Grant Specificity to the Other
Patti Digh talks about how easy it is to see people as “whats” and not “whos.” We are categorizing and story-making animals, using language to create expediency and neatness, assigning titles like yuppie, Mom, CEO, black, white, punk, janitor, freshman. It serves a purpose, but it denies the complexity of human interaction. It also keeps […]
Four Lessons I Learned from Taking a Stand Against Drugs and Gun Violence
Throughout her career in banking, Ilona Szabó de Carvalho never imagined she’d someday start a social movement. But living in her native Brazil, which leads the world in homicidal violence, she realized she couldn’t just stand by and watch drugs and guns tear her country apart. Szabó de Carvalho reveals four crucial lessons she learned […]
Let’s Treat Violence Like a Contagious Disease
Physician Gary Slutkin spent a decade fighting tuberculosis, cholera and AIDS epidemics in Africa. When he returned to the United States, he thought he’d escape brutal epidemic deaths. But then he began to look more carefully at gun violence, noting that its spread followed the patterns of infectious diseases. A mind-flipping look at a problem […]
Conscious in Unconscious Times
A contemporary American singer and songwriter with a critically-acclaimed piano-based style, Brendan James feels a responsibility to point out things in our society which are troubling and to tackle tough issues through his songs. He explains how performers can use their influence to inspire social change.
Fighting with Nonviolence
How do you deal with a bully without becoming a thug? In this wise and soulful talk, peace activist Scilla Elworthy maps out the skills we need – as nations and individuals – to fight extreme force without using force in return.
The Danger of Silence
“We spend so much time listening to the things people are saying that we rarely pay attention to the things they don’t,” says poet and teacher Clint Smith. A short, powerful piece from the heart, about finding the courage to speak up against ignorance and injustice.