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Dances of Universal Peace is Coming to Asia!

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Only if we are united, do we stand a chance to overcome the global problems we face as humanity. It’s time to heal the fragmentations of society and use our differences as an enrichment rather than an impediment to our harmonic presence on Earth.

The Dances of Universal Peace (DUP) is a very simple practice, suitable for all people and at the same time very special, because in circles we relate and harmonize intimately: we shake hands, we share looks, we listen and we sing. The dances set scriptures and sacred phrases from various spiritual traditions to music and movement of the world.

It can be a powerful and transformative practice, dissolving our illusion of separation, and invoking an embodied sense of unity, presence, and compassion. Offered in an atmosphere of safety, authenticity, and mindfulness, the Dances help us to open ourselves to qualities that emerge and remember the interconnectedness and harmony of life.

Our Communications Coordinator, Luvian, has recently joined one of the International DUP Camps in Turkey. He shared his experience joining the camp which you can read in this article.

You can also earn more about DUP here: Dances of Universal Peace.

The Dances in Asia

Having mostly been practiced in the West, we are excited to announce that the Dances of Universal Peace is coming to Asia. We will be collaborating with DUP International to hold several workshops and camps to share this beautiful and transformative tool in different countries listed below.

Arjun Calero, Senior Dance Mentor from Colombia

This series of dances in Asia will be led by a very experienced facilitator, Arjun Calero from Colombia, who has more than 20 years of experience holding dance circles in different countries of the world. Arjun lives in Atlantida Ecovillage, in the Andes of Colombia, a place he co-founded in 2003 with friends and family in order to fully embody the search for an alternative and restorative way of life on the planet.

He has worked for years with local native communities, youth groups, movements, and networks to build a better future. He is a senior mentor in the Dances of Universal Peace (DUP) International Network and Sufi Guide in the S.R.I., and is very much involved in the native ceremonies and ancient wisdom of the Americas, serving as a medicine man and ceremonies conductor since 2003.

Details of the events

Register for DUP Camp Thailand 2022

If you’re interested to join the events in Indonesia and Maldives, please mark your calendar and fill in the interest form below, we will inform you of updates and the registration link to your email as soon as it’s ready.

See you at the in-person workshops!🌺❤️

Joining the Dances of Universal Peace International Camp in Yalova, Turkey

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A few weeks ago, I had the wonderful chance to participate in the Dances of Universal Peace International Camp that was held in Yalova, Turkey. It was a 5-day camp where we did a lot of rounds of sacred dances, meditation, and workshops with participants coming from all over the world. And I’m thrilled to share that the dance is coming to Asia in the coming months.

All of the dance leaders, musicians and participants of the camp

The Dances of Universal Peace is a practice developed by Sufi teacher and Zen master Samuel L. Lewis. It is a transformational practice that invokes an embodied sense of unity, presence and compassion and touches the spiritual essence within ourselves through reciting sacred phrases, music and dance from various wisdom traditions of the world. This practice can be done by a group of people anywhere from five to hundreds, even thousands of people creating powerful resonance and harmonic vibration. You can learn more about the dances at dancesofuniversalpeace.org. 

The whole experience of participating in the dances has been really heart-opening for me. In the beginning, we didn’t really know each other, we simply shared our presence without much connection. In a session, we did a number of dances one after another. And by the end of the first session, it felt to me that all of these people (there were a little more than a hundred of us) that I don’t know before are my brothers and sisters. We all come from different cultures and backgrounds (there were 27 countries represented from South America, North America, Europe, Central Asia, Middle East, and Asia), yet it was so easy for us to feel connected, and develop care and love with each other. As a result, talking and getting to know each other at a deep level during meals and between sessions became a very effortless process.

We were lucky to have very experienced dance leaders that have been doing this for decades – some even for 50 years! They guided us on how to utter sacred words (mantras or dzikrs), sing the melodies, and also the dance movements. After five to ten minutes of instructions, suddenly one hundred people are all dancing and chanting together in beautiful harmony. It is magical to see how I can move in rhythm and sing very firmly despite not having much experience dancing and singing. I think everyone regardless of their dancing or singing skills can easily in these dances.

Listening to the instructions from the dance leader

The focal point of the dances is participation rather than performance. It is totally okay to make mistakes and forget the sequence from time to time as the most important aspect of it is how much involvement and devotion we give when chanting and dancing. I tried to give my utmost involvement during the dances and invoke as much devotion as I can within myself. As the sessions go by, I felt that my heart opened up like the petals of a flower in the morning. Opening up to receive as much light from the sun and fully express the beauty within, not being worried about anything that’s coming – the breeze of the wind or the rain. Living in contemporary modern society, I feel the need to shut myself and numb myself from the pain that arises from witnessing all the things that don’t feel right like people taking advantage of others, wasting resources, violence, slaughtering of animals, deforestation, pollution, etc. I’m grateful that through practice that is done collectively in a safe atmosphere, I learned how to open up my heart and put aside the protection when I feel it’s safe to do so. It is an inner skill that I think will be vital for my growth as a person.

