Sunday, May 10, 2009

My New Neighbors - The New Community Project

I will be moving deeper into the Shenandoah Valley when I return to the U.S. in July. I am excited about the community and connections that await there.

Here is a Harrisonburg radio show about The New Community project - an international faith-based organization that focuses on care for creation and social justice. Pal Adam Campbell is working with the project - and talks about sustainability, connection, local food, and so many other important issues. This makes sense.

Graduation :)

No need for words...

Home - "I look at you... and I'm home."

-Dory to Marlin, Finding Nemo

A springtime walk around Blandy Experimental Farm in Boyce, VA.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

The Mourning Dove and Brenda Waugh's Nurturing Theory of Conflict


Emerging from her conflict of theory class - Brenda Waugh's final paper outlines the theory of nurturing conflict which blows me away.  I've been saying I am not a peacebuilder - that there is too much peace.  We are conflict-born and conflict driven humans.  Brenda is getting at ways of articulating, validating, nurturing that as a concept.  She looks to the example of the mourning doves outside of her front door.  The male incubates the eggs from morning until afternoon, when the female takes a shift. They will nurture the eggs until the little doves are born and then fly away:

"Conflict is not bad any more than a head of lettuce picked from the garden or a new born puppy soiling the new carpet is "bad".  Conflict becomes bad when neglected, ignored, or manipulated for harm by the powerful.  If nurtured conflict allows for the philosophical collaboration which can birth self-transformation.  The nurturing which becomes heavy handed and prescriptive fails.  It may direct the course.  Just as the eggs are going to hatch in good time, or that the baby doves will leave the nest when they are ready, our conflicts need their own time, and need to be nourished, not controlled.  Never managed. "

More Brenda Wow, more!!!