Even though there is no limit on the number of people who can achieve excellence, our culture stresses competition, so that it becomes difficult to recognize more than one excellent example at a time. A true system of recognizing excellence must accept that standards cannot always be measured on a discrete scale, but exist on a continuum. Such a system admits ignorance of alternative ways of doing things, rewards risk-takers, and acknowledges inherent worth. Unitarian Universalists are uniquely suited to recognize excellence, because UUs meet the world around them with questions. A belief in the inherent goodness of all people contributes to this alternative way of recognizing and mentoring excellence.
As a high school and college competitor, Joe Kennedy won several state and national honors in speech. He is a high school and college speech coach and one of 22 National Board Certified Teachers in North Dakota.
Fall Ingathering
Wrapping up our series of discussions on the nature of evil, Phil Mouch asks: What sort of person commits evil acts? Using Jung's concept of the Shadow, we will explore this question and its implications for our attitude towards others.
Phil Mouch chairs the FMUU board of directors and teaches philosophy at MSUM.
Is it the job of a peacemaker to move away from violence or into the midst of it? What can a small number of nonviolent interveners do when a conflict spirals toward war? How can nonviolent peace activists respond if they are threatened or find themselves in the midst of a violent situation? These are just a few of the questions that members of the Nonviolent Peaceforce face as they seek to defuse conflicts around the world. The Nonviolent Peaceforce is a nonpartisan unarmed peacekeeping force composed of trained civilians from around the world. Building upon the world of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and other unarmed peaceworkers, the vision of the Nonviolence peaceforce is to create a large-scale nonviolent peacekeeping force through deployments and training and advocacy.
Sr. Patricia Keefe, J.D., is the Outreach Coordinator for Nonviolent Peaceforce
Guest at your Table
For many of us, Thanksgiving is a time to gather with friends and family and to remember loved ones who are no longer with us. Continuing our inquiry into local agencies providing human services, we will learn more about the Hospice movement and Hospice of the Red River Valley and the care it provides for end of life transitions; services for the dying and their families.
Deb Kluck is the Volunteer Services Manager for Hospice of the Red River Valley.
Thanksgiving Program