Genuine
human contact
"where
the ruined house once stood"
27 September 2015
"Could we not
allow ourselves the opportunity here and now
to be together, to
think together, in a way that goes
beyond the pain
and fog that we traditionally carry around
leading people
past that natural defenses into
genuine contact
with one another?"
~ William Isaacs
in Dialogue: The Art of Thinking Together
(2008)
"From the
place where we are right
Flowers will never
grow
In the spring.
- - -
The place where we
are right
Is hard and
trampled
Like a yard.
- - -
But doubts and
loves
Dig up the world
Like a mole, a
plow.
- - -
And a whisper will
be heard in the place
Where the ruined
house once stood."
~ Yehuda Amichai (1924-2000)
"Out beyond
ideas of rightdoing and wrongdoing, there is a field.
I'll meet you
there."
~ Jelaluddin Rumi (1207-1273)
In fields
and rooms around Earth are increasing examples of citizen-driven civil
engagement
to include, dignify, humanize, and heal one another.
Create genuine contact and community.
"Where the ruined house once stood."
= = 1 = =
In Asia
In
Myanmar, Hla Myo Naing
-- https://www.facebook.com/hlamyo.naing.5
-- from the Kadu Ka Nan tribe has come a courageous,
creative teacher (edu-learner) who helps diverse
youth and others become closer by learning English while sharing their personal
stories.
Naing realizes that "an enemy is one whose story
we have not heard."
He has studied global resources and created a course of study, P.E.A.C.E: Practising
English And Civil Engagement -- https://www.facebook.com/groups/489032864451932/
SEE MORE about his 2010 beginnings:
Dialogue
arrives in Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma)
Using
Instructional DVDs from Jewish-Palestinian Living Room
http://traubman.igc.org/myanmardialogue.pdf
= = 2 = =
In Jerusalem
Kids4Peace
Jerusalem -- http://www.k4pjerusalem.org -- is a community of youth
and their families who gather year-long with joy, power, and commitment.
The Muslims, Christians, and Jews are growing from strength to strength,
envisioning a movement of thousands, walking a different path while
communicating in Twitter at #togetherpeaceispossible
A young camper reflected: "When I first joined Kids4Peace, I made a lot of
friends, tried some new things, and had a ton of fun.
"I learned a lot about my own religion and also about others.
"But the more we are together, the more serious our work becomes.
"Now I'm starting to see the bigger picture, that together we stand for
something big."
Kids4Peace community circles are facilitated by volunteers from sister
relationship-building communities like:
1. The Jerusalem Youth Chorus -- http://jerusalemyouthchorus.org AND
https://www.facebook.com/jerusalemyouthchorus
2. Tiyul Rihla
Trip -- http://www.tiyul-rihla.org
AND https://www.facebook.com/Tiyul.Rihla
3. Building Bridges -- http://www.buildingbridgesshift.org
AND https://www.facebook.com/BuildingBridgesShift
4. HEARTBEAT: Amplifying Youth Voices -- http://heartbeat.fm AND https://www.facebook.com/heartbeatjerusalem
Kids4Peace
Jerusalem Photos
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.717638331675565.1073741850.450620298377371&type=3
Kids4Peace Jerusalem -- The Bigger Picture
3-min video -- Sept 2015
= = 3 = =
In Rwanda
September
21, 2015, was the International Peace Day to empower a new generation of peacebuilders.
The Peace One Day Youth Celebration -- http://www.peaceoneday.org/2015-celebration
-- in Kigali, Rwanda, gathered thousands of young people from the Great
Lakes region of Africa alongside others in Rwandan civil society and
government.
This celebration informed young people from Rwanda, greater Africa, and beyond to
become the citizen-driven force behind the vision of a united and sustainable
world, using Peace Day as a catalyst for individual and collective action.
SEE and HEAR the inspiring Peace Day Anthem -- "One" -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_-LM44HgSo
= = 4 = =
In North America
Dedicated
university students from China and North America gathered at Bryn Athyn College during August 2015 intending to help end
extreme global hunger and poverty by 2030.
They often gathered in Learning Circles to help acknowledge and dignify the
diverse participants, while gathering their collective life experiencesintelligence
and wisdomfor building an enlivened community and
succeeding together.
LEARN MORE about these dedicated students, alumni, and supporters of FeelGood -- https://www.facebook.com/feelgoodworld
and http://www.feelgood.org/
Their dialogue skill workshop is illustrated at:
The
Power of Story Sharing to Create Community
http://traubman.igc.org/feelgood2015.pdf
- -
- -
This message is on the Web at http://traubman.igc.org/messages/688.htm
Hundreds of other success stories are preserved at http://traubman.igc.org/messages.htm