Healing the Heart of Democracy
Democracy
Going through a phase of peril
Democratic leadership is setting up a system that allow people to question you and prove you wrong
Tragic Gap
Pseudo-politics
Talking about "them"
Addition to feeling like you're doing politics when you're not
Not a democracy
Real politics happens in communities
Not just legislation
Not just Washington
"The only answer to the power of big money is the power or organized people"
Habits of the Heart
Has been since it was established
How to actually build these
Awareness
Awareness of when a habit is brought up
Awareness of what the previous/current habit was
Awareness of when old habits kick in
Resources to Explore
SJN
Solutions Journalism Network
"On the Brink of Everything"
Book by Palmer
Inter-generational support #
Patience
Hold the tension creatively
Create tension when necessary
Live in your not knowing
"The Measure of My Days"
"Beyond the Majoriy Rule"
"Feminist-ing"
Website/blog
"Do It Anyway"
Revolutionary Love 2018
Valerie Kaur
Barbar's speech to democratic convention
Ted Talk
Be in it for the long hull
Idea that change happens fast is an illusion
Tragic gap will never action close
Inherent human flaw
Changes are incremental
Faithfulness over effectiveness
Dialog more important than message
Mutual understanding
Mutual mentoring relationships
Waiting vs. patience
Change requires action
Change takes a long time, so be patient
Don't wait - keep acting
Balance fierceness & gentleness
Self-exploration
"If you're fully yourself, it's hard to be full of yourself"
Self-acceptance allows you to accept others
What you can't give yourself, you can't give others
Ex: forgiveness
Requires a sense of trust
Main area of struggle for me
Moving around from community to community
Not a strong sense of community in neighborhood
Neighborhood social media page
Mostly focus on posts about crime
Creates more distrust
Creates more fear of the "other"
Creates less democracy
Also posts looking for help or offering services
Similar to time bank
Fear is what threatens democracy #
Distress vs. eustress
Distress is negative & destructive
Eustress is positive and a prod to growth
Partisanship is not a problem
Demonizing the other side is
Let your heart break open instead of apart
Allows you to hold differences #
Violence is what happens when we don't know what to do with our suffering
Does not mean indecision or inaction #
If we believe in democracy, we must believe it is for the common good to hold our differences and conficts in a way that does not unravel the community
Creating community with "the other" #
Hope
Individualism
Tug of war between being independent & interdependent
Tough area for me
Individualism can lead to selfishness, but communalism can lead to no one having a mind of their own
Chutzpah
Knowing I have a voice that needs to be heard and the right to speak it
Balance with humility
Accepting my truth is always partial
Be an intentional rather than accidental citizen
Healthy democracy, public conflict is prized
Arm ourselves
Protect our ego
Dealing with fear & heartbreak
Addictions to protect our ego
Consumerism
Scapegoating
And/both instead of Either/or
Forced resolutions are false resolutions
"Progress in America has often come from agitation of ordinary people, heartbroken people, who would not settle for the status quo"
free-spaces
Public spaces where people can freely gather and mingle
Healthy public life can enhance private economic values and political values
Strange attractors
"Inner teacher"