Utilizing and Facilitating Forgiveness for Individuals, Communities, and Nations (with Eileen Boriss)

Part of the expansive idea of inclusive leadership that we are promoting at the Inclusive Leadership Institute is the ability to bring healing to fractured social systems, that includes communities, societies, and also organizations that require healing from a variety of social afflictions, racism, social marginalization and polarization, civil wars, and intergroup conflicts, but also corporate takeovers, and acquisitions, or badly implemented change initiatives. And this makes the experience and expertise of Eileen Boris, particularly relevant to our pursuit of inclusive leadership. She specializes in international conflict resolution, mediation, negotiation and dialogue. She has helped rebuild more than 15 of the world’s most volatile and war torn countries, including Afghanistan, Liberia, Nigeria, Nepal, Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Lebanon, Israel, the occupied territories, and the Republic of Georgia.

A conversation with Dr. Eileen Borris, a global consultant in political forgiveness, multi-track diplomacy, leadership, and conflict resolution.

My guest for this episode is Dr. Eileen Borris, who is a global consultant in political forgiveness, multi-track diplomacy, leadership, and conflict resolution, and noted author and keynote speaker.  Dr. Borris describes her work in changing society’s vision of peacekeeping by working unyieldingly towards reconciling world conflicts.  We discuss her work around the globe and the challenges humanity is facing today given the level of violence and war.  She talks about the need for a change in mindset, shifting towards a mindset of tolerance, patience, and understanding, and the healing that needs to take place.  Dr. Borris describes how if we continue to see the world through a mindset of anger and hatred, we are going to get more violence, and we know that violence begets more violence, and we get trapped in this viscous cycle.  And this is a choice that we all need to make, because how we see the world and each other is a choice.  She describes the work of Nelson Mandela as a perfect example of how we can approach peace building and political forgiveness, and reconciliation.  Do learn more about this vitally important challenge, you can read her newsletter, Political Forgiveness Monthly, via her LinkedIn page.