I raise up my voice, not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard. Malala Yousafzai International Women’s Day is observed on March 8th, every year. The day is dedicated to recognizing and celebrating
In response to the ongoing and rapid biotech innovation and evolution, with its corresponding impact on the our planet and its climate, the UN-Environment Programme (UNEP) felt prompted to make a series of very helpful governing recommendations to its 193
My friend Tim likes to says that “words make worlds,” and they do, words are powerful. I just heard my friend Sparrow say, “all transformation is linguistic.” The way we – and those around us – use language makes some
As you may know at the end of 2023 the world observed the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This bold and beautiful series of 30 articles, is a milestone document in the history of human rights.
You Never Know by Iron & Wine (aka Sam Beam) You could make gray, call it gold Let it fool your eyes You could make rain and let it have your life Being green grass, any little wind Begs you
So my partner is a public school teacher, while I teach at a grad school; part of what that means, is that our breaks rarely line up. So this year I took an extended weekend during Lynette’s midwinter break, to
Without Love by Kitty Tsui I cannot do without love the way I make myself do without food or sleep or sex I cannot do without love sometimes I rummage through my papers scraps of dreams thoughts from long ago
Kindness by Naomi Shihab Nye Before you know what kindness really is you must lose things, feel the future dissolve in a moment like salt in a weakened broth. What you held in your hand, what you counted and carefully
Last year, Join or Die was released. The film explores America’s civic unraveling through the journey of scientist Robert Putnam – of Bowling Alone fame – whose research on the decline in American community lights a path out of our
I’m joining Chris Elisara and the folks at Faith for Cities seeking to harness multi-faith insights and actions in the face of an unparalleled era of urbanization. As we know more than eight out of people people on the planet
The performance at last night’s Grammy’s that most pulled me in – and I think – stole the show, was Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs “Fast Car” duet. So beautiful. It was sheer joy to watch Chapman play and sing
My colleague Joshua Montoya sent me a link to the above video. It feels so alive inside me. Please watch it and wonder about it. What is the invitation coming to you, and yours. “The metacrisis is your daily experience of
Speakers: James Bhagwan, Julia Rensburg, Tara van Ryneveld. Remove: Episcopal Nana Firman & Meryne Warah, H.E. President Wavel Ramkalawa Islamic Dev Bank/Islamic Solidarity Fund, Phoebe Chatfield Faiths for a Just Transition: Bottom up & Systemic Approaches from Affected Communities 🌍
While I wasn’t able to attend COP28 in person, it’s been so great to the reports from my multi-faith colleagues about the remarkable advancement in the active participation of world’s faiths, religions, and spiritualities in the conversation. 84-85% of the
I was recently introduced to an Australian band who go by “Middle Kids.” Their latest record Faith Crisis Pt 1 will be released the middle of next month. I have been listening to all of their stuff online and am
Bellevue’s Comprehensive Plan is updated about every 10 years. The 2024 update, to guide Bellevue’s development through 2044, is now underway. The update includes an environmental impact statement as a requirement of the State Environmental Policy Act. The EIS includes
1946 is a feature documentary following the story of tireless researchers who trace the origins of the anti-gay movement among Christians to a grave mistranslation of the Bible in 1946. The film chronicles the discovery of never-before-seen archives at Yale
Prizefighter by Youth Lagoon (aka Trevor Powers) Hope you filled the sky at nighttime Diamond in the ring don’t feed your mind Maybe I never pictured bad times Brother in drugstore falls behind He’s got knuckles that no longer fit
On the Significance of Religion for the SDGs: An Introduction, by Dr Christine Schliesser, is part of Routledge’s “Religion Matters” series. And it is available for free as an eBook on Amazon. I’m not sure whether this is permanently free
Some of the people of faith I’ve been collaborating with to activate our respective traditions to engage the SDGs for a more sustainable urban future for all everything alongside UN-Habitat and the World Economic Forum have just published a new
This 2022 UN-Habitat report highlights of the numerous ways real people, governing bodies, and organizations are acting on the New Urban Agenda. As you may know, the New Urban Agenda is an audacious and beautiful activation of a better urban
Last night Billie Eilish performed on Saturday Night Live and I thought it was simply beautiful. What Was I Made For? by Billie Eilish & Finneas Baird O’Connell I used to float, now I just fall down I used to
UN-Habitat, World Urban Forum 12 (WUF12), will be assembling around this time next year… November 4-8, 2024. Mark your calendar and begin making plans. I am hoping to convene – or co-convene – two gatherings in Cairo, Egypt to coincide
For a number of years now, UN-Habitat has been earmarking the month of October as “Urban October.” Our goal is to draw humanity’s attention our cities in order foster conversation, engagement, and movement toward a better urban future for all
Systems thinkers, organizational innovators, and localists Deborah Frieze and Margaret Wheatley, with the Berkana Institute, have developed a very helpful model for better understanding the complex process of systems change. Their model – among other things – thoughtfully attends to
Here are links to three very helpful UN-Habitat reports reflecting back on 2022. My apologies for not posting these sooner, but here they are: Peace, dwight
There are few songs that have met me, held me, and helped me get through and keep going when I was in a thin place, quite like Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees.” I love this song. Thank you Thom Yorke! I
Yesterday afternoon, I turned on the radio (KEXP, of course) DJ Eva Walker was in covering for Kevin, I wasn’t there for the beginning of it all, but a most unusual – dare I say sacred – thing was unfolding.
Last month The U.S. Surgeon General released an important report outlining the nation’s loneliness epidemic. Among other things the report demonstrates that loneliness has a equivalent impact on one’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes’ a day. The report provides some
“Farther, Son” by Peter Gabriel Father, son Locked as one In this empty room Spine against spine Yours against mine Till the warmth comes through Remember the breakwaters down by the waves I first found my courage Knowing daddy could
