By Tom Peterson A Ben Sargent cartoon In 1977 when I was a student I thought highly of Austin American Statesman editorial cartoonist Ben Sargent and felt it would be cool to own an original. So I called and he invited me to the paper to pick out one for a small price. At […]
The Language of Social Change By Tom Peterson “Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care, for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.” —Buddha Understand the power of words. Like a magician’s incantation they can cast a spell on us, even when we don’t realize it. […]
By Tom Peterson “Listen to the mustn’ts, child. Listen to the don’ts. Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me… Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.” —Shel Silverstein Does it matter what we try to accomplish? Whether we strive toward something […]
By Tom Peterson Any organized effort working to bring forth justice, dignity, health, education, a healthy environment, equality, opportunity is part of The Movement. This includes every effort that strengthens the universal values recognized around the planet. And all movements in The Movement are related in two ways: Like a “T” they are […]
Interview by Tom Peterson To celebrate Jonas Salk’s 100’s birthday, here’s an interview I earlier did for Stakeholder Health. Heather Wood Ion is a cultural anthropologist who works on the transformation of organizations, projects and grassroots initiatives. For the last eight years of his life, Jonas Salk shared with Heather his dreams of establishing […]
By Tom Peterson Have you ever been in this meeting? A group has struggled over some issue for hours. Then someone says, “Maybe we’re not asking the right question.” While it’s not often welcome, it’s a comment to listen for. It’s like someone opened the windows so fresh air can come in. Sometimes […]
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved […]
