Qatar: The world’s go-to mediator

Qatar is at the centre of efforts to mediate the Hamas-Israel conflict. How does a country of less than 3 million people, Qatar, become the worlds’ go-to mediator? This week’s Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Rear Vision podcast provides an explainer, and then some: Qatar has become the world’s go-to mediator, but what’s in it for them? […]

Conflict in my neighbourhood and on the high seas

This picture below is from a feature article in (UK’s) The Guardian last July. This is where I live. The breakwater walkway on the left side of the picture is a 10 minute walk from my James Bay neighbourhood residence in Victoria.  Across the waters rise up the Olympic Mountains. A beautiful landscape, except… The […]

Getting to Yes

Anniversaries abound this week. Today is July 4. In the “United States of America” it’s their Independence Day. July 1 was my country’s national anniversary, at least from the settler perspective. More personal for me is that today is my wedding anniversary. And, my partner and I are still together after 35 years! No matter […]

Committee of Care – a collective response

Not long ago an old collaborator friend contacted me. He wanted my assistance. He really is an “old” friend, being far along his life journey, in his 8th decade. Life had suddenly taken an especially rough turn for him. He knew I was now engaged in seniors advocacy work. I was able to provide him […]

10 things I’ve learned from facilitating family caregiver support groups

For the past 8 years, once a month, sometimes twice per month, I’ve been facilitating support groups for the Family Caregivers of BC . For the first 4 years those groups were co-ed groups. For the past 4,  I’ve been facilitating a men-only group.  Since the start of the pandemic the men’s group has been virtual, […]