Welcome
45 years building a culture of peace
An Outbreak of Peace Returns!
Learn about the book, the history, and the programs.
DEI and Dialogue Member
Hands Across the Hills connecting to Kentucky,
and Bridge4Unity: inter-racial dialogue.
DEI Work and Resources
There is an inner flame that pulls us towards human unity, towards justice, fairness, connection and truth-telling about oppression. This is a flame for facing what should not have happened. This is a flame for reaction, redress, repair, reparations. The names for this are many: solidarity, common threads, Long Line, and recently DEI for diversity, equity and inclusion. As the old song says, “I want to be in that number.”
I taught first for Equity Institute and Communitas in the 1980’s and 1990’s and have continued this commitment. Here are four resources:
- Becoming a White Anti-Racist
- An Outbreak of Peace was designed to address racism.
- Two booklets I wrote can be downloaded for free.
- The books for teachers — Linking Up, Discovery Time, Better Together — are embedded in an unlearning oppression perspective and contain specific activities for teachers.
KEEPERS OF THE FIRE: Dialogue to Change Sexism and Foster Gender Reconciliation can be downloaded here.
Written at the time of the 2017 Women’s March, this booklet provides dialogue questions, anecdotes, and insights. In addition, information about the organizations that address gender justice are provided.
PASSING THE POWER ON: Dialogue to Connect Ages and Change Ageism can be downloaded here.
These methods help recognize and change ageism in progressive community settings.
Why we bring ageism into intersectional understanding:
“Age is a road in the intersection of oppressions that is often not talked about and acknowledged but, like every other oppression, it contributes to holding all the others in place. We can feel more alone if other people aren’t facing it, so we want to have these conversations more directly.”
Interfaith Ministry
Sarah is the minister of the Village Church in Cummington, MA.
The church website includes a blog of sermons.
Hope Sings
Here are 75+ songs of inspiration, freely offered by Sarah Pirtle, for you to listen to, download, and use.
Award-Winning Music
Sarah Pirtle is an award-winning author and musician who writes and sings for all ages.
- Pocketful of Wonder, her ninth recording, recently received the Gold Award from Parents’ Choice.
- She received the Magic Penny Award for lifetime achievement in children’s music in 2007.
- Hear an Interview: Northern Spirit Radio did a one-hour interview with Sarah on their program “Song of the Soul.”
Sarah Pirtle works with all ages developing courage and compassion and fostering racial justice and unlearning oppression. She is recognized as a national expert on building supportive communities with young people.
Books for Teachers
BETTER TOGETHER:
Caring and Including, Instead of Bullying
Social Skills taught with Language Arts and 40 songs.
Comes with a double CD set.
Another book for teachers from Sarah is Discovery Time for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution: K to 8th. She is on the National Faculty of Lesley University’s Creative Arts in Learning Graduate School program for teachers, and she has taught graduate courses for 17 years. She brings over 35 years experience in schools.
Sarah offers Free Book Downloads to provide lesson plans and song lyrics for her latest children’s recordings, Pocketful of Wonder, winner of the 2009 Parents’ Choice Gold Award, and The Heart of the World. These include activities about ecological awareness for preschool and elementary school.
The topics that she covers and the social skills that she imparts offer extraordinary breadth. At conferences she provides keynote speeches and workshops that help people develop courage and inspiration. She works with schools, community groups, houses of worship, libraries, education centers, and colleges.
Sarah’s newest adult recording, Heart Wings, shares key songs from her work as an Interfaith Community Minister and Peace Chaplain. Spiritual courage is the topic of her new concerts and workshops for adults and teenagers.
On her acclaimed recording, Everyday Bravery, her songs are singing biographies that describe how people transform challenges.