From a young age, I was taught that all human beings were selfish from birth. This was instilled in me as a boy and later as an adult. This theory of human nature seemed to explain why there was so much violence and evil in
My colleagues and I are just about to complete the last week co-facilitating an 8-week series with POC4NVC on Nonviolent Communication (NVC) for Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC). In a debriefing session this week I asked the question: What’s the difference between holding a
When I step back, I still find it hard to believe how intense the last year has been. What an immense range of challenges we as a society and individuals have faced. With spring weather and the increased availability of vaccines in parts of the world,
"Be patient towards all that is unresolved in your heart and learn to love the questions themselves." – Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet Sometimes we may not understand why certain things occur in our lives. Whether we are experiencing tragedy, loss, or
QUESTION: How do we address/what can we do to address the language and logic of micro-aggressions being appropriated by members of the dominant class, for example white folks talking about receiving micro-aggressions from (legitimately) angry or insistent POC? The question above asked by a participant in
In his book entitled Speak Peace in a World of Conflict, Marshall Rosenberg writes: “we need to liberate ourselves from enemy images - the thinking that says there is something wrong with the people whose actions or values we don’t agree with.” In a similar vein, he also
“Nonviolence is not a garment to be put on and off at will, its seat is in the heart and it must be an inseparable part of our very being.” —Mahatma Gandhi 1 The principles of nonviolence that Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. practiced, modeled, and
Co-er-cion (noun) forcing of somebody to do something, the use of force or threats to make somebody do something against his or her will force used to compel somebody, force or threats used to make somebody do something against his or her
As the year comes to a close, if you’re anything like me, you’re starting to think about next year: What will 2021 look like? Especially as we’re still navigating the pandemic, is it even possible to plan for the future? Is it even worth it
There are many stories about Martin Luther King Jr. that remind us of his dream. There is one story in particular that stands out and reminds me to see the good in others. It is a story that goes back to when King was in a
Last week, I stepped outside our apartment, looked up at the sky, and took a deep breath of fresh air for the first time in over a week. It was a blessed change from the wildfire smoke that had been covering much of the West
Communication skills aren’t just about figuring out the most effective words to say. Communication is fundamentally about relationships. It involves speaking, listening, observing, and empathizing to help steward our interdependence. As we navigate unfathomable challenges, this reliance on one another has become markedly clear and,