Simply put, there is nothing, nothing in the world, that can take the place of one person intentionally listening or speaking to another. The act of conscious attending to another person–when one once discovers the taste of it and its significance–can become the center of gravity of the work of love. It is very difficult. Almost nothing in our world supports it or even knows about it.
–Jacob Needleman

On the day after Thanksgiving, November 27, 2009, StoryCorps is asking all Americans to start a new holiday tradition: Set aside one hour to interview a friend, a loved one, or someone in your community about his or her life.

The process is simple: select an interview partner, create a question list, and sit down to record a meaningful conversation. StoryCorps has created a free Do-It-Yourself (DIY) interview guide with step-by-step interview instructions, equipment recommendations, and sample questions available online at www.nationaldayoflistening.org.

In a letter to Kalamazoo, Michigan’s Season of Forgiveness participants, executive director, Thom Andrews today shared the following:

In recent news, organizations in both Jamaica and the Bahamas have called for a focus on forgiveness.

In the Bahamas, the Carry Your Candle, Light The Bahamas Organization  announced plans for a month-long focus on forgiveness. Community leaders also joined in the call.

In Jamaica, the National Transformation Programme (NTP) appealed to Jamaicans to observe a period of peace and forgiveness for the next five months.

Also, Thom thanked James Herm for his “Viewpoint” published in the Kalamazoo Gazette on September 9th, 2009, focusing on forgiveness.

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.

As a result of their participation in campaign conversations, Maryland Public Television’s Campaign for Love & Forgiveness partner, Friends of the Northeast Interfaith Peace Garden, built and dedicated a Garden of Forgiveness last summer.  Their local CBS affiliate, WJZ, covered a profound story of forgiveness told at the dedication ceremony. Below is an excerpt and link to the full story.

“Jessica Vetter was killed in a motorcycle accident. But her death brought the person responsible for her death and her father together.” Jeffrey Vetter, Jessica’s father, forgave Michael Jacoby, who while driving drunk, caused the accident that killed Jessica. How did this happen, when as Jeffrey admits, he was initially mean, angry, nasty and vengeful? This is another astounding story of forgiveness that has changed both Michael and Jeffrey in deep ways. The short wjz.com article gives an overview of the story, but also posted on the Web page are the full interviews with both men, recorded for the television report and worth watching.   

In Detroit, a Garden of Forgiveness was dedicated and blessed last month. Sparked by a magazine article about the Campaign for Love & Forgiveness film, The Power of Forgiveness, the Detroit FreePress reported that “Catholic sisters from the Dominican Center for Religious Development and priests and staff…created the place where people of all faiths can come to meditate, to reflect, to forgive.”

Another park, dedicated to the memory of Jakobi Ra Harris, a two-year-old hit and run victim, is also in the works in Detroit. Jakobi’s parents, Shamayim and James Harris, chose to forgive the man responsible for killing their son and to honor their son’s life with a park.

And, in Baltimore, a Garden of Forgiveness–part of the Northeast Interfaith Peace Garden–was dedicated last month with interfaith prayer, dance, and celebration. The Garden of Forgiveness grew out of conversations held as part of Maryland Public Television’s local Campaign for Love & Forgiveness effort.

Do a loved one’s habits get on your nerves? How do you summon love or forgiveness when daily irritations get the best of you? Check out Harriet Watson’s story of how she got past a “grinding” irritation to find her husband endearing all over again.

Harriet’s digital story came out of a workshop sponsored by campaign partner, KEET/Eureka in northern California. In January, participants from the Humboldt Community Breast Health Project and the Dell’Arte School of Physical Theatre came together to transform a brief personal story about love and forgiveness into a digital story.

Participants used their voices, artwork, photos, and even the “Ken Burns effect” to create humorous and serious stories of love and forgiveness. Sample a few for yourself.

We’re pleased to announce that the American Library Association, as part of the Campaign for Love & Forgiveness, will be launching Let’s Talk About It: Love & Forgiveness. In August, thirty libraries will receive grants for a series of conversations focusing on books with love and forgiveness themes, including: love and forgiveness in the presence of the enemy, love and forgiveness in the light of death, and love and forgiveness and wisdom.

Each of the themes includes a selection of five literary works to be read and discussed, accompanied by a scholarly essay written by national project scholar, Betty Sue Flowers, Ph.D., Director of the Johnson Presidential Library and formerly Kelleher Professor of English at the University of Texas at Austin.

Check out the Guidelines and Application for the list of books.

Grant application deadline for libraries: July 15, 2008