Governance for Thriving: Dignity, Community, Beauty, and Sustainability – Part 2
If democracy is going to heal, it needs a new aim—human thriving—and a practical path to get there. Political scientist Jenna Bednar calls this governance for human social thriving. The Four Pillars: These ideas match the Vital Conditions for Well-Being developed by the Rippel Foundation: humane housing, meaningful work, lifelong learning, belonging, and civic muscle.…
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Governance for Thriving: Why We Need a New Kind of Growth – Part One
American democracy feels worn thin. Too many people feel left out, unheard, or unseen. For decades we’ve measured success by how fast the economy grows—but not by how well people are doing. We built a system that rewards rivalry between groups instead of relationships between neighbors. The Deeper Problem: We humans naturally form groups. It’s…
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Seeing the Human in One Another
I was recently at Princeton Seminary to support one of our staff members at a program for young Christian leaders. It’s an excellent program—full of bright, committed people. One of the presenters talked about how many younger folks have mixed feelings about “institutional” religion. Afterward, I joined a small group conversation. I said I wasn’t…
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Sharing Food, Building Trust in Philadelphia
On Sunday afternoon, Viveka Hall-Holt and I had the joy of helping to lead a Potluck Project event in Philadelphia. We were warmly hosted by the Philadelphia Sikh Society, in partnership with University Lutheran Church, the Bahá’í Community, and staff from Interfaith Philadelphia. We were served a delicious vegetarian meal in the tradition of Langar,…
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Closing The Great Chasm Between Us
Machines of Slander and Fears For sixty years, people have been walking away—from groups, from institutions, and even from one another. Churches, unions, civic clubs, and neighborhood associations—once the backbone of community life—have all thinned out. Groups have walked away from other groups too, retreating into separate worlds of culture, class, and information. But nature…
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How We Are Organizing Our Mission
Last week, I shared about our new mission statement at Paths to Understanding: “Gathering Neighbors and Growing Trust.” This new language isn’t just words. It’s shaping how we organize our work and where we put our energy. To live out our mission, PTU is focused in three areas: 1. Local Practice, Shared Tools At the…
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Gathering Neighbors, Growing Trust
For many years, our mission statement at Paths to Understanding has been: “Bridging bias and building unity through multifaith peacemaking.” That statement has served us well. It has helped us focus on creating understanding between people of diverse wisdom traditions and countering religious-based bigotry. We will always do this work—it’s at the heart of who…
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A Feast of Connection
by Viveka Hall-Holt, Let’s Go Together Coordinator A few weeks ago, we held our very first Potluck Project gathering in Snohomish County, WA. Fittingly, we met in a space that is transformed into a community kitchen twice a week to feed people in need. We called our event Neighbors Coming Together: A Feast of Food…
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All of the Above: Relief and Resilience
In recent weeks, many have asked me: “How can we do bridge-building work when there is so much harm taking place?” I get it. The challenges are real. We live in a time that is both dangerously unequal and dangerously divided. Inequality leaves too many without security or opportunity. Division makes it harder to even…
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