And The Good News Is...

And The Good News Is...: The Genie is Out of the Bottle! : In my last post, I shared how much I enjoyed the Club De Madrid conference held November 8 & 9 in NYC. I participated in the...

In my last post, I shared how much I enjoyed the Club De Madrid conference held November 8 & 9 in NYC. I participated in the opening plenary panel discussion and sat next to Arianna Huffington.   We talked after the session and she invited me to submit an article for The Huffington Post. The article was published today (front page, left hand column) and I want to share it with all of you. In article is titled, The Genie is out of the Bottle . I share my views on the plethora of rebellions and protest happening around the world. True to form, my interpretation of what is occurring is hopeful and transformational. Could we be on the cusp of a new social order that puts people first?   I invite your comments. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michele-hunt/people-to-people-movement_b_1125381.html May all your beautiful hopes and dreams come true! Michele Transformation Catalyst www.dreammakers.org

And The Good News Is...: Democracy, Technology and People - Where Are We He... : Last week I had the opportunity to participate on the opening panel of Club de Madrid’s 10th annual conference, held in NYC. This is an ama...

Last week I had the opportunity to participate on the opening panel of Club de Madrid’s 10th annual conference, held in NYC. This is an amazing group of former respected Presidents and Prime Ministers. Club De Madrid’s Mission - “The Club de Madrid is an independent non-profit organization composed of 80 democratic former Presidents and Prime Ministers from 56 different countries, constituting the world’s largest forum of former Heads of State and Government, who have come together to respond to a growing demand for support among leaders in two key areas: democratic leadership and governance; and response to crisis and post-crisis situations. Both lines of work share the common goal of addressing the challenge of democratic governance and political conflict as well as that of building functional and inclusive societies, where the leadership experience of our Members is most valuable”. Wim KOK , former Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1994-2002)
 and President, Club de Madrid,

And The Good News Is...: Images & Voices of Hope - Media as an Agent for Wo... : I just came back from experiencing four days at the Images and Voices of Hope (IVOH), World Media Summit - Mind Full Media, in the Cats...

I just came back from experiencing four days at the Images and Voices of Hope (IVOH), World Media Summit - Mind Full Media, in the Catskills of New York. This was an amazing group of about 50 people that included – broadcast, print, photo and digital journalist; artist - musicians, singers, poets and writers. There were people from other walks of life – students, educators – people concerned about the adverse impact the media is having on people all over the world. This eclectic group of people are committed to IVOH’s Mission - " To expand awareness of the choices those in media make that raise public trust, generate constructive meaning and amplify human hope, enhancing humanity’s capacity for life-promoting action". Anyone who knows me or is exposed to my work knows I am an unapologetic, unwavering optimist – so I thought. Recently events around the world have influenced me – I let what I perceived to be  “reality”, based on what I was seeing, reading and hearing fr

And The Good News Is...: And The Good News Is...: And the Good News is, the... : And The Good News Is...: And the Good News is, the World Has Ended, As We K... : "Something deeply profound is happening. Everywhere I go ar...

As I sit here watching the memorials on the tenth anniversary of 9/11, I have a strange mixture of feelings running through me. I have feelings of deep sadness and frustration stirred by the scenes and memories of this horrific act. My heart hurts for everyone who lost someone – and for all of us because we were all affected. At the same time I am feeling hopeful and a sense of community. I am reminded that millions of people put their differences aside on that day and came together in love and support. I was living in Manhattan on the 38 th floor of an apartment building in midtown during September 11. I was busy going about my day when the phone rang and Jan, my sister-in-law, told me that a small plane had hit one of the World Trade Center towers. I ran to my balcony, which faced the Twin Towers and saw volumes of smoke pouring out of the North Tower. I stood there frozen for what seemed to be just a couple of seconds and then a huge jet hit the second tower; I immediately thought

And The Good News Is...: And the Good News is, the World Has Ended, As We K... : "Something deeply profound is happening. Everywhere I go around the world I see profound change and transformation. From the poorest among ..."

Something deeply profound is happening. Everywhere I go around the world I see profound change and transformation. From the poorest among us, to the richest we are changing. From the growing level of discontent something beautiful is emerging - a shift in consciousness is rippling across our world, awakening a sense of spirit and a growing desire to bring that spirit alive in our work, our institutions, our communities, and in our personal lives. It is a different kind of “revolution”.  It is organic, beautiful, and graceful. It is “people to people” in a flow of shifting values, from the superficial, to what really matters in life. It’s communities of people mobilized around common vision and values.  People are awakening to the realization that we are all accountable for our current condition and our behavior has to drastically change. These “people to people” connections, made possible by the explosion of social networking on the internet, have created a beautiful, healthy pande

And The Good News Is...: Letting Go of the Past, Co-Creating the New : "“The greatest barrier to individual (and collective) growth is a slavish devotion to precedence” Dr. Venice Bloodworth, Psychologist, ..."

