Peace is With us Today.
I had an Einstein poster in my classroom. My students referred to him as my dad, because I told a student, who did recognize him, he was my dad. When another student questioned me, I pointed out we had wild hair, facial foliage, and eccentric behaviors.
I enjoy Einstein, because his quotes reveal important insights. In this one, peace is something we offer and gain through mutual understanding.
I am using Jurgen Habermas, Hans-Georg Gadamer, Parker Palmer, etc. in my dissertation. I find important intersections in their work as they stress conversation, communication, and mutual understanding as integral to living peacefully in the world. It does not mean agreement, but suggests we can accept different ways of experiencing the world that allows for non-violent disagreement. We see what the Other holds true in their living as not very different from what we hold true.
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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 
Hi! I have created a new Award: Power of Words Award, and you are one of the first ever nominees! Thank you for all you do help make the world a better place with your words. Please accept your award here: http://idealisticrebel.com/2015/02/19/the-power-of-words-award/
Thank you.
You are very welcome. Thank you for all your hard work. Hugs, Barbara
Even if what we see is radically different, we would be better off accepting and embracing those differences than fighting over them.
When we accept the differences, we come to see the similarities with more clarity.
Chuckled at your description of Einstein in first paragraph.
It was one of those stories that had traction. My students always made sure I which dad I was talking about–my real dad or Einstein.
Ahhh, a nice conversation among friends…how does it get better than that? xoxoM
Thank you for a lovely comment Maragarita.
Each time I read or hear of the Berlin Wall I am saddened because I live a few short blocks from a fifteen-foot steel wall that separates Mexico from the US. It is an ugly scar that runs across our beautiful desert and slices the sister towns of Naco, Arizona, fro, Naco,
Sonora.
We used to be much line one town here, but with the wall, that is no longer true. And to make things worse, they are busy now building a second wall about twenty feet away from the old one so if someone does indeed scale one, he will be trapped in a long, narrow patrolled area. It is about as far from peace as you can imagine,
It is sad. There are walls that exist without being built, but it is sad to build them purposely.
Sorry about the typos!
☺️
Always enjoy Einstein quotes. Those eccentric people have the greatest ideas it seems.
They do.
I sense a sadness in you and I am sorry about that. From the time I first punched the button to follow I always admired what you had to say and treasured it. Because of you I came to know Mary Oliver and Rumi and now purchase their books. I am much older than you, and know that where politics is concerned none of us will ever have all that we would have liked, but as you mentioned, mutual understanding and communication are great stepping stones in all aspects of life. The best any of can do next is to continue to follow our Lord as we adjust to circumstances beyond our control and press on like the apostle Paul “forgetting what is behind.”
Thank you for a wonderful comment Marie. I am glad you enjoy Rumi and Mary Oliver. There is something in the spaces between words in poetry that gives us time to pause.