NPA has a long-time partnership with the Biosophical Institute (BI). Our shared vision of developing and cultivating right relationships in order to nurture a culture of peace makes this collaboration a natural fit. Each organization does this in different ways: BI through grantmaking, sponsorships and development of programming, and NPA through partnerships, consulting, and programming. There is significant crossover wherein both organizations benefit from one another. This partnership agreement seeks to outline the ways in which we might more fully collaborate around this shared vision.
The mission of the Biosophical Institute is to cultivate a community and culture of peace encompassing life wisdom and deep relationships through character and peace education.The Institute operates primarily on three fronts which interact with one another.
- Grant based funding: The Institute gives money to individuals or organizations working toward its mission. The grants are often project based but can also be part of one’s educational studies. Funding may include conferences and programs.
- Retreat Center Use: The Institute has a retreat center in Bath, Maine which acts as the Institute’s office, home to its library and archives, and a space for organizations to rent for meetings and conferences. It is also home to much of the programming the Institute develops and/or sponsors.
- Programming: Sponsored and original programming, is a hallmark of the Institute’s endeavors. Programming is in person, often at the Retreat Center, and is sometimes online. Programs often germinate from collaborative work with other organizations, a primary partner being NPA.
History of Partnership
BI was a founding member of NPA. The value of seeing an educational organization based on peace was paramount for BI. Its founder, Dr. Frederick Kettner, fervently believed in the need for a peace university as well as a Department of Peace as a cabinet-level position in our national government. Visionaries like Lois, Lily, Miriam, and Dr Kettner envisioned a Peace University. NPA marked a beginning of this dream. Since the founding of the National Peace Academy, BI and NPA have collaborated in a variety of formal and informal ways. NPA is part of the Biosophical Institute’s DNA.
Both BI and NPA hold a vision for a greater manifestation of peace. As such, BI and NPA are embedded in one another in order to further both organization’s missions.