Third Side Forum

3S Questions – Struggling to Decide how much Development is Good

People in Grand Marais MN are struggling to decide how much development is good for them. Some worry new developments will destroy the very atmosphere that draws visitors and makes people want to live there. Others say the town needs development to add jobs and keep young people in town. Recently two new condos have been developed in the area that has caused some spurred the controversary. To read more about this issue:

Grand Marais gets growing pains

Council reconsiders downtown building moratorium

What Third Side Question would you pose to support a development that meets everyone’s needs?

All posted questions will be sent to the Grand Marais city council to support their work to transform this issue. For more information on 3S Questions - visit the Third Side Tools.

Using the Third Side Curriculum for High school and College

From Steve Gardiner Director, Management Training Purdue Pharma

I have found Josh Weiss’ Third Side: A Pedagogical Accompaniment to be a tremendous resource. I am very interested in corresponding with any high schools or colleges who having been using this curriculum. Do you know of any schools that I might contact? Thank you.

European Imams Focus on Issue of Identity

In Vienna a group of European Imans meet and look at their role in developing and changing the global image of Muslims.

A declaration by the head of Bosnia‘s Islamic community that has been circulating among European mosques illustrates the balancing act for the continent‘s more than 33 million Muslims.
"There‘s kind of psychological warfare now between East and West and Europe is at the center of it," said Mustafa Ceric, the leader of Bosnia‘s Muslim community and author of the "Declaration of European Muslims" issued earlier this year.

Ceric, who cannot attend the Vienna meeting because of a scheduling conflict, plans to have an aide present his document. It urges European Muslims to embrace modern views and change "a bad global image to a good global image of Muslims," but also blames the West for fanning prejudices against Islam following the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.

"Peace Begins With Me"

In Hopkinton MA the Hopkinton Public Library and the Friends of the Library hosted an innovative children's concert entitled "Peace Begins With Me - We're Bully Free!" by Performing Arts Educator, Cheryl Melody. This concert is designed to give children a sense of hope that transcends the negativity they sometimes face in their day-to-day world.

This musical journey is filled with interactive opportunities, uplifting words and original, catchy music. Every song and rhythmic rap is participatory, and every piece of music focuses on concrete, educational messages that teach children how they can bring peace to their lives and to the lives of others. Through participatory and original songs, instruments, gentle movement, multicultural puppets, international flags and the Vibratory Golden Peace Bowl. Suitable for children Pre-school through Grade 5, the concert is a fun way for children to learn about non-violent conflict resolution and bully-free environments, all while having a great time singing and laughing.

April 25 - Reflections and Dialogue

In our Forum mailing we posted the following two Third Side News Stories.

Catholic bishops to mediate bitter Uruguayan dispute - Argentine and Uruguayan bishops have accepted an invitation from Argentine President Nestor Kirchner to mediate a bitter dispute over the construction of two pulp mills in Uruguay that opponents say will cause severe environmental damage. The long-running dispute over construction of the $1.7 billion plants in the Uruguayan town of Fray Bentos has soured relations between the two countries.

“I still forgive him” – On a summer night in 2003, Anthony Warren of Hyde Park fired three gunshots into the air outside a three-decker in Dorchester to scare two women who lived on the first floor after an argument. One bullet severed the spine of Kai Leigh Harriott, then 3, who was sitting outside on her family's third-story porch with a sister. Kai and four members of her family told a Suffolk Superior Court judge that the shooting had changed their lives forever, but had also shown them the value of forgiveness.

Please share any thoughts or comments.

Holding Multiple Perspectives

For a day notice your conversations and how you hold multiple perspectives. At the end of the day briefly consider these questions: Do you hold multiple perspectives in your conversations? Do you invite others to share their perspectives? Are you open to letting in other perspectives? If not, why not? Do you feel you’re holding more then one perspective?

3S Questions – NJ Community responding to “hate” remark

In Manalapan New Jersey Deputy Mayor Michelle Roth's husband made an insensitive remarks about Italians which has caused a great deal of racial and political tension in the community. The community is attempting to negotiate this incident and heal. To read more about this issue:

In one NJ town, community leaders reach out to settle Italian-Jewish divide

Enough already!

Manalapan official told: Quit or many will protest

What Third Side Question would you pose to help transform this issue?

All posted questions will be sent to the Deputy Mayor’s office and the Italian-American Association of Monmouth County to support their work to transform this issue. For more information on 3S Questions - visit the Third Side Tools.

Blogrolls for the Third Side

Tom Glaisyer New York

This website gives us an opportunity to share ideas information, and raise questions. Another useful function it could provide is to act as a link to other third side blogs or similar sites. For those unfamiliar with blogs this is typically referred to as a blogroll. So this post is a request to readers to add in the comments section useful blogs or resources that we should include. Perhaps we should build a single list or several lists - Thirdsider blogs related to US domestic issues, international issues, or perhaps break down the blogs by the particular roles played by the third siders who write them?

This naturally brings up the next question....how do we decide which to include or exclude. I'll make the suggestion that any blogs suggested by more than one person automatically get included. (Oh and perhaps let's limit it so that you can't suggest your own blog that limits the self-promotion aspect!) If people would rather a different mechanism for deciding on the contents of the blogroll please respond in the comments below.

We’re not afraid!

After the London subway attacks a website was developed to show the world that we’re not afraid of what happened in London and that the world is better place without fear. Every day people send into the site pictures often with a phrase about not being afraid. Some images show every day activities and others are filled with humor and pride. The site also has a discussion forum and a space for essays, poetry and thoughts. They are still updating the site with 5 new galleries a week! And have had as many as 18,000 images backlogged. A great opportunity for healing and connection.

We are not afraid to ride public transportation.
We are not afraid to walk down a crowded street.
We are not afraid of each other.
We are not afraid to say that terrorism in any form is never the answer.

Visit their site: http://werenotafraid.com/index.php

Young Muslims Speak

adapted from the Peace Direct website

Peace Direct took a different approach to the London Bombings. They initiated the Young Muslims Speak project which aimed to provide a platform for young Muslims from all backgrounds to share ideas, express their feelings freely, identify their needs and suggest ways that could help them in fulfilling their full potential within British society.

Over two workshops the project was facilitated by international peacebuilders working in conflict areas. Dekha Ibrahim Abdi from Northern Kenya, and Mohammad Shbyta from the West Bank employed peacebuilding and dialogue tools developed at a grassroots level to understand and consider issues and challenges raised by participants. Through dialogue techniques, a strategy for action is now being developed as well as a network capable of representing young people’s concerns.

The participants agreed that unless we understand the implications of being British and Muslim we will not be able to create the conditions in which all young Muslims feel that they have a respected and valued place in UK society. The existence of individuals who feel marginalized and disrespected is one of the classic causes of conflict. The project came to focus on four issues participants felt to be at the root of this concern; perceptions, the media and islamaphobia, the community generation gap and Muslim participation. The young Muslims came together to describe how a multi-layered approach could be brought to tackling these issues. This included plans for furthering dialogue and education at a national level whilst also pointing out ways that specific projects at a very local level could be undertaken and identified the difficulties and opportunities of working with local authorities.

Working alongside participants, Peace Direct has collated the findings from the two workshops together to create a project report. This is now being released to the media, local/national policy-makers and organizations with an interest in Muslim affairs. It is hoped that the paper will lead to a better understanding of young Muslims and the most important issues facing them whilst the creation of a network representing young Muslims will mobilize and equip them in fulfilling their lives in British society.