“The greatest barrier to individual (and collective) growth is a slavish devotion to precedence” Dr. Venice Bloodworth, Psychologist, author of The Key to Yourself It is hard to let go of the past even though it is obvious that our world is not working. We cling on to what we know rather than what we can create, even if what we know is harmful. We see this played out over and over again – people holding on to their version of the truth even if it destroys them, their loved ones and their communities. We have witnessed this scenario playing out in the “Debt Deal” fight in the US Congress. Democrats and Republicans were willing to putting an entire country at risk to be right. To create our future we need to learn from our past. In this era where every institution and most organizations and communities are struggling there are compelling reasons for change. We have the opportunity to examine what has worked, what needs to change, and what needs to be abandoned. Only then ca

And The Good News Is...: Obstacles are merely a point of view. : "Obstacles are a part of life. They can drain us of our energy or ignite our imagination. When we view obstacles as challenges we can see the..."

Obstacles are a part of life. They can drain us of our energy or ignite our imagination. When we view obstacles as challenges we can see the opportunities to tap into the creative genius that lies in all of us.  We have been conditioned to avoid risk, to be safe - to control our lives. Yet we all know that we can’t predict nor prevent obstacles from falling in our path. Because of our point of view, obstacles often throw us into a state of fear – this is no way to live. Look at our institutions, organizations, laws and norms – most are built on negative assumptions. We are taught that people can’t be trusted; that we have limits on our growth and that we need to be dependent on the few in power at the top. Our media, especially TV and radio programming, flood us with stories, talk shows and “information” that fuel these negative assumptions. Most politicians capture our attention by fueling our fears. We have been taught to doubt and limit ourselves and to question the potential of o

And The Good News Is...: Can We Envision Peace & Community? : "I remember a time when we knew almost everyone on our block; a time when a neighbor was in need a whole community rallied to help. Today it ..."

I remember a time when we knew almost everyone on our block; a time when a neighbor was in need a whole community rallied to help. Today it is not unusual for people to be isolated from one another. As I reflect on my recent past, I have been guilty of contributing to the deterioration of the places I have lived. While living in Washington, DC, I barely knew my neighbors on both sides of my house. Unfortunately, it often takes a shared catastrophe for us to discover community. I experienced discovering community living in New York City during 9/11. During this horrific event, the streets were full of people ready and willing to help one another. My daughter was missing for seven hours and I wandered the streets in despair. Complete strangers felt my pain and came to comfort me. Several stayed with me for the entire time. We all felt as one. “A powerful community shares a common vision  and shared values with their fellow citizens.” The manner in which we have responded to the

And The Good News Is...: A View of Current Reality Through the Lens of Poss... : "What If’s: What if we regarded our planet sacred ground – and as good stewards, our decisions and behavior nurtures and sustains our p..."

What If’s: What if we regarded our planet sacred ground – and as good stewards, our decisions and behavior nurtures and sustains our planet for our children and generations to come? What if people placed a high value on products and services that worked in harmony with nature? Imagine the innovation that would result from that mindset. What if our societies valued people, families, and communities above money, status and things? What if we put our children first? Most societies around the world make decisions and take actions that are not consistent with valuing and respecting children. What if girls and women fully discovered, developed and lived their dreams? What would the world look like? I believe females have qualities and behaviors the world desperately needs. Most of us have a deep commitment to nurturing the growth and development of life.   When confronted with conflict, most women and girls seek peaceful solutions; violence is rarely their choice. Women tru

And The Good News Is...: Compelling Reasons For DreamMakers : "Now more than ever we need to imagine our future - envision the world we want to create for our children, our future generations, and for o..."

Now more than ever we need to imagine our future - envision the world we want to create for our children, our future generations, and for ourselves.  The changes we have experienced over the last several decades: environmentally, technologically, economically, politically and socially, have shaken our sense of reality. The sea of change we are living in has lead many of us to ask some crucial questions: “What’s important in life? What values do we need to embrace and build into our future? What kinds of organizations, institutions, communities, and lives do we want create?” People are struggling with these questions all over our world and in all sectors of society. There seems to be a growing desire to live with a sense of purpose - to be deliberate about how we shape our lives. We are beginning to understand that a whole new level of accountability and responsibility is required of all of us. When I was growing up I thought that everything had already been discovered or invented.