Building on existing structures of self-organization for empowerment of local communities, that provide safe spaces, in which a spirit of dialogue, peaceful coexistence, inclusiveness, experimentation and cooperation flourish, this circle is a network of flexible and multi-sited Peace Houses. It provides a hub for Face-to-Face talks (lectures with dialogues in a spirit of sharing and commensality), webinars, workshops, and public fora. These peace houses are in Sinjar (Iraq), Yangon (Myanmar), Pattani (Thailand) and Bielefeld (Germany).  They constitute an inclusive and safe environment in which the voices of subaltern communities can be heard. The peace houses thus stand for creative solutions to problems of displacement, discrimination, and marginalization. And they commit to a positive definition of peace which includes grassroots democratic participation, basic well-being, and a spirit of creativity, joy, and future-crafting.

The circle will promote peace culture, peace education, and learn from the experiences of non-killing, peaceful societies. explore alternative models of peace and development from a public, applied perspective and will showcase our solidarity with local and marginalized (e.g., refugee) communities and indigenous people and will help to make their voices heard by constructive intervention for social justice. It will contribute to and support local and non-mainstream projects of education, the promotion of cultural rights and regeneration, mobilization of global knowledge, civil courage, and anti-racism as well as global learning. The goal is to create connections and synergies between the peace houses, add new ones, work for the community, and raise funds and create leadership and strong teams and develop strategies for social change.

Coordinators: Alexander Horstmann (PhD) (Social anthropologist, with 19 years of experience in academia, and external professor in the Peace Masters at UJI, Castellón, Spain. Alexander has extensive experience working ethnographically with local communities in the Southeast Asian massif and with local peace projects. He is member of DEEP Germany and active contributor to the global philosophy of peace. Alexander also promotes peace through educational peace projects in Germany, in Syria, Iraq, in Myanmar, and in Southern Thailand). Email: ahorstmann3@gmail.com

Mirza Dinnayi, Celle, Germany and Sinjar, Iraq

Aslan Kizilhan, KOBA Social Enterprise, Bielefeld, Germany

Alisa Hasamoh , Pattani, Thailand

Parvati Raghuram, (Professor of Geography and Migration, Open University, London, UK)

Wai Wai Nu, Columbia University, New York and Yangon, Myanmar