To strengthen the connections between the individuals and organizations in our planetary network, ZPI will feature newly affiliated groups. Join hive.zenpeacemakers.org to explore the offerings of all the organizations that have affiliated with us. Following is an introduction to Peacemakers Finland:
What is your mission?
Peacemakers Finland is an interfaith non-registered association practicing socially engaged work, silent reflection, and serving their local community in the spirit of the Three Tenets of the Zen Peacemakers. Members the Peacemakers Finland are encouraged to offer themselves as volunteers to local social projects, such as homeless shelters, and explore their possibilities to work together with social institutions such as hospices, prisons, refugee centers, military etc. The members will be also assisted and encouraged to use all ingredients of their life and their professional skills to engage with their own communities, and to listen how to serve their communities by taking action, by raising awareness, by engaging in volunteer work, campaigning, and making donations, arranging events and exhibitions. The members of the Peacemakers Finland are encouraged to participate local and international trainings that will help them to be more efficient and healthier Peacemakers. Members are encouraged to good care of their own health by engaging trainings and activities that will improve mental and physical health, and improve their nondual communicational skills. Members of the Peacemakers are encouraged to explore their personal role as an integrated element of the interconnectedness of all life, and serve their communities through the Three Tenets and other core practices of the Zen Peacemakers.
Where is your organization based?
Helsinki, Finland
How many regular members do you serve?
50
Tell us a bit about how the group was conceived?
After the Helsinki Street Retreat in September 2017 a core group of five members here in Helsinki felt it was necessary to form a Zen Peacemakers inspired group which would organize meditations, volunteer work, retreats and other activities here in Helsinki.
Tell us about one exciting project, program, retreat or other offering you are currently working on?
We are currently working on our second edition of our Bearing Witness Retreat to Finnish Civil War Prison Camps in July 2nd – 5th, 2019.
How do the Three Tenets inform your social engagement?
Our programs are specifically targeted to study the Three Tenets. Our Bearing Witness Retreat to Finnish Civil War Prison Camps in June 2018 was extremely revealing. The Finnish participants were still tied to either side of the conflict that took place 100 years ago. Bearing witness to this notion was one of the most interesting aspects of the retreat. The retreat revealed how difficult it was to let go of our preconceived ideas of our past. The attachments we had was one of the burdens we all still carried along. I bet we all learned how important it was to step into the Not-Knowing and Bear Witness to all aspects of our past, not just one particular view.
What is the most meaningful challenge your organization faces?
We would really want more people to participate our interesting projects.
Your main website URL
https://www.peacemakersfinland.org
Your main contact email address for members
peacemakersfinland@gmail.com
