Forgiveness: When to Raise the Heat?

This frank exchange asks: How do we hold space for grief, for truth, and for those not ready to reconcile? Eileen and Julia Roig explore the tension between raising the heat to disrupt complacency and calming it to build connection. From grassroots organizers in northern New York confronting ICE raids to Republican leaders standing up for farmers in the age of tariffs, we need to incentivize courage, says Julia and make harassment backfire.

Julia Roig is the founder and chief network weaver of the Horizon Project, where she focuses on strengthening connective tissue between social justice, bridge building and democracy. She has more than 30 years of experience working with democratic change and conflict transformation around the world.

Where to Find Julia Roig

LinkedIn: @Julia Roig

The Horizons Project

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https://horizonsproject.us

Mentioned in the Episode

Resource kit for responding to threats of violence and harrassment

Harnessing Our Power to End Political Violence

Loretta J. Ross TED Talk

Don’t call people out — call them in

Loretta J. Ross book

“Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You’d Rather Cancel”

About Eileen

Dr. Eileen Borris is a clinical and political psychologist who has pioneered the concept of political forgiveness on the individual, community and national level. She has addressed the United Nations and has worked for over 30 years to build peace in areas of conflict around the world, including Rwanda, South Africa, Liberia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and the Middle East. Eileen is the author of Finding Forgiveness: A 7 Step Program for Letting Go of Anger and Bitterness and the creator of Healing the Divide, a program that trains leaders and other individuals interested in applying the principles of political forgiveness to transform their lives and create social change.

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https://www.drborris.com

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Eileen’s book: Finding Forgiveness: A 7 Step Program for Letting Go of Anger and Bitterness

Time Codes

00:00 Introduction and Host Welcome

00:41 Guest Introduction: Julia Rogue

01:13 Julia’s Background and the Horizon Project

03:04 Connecting Communities for Change

05:21 Frameworks for Societal Healing

08:29 Challenges and Resistance in Dialogue

09:58 The Role of Historic Memory

15:02 Building Solidarity Networks

25:14 Rotary Forgiveness Training Program

28:54 Final Thoughts and Contact Information

Special Podcast Preview! Season 1

Inspiring Forgiveness Stories and Expert Guests

I’m so excited about the interviews I’ve been doing for Season 1 of my new podcast, Political Forgiveness: Voices of Peace, that I can’t wait to share them with you. So here’s an exclusive preview of some of my upcoming guests — experts in the field, sharing their knowledge and insight, speaking to the power of forgiveness in the healing of individuals, our communities, and our nation. Humanity is at a turning point, and to face the present challenges requires psychological and spiritual growth through forgiveness.

“A lot of people talk about forgiveness theory, and I’m turning theory into practice.” — Dr. Eileen Borris

 

Meet Your Host

Dr. Eileen Borris is a clinical and political psychologist who’s worked in war-torn nations like Rwanda, South Africa, Liberia, Nigeria, the Middle East, Afghanistan and Ethiopia to build forgiveness and reconciliation. She’s also the author of Finding Forgiveness: A 7 Step Program for Letting Go of Anger and Bitterness. Eileen has spoken to members of the UN and develops pioneering programs around political forgiveness.


Listen to Episode One Now! Dr. Fred Luskin

Director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Projects, Dr. Luskin is the author of several best-selling books on forgiveness. He teaches mindfulness and happiness to business executives from around the world and has been interviewed hundreds of times in worldwide media.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or most podcast apps.

LISTEN NOW!


Coming Soon!

New episodes drop on the second Wednesday of every month.

Dr. Loren Toussaint

A professor of psychology at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, Dr. Toussaint is a researcher examining virtues, especially forgiveness, and how they are related to health and well-being. He directs the Laboratory for the Investigation of Mind, Body, and Spirit at Luther College.

Father Leonel Narváez

Father Narváez is a priest and sociologist with the Consolata Missionaries and has participated in peace negotiations in East Africa and the Amazon. He founded the Foundation for Reconciliation based in Bogota, Colombia, where he developed the ESPERE methodology based in forgiveness and reconciliation.

Mary Noble

Mary Noble is the co-founder and CEO of Feminenza, a nonprofit organization, which had its beginnings in 2000 with a gathering of some 400 women from all corners of the world. Feminenza works towards a greater mutuality between genders to establish a more humane and peaceful world. Mary gives training programs in forgiveness. And her work in teaching about forgiveness is extraordinary.

