Co-creating Peace

One of the primary reasons I started this podcast was because of challenges we humans have in being able to have peaceful conversations when we have differences of opinion, especially when those differences are around topics about which we care a great deal, and therefore have high emotion around. We lack these skills because they were never taught to us!In this episode, “Teaching Civil Dialogue as a Tool for Peace”, Episode #140 of Co-creating Peace, I have an intriguing conversation with Charlie Young, author of “Constructive Communication – Civil Dialogue”, and a passionate advocate for teaching civil dialogue, both at home, and from the earliest stages of our formal education. Highlights of our conversation include:the concepts of civil dialogue/constructive communication and methods of teaching these skills to youth the vital significance of teaching essential skills like validation, empathy, clarifying, summarizing, non-judgmental observation, and mindfulness. pivotal skills in bridging cultural and racial differences, fostering forgiveness, and promoting societal harmonyagreement isn't necessary to achieve mutual understandingCharlie Young was born, raised and educated in MA.  He came to Oregon in 1958.  His life experiences are many including directing an office of education with emphasis on adult learning, serving in the Naval Reserve, being a flight instructor, corporate pilot, head trainer for developing efficient and effective work processes for a large electrical contractor and upon retirement being a mediator.  His book “Constructive Communication – Civil Dialogue” brings together his life experiences and continued education for developing better ways to communicate and resolve differences.   To learn more about teaching civil dialogue in schools, contact Charlie directly at: charlie.y.bend@gmail.com. Educators: To get your copy of his book, “Constructive Communication – Civil Dialogue”, click here or go to: books.friesenpress.com and search for “Constructive Communication” by Charlie YoungOr you can find it on Amazon by clicking here or searching for “Constructive Communication” by Charlie Young.Share your thoughts, reactions, feedback & ideas with me. I'd love to hear from you!Please support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Trauma is a part of life, as the world we're living in continually shows us. Yet we don't have to carry that trauma throughout our life. Welcome to “EmotionAid® –  5 Steps to Reduce Trauma and Deactivate High Emotion”, Episode #139 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation. Join me for this enlightening episode as I welcome back Jeffrey Goldstein to discuss the transformative power of EmotionAid®, a set of five practical tools created by the International Trauma Healing Institute in Israel to help manage and de-escalate emotional responses during times of trauma, conflict or high stress. Jeffrey explains how these tools work to dissipate residual adrenaline, re-center and re-orient ourselves, release the trauma from our body, and find wisdom and strength through the experience. By regulating the nervous system and our psychological responses with these techniques, we can release the residues of the trauma response and transform that energy into creative and positive outcomes, promoting well-being and peace within ourselves and in our interactions with others.Highlights of our conversation include:Recognizing & honoring our trauma responses for what they areThe importance of discovering where our trauma(s) reside in our body and how to release themThe 5 steps of EmotionAid®The extraordinary value of utilizing the 5th step of EmotionAid® (Resourcing) to fill the spaces that remain when we've released the residues of our trauma(s)Understanding that growth and positive outcomes can result from consciously working through our traumaJeffrey Goldstein SEP lives in Yefe Nof, Jerusalem, Israel. His professional focus is Body Oriented Trauma Therapy with a Spiritual Approach. Modalities are Attunement, Somatic Experiencing®, and EmotionAid®. He offers private sessions, classes, & trainings in Israel, Switzerland, USA, and online. He's a Dedicated Spiritual Peace activist with a strong desire to spread inner peace. He conducts Peace Vigils 2x/week since Oct. 7, 2024.Website: JeffGoldsteinAttuner.comPh./WhatsApp +972-52-655-7195E-mail: JeffGoldsteinAttuner@gmail.comBooks: Energy Ball For Peace Ceremony: Personal Health and Global Blessing; Energy Ball: For Health and Spiritual Growth Upcoming Zoom offerings:Join Peace Vigils: Sun.: 20:15  UTC/GMT; Wed.: 17:00 UTC/GMTSafe~Peace Zoom gatherings Sundays: 19:00 UTC/GMT request link: JeffGoldsteinAttuner@gmail.com Share your thoughts, reactions, feedback & ideas with me. I'd love to hear from you!Please support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

In Episodes #20, #76 & #77, I had some great conversations with guests about boundaries. Today's guests, Jan & Jillian Yuhas, twin sisters who are both psychologists and mediators, have a unique take on working with boundaries that emerged from their 20 years of experience in interpersonal psychology and mediation.Welcome to “Boundary Badass: A Powerful Method for Elevating Your Value and Relationships” Episode #138 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation.Highlights of our conversation include:Using “I”- statements to talk about our boundaries and our valuesThe importance of exploring shared values to help us find common groundUsing open-ended questions as “discovery” questions to help us respond to a triggering statement from a heart-centered, non-reactive place.Moving from “me” to “we” to inspire collaboration and help elevate relationshipsJan Yuhas, M.A., MFT, and Jillian Yuhas, M.A., MFT, are Relationship Experts, Boundary, and Conflict Resolution Consultants, and the authors behind 'Boundary Badass: A Powerful Method For Elevating Your Value and Relationships.' Jan and Jillian are dedicated to helping value-driven entrepreneurs and companies cultivate mutually beneficial relationships, facilitate respectful conflict resolution, and empower others to master the art of setting personal and professional boundaries. With over two decades of experience in interpersonal psychology and mediation, the sisterly duo specializes in unlocking others' inherent value, amplifying their personal development and professional performance, and guiding them toward relationship growth. To learn more about Jan & Jillian Yuhas, and the wonderful resources they have to offer, visit: janandjillian.com. To learn more about their book, “Boundary Badass”, visit: boundarybadass.com.To learn more about values, tune in to Episode #27.  To hear more about negotiation, you can listen to Episode #4, boundaries in Episodes #20, #76 & #77, I messages Episode #10 & open-ended/“discovery” questions, Episode #6.  Please support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Beginning June 8th, you'll hear new episodes of Co-creating Peace – a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation, where we bring you insights and wisdoms from experts in mindfulness and peacemaking from around the world.  Meanwhile, I hope you will listen to past episodes of this podcast, harvest the insights and wisdoms you will find there, and continue to share Co Creating Peace with others.  Here are a few examples of the many episodes you might want to listen to:Episode #29 – “The Power of the Positive”This episode builds upon what I discussed in Episode #14 on re-framing our perspective. The Power of the Positive is about focusing on the things that are positive in life, in people, in situations – even in the presence of the aspects we see as detrimental or undesirable in those same things. We can use The Power of the Positive to help us to co-create peace.Episode #30 – “We See What We Believe” In this episode, I share my thoughts on an interesting psychological phenomenon known as “confirmation bias”. I also share a letter with you from someone who wrote to me about how she used Appreciative Inquiry, which I talk about in Episode #29.“Episode #97 – How to Move Beyond Blame, Live Your Highest Purpose and Become an Unstoppable Force for Good” Dr. Fleet Maull joins me to talk about Radical Responsibility, and how practicing it can empower us to better co-create peace with others. Highlights of our conversation were:           – The value of mindfulness & emotional intelligence to help us to co-create peace           – Radical Responsibility          – The Drama Triangle and its relationship to conflict          – The power of dialogueEpisode #100 – “From Drama Triangle to Circle of Empowerment”  Susan Partnow  shares insights on the drama triangle and how to transform it into a circle of empowerment. Highlights of our conversation include:           – The 3 roles in the drama triangle and how they interact            – How to move from the drama triangle into the circle of empowerment           – How to invite others to join us in moving from the drama triangle into the circle of empowermentTune in the weekend of June 8th for a new episode of Co-creating Peace! Please support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

This is a great time to catch up on past episodes of Co-creating Peace – a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation, where we bring you insights and wisdoms from experts in mindfulness and peacemaking from around the world.   While I am taking a break from broadcasting new episodes of Co-creating Peace during April and May, I hope you will listen to past episodes of this podcast, harvest the insights and wisdoms you will find there, and continue to share Co-creating Peace with others.  Here are a few examples of the many episodes you might want to listen to:Episode #10 – “The ‘I's Have It” This episode is about using “I-messages” to help you deliver information in a way that feels safe for others to hear by self-referencing when voicing our opinions or experiences, and avoiding “You-messages” which feel accusatory, such as “You make me so...!” or “You always....”. I'll also read letters that I received from a couple of listeners and share with you the advice that I gave them, which directly relates to this topic.Episode #13 – “Conflict Is an Opportunity” How often have you thought of conflict as an opportunity? Most people don't see conflict that way at all! In this episode, I'll tell why you will find it helpful to seek and find the positive opportunity in every conflict in your life.Episode #14 – “If You Change the Way You Look at Things, the Things You Look at Change” This episode is part 1 of a 2-part series on re-framing. I will tell you about what I consider to be one of the most powerful tools I know for both peacemaking and psychological well-being: re-framing your perspective.Episode #15 – “How You Say It Affects How They See It” This episode is part 2 of a 2-part series on re-framing. In Episode #14, I told you about what I consider to be one of the most powerful tools I know for both peacemaking and psychological well-being: re-framing your perspective. In this episode, you'll learn how to use re-framing in your communication to help you more skillfully navigate challenging communication and difficult conversations.Tune in the weekend of June 8th for a new episode of Co Creating Peace!Please support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

