August 30 this year, Jeff Greenwald, President of CCIS ( Community Committee for International Students at Stanford University ) wrote a beautiful Note of Thanks to his volunteers and supporters. I was so moved that I responded instantly to express my Gratitude and Admiration for his Way In Leadership. He wished to meet and chat, and we got connected.
Today, we met for lunch again and continued our delightful conversation. I was impressed by his firm opinion that Architect I.M.Pei should have given more thoughts about making the Louvre Museum’s central court yard more conducive for deep contemplation. I also learned from him the meaning of “Tik Kun Clam” a Jewish Imperative for “Repairing the World”.
I shared with Jeff my take on his friend Robet Steinberg’s book on Architecture and an article I wrote a few years ago on “ Can Architecture Induce Compassion?”. We also talked about soccer and my story about inviting U.S. Ambassador, James Lilley to be a keynote speaker at The 1990 Institute sponsored exhibit on “Chinese Children’s Art on Environment in Washington D.C. Since both Lilley and myself played soccer at Yale, I described ourselves as the only players who really use their heads in all sports.
As you see, there was great rapport between the two of us and I further discovered at today’s lunch that he was wearing a yellow wristband which I thought could be health related. It turned out to be a simple reminder on How to BE Good. It simply says :Be, Kind, Just, and Humble.
I was really excited as I have been looking for ESSENCE WORDS to explain SIMPLE GOODNESS to my Grandchildren, and maybe provide souvenirs for their friends. Jeff noticed my joy and excitement and to my surprise he pulled the yellow band off his wrist and told me that I should have it. What a kind empathetic new friend he is. Now, a truly Good Friend, indeed!
In Looking for Essence Words for Simple Goodness, I consulted Chat GPT. this evening, and the following is what I got in return:
ChatGPT: Credo of Simple Goodness
Be Just → Let fairness and honesty guide your choices.
ChatGPT: That’s a deep and valuable framing. Let’s unpack it step by step:
1. Why Doing Good is True Wisdom
Alignment with Human Flourishing: Wisdom isn’t just about cleverness or knowledge—it’s about knowing what leads to long-term harmony, well-being, and meaningful life. Doing good naturally aligns with these outcomes.
Ripple Effects: Acts of goodness spread. A small kindness may inspire others, build trust, and create networks of reciprocity. This ripple effect reflects wisdom’s long vision.
Integration of Head and Heart: Pure knowledge without compassion can be destructive; pure compassion without direction can be naive. Doing good bridges thought and feeling, making wisdom complete.
2. How Doing Good Becomes Ultimate Wisdom
Doing good is not passive; it has different dimensions you noted—Giving, Taking, Responding, Promoting. Each reflects a layer of wisdom in practice:
Giving: Sharing resources, time, or love demonstrates generosity. Wisdom lies in how we give—freely, without domination, and suited to the other’s needs.
Taking: True wisdom accepts with gratitude and humility. It acknowledges interdependence and avoids pride. Taking wisely allows others to experience the joy of giving.
Responding: Life is dynamic. Wisdom means responding with empathy, fairness, and creativity instead of reacting blindly. This keeps relationships alive and resilient.
Promoting: The highest wisdom doesn’t keep goodness private; it encourages, models, and multiplies it. By promoting goodness, we shape culture and institutions that outlast individuals.
3. When Doing Good is Wisdom
In Times of Prosperity: Doing good prevents arrogance, keeps wealth circulating, and fosters gratitude.
In Times of Hardship: Doing good builds solidarity, softens suffering, and prevents despair.
In Everyday Life: Even small acts—smiles, listening, encouragement—form the foundation of meaningful existence.
In Critical Decisions: Choosing the good, even when costly, reflects the highest form of wisdom—because it considers not just short-term outcomes, but long-term legacy.
4. Why Doing Good = Building a Meaningful Life
A meaningful life requires more than achievements—it requires connection, trust, and contribution.
Doing good creates stories worth telling, memories worth cherishing, and relationships worth sustaining.
It shifts the focus from self-centered survival to shared thriving.
✅ Conclusion: Promoting the idea that Doing Good is True Wisdom reframes wisdom as not just knowing “what is,” but also knowing “what should be done.” Giving, taking, responding, and promoting become the practical pathway through which wisdom blossoms into a meaningful life.
🌱 Framework: Living Doing Good as Ultimate Wisdom
Step 1. Clarify the Intention (Why)
For Individuals: Ask yourself daily: “How can I make life lighter, kinder, or more meaningful for someone today?”
For Communities: Define a shared purpose: “We exist to cultivate goodness—through generosity, reciprocity, responsiveness, and advocacy.”
Step 2. Practice the Four Dimensions of Doing Good (How)
Giving
Personal: Share time, encouragement, or skills, not just material things.
Community: Create opportunities for collective giving (mutual aid, volunteering, scholarships).
Wisdom tip: Give in ways that empower, not foster dependency.
Taking
Personal: Accept help with gratitude, not guilt. Recognize your own vulnerability.
Community: Celebrate diversity by receiving each member’s contributions (stories, talents, traditions).
