Co-creating Peace

Ever find yourself feeling stuck in an increasingly tense situation, perhaps with someone you find difficult to deal with, unable to find a resolution, and unsure of how to diffuse the growing tension?Welcome to Part 1 of “Holding the Calm”, Episode #129 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation.  As a follow-on to the last episode of this podcast – Episode #128, “Navigating Family Tensions”, I want to continue the theme of how to navigate tensions, regardless of who it is with, and what better time to do it than now, as we enter the holiday season, which brings with it the wide variety of emotional dynamics that seem inevitable at this time of year.In today’s episode, you’ll hear the first of a 2-part dynamic and enlightening conversation I had with mediator and author, Hesha Abrams, who gives us several practical and effective tools to diffuse tension and resolve conflicts in a wide variety of contexts. She shares the intriguing concept of motivational rationalization; how humans perceive and process information, how scarcity mentality can affect our decision-making, and how we can use all this information to have more peaceful, productive interactions with others.Don’t miss these highlights:Conflict is like spaghetti sauce.Self-interest, including political self-interest, often interferes with conflict resolution.Validation is the WD-40 of the universe, but what if you don’t have any to give? People can be like crabs in buckets. Hesha Abrams is the founder of Hesha Abrams Mediation and is an internationally renowned mediator who has successfully resolved thousands of cases over the past thirty years, from simple car accidents to multibillion-dollar disputes involving titans of industry. Hesha Abrams is a master at turning high conflict into amicable resolutions and resolving delicate matters with diplomacy and skill. She is renowned for her success in resolving complicated and high-stakes disputes from corporate disagreements to political conflicts. Her strategic ability to remain cool-headed and balanced in complex situations leads to successful outcomes making her a leading name in her field, and an invaluable resource in any dispute resolution process.Join us for part 2 of my conversation with Hesha, airing on Sunday Dec. 10th. when Hesha provides some great insights about:areas of the brain that get triggered when we’re upset and how to work with that,the subtle power dynamics often at play in negotiations,the game-changing impact of unexpected moves in any conversation. In the meantime, check out Hesha’s book, “Holding the Calm: The Secret to Resolving Conflict and Defusing Tension”, which contains all these insights and tools and a whole bunch more at: https://www.holdingthecalm.com. It might just be the perfect stocking stuffer for your entire family!Please support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Picture this: You're at your family's holiday gathering, and suddenly a heated argument breaks out. The festive atmosphere quickly turns tense, and you find yourself wishing you had a mediator on speed dial. For a wide variety of reasons, holiday family gatherings can sometimes feel like ground zero for conflict. Welcome to “Navigating Family Tensions: Lessons from Mediation”, Episode #128 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast about conscious communication and conflict transformation. Joining me today is my good friend and colleague, David Levin, a long-time mediator, to share some insightful tips on navigating those tricky family conflicts that can often arise during the holidays. David offers gems of wisdom and lessons learned from mediation, advising us to tread lightly and avoid direct intervention, while stressing the impact of individual, meaningful interactions, and nurturing our relationships to create a peaceful dynamic where we can. Highlights you won’t want to miss include:Don’t mediate your family What you see & what you cannot see when you look at othersHow to navigate family tensionListening to connectWhat mediators have learnedDavid has provided us with brief synopsis of the insights he shared in our conversation, which includes a diagram of the communication tool called “looping”, that he described to us: “Navigating Family Tensions: Lessons from Mediation” HandoutHere are just a few of the past episodes of this podcast which describe other tools you may find useful when navigating family conflict:Episode #3 – “When the Need Arises”Episode #5 ­ – “Breaking the Chain of Conflict”Episode #18 – “Re-humanizing One Another” Episode #43 – “Using Nonviolent Communication® to Speak Your Truth”, Part 1Episode #44 – “Using NVC® to Speak Your Truth”, Part 2 David Levin graduated from the University of New Mexico School of Law, in 1977 and has been a trained mediator since 1987. David began his legal career as a civil litigator and a general practitioner, later becoming a Board Recognized Specialist in Family Law and establishing a general private mediation practice.  He is currently practicing mediation, providing mediation training and education, and serving as a resource for alternative dispute resolution programs.  To connect with David or learn more about his work, email him at: davidlevin@mindspring.comPlease support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

