Partners for World Peace began with a simple question: "What more can we do?"
To begin answering that question, a group of long-time donors and supporters of the institutions affiliated with the Global Country of World Peace gathered in San Diego, California in April of 2010.
The intent was to consider how they might expand their contributions beyond the traditional channels of charitable donations that had been the primary means of support for these worthy institutions.
This inaugural meeting of Partners for World Peace was organized by well-wishers Keith Wallace, Malte Hozzel, Jeanie Livesley, Richard Hobbs, Jim Schaefer, and Paul Gelderloos, and was attended by thirty-four people representing Canada, Egypt, Germany, Great Britain, Holland and the United States.
The meeting sessions combined the inspiration of knowledge and of past experiences on peace-creating projects with a view toward seeing what the group might achieve together by exploring new avenues of project development and support. A particular highlight was a presentation on the early stages of what later became the Global Peace Initiative (link to www.globalpeaceinitiative.org), given by Dr. Howard Settle of the Howard and Alice Settle Foundation.
As everyone began to think together about more effective alternatives for implementing the goals of the Global Country of World Peace, it was agreed to develop an organization which could creatively leverage the professional expertise and life experiences which had placed these individuals in the fortunate position to be active donors in the first place. This organization became Partners for World Peace.
The first working groups were formed in San Diego and they began identifying and evaluating ideas that could provide more sustainable, business-oriented means of long-term support.
A second meeting was held in Aix en Provence, France in April 2011. And in July of 2011 Partners for World Peace was established as a non-profit corporation in the State of Iowa, with offices in Fairfield, Iowa adjacent to the campus of Maharishi University of Management.