Jan’s Blog Posts

Prevention is an Intervention

September is Suicide Prevention Month. While suicidal thoughts may be common among individuals, regardless of age, gender or background, they are the tip of an iceberg. Suicidal thoughts signal underlying issues that need attention.

Suicide is the cause of death of 49,476 individuals in the U.S. in the most recent year of verified records — 2022, making suicide the 11th leading cause of death. Even more concerning is CDC’s estimate of 1.6 million attempted suicides in 2022. These numbers reflect a massive call for help. The U. S. government stepped up and partnered with the CDC and SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) to provide a 10-year strategy to tackle mental health and overdose issues in suicide. This Federal Action Plan sponsored by the Biden and Harris administration has a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention.

Systems thinker Peter Senge wisely suggests, “Today’s problem comes from yesterday’s solution.” Many “solutions” of yesterday were flawed. Wars are flawed. Of particular concern is the rise in suicides committed by veterans.

The 2023 annual report of the National Veteran Suicide Prevention effort (based on 2021 data) found that veteran suicide rates increased by 11.6% from 2020. This increase has escalated since the wars linked to 9/11 terrorism. Countless soldiers suffer from traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and other bodymind wounding.

This escalation translates into more than 17 veterans taking their own lives each day with the highest percentage occurring in ages 50 or older. This is twice the suicide rate for non-veteran individuals ages 55+. Guns are the chosen vehicle for 53% of all suicide deaths. Veterans were taught to use guns.

As Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori outlined, “Preventing war is the work of politicians, establishing lasting peace is the work of educators.” Each one of us can increase peace within ourselves and educate others about warning signs of suicide (https://www.nami.org/about-mental-illness/common-with-mental-illness/risk-of-suicide/):

  • Increased substance use (alcohol and drugs)
  • Aggressive behavior
  • Withdrawal from friends, family and community
  • Dramatic mood swings
  • Impulsive or reckless behavior

Possible behavior changes prior to suicide include:

  • Collecting and saving pills or buying a weapon
  • Giving away possessions
  • Tying up loose ends, like organizing personal papers or paying off debts
  • Saying goodbye to friends and family      

We know what is helpful in daily living:

  • A sense of purpose: feeling valued and contributing to a job, family, and/or community;
  • Social connections: positive relationships with co-workers, family, and friends;
  • Financial stability: financial security (helps but is not 100% protective);
  • Access to resources: access to mental health assistance;
  • Routine and structure: a daily routine through employment, taking classes, or volunteer work.

Let’s respectfully acknowledge those who have attempted suicide, died by suicide, and their families/friends.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline has received more than 10.8 million calls, texts and chats since its 2022 launch. 988 is available 24/7 for anyone in crisis.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz 

325. Do you know anyone at risk for suicide?

326. How might you extend a lifeline to them?                     

Be an Architect of Health

All are architects of Fate, / Working in these walls of Time; / Some with massive deeds and great, / Some with ornaments of rhyme….

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow captures some possibilities of spending our precious time in his poem, “The Builders.” Everyone is their own architect in building healthy patterns of living. September is Healthy Aging Month, a time to pause and reflect on our pro-and-con health habits built up over decades. Are your habits as healthy as possible with your age, genetics, and current circumstances?

National Institute on Aging (NIA) researchers found that participants who practiced a certain 4-5 healthy behaviors had a 60% lower risk of Alzheimer’s Disease than those exhibiting none or only one factor: 1) no smoking; 2) limited alcohol consumption; 3) a healthy diet with half of your plate in colorful fruits and veggies (as in the MIND diet or the Mediterranean diet); 4) regular cognitive activities; and 5) at least 150 minutes each week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Just committing to 2-3 of these body-happy habits offered a 37% lower risk of dementia among study participants.                                     

Further suggestions for aging well are scaffolding layers for supporting one’s healthy habits. A concerted effort in blood pressure control significantly reduces the risk of mild cognitive impairment (often a forerunner to Alzheimer’s). Hearing aids reduce the rate of cognitive decline in nearly 50% in older adults who are at risk for developing dementia. Taking a daily multivitamin supplement for 3 years can improve the brain’s memory and executive function.  

If such building blocks seem daunting, just start building health-filled habits somewhere.    