What does one do to co-create peace in times like these? Are we powerless to alter the direction and momentum in which humanity seems to be propelling itself helter-skelter into the abyss of mutual destruction? Are we destined to drown in the tsunami of hatred that threatens to wash away all that is good and beautiful in the world? Or, could we somehow, some way, transcend the tsunami of hatred, help others to do the same, and alter the dark & terrifying path we are heading down?Welcome to “Transcending the Tsunami of Hatred”, Episode #127 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast about conscious communication and conflict transformation.What if I told you that you, yes YOU, could be the single spark that ignites a global movement towards peace? Imagine a world where each individual can counteract the tide of hatred and violence, simply by embracing kindness, compassion, and collaboration. This episode of Co-Creating Peace is all about empowering you to make that profound impact. I’ll share practical strategies for resisting hatred and fostering peace, even when it feels like an uphill battle. Highlights include specific ways you can implement these four techniques to help you transcend hatred:Live mindfully Transcend judgement Act in the opposite of that which you do not condoneShow up with kindness, compassion and collaboration.Join me on a journey toward co-creating a more peaceful world, one person, one deep connection at a time.You can hear additional information on mindfulness in my conversation with mindfulness expert and teacher, Andrew Safer in Episodes #71 & #72. Learn about my living mindfully learning retreat here.Please support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

If ever there were a need for empathy, it is now. Listening to the news about what’s going on around the world, it feels as though humanity is fragmenting right before our eyes. Empathy is the glue that holds humanity together. Empathy reminds us to nurture life through connecting with one another in kindness and compassion. Empathy is one of the most powerful tools we have to transform conflict into harmony.Welcome to "Scaling the Empathy Wall”, Episode #126 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast about conscious communication and conflict transformation.On Nov. 4th, I will host the 3rd in a series of Empathy Summits produced by the Center for Building a Culture of Empathy. Please join me for this free online Empathy Summit – "Why is Empathy Essential in Conflict Resolution?" We’ll hear from 5 international conflict resolution experts, then participate in Empathy Circles dialogues with other summit participants. To learn more and to register, visit https://www.empathysummit.comDenise Blanc, joins me to talk about how curiosity and inquiry can help us to scale that invisible, but oh-so-daunting wall that seems to divide us from the people around us so that we can discover and remember the beauty of our shared humanity. Together we explore how we can find the commonalities that are the foundation for empathy by starting conversations with clear intentions, asking questions that take us beneath the superficial, and acknowledging others to help them to feel seen and appreciated.Gems you’ll want to harvest:Connecting well with others begins with intention & curiosityFinding what we share in common helps build a foundation for empathyAcknowledging and asking open questions helps find our commonalitiesThe wisdom that comes from initiating a “pattern interrupt” “Interrogating” your biases can help you reality-test and transcend themDenise Blanc, MA, EQCC, ACC is a communication expert, Certified Emotional Intelligence Coach, Facilitator, and Mediator. She coaches, teaches, and writes at the intersection of Emotional Intelligence, Conflict Transformation, and Mindfulness. Denise is the founder and CEO of River Logic Partners, a leadership coaching and consulting firm.  She is the author of RiverLogic: Tools to Transform Resistance and Create Flow in all of our Relationships described as “a deeply insightful guide to living in the presence of conflict - fluidly, with equanimity, caring and skill.” Denise’s commitment is to inspire candor, courage, and compassionate communication in creating a more caring world.You can learn more about Denise Blanc and her book “RiverLogic: Tools to Transform Resistance and Create Flow in all of our Relationships” by visiting www.riverlogictools.comPlease support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Imagine a world where a simple circle can create a profound sense of belonging, shift confrontational conversations to collaborative explorations, and emphasize connection and inclusion. That world exists today in Peace Circles. Because of the work of Black Women for Positive Change, and other groups such as the Listen First Coalition, Braver Angels and Living Room Conversations, dialogue circles are happening across our nation and around the world. Enjoy “Co-creating Peace in Circles”, Episode #125 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast about conscious communication and conflict transformation.  Today, I’m visiting with Renata Valree and Kim Best from Black Women for Positive Change to talk about Peace Circles – an initiative focused on youth to give them opportunities to come together in a safe environment to share their experiences and feelings about this troubled world they’ve inherited. Highlights you won‘t want to miss include:Confidentiality and non-judgmentalism promote safety when we speak about what’s important to us More than ever, today’s Youth need empowerment A primary responsibility of every adult is to teach children how to be by modeling that for themRenata Valree is an Assoc. Professor at CA State University Dominguez Hills where she teaches in the Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peace-building graduate studies program. Renata has a Masters in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution. She serves as E.D. of the Peace in Education Community Mediation Center, is a member of the leadership team for the Assoc. for Conflict