This is a great time to catch up on past episodes of Co-creating Peace – a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation, where we bring you insights and wisdoms from experts in mindfulness and peacemaking from around the world.   While I am taking a break from broadcasting new episodes of Co-creating Peace during April and May, I hope you will listen to past episodes of this podcast, harvest the insights and wisdoms you will find there, and continue to share Co Creating Peace with others.  Here are a few examples of the many episodes you might want to listen to:Episode #6 – “I See You” on how to meaningfully acknowledge other people, their experiences and their perspectives Episode #7 – “What's Your Style” which explores the different styles with which we approach conflict, and which is most likely to get your needs met Episode # 8 – “Don't Believe Everything You Think” discusses our filters and assumptions, and the role they play in creating and fostering conflict. You will also learn about The Iroquois Rule of Six. In Episode #58, "Here Comes the Judge", I discuss more about this topic with Michael Lightweaver.Episode #11 – “Speak Their Language” brings to light the modalities with which each of us processes and communicates information, how that affects misunderstanding & conflict, and how mindfully communicating using another persons modality can build rapportTune in the weekend of June 8th for a new episode of Co Creating Peace!Please support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Welcome to Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation, where we bring you insights and wisdoms from experts in mindfulness and peacemaking from around the world. I will be taking a break from broadcasting new episodes of Co-creating Peace during April and May as I relocate my home and my sound studio. During that time, I hope you will listen to past episodes of this podcast, harvest the insights and wisdoms you will find there, and continue to share Co Creating Peace with others.Here are a few examples of the many episodes you might want to listen to:Episode #2 is all about the structure of Conscious Communication Episode #3 provides insights into the Actions Iceberg, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs/Universal needs, in detail & with examples, Episode #4 teaches you about Needs-based negotiationEpisode #5 tells you all about The Chain of Conflict and how to break it.Tune in the weekend of June 8th for a new episode of Co Creating Peace!Please support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Welcome to “Energy Ball for Peace Ceremony"..In this episode, Jeffrey Goldstein and I embark on an intriguing exploration of how each of us can harness the natural energy within us to foster peace and healing for ourselves and others. Jeffrey guides us through forming an energy ball, a technique using the healing energy within each of us.Join us as Jeffrey describes the transformative peace ceremonies, which he has been using and teaching in Israel and Palestine for many years. Energy ball ceremonies harness the power of collective intention and the positive ripple effect that can create. Using this powerful tool, we can all contribute to a more united and peaceful world. Jeffrey's vision of global harmony through individual and group energy work provides a beacon of hope in a world often divided. I invite you to listen deeply, and you may discover new ways to channel your inner energy towards co-creating a more peaceful existence for all. Highlights include:The healing energy within us allHow to form and utilize an Energy BallExploring Energy Healing TechniquesTransforming Energy for Positive ChangeJeffrey Goldstein SEP lives in Yefe Nof, Jerusalem, Israel. His professional focus is Body Oriented Trauma Therapy with a Spiritual Approach. Modalities are Attunement, Somatic Experiencing®, and EmotionAid®. He offers private sessions, classes, & trainings in Israel, Switzerland, USA, and online. He's a Dedicated Spiritual Peace activist with a strong desire to spread inner peace. He conducts Peace Vigils 2x/week since Oct. 7, 2024.Website: JeffGoldsteinAttuner.comPh./WhatsApp +972-52-655-7195E-mail: JeffGoldsteinAttuner@gmail.comBooks: Energy Ball For Peace Ceremony: Personal Health and Global Blessing; Energy Ball: For Health and Spiritual Growth Upcoming Zoom offerings:Attunement Class Level 1:Nervous & Endocrine Systems 4/1/24: 17:00 UTC/GMT 4/2/24:  09:00 UTC/GMTSpiritual Resilience April 11: UTC/GMTJoin Peace Vigils: Sun.: 20:15  UTC/GMT; Wed.: 17:00 UTC/GMTSafe~Peace Zoom gatherings Sundays: 19:00 UTC/GMT request link: JeffGoldsteinAttuner@gmail.com IMPORTANT NOTE: I'll be taking a break from broadcasting new episodes of Co-creating Peace in April and May, as I renovate my sound studio. During that time, I hope you'll listen to past episodes of this podcast, harvest the insights and wisdoms you will find there, and continue to share Co-creating Peace with others. New episodes of Co-creating Peace resume the weekend of June 8th! Please support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Welcome to "From Conflict to Collaboration: The Art of Mediation”, Episode #136Have you ever felt trapped in a web of conflict, unsure of how to untangle the emotional threads of anger, fear, and confusion? This week, we're joined by mediator Michael Fraidenburg, co-author with fellow mediator Terry Teale, of the recently published book, “The Art of Mediation” to explore the transformative journey mediation offers in guiding individuals from impasse to insight. We discuss some of the emotional complexities of conflict, and the critical role of the mediator in fostering a safe space for genuine dialogue.Mike and I explore the subtleties of facilitative mediation, a process that hands the reins back to the conflicting parties, allowing them to steer towards their own resolutions while maintaining autonomy. Our discussion explores the mediator's dual role – resolving the present dispute while equipping individuals with the psychological tools and practical know-how to approach resolving future conflicts together without the need for professional support.You'll leave this episode equipped with Mike's three golden questions, your new go-to toolkit for reshaping perspectives and promoting flexibility in the face of disagreement. These questions aren't just for the mediation table; they're practical approaches that can be woven into the fabric of your daily personal interactions. Join us for an episode that not only provides powerful, yet easy to use tools for mediation, but also for fostering collaborative relationships in our daily lives.Must-hear highlights include:Conflict is a natural, normal part of life, and can actually be an opportunity. It's how we approach conflict that determines if the impact is constructive or destructive.The ways in which mediation empowers people to find their own solutionsThe 3 golden questions that will help you move forwardThe transformative power of the "yes, and" rule and the "good enough" standardMichael Fraidenburg, the principal of The Cooperation Company, is a Certified Mediator recognized by the Washington Mediation Association. He teaches conflict resolution for the Dispute Resolution Center of Thurston County, WA and the Northwest Environmental Training Center, contributing to the skill development of professionals. His expertise includes working with prominent organizations, like the US Bureau of Land Management, the State of Washington, the City of Seattle, and the Puget Sound PartnershipMichael's co-author, Terry Teale, the principal of Heart of the Matter Mediation Services, is a certified mediator, collaborative negotiations specialist, and the past Board President of the Dispute Resolution Center of Thurston County, WA.Here's where to go to learn more:Website: Please support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Welcome to “Don't Believe Everything You Think”, Episode #135 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation.If you listen to “Co-creating Peace” on a regular basis, you've probably recognized that many of the recent episodes have been related to ways that each of us can bridge the divides that exist between individuals, groups, and countries. Clearly, it is essential to our survival as a specie that we learn to co-habitate this planet in peace, which can only happen if we learn to collaborate with one another for the mutual benefit of all. Competition for territory, resources, and power has brought us nothing but death and destruction, time and again.As I look at the world around us, I can't help but notice that the ever-expanding divides we are experiencing are being fueled by rhetoric, assumptions, judgements, and bias, all of which are triggering escalations of hatred and violence.How do we transcend this? There are many answers to this question. One is: don't believe everything you think.Join me as we explore the intricate workings of our minds and the ways in which our unconscious filters shape conflicts and communication. Listen in as I discuss the primal brain's lightning-fast judgments and associations that often go unnoticed, influencing our reactions and potentially escalating conflicts. I discuss how important it is to critically evaluate our automatic thoughts to ensure they align with reality and the current situation. We also delve into the transformative Iroquois Rule of Six, a tool that offers a multifaceted understanding of different perspectives, which is invaluable in transforming conflict into collaboration.We'll address the common trap of 'if-then' thinking and the critical role of questioning our personal filters and assumptions, and the importance of curiosity over conclusions. Highlights you won't want to miss:the influence of unconscious filters and biases on communication and conflictthe primal brain's role in instant judgments and how these can subconsciously affect how we relate to othersthe importance of mindfulness to bring unconscious thoughts to the forefront for critical evaluationthe Iroquois Rule of Six as a method to consider multiple perspectives in conflict situationsthe dangers of 'if-then' thinkingI hope it helps you on your path to co-creating peace in your life. If each of us strives to co-create peace in our own world, we can build a strong foundation for co-creating peace across the globe. Please support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Welcome to “Lessons on the Road to Peace”, Episode #134 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast series about conscious communication and conflict transformation, where we bring you insights and wisdoms from experts in mindfulness and peacemaking from around the world. As the world wrestles with chasms of division, John Noltner and his wife Karen, set out to traverse the American heartlands, a journey that would span 93,000 miles and countless narratives. Their quest, part of his project "A Peace of my Mind", and captured in John's book "Lessons on the Road to Peace," is an exploration of the threads that bind us in our shared humanity. In our conversation, John unveils the mosaic of America's story, emphasizing the power of empathy and understanding in transcending differences.John also discusses the importance of deep listening, challenging our own expectations, and staying engaged in difficult conversations. He shares insights on building trust, finding common ground, and the power of modeling empathy and respect. He talks about his experiences traveling across the country, meeting people from different backgrounds, and seeking out stories that challenge divisive narratives, with the goal of helping us all to rediscover what connects us as human beings, and promoting understanding and empathy. Key takeaways you won't want to miss include:everything is more complicated than it appears in a headline;exploring shared humanity can help to bridge divides; if you sit down and you talk to somebody, hear their stories, and understand some of their experiences, it becomes infinitely more difficult to vilify or demonize or hate that personlisten deeply, challenge your own expectations, and keep showing up.“When we are engaged in conversation, when we are staying connected, when we're staying involved and in relationship, there's some hope that we can move through whatever tension and conflict and difficulty we encounter. But when we walk away from the table, that hope walks away with us.”A gifted storyteller, John Noltner has worked on four continents, gathering stories of human courage, grace, and resilience. He has produced projects for national magazines, Fortune 500 companies, and non-profit organizations. A Peace of My Mind reflects his belief that art and storytelling can help individuals, organizations and communities articulate their deepest values and encourage action toward building social capital and community connections.John hopes that “Lessons on the Road to Peace” can serve as a model for how to encounter differences, how to challenge our expectations and how to see the common humanity that is all around us. This book is intended to encourage and inspire the peacemakers of the worldTo learn more about John's project “A Peace of My Mind”, and to get his book, “Lessons on the Road to Peace”, visit:  apeaceofmymind.net or apomm.netPlease support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Welcome to "Unlocking Harmony, Compassion, Balance, and Growth in a Divided World", Episode #133 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast series about conscious communication and conflict transformation, where we bring you insights and wisdoms from experts in mindfulness and peacemaking from around the world. In this episode, my guest, Constantin Morun and I discuss how to transform your internal monologue into a powerful tool for positive change. We delve into the art of self-forgiveness and understanding, showcasing that the path to bridging societal divides lies within our own hearts. Our conversation sheds light on the significant impact of nurturing self-compassion, as it not only aids in achieving personal peace, but also equips us with the empathy needed to foster harmony in our interactions with others.Constantin Morun is a passionate advocate of personal growth, self-discovery, and professional development with over 15 years of experience. Through his journey from a fear-ridden man hiding his authentic self to embracing vulnerability and authenticity, Constantin demonstrates that self-discovery can unlock the keys to personal and professional success. As a Holistic Life Empowerment Mentor & Coach, he inspires and empowers individuals on their unique journeys towards growth and self-discovery through both his professional and personal life, as well as his podcast, Unleash Thyself. Integrating his passion for technology, spirituality, and mentorship, Constantin helps individuals unlock their full potential, fostering a positive impact on the world around them. His mission centers on personal growth, spirituality, and self-discovery, dedicated to uplifting and empowering every member of the audience with his humble and sincere insights.Highlights you won't want to miss:A holistic approach to self-awareness, which can lead to more conscious and effective communication A myriad of opportunities can come from developing a growth mindsetThe four facets of a fixed mindset and how to overcome themTools for facing and embracing challengesLearn more about Constantin Morun and the fine work that he is doing by going to:  https://linktr.ee/unleashthyself Please support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Welcome to “The Graceful Confrontation Guide to Empowered Communication”, Episode #132 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast series about conscious communication and conflict transformation, where we bring you insights and wisdom from experts in mindfulness and peacemaking from around the world. Today, Rebecca Whitman, bestselling author of 3 books on business mindset, an award-winning coach, and the host of the Balanced, Beautiful & Abundant podcast, joins me to talk about the importance of effective communication in relationships and in personal growth. We'll explore the challenges of non-responsive communication and the fear of confrontation that often leads to ghosting. One of the things that Rebecca emphasizes is the need for positive confrontation, direct communication, and setting boundaries, which can actually prevent conflicts. Key Takeaways:Non-responsive communication often stems from a fear of confrontation and a lack of direct communication skills.Positive confrontation involves direct communication that is loving, respectful, and focused on resolution.Setting boundaries and expressing them clearly can prevent conflicts and misunderstandings.Conflict resolution skills are essential for maintaining healthy relationships and preventing unnecessary conflicts.The JADE acronym (justify, argue, defend, explain) reminds us to avoid behaviors such as these, which compromise our personal power and integrity in communication.Feedback is a gift that can help us grow and improve, and it is important to differentiate between feedback and judgment.To easily connect with Rebecca, learn about her upcoming events and other resources she has to offer, use click here: https://linktr.ee/rebeccaewhitman. Additional resources and information can be found on her website: rebeccaelizabethwhitman.comPlease support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Welcome to “Empathy is Needed When Things Get Heated”, Episode #131 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast series about conscious communication and conflict transformation.  I have a great story to share with you, told by the three men who lived it, about how an unattended fire that could have been a catastrophe at multiple levels, instead became a powerful wisdom opportunity and a relationship-strengthening experience. Highlights you won't want to miss:how – with the right perspective and approach – a stronger, deeper relationship can literally emerge from a fire like a phoenix reborn;a powerful way to rebuild trust;the ways in which a relationship can be strengthened when we go through a difficult experience together;how empathy and acknowledgement can heal the one who gives them as well as the one who receives them.Joining me to tell you this story are the 3 men who were involved in the incident, Edwin Rutsch, Zak Wear, and Daniel Hirtz.Zak Wear and Daniel Hirtz are active members of the Empathy Movement who were at the Empathy Center for the Empathy Facilitator training. You may remember Edwin Rutsch from Episode #103, when he shared some truly inspiring information about the Empathy Movement with us. Edwin's the founding director of the Center for Building a Culture of Empathy. The center's website, cultureofempathy.com, is a comprehensive portal for empathy-related material.There's an in-person Empathy Circle Facilitator Training happening at the Empathy Center in Santa Barbara CA Jan. 27-28, 2024, and online trainings every couple of months. To learn more about the Empathy Circle Facilitator Training and to register go to: www.bestempathytraining.comSee the Empathy Summits schedule and register at: www.empathysummit.com. The next one is a multi-Saturday one beginning January 6th. Learn about the Center for Building a Culture of Empathy at cultureofempathy.com. Online empathy circles happen every week. Visit www.empathycircle.com/schedule to find the best one for you.The next episode of Co-creating Peace airs the weekend of January 13, 2024.Tuesday, Jan. 16th, my flagship 34-hour professional development course “Facilitating with Finesse in Today's World”  begins, hosted live online by University of New Mexico's Anderson School of Management.Are you looking for new skills to support your success as a leader and increase your potential to reach new heights in your career? Do you wish the meetings you lead or participate in could be more focused, efficient, collaborative, and productive? Are you eager to start the new year with new tools to help you manage group processes? Then this is the opportunity for you!Learn more about the “Facilitating with Finesse in Today's World”,  live online program by visiting my website Bridgesofpeace.cPlease support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

