I had the privilege of sitting down with Janessa Gans Wilder months ago, a former CIA officer who spent years in the Middle East during the Iraq War seeing firsthand what happens when people don't deal with conflict in a healthy way. Following her time in Iraq, she started a peace-building organization, Euphrates Institute, that works to equip people with the skills to build peace and solve problems together. Today, she is working with groups in Israel and the Gaza Strip to help restore communication and relationships.

We talk about the current climate of divisiveness and polarization in Shasta County and how we can create a culture of respect and collaboration here:

00:00 - Janessa's experience in conflict resolution

05:13 - How to start rebuilding trust and respect

08:15 - Tackling divisive issues

11:34 - Principles for communication (as used in the Israel/Palestine situation)

14:45 - Principle 1: Give & receive welcome

15:42 - Principle 2: Be present as much as possible

17:00 - Principle 3: Speak your own truth

21:05 - Principle 4: Ask honest, open questions (plus the value of intellectual curiosity)

24:00 - Principle 5: When the going gets rough, turn to wonder (plus pursuing win-wins)

31:32 - Principle 6: Observe confidentiality

32:57 - What can we all do as one person to create this culture

36:00 - Is there hope for a culture of respect and collaboration?

39:40 - Making this a priority

I’m excited to reshare this now in light of the events of the past few weeks. What do you think we can do to create a culture of respect & collaboration in Shasta County?

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