Please see workshops the Women for a Just Peace – in Palestine, Israel and at home below. 

Somia Sadiq

Stories shape how we feel, how we connect, and how we make meaning. In this highly interactive workshop, participants will explore the emotional and relational power of story while co‐creating insights with one another. We begin with a short story shared by the facilitator, then move into a guided dialogue that unpacks five key elements: how stories evoke emotion and the art of listening, how they hold different meanings for different people, how they spark memories from our own backgrounds, what makes a story “work,” and the relationship between storyteller and story listener.

This workshop invites participants to learn with and from each other, surfacing shared wisdom through collective reflection. Expect rich conversation, unexpected insights, and a renewed appreciation for how stories strengthen connection across communities.

Frances Ravinsky

Through sharing examples of storytelling projects from her work, Frances will introduce participants to the power of art‐based personal storytelling to soften the divide between “us” and “them” and to create welcoming, empathic spaces that form the necessary scaffolds for collaborative change across a wide range of societal challenges. 

But mainly this workshop is about you becoming the storyteller, sharing your own stories through oral storytelling and writing prompts.

The story theme we will explore is “Allies” − stories about when someone was your ally or when you were an ally to someone else. These can be stories from the past or the present; any story that means something to you and that is somehow connected to the theme; or any story that you want to tell and are ready to tell. There are no wrong stories in the story circle. 

Esther Blum and Loraine MacKenzie Shepherd

Through video, we will hear a Palestinian and Israeli having a heart‐felt conversation. We will then discuss how we can follow their lead in Winnipeg. And we will learn techniques and participate in exercises that help us engage in difficult conversations and become allies. We will learn how to listen and respond thoughtfully when our historically valid fears are triggered.