With the holidays coming up, we often have high emotion, covering a wide range from love and joy, to anger & frustration, celebration of blessings and grieving for lost ones, old family wounds & grudges, and political tensions – you name it! I want to provide you with as many tools and understandings as possible to bring peace and harmony to your holidays... and to your life.Welcome to Part 2 of “Holding the Calm”, Episode #130 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation.In the last episode of this podcast – Episode #129, “Holding the Calm”, Part 1 – you heard the first half of a very interesting conversation I had with mediator and author of “Holding the Calm: The Secret to Resolving Conflict and Defusing Tension”, Hesha Abrams, who shared with us several practical and effective tools to diffuse tension and resolve conflicts in a wide variety of contexts. Among the many wonderful things Hesha shared with us in Part 1 are:Conflict is like spaghetti sauce.Self-interest, including political self-interest, often interferes with conflict resolution.Validation is the WD-40 of the universe, but what if you don't have any to give? People can be like crabs in buckets. Today, Hesha shares some great information about how tackling smaller issues can evolve into solving bigger problems. Highlights include:the vital importance of teaching children conscious communication and conflict transformation skills beginning in early childhood, and mindfully modelling those behaviors for them in every moment,the subtle power dynamics often at play in negotiations, the game-changing impact of unexpected moves in any conversationmediators are like midwives helping to birth the resolution to the conflict.Hesha Abrams is the founder of Hesha Abrams Mediation and is an internationally renowned mediator who has successfully resolved thousands of cases over the past thirty years, from simple car accidents to multibillion-dollar disputes involving titans of industry. Hesha Abrams is a master at turning high conflict into amicable resolutions and resolving delicate matters with diplomacy and skill. She is renowned for her success in resolving complicated and high-stakes disputes from corporate disagreements to political conflicts. Her strategic ability to remain cool-headed and balanced in complex situations leads to successful outcomes making her a leading name in her field, and an invaluable resource in any dispute resolution process.You can find “Holding the Calm: The Secret to Resolving Conflict and Defusing Tension”, and learn more about Hesha and her work by visiting: www.holdingthecalm.com Please support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Ever find yourself feeling stuck in an increasingly tense situation, perhaps with someone you find difficult to deal with, unable to find a resolution, and unsure of how to diffuse the growing tension?Welcome to Part 1 of “Holding the Calm”, Episode #129 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation.  As a follow-on to the last episode of this podcast – Episode #128, “Navigating Family Tensions”, I want to continue the theme of how to navigate tensions, regardless of who it is with, and what better time to do it than now, as we enter the holiday season, which brings with it the wide variety of emotional dynamics that seem inevitable at this time of year.In today's episode, you'll hear the first of a 2-part dynamic and enlightening conversation I had with mediator and author, Hesha Abrams, who gives us several practical and effective tools to diffuse tension and resolve conflicts in a wide variety of contexts. She shares the intriguing concept of motivational rationalization; how humans perceive and process information, how scarcity mentality can affect our decision-making, and how we can use all this information to have more peaceful, productive interactions with others.Don't miss these highlights:Conflict is like spaghetti sauce.Self-interest, including political self-interest, often interferes with conflict resolution.Validation is the WD-40 of the universe, but what if you don't have any to give? People can be like crabs in buckets. Hesha Abrams is the founder of Hesha Abrams Mediation and is an internationally renowned mediator who has successfully resolved thousands of cases over the past thirty years, from simple car accidents to multibillion-dollar disputes involving titans of industry. Hesha Abrams is a master at turning high conflict into amicable resolutions and resolving delicate matters with diplomacy and skill. She is renowned for her success in resolving complicated and high-stakes disputes from corporate disagreements to political conflicts. Her strategic ability to remain cool-headed and balanced in complex situations leads to successful outcomes making her a leading name in her field, and an invaluable resource in any dispute resolution process.Join us for part 2 of my conversation with Hesha, airing on Sunday Dec. 10th. when Hesha provides some great insights about:areas of the brain that get triggered when we're upset and how to work with that,the subtle power dynamics often at play in negotiations,the game-changing impact of unexpected moves in any conversation. In the meantime, check out Hesha's book, “Holding the Calm: The Secret to Resolving Conflict and Defusing Tension”, which contains all these insights and tools and a whole bunch more at: https://www.holdingthecalm.com. It might just be the perfect stocking stuffer for your entire family!Please support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Picture this: You're at your family's holiday gathering, and suddenly a heated argument breaks out. The festive atmosphere quickly turns tense, and you find yourself wishing you had a mediator on speed dial. For a wide variety of reasons, holiday family gatherings can sometimes feel like ground zero for conflict. Welcome to “Navigating Family Tensions: Lessons from Mediation”, Episode #128 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast about conscious communication and conflict transformation. Joining me today is my good friend and colleague, David Levin, a long-time mediator, to share some insightful tips on navigating those tricky family conflicts that can often arise during the holidays. David offers gems of wisdom and lessons learned from mediation, advising us to tread lightly and avoid direct intervention, while stressing the impact of individual, meaningful interactions, and nurturing our relationships to create a peaceful dynamic where we can. Highlights you won't want to miss include:Don't mediate your family What you see & what you cannot see when you look at othersHow to navigate family tensionListening to connectWhat mediators have learnedDavid has provided us with brief synopsis of the insights he shared in our conversation, which includes a diagram of the communication tool called “looping”, that he described to us: “Navigating Family Tensions: Lessons from Mediation” HandoutHere are just a few of the past episodes of this podcast which describe other tools you may find useful when navigating family conflict:Episode #3 – “When the Need Arises”Episode #5 ­ – “Breaking the Chain of Conflict”Episode #18 – “Re-humanizing One Another” Episode #43 – “Using Nonviolent Communication® to Speak Your Truth”, Part 1Episode #44 – “Using NVC® to Speak Your Truth”, Part 2 David Levin graduated from the University of New Mexico School of Law, in 1977 and has been a trained mediator since 1987. David began his legal career as a civil litigator and a general practitioner, later becoming a Board Recognized Specialist in Family Law and establishing a general private mediation practice.  He is currently practicing mediation, providing mediation training and education, and serving as a resource for alternative dispute resolution programs.  To connect with David or learn more about his work, email him at: davidlevin@mindspring.comPlease support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

What does one do to co-create peace in times like these? Are we powerless to alter the direction and momentum in which humanity seems to be propelling itself helter-skelter into the abyss of mutual destruction? Are we destined to drown in the tsunami of hatred that threatens to wash away all that is good and beautiful in the world? Or, could we somehow, some way, transcend the tsunami of hatred, help others to do the same, and alter the dark & terrifying path we are heading down?Welcome to “Transcending the Tsunami of Hatred”, Episode #127 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast about conscious communication and conflict transformation.What if I told you that you, yes YOU, could be the single spark that ignites a global movement towards peace? Imagine a world where each individual can counteract the tide of hatred and violence, simply by embracing kindness, compassion, and collaboration. This episode of Co-Creating Peace is all about empowering you to make that profound impact. I'll share practical strategies for resisting hatred and fostering peace, even when it feels like an uphill battle. Highlights include specific ways you can implement these four techniques to help you transcend hatred:Live mindfully Transcend judgement Act in the opposite of that which you do not condoneShow up with kindness, compassion and collaboration.Join me on a journey toward co-creating a more peaceful world, one person, one deep connection at a time.You can hear additional information on mindfulness in my conversation with mindfulness expert and teacher, Andrew Safer in Episodes #71 & #72. Learn about my living mindfully learning retreat here.Please support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