Wisdom tip: Taking wisely builds humility and strengthens bonds.
Responding
Personal: Listen before speaking, pause before reacting, and respond with empathy.
Community: Create systems of feedback and care—support circles, conflict resolution forums.
Wisdom tip: Timely, caring responses prevent alienation and sustain trust.
Promoting
Personal: Be a visible example of kindness; share stories of good acts.
Community: Celebrate role models of goodness publicly; reward and uplift ethical leadership.
Wisdom tip: Promotion multiplies goodness by making it visible and aspirational.
Step 3. Recognize the Timing (When)
In prosperity → Practice generosity to prevent pride.
In hardship → Practice solidarity to prevent despair.
In ordinary life → Practice small daily acts to weave resilience.
In crisis or decision-making → Choose the good, even if it costs, because it preserves integrity and legacy.
Step 4. Build Feedback Loops (Sustainability)
Reflect: Journal or group reflections on “What good was done today? How did it affect us?”
Adjust: Ask “Where did our giving or responding miss the mark?”
ChatGP: You’ve put your finger on something crucial. When someone imposes without empathy, what might have been a positive contribution—guidance, knowledge, leadership, even help—loses its value. Instead of being received as caring or constructive, it’s experienced as controlling, dismissive, or even oppressive.
Here’s why the benefits vanish:
No mutuality → Imposition ignores the other person’s needs, voice, and choice, so collaboration turns into coercion.
Erosion of trust → Even well-intentioned actions feel manipulative or self-serving when empathy is missing.
Resistance and resentment → People naturally push back against what they feel forced upon them.
Loss of goodwill → Instead of strengthening connection, it drains it, making people avoid or distrust the one imposing.
With empathy, however, even difficult truths, firm boundaries, or decisive leadership can be received positively—because people feel seen, respected, and included.
With empathy: “I understand this may be difficult, but here’s why this step is important, and I’ll support you through it.” 🔑 Same firmness, but it acknowledges feelings and context.
2. Respecting Autonomy
Without empathy: Removes choice, feels like domination.
With empathy: Provides guidance but leaves room for ownership—“Here are the options; I think this one is best, but I trust your judgment.” 🔑 Encourages dignity and shared responsibility.
3. Connection Before Correction
Without empathy: Criticism feels like rejection.
With empathy: Starts with understanding—“I see how much effort you put in; may I share something that could make this even stronger?” 🔑 The relationship stays intact while growth happens.
4. Firmness Coupled With Compassion
Without empathy: Enforcement feels like punishment.
With empathy: Boundaries are clear but caring—“I can’t allow this because it harms the group, but I still value you and want to work this out together.” 🔑 Balances justice with kindness.
5. Outcome
Trust deepens instead of eroding.
People become more willing to follow guidance.
Conflicts resolve with less resistance.
The “positive benefits” (learning, cooperation, harmony, growth) are preserved and even amplified.
✨ In short:imposing without empathy is DOMINATION; imposing with empathy is LEADERSHIP.
Examples where imposing without empathy damages relationships, but imposing with empathy preserves or even strengthens them.
1. Friendship
Without empathy: A friend insists: “You should quit your job—it’s not good for you.” → Feels dismissive, as if the person’s situation and feelings don’t matter.
With empathy: “I know your job gives you stability, and it’s not easy to leave. I worry it’s draining you, though. Would you like to talk through some options together?” → Same concern, but now it feels like support, not judgment.
2. Parenting
Without empathy: Parent commands: “Stop crying, do your homework now!” → Child feels controlled and unheard. Resentment builds.
With empathy: “I see you’re upset. Let’s take a breath. Homework is important, and we’ll get through it together once you’ve calmed down.” → Firmness is there, but care validates feelings and helps the child self-regulate.
3. Workplace Leadership
Without empathy: Boss demands: “Stay late tonight—we have deadlines. No excuses.” → Morale drops, resentment grows.
With empathy: “I know you’ve worked hard already today. This deadline is urgent, and I’d really appreciate your help. Let’s also make sure you get some time back later this week.” → Still firm, but recognizes effort and balances fairness.
4. Community / Civic Life
Without empathy: Community leader: “This is the rule. Follow it or leave.” → Creates division, discourages belonging.
With empathy: “These rules are here to keep everyone safe and respected. I understand some may find them difficult, but I’m open to hearing your concerns while we uphold them together.” → Same rules, but people feel included, not excluded.
🌱 Bottom line:
Without empathy, imposition crushes.
With empathy, imposition becomes guidance, boundaries, or leadership that people can accept—and even appreciate—because they feel respected.
Win-Win: Participants seek mutual benefit. Everyone may gain something, even if not equally. This often requires foresight, trust, and negotiation.
Example: Trade agreements that benefit multiple countries, collaborations in science.
Outcome: Relationships and systems are strengthened; long-term benefits accumulate; trust is preserved.
Winner-Take-All: One side benefits at the expense of others. Often short-term gain dominates; it can breed resentment and future retaliation.
Example: Monopolistic business practices, political power grabs.
