Peacemaker Retreat in Helsinki 2025

16–19 June 2025

Registration has ended

Helsinki Zen is organising a Peacemaker Retreat in collaboration with Belgian Zen teacher Frank De Waele Roshi. During the retreat, we will explore Helsinki’s interfaith and multicultural activities, spend a day in the outer archipelago of Porvoo bearing witness to the military remnants and the beauty of the islands and the Baltic Sea—an area also titled the most polluted sea region in the world. The final two days of the retreat will be spent on the streets in a small-scale Street Retreat.

At the end of the retreat, Frank Roshi will give Dharma transmission (shiho) in the Zen Peacemaker lineage to Zen priest Mikko Rakushin Kendō Ijäs, after which he will become a certified Zen teacher (sensei).
The retreat offers a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of Zen Peacemakers’ practices. This time of year is also special in Finland, as the nights are very short near the summer solstice. Participation is limited, so please register as soon as possible.

The retreat is done in collaboration with Zen Sangha vzw based in Ghent, Belgium. Zen Sangha oversees the finances of the retreat. More information about Zen Sangha: https://www.zensangha.be/zen-sangha-vzw/

Schedule
International participants will register and check in at their accommodation on Sunday, 15 June. Lodging at the Conference Hotel Sofia is organised in double rooms, with the option of private rooms for an additional cost. The retreat fee covers three nights. The first day of the retreat Monday, 16 June, will be spent in Helsinki, Bearing Witness to different faith traditions and institutions. On the second day, we will Bear Witness to the islands and the Baltic Sea. The third day and the fourth night of the retreat will be dedicated to the Street Retreat.
The retreat will conclude around 2 PM on Thursday 19 June, followed by an optional festive lunch at a local restaurant. Please keep this in mind when booking your trip. If you’d like to stay in Helsinki for an additional night, feel free to ask for hotel recommendations for the night of 19–20 June.

Participant Checklist

  • Location: Helsinki, Finland
  • Dates: 15–19 June 2025 
  • Retreat starts: early morning on 16 June 2025
  • Registration: helsinkizen [at] proton.me

 Important Considerations

  • Limited spots—register early!
  • Arrival: Check-in at accommodation on Sunday, 15 June.
  • Departure: Retreat concludes around 2 PM on Thursday, 19 June. Consider booking your return trip accordingly.
  • Optional: Festive lunch after the retreat & recommendations for extended stays in Helsinki.
  • Sharing a room: The lodging is mainly organized in two-person rooms. Please consider if you would like to share a room with someone.
  • Essential items list: Please read it carefully

Necessary items 

The weather in Finland can be unpredictable during the summer. It is usually mild and warm, with temperatures ranging from +10 to +22°C, and a slight chance of rain. Nights are extremely short during the retreat, as we are located far to the north. The retreat will take place mostly outdoors, so please wear comfortable clothing.
We will spend a significant amount of time in silent meditation. Therefore, we ask everyone to bring something comfortable to sit on, such as a light folding stool, an inflatable cushion, or a piece of camping mat. Some people find that a small, inexpensive inflatable neck pillow works well.
The Peacemaker Retreat in Helsinki will also include a two-day Street Retreat. For this, you will need old clothes, a sleeping bag, and some additional items. You can read more about the Street Retreat from here.

Essential Items List

  • Rain Poncho (Mandatory)
  • Good Walking Shoes (We walk a lot!)
  • Sun Protection: Sunglasses, sunscreen, hat, etc.
  • Passport, Official Photo ID, Health Insurance Card (Kela-kortti)
  • Comfortable Sitting Support: Light folding stool, inflatable cushion, neck pillow, or camping mat
  • Personal Medications (Prescribed by a doctor)
  • Water Bottle (Especially on Day 2. Bring enough drinking water for the whole day. There’s no water at Pirttisaari Island)
  • Thermos Mug (You may bring coffee or tea with you on Day 2 at Pirttisaari Island)
  • Insect repellent (Protection against ticks etc. is adviced on Day 2)
  • Swimwear and towel (optional for Day 2)