  • Make physical activity possible for yourself! I am an early-bird riser. I love early morning stretching to classical music, tai chi in a park with others, and gardening. You might prefer walking. Walk (with someone if that is fun for you) 3-4 days per week.
  • When you include physical activity as an ongoing habit, it will lower your blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.
  • Avoid processed foods with ingredients you cannot pronounce. Stay hydrated.
  • Find social engagement that links with cognitive activities of interest to you.
  • Practice mindfulness. I participate on an online 20-minute silent mindfulness reflection group every morning. You may want only 5-10 solo minutes and at another time of day. Try it. You will surprise yourself with body-happy results.

According to CDC data, nearly 20% of adults ages 55+ experience a mental health condition or concern. Data from the National Council on Aging find that 85% of adults ages 55+ experience at least one chronic physical condition (such as hypertension, arthritis, or heart disease).

Bird brains know what to feed upon–mostly seeds–and they are especially adept at movement without needing any fancy equipment. I am not sure if they meditate when singing, but bird song is meditative for those of us missing feathers.  

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz 

323. When do you feel healthy?

324. How might you increase the times you feel healthy?

Pearls of Labor

“School days, school days, good old golden rule days….” The kids are back in school, but how many educators pay heed to this 1907 phrase? Rather, the “…tune of a hick’ry stick” might be educators’ go-to behavior management, as corporal punishment is legal in private schools in every state except Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, New Jersey and New York. Furthermore, the outdated discipline is legal in public schools in 17 states and practiced in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. Students of color and those with disabilities disproportionately receive corporal punishment.

The Senate introduced the Protecting our Students in Schools Act of 2023, which would prohibit corporal punishment in schools that receive federal funding. Investments are recommended to transform school discipline with restorative justice practices. When students are taught problem-solving skills, benefits ripple into their lives beyond the classroom.

According to the August 2024 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Report (Part IV), students’ health, mental health, and well-being has worsened over the past 10 years —  https://bit.ly/3T3JNv8. An increased percentage of U.S. adolescents report facing school-based violence and/or bullying. Absenteeism due to students’ safety concerns is a related issue. While eliminating school corporal punishment is not a total solution, adults model coping strategies for students. Hitting children is not a coping strategy. Hands are for helping, not hurting.

While pandemic levels were higher, current student mental health statistics suggest that schools might re-consider their methods:

  • 40% of students overall are experiencing persistent feelings of sadness/hopelessness with a higher percentage among female students (53%), some of whom have considered suicide;
  • 42% of Hispanic students feel persistently sad or hopeless, 26% experience poor mental health, 18% have considered suicide, and 16% have made suicide plans;
  • 10% of Black students have attempted suicide.

The 2023 statistics for female students and LGBTQ+ students are staggering:

  • Nearly 2 in 10 female students experienced sexual violence (1 in 10 being physically forced to have sex);
  • More than 3 in 5 LGBTQ+ students experienced persistent feelings of sadness/hopelessness;
  • Nearly 3 in 10 LGBTQ+ students were bullied at school;
  • 1 in 5 LGBTQ+ students attempted suicide during the past year.

As a former school psychologist, these statistics are disturbing. I worked in a progressive school system in Massachusetts where prevention was a main driver of my work. We administered kindergarten screening to each 5-year-old to provide appropriate help from day one. In second grade, each student was administered an individual IQ test. Later I worked in a progressive Illinois high school within a self-contained special education program with students who were in danger of becoming dropouts. Our labor-of-love Problem Solving Conferences were created to nurture and teach students how to dialogue about issues with teachers, classmates, and family members. While we did not call it modeling the golden rule, that is what we were doing.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz 

321. How many youth do you know who may be in need of problem-solving training?

322. What opportunities do you have for mentoring youth?    

Pearls of Awe

Moments of awe are artfully described by psychologist David Elkins (who studied under Viktor Frankl): “… the most important, transformative experiences of life…Awe is a lightning bolt that marks in memory those moments when the doors of perception are cleansed, and we see with startling clarity what is truly important in life.”And yet,in our rush to accomplish the next thing on invisible to-do lists, we skip momentary opportunities of basking in awe.    

