Interhelp Information

Interhelp is a network of people dedicated to claiming our role in the Great Turning to a life-sustaining society. Interhelp was formed in 1980 by a group of activists who found that the despair and empowerment work developed by Fran Peavey, Chellis Glendinning, Joanna Macy and many others helped them confront their feelings about the threat of nuclear war and turn those feelings into positive action. The heart of the work is a series of carefully thought-out individual and group exercises in which people explore their feelings about what is happening in the world and find new ways to respond. The results, for many people, are bolstered inner resources and a deep network of mutual caring and support. At the height of the Cold War, when the threat of nuclear annihilation was immediate, most people found it hard to even think about the nuclear arms race, let alone take action. Today, accelerating climate change has joined the nuclear issue in threatening to annihilate much of life on Earth. Many of us find it difficult and painful to think about these problems. Interhelp is dedicated to providing us with some tools and opportunities to face the mess we're in and be part of the transformation we need, the Great Turning. This group and individual work, now called the Work that Reconnects, explores the deep connections among all life forms. It shows how understanding the root causes of and interconnections among ecological devastation, war, militarism, and injustice can help us play a more powerful role in transforming our world. Interhelp is an all-volunteer organization that helps people interested in experiencing this work connect with each other. The Interhelp Council takes responsibility for organizing an annual weekend gathering and various workshops and networking opportunities. Interhelp is based in the Northeast U.S., but the Work that Reconnects can be found throughout the United States and abroad.