Part Two: YES! Beyond Despair: Ways Out Of Humanity's Crises

The earlier post on this topic was one of the most-read posts ever, illustrating how much people yearn for real hope and possibilities in dealing with humanity's crises. Today we explore additional perspectives on ways toward a future that is truly just, sustainable, and filled with possibilities for all. NOTE: For those who may have missed the earlier post, it can be found here.

Imagination: A Manifesto - In this short and transformative book, Dr. Ruha Benjamin, a Princeton professor, argues that all of the most profound mechanisms of human suffering and oppression—racism, sexism, classism, etc.—are products of human imagination. And products of imagination can be replaced when imagination moves in another direction. Dr. Benjamin issues a call for us “to take imagination seriously as a site of struggle and a place of possibility for reshaping the future.” What if the things we dream of actually are possible, and our imaginations are the key to liberation? Of related interest is a brief talk by Dr. Benjamin: On Being Bold. In the short video, she explores who gets to be bold and how this shapes the future we can create.

An Inquiry into What It Might Mean for a Human Life to Matter - In a world where war, violence, and injustice seem to be empowered by the idea that human life doesn't matter, and individuals themselves often feel that they don't matter...What might it mean for a human life to matter; and how might one come to believe that they matter? In this presentation, Dr. Michael Penn, Professor of Psychology at Franklin & Marshall College, explores the findings of his research and how they help to point us in new, more hopeful, directions.

How to Create Belonging in Faith-based Small Groups - Small groups are led by teams of regular community members, not teachers or clergy, offers a decentralized model of community-building which can fuel a strong sense of belonging — especially in our era of America’s loneliness epidemic. Another example is community-based, interfaith organizations building community through taking action together, like EquaSion.

Blessed Tomorrow - This interfaith working group of diverse faiths educates, activates, and supports people of all spiritual persuations to work on meaningful and just solutions locally, regionally, and nationally in ways that are accessible and positive.

A New Vision of Leadership as Service - For human society to truly heal and change, a new model of leadership as service to all will be needed.