Who is speaking out? Who is stepping up? Who will be a voice for peace in a world of conflict and hatred?

Ten women met on the weekend of June 18-19 in a Peace Circle at Trinity Washington University to reflect upon what peace meant to them. Trinity students, staff, and faculty from all three branches of the Abrahamic faiths-Jewish, Muslim and Christian-met with other women in the city to tell their personal stories, share their faith, and address their circles of concern about peace. Trinity's campus minister, Dr. Lynn Myrick, and Kathy Aquilina, national facilitator of Creators of Peace, thought that Trinity Washington University would be a good choice for an interfaith Peace Circle; after all, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur who founded Trinity have a history of standing up for the marginalized and underserved. One of their own, Sister Dorothy Stang, stood up for the land rights of the indigenous people of the Amazon, and was struck down in 2005. The Sisters' advocacy of diversity, inclusiveness, and reaching out across racial, ethnic, and religious lines achieved full expression at the Peace Circle retreat.

What concerns were brought to the circle in this journey towards peace?

In the midst of our violent society, fostering good mental health was a concern of a student of psychology, as part of a major concern that suicide is so rampant in the US. A religious of the Sacred Heart who has worked in Haiti added, "We in the States have a sense of hopelessness. The poor in Haiti can have more hope than many of us, because their goals are concrete." They know what they need.

The facilitator, Sue Snyder, a business leadership trainer, led the small group ably, inserting comments and stories for each one to reflect upon, such as "More often than not we can trace a dysfunction back to a fear." One person voiced a concern that division in our country comes from "myopic vision, when we are only concerned about one's own tribe, one's own vision."

While isolation is an enemy to inner peace, so is a torrent of bad news. Ms. Snyder suggested that one might adopt the approach of Henri Nouwen, a Catholic priest and theologian who suggested that creating personal contact might be the way to stay both connected and responsive. When terrible news would erupt, he would write to someone in that area of conflict. Snyder took his advice and wrote at a crucial moment to a friend who, as a moderate, was pushed by both sides in his stand for human rights. Her message did get through, and he responded that it lifted his thoughts to a higher level. "Your message helped me withstand the pressures," he told her. Writing a friend was a simple thing to do, which produced a profound result that she has never forgotten.