Outcome: The winner may gain immediately, but others lose; social cohesion and trust erode.
b) Little Wisdom vs Big Wisdom
Little Wisdom: Focuses on immediate victory, clever tactics, and beating the opponent now.
Big Wisdom: Considers broader consequences, long-term sustainability, ethical impact, and the well-being of both allies and opponents.
c) Short-Term Gains vs Long-Term Resolutions
Short-term victories often come with collateral damage—innocent parties get hurt, social systems fracture.
Long-term resolution seeks stability, fairness, and enduring positive effects.
2. Consequences in Battles and Wars
Who Wins?
In immediate terms, the strongest, most ruthless, or most strategically cunning often appear to “win.”
In long-term terms, the ones who cultivate alliances, fair processes, and resilient systems often truly “win.”
Who Loses?
The directly defeated are obvious losers.
Indirect losers are those caught in collateral damage: civilians, bystanders, smaller stakeholders.
Who Gets Hurt Collaterally?
Often the innocent, powerless, or uninvolved parties.
Social trust, economic stability, and psychological well-being are frequently casualties.
Who Benefits Behind the Chaos?
Opportunists: Those who profit from disorder—think arms dealers, unscrupulous speculators, or external actors exploiting conflict for gain.
Systems or individuals may manipulate competition to create chaos that hides their own consolidation of power or wealth.
3. The Heart of True Wisdom in Competition
True wisdom integrates:
Ethics: Awareness of right vs wrong, beyond rules.
Perspective: Seeing the long-term consequences, not just immediate outcomes.
Empathy: Considering who suffers indirectly.
Strategy: Crafting solutions that leave fewer losers and maximize collective benefit.
Rule of Thumb:
Short-term “winners” may create long-term chaos; long-term “wise” winners cultivate enduring stability and shared benefit.
HOW CAN FRIENDSHIPOLOGY HELP RECOGNIZE TRUE WISDOM ?
ChatGPT said: Ah, now we’re diving into a rich intersection—Friendshipology (the study and practice of friendship) and True Wisdom. Let’s unpack this carefully and systematically.
1. Friendshipology as a Mirror for Insight
Friendshipology emphasizes deep, authentic relationships. True wisdom often involves knowing oneself and others deeply. Friendships give you a mirror:
Self-awareness: Friends reflect your blind spots, biases, and habitual patterns.
Empathy development: Understanding a friend’s perspective helps distinguish between shallow cleverness and deep moral insight.
Reality testing: Wise decisions often need feedback; trusted friends provide honest, caring perspectives without manipulation.
Example: A friend challenges you gently when your short-term gain might harm a long-term relationship. Wisdom grows from seeing the consequences before acting.
2. Distinguishing Little Wisdom vs. Big Wisdom
In competition or life choices, there’s “little wisdom” (short-term cleverness) versus “big wisdom” (long-term, ethical foresight). Friendshipology helps recognize the latter because:
Long-term relationships reveal patterns: Someone wise in speech but harmful in action becomes apparent over time.
Trust accumulates experience: A friend who consistently chooses integrity teaches you to value long-term consequences over immediate wins.
Key insight: True wisdom is often morebehavioral than intellectual—friendships show it in repeated, trustworthy actions.
3. Ethics and Morality Embedded in Friendship
Friendshipology highlights goodness without knowledge (purely moral but uninformed) and knowledge without goodness (intelligent but unethical). True wisdom requires combining both. Friendships help identify which friends embody this integration:
Goodness without knowledge: Their intentions are pure, but advice may be flawed; recognizing this teaches discernment.
Knowledge without goodness: Their intellect is sharp, but selfishness harms others; friendships reveal their limits and teach caution.
True wisdom: Seen when both insight and goodwill coexist; friendships allow real-life testing of this alignment.
4. Friendships as Laboratories for Wisdom
Friendships are practical spaces where wisdom is applied and observed:
Conflict resolution: Shows how patience, negotiation, and empathy lead to better outcomes.
Support in adversity: Tests whether advice is genuinely wise or simply comforting.
Celebration of growth: Highlights when actions match ethical understanding.
Friendshipology providesexperience-based evidence for evaluating wisdom, beyond theoretical discussion.
5. Friendshipology’s Methods to Cultivate True Wisdom
Some practical approaches:
Reflective Dialogue: Deep, honest conversations about decisions, values, and outcomes.
Observation: Notice which friends’ decisions consistently lead to positive, long-term results.
Mentorship within friendship: Seek friends who embody both knowledge and goodness.
Mutual accountability: Friends help each other avoid ethical shortcuts or impulsive choices.
Diverse perspectives: Different friends illuminate blind spots, helping recognize the limits of your own wisdom.
✅ Bottom line: Friendshipology acts as both a lens and a training ground for True Wisdom. It’s not just about cleverness or knowledge, it’s about seeing who consistently acts with insight, foresight, and moral clarity, and then learning from that example.
