At a time when civil norms are being tested nationally, internationally, and closer to home, Joe Weston, author of “Mastering Respectful Confrontation” and international workshop facilitator, is offering a workshop, “Respectful Confrontation: Navigating Difficult Conversations,” at our Society’s meetinghouse on Sunday, Jan. 15, from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. Those who register by Dec. 31 will receive a discount, bringing the price to $50. The workshop, Joe says, is designed to provide the tools and insights for learning to speak truth skillfully and to develop more effective, resilient ways of authentic expression based on respect, courage, and collaboration.
More information and a printable flier for the workshop.
Joe Weston speaking at Sunday Gathering
Earlier that day, Joe Weston will be the speaker at our Sunday Gathering, which takes place at the meetinghouse from 11 am to 12:30 pm and is free and open to the public.
Here is how Joe previews his talk, titled “Fierce Civility: Transforming our Global Culture from Polarization to Lasting Peace”:
“Has the world gone mad? One might think so when preoccupied by the news or social media headlines. We seem to be polarized to the point of extremism and caught in a perpetual cycle of anxiety. How did we lose our way and, more crucially, how can we find our way back to one another? Most of us would say that the world is experiencing escalating levels of “uncivil” unrest on many fronts—from politics, healthcare, education, the economy, and the threat of war around the globe to uprising grassroots protests for maintaining our basic human rights and inherent freedoms.
How do we engage in practical, concrete ways?
“And yet, we are not beyond repair because another human phenomenon is occurring simultaneously: the expanded awareness of the global heart and maturation of our spiritual capacities. We know things have to change, even though change is scary. So, the question becomes, “How do we engage the heart and its attributes of wisdom, compassion, and love in practical, concrete ways?”
“Through the use of skill and strategy, how do we muster the will and the courage of the heart to seek cooperative approaches for overcoming the complexities of our time, ones that bring about healing, reconciliation, transformation, lasting peace, and relative economic and social equity for all?
“Fierce Civility: Transforming our Global Culture from Polarization to Lasting Peace” answers these questions and more. It provides a clear, step-by-step pathway into a dynamic new human story, one with hope at its foundation. The Fierce Civility approach helps cultivate enhanced and upgraded ways of communicating that foster trust and collaboration, thereby lessening division, fear, and suspicion. It invites people into a broader conversation where we can explore relevant and urgent questions, such as:
Confronting without bullying
How do we confront a bully without becoming a bully?
How do we stand in our courage, speak our truth, and bring about beneficial change for all, without getting harmed or harming others?
How do we advocate for social and cultural transformation without adding to the tension?
How do we increase our greater capacity to stay in this tension, and continue to gain access to our own internal power and freedom, as we collaborate in an effective, productive way?
Fierce Civility is for anyone who feels impelled to take on the noble challenges of our time and is seeking a grounded, heart-inspired methodology for making world peace, at long last, our reality.”
Talk is free and open to the public; workshop requires registration
Joe’s talk at the Sunday Gathering, 11 am to 12:30 pm, takes place at the meetinghouse and is on Zoom. The Zoom link will be in the Weekly Announcements email and may be obtained by by emailing [email protected]. The workshop is in-person only, for those who register, at the meetinghouse.