Ben and his wife, Laurel, are co-directors of the Paris Mennonite Center in France.
The Paris Mennonite Center hosted the European Peacebuilders’ Roundtable March 26-29, 2026, bringing together 22 peace workers from 10 countries for three days of conversation, collaboration, and mutual encouragement.
The gathering, convened by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), drew participants from across Europe and beyond to share their experiences and strengthen connections in a time of rising global tensions.
“This event perfectly embodied the mission of the Paris Mennonite Center.”
Ben Woodward-Breckbill
The center serves as “a hub of Mennonite relationships, uniting ministries in worship, education, and hospitality to offer a peace witness in the heart of the French capital.”
In a continent where many fear a drift toward wider conflict, the weekend offered a hopeful counter-narrative. Participants represented a wide variety of peace initiatives, demonstrating that peace work takes many forms. Examples included:
- Climate justice combined with anti-militarism work in the Netherlands
- Community-building and support for refugees and displaced people in England
- Coordination of regional peace projects from Jordan
- Individuals in Spain choosing to leave jobs that support war efforts
- International church networking in Portugal
- Nonviolence education and protests against the arms trade in France
- Peace education and hospitality initiatives in Germany
- Peace education and national reconciliation efforts in Northern Ireland and Ireland
- Research into communication strategies of nonviolent movements in Switzerland
- Trauma resilience and peace education in Lithuania
Morning devotionals during the gathering highlighted a recurring theme from history: during periods of war and division, there is far more work being done for peace and healing than is visible at the time. Often these efforts only become widely known years later.
Organizers expressed encouragement at seeing such dedicated individuals and the networks they represent working for peace in their own communities amid challenging international circumstances.
Related links
Ben and Laurel Woodward-Breakbill
Mission Network in Europe: Building leadership and offering hospitality