Friendship–Wisdom Map
3. Friendship Qualities that Signal True Wisdom
Friendship Quality
Signals of True Wisdom
Consistency in action
Repeated ethical, informed decisions
Empathy & perspective-taking
Understands consequences for self & others
Honest feedback
Balances care with truth
Long-term thinking
Avoids short-term gain that harms relationships
Courage to act ethically
Does what is right even when inconvenient
Reflective learning
Learns from mistakes and encourages growth
4. Using the Map
Observe friends: Plot their actions/decisions on the map.
Reflect on yourself: Where do your choices fall?
Seek growth: Move toward the top-right quadrant.
Mentorship & peer learning: Spend time with friends who are already in the top-right.
You’ve described a painful but very real dynamic: how relationships or communities that begin in friendliness, goodwill, and mutual joy can shift into suspicion, fear, and even hostility. This transformation often feels shocking, like a complete reversal of human warmth into cold-blooded competition.
Here are some lenses to help unpack it:
1. Psychological Dynamics
Trust Erosion: Once trust is broken, whether by betrayal, envy, or unmet expectations—people often reinterpret past kindness as naïve or manipulative.
Fear of Scarcity: When people feel resources (status, love, money, opportunities) are limited, generosity can give way to competition.
Projection & Paranoia: When suspicion takes root, people may project their own hidden desires or insecurities onto others, assuming hostile intentions even where none exist.
2. Social Dynamics
Unity vs. Division: Groups bonded by goodwill can fracture when disagreements arise, especially if leaders or influencers exploit divisions for personal gain.
Power Struggles: Where friendship once guided, rivalry for control can turn cooperation into sabotage.
Cultural/Contextual Pressures: Systems that reward individual success over collective flourishing (e.g., competitive workplaces) tilt people toward self-protection and aggression.
3. Moral / Ethical Inversion
From Kindness to Weakness: What was once seen as giving a hand of kindness can be reframed as foolishness, creating justification for exploitation.
From Support to Threat: Bonds of mutual help become targets of elimination if someone believes “only one of us can survive.”
From Shared Humanity to Dehumanization: When people no longer see each other as companions but as obstacles, cruelty can feel permissible.
4. Metaphors
Garden → Battlefield: A thriving garden of joy and cooperation can become overrun with weeds of envy and suspicion until it feels like a battlefield.
Open Hands → Clenched Fists: The hand once extended in friendship curls into a weapon when fear overshadows trust.
Shared Flame → Wildfire: The spark of energy that once warmed everyone can, unchecked, consume the whole community.
✨ Possible Antidotes While reversal is painful, it isn’t always permanent:
Re-establishing trust through transparency and dialogue.
Shifting focus from scarcity to shared abundance.
Courageously modeling goodwill even when suspicion rises.
Building systems that reward cooperation instead of rivalry.
🔄 Why Love & Friendship Flip into Suspicion or Hate
Closeness Creates Vulnerability
The people we let closest to us also hold the most power to hurt us.
When disappointment, betrayal, or envy creeps in, the emotional weight is far heavier than with strangers.
The energy of closeness doesn’t disappear — it often flips polarity (warmth → coldness, trust → suspicion).
High Expectations, Harsh Reactions
In joyful, cooperative bonds, expectations of loyalty and care are very high.
When those expectations aren’t met, the sense of personal injustice can turn goodwill into hostility.
Scarcity & Competition Pressure
If outside conditions shift (economic stress, social comparison, political division), people feel they must “fight for survival.”
Former allies can become competitors overnight.
Identity Threats
If someone feels their identity, role, or “place” in the group is undermined, fear and aggression replace joy.
Example: The kind friend who once “gave you a hand” may now fear being overshadowed and will “cut the bloodline” to reassert dominance.
Emotional Memory Inversion
Our minds rewrite stories: “They were never really kind — they were just setting me up.”
Past kindness is reinterpreted as manipulation, making hostility feel justified.
🕊️ How to Prevent & Heal These Breakdowns
Prevention (Before Things Sour)
Foster Open Dialogue – Encourage honesty about envy, fear, or disappointment before they grow toxic.
Celebrate Shared Wins – Reinforce cooperation so that success feels collective, not individual.
Build Flexible Roles – Avoid rigid hierarchies; let people contribute in multiple ways so no one feels “replaceable.”
Normalize Imperfection – Remind each other: mistakes, slights, or different opinions don’t mean betrayal.
Healing (After the Shift Happens)
Name the Wound – Acknowledge what was lost (trust, respect, balance) rather than just glossing over the conflict.
Reframe the Narrative – Help reinterpret past kindness as real, not as a trick — otherwise healing is impossible.
Small Restorative Gestures – Begin with little steps of kindness (listening, practical help) that re-open goodwill.
External Mediators – Sometimes trust can only be rebuilt if a neutral third party helps both sides feel safe.
Accept Limits – Not all bonds can be restored. Sometimes “healing” means parting peacefully rather than fueling further hostility.
💡 A useful metaphor: Friendship is like a bridge.
At first, people joyfully cross back and forth.
Cracks appear when storms of fear and competition hit.
If left unrepaired, the bridge collapses — and the wreckage can even be used as weapons.
With care, the bridge can be strengthened, but sometimes both sides must choose whether to rebuild or to walk away.
