Seven Core Assumptions at the foundation of our work & play at Columbia Gorge Peace Village

1.  The True Self in Everyone is Good, Wise, and Powerful           
This is our core truth – sometimes it gets buried but it’s always there..

2. The World is Profoundly Interconnected
Every action and interaction has an impact on the whole. 

3.  All Human Beings have a Deep Desire to be in a Good Relationship
 We evolved in community and our genes carry the knowledge of what it takes to be in        good relationship with each other.

4. All Beings have gifts Everyone is Needed for What They Bring
Everyone and everything has a purpose and a role.

5. Everything We Need to Make Positive Change is Already Here
We have the wisdom and the knowledge.  We can find ways to access that together. 

6.  Human Beings are Holistic
We engage the world from all aspects of self at all times – mental, physical, emotional and spiritual. Recognizing and increasing our awareness and integration of our whole selves is how we evolve. 

7. We Need Practices to Build Habits of Living from the Core Self
All these assumptions build on each other and when practiced can become habits of how we show up in the world.  At CGPV we call this the practice of Peace Within, Peace Among, and Peace Around.

We love reflecting these truths to kids at camp and we invite you to donate to our scholarship fund so that we can say yes to every child who wants to come to camp regardless of ability to pay. 

(Originally written by Kay Pranis & Carolyn Boyes-Watson in Heart of Hope: A Guide for Using Peacemaking Circles to Develop Emotional Literacy, Promote Healing & Build Healthy Relationships. Read more here. 

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