March 2013 – Peace & Power

Today I received a comment on my personal blog in response to a post about this blog! I appreciated the person’s comments for a number of reasons. I am not repeating the content of the comments here, because it was not the content of the comments that were significant for me, but instead, my own reaction to them, and what I came away with once I reflected on both the comment and my reaction. The comment brought into sharp focus the opportunity that this blog offers to “model” processes of peace and power!

First, there was the issue that the person commented as an anonymous person. In the context of Peace and Power, the “power of responsibility” is highly valued. One of my first reactions to the comment was that I would not respond at all, given the anonymity of the person who was commenting. However, I do realize that on the Web anonymity is sometimes highly desirable, perhaps even necessary (although it still annoys me immensely!). And for some people (perhaps celebrities for example) they might need a “cover” to protect their privacy. Still, for this blog and discussions around the challenges we face in creating “peace and power” I feel strongly about Continue reading “Let the conversation begin!”

Recently I visited a nursing leadership class at York University in Toronto by way of Skype! The Professor is Dr. Adeline Falk-Rafael, and the class participants are enrolled in a program for nurses around the world who are seeking licensure to practice nursing in Canada. They had recently read “Peace and Power” (8th Ed.) and had a number of questions about the book. Several questions related to putting the ideas into practice in their leadership roles.

There are no easy answers to these questions, and no magic wands to assure success with any attempts to put Peace and Power ideals into practice. But here are a few ideas to consider when you want to do so:

It is possible to use just one or two components of Peace and Power in a group and make significant changes in how a group functions. If you introduce the reason, or your intention in suggesting that the group use any part of Peace and Power, the group members may be more open and receptive to the idea. For example, Continue reading “Questions from around the world”