This is Part 2 of our podcast with social activist Mark Morey. (Part 1 can be heard here)
Much of society's ills can be resolved through changing our behavior. Native populations are a rich resource of wisdom in doing so, as they had to address many of these same problems centuries ago. The question is: Will we take the time to listen?
Relationships change people. Being in isolation is a degenerative cycle, it’s really bad. So if people feel isolated, that's an end of the road kind of thing. So cross-cultural exchanges, seeing native people perform ceremonies — those kinds of things — change people. Going into communities that are not your own changes you.
There’s work that has been happening at Unilever where executives go on a consciousness retreat, visiting actual coffee farms and meeting the people there. They walk away disturbed. That’s way better than data rolling across their desk every day. That’s the kind of work we should foster — in our lives as well as other people — this type of peacemaking. Proactive action that helps us realize we’re all related and I may know that before you. That’s creates powerful moments.
We call this regenerative mentoring. There's a mentoring process to this where you’re either in a peacemaking relationship or you’re mentoring towards that. Some people don’t feel like they have a connection to others, and so you have to really give them some surplus — you have to get them on board and bring them into the game again. When people are really hurting they do nasty things to each other.
Click the play button below to listen to Chris' interview with Mark Morey (56m:54s).
by newsbuoy