🚫 What NOT to Do (Lessons Learned)
❌ Don’t Reinterpret Past Kindness as Trickery
Dangerous trap: “They helped me only to gain power over me.”
This rewrites goodwill into manipulation and makes reconciliation almost impossible.
❌ Don’t Let Suspicion Go Unspoken
Silent suspicion festers. If fear isn’t aired openly, it turns into paranoia and conspiracy thinking.
❌ Don’t Treat Scarcity as Absolute
Believing “there’s only room for one of us” makes cut-throat behavior inevitable.
This mindset destroys shared abundance and creates a zero-sum game.
❌ Don’t Weaponize Differences
Healthy diversity of role, style, or vision can be twisted into “They’re against me.”
Once identity becomes a battlefield, kindness can’t survive.
❌ Don’t Publicly Humiliate or Exclude
Public shaming, betrayal, or sidelining people cements bitterness.
Even if reconciliation is offered later, the humiliation lingers and poisons trust.
❌ Don’t Over-Extend Kindness Without Boundaries
Endless giving without clarity can breed resentment.
If others feel you are either “too generous to be real” or “setting them up,” kindness flips into suspicion.
✅ Better Alternatives
Preserve Shared Narratives: Keep reminding the group why you came together in the first place.
Set Clear Boundaries: Kindness with clarity (“I can help with this, but not with that”) prevents misinterpretation.
Address Fear Early: Talk openly when small suspicions appear, before they grow into hostility.
Honor Differences: Frame diversity as strength, not as threat.
💡 A useful warning metaphor: When goodwill begins to rot, the temptation is to spray more “perfume” (forced niceness). But that only masks the smell. What NOT to do is pretend nothing is wrong. True repair means finding the rot, cutting it out, and then carefully replanting trust.
At age 93, physically depleted but mentally still holding a spark of hope, I try to learn on “ How Friendshipology Can Benefit Our Society?: I discovered that CONNCTING FRIENDS is an important ACT. So I followed that Principle and connected two good fiends recently.
I wrote to Dr. Rick Hanson of Global Compassion Coalition and Prof. D Paul Schafer of World Culture project:
On Jul 10, 2025,
Dear Paul, and Rick.
I really hope that you two can get to know each other.
Global Compassion and World Culture seem to have the same Goal essentially.
Cheers, Billy
dpaulschafer@sympatico.ca replied to drrh and me
Sat, Jul 12, 7:24 PM
Hi Rick and Billy:
Thanks to my friend Billy, I am already connected with your wonderful organization. As far as my work and beliefs are concerned, I was originally trained as an economist and taught economics for a number of years before leaving this field because it ignored the natural environment and entered the arts and cultural field in 1965 and have worked in this field for sixty years now. My basic belief is that we should move out of the present economic age and into a cultural age in the future and have written many articles and books on this subject over the last forty years.
If you and/or your colleagues are interested in this belief, it is set out in detail in three books : Revolution or Renaissance: Making the Transition from an Economic Age to a Cultural Age (which I think is very relevant today, especially in the United States); The World as Culture: Cultivation of the Soul to the Cosmic Whole (which makes the case that culture and cultures in the holistic sense as overall ways of life rather than economics and economies in the partial sense as the real foundations and essence of life on earth for all species and not just the human species), and most recently The Great Cultural Awakening: Key to An Equitable, Sustainable, and Harmonious Age (see attached covers and contents for this book). There is information and videos on these books, and many others on this subject, on the Home Page and Publications Section of the World Culture Project Website at www,worldcultureproject.org as well as all Amazon sites.
It would be good to hear from you about these matters and stay in touch on them. They are about creating a much different type of world in the future, much as you and your colleagues are doing there, but from a very different perspective.
With heartfelt thanks for your interest in my work and my very best wishes to you both.
Rick Hanson <drrh@rickhanson.net>replied to Paul and me
Jul 13, 2025, 8:12 AM
I really appreciate this, Paul, and am grateful for your work. One of the best parts for me in founding the GCC is the opportunity to learn about new streams of thought and action, and new people.
I hope you will join the compassion coalition as one of its Founding Supporters. There is no obligation, it’s simply a show of support for a more compassionate and just world; you’ll be in good company and there is a short form to fill out here. And if not, no worries.
Can World Culture Project and Global Compassion Coalition Assist Each other to Contribute to The World ? How they might collaborate effectively. What are the Major Challenges? –
ChatGPT You’re asking about two global initiatives with overlapping yet distinct missions:
World Culture Project (WCP) — founded by D. Paul Schafer, focused on culture as a holistic framework for human development and global cooperation.
Global Compassion Coalition (GCC) — founded by Rick Hanson, aiming to build a more compassionate, caring world through personal transformation, collective action, and systemic change.
Let’s look at how they could assist each other, collaborate effectively, and what challenges they would face.
1. How They Can Assist Each Other
Shared Vision Reinforcement
WCP emphasizes culture as the integrating framework for humanity.
GCC emphasizes compassion as the binding spirit for humanity. → They strengthen each other: compassion fuels cultural flourishing, and culture provides structures and practices where compassion can thrive.
