Zevi Siegal’s Post

You can’t pour from an empty cup. At Make Birth Better, we’re all about collective care and looking after ourselves when things are tough. So we can better support you when you need us. Today on World Friendship Day we’ve put together some kind words of affirmation for you take take a look at. Pick up what you need and leave the rest. They’re ready when you need them. P.S. our friends at Civil Society Consulting CIC have created 32 Steps to Togetherness, a manual of 32 practical actions that we, as individuals or as community leaders, can take to build connections within and between communities. Click here for more information: https://lnkd.in/dX_Fi-Hn

As part of the www.sensiblemajority.com we have a section titled "A Word From Our Founders." Amazing how these men from over two centuries ago most of whom owned slaves had insights into human nature, the role of governance and the dangers of autocracy. George Washington in the aftermath of the victor8y at Yorktown wrote a letter to all of the state governors. It rings as true today as it did 240 years ago. I quote "“The following is the list of four things which I humbly conceive are essential to the well-being, I may even venture to say to the existence, of the United States as an independent Power.” 1. An indissoluble Union of the States under one federal Head. 2. A sacred regard to public Justice. 3. The adoption of a proper Peace Establishment. 4. The prevalence of that pacific and friendly disposition among the people of the United.States, which will induce them to forget their local prejudices and policies, to make those mutualconcessions which are requisite to the general prosperity, and, in some instances, to sacrifice their individual advantages to the interest of the community"

Proud and happy to announce my first translation of the year, and the fourth in total. "Fatherless Community" by Paul Federn. Federn argues that the generation that lived through the war is subconsciously rebelling against their parents, a 'symbolic rebellion' driven by the desire to create a society without traditional authority figures, a fatherless society. Federn applies the Freudian concept of the Oedipus complex, in which a child unconsciously wants to replace his or her same-sex parent. Here the 'father' represents the pre-war socio-political order. Federn suggests that revolutionary fervour is a form of transference, where anger towards the 'father' (authority) is projected onto societal institutions. It is important to note that Federn's book was published in 1919, reflecting the specific socio-political context of the time.

Spending some time today thinking about how organizations can honor Juneteenth… 1. Be willing to hear, understand, and act on feedback from the most vulnerable communities in your organization. 2. Be transparent and communicate about progress being made and the obstacles you are working to resolve. 3. Search deep inside yourself and your team and ask how you are getting in the way of progress - then do the hard inner work to shift thinking and action. 4. Empathize with the current hardships, the cumulative losses, and the collective trauma that slavery and racism have caused and work towards healing. 5. Eradicate institutional inequities wherever they exist - even when it seems impossible to change. Find a way. 5. Hire, develop, support, train, continually educate, and inspire dedicated and talented people to achieve the best possible outcomes for all people. 6. Experience the feeling of liberation from the abolishment of one of the most inhumane institutions in our history.

A few thoughts on the history and purpose of #mentalhealthawareness month, and how to make it meaningful. https://lnkd.in/eQ9imQDQ

Have you heard of the Dignity Index? It's designed to move from contempt to #dignity in public and political dialogue. It's a tool that seeks to help ease divisions, solve problems, and prevent violence. The UNITE-Dignity Index scores distinct phrases along an 8-point scale from contempt to dignity. Text is selected from speeches, debates, social media posts, and campaign ads. Lower scores (1-4) reflect divisive language while higher scores (5-8) reflect language grounded in dignity. "By focusing on the speech and not the speaker, the Dignity Index is designed to draw our attention away from biases and toward the power we each have to heal our country and each other." Let's aim for Level 8, which says: I can see myself in every human being, I refuse to hate anyone, and I offer dignity to everyone. Subtext: I will talk and work with anyone. I don’t need to be right. I believe everyone has inherent worth so I treat everyone with dignity, no matter what. Imho if used responsibly, the Dignity Index can be a helpful step in the right direction. But I'm still yearning for the day when it's not even needed. https://lnkd.in/dEY3iDDd #problemsolving #violenceprevention #communitybuilding #tolerance #humanity #kindness #civility

Great tool, and if you visits the website they offer a host of useful tools as well. I think there is a lot of potential for use with AI not only in assessing language, but in improving how we affirm dignity in our training, email, and written communication.

As we celebrate #Juneteenth, it's crucial to reflect on the need for a system that allows for true accountability and healing. Our CEO, Jamila Hodge, shares insights on how we can achieve true liberation by recognizing the inherent dignity and worth of every person. Read more in our latest blog post: https://lnkd.in/gDc_6H4Q

As part of World Day for Social Justice, why not download the core text of our new campaign, Do Justice, and think about about you can support the spiritual and civic renewal of your local town. #DoJustice #WorldDayforSocialJustice https://t.co/tFeK63udTM