If ever there were a need for empathy, it is now. Listening to the news about what's going on around the world, it feels as though humanity is fragmenting right before our eyes. Empathy is the glue that holds humanity together. Empathy reminds us to nurture life through connecting with one another in kindness and compassion. Empathy is one of the most powerful tools we have to transform conflict into harmony.Welcome to "Scaling the Empathy Wall”, Episode #126 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast about conscious communication and conflict transformation.On Nov. 4th, I will host the 3rd in a series of Empathy Summits produced by the Center for Building a Culture of Empathy. Please join me for this free online Empathy Summit – "Why is Empathy Essential in Conflict Resolution?" We'll hear from 5 international conflict resolution experts, then participate in Empathy Circles dialogues with other summit participants. To learn more and to register, visit https://www.empathysummit.comDenise Blanc, joins me to talk about how curiosity and inquiry can help us to scale that invisible, but oh-so-daunting wall that seems to divide us from the people around us so that we can discover and remember the beauty of our shared humanity. Together we explore how we can find the commonalities that are the foundation for empathy by starting conversations with clear intentions, asking questions that take us beneath the superficial, and acknowledging others to help them to feel seen and appreciated.Gems you'll want to harvest:Connecting well with others begins with intention & curiosityFinding what we share in common helps build a foundation for empathyAcknowledging and asking open questions helps find our commonalitiesThe wisdom that comes from initiating a “pattern interrupt” “Interrogating” your biases can help you reality-test and transcend themDenise Blanc, MA, EQCC, ACC is a communication expert, Certified Emotional Intelligence Coach, Facilitator, and Mediator. She coaches, teaches, and writes at the intersection of Emotional Intelligence, Conflict Transformation, and Mindfulness. Denise is the founder and CEO of River Logic Partners, a leadership coaching and consulting firm.  She is the author of RiverLogic: Tools to Transform Resistance and Create Flow in all of our Relationships described as “a deeply insightful guide to living in the presence of conflict - fluidly, with equanimity, caring and skill.” Denise's commitment is to inspire candor, courage, and compassionate communication in creating a more caring world.You can learn more about Denise Blanc and her book “RiverLogic: Tools to Transform Resistance and Create Flow in all of our Relationships” by visiting www.riverlogictools.comPlease support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Imagine a world where a simple circle can create a profound sense of belonging, shift confrontational conversations to collaborative explorations, and emphasize connection and inclusion. That world exists today in Peace Circles. Because of the work of Black Women for Positive Change, and other groups such as the Listen First Coalition, Braver Angels and Living Room Conversations, dialogue circles are happening across our nation and around the world. Enjoy “Co-creating Peace in Circles”, Episode #125 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast about conscious communication and conflict transformation.  Today, I'm visiting with Renata Valree and Kim Best from Black Women for Positive Change to talk about Peace Circles – an initiative focused on youth to give them opportunities to come together in a safe environment to share their experiences and feelings about this troubled world they've inherited. Highlights you won‘t want to miss include:Confidentiality and non-judgmentalism promote safety when we speak about what's important to us More than ever, today's Youth need empowerment A primary responsibility of every adult is to teach children how to be by modeling that for themRenata Valree is an Assoc. Professor at CA State University Dominguez Hills where she teaches in the Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peace-building graduate studies program. Renata has a Masters in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution. She serves as E.D. of the Peace in Education Community Mediation Center, is a member of the leadership team for the Assoc. for Conflict Resolution, and is the former Dir. of the Office of the LA City Attorney's Dispute Resolution Program. Kimberly Best, RN, MA, is a Civil Mediator, Family Mediator & owner of Best Conflict Solutions, LLC, specializing in mediation and conflict resolution. She is President/Chair of the TN Assoc. of Professional Mediators and a volunteer Senior Mediator with the LA City Attorney's office Community Police Unification Program. Kim is also a facilitator, restorative practices practitioner, trainer in dispute resolution processes, and a member of Mediators Beyond Borders, Int. Kim is committed to advancing dispute resolution practices for improving communication and finding optimal solutions for all parties.Join the 12th annual Month of Non-Violence initiative during October. Visit blackwomenforpositivechange.org and click the Month of Non-violence tab to learn more and be a part of this wonderful experience! Sign-Up: https://monthofnonviolence.org/2023-month-of-non-violence-sign-up/Contact Renata Valree at: rvalree@csudh.edu Contact Kim Best at: Kim@bestconflictsolutions.comPlease support Co-creating Peace: Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast provider Send me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Among the most vulnerable times in a person's life are those times when they are ill or injured and have to put their wellbeing – sometimes their very life – into the hands of healthcare professionals. We feel scared, vulnerable, alone, even when surrounded by loved ones. In many ways it is a very solitary, often terrifying journey. More than anything in the world, we need to feel nurtured, safe, and truly cared about. Melanie Sears, a retired nurse, as well as a practitioner & teacher of Non-violent Communication for over 30 years joins me again for an inspiring conversation about ways that we all can bring empathy into our conversations about mental and physical health issues with the persons who are facing them. In Episode #123, I had a great conversation with Melanie about the companion workbook to “Humanizing Healthcare”, “Choose Your Words”.Enjoy “Humanizing Healthcare”, Episode #124 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast series about conscious communication and conflict transformation.Guided by NVC principles, Melanie crafted a new approach that replaces 'power over' with 'power with', and domination with collaboration, empowering people to foster connections and nurture empathy in the healthcare arenas.  Highlights you won't want to miss include:From domination to partnership How Nonviolent Communication transformed a high-risk psychiatric unit The importance of demonstrating empathy without diverting attention to yourselfUsing empathy to support people through physical & emotional crisesMelanie works with couples and individuals as a coach and empath. Contact Melanie at: awakegiraffe@gmail.com. You can learn more about Melanie and her work at: https://dnadialogues.com. Find her books at: https://www.nonviolentcommunication.com/shop or on Amazon.Please support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coachingShare on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeaceContact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Our greatest power tool for building relationships, and our most devastating weapon for destroying them is our use of words. It's not only the words themselves, but how and when they are delivered that can make the difference between the construction and the destruction of positive connection and harmony. In Episode #122, I spoke with Terre Short, author of “The Words We Choose” Your Guide to How and Why Words Matter. To continue the theme of speaking mindfully, I am joined today by Melanie Sears, a retired nurse who has been a student, practitioner, and teacher of Non-violent Communication for over 30 years, who will share wisdom about choosing our words from the perspective of Nonviolent Communication (NVC). Enjoy “Choose Your Words”, Episode #123 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast series about conscious communication and conflict transformation. Highlights you won't want to miss include:Nonviolent communication and understanding feelingsThe relationship between our feelings and our needsWho is responsible for the feelings people experienceSpeaking without judgementThe value of giving yourself empathyMelanie Sears has been a student of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) for more than thirty years. She has written three books based on NVC principles. Humanizing Health Care, followed by a workbook, Choose Your Words in two versions: one geared toward professionals who work in health care and the other one geared to caregivers and family members caring for someone with a psychiatric disorder. Humanizing Health Care is translated into German, Korean, Japanese and Chinese. Choose Your Words was written as a companion workbook for Humanizing Health Care, it is also a wonderful stand-alone workbook that anyone can learn and benefit from. I want to share it with you before Humanizing Health Care because it is a great follow-up to Episode #122 in providing tools for mindful, conscious communication. Next time, in Episode #124, Melanie & I will talk about Humanizing Health Care.Melanie works with couples and individuals as a coach and empath. Contact Melanie at: awakegiraffe@gmail.com. You can learn more about Melanie and her work at: https://dnadialogues.com. Find her books at: https://www.nonviolentcommunication.com/shop/ or on Amazon. Melanie will join us again the weekend of September 9 to tell us about the companion book to Choose Your Words: Humanizing Health Care. Contact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Have you ever noticed how much chatter is going on in your head? You know what I mean – that internal narrative I spoke about in Episode #8: “Don't Believe Everything You Think”. Sometimes that internal narrative, which today's guest calls our “personal podcast”, can lead us down a detrimental road, one that causes us pain, upset, and conflict, and which can have that same effect on the people in our life.Join me for “Peace is an Inside Job”, Episode #122 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast series about conscious communication and conflict transformation.  Author, teacher and coach, Terre Short, joins me today with some great insights into how we can better co-create peace in our lives by recognizing when our thoughts are going down what she calls “the yellow brick road” of negative thinking, and then pivot our thinking in a more constructive, non-violent direction, creating more peaceful outcomes, both internally & externally.Terre provides insights about the importance of evaluating our values and intentions, and why our personal narrative heavily influences our interactions with the world. Highlights you won't want to miss include:The importance of being mindful of our internal dialogue and how it influences our experiences,We can develop the ability to recognize when our thoughts are heading in a detrimental direction & pivot our thought processes to a more constructive path;Being mindful of our word choices, both internally & externally affects what we experience, both internally & externally;Terre offers Co-creating Peace listeners their choice of great incentives to attend her upcoming Sept. retreat!Terre Short, MBA, is an author, speaker, coach and creator of Thriving Leader Collaborative. She believes that truly authentic leadership is achieved when we embrace our inner wisdom to overcome business challenges. As a NeuroMindfulness Practitioner, Terre lives at the intersection of wellbeing and leadership and has spent the last decade advising high performing Fortune 500 leaders on how to explore intuitive pathways to success. Terre is the author of The Words We Choose: Your Guide to How and Why Words Matter.Contact Terre at: Terre@thrivingLC.comLearn more about Terre & her work (and register for her upcoming September retreat) at: www.ThrivingLeaderCollaborative.com Please support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coachingShare on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeaceContact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic gave us our first experience of health-related lock-downs in the US in current times, isolation and loneliness have been a growing problem for many people. It's gotten to the point that the U.S. surgeon general published an advisory outlining his concerns about the public health crisis of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection in our country earlier this year. Disconnection fundamentally affects our mental, physical & societal health. Fortunately, Coach Lee Hopkins is working diligently to help others create new relationships to bring joy and connection into their lives.Coach Lee Hopkins has been a guest on this podcast a few times in the past. He joined us in Episode #77 when he told us about a very powerful boundaries framework that he has created, which he calls 3N Boundaries. Then in Episodes #80 & #81 Coach Lee shared some important insights & tools to help us understand more about our grudges & how to constructively work with them. Coach Lee joins us again today to share some great insights & tools about ways that we can build strong, mutually beneficial connections with others.Welcome to “Building Meaningful Connections in an Era of Loneliness”, Episode #121 of Co-creating Peace.Some highlights are:The Importance of sharing your truthMindful sharing and contextual TMI How to initiate making meaningful connections when others seem reservedThe J.I.S.T. storytelling method as a way to begin to create a meaningful connection with someoneMake sure you go to the Patterns of Possibility website & register for the Annual Social Connections Summit (Aug. 5 & 6) by clicking on the Annual Summit 2023 link. When you click on the “For Individuals” link on the homepage, in addition to the other great information there, you will find a Free Resources link with some really great free tools to help you build stronger connections with yourself, as well as others. The “For Organizations” link on the home page takes you to some excellent information & tools which can be tailored to almost any group, even an informal one.Please support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coachingShare on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace  Contact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Have you ever considered how your subconscious beliefs might be affecting your relationships and communication? In this episode, Judy Kane, founder of Aligned Consciousness, and I delve into the ways our subconscious beliefs shape our communication and boundaries, and how being aware of them can help us make more equitable decisions and prioritize our own goals. We also discuss how our compliance with other people's expectations may stem from our underlying beliefs and cause potential conflicts in our relationships. We look at how these hidden beliefs can conflict with our conscious goals and shape our reality. Recognizing these beliefs can greatly benefit our interactions with others and lead to healthier connections. Judy will also share some valuable insights on aligning your conscious and subconscious beliefs to foster healthier, more fulfilling relationships.Welcome to “Journey to Deeper Connections: Aligning Conscious & Subconscious Beliefs”, Episode #120 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation. Highlights you won't want to miss include:Some of the possible origins of our beliefs – both conscious and unconsciousHow our beliefs affect how we connect with othersThe relationship between beliefs and boundaries3 things you can do to increase awareness of your subconscious beliefs and change how they affect your lifeWays we can begin to align our conscious and subconscious beliefsJudy Kane, founder of Aligned Consciousness, helps people identify and transform subconscious beliefs that keep them repeating ineffective, stressful patterns. Her clients experience changes which allow them to achieve their goals —with ease and comfort. She is the author of Your4Truths: How Beliefs Impact Your Life. Judy also hosts workshops and presents in group sessions, conferences, and podcasts.To learn more about Judy Kane and aligning your consciousness, visit her website at: alignedconsciousness.com, where you can also find her book, Your4Truths – How Beliefs Impact Your Life. You can also find Judy on LinkedIn and FacebookPlease support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coaching.Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeaceContact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Despite our best intentions and efforts, marriage doesn't always work out exactly the way we planned; sometimes it doesn't work out at all! Both marriage and its dissolution can be filled with rancor and conflict, or they can be opportunities for collaboration and growth; sometimes all the above.Whether it's a marriage in progress or one that is ending, people can make a conscious choice about how they want to approach conflict and its resolution. Mediation can be an integral ingredient in a constructive outcome that builds or restructures a relationship, rather than destroying it.Welcome to “The Accidental Marriage – Re-Framing Divorce”, Episode #119 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation. In this episode, Debra Oliver, a mediator with over 30 years of experience, & I explore the concept of an 'accidental marriage': the complexities of attraction that can lead to subconscious and assumed agreements which may cause issues later in the relationship. We'll also discuss important details negotiated in a divorce mediation that divorcing parents often overlook, such as parenting styles, long-term finances, and the legal rights of each parent. Highlights of our conversation include:How unspoken expectations and implied agreements can lead to conflict in relationshipsHow positive divorce experiences are possible The importance of trained divorce mediatorsHow collaborative divorce & co-parenting can benefit childrenEthics & limitations of divorce mediators Debra Oliver, founder of Common Ground Mediation Services, has been a mediator and trainer since 1989. She has served over ten thousand clients and trainees in the US, Nepal and Russia. She serves a variety of businesses, non-profits, and state agencies, as well as specializing in Restorative Justice, Family Dynamics, and Divorce. Debra has worked with law enforcement agencies and municipalities, providing training and community dialogue services. Debra was also a founding partner , along with myself and 3 others, in Community Dialogue Network, LLC, an organization that provided community-wide dialogues on public perspectives, especially in response to community crises.To learn more about Debra Oliver and her work, visit her website: www.commonground-adr.orgPlease support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coaching.Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeaceContact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Welcome to Part 2 of “Overcoming Division Through Curiosity, Compassion & Courage”, Episode #118 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication & conflict transformation. In Episode # 117, which aired May 28, Tom Fishman, CEO of Starts with Us shared some insights and tools for bridging divides, including how each of us can affect positive change and influence social norms simply by how we show up each and every day. He also discussed new ways of building towards common goals with online technologies. If you haven't yet heard that episode, I encourage you to give it a listen.This week, I continue my conversation with Tom. Highlights you won't want to miss include:Seeking diverse perspectives in critical thinking The importance of intentionality The relationship between behavior and values  Balancing media consumption and coverage  Starts With Us' exciting plans for program expansion Tom Fishman, CEO of Starts with Us is wired to be in “build mode” and much prefers answering the “why?” and “how?” vs. “what?” He's at SWU because he believes media and technology can be harnessed for good. Alongside so many of us, he is eager to give a home, a voice, and real momentum to all of the people who believe it's time to end the culture wars and make curiosity, compassion, and courage the dominant values in our society. In his words, “If no one builds it, it won't happen.”Other organizations Tom mentioned in Part 1 that you may want to learn more about are:Braver Angels Bridge USAAll Sides MediaPlease support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coaching.Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeaceContact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