Resolution, and is the former Dir. of the Office of the LA City Attorney's Dispute Resolution Program. Kimberly Best, RN, MA, is a Civil Mediator, Family Mediator & owner of Best Conflict Solutions, LLC, specializing in mediation and conflict resolution. She is President/Chair of the TN Assoc. of Professional Mediators and a volunteer Senior Mediator with the LA City Attorney’s office Community Police Unification Program. Kim is also a facilitator, restorative practices practitioner, trainer in dispute resolution processes, and a member of Mediators Beyond Borders, Int. Kim is committed to advancing dispute resolution practices for improving communication and finding optimal solutions for all parties.Join the 12th annual Month of Non-Violence initiative during October. Visit blackwomenforpositivechange.org and click the Month of Non-violence tab to learn more and be a part of this wonderful experience! Sign-Up: https://monthofnonviolence.org/2023-month-of-non-violence-sign-up/Contact Renata Valree at: rvalree@csudh.edu Contact Kim Best at: Kim@bestconflictsolutions.comPlease support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Among the most vulnerable times in a person’s life are those times when they are ill or injured and have to put their wellbeing – sometimes their very life – into the hands of healthcare professionals. We feel scared, vulnerable, alone, even when surrounded by loved ones. In many ways it is a very solitary, often terrifying journey. More than anything in the world, we need to feel nurtured, safe, and truly cared about. Melanie Sears, a retired nurse, as well as a practitioner & teacher of Non-violent Communication for over 30 years joins me again for an inspiring conversation about ways that we all can bring empathy into our conversations about mental and physical health issues with the persons who are facing them. In Episode #123, I had a great conversation with Melanie about the companion workbook to “Humanizing Healthcare”, “Choose Your Words”.Enjoy “Humanizing Healthcare”, Episode #124 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast series about conscious communication and conflict transformation.Guided by NVC principles, Melanie crafted a new approach that replaces 'power over' with 'power with', and domination with collaboration, empowering people to foster connections and nurture empathy in the healthcare arenas.  Highlights you won’t want to miss include:From domination to partnership How Nonviolent Communication transformed a high-risk psychiatric unit The importance of demonstrating empathy without diverting attention to yourselfUsing empathy to support people through physical & emotional crisesMelanie works with couples and individuals as a coach and empath. Contact Melanie at: awakegiraffe@gmail.com. You can learn more about Melanie and her work at: https://dnadialogues.com. Find her books at: https://www.nonviolentcommunication.com/shop or on Amazon.Please support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coachingShare on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeacePlease support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Our greatest power tool for building relationships, and our most devastating weapon for destroying them is our use of words. It’s not only the words themselves, but how and when they are delivered that can make the difference between the construction and the destruction of positive connection and harmony. In Episode #122, I spoke with Terre Short, author of “The Words We Choose” Your Guide to How and Why Words Matter. To continue the theme of speaking mindfully, I am joined today by Melanie Sears, a retired nurse who has been a student, practitioner, and teacher of Non-violent Communication for over 30 years, who will share wisdom about choosing our words from the perspective of Nonviolent Communication (NVC). Enjoy “Choose Your Words”, Episode #123 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast series about conscious communication and conflict transformation. Highlights you won’t want to miss include:Nonviolent communication and understanding feelingsThe relationship between our feelings and our needsWho is responsible for the feelings people experienceSpeaking without judgementThe value of giving yourself empathyMelanie Sears has been a student of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) for more than thirty years. She has written three books based on NVC principles. Humanizing Health Care, followed by a workbook, Choose Your Words in two versions: one geared toward professionals who work in health care and the other one geared to caregivers and family members caring for someone with a psychiatric disorder. Humanizing Health Care is translated into German, Korean, Japanese and Chinese. Choose Your Words was written as a companion workbook for Humanizing Health Care, it is also a wonderful stand-alone workbook that anyone can learn and benefit from. I want to share it with you before Humanizing Health Care because it is a great follow-up to Episode #122 in providing tools for mindful, conscious communication. Next time, in Episode #124, Melanie & I will talk about Humanizing Health Care.Melanie works with couples and individuals as a coach and empath. Contact Melanie at: awakegiraffe@gmail.com. You can learn more about Melanie and her work at: https://dnadialogues.com. Find her books at: https://www.nonviolentcommunication.com/shop/ or on Amazon. Melanie will join us again the weekend of September 9 to tell us about tPlease support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Have you ever noticed how much chatter is going on in your head? You know what I mean – that internal narrative I spoke about in Episode #8: “Don’t Believe Everything You Think”. Sometimes that internal narrative, which today’s guest calls our “personal podcast”, can lead us down a detrimental road, one that causes us pain, upset, and conflict, and which can have that same effect on the people in our life.Join me for “Peace is an Inside Job”, Episode #122 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast series about conscious communication and conflict transformation.  