Welcome to my blog! Every week or so, I post an article on something involving wicked problems in peacebuilding or comparative politics. I define those fields very broadly, so you’ll probably be surprised by some of the topics I end up covering.
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Recent Posts
Here to Hear
How do we effectively persuade people we disagree with so that we can build bigger and more powerful movements" This post explores that question by taking off from Anand Giridharadas' new boo, The Persuaders.
Curious Not Furious
AJ Jacobs is a funny man who writes serious books. This post talks about the serious side of his most recent effort, The Puzzler.
Community Mediation
Community Mediation I just joined the board of the National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM). I had worked with its President, D. G. Mawn, for the last few years and already [...]
Rotary’s Four-Way Test
The Rotary Four-Way Test is an excellent tool to use in determining what you do "in the world." Even if you aren't a Rotarian,
SuperCrowd22
SuperCrowd22 is a terrific (and almost free) way to learn about new ways to fund social change startups.
Dedicated to Building
This post takes off from the titles of two book I just read that made me (re)think some of the work I'm doing.
Crowdfunding 22
Crowdfunding is a new way to raise equity funding for companies, including those working for radical social change.
Connecting the Dots 2.0
Barely six months ago, I launched Connecting the Dots. Now, it's already time for version 2.0
Beyond Polarization
My friends at Beyond Intractability have written a brilliant essay on what peacebuilders can do about toxic polarization. I love their ideas, and this post takes them farther given my work on other issues.
Activism in a Time of Crisis
How can activists remain active when facing strong headwinds? A half century of activism and analysis led me to these six conclusions.
Rotary and Peacebuliding
Much to my surprise, I find myself engaged with Rotary in a number of ways that go beyond its long-term commitment to peacebuilding. I now see it as a vehicle for social change in general.
Innovation
Innovation in Peacebuilding: Taking Advantage of Affordances A few days ago, Melissa Mannis of the newly formed Peace Innovation Initiative (PII) at the UN University of Peace asked me to send [...]
Our Unstable and Interconnected Reality
Our Unstable and Interconnected Reality By Emily Evans This is the first of what I hope will be many guest posts on my web site. I met Emily Evans at a session [...]
Leadership
I came late to thinking about leadership as key to connecting the dots. Read why it matters here.
Social Therapy
Social Therapy Apologies in advance. This started out as a simple blog post to try out an idea that I think has legs, definitely needs a lot more thought, and might [...]
When Will They Ever Learn?
What can I say about Ukraine that hasn't been said before? By people who know more than I do about the situation? Maybe my emotions are worth sharing? And how they have shaped my work over the decades?
Finding My New Tribe
Last weekend, I found a new community which I will be working with for the indefinite future. I'm not giving up on my third tribe--peacebuilding. Just adding a new and complementary one. This blog lays out how and why I am dong so. pst
PeaceCon@10–Connecting the Dots
PeaceCon@10 is now over. Read this post to see how it helped me develop the Connecting the Dots Community at my own session and be yond.
We Are the Stories We Tell Ourselves
If we are going to change the world, we have to start by changing our narratives or the stories we tell ourselves which define how we understand and act in the world.
Narrative Change
I've long resisted using terms like "narrative." Now, I know that that was a mistake. Read here to see how building and spreading new narratives will have to be part of the Connecting the Dots Community that I'm helping to build.
Superpowers for Good
Devin Thrope is a force of nature whose Superpowers 4 Good work has changed my own work for the better. Read about him and what he does here.