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When I was in law school, a classmate, whom I had considered a dear friend, out of the blue started throwing pennies on the floor, sneering, “Pick up the pennies, Jew.” Besides being heartbroken by the episode, I have, ever since, found it strange that some would consider picking up coins demeaning…
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Dear Friends,
As we approach the close of this tumultuous year, I am reflecting on the challenges we’ve experienced in pursuit of our mission to foster kindness in the US and across the world.
By Lonnie Ali and Daniel Lubetzky
Over the past two months, people of all races, ethnicities, and religions have experienced enormous pain and suffering. Acts of terror, war, and ensuing hatred have deepened the cracks that were already threatening to divide our communities.
You, our nation’s young people, have been implicated in this. The campuses on which you live, learn, and strive to become the people you want to be, have turned into battlegrounds. Some of you are angry. Some are scared for your lives. Others feel confused and alone.
This is not your fault. It is not one group’s fault. Extremist ideologies sow division wherever they go. Most of you are not radical. We see you. Most of you are compassionate. We hear you. The overwhelming majority of you want to supplant the forces that divide, destroy, and diminish with ones that unite, build, and bring light to the world. You want to replace polarization with problem-solving to benefit all people.
As a passionate Muslim and a passionate Jew, we have come together to humbly share a path forward for how to transcend the construct of “us vs. them” and side with humanity instead.
Read MoreAs someone who has dedicated my life to build bridges between people, most centrally among Israelis and Palestinians committed to resolve their conflict and build a better future for their children (ie., OneVoice & PeaceWorks Inc), I hope everyone will unanimously and vocally condemn the appalling terrorist attacks by Hamas. Hamas proudly targeted women and children as hostages. Ukrainian President Zelenskyysaid it best: terror like that perpetrated by Hamas must be eradicated or else violent extremism metastasizes and harms us all.
Read MoreUltimately, what we achieve as corporate leaders, even in the form of social impact, must work hand in hand with how we go about achieving it. How we act along our journeys is at least as important as–if not more so than–the destination. For example, if we are donating a portion of profits to at-need communities, but not being open-minded, respectful, and honest in how we lead in the workplace, we risk undermining our larger goals by contributing to a disrespectful, intolerant, or unethical culture. In fact, a company with no stated social mission that is modeling positive values like integrity and respect may be doing more good for our world than one with a big ESG commitment failing at the basics of kindness.
Read More(As seen in Inc.) We are all familiar with the wrong way to give feedback at work by doling out advice in a manner...
Read MoreWhen we were building the OneVoice Movement in the Middle East, dignitaries, celebrities, and citizens alike joined us in asking Palestinians, Israelis, and global advocates for peace, “What are you willing to do to end the conflict?” The question was central to what became a movement of more than 650,000 people, from both sides of the conflict, who eventually realized the only real answer would require the individual involvement of all citizens – necessitating conversation, partnership, and even compromise with “the other side.”
How did we get to the point at which sworn enemies were willing to work together? And is this kind of partnership feasible in the United States where 4 out of 10 Americans think civil war is likely in the next ten years? The answer is yes, so long as all of us recognize just how wrong we’ve been about one another.
Read MoreIn 2000, President Clinton hosted a peace conference at Camp David that gave many hope for peace in Gaza; but a few months later, the Second Intifada, a major Palestinian uprising against Israel, began. Having been working in the region for decades to found and build PeaceWorks, a company that used market forces to foster peace between neighbors in the Middle East, I was confused and depressed by the news. On Western television, I saw pictures of ruthless violence and terrorism from Palestinians, giving me the impression, at least initially, that the moderates I knew had succumbed to extreme ways. But when I went to talk to my Palestinian friends, and they showed me what they were seeing on the television, I was shocked:. Their news programs depicted all Israelis as merciless killers.
On both sides of the conflict, the news media seemed like it exclusively published stories portraying the worst of the other side, characterizing all Palestinians or Israelis as hateful enemies. It turned out that my friends hadn’t changed at all; they just weren’t the ones the media were showing. And in portraying things falsely in such a negative light, the media fed the conflict rather than helping resolve it.
We Americans are now facing this same problem, with potentially devastating repercussions for our democracy and our ability to lead the free world.
Read MoreImagine this: you step into the elevator and instinctively reach for your smart phone, only to discover that you’ve mistakenly left it at your desk. A sense of panic sets in as you wonder what to do. What will you think about when you can’t have your “thoughts” fed to you?
Read MoreThroughout my life, I have sought to build bridges between people, seeking to help both sides uncover common ground....
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