I am enjoying reading psychotherapist Jake Eagle and physician Michael Amster’s 2023 book, The Power of Awe: Overcome Burnout & Anxiety, Ease Chronic Pain, Find Clarity & Purpose—In Less Than 1 Minute Per Day. I am usually dubious of what might “stick” in less than 1 minute per day, but I believe these two mindfulness-instructor authors have their eyes on a simple prize. Afterall, life is lived in present moments. When you pay attention, in everyday as well as special moments, there is an aliveness that grabs you, perhaps by oozing goose bumps or watery eyes. You tend to remember such moments.

The authors advise: “Finding awe isn’t a goal. Goals are for the future. Awe is here now, a sense of wonder coming from firsts, lasts, and experiences that continue to amaze us…Firsts: First kiss…first time you rode a bike, swam in the ocean…Lasts: The last mountain you’ll climb, your last kiss…last words you’ll hear [from someone]… Experiences that continue to amaze: Sunrise. Shooting stars. Redwood trees…a sense of oneness…the depth of love we can feel.”

To help you tune in more frequently to awe, the 3-part A.W.E. Method is free online as “A.W.E. Guide and Journal” at https://thepowerofawe.com/  — where A.W.E. represents Attention, Wait, Exhale and Expand in five-to-fifteen-second intense moments of focus. The research on the health benefits of this 1-minute “microdosing mindfulness” (in just 3 awe-filled segments each day) is impressive.

The magic happens when you have the intention for ATTENTION, then pause — or in this model termed WAIT – WAIT with intention before elongating an EXHALE-and-EXPAND consciousness. I offer a recent example from my garden. With intention, I was admiring a profusion of phlox plumes when suddenly, a hummingbird darted in front of me and landed on a nearby ‘Blue Fortune’ hyssop plant. With as much stealth as I could muster, I slowly removed my cell phone from my pants pocket and etched my memory with those fluttering feathers. Usually when I attempt this move with birds or butterflies, they flit away. For some reason, this hummer was not threatened by my presence. I shared close-up eye contact with awe.  

Psychologist Dacher Keltner also wrote a book on awe – AWE: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life (2023). I’m all in on this topic! Keltner believes that                               awe is “almost always nearby.”

Let’s savor awesome moments!

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz 

319. When did you recently experience an awe-filled moment?  

320. Would you be willing to share this awesome time in the comment section?  

Mend Differences through Dialogue

Egyptian Stela, Middle Kingdom, about 1870-1770 BCE

Interpretations of ancient Egyptian art are fascinating. According to the hieroglyphs on the above stela (a commemorative monument), scholars find that a son and his mother (Amenemhat and Yatu) are depicted with objects they might use in the afterlife. Along with clothing and food supplies (bread and beer), there is a cosmetic container under Yatu’s chair (a red and white container of “ointment”). One scholar refers to a blue jar under Amenemhat’s chair as eye paint (kohl); a second opinion labels this a “beer jar with a drinking straw.” Take your pick.   

Four horizontal lines of hieroglyph text offer a prayer: “A royal offering of Osiris, Lord of ‘Life of the Two Lands.’ May he give a mortuary offering of bread and beer, oxen and geese, linen, clothing, every good and pure thing whereon [the god] lives, for the ka [soul] of the guardsman Amenemhat, deceased, born of Yatu, deceased, and for the ka [soul] of his mother, his beloved, Yatu, deceased, born of Tita, deceased.”

Ever curious, I offer questions: Why is guardsman Amenemhat depicted with his mother, Yatu? What did he guard? Why is no father named in the stela story? Did the mother/son duo die at the same time? Was there a plague or war? Or was this gravestone initiated when a mother was dying and the two family members shared a final dialogue?

The definition of “dialogue” is a conversation between two or more individuals where discussion leads to resolving an issue or problem.

Too many families do not dialogue about important stuff. As psychiatrist Murray Bowen points out, “The person who runs away from his family of origin is as emotionally dependent as the one who never leaves home. They both need emotional closeness, but they are allergic to it.”

Too many countries do not dialogue about their differences and subsequently devolve into war. Are people allergic to problem-solving dialogues? Or do they lack the training to have dialogues?

