a thousand miles behind

Friday, August 25, 2006

citgo in deforest

I was gonna fill up my car in Lodi/Arlington, but for some reason I went to the next stop. And BOY am I sure glad I drove the extra five to seven miles to Dane/DeForest, because at the Citgo gas station in Deforest, Wisconsin I discovered something that made me laugh out loud in front of a guy on a motorcycle and a lady in a minivan. As I pulled up to the station, there it was. A huge pink elephant wearing glasses just like mine gazing out across I-94.

Uhhhhh?

I'm sure this elephant is pretty famous in the Madison area, but I'm really glad I stumbled upon it without knowing it was there.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

by the shores of gitche gumee


I am back in Minneapolis and on my way to Milwaukee after spending five weeks north of Bemidji, four days on the North Shore, and two days in Duluth. I am a bit road-weary, but I am happy to be spending time with friends and family. I will be heading back to Norway in a little over one week. Here are some refreshing pictures from the shining Big-Sea-Water.








Thursday, August 10, 2006

simulate


Two nights ago we had an evening program here at Skogfjorden/Skovsøen about the Muhammad cartoons. Planning an evening program is both stressful and fantastic, but I walked into this one quite warily considering that my previous two attempts had not been totally successful. Evening programs are like that. So I needed to redeem myself...but was a Muhammad cartoon simulation really the place to start? As it turned out...yes! Nothing hits home like a solid simulation.

Key one: Tug and stretch that which lies close to the heart.
Key two: Leave out some of the details.
Key three: Always stay in character.
Key four: Apologize for fooling them.
Key five: Tell them why you did it.
Key six: Make them make the connections.
Key seven: Be amazed at what they say and how they say it.
Key eight: Sigh. It was successful...and it reaffirms my thoughts about studying education.

Friday, August 04, 2006

circle

en liste

racism, bullying, inner peace, active listening, self-awareness, acceptance of differences in culture and religion, osv., stereotypes, leadership, responsibility, accountability, war and injustice, mentoring, respect, perspectives, peer mediation, incorporating model/procedure into our own conflict resolution methods, dignity, witnessing, social justice, tolerance, authenticity, responsibility, accountability, mentoring, alternative conflict resolution, community building, identifying personality traits, bystanders, living together, walking the talk (what’s the walk and what’s the talk?), leder modeling and villager modeling, moving from abstract to concrete – from theory to practice, developing problem-solving skills from age 7 onward, how to be active in your community on a local and global level, literature (fiction and nonfiction), better understanding – the psychology behind actions and decision-making on micro and macro levels, human rights, children’s rights, providing and receiving feedback, empowerment, ways to get involved at the village, at home, in school, in community, and in the world, samhold and samarbeid, belonging, group-think risks, preventative and proactive management, immigration issues, integrity, assessment, the power villagers have, buying locally produced goods, oil, info on where clothes/food come from, setting the vision, world bank (different economics), funding, drugs, healthcare, and medicine, compassion, FN – Norway’s role in FN in past, present, and future, how to be a global citizen, diseases such as HIV, AIDS, TB, Malaria, krig, supply and demand – creating an awareness and the ripple effect, knowledge of world conflicts, history and geography, UNESCO and other peace ed. programs/projects, sustainable agribusiness, role-modeling, borderology, existing world situations, Nobel Peace Prize, welfare systems – the three models and how this has an effect on communities, bindestreksbarn (living between two cultures), travel, truth and reconciliation, indigenous rights, non-violence, non-violent problem solving strategies, non-violent conflict resolution, water, food, access to healthcare, responsibility, social responsibility, balance, refugees and asylum-seekers, natural resources, creating and increasing awareness, awareness of the roles media plays...