The Dances are coming to Asia!

Having experienced the effect of the dances myself, I am really thrilled that GENOA is collaborating with DUP International to hold several workshops in Asia and have more connections with the dances. It is a beautiful and powerful collective tool to build connection, community, and awareness. Something that perhaps the ecovillage movement in Asia could really find fitting. I also think that this can be something easy to overlook as from the outside it looks like we’re just a group of people dancing, not doing anything tangible for the world. But I believe the transformation that is happening within each person through the dances will find diverse and beautiful ways to tangibly manifest in the future. I can already feel this possibility within myself. 

We invite you to experience this wonderful tool of unity with us. Please feel free to extend this invitation to your friends and family that might be interested to come along. You can see the dates below. More info will be announced soon, so please stay tuned to our social media channels.

See the Event Page and Fill out the Interest Form

Remember, anyone regardless of age, gender, race, religion, belief, dance, and singing skills can participate in this practice. Let’s build connections and recharge each other with energies of compassion, unity, and harmony. See you all there!

We came together beaconing unity, love, peace, and harmony

About the Author

Luvian Iskandar, Communications Coordinator at GENOA

Luvian has just completed his studies when he joined GENOA as communications coordinator. As he became aware of the social and environmental degradation in the world, he resonated with the holistic approach within the ecovillage movement in regenerating social and environmental systems. He chose to study the early development stage of ecovillages for his master’s program, thinking that he might be involved in such a project in his home country, Indonesia, in the future. He feels that building bridges across divides is one of the most relevant works today as we need an understanding of unity to overcome the global issues we are facing as humanity. He hopes to contribute to such a cause through his role in GENOA.

Story of the TUI Community Being – An Invitation for Resilience

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This article was written by Robina McCurdy from TUI Community, Aotearoa – New Zealand

Tui is a 35-resident community in the Golden Bay bioregion of the South Island of Aotearoa/New Zealand.  It is situated in a relatively remote rural area, adjoining the Abel Tasman National Park.  The land is owned by a Charitable Trust, administered by the Trustees who have gone through the steps of becoming a resident, then Prospective Member, then a full member of the Trust.  This is a caretaking stewardship role of the land, its resources, and people the who occupy it. Trustees do not own land or shares but have the ‘Right to Occupy’ in perpetuity.  Members design, build and own their own houses.  Tui Community is the main project of the Trust.  The first of eight objectives of our Trust Deed, states:

‘To promote education within New Zealand on the role and function of sustainable communities, by establishing a living, working example of an intentional community that combines the essential principles of spiritual awareness, earthcare, connection with nature and appropriate lifestyle, where residents and visitors can participate in a variety of educational and spiritual practices’.

trust deed of tui trust

Our community’s broad mission statement is:  ‘As a community, we are seeking wholeness in relationship with ourselves, each other, and the planet.’  In many ways, Tui is a social experiment.  We are dedicated to personal growth and supporting the wellbeing of others, and we have a learned lot of tools to do this, the most current being ‘Possibility Management’.  We create our culture from ancient, contemporary and original practices, trying out ways that feel right and endorse ‘earth-based spirituality’.  We review and change our systems as they no longer seem to serve us.  We all contribute our labour voluntarily to an ‘energy input system’ as well as working bees, that run the practicalities of the place.  We have a successful community business that employs more than half of the community.  Tui features a community house, craft workshop, farm machinery sheds, members’ houses, communal orchard, vegetable gardens, farm, Tui Balms co-operative business, and the Outdoor Events Field (hired to the public as well as Tui members, as a venue for educational and cultural events). 

Tui Annual Apple Harvest

At Tui we have four kinds of meetings:  Trust Board meeting, Heartshare (both monthly), Community meeting (fortnightly), and a Tuki (stands for Tui Community Integration), which happens 3 – 4 times per year over a weekend. 

The Tuki is essential to our community’s wellbeing. It’s a retreat when we gather together to address a vital theme that has been emerging through our meetings, which is either too contentious, ongoingly emotionally charged and philosophically deep. A Tuki typically facilitates a paradigm shift within the community, with a resultant change in policy and/or operating systems. Dates are scheduled around a year in advance so that everyone can prioritise attending, and we hire an external cook and childcare person to enable all residents to be fully present.  

