May we Dismantle Oppressive Behaviors and Embrace Mutuality

A prayer for every person who is devoted to social change that leads to a more just and humane world… May each one of us strengthen or develop our capacities to address tensions and conflict, receive and give feedback, and learn and grow from our encounters… may we stay focused on the goals of change […]

Confronting Racism and Classism

“Hard: Confronting Nazis. Harder: Confronting everyday racism practiced by loved ones, colleagues, and people you share community with. Hardest: Acknowledging and confronting your own racist tendencies. All are necessary if we are serious about ending oppression.” ~ Maurice Moe Mitchell For my own practice, replacing the word racism with classism is also true and important. I’m […]

Qualities of a Powerful Conversation Across Differences

Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to host 42 folks from Charlotte in an Art of Participatory Leadership 1-day taster around questions like: “What might we discover if we take a collective pause and slow down enough to learn together about where we are as a city? What difference do our differences make?” The […]

Do you feel this obligation calling to you?

Last week I gathered with 40 practitioners of participatory hosting and facilitation around the above question. Some were like me, stepping into this space with aspects of this inquiry alive in our every day, every breath, burning scars and lighting up paths as we follow our devotion and respond to the world that is, and […]

Earthseed Series with adrienne maree brown

So much goodness in this podcast about Octavia Butler, her books, particularly the Earthseed Series, Emergent Strategy and fierce guidance for liberation movement work. Continued gratitude to Adrienne Maree Brown. Key Questions in the podcast: Who was Octavia Butler? What are the lessons of Acorn, the post-apocalyptic community that was created in Parables? What does it […]

Strategies to Reduce Stress

  “Research shows six major strategies for mitigating stress: sleep, nutrition, exercise, mindfulness, mental health care, and healthy relationships.”

Restorative Justice with Juvenile Cases

“Our system has proven woefully inadequate, so we can’t just keep doing what we’ve been doing.” Said Jimmy Hung Chief Prosecutor for Juvenile courts in King County (Seattle, Washington). He doesn’t see evidence that jailing them changes anything. He’s most concerned about a system that funnels teenagers through detention and sees most leave no better […]