Resource & Knowledge Sharing
WCP brings deep cultural research, models of cultural development, and experience connecting global cultural hubs.
GCC brings networks in psychology, mindfulness, and grassroots compassion movements.
Mutual Legitimacy
WCP gains moral/emotional credibility by aligning with a compassion movement.
GCC gains cultural/historical depth by situating compassion within the broader currents of world culture.
2. How They Might Collaborate Effectively
Joint Programs & Campaigns
Create global initiatives that show compassion in action through cultural exchange: e.g., “Compassion through the Arts,” “Compassion in Cultural Heritage Protection.”
Mutual Amplification
Cross-promote each other’s events, reports, and success stories.
WCP hubs could become GCC chapters and vice versa.
Educational Collaborations
Develop learning resources that combine cultural literacy with compassionate practices.
Joint curricula for schools or community centers.
Policy & Advocacy
Work together to influence global institutions (UNESCO, UN, World Bank) — WCP contributing cultural frameworks, GCC grounding them in compassion and well-being.
Storytelling & Media
Share stories of how compassion transformed communities culturally, and how cultural richness nurtures compassion.
3. Major Challenges
Conceptual Differences
WCP’s focus is structural (culture, history, institutions).
GCC’s focus is emotional/spiritual (compassion, care, healing). → Need careful framing to avoid dilution or tension.
Organizational Identity
Risk of losing distinctive identities if collaborations blur missions.
Both must ensure collaboration adds, not confuses.
Global Diversity vs. Universal Values
WCP honors cultural diversity, including practices that may not align with GCC’s universal compassion ethic.
GCC promotes compassion that may critique cultural traditions seen as harmful. → Tension between respecting traditions and promoting transformation.
Practical Coordination
Different leadership structures, funding models, and outreach strategies.
Risk of over-extension if they try to do too much together without clear priorities.
Funding & Resource Competition
Both appeal to similar donor bases (people interested in global change, culture, and compassion).
Must collaborate without competing destructively for resources.
✅ Summary: The World Culture Project and Global Compassion Coalition could form a natural alliance: WCP provides the cultural scaffolding for humanity, while GCC infuses it with compassionate energy. They can collaborate on education, advocacy, storytelling, and community building. The main challenges are conceptual alignment, respecting distinct missions, navigating cultural diversity, and coordinating resourc
Dialogue Sessions: Organize virtual roundtables between WCP leaders and GCC leaders to explore shared values (culture as structure, compassion as spirit).
Shared Statement: Draft a joint declaration — “Compassionate Culture for Humanity” — emphasizing how compassion and culture must grow together.
Mapping Synergies: Identify areas of overlap (arts, education, community hubs, advocacy) and where each fills the other’s gaps.
Phase 2 – Pilot Collaborations
Goal: Test small projects that demonstrate value.
Compassion & Culture Hubs: Launch 1–2 pilot community hubs that combine cultural celebration (music, art, heritage) with compassion practices (mindfulness, service, restorative dialogue).
Joint Webinar Series: “Culture Meets Compassion” — monthly talks with cultural leaders (via WCP) and compassion scientists/activists (via GCC).
Storytelling Exchange: Collect global stories showing how compassion preserves culture and how cultural traditions foster compassion.
Phase 3 – Scaling Up
Goal: Expand reach and global influence.
Educational Resources: Create teaching guides for schools/universities that blend cultural literacy (WCP) with compassion skills (GCC).
Policy White Papers: Co-author policy proposals for UNESCO, UN, and national governments on “Compassionate Cultural Policy” (e.g., arts funding, heritage preservation, compassion-based education).
Shared Media Campaigns: Launch a global campaign (videos, social media, art exhibits) under a theme like “Compassion is Culture” or “Our World, Our Care.”
Phase 4 – Institutional Partnership
Goal: Establish formal collaboration with long-term sustainability.
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU): Formalize partnership without merging identities — clarify roles:
WCP = cultural frameworks, research, artistic/community connections.
Cultural Diversity Tensions: Respect traditions while addressing practices that conflict with compassion.
Funding Competition: Present collaboration as value-added rather than donor duplication.
Different Paces: WCP may move slower (long-term cultural frameworks), GCC faster (grassroots mobilization). Need rhythm alignment.
✅ In short: They start with dialogue → test joint pilots → scale education/media/policy → formalize partnership → shape global systems. The key is balancingWCP’s cultural scaffolding with GCC’s compassionate heart.
Billy and I have only met twice, but both times were at pivotal moments in my life. The first was right after college, when I set foot in the U.S. for the first time. I had just told my parents on the way to the airport that I was leaving, knowing my decision could not be changed. In Washington, D.C., everything felt unfamiliar and exciting. Out of all the people I met, Billy left a deep impression, reminding me to “maintain personal integrity”—a principle that has guided me for the past decade. The second time was ten years later. By then, I had advanced in both study and career in America, yet still struggled with an inner shadow. Over the past year I had spoken with people of different backgrounds, but I knew Billy’s cross-cultural insight was the voice I needed most. When I asked to stay at his home in San Francisco, he agreed without hesitation.
