Grassroots civilian diplomacy offers a framework for building and sustaining intergenerational, multicultural, and multi-faith fellowship and action. Through the creation of intentional people-to-people relationships that transcend age, culture, and geography, ordinary people have the capacity to break down walls that political leaders are unable to overcome (and sometimes create).

The Fellowship of Reconciliation's Grassroots Civilian Diplomacy (GCD) initiative works to life up the nonviolent potential in local communities and individuals. This effort seeks to engage people and communities to work for the demilitarization of U.S. policy, both at home and internationally.

Workshop leaders involved in supporting grassroots civilian diplomacy efforts in heavily militarized parts of the world, especially the Middle East (particularly Iran) and Latin America (particularly Colombia), will reflect on their efforts, which include human rights accompaniment, counter-recruitment, nonviolent resistance to military occupation, and breaking down stereotypes.

Key topics for discussion will include community-based education, advocacy, youth work, and media outreach.

Scheduled panelists:
* Maryrose Dolezal, coordinator of FOR's Grassroots Civilian Diplomacy training certification program, and former director of the Nonviolent Youth Collective (http://youth.forusa.org/)
* John Lindsay-Poland, co-coordinator of FOR's Task Force on Latin America and the Caribbean (www.forcolombia.org) and steering committee member of the international No Bases network (www.no-bases.net)
* Leila Zand, coordinator of FOR's Iran program (www.forusa.org/programs/iran)
* Ethan Vesely-Flad, editor of "Fellowship" magazine (www.forusa.org/fellowship)