Watching the remarkable events unfolding in North Africa and the Middle East, I am reminded of a stark encounter in the summer of 2006 when the Iraq war was at its height. A group of young Tunisians had come to the Initiatives of Change conference in Caux, Switzerland. One evening, they invited Susan and me to dinner. They were bright, […]

Susan and I take walks around our neighborhood park before breakfast. It’s a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the seasons, especially spring. At this time of year, the warming sun is just appearing over the trees as we round the first bend. “Believing that spring will come is an act of trust,” says Susan as we pass some early blossoms. “Even […]

There’s a perennial debate about the relative importance of dialogue and action, the work of racial healing and the work of structural change. Two events last week showed how they go together. On March 18, Richmond’s mayor, Dwight Jones, announced an anti-poverty commission at a public forum sponsored by my colleagues at Hope in the Cities and the Virginia Center […]

A young friend in Vietnam, who is reading Trustbuilding, emailed me this question: “Why is reconciliation and trustbuilding important for a ‘superior’ (by this he means dominant) community?’” My friend’s important question arose from observing the peacebuilding process between Cambodia and Vietnam. He says young Vietnamese “do not have a complete picture of the interrelationship in terms of historical and social context and […]

I’ve been fascinated by the ABC news feature, “Made in America.” A Texas family emptied its home of all items not made in this country (i.e. practically everything) and refurnished it with only U.S. products. The first big challenge was to find an American-made coffee pot. Why is it so hard to find American products in stores? One answer is […]

My favorite image of recent days is of young Egyptians sweeping Tahrir Square and wearing placards announcing: “Sorry for disturbance. We are building Egypt.” We are all inspired, moved, and challenged by the courage and persistence of these young peaceful revolutionaries. Some may be concerned about insecurity in the region.  Fewer have yet thought deeply enough about what we might […]