Libby Hoffman

Libby Hoffman is the founder and president of Catalyst for Peace and co-founder of Fambul Tok in Sierra Leone. Her award-winning book The Answers Are There: Building Peace from the Inside Out chronicles the journey of Fambul Tok in Sierra Leone from post-war community reconciliation to national policy framework. She also produced the award-winning documentary, Fambul Tok.

Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury

Amb. Chowdhury has been a career diplomat and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations. He held many positions of leadership within the UN and UNICEF. As president of the Security Council he was instrumental in many groundbreaking resolutions on women, peace and security, including the adoption of the landmark program on the Culture of Peace by the UN General Assembly.

Julia Roig

An organizer at heart, Julia Roig is the founder and Chief Network Weaver of the Horizons Project. She focuses on building broader alliances for pro-democracy movements and weaves narrative engagement across differences. She is a renowned public speaker, facilitator, trainer, and author, able to connect deeply with different constituencies within civil society, social movements, governments, and corporations.


Book Time With Eileen Now

Personal Forgiveness Coaching

Want to go deeper with a personal forgiveness issue? Eileen is available for remote, one-on-one personal consulting, and to help you let go of your emotional pain. LEARN MORE

Forgiveness Consulting

The process of forgiving creates openness, authenticity and teamwork. Contact Eileen today to work with your organization to manage a transition, encourage a culture of forgiveness or more. LEARN MORE

Inspirational Speaker

Your civic group or conference audience can enjoy an informative and engaging conversation with Eileen as they ask questions during her keynote in the style of a “living room conversation” format. LEARN MORE

Awakening Global Consciousness

“Immanuel Kant prophesied that mankind would one day be faced with a dilemma: either to be joined in a true union of nations or to perish in a war of annihilation ending in the extinction of the human race.’ Now, as we move from the second to the third millennium, the clock has struck the moment of truth.”

Mikhail Gorbachev – Nobel Peace Prize 1990 Acceptance Speech

In the early hours of February 24th, 2022, Ukraine was awoken to the harrowing sound of war as the Russian Federation attacked its independent, free, and sovereign neighbor. Vladimir Putin, unprovoked and without reason, launched Europe into conflict with no care or thought for the human cost of such a despicable action. Russian military convoys breached Ukrainian territory by land, aircraft fired missiles and ships launched artillery strikes. The sounds of war reverberated around the country and the continent. Ukrainians began their day in shock, feeling disoriented and fearful learning that their county was just invaded by a dictator and his military – and for what reason?  Moments after Russia announced the “special operation” in Ukraine under the most ludicrous of pretexts, known as the war on Ukraine to the rest of the world, the Ukrainian representative to the United Nations launched an intense, last-ditch call for Vladimir Putin to change course and stop the violence.

At an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council in New York, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United Nations Sergiy Kyslytsya held up his smartphone and shook it toward his Russian counterpart, demanding he put an end to the invasion right then and there. “Call Putin, call Lavrov to stop aggression”, he pleaded. When he finished speaking, Sergiy Kyslytsya warned: “There is no purgatory for war criminals. They go straight to hell, Ambassador”. The seeds of this war were sown in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea by Putin. The pretext for the action from Russia then was the supposed oppression of Russians in Eastern Ukraine. And now, well take your pick. It is a preventative operation to stop Ukraine attacking Russia and starting a war. It is an operation to “de-Nazify” Ukraine and stop the oppression of its people. It is an operation to put to an end the genocide of Russian people in Eastern Ukraine. All of these are the supposed basis for this Russian war launched by Putin. To clarify, this is misinformation that simply is not true. Ukraine was not going to launch a war with Russia. Ukraine has a freely and democratically elected government and President, a President who is himself Jewish and who had relatives killed during The Holocaust. Ukraine and its government were not committing genocide in Eastern Ukraine. These claims are the lies of a dictator and his regime.

Ukrainians and Russians, the ordinary citizens of both, share familial ties, have friendships across borders and did not want this war. Who does this war benefit? It is not the Ukrainian people or the Russian people, it is Putin trying to recapture the supposed glory of the past, the Soviet Union. When this invasion began and the war commenced, Ukrainian citizens faced a stark choice, flee for their lives and protect their families or stay in the country that they love and do not want to lose? This is a choice nobody should ever have to make, and certainly not one that people expected to have to make on the 24th of February in 2022.