In Episode # 112, which aired in mid-March, I introduced you to Starts With Us by inviting you to participate in their Finding the Way Out Challenge. I'm delighted to welcome Tom Fishman, CEO of Starts with Us to the show to tell us more about Starts with Us, and the wonderful work this organization is doing. Tom will also share some insights and tools for bridging divides.Welcome to “Overcoming Division Through Curiosity, Compassion & Courage”.Highlights you won't want to miss include:Hyper-partisan politicians are covered in the news 4x more than bipartisan politicians.How each of us can affect positive change and influence social norms simply by how we show up each and every day. New ways of building towards common goals with online technologies How much greater perceived division seems vs what reality isTom Fishman, CEO of Starts with Us majored in physics in college, and brings from that world a unique ability to break down complex problems into simple units. In terms of leadership style, he is a big believer in emotional honesty (in addition to intellectual honesty, of course). Like so many, he left the for-profit world for social impact (Starts with Us) during the pandemic, and can speak to what this shift has taught him, both personally and professionally.He is wired to be in “build mode” and much prefers answering the “why?” and “how?” vs. “what?” He's at SWU because he believes media and technology can be harnessed for good. Alongside so many of us, he is eager to give a home, a voice, and real momentum to all of the people who believe it's time to end the culture wars and make curiosity, compassion, and courage the dominant values in our society. In his words, “If no one builds it, it won't happen.”Join me again the weekend of June 10th when Tom and I will continue our conversation and delve into the ways collaboration, multi-partisan alliances, and seeking out different perspectives can overcome division and create lasting change. Learn how to model the three C's in digital spaces and conversations, and how to influence the media to focus on solutions-oriented leaders. Together, we'll explore the tools available to empower you to take action in your homes, schools, churches, and communities, and how your individual intentionality can lead to a more balanced media landscape, ultimately creating a brighter future for all. Don't miss this inspiring conversation about bridging divides and the potential of Starts with Us.Other organizations Tom mentioned that you may want to learn more about are:Braver Angels Bridge USAAll Sides MediaPlease support Co-creating Peace by:Becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeaceSubscribing to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics and guests, or be a guestTell the world about Co-creatContact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

I've spoken often on this show about how if we want to truly be heard, we have to help others feel safe hearing us. Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Stephan Wiedner, a psychological safety expert. Stephan brings us deeper insights into the importance of psychological safety and the myriad of ways it can be used to foster peace and mutual understanding.Welcome to "Psychological Safety, Peace & Human Understanding", Episode #116 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast about conscious communication and conflict transformation. Highlights you won't want to miss include:Psychological Safety and its importance in team dynamics Tools for fostering Psychological Safety (curiosity, open-ended questions, active listening) Challenges in maintaining Psychological Safety Empathy and self-referencing messages in creating Psychological Safety Stephan Wiedner is a psychological safety expert whose career has focused on developing sustainable high-performance leaders, teams, and organizations. His passion for unleashing the collective potential of people has led him to co-found Noomii.com, the web's largest network of independent life coaches, Skillsetter.com, the deliberate practice platform for interpersonal skills, and Zarango.com, the psychological safety training experts. Stephan's writing has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, and other popular publications. Follow Stephan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/swiedner/Learn more about Stephan's work with Psychological Safety at www.Zarango.com.To receive a free psychological safety evaluation of your team, go to:  www.Zarango.com/freepsi. Check out Stephan's other projects:Noomii.com – The Web's Largest Network of Professional Coaches, andSkillsetter.com, the deliberate practice platform for interpersonal skills.Please support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coaching.Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeaceContact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

For centuries wise people have reminded us – or at least, tried to remind us – that it is much easier to co-create peace with others if we have peace within ourselves. One such person is my guest today, Jennifer Boyatt.Welcome to “From Peace Within Comes Peace With Others”, Episode #115 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast about conscious communication & conflict transformation. Jennifer Boyatt is a creative, a healer, a visionary, and a peacemaker.  She is the founder and director of the High Desert Center for Peace in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She hosts the interview event, A Conversation with Leading Peacemakers, which you can enjoy on YouTube. Jennifer writes, creates, and shares programs, writings, and videos that she hopes will bless the lives of others and help them to heal and to receive insight about living earth life with peace. Learn more about Jennifer and the wonderful work she is doing at: highdesertpeacecenter.org.Highlights of our conversation include:Peace is something that happens in your body.The importance of self-authority when determining what role peace will have in your life. Peace is holistic. Inner peace & interpersonal peace are inextricably intertwined. How seeing every single person you meet as someone of worth and value to you promotes more peaceful interactionsAs a reminder, Co-creating Peace now airs on the 2nd and 4th weekend of each month. I hope you'll join me on May 13 for Episode #116 ­– “Psychological Safety, Peace, and Human Understanding” when I'll be joined by Stephan Wiedner, a psychological safety expert. As important as psychological safety is to supporting our ability to co-create peace with others, you won't want to miss this dynamic conversation and the wisdom Stephan will share!Please support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coaching.Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeaceContact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

In an era rife with judgement, bias and objectification, how do we reduce the harms of toxic polarization? How do we re-humanize one another? We set aside our beliefs about each other, we sit down together, and we connect through dialogue – one Being to another. We listen to learn & understand. Welcome to “Listen First at the National Week of Conversation”, Episode #114 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication & conflict transformation.Graham Bodie, Chief Listening Officer at Listen First, one of the go-to resource organizations for people who want to develop their listening skills and participate in peaceful dialogue joins me to tell us more about that. In addition to sharing a couple of great stories about how participating in dialogue has fundamentally changed how people interrelate, he will tell us about Listen First and the National Week of Conversation, which is coming up April 17th thru 23rd, and how we can all participate.Highlights of our conversation include:How dialogue & listening helped heal a community Where to find a vast library of free resources you can utilize to help you bring peaceful conversation, even about sensitive topics, into your life and your communityWhat you can do to bring peaceful dialogue into your life and community, and even host your own conversation event during the National Week of Conversation.Graham Bodie, Ph.D, is a scholar, educator and consultant. In each role, he attempts to bring attention to one fundamentally important, yet undervalued skill – listening. Dr. Bodie is an internationally recognized expert on listening and has published over 90 monographs, book chapters, and encyclopedia entries, along with three edited books. Dr. Bodie's work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Psychology Today, and on National Public Radio.Don't forget to register today for the National Week of Conversation at: conversation.us. You can participate as much or as little as you wish, and in many ways, both in person and online.Sign the Listen First Pledge at: www.listenfirstproject.org/pledgeGet additional listening resources at:findingthewayout.startswith.uslistenfirstproject.orggreatergood.berkeley.edulivingroomconversations.orgwww.compassionatelistening.org Contact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

