Author Archives: seeandconnect
‘Yes, and…!” – Jumping into the unknown – Why don’t we do more of it?
The other day, I had a coffee with a friend who is promoting change in how we do democracy. She is particularly preoccupied with the way well-educated, professional middle (and upper middle) class people dominate the mainstream politics and the co… Continue reading
JUMP!
I recently had coffee with a staff member of non-profit organization here in Chicago. I was meeting her to get to know the organization – as I love the work it does and want to see if can contribute while I’m in the area. I asked a lot of question… Continue reading
Resource-full: reconfiguring how we create in community
On Tuesday, I did what parents around the world tell their children not to do. I turned up at a parking lot and met up with a bunch of people I did not know, but had found through the internet. I even got in cars with them and drove to another sta… Continue reading
This I believe – what ‘be the change’ means to me…
Gandhi’s dictum: ‘We must be the change we want to see in the world.’ My work centers around this instruction. Increasingly – as I make an effort to explore it openly, I get backlash, resistance, skepticism, and people just being irritated. One qu… Continue reading
Seeing with a Gardener’s Eye….
I am spending this summer visiting my parents. My eighty one year old dad is avid gardener – and a very good one. His garden contains a vast array of flowers that start blooming now and will carry on through the summer. All the colors of the rainb… Continue reading
Relationships, systems and stories…
The past few days, I’ve been thinking a lot about relationships. Human relationships is the aspect of social change that gets me super excited. I’ve also been thinking about systems and processes. These don’t get me so excited – thinking about the… Continue reading
The Great Work of Laughter….
I have a lot of topics I can think to write about, including: what is meant by ‘be the change you wish to see’; the relationship between law and creating cultures of integrity; deliberative ethics. Yet, somehow this week, I’m not moved to write ab… Continue reading
Can we talk? Frequently, well, no we can’t….
I recently visited a friend who last year became a mom for the first time. At the time of her pregnancy, she was working for an organization committed to gender equity. Certain responses to her pregnancy – to her entering the community of mothers … Continue reading
The ‘soft’ side of activism: giving ourselves an advantage…
When I was working in social policy and employment, I would frequently be told or read that what ‘disadvantaged’ individuals need is more social capital and soft skills – sometimes soft skills fit under the umbrella of social capital. The point be… Continue reading
The personal is political – and it is not always serving us well…
The other day I was in a coffee shop talking with an old friend about our personal demons. Demons – we all got ‘em. This friend also happens to be a social activist and a political science professor. It wasn’t long before our talk of the personal … Continue reading
See & Connect 