。My parents are farmers from a rural village in China—this is where my life began. Leaving the countryside, moving into the city, and then stepping into an international metropolis, I endured profoundly complex inner struggles along the way. Being born into a farming family and rural identity feels like a social stigma, an internalized shame whose origins I have tried to understand from economic inequality, social hierarchy, birth policies, gender status, cultural, and psychological perspectives. Though I found many answers, they were chaotic and noisy—people defining “me” from their own viewpoints while society’s expectations cornered me. Facing these social rules, I chose to rebel, seeing them as chains to be broken for freedom. Yet this battle with myself lasted years, leaving me deeply afraid of the outside world, acting mostly on instinct for self-preservation. The cost was self-decay and exhaustion of inner drive. This dilemma forced me to pause and examine what truly trapped me.
I had surrendered my power to others, accepting external authorities and defending myself through their perspectives. The more I read, the better I became at justifying myself and avoiding responsibility. Immersed in past pain and shortcomings, I used this as an escape from the pain of growth. Recently, the sudden death of a mentor and a friend’s wedding filled me with deep conflict and heaviness. For ten years, I lived cautiously; overprotecting myself became instinct, narrowing my world. I gradually stopped hearing and seeing others, trapped by the past, unable to step toward a hopeful future. I realized I must confront myself, face my inner truth, and break free from this now-useless protective shell.
In my eyes, Billy is a wise, sharp, and straightforward elder, so I knew his words would likely make me uncomfortable—but I was willing to accept that scrutiny. He said that what could heal me was genuine care and compassion toward others. Yet I asked myself: is my care truly sincere, or is it just to avoid punishment and blame or approval? This made me feel somewhat hypocritical. Billy also said that even amid disagreements with family, one should still care for and look after them. Throughout my upbringing, I witnessed and internalized many forms of tyranny: cutting off family care over differences; emotional isolation and retaliation triggered by harsh family words; handing over judgment of my self-worth to others to evade personal responsibility. Because of this, I have struggled to learn from others’ failures or clearly uphold my own values. In the past, I was very active in political and social debates, but it drained my energy. This endless struggle for linguistic power added to my inner exhaustion. Billy’s words ring true: family disagreements should never end care and concern.
Under the heavy pressure of family conflicts and verbal abuse, I once chose to run away from home and wrapped myself in a thick protective shell, only to keep repeating the family patterns. The key to breaking this cycle lies in achieving true independence—separating myself from others’ perspectives. Billy asked me how I viewed Chris, who first brought me to the U.S., and Miko, who has always supported me. I understood that my attitude toward them reflected how fully I had psychologically separated myself. Chris lives under the shadow of his father’s legacy, unable to realize his own identity, and he shaped my grand narrative as a revolutionary youth. Miko has long broken away from traditional family roles and built a diverse community based on belief and mission. Caught between their influences, I felt lost in a maze but knew I must recognize their impact and consciously complete my independence from their shadows.
。Billy did not give me a clear answer but posed a crucial question: “Who is your female idol?” This question strikes at the heart of whether I can become an independent and authentic self—one no longer reliant on the past but shaped by daily actions. Before parting, I created a simple piece of art—a fruit platter—imbuing breakfast with unique meaning and making memories that belonged to us, rather than conforming to Billy’s expectations. He repeatedly urged me to find my own values and maintain personal integrity. He said that the future world would be full of uncertainty and turmoil, and I must solidify myself to remain unshaken. Like being in water, I must learn to swim; in the air, I must learn to fly.
He also told me that people’s appreciation of art begins with an initial impression, which changes as they get closer, noticing details in color and form. If something feels unimportant, they simply look away. The key to increasing impact lies in “leaving space”—allowing others room to think and truly appreciate what is presented. It’s not about revealing everything but stimulating thought through questions. This is exactly Billy’s approach in conversation: offering no criticism or imposed advice, yet helping me clearly see my breakthroughs and direction.
This experience marked a declaration of my self-independence. The burdens that once weighed on me were parts of myself I had surrendered for belonging and acceptance. The roles and identities imposed on me were chains that trapped me. Moving from closedness to openness, I learned to embrace vulnerability and imperfection, acknowledging pain without letting it define me. This open mindset allowed me to reconnect with others and let them come closer. Caring for others with kindness came no longer from fear or expectation but from a genuine inner call. This transformation gave me new strength—a sense of responsibility for myself and a warm connection to the world. My understanding of people shifted from an analytical, rational scientific view to an appreciation akin to art, learning to respect the unknown spaces left open. This shift profoundly changed me, showing that power lies within myself, and my identity is shaped by thoughts, choices and actions. Whether Chris, Miko, or Billy, they have all been guides in my life. I accept their influence while choosing who I want to become.