Cars and buses were packed with families, their belongings, and family pets, as a mass exodus began to take place amidst anger and fear. For others it was a harrowing train ride cloaked in darkness to escape from invading forces. And for those who couldn’t or wouldn’t leave, they could only hope for a safe place, a warm corner to shelter. Each refugee’s story is filled with grief and uncertainty. The UN estimates that over two and a half million people have been forced to flee their homes and cross the border out of Ukraine in search of safety. For all Ukrainians, their lives were just torn apart, and they had to struggle with newfound insecurities and fear.

People around the world watched in horror as they saw the actions of a ruthless dictator broadcast across TV, social media and on front pages of newspapers. The Russian invaders launched a brutal offensive supposedly targeting military installations near population centres and these have often looked a lot like apartment buildings, schools, hospitals, and public squares. The targeting of innocent civilians is reprehensible, as is the failure to honor humanitarian corridors and allow safe passage away from conflict. World leaders believe Putin had no intention of stopping with Ukraine and sought to bring war and destruction further into Europe. If Putin expected this invasion of Ukraine to be quick, easy or successful then he has vastly underestimated Ukrainians. In President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine has the opposite of Putin, a leader who is standing up for his people and European values seeking to protect his country and his people. Ukrainians stand strong and proud with images of many travelling home to fight for the country they love even as bomb blasts light the sky over Ukrainian cities.

This bravery was demonstrated by civilians in Ukraine’s southern city of Melitopol who marched against the ongoing Russian invasion facing down Russian military personnel and vehicles who had entered the city, laying on the ground or standing tall to block the road while others used their bare hands to try and halt vehicles. A woman in Henychesk confronted Russian soldiers asking why they were there and told them to put sunflower seeds in their pockets so flowers may bloom where they will die on the soil of her country. The bravery of Ukrainian citizens is clear to see across the country. Whether it be a DJ picking up arms to defend his country, female members of parliament (MPs) joining the front lines of the battle, a 65-year-old man making Molotov cocktails in his garage or a welder building tank trap defences to be placed on the roads into Kyiv. This is ordinary people standing up to tyranny, saying this will not stand and that the brutality of the past will not be allowed again.

What is happening to humanity and where are our better angels? How is the world still governed by ego driven, narcissistic men like Putin who only care about themselves and the power or wealth they can amass? How can we shift the thinking of this ego driven world which seems to pride itself on giving out disinformation and propaganda to divide instead of uniting?

Ironically, because of Putin’s unconscionable war in Ukraine humanity is coming together in a way that has rarely been seen before. The dictator in chief has managed to unite Europe and the Western world against him. People are rising up and saying no more, a country cannot invade another sovereign nation for its own political gains. Protests against Russia, and in support of Ukraine, have been seen across the world, from New York to Dublin and Tallinn to Munich. Even within Russia, where protest will land you in prison, there have been large-scale anti-war protests across Moscow, Saint Petersburg and beyond in a show of defiance against Putin. The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield in her remarks to the United Nations commented that “Putin wants the world to travel back in time. To a time before the United Nations. To a time when empires ruled the world. But the rest of the world has moved forward. It is not 1919. It is 2022”.

People are beginning to recognize their interconnectedness and that when one hurts, we can all hurt. The world is coming together to support the people of Ukraine and people are becoming vocal about what they will not accept anymore. There was a United Nations General Assembly resolution which passed with 141 nations condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, 35 abstained and only five nations voted against the resolution. The only countries to vote with Russia were Syria, Belarus, North Korea, and Eritrea, all led by authoritarian dictators showing the extent of isolation Putin has led Russia into. People are standing against the brutality of Putin and showing it is not something that will be accepted in 2022. People across the world have been united against Putin and his brutality with vigils for peace in solidarity with Ukraine widespread. The EU, NATO and nations across the world are standing side by side having introduced the toughest sanctions possible against Russia decimating its currency, economy and financial power to support its war.

Could it be that the collective action taking place around the world is the awakening of a global consciousness, a consciousness that recognizes the importance of caring for one another instead of being so wrapped up in oneself? There has been mounting public pressure on businesses to act in support of Ukraine and cease business activities in Russia, and it is working. For Russian citizens walking down the streets of Moscow, while being lied to by State controlled media, locked out of social media like Facebook and independent news sites, they are seeing the effects of Putin’s actions with their favourite shops and restaurants shuttered, the ATM not able to meet demand and economic instability clear to see. There is only so much of the narrative Putin can control.

