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
On Coups and Reconciliation
First thoughts on the implications of Wednesday's coup attempt for peacebuilders and others working for nonviolent social change.
Tackling the Issues
How should we peacebuilders tackle the issues facing this country, especially those that have thrown us all for a loop since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Democratic Crisis
Democracies around the world are in trouble. Read about some things we Americans can do not only to meet the challenges but make democracy far stronger.
Reconciliation 2020
This post explores why reconciliation has to be part of whatever we peacebuilders do after the 2020 presidential election
Getting (Politically) Unstuck
As a country, we're stuck in a rut. We know we face enormous problems. Yet, we can't seem to do much about them. This post lets you see why taking a step back and viewing our problems from a broader perspective might help.
Bringing Out the Best in Us
The first of xis pots on what we can do after the election as peacebuilders and more. Based on my encounter with Reos Partners and a recent statement by the Alliance for Peacebuilding.
World Peace and Other Fourth Grade Achievements
The World Peace Game is a remarkable tool developed by John Hunter that helps fourth graders produce world peace and have fun at the same time.
Beyond the Election
This final post on implementing the Imperative 21 goals for resetting the economy also explores what we could and should do after the US presidential election
Stakeholder Accountability
Of the three Imperative 21 imperatives, stakeholder accountability is the most tangible and requires us to change the most in the short term.
Invest for Justice
Imperative 21's second bucket of concepts calls on us to invest in justice. That has been important throughout my adult life, but it takes on new meaning in 2020 given the crises we face this year.
Design for Interdependence
This is the second post in a series on Imperative 21, this time, focusing on long-term planning and its implications for peacebuilding.
Imperative 21
Imperative 21 is a wonderful new business-led initiative to reset the economy around a sustainable future, social justice, and stakeholder capitalism.
Reality Tells Me What To Do: The Peacebuilding Pivot
It's time for peacebuilders to pivot and join with those working for social change in the United States at a time when we can be both non-neutral and non-polarizing.
Thinking Like a Startup
It would help peacebuilders if they thought and acted more like entrepreneurial startups.
What Kind of Recovery?
This post outlines a new book I plan to write and, more importantly, movements I hope to help create as we chart our recovery from COVID-19 and the crises it has sparked.
Facepalm Moments
My grandson taught me that there was a term called facepalm. After I realized that we both facepalmed, I did a little research and discovered that the now iconic gesture gets in our way as peacebuilders. That's what this week's blog post talks about.
Stories That Nail It
How good stories can help us "nail" our response to 2020 and its crises.
Let It Begin With Me
Let It Begin With Me This is the fourth and final blog post on innovation. Innovation is important in its own right. But, I’m focusing on it now because it is [...]
Virtuous Circles
Innovations and paradigm shifts occur most often as a result of a series of incremental steps. See how these ideas can be applied to building social movements in the troubled times we live in.
Working From the Edge
This blog post explores strategies for game changing, large scale innovation.
Innovation for Social Change
This is the first of four blog posts on innovation for social change. The next three will get at more specific examples and strategies.