Author, teacher and coach, Terre Short, joins me today with some great insights into how we can better co-create peace in our lives by recognizing when our thoughts are going down what she calls “the yellow brick road” of negative thinking, and then pivot our thinking in a more constructive, non-violent direction, creating more peaceful outcomes, both internally & externally.Terre provides insights about the importance of evaluating our values and intentions, and why our personal narrative heavily influences our interactions with the world. Highlights you won’t want to miss include:The importance of being mindful of our internal dialogue and how it influences our experiences,We can develop the ability to recognize when our thoughts are heading in a detrimental direction & pivot our thought processes to a more constructive path;Being mindful of our word choices, both internally & externally affects what we experience, both internally & externally;Terre offers Co-creating Peace listeners their choice of great incentives to attend her upcoming Sept. retreat!Terre Short, MBA, is an author, speaker, coach and creator of Thriving Leader Collaborative. She believes that truly authentic leadership is achieved when we embrace our inner wisdom to overcome business challenges. As a NeuroMindfulness Practitioner, Terre lives at the intersection of wellbeing and leadership and has spent the last decade advising high performing Fortune 500 leaders on how to explore intuitive pathways to success. Terre is the author of The Words We Choose: Your Guide to How and Why Words Matter.Contact Terre at: Terre@thrivingLC.comLearn more about Terre & her work (and register for her upcoming September retreat) at: www.ThrivingLeaderCollaborative.com Please support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coachingShare on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeacePlease support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic gave us our first experience of health-related lock-downs in the US in current times, isolation and loneliness have been a growing problem for many people. It's gotten to the point that the U.S. surgeon general published an advisory outlining his concerns about the public health crisis of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection in our country earlier this year. Disconnection fundamentally affects our mental, physical & societal health. Fortunately, Coach Lee Hopkins is working diligently to help others create new relationships to bring joy and connection into their lives.Coach Lee Hopkins has been a guest on this podcast a few times in the past. He joined us in Episode #77 when he told us about a very powerful boundaries framework that he has created, which he calls 3N Boundaries. Then in Episodes #80 & #81 Coach Lee shared some important insights & tools to help us understand more about our grudges & how to constructively work with them. Coach Lee joins us again today to share some great insights & tools about ways that we can build strong, mutually beneficial connections with others.Welcome to “Building Meaningful Connections in an Era of Loneliness”, Episode #121 of Co-creating Peace.Some highlights are:The Importance of sharing your truthMindful sharing and contextual TMI How to initiate making meaningful connections when others seem reservedThe J.I.S.T. storytelling method as a way to begin to create a meaningful connection with someoneMake sure you go to the Patterns of Possibility website & register for the Annual Social Connections Summit (Aug. 5 & 6) by clicking on the Annual Summit 2023 link. When you click on the “For Individuals” link on the homepage, in addition to the other great information there, you will find a Free Resources link with some really great free tools to help you build stronger connections with yourself, as well as others. The “For Organizations” link on the home page takes you to some excellent information & tools which can be tailored to almost any group, even an informal one.Please support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coachingShare on social Please support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Have you ever considered how your subconscious beliefs might be affecting your relationships and communication? In this episode, Judy Kane, founder of Aligned Consciousness, and I delve into the ways our subconscious beliefs shape our communication and boundaries, and how being aware of them can help us make more equitable decisions and prioritize our own goals. We also discuss how our compliance with other people's expectations may stem from our underlying beliefs and cause potential conflicts in our relationships. We look at how these hidden beliefs can conflict with our conscious goals and shape our reality. Recognizing these beliefs can greatly benefit our interactions with others and lead to healthier connections. Judy will also share some valuable insights on aligning your conscious and subconscious beliefs to foster healthier, more fulfilling relationships.Welcome to “Journey to Deeper Connections: Aligning Conscious & Subconscious Beliefs”, Episode #120 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation. Highlights you won’t want to miss include:Some of the possible origins of our beliefs – both conscious