The collective action taken by nations extends beyond sanctions and words, beyond weapons and anti-aircraft missiles, countries in Europe have opened their borders, their hearts, and their homes to those fleeing Ukraine. Ordinary people, humanitarian organizations, NGO’s, so many people coming together in amazing ways to help those in need. Volunteers have gone to the Polish border and set up stations for the refugees so they can get water and food, even toys for the children. There is a unified effort to help those fleeing and provide safe-haven and a second home for them. There is a good in people that is too rarely seen on this scale. In their time of need the Ukrainian people are finding outstretched helping hands from their fellow Europeans. The world needs to remain united against the aggression of Putin, in support of Ukraine and its people and help those forced to flee providing safety while it is needed. The world will need to be there when the war hopefully ends, the world will need to help Ukraine rebuild.

I hope that this is the coming of a new dawn and that every person can play an important part in a new approach. Instead of reacting out of anger towards one another perhaps we can take a step back, wait a moment and recognize that we all want the same things, to live a happy and peaceful life. There is a collective responsibility on us all to ensure that. Kindness doesn’t cost anything but an act of kindness can go a very long way. If we can be more aware of the importance of caring for and helping others our world will become a better place. An image that stuck with me is that of a German pianist who travelled from Germany to the Polish border with piano in tow so he can play heartfelt music for those Ukrainians who had to flee their homes, to give something special to the refugees getting off buses to welcome them. We must all help, as we would wish to be helped in a similar situation. We must all wake up and show our true humanity.

Just Go F Yourself Podcast: Ep. 36 – I’m a Work in Progress With Guest Dr. Eileen Borris

Dr. Eileen Borris, psychologist, author and forgiveness expert joins Lisa for a conversation on political forgiveness and the healing of nations. Dr. Borris has spoken before the UN, the Dalia Lama wrote the forward to her book and her private practice where she helps others to forgive but not always to forget.

Eileen’s work as an international consultant led her to write “Finding Forgiveness: A 7 Step Program for Letting Go of Anger & Bitterness” is a must read especially now. Lisa asks the most important question of all….how does one forgive and let go?

The Beginning of a New Way Forward

As Charles Dickens once wrote in his novel A Tale of Two Cities, “it was the best of times, it was the worse of times.” Could this be true for us? We are coping with a pandemic and dealing with deep divisions and issues of racial injustice which are profound. Parallels have been drawn between what is happening now and during the Civil War. So where are “the best of times?”

Crisis brings opportunities. Out of our pain can come healing. We know healing begins with truth telling and accountability and fortunately we have models from around the world which we can learn from. The most notable comes from the work of Nelson Mandel and the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Although this commission had many flaws it is also a model which can teach us many things. Other models are emerging such as the work being done in Colombia with their truth commission. One of the most interesting aspects of this work is how it views different forms of the truth and works with the differing perceptions. Closer to home is the work done in Canada and their truth and reconciliation commission which provided those directly or indirectly affected by the legacy of the Indian Residential Schools system with an opportunity to share their stories and experiences.

A new way forward is about transformation. It takes time and a critical mass to get there. Unfortunately, our culture has de-valued many of its citizens and so our work begins with remembering our humanity, our inner-connectedness and what it means to be a human being. It means zero tolerance for any kind of violence. In this country what we must grapple with is the ideology of racism and violence and the denial of humanity for different groups of people. The work must be comprehensive and work on all levels of society. People need to change mind sets, communities must come together and heal, and there needs to be resources and commitment on the governmental level to change structures in society so what we are now experiencing can never happen again.

Can the worse of times become the best of times? Can we embrace this moment of crisis in a healing capacity as a country so we can go forward with a new vision of who we must be as a nation and have the capacity to demonstrate empathy and care for one another, showing that we value one another? Can we transform our structures to be inclusive instead of exclusive? What I have just described is the work of political forgiveness. In practicing forgiveness politically, we can grow in compassion and empathy and out of that can develop a new culture based on our humanness. This IS our way forward and gives us an opportunity to make profound changes in our society.

For those interested in learning more about political forgiveness please go to my website www.drborris.com. Feel free to sign up for the monthly newsletter which shares information and stories on political forgiveness when you go to the website.

The Poisoning of America’s Soul

Today is MLK day, to honor not only a man who was a great civil rights leader, but also a very spiritual man who had a great soul. His speeches and writings demonstrated a depth of thinking reflecting his beautiful heart for humanity. He understood the destructiveness of violence which not only destroys the social progress in America but also destroys the nations soul as well.

Reverend King often warned about the importance of caring for the worlds oppressed rather than taking sides with the oppressor and so I want to leave you with the words of King himself who speaks of the importance of re-directing ourselves to creating a better world no matter what it demands of us along the way.

