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
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
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
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
I tend to look forward more often than I look back. I’m driven by what’s around the next bend and curious to see the view from the top of the next mountain. I am predisposed to doing rather than being, although I’m doing my best to practice my own being in the midst of all the doing. So when I slow down to look at … Continue reading 2024 review
Earlier this month I spent time with the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee and gave the keynote for their 54th annual luncheon. For more than half a century, these faith leaders and practitioners from different traditions have been coming together to build relationships and connections in good times, knowing that sometimes we encounter bumps in the road. And when those bumps occur, we can navigate … Continue reading Interfaith
***This post is written by Mira Karthik who joined me in Louisiana for this series. Having just finished work on a political campaign and gearing up for a Fulbright engagement in Peru, she was interested to learn more about the work we do with A Peace of My Mind. I met Mira in Northern Ireland last summer while I traveled with students from Willamette University … Continue reading LSU
I spent time with North Dakota Extension agents a couple weeks ago. It’s part of the mission of Land Grant Universities to connect the research of the institution to the day to day needs of a community. So they run 4-H programs for youth development, lead community nutrition programs, work with agricultural producers on best practices, and more. I’ve done a lot of work with … Continue reading NDSU
Last week I spent a few days in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens, New York. I’ve been frustrated with the angry rhetoric about immigration and immigrants in the political cycle. There is no doubt that we have a broken system in our country. I’ve seen first-hand the humanitarian crisis at our southern border and there are people smarter than me who have not yet … Continue reading American stories
Earlier this summer, we spent time with Urban Rural Action in Kenosha, WI, as they worked with a coalition of community leaders and concerned citizens who explored ways to prevent targeted violence, and especially in this season, political violence. It’s a conversation that is important to the area. There has been some difficult history. In nearby Oak Creek, a 2012 mass shooting at a Sikh … Continue reading Bridging