How do we find our way back to recognizing, to remembering our shared humanity? It will take the efforts of many. It will take courage. It will take faith. It will take many approaches from many directions. You'll find many of those approaches in episodes of Co-creating Peace, including this one. I know you will enjoy “Ubuntu Works”, Episode #113. Joining me again is Eric Sirotkin, my guest in Episode #99 “The Lawyer as Peacemaker”, & Episode #108 “Truth & Reconciliation – a Path to Forgiveness”. With him is Raphael Masesa from Capetown South Africa. Together, they bring us understandings about a way of seeing and a way of being, known as ubuntu.Highlights of our conversation include:Defining ubuntuUnderstanding how ubuntu manifests itself in everyday lifeLearning how ubuntu relates to indigenous law and peacemakingHow active listening, dialogue (Episodes #93 & #94), Compassionate Listening (Episodes #95 & #96), and other ways of practicing deep listening and empathy can help build ubuntu in our lives.Eric Sirotkin mixes his experience as a lawyer, film producer, author and peacemaker, to contribute to the movement from the age of separation toward the era of ubuntu. Eric contributed to the dialogue on the new Constitution in South Africa, was a UN-sponsored election observer at President Mandela's election, and coordinated an International Monitoring Project of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It was through this experience that he learned about the wisdom of ubuntu and has integrated it into his work in North and South Korea and all areas of his life. Eric is the founder of The Ubuntuworks Project, which collaborates with organizations and individuals on research and strategies to move us locally and globally toward an era of ubuntu. To learn more about UbuntuWorks Project, visit: ubuntuworks.org.  Donate to the UbuntuWorks Project here. Raphael Chisubo Masesa has been teaching Indigenous law and Integrative law, among others at the University of the Western Cape and the IIE Varsity College for more than 15 years. He is a Board member of UbuntuWorks Project. Learn more about Raphael Chisubo Masesa at: linkedin.com/in/chisubo Special note: Beginning in April, Co-creating Peace will go to a twice-monthly schedule, airing on the 2nd and 4th weekends of each month. There are some exciting episodes coming up, rich with new guests, tools and understandings to help you co-create peace! I hope you will join me on the 2nd and 4th weekend of every month. Contact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Welcome to “Speaking of Listening.....”, Episode #112 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication & conflict transformation.The last couple of episodes of this podcast have been about listening. I'm continuing that in this episode as a lead-up to two important and related upcoming events: • Finding the Way Out Challenge  is an invitation to look deeply but kindly within yourself by completing a 4-week Challenge of daily five-minute tasks, and to work with others to fight the toxic division that's tearing our country apart. (IMPORTANT: Register at https://findingthewayout.startswith.us by March 20 to fully participate) This is the perfect opportunity to prepare you to join thousands of Americans during the National Week of Conversation in April. Learn more & register at: https://findingthewayout.startswith.us. • National Week of Conversation – April 17-23, 2023 – To learn more about this annual event and how you can participate, visit: https://conversation.usThere is an unmet need that many of us experience. You've heard me speak about it before. It is the need to feel heard, to be acknowledged for who we are and how we perceive the world – without being judged or condemned simply because we are who we are and believe what we believe. In the world we live in today with all the uncertainty, fear and conflict, it's getting more and more difficult to get that need met.Fortunately, there are organizations out there who are dedicated to helping people learn to hear one another without judgement and condemnation. One of those – Living Room Conversations is an organization that helps people to have safe, peaceful, comfortable conversations about the kinds of issues that we find disagreement about, that we feel a great deal of passion about.This week, I'm replaying Episode #89 – “Living Room Conversations: Connecting Across Divides” my interview with Annie Caplan from Living Room Conversations to remind you of the insights and tools she shared with us to help you get ready for the Finding the Way Out Challenge & the National Week of Conversation.Highlights of our conversation include: dialogue ≠ debateunderstanding doesn't require agreementthe value of listening to learn & understandhow suspending judgement can help us gain new insightsYou can access all the Living Room Conversations resources here: https://livingroomconversations.org/and access their Conversation Agreementsat: https://livingroomconversations.org/conversation_agreements Contact Annie Caplan directly at: annie@livingroomconversations.orgContact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Welcome to “The Power of the Pause" (Episode #79 Redux), Episode #111 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast series about conscious communication and conflict transformation.  Last week, in Episode #110, “Mindful Spacious Listening”, Alan Carroll & I talked about creating the space in a conversation for another person to fully share what they want us to hear, and creating the space within our awareness to deeply hear them. During our conversation, I was reminded of an earlier episode of this podcast from July of last year, which was titled “The Power of the Pause”, and included a conversation I had with Howard Falco, a listener on Wisdom App. I decided to revive that episode as a sequel to last week's because the information builds so well on the conversation Alan and I had. I hope this helps reinforce in your mind the immeasurable value of creating space for deeper understanding in your conversations with others.Highlights include:Creating and harvesting space between stimulus and response as a portal for our wisdomHow implementing the Iroquois Rule of 6 from the perspective of the Neutral Observer within us creates greater opportunity to wiser responsesWhat's most important is not who you were, but who do you want to be now?Recognizing that we can use the Power of the Pause to consciously decide who we want to beTo learn more about Howard Falco, my guest on Wisdom App, visit his website: www.howardfalco.com. Visit: Wisdom App, to download the app to your Apple or Android device.Please support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coaching.Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeaceContact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Are the words in your head crowding out the messages others are trying to get across to you? Is thinking about what you're going to say in response blocking what they need you to know from getting through to you? Do your judgements get in the way of deeply hearing another person? Have you noticed that you often misunderstand what a person is trying to tell you, resulting in hurt feelings or conflict?There is a remedy for this: Mindful Spacious Listening. Last week, Alan Carroll, an educational psychologist specializing in trans-personal psychology, joined me to talk about Mindful Spacious Speaking, which is enhanced by Mindful Spacious Listening. This week, Alan helps us to have more of the Mindful Spacious communication picture, by sharing some of the tools & wisdoms of Mindful Spacious Listening.Enjoy “Mindful Spacious Listening”, Episode #110. Highlights of our conversation include:Recognizing that deep listening is a gift that requires sacrifice by foregoing our response to reflect what we heard insteadThe power of creating a safe space for what the person is saying to exist without judgementHow important it is to clear our head of our thoughts to allow the space for mindful spacious listening.Other episodes of Co-creating Peace about different kinds of listening are:“I See You” – Episode #6 “Hear Them” – Episode #9 “The Power of the Pause”, Episode #79 “Acknowledge, Reflect, Be Curious”, Episode #86 “The Heart is our Compass: Compassionate Listening in Polarized Times” Part 1, Episode #95 & Part 2, Episode #96 “Working with Our Empathic Abilities”, Episode #106To learn more about Mindful Spacious communication, Alan Carroll, and his work, visit: acamindfulyou.com. Alan's social media links:Business:   https://www.facebook.com/AlanCarrolltrainsLinkedIn:    https://www.linkedin.com/company/aca-mindful-you/Web Site:   www.acamindfulyou.comPlease support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coaching.Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Contact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Have you ever felt bombarded by words – perhaps the words someone is speaking to you, or the words in your head crowding each other to be spoken? Words spoken to quickly are often absent of mindfulness and the wisdom that comes with that, and may not allow the listener the opportunity to fully absorb the message the words are intended to convey. The depth and potential of understanding can be diminished when words are delivered in an onslaught.There is a remedy for this. The remedy is two-fold, consisting of Mindful Spacious Speaking and Mindful Spacious Listening. Joining me to tell us about these practices is Alan Carroll, an educational psychologist specializing in trans-personal psychology, and founder of Alan Carroll & Associates. Enjoy “Mindful Spacious Speaking”, Episode #109 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation. Some of the highlights of our conversation include:Defining Mindful Spacious SpeakingThe benefits of creating space in our communicationDeepak Chopra's S-T-O-P technique: Stop, Take three deep breaths, Observe your breath & your body, and Proceed with awareness and compassion.The 3 “legs” of the articulation “stool”: clarity, impact & fluidityAlan Carroll is an Educational Psychologist who specializes in Trans-personal Psychology. He founded Alan Carroll & Associates 30 years ago and has dedicated his life in search of mindfulness tools that can be used by everyone (young and old) to transform their ability to speak at a professional level, reduce the psychological suffering caused by the mis-identification with our ego, and reconnect to the vast transcendent dimension of consciousness that lies just on the other side of the thoughts we think and in between the words we speak. Alan is a successful public speaker, trainer, coach & corporate consultant. He and his team have delivered the Mindfulness in Action workshops in over 50 countries since 1983. Join us again next week, when Alan and I will discuss Mindful Spacious Listening, a practice to deepen understanding and enrich relationships of all kinds, personal, professional, and even those that last for just a moment in time.To learn more about Mindful Spacious Speaking, Alan Carroll, and his work, visit: acamindfulyou.com. Please support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coaching.Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeaceContact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Conflict comes in many shapes and sizes. Peacemakers must constantly look for creative approaches to resolving and transforming conflict. These approaches and their methods must be adapted to the context and nature of the conflict as well as to the people involved and, often, the culture of those people.Is it possible to resolve or transform conflict, and find healing and restoration when the conflict involves large groups of people, such as communities, tribes, armies, or even nations, and where travesties have been committed against people, many of them innocent civilians and children? Please enjoy “Truth & Reconciliation”, Episode #108 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation. There are many good people out there in the world, using wise and powerful methods to do just that. One of those methods is called the Truth and Reconciliation Process. Eric Sirotkin, an attorney and mediator in Santa Fe, NM and my guest for Episode #99 of this podcast, joins me again to give us some insights into the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions, the powerful work they have done, and how much more there is yet to do.Conversation highlights:•  The work of Truth and Reconciliation Commissions around the world and within the United States •  The role of forgiveness, accountability and making right (Amnesty Process, Human Rights Commission, and Reparations)•  Eric's experiences in South Africa and later in Korea with the TRC processes •  The importance of understanding that Truth & Reconciliation is a long-term process that must continue over time, even when government leaders change.•  Forgiveness doesn't mean we have to, or even should, forget.Eric Sirotkin's work around the world, including with Archbishop Tutu, Truth and Reconciliation Commissions, and restorative justice processes has led him on a mission to reframe the law by retraining lawyers on Creative Tools to expand their skillset and humanize their profession. He teaches techniques to survive and thrive in the us vs them world of law, helping lawyers gain an understanding of the nature of human relationships. To learn more about Truth and Reconciliation Commissions, visit these websites:•  Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada•  Truth and Reconciliation Commission, South Africa•  Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Republic of Korea•  EricSirtokin.comPlease support Co-creating Peace by becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace. Thank you!Contact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

A common cause of conflict between adult siblings and their parents is how the parents' assets are, or will be, distributed. In this era of aging baby boomers, many of whom are making their end-of-life arrangements, this issue seems to be coming up even more frequently. Some parents choose to distribute some of their assets before they die, which can get mixed reactions from their children.This isn't as straightforward as some people imagine it to be. The concerns and upset aren't always exclusively about the tangible assets. Complex emotional issues, sometimes going back to childhood experiences, often play into the dynamic as well. Because of that complexity, there isn't a formulated path to peace in these situations. The best approach may be different for every family, possibly even for every child in that family. That said, there are tools such as Emotional Intelligence, Conscious Communication, and even negotiation which will be useful regardless of the individual situation.I hope you enjoy “Inheriting Resentment”, Episode #107 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation. Today's episode is a communication coaching session with a long-time fan of this podcast who wants some guidance on how to help her family work through conflict around her mother's distribution of her assets. Highlights of our conversation include:Applying Conscious Communication Broadening our goal for the outcome of a conversation to allow for greater possibilitiesListening to understand, rather than to gain ammunition to convinceHelpful ways to reflect what you hearI hope that hearing this conversation with Sarah will be helpful to you. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to explore the possibility of receiving some communication coaching. If you would like to receive 1 or 2 free 30-minute communication coaching sessions, I invite you to come on the show for your communication coaching session, as Sarah did. This will be of benefit to our listeners, as well as to you, because many people share the same challenges as you do and can benefit from our conversation. You are welcome to change your name and the names of those involved to preserve your privacy.Email me at oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to learn more.Please support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coaching.Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Contact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

