An Interview with Nate Jackson, OUSD Teacher of the Year!

Four years ago, we couldn’t have predicted the end of schoolyard bullying with the end of schoolyards. We didn’t expect a 21st century American president to become the living example of shameless, careless, righteous, unstoppable bullying behaviors.

Nate Jackson, who this year was named OUSD’s Teacher of the Year, is now the District’s Physical Education specialist. In this 2016 interview with me (author Kristen Caven), we shared our thoughts and insights on bullying—what it is and isn’t, how it happens on the playground, how P.E. can help.

When I asked Nate what was different now, he said, “Things haven’t changed much when it comes to bullying. I feel like it’s the opposite, now; everyone has to be even more careful because student self esteem is so fragile. We as teachers have to make extra sure that they, and adults, are connected with at school.” He continues, “It’s hard to make friends and connect though zoom. It’s hard for kids to read the emotions of others, and express how they’re feeling on Zoom.”

Technology creates new problems. “While some students have the technologies and family support, as well as a quiet place to learn, others are finding themselves the head of household while their parents are working.” But even these problems seem small compared to the bigger issues. “There’s sooooo much more going on that puts education on the back burner. We’re trying to understanding what really matters… education or survival?”

I think what he’s saying is get out there and vote. Vote against bullies and short-term thinking. Vote for our national well-being.

Zorgos = “I Will Take Care”

Today is the one-year anniversary of the Zorgos Awards ceremony to close the Zorgos Project. But Zorgos Day is every October 15th, a time to focus on solutions to bullying dynamics.

Zorgos is the Esperanto word for “I will take care.” What’s Esperanto? It’s an international language devised 130 years ago with the hope of uniting the world.

When I co-wrote The Bullying Antidote: Superpower Your Kids for Life with Dr. Louise Hart, we searched high and low for a word that sounded like a superpower yet perfectly symbolizes the opposite of and the cure for bullying dynamics.

When working with kids recently in the Upward Roots young changemakers program at a local elementary school, it was fascinating to see how quickly they came to the same idea. When asked to imagine a place where bullying never happens, they came up with groups of friends, classrooms, and families where people took care of each other.

Bullying is the careless use of power, seeing people as things, being wrapped up in negative emotions, acting selfishly without regard to consequences that may befall others. It’s different from making a mistake because it is persistent and deliberately targets those with less power. But bullying is also a dynamic of seeing others from a victim’s perspective and creating conflict where it need not exist. Most of the people in America can now, easily recognize bullying as it is constantly on display by the iconic resident of the White House. What was once thought to be a playground problem is now being seen as a social-emotional sickness that infects families, schools, communities, and political spheres.

Fortunately, the antidote is readily available and abundant in the world. Nature demonstrates that forces of nurture, of partnership, of cooperation and resource sharing are the dominant paradigm, not domination.

Join me today and every day in sharing this message:

I will take care of my children and family, of my friends and neighbors, of my city, of my work, of my world and essentially, of myself. I will create a culture of caring where bullying has no place. 

Because “Bullying simply does not have a chance to grow in a deeply developed culture of respect and caring.” — The Bullying Antidote

How will YOU take care today?

Tag an image of yourself with the words #zorgos=I will take care.

Building a Culture of Peace

Tomorrow, September 21, is  the U.N. International Day of Peace. Peace Day has an impact on people and communities both before and after this global day, contributing to a “Culture of Peace.”

As defined by the United Nations, “Culture of Peace” is a “set of values, attitudes, modes of behavior and ways of life that reject violence and prevent conflicts by tackling their root causes to solve problems through dialogue and negotiation among individuals groups and nations.” Since its founding over 60 years ago, UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) asserted that, “since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed.”

For the “8 Action Areas for a Culture of Peace,” CLICK HERE

For a description of the concept and history of the Culture of Peace, CLICK HERE

Kosmos Journal Interview: Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury on the Culture of Peace – December 2015

Culture of Peace Talk with Ambassador Chowdhury, 2009

The concept of a Culture of Peace has now grown into a global movement.Within the Culture of Peace framework, peace embraces far more than an absence of conflict. It encompasses tolerance, disarmament, sustainable economic and social development, democratic participation, gender equality, freedom of expression and respect for human rights. The transition from a culture of war to a Culture of Peace requires the transformation of individual behavior as well as institutional practices. Learning to live in peace and harmony is a long-term process, and begins with the development of inner peace, and nurturing attitudes that promote the expansion and integration of peaceful principles. Education and awareness-raising play a key roles in this process.

