The Many Different Faces of the People Say It All - Hope is Very Much Alive

Today this Sunday morning, with much concern on my mind, I am writing in gratitude for several positive experiences that bolster my hope, my faith, and my resolve. The first is this wonderful photograph of President Barack Obama engaging with people on his recent visit to Seattle where he put himself within the peoples' reach, reaching out to people and connecting with people. Grasping his very arm is a dear Ethiopian friend and fellow entrepreneur of mine, Wube Worku... in total rapture. I grabbed this from her Facebook page.

The many different faces of the people says it all. Hope is very much alive in the faces of the people, and put into positive action, it will carry us through. This picture captures what President Barack Obama continues to proclaim, that the power resides with people who need to exercise their political in powerful constructive ways, coming together to make ours a better world for all of its people. That photo that captured this experience, on Thursday, was just one of several powerful events that happened across our nation. 

Another important event that happened on Friday, was a grassroots conference on addressing the complex issue of domestic violence that I attended. This was facilitated by the venerable Dr. Maxine Mimms on the Tacoma campus of Evergreen State College that she was instrumental in helping found. Now in her eighties, she moved the event forward with marvelous wisdom and insight. Multiple pastors from African American-based Tacoma Ministry Alliance provided their insight and input, but what moved me most were the testimonials of multiple women who told their personal stories of dealing with and overcoming domestic violence in their own lives, moving on to became leaders and positive role models for change themselves. What continued to be expressed was the important positive role that community-based grassroots education...and community-based pedagogy  can play in changing people's lives and in changing the world.

Wow, was I glad to have the idea of doing a community based web television channel on mind as I got up early, charged my batteries, put them in my funky little $89 Flip Ultra camcorder. I used it to capture some awesome content that can be used to continue positive initiatives that were the outcome of this conference. I now have forty-four pieces of content that can reach more people with. That was positive experience number two.

Then this morning, positive experience number three had to do with developing relationship with indigenous people across the world. After outreaching to folks at the Alaskan Natives Federation for several years about using television and next generation web conferencing to develop community through distance learning and social change, I am finally blessed to receive the address of their keynote speaker via Facebook.. This was a very positive sign that I can now follow up on. 

The spirit of people is now filling me with joy that will making getting through this day... and this week a whole lot easier. Call me... I have enough it to generously spread around. 425-780-6872.