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 [email protected].  ​

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. ​

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 Talking Circles for Building Community Trust and Peace

This 2-hour online training teaches the basic philosophy, principles, vocabulary, and practices of the Indigenous talking circle process for virtual and in-person applications. Since ancient times many Indigenous communities have utilized the talking circle process for community building, decision-making, problem-solving, and conflict transformation. It is designed for those wanting to work with others to build trust and peace within their spheres of influence. This training is for everyone: laypeople, paraprofessionals, and licensed professionals. Everyone from everywhere is welcome to join us.

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. Space is limited, so we ask that you please reserve your seat!

This Month's Feature Film:  All in: The Fight For Democracy

"ALL IN: THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY examines the issue of voter suppression in the US. The film interweaves personal experiences with activism and historical insight to expose a problem that has corrupted our country from the beginning. With the expertise of Stacey Abrams, the film offers an insider’s look into the barriers to voting."

After the film, attendees will have an opportunity to discuss the film with others to respond to the following questions:
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What? So What? Now What?
1. What did you learn and discover? What insights did this film provide?
2. Why is this topic and information important for our community now?
3. How am I going to take what I learned and make a positive difference within my spheres of influence now?

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 [email protected] to inquire about group discounts or to request an application for STAR scholarship assistance.

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.

MN Peacebuilding Racial Justice Book Club

In summer 2021, we discussed Caste. Please email us at [email protected] if you want to be notified as soon as registration is announced for our next Racial Justice Book Club.

Join Peacebuilding’s Assistant Executive Director and Coming to the Table local group leader, Crixell Shell, as she uses circle process to facilitate large and small group discussions and explores new ways of thinking and talking about social injustice using Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.

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. 

CTTT gatherings are currently on hold. We will resume with CTTT gatherings in fall 2022.

​Introduction to Tapping for Stress Release: Emotional Freedom Technique

Please email us at [email protected] if you want to be notified as soon as registration is announced for our Intro to Tapping training.

​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.

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, 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 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.

Gemma Eissa, Program Coordinator and Trainer-in-Training, ​Gemma comes to Peacebuilding with a background in communications and fundraising/development. Her previous work with nonprofits has focused on reproductive justice, the intersections of the immigration and criminal legal systems, voter engagement, education and literacy, and more. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from the University of Minnesota and is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work from St. Catherine University. ​