 

https://internationaldayofpeace.org/culture-of-peace/

E-Z Protest Signs

Here are some simple ZORGOS-based Protest signs that you can print out on any color 8.5×11 paper or cardstock.

 

 

Download pdf — print only the ones you want to use

Download docx — to customize/add your own—here are some more ideas.

Flabbergasted…and Inspired.

First Lady Melania Trump recently addressed the United Nations about the problems of cyberbullying. After eight months of intolerant and aggressive actions by her husband, not to mention a constant stream of inflammatory bully-victim rhetoric on Twitter, the irony of her focus is as flabbergasting as her speech is inspiring.

In her speech, she discusses ethics, moral imperatives, and civic engagement, plus teaching children empathy.“Our choices on how we raise and educate our children will in fact provide the blue print for the next generation.” Her cry to connect parents was moving.

“When we join together as parents caring for children, whether they live in our own families, across the street, across the nation, or across the globe, we claim our responsibility to the next generation to ensure they are prepared to accept the torch of leadership for the world of tomorrow,” Trump said. “No child should ever feel hungry, stalked, frightened, terrorized, bullied, isolated or afraid, with nowhere to turn.”

Mrs. Trump, we applaud your words and good intentions. They are true no matter what your husband does.

We may have Melania to thank for the fact Trump has not removed https://www.stopbullying.gov/, the website created by the Obama administration—which, for readers of this blog, has cyberbullying resources on the front page.

For all her interest in #stopchildhoodbullying, Mrs. Trump is married to someone who was a childhood bully, an aggressive boy raised by an autocrat. Hopefully he will listen to her speech about the Golden Rule. It might be new to him.

 

Two Presidents. Two Agendas.

What’s next?

WE are the antidote to bullying.

Human on a Train

Talk about Zorgos! Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche and his friends stood up for all women, all races, all religions, when confronting a bully on a train. He lost his life but he left this world with a full heart. His final words were “I want everyone on this train to know that I love them.”

His sister said “he was not a hero, he was a human.”

 

His family released this statement on Saturday afternoon:

 

“Taliesin Myrddin lived a joyous and full life. His enthusiasm was infectious. We lost him in a senseless act that brought close to home the insidious rift of prejudice and intolerance that is too familiar, too common. He was resolute in his conduct (and) respect of all people. In his final act of bravery, he held true to what he believed is the way forward. He will live in our hearts forever as the just, brave, loving, hilarious and beautiful soul he was. We ask that in honor of his memory, we use this tragedy as an opportunity for reflection and change. We choose love. Safe journey Taliesin. We love you.”

Read more at: Taliesin Meche’s Sister Speaks Out on Portland Stabbing

ReThink: an app to stop cyberbullying

“The adolescent brain is like a car with no brakes.” At 14, Trisha Prabhu found a way to put the brakes on mean comments that tweens and teens write to their peers. Parents, insist your kids install this app! You are paying for the phone and this free app, which stops 93% of mean comments, can save lives by slowing down natural impulses to be mean online. Please share Trisha’s interviews on SharkTank & TED plus the link to the ReThink website with other parents.

ReThink is an award winning, non-intrusive, innovative, patent-pending
software product that effectively stops cyberbullying before the damage is done.
The world is currently in the midst of a technology revolution. There are 1.8 billion teens around the globe, and technology is in the hands of every adolescent. With more adolescents online, more are getting cyberbullied. Cyberbullied victims suffer from depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and more likely to drop out of school. Several solutions that are in place today address bullying after the damage is done. ReThink is the first ever solution to proactively prevent cyberbullying before the damage is done.
ReThink is conquering this silent pandemic one message at a time.

Here’s that website again! http://rethinkwords.com/

#DedicateYourNo-TrumpVote

Acclaimed novelist Julianna Baggott wrote a simple Facebook post, dedicating her “No Trump Vote” to women who feel threatened. Within days, it had been shared over 1100 times. Read it here. The act of writing the dedication felt hopeful, and it seemed to have struck a chord. So Julianna and her husband David Scott decided to invite others to join her.

Add your story to the Dedicate Your No-Trump Vote. And read powerful essays by other acclaimed writers such as Pam Houston, Jodi Picoult, and more.

You can use the hashtag #DedicateYourNoTrumpVote or share the link to the web site — http://www.DedicateYourNoTrumpVote — if you’d like to spread the word.

Donald Trump on “The Bullying Antidote”

Donald Trump is doing a lot of speaking these days. It has influenced children, and his hate speech is creating back-to-school woes. What if he told the truth instead? He could quote The Bullying Antidote and share wisdom instead. We posted these memes on our Facebook Page in August.

(Refresh page to start them… some don’t loop.)