A collaboration of The Center for Spirituality & Practice
and the Fetzer Institute
March 16, 2020
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Content Update
Dear Colleagues,
What are some of the underlying skills, practices, and attitudes that enable a democracy to function well even in a crisis? As the coronavirus COVID-19 spreads across the United States and around the world -- causing health emergencies, social distancing, travel restrictions, lost work, and economic turmoil -- this question is far from theoretical.
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In "
Spiritual Practices for the Coronavirus Pandemic
," we consider ways that you can take care of yourself and those around you, calming fears and determinedly working to bring good out of the current situation. These practices are not intended to sugarcoat or minimize the very real dangers of this global health emergency. But they can help you deal with the associated stress, accept what you cannot change, and build up your resilience. Then -- whether your role is laying low, being on the front lines, or something in between, you can make wise decisions that foster the common good.
Keep reading for more practices, as well as books, films, blog posts, and courses to deepen your understanding of democracy and the role you play in its well-being. We wish the very best for you and your loved ones at this time.
Salaam, Shalom, Shanti, Peace,
The Practicing Democracy Project Team
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To provide additional support for people at this time, we have created
a collection of e-courses for needs arising during the pandemic
: handling difficulties, staying healthy, and developing your contemplative practice. All courses on this list are available at a 30 percent discount. As always, we also have
e-courses with Practice Circles
-- forums open 24/7 -- that allow you to be in touch with people throughout Spirituality & Practice's worldwide community. While we can't be physically close, we can surely share what's on our minds and hearts, in the spirit of democracy.
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Freedom of Information Day
offers an opportunity to reflect on the right to request access to federal agency records or information. Swedish philosopher Sissela Bok wrote that “a guarantee of public access to government information is indispensable in the long run for any democratic society…. if officials make public only what they want citizens to know, then publicity becomes a sham and accountability meaningless.”
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On the
Anniversary of the Premiere of Letter from America
, we remember radio and television journalist Alistair Cooke's running commentaries on topical aspects of American life, some of them intimate background to Washington policy, some profiles of important Americans. Lucky for us all, 1,472 of them are now available for your free listening on the BBC website, where you can browse through them by date or theme and find one to listen to today as you reflect upon what America means to you.
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Films on Practicing Democracy
Directed by Andrew Heckler
In this film based on a true story, when a white supremacist decides to leave the Ku Klux Klan and loses both his job and his physical safety as a result, the minister at a black church offers hospitality to him, his girlfriend, and her young son. To reflect further on this story of love versus hate, see
Could You Be Friends with a White Supremacist?
in the Practicing Democracy blog.
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DVDs and Streaming Release on Practicing Democracy
Directed by Todd Haynes
This film chronicles the courageous investigations by a lawyer into harm caused by unregulated DuPont chemicals. Taking us step-by-step through a very complicated case, it not only helps us understand this particular environmental danger but how other similar problems get ignored and the companies responsible for them are let off the hook.
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Books on Practicing Democracy
By Roger Lipsey
"It is when we all play safe that we create a world of the utmost insecurity," wrote Dag Hammarskjold, the second secretary of the United Nations. "It is 'in the dark shade of courage' alone, that the spell can be broken." This short work delves deeply into his extraordinary life and legacy.
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Children's Books on Practicing Democracy
By Barb Rosenstock
This biography of an early First Lady shows her combination of competence and boldness that allowed her to run a household, shape her husband's words when he wrote about colonists' rights, teach her children, feed militias, house refugees, and eventually sail to Europe and serve in a diplomatic capacity.
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Democracy is more than a system of government; it is a way of life. We can assess the vitality of a democracy by how well it is serving the people's needs and hopes. But a democracy's health is best reflected in examples of how people practice it through their commitments to shared values and virtues. In this weekly blog, started last October, we present stories of democracy-in-practice.
Here are the most recent posts:
Posted by Sheryl Johnson
Posted by Mary Ann Brussat
Posted by Patricia Campbell Carlson
Posted by Keziah Grindeland
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By Julia Davis and the S&P Team
The We the People Book Club is a program designed with the intention of giving you an opportunity to strengthen your vision of democracy and your connections with others through an array of literary voices. It was offered as an e-course from September 2018 - August 2019. It is
now available to schedule at your own pace
or to have us
create a custom group
. You can also access the following modules as individual e-courses:
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