It takes compassion to have a dialogue. I wrote about this in Transforming Retirement: Rewire and Grow Your Legacy: “Relating well with compassion for others takes the consciousness of the fittest. The most useful compassion description I have found is from Austrian Jewish philosopher Martin Buber. He differentiated I-Thou relating, or accepting the other person as sacred, from I-It relating where people treat others more as objects useful for one’s benefit. In I-Thou relationships there is a genuine dialogue where you discuss issues with another with your whole being. Such conscious relating can remove arbitrary boundaries between individuals. If both partners in a relationship believe in I-Thou dialoguing, they stop themselves from projecting their own painful stories onto the other.”

We might use Buber’s dialogue messaging to mend differences and negotiate an end to stuff — like barbaric wars.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz 

317. When have you dialogued successfully to resolve some tricky issue?

318. When in your life has dialogue broken down so that it seemed impossible to have individuals listen to one another?                      

Birthday Time

We are not first in making up catchphrases about time, but our cultural time fragments tell a lot about who we are when we say…

“Take your time…[It’s] time to…Running out of time… Free time…Time-strapped…Be on time…Time stopped …[It’s] high time…Time machine…Kill time…Time is money…A waste of time…Manage your time…Save time…Spend time…Time is of the essence…What time is it?”

Time flies, as the saying goes. Roman poet Virgil (70-19 BC) is credited with this timely slogan, first given as “Fugit irreparabile tempus” or “It escapes, irretrievable time.”

And yes, time appears to “escape,” even going faster as we age! After finding how frequently time was mentioned in my retirement survey of 125 individuals (ages 55-96), I wrote about this accelerating phenomenon in Transforming Retirement: Rewire and Grow Your Legacy: “Research backs up this perception. The release of dopamine, the body’s main neurotransmitter involved in time processing, has a drop-off beginning after age 20. This leads to the appearance that time passes faster. Also, your perceptions are different from younger years when you had to process many new events. There are possibilities to combat the speeding timeclock. To make time-travel slow down, do something different! When you are in flow-mode, you do not count hours.”

I just celebrated this blog’s 3-year birthday. Where did the time go? I began writing Pearls of Peace weekly when Mom (1922-2022) was about to turn 99-years-old. I chose Monday morning for online delivery. Why Mondays? At the time, I could not tell you why. Later I realized that my activist mother talked about “Moral Mondays,” as she and her peace colleagues would stand on the corner of the Federal Building in her hometown of South Bend, Indiana, every Monday (yes, even in snow) at evening rush hour to protest ongoing U.S. involvement in war. I stood with Mom a few times when I was visiting her for a long weekend.

As the Middle East/U.S. conflicts churned on, the Heartland reactions of those witnessing this small group of anti-war protestors appeared to change over time. Initially, there were some obscenities shouted out car windows, but people became war weary. I later saw individuals roll down car windows to smile and flash a peace V sign to the protestors. Maybe Margaret Mead was right when she said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” 

Peace seems more elusive today than in earlier post-9-11 days. Wars today are like surround-sound, coming from multiple directions. I make no pretense that weekly writing about pluses and minuses of human nature — to stir a few readers’ thinking about everyday possibilities — might change the world. My Moral Mondays look different from Mom’s, but perhaps we just keep time in our own way.

Thinking of your legacy, Mom, in your Birthday week.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz 

315. What does the concept of time mean to you?

316. How do you spend time that is meaningful to you?     

Real Pearls, Real Information

How do you tell a real pearl from a “cultured” pearl? It is difficult to tell the difference with a cursory look at outer appearances. An x-ray of the internal pearl is not available for most of us. A natural pearl may show ongoing “growth lines” where concentric layers of nacre build up. Nacre is often called mother-of-pearl; while it is whitish, it shines with different colors and is used to make buttons and other jewelry. Real pearls have special appeal, as their nacre layers can “bounce” light, making better “color.” Cultured pearls only have a thin outer layer of nacre.

One method of testing your pearls is to look at the holes drilled into the pearls; imitation pearls often have larger holes than real pearls. Now, gently rub two pearls together; imitation pearls will slide smoothly against one another while real pearls’ nacre is “gritty.” Grit is one of my favorite words, so you know that I admire the real deal. A growth-and-grit mindset is necessary for navigating the real world.

How do you tell real information from misinformation? Unfortunately, this is more difficult than detecting a real pearl! In the July/August edition of Monitor on Psychology, the magazine of the American Psychological Association, an article highlights the intense work of psychological scientists to increase their efforts to stop the life-threatening spread of false information about health.

