Still Here: Stories from a fragile coastline

For this series, we are partnering with longtime friend and journalist Barry Yeoman. Based in Durham, North Carolina, Barry has lived and worked in Louisiana and has written extensively about the complexities of culture, environment, and economy along the state’s coastline. You can learn more about Barry’s work here.  Together, we crafted the arc of the series and identified the specific people to interview. Barry … Continue reading Still Here: Stories from a fragile coastline

Montana Summer Institute

Last month we visited Big Sky, Montana for the third year running, to work with the Montana Summer Institute. Their Science of the Positive approach is rooted in the study of how positive factors impact culture and experience. In short, it is less focused on admiring the problems of the world, and more interested in fostering and growing the factors that lead communities toward the … Continue reading Montana Summer Institute

Northern Ireland studio

In Northern Ireland, we coordinated several studio days in different locations around the country. We wanted to hear stories of healing in the wake of their sectarian violence known as the Troubles. As we often do, we partnered with existing groups who are already doing good work on the ground in an effort to amplify voices of hope and healing. We partnered with the Women … Continue reading Northern Ireland studio

Exploring Hope: Stories from Northern Ireland’s Healing Journey

This trip to Northern Ireland was an experiment. We set out to see if it was possible to line up and gather a series of stories that could get at the heart of how that place has navigated their history of sectarian violence. How they have moved toward healing. And the work that is left to do. I was traveling with our three summer interns … Continue reading Exploring Hope: Stories from Northern Ireland’s Healing Journey

Willamette

We spent the first part of April in residence at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. It offered a chance to reconnect with students, faculty, and staff who I met last summer when I joined them in Northern Ireland. It gave me the opportunity to work a little closer with Kaitlin, Kate, and Sawyer, who are finishing up their junior year at Willamette and will join … Continue reading Willamette

Positive Childhood

April is child abuse prevention month and a great time to share the work we did last month in Durham, NC with the Positive Childhood Alliance of North Carolina. For a few days, practitioners and advocates gathered to talk about best practices for supporting families and communities, not just to reduce child abuse, but to foster the conditions where all children can thrive. Human services … Continue reading Positive Childhood

Brain Injury

A Peace of My Mind brought our process to the Brain Injury Association on Nebraska and asked, “What do you want your community to know about brain injuries?” The short answer is, “A lot.” The room was filled with practitioners and advocates as well as people who had sustained and survived brain injuries themselves. And of course, sometimes those were the same people. I am … Continue reading Brain Injury

Planting trees

250 years ago James Stuart planted 150 beech trees along the entry road to his estate near Ballycastle, Ireland. He wanted to impress his guests and visitors. Today, the rural lane is impressive indeed, with tour buses and Instagram posters making regular stops. The site has been used as a movie set and as a backdrop for ads.  I visited the Dark Hedges last summer … Continue reading Planting trees

Here we go

Here’s the question… Can we do this thing we do internationally? Can we make good connections? Can we find interesting people to interview? Can we understand well enough the issues that other places are facing to listen and engage and learn along the way? Can we navigate the logistics and the language and the varied power supplies and come back with work that matters…to me, … Continue reading Here we go