Living Now

Rehumanization in the 200 Year Present

"I understood from each and every one of those Indigenous friends and from those Central American colleagues and the ways that they conceptualized, was that what mattered was the capacity to mobilize our imagination about the rehumanization of whoever it is that stands in our moment, in our place, and whether we have a capacity to reach beyond that which we understand and reach toward that which we may fear."

John Paul Lederach shares stories from his experiences as a peacemaker and conflict transformer in working with native peoples throughout the world. These stories revolve around a notion mostly lost in our current world of short-term thinking – the recognition that decisions made seven generations ago affect us today and the decisions we make today will affect the next seven generations to come. He continues by discussing what he believes are the characteristics of a person effective in creating positive transformation within many Central and South American cultures; “The Three Cs:” confianza, cuello, and coyuntura. John Paul concludes by sharing a recent poem of his called “Upaya Prayer.”

Lederach, John Paul. “Living Now: Rehumanization in the 200 Year Present,” Upaya Dharma Podcast, November 7, 2016.

Shared with the permission of the Upaya Zen Center.

read

Once downloaded, PDFs can be translated via Google Translate

english

listen

english

asia and central asia

mesoamerica north america locally-led peacebuilding guest appearances

asia and central asia

blog post

The Challenge of Terror: A Traveling Essay

Written while stranded in Guatemala after September 11, an essay suggesting a number of lessons learned from peace initiatives where terrorism was employed as a tool of struggle and calling for new approaches to combating the challenge.

2001