We met with the Portland Peace Team on March 14, 2014, and then our 8 hour Skills Training was held on Saturday, March 15th, 2014 at Portland State University. 86 people participated in the training! Contacts: Joy Henry (jmhenry@pdx.edu) & Tom Hastings (pcwtom@gmail.com). CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW FOR PHOTOS.

We had a WONDERFUL, packed schedule in Washington! March 18 = Presentation for Raging Grannies; March 22 = 8-hr. Skills Training at the Univ Friends Meeting House (41 participants); March 23 = Mini training at Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Port Townsend (46 attendees); March 25 = Consultation with the Wash. Peace Team, and March 27 = Presentation at Common Cafe. Contacts: Rosy Betz-Zall (rbetzzall@gmail.com) in Seattle & David Berrian (dberrian@earthlink.net) in Port Townsend

San Francisco really "took the ball & ran with it"!: We had an 8 hour Skills Training on March 29th at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (41 people attended); the next day, we held Part 2 of Training: 18 people strategized how to develop Bay Area Peace Teams (The photo above). On March 31, we consulted with Emergency Conflict Transformation to develop Neighborhood Teams. Contacts: Stephanie Van Hook (Stephanie@mettacenter.org) & Sherri Maurin (smaurin@aol.com)

Our Training in D.C. was held April 12 at the Catholic University of America, where 20 people completed the training. On April 13, we consulted with D.C. Peace Team. Our D.C. Contact: Eli McCarthy Email: eli_trinity@hotmail.com

Step 1 - Violence De-escalation Skills training scheduled for Saturday, June 14, 2014 at the Center for Active Nonviolence & Peacemaking: 843 Thirteenth Avenue North Clinton, Iowa 52732-5115 Free and open to the public: PLEASE pre-register so we have plenty of food and materials. To register, contact Lori Freudenberg by clicking on the link below.

MPT will be providing a special Step 2/Advanced Violence De-escalation Skills training to the folks at the Des Moines Catholic Worker house on June 16-17, 2014 For information, contact Jessica Reznicek <jessicareznicek@gmail.com>

Step 1 Training for Violence De-escalation at Mid South Peace & Justice Center: 3573 Southern Ave.; Memphis, TN 38111 from 9 a.m. 'til 5 p.m. No cost - materials, lunch & refreshments are included. PLEASE pre-register so we have enough of everything. Contact Gio Lopez at the link below.

Pittsfield/Troy, NY: July 26th and Saratoga, NY: July 27th Specifics and training sites to be announced.

The Sisters of Mercy are committed to working toward a culture of nonviolence whether in response to acts of mass violence, to the daily violence children face on city streets, or to the violence of poverty and inequality. These courageous women are also funding this national training tour, making it possible for hundreds of people to acquire violence de-escalation skills for community empowerment.