“I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a ‘thing-oriented’ society to a ‘person-oriented’ society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism and militarism are incapable of being conquered.

“We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history there is such a thing as being too late. Procrastination is still the thief of time. Life often leaves us standing bare, naked, and dejected with a lost opportunity. We still have a choice today, nonviolent coexistence or violent co-annihilation. We must move past indecision to action. We must find new ways to speak for peace and justice throughout the developing world a world that borders on our doors.

“If we do not act, we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality and strength without sight.”

For those of you who are interested in learning about forgiveness on a political level please go to my website www.drborris.com. You can also sign up for a monthly newsletter whose focus is on political forgiveness.

 

Stop the Insanity!

It was truly heartbreaking to see destruction taking place on the U.S. Capitol during what was supposed to be a procedural event to confirm president-elect Joe Biden as the next president of the United States. Instead, what was demonstrated was anger and hatred incited by the president himself. Is this the America we want or are we willing to stop this insanity and begin a healing process that is so desperately needed in this country? We are seeing very clearly the healing which needs to take place within the United States. If we chose to shine a light on the darkness within society and take responsibility for our actions perhaps something good can come from this.

 To heal the political divisions in this country we need to be honest. We need to know the truth and dismantle the conspiracy theories. Why is this so important? In Timothy Snyder’s book, On Tyranny Snyder spells out important lessons we need to learn and how to preserve a fragile democracy. He describes a trajectory of how authoritarian regimes begins to form such as in creating an alternative reality, dismantling the truth, and introducing doubt in a democratic system. Therefore, truth telling becomes extremely important in the healing process of any nation and especially when people continually lie for political gain, they need to be held accountable. We need to recognize that none of this happens without a concerted effort to support an alternate reality from the very beginning. And finally, how this story is recalled in the future is going to matter a great deal for our country. We need to remember who were on the side of this alternate reality, who perpetuated lies and who encouraged the insurrection by domestic terrorist. The way out of this situation is to tell the truth, and for people to be held accountable. Truth and accountability are necessary in the long-term process of healing this nation and go hand in hand.

I often speak of forgiveness on a political level and I am sure that when people hear these words, they automatically think that to forgive means to let people off the hook including our political leaders. That is not what political forgiveness is about. On the contrary, a political forgiveness process must begin with truth telling and accountability. This is the critical first step. Without this healing is impossible.

For all of you who would like to recieve my newsletter to learn more about political forgiveness please go to my website www.drborris.com.  If you have any personal or political forgivness stories you would like to share or have thoughts or questions you may have concerning forgiveness on a personal or political level please use the contact form below. I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Political Forgiveness 101

There is so much good work happening n the field of peacebuilding and conflict resolution which goes unnoticed and which is very inspiring. Especially heart warming are the women peace makers who bring to the mix compassion, understanding and nurturance. With all the division and “us versus them” mentality to heal these divisions and transform conflict we need to change our mindsets. This is where political forgiveness can come into play.

Political forgiveness not only include individual forgiveness but broadens the concept of forgiveness to the political arena. In a sense it can be seen as a secular version of what can be viewed as more religious or spiritual on an individual level and is about healing not only individually but also on a community and national level as well.

The question becomes “are we ready for this?” Are we at a place where we are willing to let go of our need to be right for the sake of others and to be willing to really listen and hear one another especially behind the what is being said? There is so much fear that we are feeling. Fear of not having a place in society or fear of losing our place, or that we feel we do not matter. There is fear of losing control or not having control and the list goes on.

When we allow ourselves to engage in a political forgiveness process, we begin with the understanding that we want to come together and finally listen to one another. We are willing to acknowledge our part in what ever situation which has been causing conflict, take responsibility for it and work together in a healing capacity. There ae many steps to a political forgiveness process and in order to engage it begins with changing mindsets – a difficult process for some and a process which can be quite profound for others.

In transforming conflict, a political forgiveness process is necessary. Forgiveness on any level requires an inner shift within our beings. In an address to a joint session of the United States Congress in 1990 former president of the Czech Republic Vaclav Havel said that “without a global revolution in the sphere of human consciousness, a more humane society will not emerge.” Stopping the cycles of anger, hatred, and fear which fuel so much suffering, requires a radical change in our thinking. Without this change we will stay stuck in the quagmire of violence and aggression, passing down to each generation the legacy of violence and guilt which will only perpetuate these cycles. If, on the other hand, we are honestly committed to transforming consciousness, then we will recognize that the true heroes are those individuals who are not afraid to look within, to change the way they think, and heal the pain of their heart. This kind of healing transformation is what forgiveness is about.