People have a wide range of sensitivities. Some have very little sensitivity to what's going on around them or within others. Some people have such a high level of sensitivity to the experiences of others that they have a hard time differentiating other peoples' internal experiences from their own.Jennifer Moore, author of Empathic Mastery joins us to share some insights into that experience, and how it can affect our relationships with others and our approach to conflict.I know you will enjoy “Working with Our Empathic Abilities”, Episode #106 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation. Highlights of our conversation include:The difference between having empathy and being empathic The importance of empaths having multiple types of boundariesSome of the ways that highly sensitive and empathic people can support their psychological and energetic wellbeing.How EFT can help us in working with our emotions and those we are picking up from others (more info on EFT in Episode #70 of this podcast)Jennifer Moore is author of Amazon Bestseller Empathic Mastery, Founder and Headmistress of the Empathic Mastery Academy & Fairy Godmother Apprenticeship Program and Host of the Empathic Mastery Show Podcast. She's a Master Trainer for EFT International and a mentor and healer for other highly sensitive empathic women.  Learn more about Jennifer and her work at empathicmastery.com. To learn more about her book, Empathic Mastery, go to: empathicmasterybook.com, or to listen to her podcast, the Empathic Mastery Show, head on over to empathicmasteryshow.com, which is all about the different ways that being highly sensitive and empathic impacts all aspects of our life, with tools and solutions to help empaths live a life of joy, delight, and thriving.Jennifer has a Level 1 & 2 Professional EFT Training starting on Saturday, March 18th. This one time per year 11-week program can also serve as the first step towards certification through EFT International. For those who wish to become certified through EFT International, Jennifer also offers 1 on 1 mentoring to help you through the certification process. For more information about the training, visit: eftinstruction.com.  Please support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coaching.Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeaceContact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

“Secrets to Sustainable Relationships, Part 2  – Living Relationally”, Episode #105 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation. I'm Kathleen Oweegon.Last week, in Episode #104 Nancy Pickard, a Master Integrative Life Coach, and I discussed the importance of setting healthy boundaries to help our relationships be sustainable. In a continuation of that conversation, Nancy & I explore how living relationally can support the sustainability of a relationship.Highlights of our conversation include:What living relationally isHolding ourself and others in warm regardWhat to do when we get triggeredHow to approach conversation in times of upsetSplitting her time between Aspen, Colorado and Marin, California, Nancy is a certified Master Integrative Life Coach with a myriad of coaching certifications specializing in shadow work: Setting Healthy Boundaries, Healing your Heart, Bigger, Better, Braver, Parenting, Reinvention and Worthy to name many of them.She is the author of the international best-selling book, Bigger Better Braver:  Conquer your fears, Embrace your courage, Transform your life. She offers a digital course and an online- zoom group coaching course featuring her book. Coaching others to step out of fear and into bigger versions of themselves is her passion.To learn more about Nancy and her work, and to order her book, visit: nancypickardlifecoach.com. Contact Nancy at: Nancy@NancyPickardLifeCoach.comPlease support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coaching.Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeaceContact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Nancy Pickard, a Master Integrative Life Coach, joins me to talk about the importance of setting healthy boundaries to help us to have relationships that are sustainable.I hope you will enjoy “Secrets to Sustainable Relationships Part 1: The Benefits of Boundaries”, Episode #104 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation. Highlights of our conversation include:The benefit of boundaries in all types of relationshipsThe importance of teaching boundaries to childrenWays to articulate your boundariesHow to reinforce cooperation with your boundariesSplitting her time between Aspen, Colorado and Marin, California, Nancy is a certified Master Integrative Life Coach with a myriad of coaching certifications specializing in shadow work: Setting Healthy Boundaries, Healing your Heart, Bigger, Better, Braver, Parenting, Reinvention and Worthy to name many of them.She is the author of the international best-selling book, Bigger Better Braver:  Conquer your fears, Embrace your courage, Transform your life. She offers a digital course and an online- zoom group coaching course featuring her book. Coaching others to step out of fear and into bigger versions of themselves is her passion.Contact Nancy at: Nancy@NancyPickardLifeCoach.com and visit her website NancyPickardLifeCoach.comTo hear more concepts and tools for working with boundaries from previous Co-creating Peace guests, listen to Episodes #20, #76, & #77. For additional ideas on how to prepare for an important conversation, listen to Episode #2 on Conscious Communication, Episode #10 on I-Messages, and Episode #4 on needs-based negotiation.Join us next week for “Secrets to Sustainable Relationships Part 2 – Living Relationally”, when Nancy and I will continue our conversation, weaving in the value of living relationally as part of relationship sustainability. Please support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coaching.Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeaceContact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Welcome to “Empathy: The First Step to Peace”, Episode #103 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation. All around us we hear about the many divides we are experiencing as a nation, and as a specie. Solutions to the issues that divide us are complex, will take time to discover and then act upon, and the division surrounding them only delays discovery of the solutions.The good news is that the actual divides themselves, the ragged, wounded chasms of human discord are easier to heal than you might imagine – not necessarily easy, but easier than you might imagine. Healing begins when we stop the “think like me or I will hate and destroy you” approach, and instead, mindfully create a safe space in which to deeply hear one another, and to approach those conversations with openness, curiosity, and the desire to understand. In other words, seeking to give and receive empathy - something we all long for, yet rarely experience. From mutual empathy bridges of peace are built, and a myriad of possibilities are born.We've talked about the power of dialogue in many past episodes of this podcast, including episodes #86, #89, #93, #94 #95 and #96. Joining me is Edwin Rutsch, to talk about the nature of empathy, and ways we can evoke & experience empathy with others through Empathy Circles.Highlights of our conversation include:A definition of empathyEmpathy through deep listeningThe impact of mutual listening & mutual empathyBringing empathy circles into school curriculumEdwin Rutsch is founding director of the Center for Building a Culture of Empathy. The center's website, CultureOfEmpathy.com, is the internet's most comprehensive portal for empathy-related material. It hosts many empathy building projects and trainings.  To learn more about the Empathy Circle Facilitation Training and register go to: https://www.bestempathytraining.com New cohort starts January 21st! Registration is only $30! Extended deadline for this audience: Sat. Jan. 21stTo visit the Empathy Circle Website: http://www.empathycircle.comPlease support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics & guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges & receive free communication coaching.Share on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeaceContact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

One of our many limitations as human beings is our limited perspective. Most of the time, we only view the world from our own frame of reference. While, of course, this is natural and normal, it may not always give us a clear picture.... or the full picture. Reacting to what life presents us from that limited or even distorted perspective may not always serve us well. If we are upset, our view can become even more limited, constricted by the assumptions and judgements that may accompany our upset.What if we could access wisdom that gave us a broader, less biased perspective, providing us with a wider range of options with which to view and respond to a person or situation?Welcome to “A Source for Higher Wisdom”, Episode #102 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation. Joining me is Margaret Agard, to share how she expands her perspective by accessing higher wisdom, and how that impacts her relationships with others.Highlights of our conversation include:w  Examples of ways that seeking wisdom higher than our own can help prevent or resolve conflictw  Discussion of the importance of being open to the different forms our higher guidance might takew  Stories about times when guidance from Margaret's higher power helped her to see others in a whole new wayMargaret Agard is the award-winning author of the In His Footsteps memoirs, a Christian mystic, reiki healer and former executive in the high-tech industry. She is also a wife and the mother of eight grown children, step-mother to seven. Although they were never all in the house at the same time, she had many opportunities to work with conflict resolution.You can contact Margaret by emailing her at: margaret@inhisfootsteps.com Visit her two websites: margaretagard.com, and inhisfootsteps.comPlease support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching.Share on social media, and tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon[.]com/CocreatingPeaceContact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

We face many challenges in today's world. High among them is the need for more wise, strong, conscious leaders. Many young adults around the world have that potential, but they need education, mentoring, a direction to move in, and the opportunity to implement what they learn. Yet access is limited, especially for those who live in underdeveloped and impoverished countries. That's where the International Institute for Global Leadership (IIGL) comes in. Their conscious leadership program is available to anyone, anywhere, at no cost. This program has changed the lives of its students, their communities, and countless others who have benefited from the leadership of its students and graduates! Welcome to “The Path to Conscious, Co-creative Leadership”, Episode #101 of Co-creating Peace.Joining me to talk about this great organization and its impact are IIGL Board President, Vivian Muciri (Kenya) and Executive Director, Deb Rosen.Highlights include: IIGL's origin, Mission, program, and how people can get involved as students, donors, and mentorsVivian's journey through IIGL, its impact on her, and how the project she created for her Level 7 IIGL studies, Vision for Change Foundation, is changing lives in Kenya. The projects and successes of some IIGL graduates:Felix Iziomoh, Nigeria – ICLDNG; Book: “Goal Mapping: 7 Simple Steps to Fulfilling Your Dreams”Lawrence Afere, Nigeria – Springboard Entrepreneurship Development InitiativeNoeline Kirabo Mulongo, Uganda – KyusaEthelbert Obinna Umeh, Nigeria – One Million Leaders Africa (co-founder)Learn more about IIGL, and how you can support the program and its students at global-leadership.com, or contact Deb Rosen at: iigl.globalleadership@gmail.com.Vivian Muciri, an IIGL graduate, and the current President of the Board of Directors, is the Founder and Executive Director of Vision for Change Foundation, which works with youth who have gone through the criminal justice system to help them deter from crime and create decent avenues of livelihood. You can learn more about the Vision for Change Foundation by visiting their website: visionforchangefoundation.orgDeb Rosen has been the IIGL Executive Director since Jan. 2013.  Deborah holds a Bachelor's and a Master's degree from the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee in Organizational Communication with a specialty in Educational Training and Curriculum Design. Contact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