and unconsciousHow our beliefs affect how we connect with othersThe relationship between beliefs and boundaries3 things you can do to increase awareness of your subconscious beliefs and change how they affect your lifeWays we can begin to align our conscious and subconscious beliefsJudy Kane, founder of Aligned Consciousness, helps people identify and transform subconscious beliefs that keep them repeating ineffective, stressful patterns. Her clients experience changes which allow them to achieve their goals —with ease and comfort. She is the author of Your4Truths: How Beliefs Impact Your Life. Judy also hosts workshops and presents in group sessions, conferences, and podcasts.To learn more about Judy Kane and aligning your consciousness, visit her website at: alignedconsciousness.com, where you can also find her book, Your4Truths – How Beliefs Impact Your Life. You can also find Judy on LinkedIn and FacebookPlease support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coaching.Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeacePlease support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Despite our best intentions and efforts, marriage doesn’t always work out exactly the way we planned; sometimes it doesn’t work out at all! Both marriage and its dissolution can be filled with rancor and conflict, or they can be opportunities for collaboration and growth; sometimes all the above.Whether it’s a marriage in progress or one that is ending, people can make a conscious choice about how they want to approach conflict and its resolution. Mediation can be an integral ingredient in a constructive outcome that builds or restructures a relationship, rather than destroying it.Welcome to “The Accidental Marriage – Re-Framing Divorce”, Episode #119 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation. In this episode, Debra Oliver, a mediator with over 30 years of experience, & I explore the concept of an 'accidental marriage’: the complexities of attraction that can lead to subconscious and assumed agreements which may cause issues later in the relationship. We’ll also discuss important details negotiated in a divorce mediation that divorcing parents often overlook, such as parenting styles, long-term finances, and the legal rights of each parent. Highlights of our conversation include:How unspoken expectations and implied agreements can lead to conflict in relationshipsHow positive divorce experiences are possible The importance of trained divorce mediatorsHow collaborative divorce & co-parenting can benefit childrenEthics & limitations of divorce mediators Debra Oliver, founder of Common Ground Mediation Services, has been a mediator and trainer since 1989. She has served over ten thousand clients and trainees in the US, Nepal and Russia. She serves a variety of businesses, non-profits, and state agencies, as well as specializing in Restorative Justice, Family Dynamics, and Divorce. Debra has worked with law enforcement agencies and municipalities, providing training and community dialogue services. Debra was also a founding partner , along with myself and 3 others, in Community Dialogue Network, LLC, an organization that provided community-wide dialogues on public perspectives, especially in response to community crises.To learn more about Debra Oliver and her work, visit her website: www.commonground-adr.orgPlease support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coaching.Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeacePlease support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Welcome to Part 2 of “Overcoming Division Through Curiosity, Compassion & Courage”, Episode #118 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication & conflict transformation. In Episode # 117, which aired May 28, Tom Fishman, CEO of Starts with Us shared some insights and tools for bridging divides, including how each of us can affect positive change and influence social norms simply by how we show up each and every day. He also discussed new ways of building towards common goals with online technologies. If you haven’t yet heard that episode, I encourage you to give it a listen.This week, I continue my conversation with Tom. Highlights you won’t want to miss include:Seeking diverse perspectives in critical thinking The importance of intentionality The relationship between behavior and values  Balancing media consumption and coverage  Starts With Us’ exciting plans for program expansion Tom Fishman, CEO of Starts with Us is wired to be in “build mode” and much prefers answering the “why?” and “how?” vs. “what?” He’s at SWU because he believes media and technology can be harnessed for good. Alongside so many of us, he is eager to give a home, a voice, and real momentum to all of the people who believe it’s time to end the culture wars and make curiosity, compassion, and courage the dominant values in our society. In his words, “If no one builds it, it won’t happen.”Other organizations Tom mentioned in Part 1 that you may want to learn more about are:Braver Angels Bridge USAAll Sides MediaPlease support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coaching.Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeacePlease support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

