There is never a time when we are not a participant in this world. Our mere presence in any place makes us a participant. So rule number one is “there is no outside.” In fact I think the very idea that we can somehow be separate from what is going on around is is actually a delusion and it causes great problems. It blinds us to our own influence in a field and it actually hides our own gifts and brilliance and denies them from being used as people find their way. In most indigenous cultures work with, there is …
Dave Pollard has posted an item on his blog entitled G20: A Corporatist Show of Force and Power in Toronto. It is a compendium of a number of videos showing what happened in Toronto last week. I have spent the last two hours watching these videos, and many more. I challenge you to do the same. Because frankly what I am seeing is terrifying and shocking, and I don’t mean the vandals. I mean the actions of the police. None of these videos are the whole story, but they leave me futilely hoping for an explanation from the powers that …
A key part of supporting community resilience lies in accentuating what is working in communities, giving it attention and putting to use. Today my friend Jerry Nagel wrote from Minnesota to ask for advice about what to do with some of the communities who have been devastated by tornadoes in the last week. My reply: Might be useful to go through an appreciative process of studying what happened to get people back on their feet. What aspect about our community made it possible to look after those who lost their homes? What stories of response do we need to harvest …
You’ll forgive my lack of posting from Kiluea this past week. I certainly had intended a detailed account of our gathering, but things went to such a deep level that words and time kept failing me. THis was one of the most tranformational experiences of my life, and one of the most difficult, challenging and exuberant facilitation experiences I have ever had. It will take me a while to get the story straight, so forgive me if it trickles out. I met fear in a new place, above my heart. A fearless heart was born, but it was birthed in …
Last night we arrived in Kona, on the dry side of the big island of Hawai’i. We overnighted there and woke early in the morning for a swim in crystal clear waters at Hapuna Beach. About 9am we hit the road, taking the Saddle Road over the island between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, the twin 13,000+ volcanoes on this island. As you crest the top of the pass between them, the clouds coming up from Hilo-side start flying overhead, and rain showers start. We drove down to Hilo and then back up the south flank of Mauna Loa to …