Until risks associated with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) have abated, all of our trainings and events will be virtual. Please register at the following links and a Zoom video conference link will be emailed to you before the training or event begins.  If you have any questions, please direct them to info@mnpeace.org.  ​

Coming to the Ta​ble

Coming to the Table gatherings are racial healing talking circles to address interpersonal, community, and structural racial violence and trauma. At CTTT, descendants of those who were enslaved, descendants of slave owners, Indigenous community members, and all those interested in engaging in safe constructive dialogue are invited to come together to envision Minneapolis as a just and truthful community - one that acknowledges and seeks to heal the racial wounds from the historical trauma of slavery, genocide of Native Americans, and the racism these collective traumas continue to spawn.

​CTTT provides ongoing relationship engagement, leadership, resources, and a supportive environment to dismantle racism. 
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Join Peacebuilding's Assistant Executive Director Crixell Shell for one or more of our CTTT racial healing talking circles.     

​Introduction to Tapping for Stress Release: Emotional Freedom Technique

Introduction to Tapping (Intro to Tapping) teaches basic tapping skills and practice for releasing stress and trauma from your mind, body, and spirit. When practiced regularly, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) also known as "Tapping" is an accessible, evidence-based strategy that helps reduce the negative impact of current and historic emotional pain so you are calmer, more centered, and think more clearly. At Intro to Tapping you will be invited to actively participate or simply watch, listen, and learn.

Introduction to Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience (STAR) for Cultural Competence, Racial Healing and Equity

When terrible things happen, like racism and COVID-19, our peace is stolen from us. Most people want to build peace into their lives and community. Our 2-hour online Intro to STAR training integrates and promotes trauma healing, resilience, and restorative justice to build peace into our lives and communities. Everyone is welcome to join us. Pay-What-You-Can; continuing education credits are available for MN social workers, teachers, and nurses for a modest fee. ​

STAR-Lite Training

Not enough time for the full STAR Training? No worries. STAR-Lite is a single-day, evidence-based training integrating neuropsychology, trauma healing and resilience, restorative justice, nonviolent conflict transformation, and broadly defined spirituality. It is designed for those who wish to learn the basics of becoming trauma-informed, resilience-oriented. and restorative justice-focused within a shorter-time frame than the full STAR Training. All are welcome to join us. Continuing education is available for mental health professionals, teachers, nurses, and attorneys for a modest fee.

Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience--the ​STAR Training 

STAR is a 38-hour, multi-day evidence-based trauma awareness and resilience training with a 19-year reputation of national and international success. STAR was created with a $2,000,000 grant in the year following the US tragedy of September 11, 2001. Since then STAR has taught thousands of laypeople, paraprofessionals, and professionals how to transform psychological trauma into nonviolent power with positive productive alternatives to revenge for personal and structural change. From its inception, STAR has encompassed a multicultural perspective that has been well received globally and locally. Since June 2010, STAR has been sponsored in Minnesota by the Minnesota Peacebuilding Leadership Institute. Because of the COVID-19 health risks associated with in-person gatherings, beginning in 2021, the STAR Training is being offered online via Zoom video conference by the Minnesota Peacebuilding Leadership Institute for anyone from everywhere. STAR is approved for continuing education (CE) credits for Minnesota mental health professionals, nurses and teachers.  Clergy, school administrators, massage therapists, and body work professionals have also received CEs for STAR. To ensure racial and economic equity at STAR and all of our trainings, group discounts and scholarship assistance is available for those who have limited financial resources. Please contact info@mnpeace.org to inquire about group discounts or to request an application for STAR scholarship assistance.

Introduction to Restorative Justice for Community Healing

Relationships are ruptured by harm and violence. Restorative justice heals and repairs individual and community relationships to prevent violence. This training is for everyone who wants to learn the basics of Restorative Justice. Everyone is welcome to join us. Pay-What-You-Can; continuing education credits are available for MN social workers, teachers, and nurses for a modest fee. ​

Introduction to Resilience and Self-Care: Training for Practice in Everyday Life

When terrible things happen and our peace is stolen from us, most people want to build peace into their lives. Join us to learn, explore, and apply simple, free strategies to build peace into our personal and community lives with self-care practices for resilience. Everyone is welcome to join us. Pay-What-You-Can; continuing education credits are available for MN social workers, teachers, and nurses for a modest fee. ​

MN Peacebuilding Film Series
Inspiring and Instigating Timely Nonviolent Action

Our free monthly inspiring, thought-provoking films are open to the public.
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Space is limited, so we ask that you please reserve your seat!

This Month's Feature Film: "Iron Jawed Angels"
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Defiant young activists take the women's suffrage movement by storm, putting their lives at risk to help American women win the right to vote.

Custom Trainings and Talking Circles 

Peacebuilding’s training facilitators are available to design specialized trainings and talking circles to meet your organization staff development needs.   We also provide individualized consultation to integrate trauma-informed, resilience-oriented, and restorative justice-focused strategies into your organization's structure with trainings and talking circles.  

Peacebuilding Training and Circle Facilitators:

Crixell Shell, MS, Assistant Executive Director, Minnesota Peacebuilding Leadership Institute (i.e. Peacebuilding) and Local Coming to the Table (CTTT) Racial Healing Talking Circle Group Leader, is a cisgender, African American woman with a professional legal and technology background. She was in the first Minnesota Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience (STAR) training cohort in 2010 and, since then she has been an integral part of the development of the STAR Training and CTTT in Minnesota. Crixell facilitates multiple CTTT gatherings a month, and she is on the national CTTT leadership team.
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Donna Minter, PhD, Founder and Executive Director of Peacebuilding, is a European American cisgender woman. She is a licensed psychologist who has practiced pediatric neuropsychology for over 25 years in outpatient and inpatient clinics and educational settings. For 19 years she has conducted court-ordered mental health evaluations and provided expert court testimony in the State of Wisconsin. She is a Certified STAR Trainer and she administers, implements, and conducts trainings and talking circles in Minnesota, throughout the USA, and internationally.