In Episode # 112, which aired in mid-March, I introduced you to Starts With Us by inviting you to participate in their Finding the Way Out Challenge. I'm delighted to welcome Tom Fishman, CEO of Starts with Us to the show to tell us more about Starts with Us, and the wonderful work this organization is doing. Tom will also share some insights and tools for bridging divides.Welcome to “Overcoming Division Through Curiosity, Compassion & Courage”.Highlights you won’t want to miss include:Hyper-partisan politicians are covered in the news 4x more than bipartisan politicians.How each of us can affect positive change and influence social norms simply by how we show up each and every day. New ways of building towards common goals with online technologies How much greater perceived division seems vs what reality isTom Fishman, CEO of Starts with Us majored in physics in college, and brings from that world a unique ability to break down complex problems into simple units. In terms of leadership style, he is a big believer in emotional honesty (in addition to intellectual honesty, of course). Like so many, he left the for-profit world for social impact (Starts with Us) during the pandemic, and can speak to what this shift has taught him, both personally and professionally.He is wired to be in “build mode” and much prefers answering the “why?” and “how?” vs. “what?” He’s at SWU because he believes media and technology can be harnessed for good. Alongside so many of us, he is eager to give a home, a voice, and real momentum to all of the people who believe it’s time to end the culture wars and make curiosity, compassion, and courage the dominant values in our society. In his words, “If no one builds it, it won’t happen.”Join me again the weekend of June 10th when Tom and I will continue our conversation and delve into the ways collaboration, multi-partisan alliances, and seeking out different perspectives can overcome division and create lasting change. Learn how to model the three C's in digital spaces and conversations, and how to influence the media to focus on solutions-oriented leaders. Together, we'll explore the tools available to empower you to take action in your homes, schools, churches, and communities, and how your individual intentionality can lead to a more balanced media landscape, ultimately creating a brighter future for all. Don't miss this inspiring conversation about bridging divides and the potential of Starts with Us.Other organizations Tom mentioned that you may want to learn more about are:Braver Angels Bridge USAAll Sides MediaPlease support Co-creating Peace by:Becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/Please support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

I’ve spoken often on this show about how if we want to truly be heard, we have to help others feel safe hearing us. Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Stephan Wiedner, a psychological safety expert. Stephan brings us deeper insights into the importance of psychological safety and the myriad of ways it can be used to foster peace and mutual understanding.Welcome to "Psychological Safety, Peace & Human Understanding", Episode #116 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast about conscious communication and conflict transformation. Highlights you won’t want to miss include:Psychological Safety and its importance in team dynamics Tools for fostering Psychological Safety (curiosity, open-ended questions, active listening) Challenges in maintaining Psychological Safety Empathy and self-referencing messages in creating Psychological Safety Stephan Wiedner is a psychological safety expert whose career has focused on developing sustainable high-performance leaders, teams, and organizations. His passion for unleashing the collective potential of people has led him to co-found Noomii.com, the web’s largest network of independent life coaches, Skillsetter.com, the deliberate practice platform for interpersonal skills, and Zarango.com, the psychological safety training experts. Stephan’s writing has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, and other popular publications. Follow Stephan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/swiedner/Learn more about Stephan’s work with Psychological Safety at www.Zarango.com.To receive a free psychological safety evaluation of your team, go to:  www.Zarango.com/freepsi. Check out Stephan’s other projects:Noomii.com – The Web's Largest Network of Professional Coaches, andSkillsetter.com, the deliberate practice platform for interpersonal skills.Please support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coaching.Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeacePlease support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

For centuries wise people have reminded us – or at least, tried to remind us – that it is much easier to co-create peace with others if we have peace within ourselves. One such person is my guest today, Jennifer Boyatt.Welcome to “From Peace Within Comes Peace With Others”, Episode #115 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast about conscious communication & conflict transformation. Jennifer Boyatt is a creative, a healer, a visionary, and a peacemaker.  She is the founder and director of the High Desert Center for Peace in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She hosts the interview events, A Conversation with Leading Peacemakers, and Inner Peace Albuquerque which you can enjoy on YouTube. Jennifer writes, creates, and shares programs, writings, and videos that she hopes will bless the lives of others and help them to heal and to receive insight about living earth life with peace. Learn more about Jennifer and the wonderful work she is doing at: highdesertpeacecenter.org.Highlights of our conversation include:Peace is something that happens in your body.The importance of self-authority when determining what role peace will have in your life. Peace is holistic. Inner peace & interpersonal peace are inextricably intertwined. How seeing every single person you meet as someone of worth and value to you promotes more peaceful interactionsAs a reminder, Co-creating Peace now airs on the 2nd and 4th weekend of each month. I hope you’ll join me on May 13 for Episode #116 ­– “Psychological Safety, Peace, and Human Understanding” when I’ll be joined by Stephan Wiedner, a psychological safety expert. As important as psychological safety is to supporting our ability to co-create peace with others, you won’t want to miss this dynamic conversation and the wisdom Stephan will share!Please support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coaching.Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeacePlease support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

