Let’s Catch You Up

By Jacob Dwyer

Compassionate Courage was born a year ago in response to divisive rhetoric that we saw as only hurting us and our communities in the long run. As we look back on the last year, there are new, unexpected issues ringing in the public discourse, which only reaffirms our commitment to listening with compassion and standing courageously in our values as we engage with the world around us. 

Here’s a brief recap of where we’ve been and where we’re going:

One Year in Reflection

With one year under our belts, I thought I would start by reflecting on what Compassionate Courage has done and meant for me. For me, this approach has truly changed the way in which I navigate the world around me. The process of self-reflection has helped me better understand myself - the origin of my thoughts, the basis of my reactions, and the source of my values. As I better understand myself, I am better able to see, understand and celebrate the differences in others. I can identify my feelings and channel them to better engage with others. Most importantly, I have been able to analyze my internal obstacles to taking action and to find the courage I need to be a better advocate, ally and community member. Compassionate Courage challenges me to live these values, while also continuing this process of self exploration alongside others. 

However, I’ve also learned how difficult it can be for people to join us in this process. Reflecting on our past can unearth some uncomfortable truths. In order to progress, we need to be open to the discomfort of learning and grappling with these truths, and not everyone is ready for this. We have to avoid staying in victimhood, which relies upon a victim-perpetrator binary, in order to identify our privileges and ways to use them for the better. We have to state when we fail in order to determine how we can do better next time. We have to focus on ourselves and the actions we do or do not take in order to address systems. Everyone is at a different place in their self-reflection journey and it takes time to learn to sit with this discomfort; however, I’ve learned how pivotal it is for me to grow. As I look forward to the next year, I am excited to meet new people and continue the process of looking inward before looking outward with them through our blogs, discussions, workshops and more. I invite you to join us. 

WordView

This May, our WordView series, which explores the hidden meanings and perspectives in words through group discussion, reached its one-year mark! On the second Thursday of every month, we met with people from around the globe to identify the ways in which words shape our everyday lives and challenge ourselves to understand others’ perspectives. Over the last six months, we have gathered some deep insights into words like forgiveness, anger, fear, grief, chaos, balance and journey that continue to help us question and shape our outlook on the world. We have come together as a small group where our thought provoking conversations involve sharing, caring, acting and reflecting, a community of which we are so grateful. 

In the coming months, we will be discussing rights, duties and responsibilities. The next WordView session will be on June 9 at 7pm Eastern. If you are interested in joining with us for self-reflection and discussion, please RSVP here.  

Writing as Action

People use different mediums to self-reflect, and our blog series Dare We Say… provides a platform to share these musings in writing. From discussing incidents in pop culture to contemplating our values, these blog posts seek to start conversations with those around us by unearthing the hidden perspectives we hold. Please take a moment to read through our blogs, including overviews of past WordView discussions. If you are interested in writing for the Dare We Say… series, please contact us here.

Checking-In Campaign

As we get deeper and deeper in this work, it is apparent that everyone experiences and lives with trauma. The world is dynamic and new challenges arise every day. In navigating this, it is important to remember to care for one another. In analyzing the results of our Checking-In Survey, we found that many people were seeking someone to talk to about how they were truly feeling. Not the nonchalant “How are you?” but a real “How are you doing?” So we launched the Checking In Campaign to check in with one friend, family member, acquaintance or colleague and spend some time getting to know what is going on in their lives - their challenges, emotions and hopes - amidst these difficult times. If you’d like to join us, we would love to hear about your experience checking in and how you felt before, during and after. You can join the campaign here. 

Collaborations, Workshops and Trainings

In October 2021, Compassionate Courage’s founder Pushpa Iyer spoke at the Peace and Justice Association's conference on “Compassionate Courage in Identity-Based Conflicts,” where she shared the fundamentals of the approach with conflict resolution professionals and practitioners.  Additionally, Pushpa was a speaker in the Posner Center’s 2021 Symposium, where she discussed the “Risk of Colonizing the Process of Decolonization in Global Development Work. “

In March 20221, through the Posner Center, Pushpa Iyer conducted a training on the Compassionate Courage approach, where she shared the underpinning values and the tools for engaging in discussions to build community while breaking down structural imbalances. 

Our next course, Peacebuilding in Divided Societies, will take place from June 21 to July 15. If you are interested in learning more about this course, please find more information here. 

Apart from these, Compassionate Courage assists institutions to emulate inclusion, equity and dignity amidst conflict. Compassionate Courage guides interested leaders on creating processes that seek resolution while maintaining community cohesion. As part of this effort, we have engaged the Givat Haviva International School to provide a conflict resolution lens to profound kindness in their existing curriculum. If you or your institution find that the Compassionate Courage approach could help, please reach out to us via email. 

Compassionate Courage Certificate

We are excited to announce that our online certification program will be launched this summer! The series of courses will prepare participants to be facilitators in building community by identifying, analyzing and approaching identity-based conflicts in ways that foster connections and reduce hate. The series of six courses, which will feature a mix of synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities, are designed for students, practitioners and activists looking to use deep self-reflection in order to take action. More information on the course can be found here - stay tuned!  

Writing for the Peace Chronicle

Pushpa Iyer, the founder and coordinator of Compassionate Courage, is the editor for the Summer 2022 issue of the Peace Chronicle, published by the Peace and Justice Studies Association (PJSA). The upcoming issue explores “Courage,” which is pivotal to our approach. If you are interested in submitting a piece on “Courage,” you can find more information here.