classes and events

The Peace Center is a proud sponsor of  A Pre-Election Extravaganza! Inspired by current events and our study of Kurt Jooss's The Green Table.  In collaboration with ChoreoSpace. Tickets: $10 Adults, $5 students.

October 27, 2018

7 p.m.

237 Harrison Street

Oak Park, IL 60302

Want to be part of socially relevant theater? Auditions will be posted here for upcoming productions.  Check out our events pages and links for ticket information and contributing to our financial support. 

The Peace Center is proud to present a broad range of peace programming. The basic principles we study are profound, but not necessarily easy to embody and practice in our daily lives. It is in the classroom or group discussion where we experience the practical application of peace ideas and principles. The process of regular class attendance is how we begin to embody a true change in our consciousness.

No matter who you are or what the current issues on your path, in classes you will find a new perspective - in a timeless message that is totally relevant for today. Through lectures, discussions, and workshops led by a qualified instructor,  students learn how to personalize the same universal principles about peace, unity, and connectedness which the great masters throughout history have used to experience greater wholeness! The support of shared insights and the opportunity to ask questions in a classroom setting offer a learning environment not easily duplicated with solitary study. The discipline of regular attendance and the weekly readings create a framework for asking the big questions about world peace, life in general, and our place in it.

What will you learn?

• You will learn about your connectedness to an infinite power for good which you can use to create peace in your own life and in the lives of others. 
• You will learn how to apply Universal Principles in your daily life and get results. 
• You will learn the value of meditation and other daily spiritual disciplines and commitment in creating a consciousness of peace. 
• You will learn that you have found new friends and relationships in your classmates who think as you do. 
• You will learn you really can create a new life by changing your thinking and beliefs. 

Is there tuition for classes?

Yes. Taking class requires a commitment of both time and money. The truth is, little can be achieved without commitment. It creates an expectancy of change which is very valuable. Tuition is typically $125 for 8 weeks of classes - each class is between 1.5 and 2 hours each. Textbooks are extra. Detailed information is provided in the syllabus the first meeting of the class.

All our classes are currently private. If you or your group are interested in our educational programs, please contract us at peacemaker@thepeacecenter.info with your request. Please check back for updates and newly added programs. 

• Positive Thinking
  Deepen your knowledge and practice of this All-American Thought Movement! Our classes are offered through Skype and in traditional classroom formats in the Chicago area where interest exists.
• Chicago Meditation for Peace Group
  We come together for the express purpose to meditate to lower crime and violence in Chicago neighborhoods and suburbs.
• Let Your Yoga Dance!
  There is a bold, wise, ecstatic mover and shaker inside of you - find it now!
• Yoga
  Yoga. Connect. Breathe. Stretch. Relax.
• Facing the Dragon
  Based on Facing the Dragon by Robert L.Moore, this mini-series leads participants through the steps to recognize a spiritualized ego, the dangers of letting the ego take over the spiritual life, and what to do about it.
• Creating a Jerk Free World
  Creating a jerk free world is a workshop based on Robert Sutton's book The No Asshole Rule. Come have some fun creating a world that works better for YOU!

A peace walk or peace march, sometimes referred to as a peace pilgrimage, is a form of nonviolent action where a person or groups of people march a set distance to raise awareness of particular issues important to the walkers. Sometimes, the marchers shout chants of protest as they go along.

Our peace walks are quite different. These follow the model set forth by the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh (pictured above with children). He says, “There is no walk for peace; peace is the walk. By walking, we generate peace within our body, our consciousness. We embrace and heal the pain, the sorrow, the fear in us, and that is the ground for helping peace to be a reality in the world.”

The walk usually takes place in total silence, where the walkers practice a mindfulness and attentiveness to the surroundings, blessing the path they move in. The peace walks of this nature begin with a seated meditation period which is carried out into the neighborhood as a walking meditation.

Peace walks are organized upon request. A $100 minimum donation to The Peace Center is requested.