Meeting This Moment: Part One
(This is the first of three articles in a series.) To function well for its citizens, our society needs three major assets, according to Jonathan Haidt and other experts: About 75% of Americans are worried about the state of our democracy. Robert Putnam says our social capital is at a one-hundred-year low. At the same…
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A Look Ahead
I remember how I felt at this time last year—filled with hope and anticipation for our Let’s Go Together process in Skagit County. We had a plan, a new coordinator, and some courageous leaders and organizations willing to take a chance with us. At that point, about 10 people had signed up to participate. In…
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Media with a Mission
2024 brought some exciting developments for PTU’s weekly TV show, Challenge 2.0. We doubled our number of subscribers on YouTube, the podcast version became available on Spotify and several other podcast apps we weren’t previously on, and most importantly: We produced several episodes “in the field”, visiting individuals and places that had inspiring stories to…
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Building Trust with All People
Let’s Go Together “Meet Up”: a way to continue to create partnerships between large gatherings
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The Potluck Project Goes National
This past year, Paths to Understanding has spent a significant amount of time developing our Potluck Project. This program, PTU’s first nation-wide endeavor, reflects our growing national reach as an organization. We are committed to being locally rooted here in Western Washington and simultaneously being nationally engaged in collaboration and conversation with partners around the…
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Ripple Effects
Tom Friedman argues that humanity is currently facing two immense challenges: These forces are reshaping our world at an overwhelming pace, creating deep anxiety for many. However, I believe he overlooks a third critical challenge: the loneliness of individuals and the isolation of groups. Individual loneliness has become both a public health and mental health…
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Potluck in San Antonio
Last night, 100 people from diverse traditions and cultures gathered to share food and meaningful conversations. PTU partnered with local leaders from the Interfaith San Antonio Alliance to host the event at Grace Lutheran Church, just a short distance from the Riverwalk. As you may know, PTU and Seattle University have developed a toolkit to…
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Who Are We?
Who are we? Like many of you, I’m reflecting on the values that shape our actions and beliefs in the United States. There’s a lot of reflection happening right now about what our values are—and this conversation is deeply needed. It’s also crucial to remember how complex we all are, each of us carrying layers…
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Casting out Fear
Love casts out fear. But love is more than a slogan, a meme, or a scolding comment. True love is built in person-to-person and group-to-group relationships. Most of us feel lonely. Most groups don’t connect with others outside their circles. After centuries of layered dehumanization and constant negative news about each other, it’s no wonder…
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