Psychologist William Klein, associate director of behavioral research at the National Cancer Institute, regrets how politicized the term “misinformation” has become; he sees how social media is often responsible for rumors about health. It is especially disheartening when organized disinformation campaigns deliberately mislead folks with their layers of lies. Research shows that individuals tend to engage more and spread more false information online, compared with factual information. In one Canadian survey, 73% of 18- to 24-year-olds followed at least one influencer who spreads anti-science information. In the U.S. only 37% of adults had trust in CDC recommendations in 2022. So far, interventions regarding misinformation on health have limited success.

Carol Graham, Senior Fellow at nonprofit public policy organization Brookings Institute, cites not just political polarization as a factor in misinformation, but also the decline of local newspapers, the lack of post-secondary education opportunities in impoverished communities, as well as the mounting stress of reduced health and longevity in these neighborhoods.

Investment in declining communities is a critical issue, along with changing how Americans view mental health care. Funding for local newspapers can foster a sense of community, a dwindling concept. Vital communities take pride in their schools. Most of all, education is key in curbing misinformation. Wouldn’t a “cultured” society reform our schools so that all students can enter the labor market successfully?

To make misinformation less credible it will take a growth-and-grit mindset and layers of ongoing gritty change in tax-dollar choices.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz 

313. How do you detect misinformation?

314. What can you do to stop the spread of misinformation?   

Olympics & Mental Health

Eiffel Tower in Moonlight (Loic Venance/AFP via Getty Images)

Vincent Van Gogh captured the essence of one’s ability potential in a letter that he wrote to his brother: “…principles are good and worth the effort only when they develop into deeds…it’s good to reflect and to try to be conscientious, because that makes a person’s will to work more resolute and turns the various actions into a whole…for the great doesn’t happen through impulse alone and is a succession of little things that are brought together…it’s the same with other things as it is with artistic matters…the great isn’t something accidental; it must be willed.” 

What does it take to make a winning Olympian? Details may vary among different individuals, but I agree that greatness takes willpower which I define as grit. Research psychologist Angela Duckworth defines grit as “the power of passion plus persistence.” Grit is exercising discipline, a basic human need.

However, grit is not the only consideration in a person’s successful outcomes. One’s mental health is the secret sauce of success.

We can thank Simone Biles for educating folks about the importance of one’s mentally healthy approach to her dangerous-but-oh-so-beautiful sport. When she needed to drop out of most of the Olympic competition in Tokyo, many treated her decision harshly; she was expected to “push through,” and deny her doubts. Unfortunately, those who critiqued Biles misunderstood the situation.

Betty Okino, a 1992 Olympic medalist, explained that a gymnast can die if one cannot land on their feet (and end up landing on their head). Gymnasts call their doubts “the twisties,” a mental block where one has difficulty grasping their acute spatial ability to sense and control airborne moves. It feels as if their body and brain have a disconnect.

Biles did push through calf pain in the Paris Olympic qualification round this weekend, aiding her team in climbing to the top of the leaderboard. Biles told Hoda Kotb that she used to think of psychotherapy as a weakness. Now she has learned to speak about trauma.

Biles is not alone in addressing her mental health needs as an elite athlete. The comeback swimmer Caeleb Dressel made a decision to take 8 months off after the Tokyo Olympics to regroup in meeting his mental health needs; he has worked with a therapist weekly for 2 years.

According to Jess Bartley, senior director of psychological services for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, 15 psychological service providers worked with 1,200 athletes last year. Athletes grapple with such questions:

  • What is the place that sport has in your life?
  • How is your identity tied up in this?
  • What does it mean to make, or not make, the Olympic Games?

The Paris Olympics has a 24/7 hotline with mental health counselors who speak 70+ languages. This year athletes may seek services until 4 years post-Olympic week. Elite athletes are role models in caretaking one’s bodymind without shame.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz 

311. How do you define your own identity?

312. When do you need extra willpower or grit in your life?   

Disability Pride Pearls

July is Disability Pride Month. We commemorate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) anniversary (becoming law July 26, 1990). The ADA civil-rights goal is to prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities. One might ask how often the law is working for the 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. who live with a disability. Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are especially challenged in finding jobs — 85% are unemployed.

