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During meditation, Stacey repeatedly received a powerful call to run for political office, and while it was the last thing she wanted to do, and after strong resistance, she ultimately ran. “The thought of actually saying no and turning my back on that felt so paralyzingly flat or disconnected. I knew I had to step in.” During a campaign event, a stranger walked up to her and said, “I hate you.” Stacey’s response surprised even herself, and helped her realize that standing in our power is “doing what's called for and doing it with love," even when we may never know the reason why. [Read more ...] You can also join us for an Awakin Call with Stacey on June 8. Find details and RSVP here. |
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The respective endgames of climate change, political unrest, state conflicts and other headline-grabbing events are not as predetermined as we sometimes believe. And while world events are big, the solutions as a possibilist, start small, with the relationships and conversations available every day. “Be curious, and out of that curiosity, out of those open-ended conversations, out of that listening, people naturally start to feel heard. They start to feel respected, they start to feel seen, and then new possibilities emerge from that conversation.” It can be easy to discard this wisdom as too hard, or too idealistic; however, Ury shares story after story about some of the most embedded, intransigent conflicts where setting aside defense mechanisms, weapons, and retaliation and picking up possibility, has led to surprising, unexpected outcomes. [Read more ...] |
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Arnhem Unveils 30-year Plan To House 1,700 Asylum Seekers Arnhem, a city located in the eastern part of the Netherlands, will welcome twice the number of asylum seekers required by the Dutch government over the next thirty years. "We want to accommodate people in a humane way" said Paul Smeulders, an Arnhem alderman. The city plans to offer stable housing as well as language courses and social experiences to empower refugees to fully rebuild their lives. Read the full story here.
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Pay-It-Forward Hospitality Initiative in Cantabria
A couple of ServiceSpace community members recently shared about a social transformation project in Cantabria (Spain). Inspired by Karma Kitchen and other gift economy initiatives, Las Casucas is a living laboratory featuring the "Rural Karma Home & Family residences", an exploration in pay-it-forward hospitality. The project, launching in September, will offer stays to families in need as well as to those seeking well-being practices. Guests may also contribute to other service experiments and volunteerism, creating a transformative journey of self-discovery and social impact. |
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Nonprofit's Success With 40k Coral Plantings Is A Big Win For Caribbean Reefs Fundación Dominicana de Estudios Marinos (FUNDEMAR), an organization dedicated to promoting the sustainable use of coastal marine ecosystems, is engaged in groundbreaking coral reef restoration efforts. In just 5 years, their team has outplanted more than 40,000 coral substrates. “At our current production rate, which has increased by 1000% since the program started five years ago, we now expect to contribute annually with 20,000 substrates with coral recruits to our reefs in need.” Read the full article here.
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Few weeks ago, volunteers in Hanoi, Vietnam operated a local Karma Kitchen in a special way: in silence! From volunteers to guests, everyone connected and communicated in silence. Take a look at the photos to soak in the vibe ...
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For more inspiration, join this weekend's Awakin Call with Christian McEwen. RSVP and details here. |
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AI inspired Slovak National Values Report In a brief, bonus video, Phil Clothier shares a bit about the use of CompassionGPT to inspire a hopeful report on the Slovak National Values Assessment. "Who are we? What do we experience now? What do we want that to be? And we can give that [information] to AI to help us, and guide us in our humanity, to go through this moment of deep transformation" said Phil. Watch the full video clip here.
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Physician Empathy Tied To Better Outcomes For Chronic Pain Patients: Study A new study published last month in Jama Network’s open access journal showed significantly better outcomes for patients treated by empathetic physicians who addressed their unique needs. Over the course of twelve months, these patients also experienced much less pain and suffering. Read the full story here.
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