In an era rife with judgement, bias and objectification, how do we reduce the harms of toxic polarization? How do we re-humanize one another? We set aside our beliefs about each other, we sit down together, and we connect through dialogue – one Being to another. We listen to learn & understand. Welcome to “Listen First at the National Week of Conversation”, Episode #114 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication & conflict transformation.Graham Bodie, Chief Listening Officer at Listen First, one of the go-to resource organizations for people who want to develop their listening skills and participate in peaceful dialogue joins me to tell us more about that. In addition to sharing a couple of great stories about how participating in dialogue has fundamentally changed how people interrelate, he will tell us about Listen First and the National Week of Conversation, which is coming up April 17th thru 23rd, and how we can all participate.Highlights of our conversation include:How dialogue & listening helped heal a community Where to find a vast library of free resources you can utilize to help you bring peaceful conversation, even about sensitive topics, into your life and your communityWhat you can do to bring peaceful dialogue into your life and community, and even host your own conversation event during the National Week of Conversation.Graham Bodie, Ph.D, is a scholar, educator and consultant. In each role, he attempts to bring attention to one fundamentally important, yet undervalued skill – listening. Dr. Bodie is an internationally recognized expert on listening and has published over 90 monographs, book chapters, and encyclopedia entries, along with three edited books. Dr. Bodie’s work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Psychology Today, and on National Public Radio.Don’t forget to register today for the National Week of Conversation at: conversation.us. You can participate as much or as little as you wish, and in many ways, both in person and online.Sign the Listen First Pledge at: www.listenfirstproject.org/pledgeGet additional listening resources at:findingthewayout.startswith.uslistenfirstproject.orggreatergood.berkeley.edulivingroomconversations.orgwww.compassionatelistening.org Please support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

How do we find our way back to recognizing, to remembering our shared humanity? It will take the efforts of many. It will take courage. It will take faith. It will take many approaches from many directions. You’ll find many of those approaches in episodes of Co-creating Peace, including this one. I know you will enjoy “Ubuntu Works”, Episode #113. Joining me again is Eric Sirotkin, my guest in Episode #99 “The Lawyer as Peacemaker”, & Episode #108 “Truth & Reconciliation – a Path to Forgiveness”. With him is Raphael Masesa from Capetown South Africa. Together, they bring us understandings about a way of seeing and a way of being, known as ubuntu.Highlights include:Defining ubuntuUnderstanding how ubuntu manifests itself in everyday lifeLearning how ubuntu relates to indigenous law and peacemakingHow active listening, dialogue (Episodes #93 & #94), Compassionate Listening (Episodes #95 & #96), and other ways of practicing deep listening and empathy can help build ubuntu in our lives.Eric Sirotkin contributed to the dialogue on the new Constitution in South Africa, was a UN-sponsored election observer at President Mandela’s election, and coordinated an International Monitoring Project of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Through this experience he learned about the wisdom of ubuntu and has integrated it into his work in North and South Korea and all areas of his life. Eric is the founder of The Ubuntuworks Project, which collaborates with organizations and individuals on research and strategies to move us locally and globally toward an era of ubuntu. To learn more about UbuntuWorks Project, visit: ubuntuworks.org.  Donate to the UbuntuWorks Project here. Raphael Chisubo Masesa has been teaching Indigenous law and Integrative law, among others at the University of the Western Cape and the IIE Varsity College for more than 15 years. He is a Board member of UbuntuWorks Project. Learn more about Raphael Chisubo Masesa at: linkedin.com/in/chisubo Special note: Beginning in April, Co-creating Peace will go to a twice-monthly schedule, airing on the 2nd and 4th weekends of each month.  