For news junkies like me, these are the times that try (wo)men’s souls. We’re at the height of the most contentious political campaign of our lives and the news business is in a ratings, readership and ad revenue frenzy. Because of the unprecedented level of lies and propaganda routinely ...
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Neither I nor my partners have ever claimed to be mediators in a formal and legal sense, although we do routinely facilitate multi-party mediation for projects. We teach and coach this work as well as doing it, so professional development is always at the top of mind for us, and ...
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Research done for several of the past years has shown a general demise in empathy. There’s no clear answer to why, but it may have something to do with the adage that says, hurt people hurt people, and a lot of people feel hurt. We’ve had a few moments ...
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I’m sure that you’re proficient with the overall do’s and don’ts of reaching, working with and engaging people in communities. But, fact is, that real success most often comes from the doing all of the little, seemingly innocuous things really right. Like, for instance, expressing authentic gratitude to the people ...
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It’s a common and sadly effective tactic to label your adversaries as less than human. Propaganda and the labeling of “others” to shape public opinion goes back to the Roman Empire when Julius Caesar called the Germanic tribes just a bunch of “poopy-pants.” (I paraphrase here.) It was ...
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It’s helpful to find hopeful signs during an often frustrating period of trying to engage communities that appear so separated by politics and culture. Philanthropic organizations are putting resources into mostly rural places where seeds of democracy can be planted and accomplishments are real....
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We’re coming into that time of year when families get together more often and people with widely different views are thrown into social conversations where politics and cultural differences can rear their ugly noggins. These 50 questions are useful for a variety of situations, so if you’re already dreading another ...
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I’ve been working on one particular client project for nearly a decade and a half. The project is (obviously) long-term, the stakes are enormous, and so are the community challenges. The public/stakeholder group that I facilitate recently crafted and finalized a formal Good Neighbor Agreement that spells out enforceable ways ...
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Repeat almost anything often enough and people will start to believe it. Like, for instance, the idea that we’re a hopelessly divided nation. Fact is, we’re probably not, at least not as much as most people think. The loudest, extremist voices on either side of politics might say so, but ...
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I believe that the first rule of communication is the same as the first principle for medical ethics: do no harm. And when you’re dealing with tough, contentious issues and especially with people who might be on an emotional edge, it’s easy to do unintentional harm. Strike these words ...
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