Items for the Street Retreat (2 Days)

  • Rain Poncho (Mandatory)
  • Good Walking Shoes (We walk a lot!)
  • Passport, Official Photo ID, Health Insurance Card (Kela-kortti)
  • Sun Protection: hat
  • Old Clothes: Wear layered, weather-appropriate clothes (wear everything, no extra clothes)
  • Extra Pair of Socks (Optional, if needed)
  • Good, Used Shoes (Comfortable for walking long distances)
  • Empty Bag: Plastic bag or old backpack
  • Spare Underwear & Sanitary Items (For female participants, if needed)
  • Personal Medications if necessary (Prescribed by a doctor)
  • Empty Soda Bottle/Water Container (As a water bottle)
  • Mala (Optional): If you create one as part of your preparation, you can bring it along
  • Rakusu (Zen Buddhist neck robe) or other spiritual garment or object.
  • No money, debit or credit cards, drugs, alcohol, weapons, knives, cameras or mobile phones.
  • Do not wear any jewellery such as earrings, bracelets or wrist watches.
  • You must not bring books, diaries, pens or any other entertainment.

Funding your retreat with Mala Practice

Participants in the Peacemaker Retreats are sometimes asked not to use their own money for the donation required to participate. Asking for support is an integral part of the practice of humility. Therefore, it is important for participants to share with people in their immediate circle why they are taking part in the retreat. Asking for help can be a challenging experience for many, but it is a vital part of the practice.
We recommend that participants seek financial support from at least five different people, preferably even more. In Zen Buddhist practice, this is called “Assembling a Mala,” referring to a string of prayer beads. For example, if you assemble a mala of 18 or 108 beads, you could seek a donation for each bead. Your mala could also be smaller, with five or ten beads.
Sincerely promise your donors that they will be traveling with you in spirit during the retreat, and that you will personally share your experience with them when you return home. As a meaningful gesture, you might label, engrave, or paint the beads with your donors’ names and wear them during your time on the streets.
To give others the opportunity to give is a true gift. When we are genuinely and selflessly motivated, people will support us. Trust in this throughout your life.

If you would like to talk about the retreat, you may always email or call the organiser Mikko Ijäs:

Retreat Schedule 

Travel dates: 15–19 June 2025
Location: Cultural Centre and Conference Hotel Sofia, Kallvikinniementie 35, 00980 Helsinki

Day 0: Sunday, 15 June
Arrival and check-in at Hotel Sofia
No scheduled programme

Day 1: Monday, 16 June 2025
08:00–09:30 | Breakfast (and making of lunch bags
09:00–09.30 | Registration, Hotel Sofia
09:30–11:30 | Opening Council & Presentation
11:30– Transport to Town
– Bearing Witness to Engaged Faith Traditions –
19:30–21:00 | Dinner at Kurdish Restaurant (participants’ own cost: €13–25)
21:00–21:45 | Return to Hotel Sofia

Day 2: Tuesday, 17 June 2025
07:00–07:30 | Breakfast, Hotel Sofia
07:40–  | Transport
– Bearing Witness to the Nature of the Baltic Sea & Military Tensions –
18:00–20:00 | Dinner at Itäkeskus (own cost)
20:00–20:45 | Return to Hotel Sofia

Day 3: Wednesday, 18 June
07:30–09:00 | Council
09:00–10:30 | Breakfast
10:40– Transport to Town
12:00–12:30 | Collection of Luggage, Valuables, Phones and Wallets at City Centre
Start of Street Retreat

Day 4: Thursday, 19 June
10:00 | Street Retreat ends in Central Helsinki
11:00–12:30 | Dharma Transmission Ceremony
13:30–16:00 | Celebratory Lunch at Restaurant daVinci, Hakaniemi
16:00 | Retreat ends