Community Facilitators: Want to help someone? Shut up and listen!

The title said, “Want to help someone? Shut up and listen!”.  The title got my attention.  It comes from a recent TEDx presentation delivered by Ernesto Sirolli, in New Zealand.  The title drew me in.  The content kept me. Sirolli has worked for 40 years in the field of economic and community development.  His orientation […]

CIIAN: Helping Nations build their conflict resolution capacity

I had a great long-distance conversation with Evan Hoffman this week.  Based in Ottawa, he is Executive Director of the Canadian International Institute of Applied Negotiation (CIIAN), a Canadian NGO, as well as being a Faculty member with the School of Peace and Conflict Management at Royal Roads University. Initially connecting with Evan through Twitter […]

Meghalaya's Living Bridges: Multi-generation collaboration

In a world of “what’s in it for me” and short-term interests, its uplifting to see another way, a way where an individual’s contribution is not directly linked to final outcome, at least in their life time! Susanna Jani, colleague and author of the BC Distance Family Mediation Blog, thoughtfully, sent me the link to […]

Walk Out Walk On: Video Book Review

Walk Out Walk On. What a great title for a book.  It could apply to many things.  Yes? In this post it applies to the latest book from Margaret Wheatley, a book she co-authored with Deborah Frieze.  Both women are associated with the Berkana Institute, an organization that believes “whatever is the problem, community is […]

Great collaborative workspaces are designed with diversity in mind

En route between visits to family in Vermont and rural Ontario, I spent a day in Toronto last week.  Toronto is Canada’s most diverse city, and alongside New York, perhaps the most diverse in North America. While in Toronto, I had the good fortune to meet and chat with Tonya Surman, executive director of Canada’s […]