Self-acceptance and pride are themes every year, but the 2024 theme for the month-long celebration is “We Want a Life Like Yours.” Being inclusive and supporting everyone is part of our Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men [people] are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” Yes, dear weekly readers, I included these words in my blog about July 4th — on the topic of immigrants who were granted citizenship over that holiday week. There seems to be a need for shoring up our memories about what our country stands for.

Boston has the distinction of being first to celebrate Disability Pride in 1990, while Chicago is first in sponsoring a Disability Pride Parade (beginning in 2004). A Disability Pride flag was created with various colors to represent different types of disabilities: green for sensory disabilities, blue for mental illnesses, white for invisible or undiagnosed disabilities, yellow for neurodivergence, and red to represent physical disabilities. One wheel-chair-bound participant looks forward to the annual parade, calling it “a family reunion.”

The idea of any parade is to celebrate something, to take notice of something important, and to pause our busy lives for a period of focus. Too often, those with disabilities are not noticed — or are noticed but then overlooked when it comes to inclusive actions. Some individuals with disabilities have to cope with ableism issues every day.

July also is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month or BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Mental Health Month. We need more open dialogues about mental health in America.  

Happily, in my hometown community I watched our local high school’s summer musical with pride. The cast was extensive with a chorus line that was three-deep for many songs! Among the singer/dancer chorus were high schools students with disabilities. When I realized this, I had goose bumps. Someone at the high school notices these students. I was on the faculty of this school as a school psychologist in the 1980’s, working with troubled students who were referred to as “Behavior Disordered,” a label that I reject. Acceptance from non-special-education staff was withering.

Perhaps times are changing in a good direction. Let’s speed up progress in acceptance for everyone and their particular needs. 

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz 

309. Do you personally know someone with a disability?

310. If so, how does their disability affect you?   

Courageous Pearls

In the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, the life of an innocent man ended as he sheltered his family. Two other bystanders also captured bullets. As in several other shooter profiles, the 20-year-old gunman was described as the recipient of bullying in school. Why? Who’s teaching the values of democracy which include “…insuring domestic tranquility”?  

In his book, Healing the Heart of Democracy: The Courage to Create a Politics Worthy of the Human Spirit, writer Parker J. Palmer calls for examining our inner lives to reach the “commonwealth” of compassion and creativity found in the wording in “We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union….” Palmer instructs how to focus on shared values with the claim that “the human heart is the first home of democracy.” His 5 habits of the heart are a courageous blueprint for these troubled times:

  • An understanding that we are all in this together
  • An appreciation of the value of “otherness”
  • An ability to hold tension in life-giving ways
  • A sense of personal voice and agency
  • A capacity to create community

Named one of the most important books of the early 21st Century by Democracy & Education, Palmer’s 2024 updated edition contains a discussion guide augmented by online video interviews. Let’s teach this in schools.

Another courageous source of hope lies in the community effort to end the cycle of gun violence by the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago. In partnership with Northwestern University and the University of Chicago Crime Lab, the Institute identifies community individuals who are at risk of being shot or becoming a shooter. They foster the healing of broken dreams and chaotic emotions of youth, supporting individuals though their program of “relentless engagement.” Block by block, they espouse the vision of Martin Luther King, Jr. in nonviolent problem-solving. Their 6 principles of nonviolence support Palmer’s ideas with added dimension:

  •  Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people.
  • The Beloved Community is the goal.
  • Attack forces of evil, not persons doing evil.
  • Accept suffering without retaliation for the sake of the cause to achieve a goal.
  • Avoid internal violence of the Spirit as well as external physical violence.
  • The Universe is on the side of Justice.

The Institute creates a “culture of wellness,” including helping individuals find living-wage jobs in the legal economy. I love how their staff keep receiving training in trauma-informed care and have an offering of yoga practice. It is key to heal the healers as well as train individuals in nonviolence.

Palmer’s words inspire: “When democracy is working as it should, it is a complex and confusing mess where we can think and act as we choose, within the rule of law…and can still manage to come together for the sake of the common good.” The common good is inclusive. Democracy is inclusive.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz 

307. Which of the Institute-for-Nonviolence-Chicago principles might you work on?

308. How can you foster inclusivity in your hometown?