Healing ourselves, our communities and our nations is not east work, but it is necessary if we want to live more peacefully with one another. The gift is that when we have the courage to do things differently and make changes within ourselves our lives become richer, fuller and more meaningful. When we can listen to one another and help alleviate someone else’s fear by our compassion and understanding we are creating more peaceful societies and a more peaceful world.

 

T

A Tribute to the Courageous and Beautifully Spiritual John Lewis

“Walk with the winds brothers and sisters and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide”

John Lewis –

           Representative John Lewis died July 17, 2020 at the age of 80 after a battle with pancreatic cancer serving more than three decades in Congress. A civil rights icon who began his life as the son of sharecroppers was by all accounts an ordinary man who because of his bravery, his acts of courage and commitment to making this world a better, more just place,  has changed this world. Almost losing his life during bloody Sunday’s march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama and being on the frontlines of a bloody campaign to end Jim Crow laws, Lewis never gave up hope for making this country a better nation.

Lewis reminded us to answer the highest calling of one’s heart. He spent his life demonstrating that the way of peace, the way of love and nonviolence is the best way if we want to achieve that peace. What Lewis was describing are principles of political forgiveness. Political forgiveness triumphs over violence, aggression, and war. It is a healing force that unites us instead of that which divides us. It is inclusive, not exclusive. It is a healing force that helps us understand one another instead of hating one another. What John Lewis stood for was political forgiveness in action. His attitude and philosophy in life was based on love. He regarded everyone with dignity and respect. His civil rights activism and his views on nonviolence were based in restoring relationships. And his greatest dedication to his life was changing political structures from those that supported structural violence to those that reflected justice and equality. The Voting Act of 1965 reflected that. As former president Barack Obama said about Mr. Lewis, “he as much as anyone in our history brought this country a little bit closer to our highest ideals.” Political forgiveness is one of those highest ideals.

We are a work in progress. Much healing needs to take place on all levels of society. This is where the power lies in a political forgiveness process. It addresses all levels of society in a coordinated and healing capacity. Lewis demonstrated moral courage and has asked us to do the same. Forgiveness requires moral courage. Lewis stood for unity not division, love not hatred and embraced taking responsibility to create a better society. These are some of the principles of forgiveness on a political level. Lewis never gave up and persevered against all odds. These are the qualities for us to emulate especially in a political forgiveness process.

John Lewis will be profoundly missed. Let us never forget the light that he shined upon this world. The greatest tribute we can pay to John Lewis is to keep fighting for what he stood for and in the way he led his life. He was truly a most spiritual human being.

Father Cries for Help and Gets a Life changing Surprise

There is a lot one can say about social media and for all the negatives there is also a lot of good. The other day my husband was surfing YouTube when he came across a story of a 24-year-old Tibetan who walks the streets of Majnu Ka Tila, a poor Tibetan Community in Delhi and finds people who are in desperate need of help. We both began to watch what this young man Tenzin Kunchok (also known as Ted) was doing, and before I knew it my husband was talking to Ted on what’s app! Being touched by this Tibetans compassion we found out that he wanted to help a man by the name of Karan. Karan used to do photography but due to the pandemic and rise of the smartphone industry he lost his job. He is the only breadwinner of his family of six and was living in abject poverty. He tried working in manual labor but would not always get work. The most he could earn was about 200 rupees ($2.70) a day. Because of that he was not able to buy food and the necessities for his family to survive. His four children are home because of the lockdown but once school reopens, he needs to pay school fees which he doesn’t have. If the children cannot go to school, they will never be able to get out of poverty. Because of the hard time his family was going through Karan felt there was no where to turn and feared for his family.

When Ted heard about the plight of this family, he wanted to do something about it. He went home and reached out to us. I offered my help to get this family get back on their feet. The next day Ted went back to Karan and told him he need not worry any more. The dream of making a livelihood by opening a pani-puri stall for Karan and a small shop of snacks, drinks and tobacco outside their home for his wife so she could earn some money was now becoming a reality. And his children will also be able go back to school.

Even when there is so much suffering going on in this world there are also people who care such as Ted who saw the need to help Karan. This inspiring and emotional story of one person reaching out to others who in turn could help can be found on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UMf-ZAHpW0. It is a story of what an act of kindness and compassion can do and change someone’s life forever.