Grassroots Peace - working to build resilient and hospitable communities one person at a time

Creators of Peace and WILDD Women 

Creators of Peace (CoP) International is a Swiss Association and a programme of Initiatives of Change international. Creators of Peace is active in around 43 countries including the UK, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, Kenya, Burundi, Sudan, Cameroon, India and Indonesia.

The founders of WILDD Women CIC have been working and volunteering with CoP since around 2011 and have an agreement with CoP to house the Peace Circle methodology under WILDD Women in the UK.

  • Creators of Peace was launched in 1991 at the Initiatives of Change conference centre in Caux, Switzerland by the Honourable Anna Abdallah Msekwa of Tanzania, a respected politician and champion of women’s rights.In her inaugural speech, she urged everyone to “create peace wherever we are, in our hearts, our homes, our workplace and our community. We all pretend that someone else is the stumbling block...Could that someone be myself?”Creators of Peace is a women-led organisation and global network practising peace in over 40 countries on 6 continents through workshops, personal encounters, community building activities and conferences.The main programme of Creators of Peace is the ‍‍Peace Circle. A Creators of Peace Circle is guided by trained facilitators. With the help of facilitators, participants work together through a series of "gathering points" or conversation starters that are designed to elicit honest and open sharing of their personal experiences, beliefs and values. Over 500 facilitators have been trained through the Creators of Peace network worldwide. All facilitators across the network follow the same manual — available in Axomiya, English, French, German, Kirundi, Arabic, Hindi, Portuguese, Bahasa and Spanish. The manual is designed to be contextualised so it can be adapted to the cultural and social needs of each community. We develop peace-building programmes, exercises and events within our organisation and in partnership with others, and will continue to offer new programmes as the network expands worldwide. ‍‍

  • We Believe

    • Every person has a part to play and something to contribute

    • Every person can start the process of transformation in their own heart and life

    • Every person has a story to tell and a need to be heard

    • Every person can be a compassionate listener to the truth within, to the truths of others and to the needs of the wider community

    • Transforming, empowering and engaging women in peace creation for all

    • Through our programmes, conferences and community-building activities we aim to:

      • Engage communities in peace creation

      • Prevent violence and despair by addressing the roots of conflict — internally within us and externally around us

      • Promote a change of heart and attitude as a primary tool of peace creation, raising awareness of the personal values needed for effective social action

      • Build bridges and friendships across racial, religious and social divides

      • Understand and advocate forgiveness and healing

      • Build just, caring and inclusive communities

      • Value diversity, inclusivity and resilience

      • Seek constructive partnerships with men and the restoration of the respect and trust necessary for joint action, whilst remaining a women’s initiative

      • Create a network of solidarity for those engaged in peacebuilding around the world

  • We invite women to join our Peace Circles which take place over weekends or as a series of weekly meetings. The programme is facilitated in the style of a ‘talking circle’ where all voices are heard respectfully and a safe space is established to allow individuals to explore diverse perspectives. Group sizes are usually a maximum of 12 women. 

    Our gathering points include: 

    What is peace, Inner peace, Concerns and hopes, Inner listening, What builds or destroys peace, The power of forgiveness, Qualities and strategies of a peacemaker, Listening to others, Trustbuilding, Putting peace into action.

    The initiative is open to women from all backgrounds, ages and cultures who want to become more empowered, inspired, hopeful and effective. We organise Peace Circles throughout the year across the country and also run regular social events, workshops/tasters and talks. 

    Peace Circle taster: 

    2 - 5 hour session

    Both the Peace Circle and the taster are designed to have the same people in the room together for the whole session and they are open to women 18yrs+

    Participants will leave with ‘tools’ they can use in their daily lives.

  • We are happy to work with any group, community, organisation, business etc. Please get in touch to find out more or plan a Peace Circle or taster.

The picture shows a group of women from a Peace Circle in Northern Ireland in 2025

“EL and Miranda are skilled facilitators, creating environments where potential conflict can be transformed into opportunities for curiosity, shared learning and connection. I have experienced their caring and connected approach both online and in-person, as a participant of peace circles and as a co-facilitator, as well whilst training as a Creators of Peace circle facilitator. 

They always start by gently supporting the co-creation of group agreements that ensure the safety and inclusion of all within the space. Highly adaptable and always open to learning, they hold spaces with clear and reassuring structure while welcoming in the unexpected with open arms.

Their genuine care for every participant shines through, and is reflected in their approach to follow-through – after any programme, often for years, Miranda and EL continue to check in with and/or mentor participants, sustaining the impacts of the work and nurturing a global community of peace-creators.”

— Alice McCarthy Sommerville, Guerrand-Hermès Foundation for Peace