The End Of Poverty from Wisdom Thinkers Network on Vimeo.
With a generous grant from the Odyssey Networks, Wisdom Thinkers is producing a series of shorts on the work and ideas of some of our members – The first features, Dr. Naresh Singh’s life-long commitment to alleviating poverty.
By Ralph Singh Contributing writer
Sun, May 20, 2012 | The Post-Standard
We live in a diverse and ever-changing world. Cultures and civilizations now, more than ever, are butting up against each other and we find ourselves increasingly in a tug-of-war between those who welcome this diversity and those who are threatened by it. Stories have the power to change the world.
Through sharing our stories we can understand that we have more in common than the differences that are constantly paraded before us. Stories are the easiest way to bridge the artificial divides. If I listen to and honor your personal story, it means I care about you, and I want to be in community with you. And if I listen to and honor your cultural story, be it rooted in a religious or ethnic tradition or even growing out of new understandings, together we can create a more just society.
All traditions teach us to love our neighbor, even when they seem different from ourselves. We can no longer have one single dominant narrative. That is a recipe for constant conflict. If I deny you your story, then I really don’t want to be in community with you. And, our children are made to feel that they don’t count. Unfortunately, this cuts both ways.
For those who truly want to teach and learn about the traditions of their neighbors, their stories are the easiest path – and most easily imparted to our children, congregations and friends. By sharing each others’ stories, we can take small steps on the path toward a more compassionate, inclusive, pluralistic, civil society.
–Ralph Singh, chairman of the Wisdom Thinkers Network, connects the world with stories in schools and community settings. While he draws from the world’s sacred and secular traditions, the stories are from his Sikh tradition.
As we approach the 10th anniversary of an event that tore at the very fiber of our social fabric, we might do well to reflect on the state of our union. When our Founding Fathers penned the words, “in order to form a more perfect union,” they laid a framework for democracy that would depend almost entirely on an active citizenry. We had overthrown the injustice of a monarchy, and set the course for a nation that would be the city on the hill, the beacon for the tired and poor, and the hope of liberty for a world buried under injustice. These were our ideals. Read More
Stories from the Depths of Our Beings from Wisdom Thinkers Network on Vimeo.
In the midst of post-9-11 gridlock, The Wisdom Thinkers Network, in partnership with CLAL, gathered 14 remarkable individuals, scientists, businessmen, journalists, African American and Native American Matriarchs, and young leaders, Rabbis and Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, development and environmental experts, across gender, across disciplines, across the religious and non-religious spectrum, to find a way forward by sharing their amazing stories. What emerged was a new “sacred” community. Watch the transformation.
Ten years ago, Gobind Sadan USA, a Sikh spiritual center north of Syracuse, was a victim of arson. It was the first attack on a place of worship following September 11th, and the first to come under Governor Pataki’s newly signed legislation against hate crimes.
As we gathered amidst the charred remains, a light shone through a window frame, and we learned that our holy scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, had not burned. Not only had it not been damaged by fire – but the tons of water that had been poured through the roof had not touched a single word. The Light of God’s love had triumphed over hatred. Read More
Few holidays bind family and community together in a national narrative the way Thanksgiving does. Aside from the food, football and preparation for Black Friday, Thanksgiving gives us all time to reflect on something greater — a greater good — a greater power — a greater way of being human. Read More
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