I'm excited to be celebrating 100 episodes of Co-creating Peace! I am so grateful to all you loyal listeners & patrons for the continued success of this podcast. Many of you have reached out to me with feedback & ideas for topics; some have requested advice, communication coaching, or other services. It's been so great to connect with all of you! I look forward to our continued connection & to being of service through this podcast and my other work. Welcome to "From Drama Triangle to Circle of Empowerment"  Episode #100 of Co-creating Peace.I'm delighted to have Susan Partnow join me again. While discussing Compassionate Listening in Episodes #95 & #96, Susan briefly referenced the drama triangle. Then, in Episode #97, Fleet Maull mentioned the drama triangle as well. I realized that this is a phenomenon that is so often present in conflict dynamics and so often the cause of conflict, that I need to have an episode of this podcast that focuses on the Drama Triangle so we can learn more about it and how to work constructively with our tendency to engage at that level. Susan Partnow is well-versed on the drama triangle and how to transform it into a circle of empowerment, so I invited her to return to share more of her wisdom with us.Highlights of our conversation include:The 3 roles in the drama triangle and how they interact (We all step into one of these roles from time to time.)How to bring mindfulness to the role we've assumed in the drama triangleHow to move from the drama triangle into the circle of empowermentHow to invite others to join us in moving from the drama triangle into the circle of empowermentSusan's 5-session “Intro to Compassionate Listening” class, which includes working with the Drama Triangle, begins Jan. 12th. Register at compassionatelistening.org. You can find additional information and background on the Drama Triangle at karpmandramatriangle.com.Susan Partnow, M.A., has catalyzed social transformation and worked to heal the world ‘from the inside out' through The Compassionate Listening Project (TCLP) for over 35 years. She is Co-founder of Conversation Cafes, Let's Talk America, Global Citizen Journey and Seattle Restorative Justice.Please support Co-creating Peace:Subscribe to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSend me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching.Share on social media, and tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Become a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeaceContact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Most people see the legal arena as a place to do battle, a place where we annihilate the person we see as our opponent. We seek an attorney to be our warrior to win the legal battle for us. What if there was another way? What if attorneys took a different approach, one where they would still be an advocate and champion the cause of their client, but without long drawn-out battle and attempts at mutual annihilation?  What might be possible if attorneys shifted to a heart-centered approach to their law practice?Welcome to “The Lawyer as Peacemaker”, Episode #99 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation. Eric Sirotkin, an attorney for over 40 years, with a law practice in Santa Fe, NM, joins me to talk about creative skill-sets for the 21st century lawyer, moving the role of a lawyer from warrior to a partner for peace in the just resolution of disputes.Highlights of our conversation include:Recognition of how we are all connected, how the harm we do to others is harm to ourselves, and how remembering Unbutu can help us transcend the desire for retaliationExploring the importance of attorneys shifting to a more heart-centered, healing, (Unbutu) way of practicing law and how they can begin to make that shiftDiscussion of how mediation, restorative justice, and transitional justice empower people to find peaceful resolution, even after traumatic eventsLooking at integrative and collaborative law and how they differ from standard practices of lawSome of the things that Eric learned from Archbishop Desmond TutuEric Sirotkin's work around the world, including with Archbishop Tutu, Truth and Reconciliation Commissions, and restorative justice processes has led him on a mission to reframe the law by retraining lawyers on Creative Tools to expand their skillset and humanize their profession. He teaches techniques to survive and thrive in the “us vs them” world of law, helping lawyers gain an understanding of the nature of human relationships that will give them an edge in litigation, legal counseling, and resolving conflict. He is the author of “Witness: A lawyer's journey from litigation to liberation”.By sharing successful alternative and indigenous models he helps lawyers use such skills in their everyday practice while weaving in a new slant on legal ethics reflective of a healing profession, that repatterns what it means to provide honest advice and confront moral dilemmas within a case. To register for one of Eric's classes “Tools for Creative Lawyering” or learn more about The UbuntuWorks Project,visit www.ubuntuworksschool.org. To learn more about Eric and his work as an attorney, visit ericsirotkin.com. Please support Co-creating Peace by:Subscribing to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSending me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching.Sharing on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeaceContact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Enjoy “Change Your Thinking, Change Your Experience”, Episode #98 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation.What most often gets in the way of a person's success is their own limiting beliefs. This is true when it comes to business, self-empowerment, what we manifest in our life, and to resolving conflict. Yes, our biggest obstacle in life is our own thinking. Joining me today to talk about how we can transcend that phenomenon is Molly Mandelberg, Founder of Wild Hearts Rise Up, Creator of the Magnetic Influencers Collective, bestselling author, and host of two podcasts. Highlights of our conversation include: How transcending our limiting beliefs and shifting into "possibilities consciousness" expands our ability to manifest what we want to create in our life, including peace with others. The value of daily rituals to help us to stay calm & centered under stress, including when working through conflict. Molly provides some great recommendations for some of those rituals.How doing our personal growth work and developing our emotional intelligence will help us become better communicators. This helps us to reduce and manage our emotional triggers.How EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) can help us to find inner peace, which is a powerful contributor to peace with others.  (Episode #70 is about EFT)After spending years mastering content creation and online marketing, Molly Mandelberg finds her bliss in bridging the worlds of heart-centered healing and transformation, with the practical business strategies of leveraging a message into a global movement. She is a certified NLP Coach, an Access Consciousness Bars Facilitator, a Transformational Leadership Coach and a full time Nomad. Molly works with coaches, healers, and conscious leaders to broadcast their messages with ease, so they can reach more people, and make more money with less time spent. She travels the world full-time and runs her 6-figure business out of her self-converted sprinter van tiny-home. Molly loves helping her clients to systemize their work and master the magnetics of marketing, so they can experience more freedom and make an even bigger difference.You can learn more about Molly and her work or contact her at: www.wildheartsriseup.comYou can hear more of Molly's wisdom on her podcasts: “Reveal the Game of Life” and “Tactical Magic”. Last week, Molly interviewed me on Tactical Magic about transforming conflict. We had a great conversation! Check it out on any podcast provider, including Apple podcasts.Please support Co-creating Peace by:Subscribing to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSending me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching.Sharing on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeaceContact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Welcome to “How to Move Beyond Blame, Live Your Highest Purpose and Become an Unstoppable Force for Good”, Episode #97 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation. Today, I am joined by Dr. Fleet Maull to talk about Radical Responsibility, and how practicing Radical Responsibility can empower us to better co-create peace with others.Fleet Maull, PhD is an author, meditation teacher, mindset coach, social entrepreneur and peacemaker who works at the intersection of personal and social transformation. He founded Prison Mindfulness Institute and National Prison Hospice Association, catalyzing two national movements, while serving a 14-year mandatory-minimum federal drug sentence, 1985 to 1999.  He is a Roshi (Zen master/senior teacher) in the Zen Peacemaker Community, a senior Dharma teacher in the Shambhala-Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and leads meditation retreats worldwide. He developed Neuro-Somatic Mindfulness or NSM, a deeply embodied, neuroscience and trauma informed approach to mindfulness & awareness meditation practice that facilitates self-healing, self-regulation, and awakening. VIsit FleetMaull.com to learn more about Dr. Maull's work, and heartmind.co to learn about his classes and summits.Dr. Maull is the author of Radical Responsibility: How to Move Beyond Blame, Live Your Highest Purpose and Become an Unstoppable Force for Good; Dharma in Hell: The Prison Writings of Fleet Maull, and the Resilient C.O.: Mindfulness-Based Wellness & Resiliency for Corrections Professionals.You can find Radical Responsibility: How to Move Beyond Blame, Live Your Highest Purpose and Become an Unstoppable Force for Good by going to: https://www.radicalresponsibilitybook.com/, where you can download the first chapter, titled There's Nothing Wrong With You, which lays the foundation of the Radical Responsibility philosophy.The organization Fleet mentioned toward the end of our conversation is called Braver Angels. You can learn more about Braver Angels by visiting braverangels.org.They are one of several organizations around the country who conduct dialogues between people with diverse perspectives and politics. Duncan Autrey & I discuss several of those organizations in Episodes # 93 & #94 of this podcast. I also provided the contact information for them in the show notes for those two episodes.Please support Co-creating Peace by:Subscribing to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSending me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching.Sharing on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace! Becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Contact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

This is an early broadcast  - instead of airing it on the weekend as I usually do, I wanted to air it before Thanksgiving, for those of you who may be wondering how to have non-contentious family conversations at Thanksgiving – or any other holiday for that matter, especially during times like we're in now, where there are strong and opposing feelings and opinions nationwide about our political arena, human rights and other current national issues. My guest Susan Partnow has some tools and ideas to share with you to help set the tone for more compassionate conversations, and to help you navigate to more peaceful waters when conversations become turbulent.Welcome to Part 2 of “The Heart is our Compass:  Compassionate Listening in Polarized Times”, Episode #96 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation.Last week, in Part 1, Susan Partnow told us about the origin of Compassionate Listening, its five core practices and how we can cultivate compassion.In this episode, we discuss how to bring Compassionate Listening into your daily life and how to use Compassionate Listening practices in contentious situations, including those you may find yourself in with your family over the Thanksgiving holiday.To learn more about Compassionate Listening and the Compassionate Listening Project, visit www.compassionatelistening.org. To contact Susan Partnow, email her at: susanpartnow@gmail.comI hope you have a peaceful and joy-filled Thanksgiving. Please know that I am thankful for each and every one of you. Your listener-ship and your patronage mean the world to me. Thank you!Contact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Each of us has a yearning to be deeply heard, but few of us know how to actually do that for others. Fortunately, there is a beautiful process called Compassionate Listening, which anyone can easily learn to do.Enjoy “The Heart is our Compass: Compassionate Listening in Polarized Times, Part 1”, Episode #95 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication & conflict transformation.This is the first of a 2-part interview with Susan Partnow about Compassionate Listening. Susan works closely with Leah Green, founder of The Compassionate Listening Project as the Coordinator for the Advanced Compassionate Listening Training and a mentor for those who seek certification as a Compassionate Listening facilitator. In this episode, we talk about the origin of Compassionate Listening, its five core practices and how we can cultivate compassion. Join us on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, for an early broadcast of Part 2 of this conversation where Susan and I will talk about how to bring Compassionate Listening into your daily life and how to use Compassionate Listening in contentious conversations, including those you may find yourself in with your family over the Thanksgiving holiday, especially amidst the discordant political climate we are in.Susan Partnow, M.A., has catalyzed social transformation and worked to heal the world ‘from the inside out' through The Compassionate Listening Project (TCLP) for over 35 years from Africa and India to Guatemala, Cuba to Japan.To learn more about the Compassionate Listening Project visit www.compassionatelistening.org. To contact Susan Partnow directly, email her at: susanpartnow@gmail.com.Please support Co-creating Peace by:Subscribing to Co-creating Peace on your favorite podcast providerSending me your ideas for topics and guests or be a guest to talk about your communication or conflict resolution challenges and receive free communication coaching.Sharing on social media & tell the world about Co-creating Peace!  Becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/CocreatingPeace Contact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.

Learn more about the power of dialogue in “Uniting Fractured Communities Through Dialogue, Part 2 – Discovering Deeper Connections With Dialogue”.Recently, I was interviewed by Duncan for The Omni-Win Project podcast. We discussed topics related to with dialogue & exploring ways that we can see past our differences – in fact, embrace them – to nurture democracy, co-create peace & co-create a world where different ways of being & different perspectives are embraced, celebrated, and utilized to co-create better tomorrows than our yesterdays have been.The Omni-Win Project podcast is 1 hour long, so I am airing this conversation in 2 parts over two podcast episodes. Last week, in Part 1, Duncan & I discussed facilitated dialogues between law enforcement & various community members, including activists. Today, in Part 2, we discuss other, more informal types of dialogue & the importance of learning another person's truths, and the wisdom, insights & shared humanity that often can only be discovered when we look beneath the surface.Positive paradigm shifts happen when we expand our awareness, explore new understandings & embrace the glorious diversity of humanity. All this can happen through dialogue. This, my friends, is your invitation to join in the conversation.If you'd like to learn more about dialogue, participate in dialogue events, or host a dialogue in your home, here are a few great resources for that:The National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD) is a network of innovators who bring people together across divides to discuss, decide & take action together on today's toughest issues.  For more information, go to www.NCDD.org. & listen to Episode #66 of this podcast where I interview Courtney Breese, Executive Director of the National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation.Living Room Conversations. Living Room Conversations works to heal society by connecting people across divides - politics, age, gender, race, nationality, and more – through guided conversations proven to build understanding and transform communities.  You can utilize the many structured topic guides, or create your own. Make America Dinner Again  wants to bring the country back together, 1 dinner at a time. They provide a step-by-step guide to make hosting your own dialogue dinner easy as pie. View the guide here.   Download host kit here. To host an online event, go to their Online Events page.You can also view the full 1-hour interview on YouTube.Contact Kathleen Oweegon at: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.com to share your ideas and feedback for this show. You can receive a free 30-minute communication coaching session by being a guest on Co-creating Peace to talk about your communication challenges and receive Kathleen's suggestions on the air. Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.