Quick FAQs

What is Peace X Peace?

Peace X Peace is an international women's organization based in Washington DC and on the internet. It connects women across cultures to create a more balanced, peaceful world where our lives, stories, and voices are valued and honored. Circles communicate directly in the safe environment of an online Global Network to form supportive friendships that educate, mentor, and empower each other. By sharing expertise, women are encouraged to deepen their passion and commitment and take action for sustainable peace.

Who is a member of Peace X Peace?

Anyone can join as a member by just providing their email address and name. As a member you will immediately begin receiving our twice-monthly e-newsletter Peace Times. Members may also enjoy any of our live or recorded interviews, write their own memoirs, or read about women's issues around the world by getting acquainted with our site. There's nothing more enriching, though, than to participate in a Circle-connecting directly with a woman or women in another culture. You do this by registering in the Global Network.

Men are active members of Peace X Peace and the Global Network. Since it is the mission of Peace X Peace to connect and empower women, however, only a woman can start a Circle. You must be 18 years of age to join Peace x Peace.

How are women connecting and communicating through the Peace X Peace Global Network?

They complete a profile which allows every woman and Circle to share who they are, their interests, and purpose for wanting to connect. Once the profile is completed the system pulls up profiles of women and Circles that share their interests. They may then review these profiles and invite a connection. The system guides the process of inviting and connecting women. Once the invitation is accepted based on common interests, communications flow through and within the Global Network. Each member decides how to shape the friendship and the purpose of their connection. All members of Circles are encouraged to be part of the communications. In either case, to ensure transparency and shared leadership, every communication is visible to all members of both Circles.

What are some of the reasons why women connect globally?

As you can imagine, it varies. Here are some of the reason we have heard from our members:

• Wanting to know about the day to day lives of women in other parts of the world
• Wanting to know what is really happening, beyond what we hear in the news
• Supporting each other in tackling tough issues like violence against women, poverty, and injustice
• Casual friendship and curiosity about traditions, crafts, religion, and childrearing
• Sharing projects and resources
• Being the peace they wish to see in the world

What is a woman's Circle?

A woman's Circle is a way of gathering that women have used for centuries. The Circle is a sacred and safe space where women can share their stories and be honored, affirmed, renewed, and refreshed. There are formal and informal Circles, Circles of two and Circles of twenty, but the space created should always be one of trust, confidentiality, and inclusion. Some Circles are quiet and meditative while others are lively and creative. They meet as often as the members decide. It is a powerful model that is growing throughout the world to empower women's wisdom. Go to our Virtual Classroom to learn more.

How will Peace X Peace help me if I decide to form a Circle?

We are dedicated to supporting connections between women around the world, and we offer this support in many forms. We have written materials, recorded information, live member support, translation services, staff members in our Washington DC office and around the world, and a growing number of Global Liaisons. We are here to answer questions and provide support. Our Virtual Classroom is the comprehensive space that will guide you from thinking about getting started to actually connecting and moving through the growth stages of a long-term friendship.

What do Global Network Circles talk about?

They often begin slowly and politely, introducing themselves and getting to know each other. They talk about their lives, their families, the work they do, and the places where they live. You are free to shape the conversation as you wish. After a number of exchanges, most find that the spark of what they hold in common starts to light up the new friendship.

Some Circles have a common interest or mission. Educators bring their students to learn new nursing and health care practices. Business mentors work with women to lift their small businesses off the ground. Recently, a group of grandmothers connected with other grandmothers to talk about indigenous wisdom, the environment, and childrearing. Still others share models for opening abuse shelters for girls and networking to end trafficking.

I am so busy! How much time is this going to take, anyway?

When you fill out your profile you will indicate the amount of time and frequency of communication that suits your schedule. Most Circles communicate once a week to once a month. We ask that Circles communicate at least once a month to keep their connection green and growing.

Am I going to be overwhelmed with pitiful stories about how hard women's lives are?

You and your Circle will set the tone together. If your new friends share tough topics, remind yourself of the power of compassionate listening. Listening is often more powerful than any action we may take to relieve ourselves of the anxiety of emotion. We often hear that women simply need an ear. You may need to set boundaries and shift the tone of the conversation. We have written guides to help with expectations, money issues and friendship, covenants for sound relationships building, and a guide to communicating across cultures.

I am not ready to join a Circle at this time. Can I still participate?

You can enjoy many Peace X Peace programs as a member without being in a direct match. Some members return to The Women's Global Roundtable, Voice X Voice, Story X Story, Page X Page, our PeaceTimes newsletter, and other programs many times before they commit to a match. They read, listen, and contribute to inspiring interviews, stories, and conference calls that tap the wisdom and experience of women in Afghanistan, Brazil, South Africa, India, and dozens of other countries. You can also make an important contribution by donating or volunteering.

How do I find Peace X Peace members in my country or region?

We have Global Liaisons, who are contract staff, in several regions of the world. Each liaison reaches out to women of her area, helping guide them into participation in our Global Network. Volunteers sprinkled around the world are happy to connect locally with other Peace X Peace members. Any member can invite women she knows to meet in Circle, share ideas, conduct workshops, or listen to the Women's Global Roundtable together. We have staff members and liaisons in Israel, Palestine, Sudan, Kenya, and Indonesia who you can contact through our website. And no matter where you are, our Member Care Manager is available to assist you.

How do you reach women without internet connectivity? And women in rural areas?

Women in remote and resource-poor areas have been highly resourceful. Usually one person in the Circle has access to the internet or can arrange access once every month to manage Circle communication for her sisters. Our profile form has been downloaded, printed off hundreds of times, and distributed manually throughout the villages of Africa. One hearty soul took a stack of application forms and registered all the women in her village into our Global Network. Read "But I don't have a computer".

How was Peace X Peace started?

Peace X Peace began in 2002 when Patricia Smith Melton, a poet, playwright, film maker, and photographer, gathered six experts in peace and women's rights from around the world to discern a women's response to the violence of 9/11/2001. The organization was incorporated as a 501(c) (3) nonprofit and hired its first staff person at the end of that year. It launched a website and an online news service and began connecting US women with women outside the US, across geographic and cultural divides, through the internet.

How is Peace X Peace funded?

Our founder Patricia Smith Melton and her husband Bill graciously funded most Peace X Peace activities in our early years. In the next several years their funds must be replaced by other contributions. Peace X Peace has a diversified funding strategy and a full-time Director of Development. Please join our growing international community of supporters by making a gift today to strengthen our vital connections and our action for peace.

How can I support Peace X Peace?

• Join! It's easy and free.
• Join the Women's Global Roundtable.
• Make a fully tax-deductible financial contribution.
• Tell a friend -or 20.
• Subscribe, read, and distribute our e-publications.
• Become a volunteer (so many ways to spread peace!)

Is Peace X Peace only for women?

No. Because women must claim their power and fulfill their potential as leaders and peacebuilders alongside men, we recommend that the majority of members in a Peace X Peace Circle be women and that women take the lead. Men are welcomed as members of Peace X Peace and encouraged to participate in women-led Circles within the Global Network, where they can bring their own abilities to nurture, listen, and work as part of a group of equals.