of Ibn Arabi: The Body as Metaphor of Divine Self-Revelation

25th-26th July 2025
The Warburg Institute, University of London

A joint symposium held by the Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi Society and The Warburg Institute.

More details: https://ibnarabisociety.org/events/
Booking: https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/events/cosmos-of-ibn-arabi-2025

Aspects of Imagination, Science and the Mystical

Aspects of Science, Imagination and the Mystical

Saturday 14th June 2025
14:00–17:00 BST
The October Gallery, London

With Peter Coates

This talk will consider the vital role of the Creative Imagination in Natural Science and in the Mystical Philosophy of Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi.

Contact: Michael Cohen  london@beshara.org

Hakim Omar Khayya’m and Edward FitzGerald

Paradise E’Now or The Smile of the Spirit

Saturday 24th May 2025
14:00–17:00 BST
The October Gallery, London

With Charles Mugleston

A special Birthday Celebration with music, exploring, experiencing & soulfully enjoying the Ruba’iya’t of Hakim Omar Khayya’m translated & adapted by the Anglo-Irish genius Edward FitzGerald of Woodbridge, Suffolk into “English Music” in 1859.

Contact: Michael Cohen  london@beshara.org

Open Meetings

Monday 7th April, 2025
Monday 5th May, 2025
17:30–18:30 BST

Saturday 26th April, 2025
Saturday 24th May, 2025
9:00am-10:00am BST

Are you interested in sharing your thoughts and in contributing to the development of Beshara? We are excited to invite you to another series of monthly online Open Meetings

Open Meetings

Saturday 22nd March, 2025
9:00am–10:00am GMT

Inspired by the turn out at the recent open meetings, we are pleased to invite you to our next online Open Meeting. This meeting will give priority to our friends in Australia and the Asia Pacific before we open up the space to continue the conversation with everyone else.

Know Yourself

Saturday 26th April 2025
14:00–17:00 BST
The October Gallery, London

You yourself are the object of your quest

Reading and discussion of a classic explanation of the Oneness of Being, attributed to Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi and Awhad al-din Balyani and translated from the Arabic by Cecilia Twinch.

Contact: Michael Cohen, london@beshara.org

Bhagavad Gita – ‘The Song of the Spirit’

From 15th May 2025
20:30–21:30 BST

An opportunity to study and explore the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita in an online group setting. All welcome.

Contact: John Brown at besharacourses@beshara.org to book a place.

Daily Meditation

From 6th January 2025
07:30–08:00 GMT

Daily 30-minute silent meditation beginning with a dedication of intent and ending. All welcome.

Contact: John Brown at besharacourses@beshara.org for a Zoom invite

Open Meetings

Monday 13th & 27th January, 2025
Monday 10th & 24th February, 2025
18:30–19:30 GMT

Are you interested in sharing your thoughts and in contributing to the development of Beshara? We are excited to invite you to a series of four fortnightly online Open Meetings launching in January 2025.

Love and Knowledge in the Light of Unity | the Direct Path

Beshara Foundation Course

Autumn 2025 (dates to be confirmed)

Introductory weekend at Sutton Courtenay Abbey, Oxfordshire
(Zoom attendance also available)

10 x bi-weekly evening online sessions

This course provides a full introduction to the principles of Beshara in terms of both knowledge and practice. Taking the metaphysics of Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi as a starting point, the course explores what it means to understand oneself and the world in the light of the Unity of Existence.

Contact: besharacourses3@beshara.org

Love Divine: a conversation between Rumi and St. John of the Cross

Meditation and poetry workshops 

Fortnightly from 18th January – 29th March
Saturdays: 10:00am – 11:30pm (GMT)
or
Fortnightly from 25th January – 5th April
Saturdays: 10am – 11:30am (Pacific Time), 12:00pm-13:30 (Central Time), and 5:00pm-6:30pm (UK time).


Meditation workshops following a format of reading some lines of poetry with contemplative meditation and shared reflections. There are a few places left.

Jesus Across Space and Time

An interactive seminar

Saturday 30th November 2024
14:00–17:00 BST
The October Gallery, London

An afternoon devoted to discussion of the question: what is the knowledge we can attain if we contemplate the person of Jesus and his function and role in the world of humanity?