She was watching from a window. I waved. She waved back, then gave the universal symbol of prayer and respect. I returned the gesture: “I greet you. I honor you. We are connected.” She pressed her hand to her heart. I flashed a thumbs up.
Read MoreLearning, the Permaculture Way
by Steph • January 24th, 2015
This workshop at the 2nd Permaculture Voices conference in San Diego will help you plan how to maximize your PV2 conference experience by applying a tool for lifelong learning. Learning throughout your life involves steady investments of attention, time and energy. In this session, you will acquire and work with a set of considerations that […]
Read MoreImitation: Not only a game
by Steph • January 4th, 2015
The race of Ultra vs Enigma in The Imitation Game prefigures Edward Snowden, #Anonymous, and the Lizard Squad.
Read MorePeak Connectivity and Social Resilience
by Steph • July 14th, 2013
The “intersection” in this blog entry on social resilience involves computer science and brain science. Combining the social aspect of resilience with the human-computer interface and education has potential to enhance sophisticated problem-solving around the globe. For instance, what if we gamed Twitter?
Read MoreSlow Learning vs Fast Living
by Steph • July 8th, 2013
I can only offer what I know, what I have learned, slowly and at the cost of many dear relationships. Diversity matters. The differences among us are more important than the similarities, because they enable creativity. Here we are, thrown into consciousness and connection. What shall we make of this precious chance?
Read MoreBack from Beirut: Fear and Normal Courage
by Steph • June 10th, 2012
One reason that I haven’t let go of the connections with people in Beirut is because I felt fear and had to figure out how to manage it. My own little weirdnesses of coping put me on alert for observing what qualifies as normal courage, what decisions might be reckless, and which of my worries completely ridiculous? On the bus to Byblos the one Saturday we traveled for tourism, only one person responded when I mentioned having been afraid. “We all were,” she said, gesturing to a couple of other conference participants.
Read MoreA Temporal Turn?
by Steph • May 16th, 2012
“What is the purpose of dialogue?” Are Dialogue Under Occupation conference participants in the process of producing a work of critical art? Or are these conferences solely labor – the repetition of rituals that must be performed in order to satisfy and maintain professional credentials? Could we somehow manage to do both? Examples include the film Rabat, asking questions about symbolism entailed in labels such as the Green Line, and exploring Dr Makram Ouaiss’ point that non-violence is understudied, proven effective, and morally legitimate.
Read MoreFantasia
by Steph • May 15th, 2012
“Communication arts are the future…” I depart Beirut as I entered, awash in serendipity. Back in whaling days, the Captain’s cabin was a private refuge. Entry by others was privileged and rare. Generous gifts of time and talk throughout my stay dance questions among the neurons of my mind.
Read MorePresupposing Salmon: Ready DUO Players?
by Steph • May 11th, 2012
…what happened in the roundtable on Future Change at the Dialogue under Occupation conference hosted at Lebanon-American University in Beirut. The group was game to engage the quest, at least for the duration of the session. A pluck lot…If dialogue is to make a difference in the world, it must be sustained. As academics, we know the theory! But can we do it? Maybe this year will be different…
Read Morestumbling into spirit
by Steph • May 7th, 2012
“Palestine Monologues” was received with enthusiasm by an audience of 200 people, most of whom stood throughout the performance in an outdoor grove at Lebanese-American University in Beirut. I was surprised at how non-ideologic the play by Sonja Linden turns out to be…the Iranian-American comedian Maz Jobrani put the culture in perspective for me by saying it all comes down to the love of negotiation. This blogpost features the paintings of Rajaa Hoteit in the search to find novel ways of talking that break old patterns and therefore create new ways of relating in social and political reality.
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