Where are the Brave Spaces? For a long time, i have spoken about creating 'Safe Spaces' for conversation. But someone said something this past weekend that has caused me to shift my thinking on that. Because surely what we need are Brave Spaces where people will come and engage deeply and leave changed. The idea of a Safe Space is one where you can be vulnerable and honest and feel free to share yourself [...]
Yes, yes, i know what you're thinking - "Sharing is CARING, Brett!" - and that's true. Teaching kids to share can be one of the greatest lessons we can give them - actually teaching adults to share would be an amazing accomplishment and sort out many of the world's problems. But i want to suggest a new way of thinking about this, especially when it comes to the internet. Sharing is Blaring. Blare: to [...]
This week i was super inspired and encouraged by a clip of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez i don't like to put people on pedestals. People will always let you down. For me, the only person i ever raise as the standard is Jesus Christ. And as much as my faith and religion have taken a bit of a beating these past few years [ironically as i started focusing more on matter of Justice and particularly race] [...]
Describe to me how the world would look to you if everything was working for everyone the way it was meant to. i imagine for a lot of people this might look like a list of negatives: No more racism No more sexism No more zenophobia No more hatred of any groups or people who are different in any way. No more wars No more rape No more violence And so on... What is [...]
"Staying ignorant is a choice in a time of information." That explosion of wisdom was dropped on me by a grade eleven learner on a Zoom call on Friday. i was in a conversation with a number of young people talking about leadership when Katie threw that one into the mix. After a bit of a morning Google it looks like the original author might be someone who i used to enjoy reading in [...]
Woke up this morning to the news that President Donald Trump and his wife Melania has coronavirus. And of course the internet exploded. Your response says more about you As with all things America, there were strong responses both ways. Ranging from wishes of a quick recovery to jokes, insults and a lot of wishing that this kills him. Now if you are one of the people who sits there and says [or [...]
Lockdown seems to have been a good time for many white people who have recognised that they have work to do in terms of personal anti-racism. There have been a lot of conversations online as well as Zoom call conversations and a whole host of webinars and more, especially in the wake of the George Floyd murder, which grabbed a lot of people's attention around the world. And i have been making videos. Short [...]
The appearance of diversity means close to nothing if the voices at the mic, those making the decisions and the hands at the money bag continue to be white. i have just seen another Conference line-up for a national denominational conference in South Africa in 2020 where out of five speakers, one of them is black and i believe he is the only one from South Africa. In a country where white people make [...]
i wonder what words and images you feed your eyes every day? The very best of presence A few years ago my sister-in-law Ro gave me one of the best Christmas presents ever. A selection of beautifully framed quotes on different aspects of Justice. These quotes live on the walls of my Man Cave* which means that most days when i sit in my Man Cave i am reading quotes such as these: [*Not [...]
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = [For another poem titled Assumptions, click here]
