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PTI Program Overview

The PTI focuses on helping young people develop an analysis for addressing social justice issues within the context of nonviolence theory and practice.  The agenda for a PTI can vary but the core curriculum is based around topics such as racism, sexism, gender and sexuality, militarism and the Prison Industrial Complex. 

To get a glimpse of what a week at a Peacemaker Training Institute looks like, check out the schedule from the Kirkridge PTI that took place in January, 2006:

Day 1: Tuesday January 3

5:50 p.m. - 6:00          Welcome!
6:00 - 7:00         Dinner

Evening Session: Welcome, Introductions and Agenda Overview

Day 2: Wednesday Jan. 4

8:00 – 8:30       Breakfast
8:45 - 9:15         Centering and Reflection

Morning session: Introduction to Nonviolence Theory and Practice

  • Nonviolence Grid Activity
  • Reading: “If We Listen Well”
  • Working Definitions of Nonviolence

12:15 - 1:00      Lunch
1:00 - 2:00         Freetime

Afternoon Session: Introduction to Organizing

  • Role Play: Understanding the Relations of Power
  • Video: A Force More Powerful
  • History of Nonviolent Social Movements/ Nonviolence Timeline

6:00-7:00 Dinner

Evening Session: Introduction to Globalization

  • Conflict Line Exercise
  • Large Group Discussion on globalization and economic systems.
  • Video: Life and Debt

Freetime/ Big Booty Game

Day 3: Thursday, July 5

8:00 – 8:30       Breakfast
8:45 – 9:15       Centering and Reflection  

Morning Session: Introduction to Privilege and Oppression

  • Forced to Choose Exercise
  • Readings: “Working for Peace” by Thich Naht Hahn and “Requiem for the Champ” by June Jordan
  • The 3 “I’s” of Oppression
  • Case Study: Coalition of Imokolee Workers/ Taco Bell Boycott Slide Show and Video

12:15-1:00       Lunch—Oxfam Hunger Banquet
1:00-2:00         Freetime

Afternoon Session: Racism

  • Quotes on Racism
  • Word association- “Racism” and “White Supremacy”
  • History of Racism in the United States
  • Spoken Word Piece: Excuse Me America
  • White Allies Caucus and People of Color Caucus

6:00-7:00 Dinner

Evening Session: Racism Continued

  • Color of Fear Video
  • Large Group Discussion

Day 4: Friday January 6

8:30- 9:00        Breakfast
9:15-9:30         Centering & Reflection

Morning Session: Organizing

  • Choosing an Issue
  • Building a Strategy using the Midwest Academy Strategy Chart

12:15-1:00       Lunch  (maybe discuss food justice after lunch?)
1:00- 2:00        Free Time

Afternoon Session: Gender and Transgender Identity

  • Gender Profile Exercise & Discussion
  • Transgender Definitions and Terminology
  • Role Plays: Issues of Oppression for Transgender People
  • Video: Venus Boyz

6:00-7:00 Dinner

Evening Session: Sexism

  • Freewriting Exercise
  • Sexism Fishbowls/ Discussion

Day 5: Saturday Jan. 7

9:15-9:45 Breakfast
10:00-10:15 Centering & Reflection

Morning Session: Time for Reflection and Check In

12:30-1:30 Lunch/ Food Justice
1:30-2:30 Freetime

Afternoon Session: Art and Activism

  • Guest Speaker – Virginia Wilber, I Will Not Kill Campaign
  • Guest Speaker – Cesar Maxit, Artist and Anarchist
  • Using Art at Protests and for political purposes
  • Group projects on visual art, dance & movements, spoken word and music

6:00-7:00 Dinner

Evening Session: Presentation of Art and Activism Project and Cultural Sharing

Day 6: Sunday Jan 8

Morning Off

10:00-11:30 Optional Yoga Class
11:30-12:30 Brunch

Afternoon Session: Sexuality and LGBT Issues

  • LGBT Youth and Oppression Exercise
  • Small Group Breakout for Discussion
  • Reading: “Is Gay Marriage Racist?”

Open Space/ Participant Led Workshops

6:00-7:00 Dinner

Evening Session: Ally Training

  • Playback Theater Role Plays
  • Reading: “To Hell With Good Intentions”
  • Large Group Discussion

Day 7: Monday Jan 9

8:30-9:00 Breakfast
9:15-9:30 Centering & Reflection

Morning Session: Nonviolence and Taking It Home

  • Truth Telling
  • Visualizing a Nonviolent World
  • Reading: Loving Your Enemies
  • Forgiveness Exercise

Afternoon Session: Militarism and the Prison Industrial Complex

  • True Majority Exercise
  • Guest Speakers: Pat Clark, Executive Director of the FOR & Rima Veseley Flad of ICARE, New York

Evening Session: Party!

Day 8: Tuesday Jan 10

8:00-8:30 Breakfast
8:45-9:15 Centering and Reflection

Morning Session: Closing and Evaluations

Afternoon: Goodbyes

 

 

Fellowship of Reconciliation
Peacemaker Training Institute
1050 Selby Ave. St. Paul, MN 55104
Phone: 651.647.4465 E-mail: pti@forusa.org

The PEACEMAKER TRAINING INSTITUTE, a project of the FOR, is made possible through generous gifts from Adele Thomas, the New York Friends Group and the Kirkridge New Generation Fund. The FOR gratefully acknowledges their support.