Overview

A Silent Concord consists of two or more people who unite to share silence and mutual presence.

Structure

A Silent Concord is divided into periods. There are four types of periods:

• Sitting: Participants sit in silence
• Walking: Participants walk in silence
• Meal: Participants eat in silence
• Break: Unstructured time; silence is preserved

A social meeting called Noisy Discord usually follows a Silent Concord. Noisy Discord is an opportunity for participants to share ideas and further build community. For more information on Noisy Discord, visit the NoisyDiscord.Org website.

Example Silent Concord, Duration 50 minutes

Agenda

6:45pm : Orientation / welcoming.

7:00 – 7:50pm : Sitting period.

Detailed View

6:45 – 7:00pm : Coordinator welcomes and situates the participants.

7:00pm : Coordinator strikes a bell once to open the sitting period.

7:00 – 7:50pm : Participants sit quietly.

7:00 – 7:50pm : Coordinator sits quietly but also monitors the time.

7:50pm : Coordinator strikes a bell once to close the sitting period.

Example Silent Concord, Duration One-Half Day

Agenda

8:45am : Orientation / welcoming.

9:00 – 9:50am : Sitting period.

10:00 – 10:50am: Walking period.

11:00 – 11:50am: Sitting period.

Break periods occur between sitting and walking periods. The coordinator strikes a bell once to open and close each sitting and walking period.

Example Silent Concord, Duration One Day

Agenda

8:45am : Orientation / welcoming.

9:00 – 9:50am : Sitting period.

10:00 – 10:50am: Walking period.

11:00 – 11:50am: Sitting period.

12:00 – 12:50pm: Meal period.

1:00 – 1:50pm: Walking period.

2:00 – 2:50pm: Sitting period.

3:00 – 3:50pm: Walking period.

4:00 – 4:50pm: Sitting period.

Break periods occur between sitting, walking, and meal periods. The coordinator strikes a bell once to open and close each sitting, walking, and meal period.

For More Information

Download the Silent Concord Specification (PDF - 128 KB) by clicking here.