Meeting this Moment: Part 3
In my last couple blog posts, I talked about how existing community groups like churches and service organizations might be our best hope for addressing the dual crises of (individual) loneliness and (group) isolation in our country. Upon further reflection, I realized it’s important to delve deeper into how we’ve reached our current state before…
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Meeting the Moment: Part 2
In today’s society, many people are experiencing a profound sense of loneliness and a lack of community. This growing isolation has been recognized as a significant public health concern, with experts highlighting its impact on mental and physical well-being. I recall sitting with a man who had spent his life managing a large international company.…
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PTU a Community Fellow with Seattle University’s CEIE
We are excited that Paths to Understanding is the first Community Fellow with the Seattle University’s Center for Ecumenical and Interreligious Engagement for 2024-2025 school year. At PTU’s December Board meeting the Board approved with great excitement this partnership. The Center for Ecumenical and Interreligious Engagement (CEIE) at Seattle University is committed to working alongside…
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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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