Day of the Imprisoned Writer: a letter to Mahvash Sabet.
We have many people around the world who are imprisoned for their political and religious beliefs. Usually, I find when we put a face on those that are somehow different they become real and human. It is important to reach out and take the hand of those who suffer persecution at the hands of others regardless of the reasons. It is important to make people real and human.
When I did my undergraduate work, I was able to take one special education course. In the course, a point that was made several times and stuck with me was that we are more alike despite obvious differences than we are different. It is overwhelmingly so.
Do we need science to tell us the obvious? Or, can we see the humanity that lies beneath the differences we want to see?
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About ivonprefontaine
In keeping with bell hooks and Noam Chomsky, I consider myself a public and dissident intellectual. Part of my work is to move beyond (transcend) institutional dogmas that bind me to defend freedom, raising my voice to be heard on behalf of those who seek equity and justice in all their forms.
I completed my PhD in Philosophy of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. My dissertation and research was how teachers experience becoming teachers and their role as leaders.
I focus on leading, communicating, and innovating in organizations. This includes mindfuful servant-leadership, World Cafe events, Appreciative Inquiry, and expressing one's self through creativity. I offer retreats, workshops, and presentations that can be tailored to your organzations specific needs.
I published peer reviewed articles about schools as learning organizations, currere as an ethical pursuit, and hope as an essential element of adult eductaion. I published three poems and am currently preparing my poetry to publish as an anthology of poetry.
I present on mindful leadership, servant leadership, schools as learning organizations, how teachers experience becoming teachers, assessement, and critical thinking. I facilitate mindfulness, hospitality retreats. and World Cafe Events using Appreciative Inquiry.
I am writing and researching about various forms of leadership, how teachers inform and form their identity as a particular teacher, schools as learning organizations, hope and its anticipatory relationship with the future, and hope as an essential element in learning.
ivonprefontaine
Teacher as Transformer 
We need to see the humanity that lies beneath the differences
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Very well put.
Thanks
You are welcome.
Amen, very well said.
Thank you/
Very well put. Unfortunately, some people are even blind to the science regarding our similarities.
Dan, I agree about our blindness. We get lost in our world and forget about the larger one.
We are more alike indeed Ivon. That’s why it is so perplexing how we treat one another. Love, sheri
It is perplexing. Take care and enjoy Sheri.
I think nearly all races want exactly the same thing……food, education, job, family, success, a roof over one’s head and a thriving community around them.
Even those who commit the worst atrocities probably want a sense of community and ‘belonging’ to their peers (even if only a band of guerrilla fighters).
I think you are right Vicki. We want the basics (Maslow’s Hierarchy) and a sense of belonging is an important part of that.
Well Ivon you hit another rock solid home run again. Even science traces the human race back to a single person (actually I think it said single woman). So we are all brothers and sisters. Maybe a few times removed, but still brothers and sisters. If this world could just learn to love it’s brothers and sisters what a peaceful world we would live in.
Yes, regardless of what we believe, we go back to common ancestry. That is what makes the violence in our world harder to grasp and understand.
Neuroscience through the use of functional MRI’s has discovered peace of mind, mental wellbeing is further enriched by giving to others and especially if we do not expect reward.
In this caring of others, our own self worth is flamed the greatest. Minute resting but if you think about it, loving Kindness giving is about as far as we can get from serving our ego.
As the saying goes we are no stronger than when we bend down to give a helping hand to another.
Neuroscience is offering insights that we have intuitively known. I agree Marty. Kindness and giving without expecting a return on your giving is as far away from the ego as we can get.
Well said!
Thank you Lisa.
Bad news. I nominate you for a Liebster. If I recall you’re not into awards, that’s ok. Haha. Cheers.
http://wp.me/p3NHOl-5AS
I appreciate the recognition, but I do not post the awards. Thank you for the kindness.