This poem was written in 2008 by Adeola Fearon in response to and in honor of WTVI/Charlotte’s Campaign for Love & Forgiveness conversations.

Garden of Forgiveness

in the garden of forgiveness
it takes courage to hear
“I’m sorry”
as much as it does
to plan something
that feeds the soul
the quality of life
inspired
by a moving experience
touched by an angel
sent to elevate your life
to slow down
create a bridge
between heart and mind
to one day share
with your children
wise words
making an impact
joy
optimism
diversity
share your spirit
for a new
tomorrow
how passionate are you
to see things from a new view
to flower
possibilities

©2008 Adeola Fearon

It’s official. Campaign conversations have gone international. Sara Goepfert and Olivia Murillo, who joined conversations in San Diego, while interning at Survivors of Torture, initiated conversations–or plan to–in their home countries of Switzerland and Mexico.

Sara reports that five conversations were held as part of a Quaker group she belongs to in Bern. “The exchange in the group was very stimulating,” she wrote, “and the feedback from the group was that they are interested in holding more conversations.” Sara hopes to initiate additional conversations within her church community and start a series at the University of Social Work she attends.

Olivia said the conversations she participated in while in San Diego “changed my life” and now she is committed to starting them in her hometown of Tijuana. She sees the conversations as an opportunity to begin to change feelings of hate and fear, rampant in a city that has the highest violence rate in all of Mexico. She writes that she “needs to start somewhere” and hopes the conversations will provide that starting point.

Don’t miss this opportunity! The American Library Association’s “Let’s Talk About It: Love & Forgiveness,” a scholar-led reading and discussion program exploring themes of love and forgiveness in everyday life through literature, is now in full swing.

Fifty public libraries around the country are hosting conversations exploring love, forgiveness, and wisdom; love and forgiveness in the presence of the enemy; and love and forgiveness in the light of death. Check out the list of libraries participating with the dates of their events to see if there is one in your community.

This initiative is funded by the Fetzer Institute as part of the Campaign for Love & Forgiveness.

The Season of Forgiveness kicked off on January 17th in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Conceived by a consortium of local partner organizations, the effort is designed to promote a spirit of forgiveness throughout the community.  The ‘Season’ runs from January 17 – March 28, 2009, and seeks to:

• encourage businesses and organizations to improve their productivity, customer retention and employee morale;
• encourage civic leaders to transform public discourse and relationships; and
• challenge individuals to improve their lives.

In a recent article in the Kalamazoo Gazette, Thom Andrews, director of marketing and public relations for the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and the man who came up with the idea for the Season of Forgiveness, explained that “the overall goal of this, outside of any particular issue in the community, is to immerse people in the idea of understanding and acceptance as a way to lead a healthier, happier life.”

During the ten weeks of the effort, the Greater Kalamazoo community will be exploring forgiveness.  There will be events sponsored by the consortium partners that will carry the theme or message of forgiveness, and there will be project events specially planned for the ‘Season’ that will focus exclusively on forgiveness.