I hope you will join me on the 2nd and 4th weekend of every month. Please support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Welcome to “Speaking of Listening.....”, Episode #112 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication & conflict transformation.The last couple of episodes of this podcast have been about listening. I’m continuing that in this episode as a lead-up to two important and related upcoming events: • Finding the Way Out Challenge  is an invitation to look deeply but kindly within yourself by completing a 4-week Challenge of daily five-minute tasks, and to work with others to fight the toxic division that’s tearing our country apart. (IMPORTANT: Register at https://findingthewayout.startswith.us by March 20 to fully participate) This is the perfect opportunity to prepare you to join thousands of Americans during the National Week of Conversation in April. Learn more & register at: https://findingthewayout.startswith.us. • National Week of Conversation – April 17-23, 2023 – To learn more about this annual event and how you can participate, visit: https://conversation.usThere is an unmet need that many of us experience. You’ve heard me speak about it before. It is the need to feel heard, to be acknowledged for who we are and how we perceive the world – without being judged or condemned simply because we are who we are and believe what we believe. In the world we live in today with all the uncertainty, fear and conflict, it’s getting more and more difficult to get that need met.Fortunately, there are organizations out there who are dedicated to helping people learn to hear one another without judgement and condemnation. One of those – Living Room Conversations is an organization that helps people to have safe, peaceful, comfortable conversations about the kinds of issues that we find disagreement about, that we feel a great deal of passion about.This week, I’m replaying Episode #89 – “Living Room Conversations: Connecting Across Divides” my interview with Annie Caplan from Living Room Conversations to remind you of the insights and tools she shared with us to help you get ready for the Finding the Way Out Challenge & the National Week of Conversation.Highlights of our conversation include: dialogue ≠ debateunderstanding doesn’t require agreementthe value of listening to learn & understandhow suspending judgement can help us gain new insightsYou can access all the Living Room Conversations resources here: https://livingroomconversations.org/and access their Conversation Agreementsat: httpsPlease support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Welcome to “The Power of the Pause" (Episode #79 Redux), Episode #111 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast series about conscious communication and conflict transformation.  Last week, in Episode #110, “Mindful Spacious Listening”, Alan Carroll & I talked about creating the space in a conversation for another person to fully share what they want us to hear, and creating the space within our awareness to deeply hear them. During our conversation, I was reminded of an earlier episode of this podcast from July of last year, which was titled “The Power of the Pause”, and included a conversation I had with Howard Falco, a listener on Wisdom App. I decided to revive that episode as a sequel to last week’s because the information builds so well on the conversation Alan and I had. I hope this helps reinforce in your mind the immeasurable value of creating space for deeper understanding in your conversations with others.Highlights include:Creating and harvesting space between stimulus and response as a portal for our wisdomHow implementing the Iroquois Rule of 6 from the perspective of the Neutral Observer within us creates greater opportunity to wiser responsesWhat's most important is not who you were, but who do you want to be now?Recognizing that we can use the Power of the Pause to consciously decide who we want to beTo learn more about Howard Falco, my guest on Wisdom App, visit his website: www.howardfalco.com. Visit: Wisdom App, to download the app to your Apple or Android device.Please support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coaching.Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeacePlease support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Are the words in your head crowding out the messages others are trying to get across to you? Is thinking about what you’re going to say in response blocking what they need you to know from getting through to you? Do your judgements get in the way of deeply hearing another person? Have you noticed that you often misunderstand what a person is trying to tell you, resulting in hurt feelings or conflict?There is a remedy for this: Mindful Spacious Listening. Last week, Alan Carroll, an educational psychologist specializing in trans-personal psychology, joined me to talk about Mindful Spacious Speaking, which is enhanced by Mindful Spacious Listening. This week, Alan helps us to have more of the Mindful Spacious communication picture, by sharing some of the tools & wisdoms of Mindful Spacious Listening.Enjoy “Mindful Spacious Listening”, Episode #110. Highlights of our conversation include:Recognizing that deep listening is a gift that requires sacrifice by foregoing our response to reflect what we heard insteadThe power of creating a safe space for what the person is saying to exist without judgementHow important it is to clear our head of our thoughts to allow the space for mindful spacious listening.Other episodes of Co-creating Peace about different kinds of listening are:“I See You” – Episode #6 “Hear Them” – Episode #9 “The Power of the Pause”, Episode #79 “Acknowledge, Reflect, Be Curious”, Episode #86 “The Heart is our Compass: Compassionate Listening in Polarized Times” Part 1, Episode #95 & Part 2, Episode #96 “Working with Our Empathic Abilities”, Episode #106To learn more about Mindful Spacious communication, Alan Carroll, and his work, visit: acamindfulyou.com. Alan's social media links:Business:   https://www.facebook.com/AlanCarrolltrainsLinkedIn:    https://www.linkedin.com/company/aca-mindful-you/Web Site:   www.acamindfulyou.comPlease support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coaching.Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at Please support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.