Storytelling can be a means to connect strangers and in the process foster empathy and kindness.
While there is , Mike Boudreau understands how through sharing stories, and listening to the stories of others, one can build connections with their community and through these connections a path to peace.
含羞草研究社淚f we want there to be peace in the community we need to understand people in the community,含羞草研究社� said Boudreau. 含羞草研究社淗ow do you do that? You have to sit down and tell them your story, and then listen.含羞草研究社�
A practising Buddhist who offers meditation sessions, Boudreau is also the Peace Building Committee Chair with the Shuswap Rotary Club.
This year, Shuswap Rotary became a Peacebuilder Club, a club mandated to play a vital role in 含羞草研究社�.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淎 lot of people think about peace building as international, like resolving conflict between countries and stuff like that,含羞草研究社� said Boudreau. 含羞草研究社淎nd really, we need to be peace building right in here (pointing to his heart), and then our family, and then our community and our country 含羞草研究社� it kind of works out from that.
含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 the approach our club has been taking. What can we do to help people become not just peace advocates, but peace builders, have an interest in it and do something about it, because a lot of people feel there含羞草研究社檚 nothing they can do. They turn on the TV and see what含羞草研究社檚 going on in Gaza and Ukraine and feel helpless.含羞草研究社�
One way to be a peace builder, Boudreau explained, is through acts of kindness. In February, the club reached out to people in the community seeking stories of acts of kindness, about things people did for others or were done for them. The club later shared some of these stories publicly for Pink Shirt Day.
Wanting to keep the momentum going, the club set up a QR-code accessible database at , where one can find suggestions for acts of kindness to do for others. It also welcomes suggestions for acts of kindness, and invites people to share personal stories/experiences involving acts of kindness.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e working with a number of groups throughout the Okanagan right now who think this is really cool and wish to adopt it,含羞草研究社� said Boudreau. 含羞草研究社淵ou can also report kindnesses that have been done to you and we含羞草研究社檒l publish those.含羞草研究社�
Another of the club含羞草研究社檚 peace-building initiatives will begin in the summer in partnership with Rev. Jenny Carter at First Community (Salmon Arm含羞草研究社檚 First United Church).
含羞草研究社淭he third Friday of each month, starting in June, we含羞草研究社檙e hosting Peace and Pizza,含羞草研究社� said Boudreau. 含羞草研究社淭his is by donation so it含羞草研究社檚 accessible to everybody, and what we含羞草研究社檙e going to do is have a fireside chat.含羞草研究社�
The first speaker will be Neskonlith knowledge-sharer Louis Thomas.
含羞草研究社淟ouis and I will sit in front of an audience and I含羞草研究社檒l say, 含羞草研究社楲ouis, tell me your story,含羞草研究社� and then let him tell his story, and then I含羞草研究社檒l have a list of questions to kind of probe the corners and depths.含羞草研究社�
Boudreau pointed out it can be easy to simply label a person instead of taking the time to listen to and understand them.
含羞草研究社淪implifying creates polarization and division, and it含羞草研究社檚 the wrong way to grow because society is fracturing around us with all of this division so we need to do the opposite, we need to start listening to each other,含羞草研究社� said Boudreau. 含羞草研究社淲e need to listen to each other含羞草研究社檚 story. That含羞草研究社檚 what we含羞草研究社檙e going to do with this Peace and Pizza. We含羞草研究社檒l teach everybody how to be curious about other people含羞草研究社檚 stories含羞草研究社� and after people will go away with the skill of learning other people含羞草研究社檚 world view.
含羞草研究社淟earning somebody else含羞草研究社檚 world view does not mean you have to agree with them, but it does require you to develop some understanding of them. When you understand someone else含羞草研究社檚 world view, you含羞草研究社檙e less likely to be polarized and labelling and that sort of thing.含羞草研究社�
Boudreau noted the Peace and Pizza chats may not bring people at 含羞草研究社減olar extremes含羞草研究社� together. However, they may still be reached through a ripple effect.
含羞草研究社淚f we get enough people saying, 含羞草研究社榟ey, do you understand that person含羞草研究社檚 story?含羞草研究社� that will spread,含羞草研究社� said Boudreau. 含羞草研究社淪ociologically there含羞草研究社檚 six degrees of separation. That means six ripples and you含羞草研究社檝e got everybody in the world. So if you含羞草研究社檝e got one person doing the right things that含羞草研究社檚 going to ripple含羞草研究社� we just need to influence enough people to say 含羞草研究社榟ey, what含羞草研究社檚 your story?含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
The Shuswap Rotary club is also looking for ideas, other ways people/groups are encouraging acts of kindness and/or steps towards peace.
含羞草研究社淎nybody that has a peace building idea in the community or is already doing something along those lines, we would like to know about it, about them and what they含羞草研究社檙e doing and if they need help or whatever.含羞草研究社�
The first Peace and Pizza event will be at First Community, 5:30 p.m. on June 21. To learn more about upcoming events, and to share or report acts of kindness, visit peacebuilders.world. For more information about the Shuswap Rotary Club, visit shuswaprotary.org.
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