The main part of our Tuki format and process is modeled on the Heartshare culture of all indigenous peoples. This is deep listening to each other, giving full attention to the one holding the talking stick/stone/object, who is speaking from his/her heart space and belly feelings in relation to the theme’s issues and aspirations. In this way, underlying unspoken emotions and feelings can be expressed, and spaciousness for accessing spiritual wisdom opens up. Through this, a clear collective forward direction emerges. Our Tuki generally has two parts:  the first day being various exercises building connection with each other, with a Heartshare for most of the day. The second day is in the style of stocktaking, analysis, and strategic planning arising out of the Heartshare, so that we complete the Tuki with tangible action held by small groups.

‘Creating a Structure’ Activity at Tuki

‘Growing Resilience from Where We Are’ was the theme of our last Tuki – addressing resilience physically, socially, economically, and environmentally. Early in Day 2, we did a ‘Fishbowl’ process to draw out the informational facts and statistics our residents knew about the state of the world, so we could build up a collective knowledge pool and bring urgency into the room. Then in pairs, we shared these questions:  What do you see?  What do you feel?  What do you hope for?  What do you want to do?

Following this, we brainstormed the vulnerability of our community in the context of global events, trends, and crises (eg climate catastrophe, unreliability and scarcity of supplies, financial collapse) and how we could buffer ourselves to the best of our abilities.  We looked at the proneness of our land areas close to sea level, the slips of some hilly areas, flooding potential, earthquake impact, geographical remoteness, and the challenges to growing sufficient food. We did an inventory of resources and people skills so we collectively knew what we had to draw on as well as what the gaps were. We divided into ‘hubs’ to come up with mitigating strategies, forward planning, and accountable action steps. 

We punctuated these serious topics with a fun outdoor activity that engendered cooperation as well as challenging teams to use minimal resources to create something functional and aesthetic within a minimal timeframe. Each of the randomly selected three groups was given the same equipment – 12 long bamboo pieces, a bucket, a rope, some decorations, etc. Then there was a ‘show and tell’ with lots of laughter, and we voted on which was the most interesting and the most functional and why. At Tui, we find it most beneficial when a diversity of captivating processes are used to engage and sustain group energy, especially when dealing with serious topics needing resolve. 

Co-creating the “Tui Being”

On the first day of this Tuki we used a new creative process devised by Aralyn and Inna, to look deeply into our group characteristics and psyche, making visible our brilliance, blocks, and functionality. This was entitled: ‘Where we are Now – Mapping of the Tui Being’. It took the form of brainstorming, onto a huge paper in the center of the room, on which was drawn the outline of a person, with their body parts, including their internal organs. Each person had several little papers to write what qualities were represented by the parts of the anatomy they chose, then stood up to verbally name that, sticking down their paper on that place. The question was: “What are the vital parts of our Tui being? What is collectively alive?” 

Next came the topic: ‘Myself in the Now & beyond’ as part of/in relation to the Tui Being.’ This was facilitated in the form of contemplative questions, shared together in pairs  Each person needed to consider these questions: Where do I put my energy – emotionally, mentally, energetically, physically? Consciously and unconsciously? How do I feel in Tui? What am I angry about? Scared about? Sad about? Glad about? What energizes me at Tui when I involve myself?  Given the state of the world, how might I want to evolve my place in Tui from here? Where do I want to put my energy consciously? 

This primed everyone for a deep heartsharing as a whole group, on the topic: ‘Myself in the Now & Growing Resilience beyond’.  Each individual picked up three stones and placed them on the qualities that had been identified, based on what they could relate to most strongly.  As they placed each of their stones down, people spoke to this, with the group listening attentively.   

We know that sharing feelings in an open transparent provides a connected foundation for daily living together, managing the land, undertaking new projects, and braving the crises our world is facing and will face even more severely in the future. 

About the Author and Community

Robina McCurdy, Aotearoa – New Zealand

Robina is co founder/resident/trustee of Tui Land Trust and its 37 year old Tui Community, founder of the Institute for Earthcare Education Aotearoa, and SEED (Schools Environmental Education & Development). She is also a graduate of GEN’s ‘Training of Trainers’ course, and an ongoing keen participant in GENOA’s on-line education and networking platforms. Globally, for the past 30 years, she has been engaged in permaculture education and community development in various forms – including social permaculture, mentoring new ecovillage initiatives, squatter settlement re-development and strengthening community culture within existing organizations. She has produced a range of community resilience resources focusing on participatory processes for decision-making and collective action Her strongest passion is the application of Permaculture at the Bioregional scale, which she has trained hundreds of community leaders in, through Earthcare’s ‘Localising Food Project’.

Tui Community, Aotearoa – New Zealand

Tui Community is located in Wainui Bay, Golden Bay, in the North-West of the South Island of Aotearoa. Original members established Tui in 1984 after purchasing 50 hectares of farmland on the edge of the Abel Tasman National Park. Their aim was to create an intentional community. Over the years, our community, people, and processes have evolved – and we are open to you finding out more about us by visiting our website.