In June 2021, retired architect Billy Lee, a member of USCPFA’s South Bay chapter, published aninteresting online essay titled “What Is Friendly Architecture?”Lee’s thesis revolves around a question: “can architecture induce compassion?” He furtheridentifies two layers of compassion: compassionate feelings and compassionate actions. After years ofsearch, he said he had not found “any sample of Inspiring Architecture that can for certain inducecompassionate actions.” In the modern world where depersonalization goes under the name of reasonand alienation in all its forms prevails, this is a timely and relevant question, and his efforts to identifyfriendly architecture to address such issues deserves wider attention.
I would argue that Shanghai’s shikumen, a type of hybrid residential architecture, may turn outto be what Lee has been looking for: the kind of “friendly architecture” that induces compassionateactions. Shikumen originated in the indigenous residential buildings common in the lower reaches ofthe Yangtze River and, through Western-inspired innovations, it evolved into a type of hybridarchitecture. During its peak, in the 1940s, it housed more than 70% of Shanghai’s population.
Shikumen resembles traditional Chinese residences in layout and front door design that features a blackdouble door made of heavy wood with a brass ring on each side, often topped by decorative patterns.Meanwhile, it is equipped with modern amenities, such as running water and even gas ranges andsanitation facilities in some varieties, and it appears in contiguous rows—both features recalltownhouses in the West.
Shikumen first emerged in Shanghai’s foreign concessions in the mid-19 th century to meet thehousing needs for refugees and migrants that came to the city in large numbers. To provide cost-effective homes to suit different budget sizes, architects at the stage of design already entertained thescenario that a shikumen building could be rented to tenants room by room. As well as affordable rent,factors like privacy need, ease of access to rooms, and available communal spaces such as kitchens orbathrooms made sharing a shikumen building possible and even desirable.
However, what made shikumen a “welcome,” “open” architecture type conducive to friendlyinteraction was ultimately the Chinese traditions shared by occupants. The compact living conditionsgenerally encouraged reciprocal behaviors, from mutual respect to mutual accommodation, frommutual assistance to loving-kind care, all based on traditional values. The goodwill or compassion ofshikumen neighbors toward each other began as feelings and then proceeded to actions, asnecessitated by practical situations and dictated by shared values as well.
Just as Lee suggestsperceptively, once friendly architecture starts the process of friendship and trust building, culturalpractices and individual know-how must take over and complete the process. I would add that friendlyarchitecture per se merely provides a physical and environmental possibility, but it takes the occupants’shared culture to realize its humanist potentials. To put it another way, shikumen as friendlyarchitecture enables shikumen culture, in which the architectural and the cultural elements blend intoone social phenomenon.
Shanghai had a high population density. In the 1940s, some districts in the city core reached anincredible density of 250,000 persons per square mile. Shikumen’s high occupancy density reflected thegeneral urban crowding. Shikumen met the massive housing demand, and in the process became afriendly architecture that facilitated friendly exchanges among neighbors living under the same roof.
Recent memoirs of former shikumen residents tell many touching stories about good neighborlyrelations. A memoirist named Li Mu recalls how, in a child’s eyes, her family got along well with otherfamilies share the same three-story shikumen building. Little acts of kindness were performed daily.
For example, she and her siblings kept forgetting their key for the building, but their neighbor alwayskindly opened the door to let the kids in, without a word of rebuke. Another neighbor, nicknamedSwarthy Aunt was a spare-time seamstress who made clothes for her husband and school-age sons.Seeing Li Mu was envious, Swarthy Aunt offered to make an apron and blouse with lace from scrap clothfor the girl. To return the favor, Li Mu’s mother, a teacher, started to coach the neighbor boys toimprove their grades. Li Mu says she not only learned from Swarthy Aunt how to do household choresbut also came to be influenced by her positive attitude to life: “Never lose your smile and courage evenwhen you go through tough times.” She realized that a good neighbor matters more than farawayrelative.
In Chinese custom, unrelated people are often addressed by appropriate kin terms, such asuncle or aunt, grandpa or grandma, or brother and sister. This practice was continued with shikumendwellers often with the designation of the room they occupied added to it. For example, neighborswere referred to as Sister-in-law (of the) Front Hall, or Uncle (of the) Ting Zijian (a small room halfwaybetween the first and second floors), or Grandma (of the) Upstairs Backroom. Thus, through its layout,shikumen metaphorically organized the unrelated occupants into a big family.
To put it another way,architectural elements, i.e., the rooms, were assigned individual identities and subsumed under anethical system based on the family. Indeed, the residents sharing a shikumen unit functioned like asingle family due to their circumstances. They would share communal spaces like kitchens, toilets,hallways, and rooftop patios. They would often share a water meter as well, but all would have a stakein keeping the building safe from outside threat and in maintaining internal order.
The family concepthelped the residents to handle communal and personal relations in an informal but effective way.
To be sure, life in a space-strapped environment can be challenging, but it also makes co-operation and understanding necessary, precious, and even rewarding. Take the communal kitchen forinstance. In a shikumen unit, a communal kitchen was typically shared by two to five families. Eachfamily would occupy a small space for a coal-burning stove or a gas range, and perhaps additional roomfor a small cupboard as well, while sharing the sink with tap water and sometimes an “island” for foodpreparation with their neighbors. During dinner time, several families would prepare their dinnerssimultaneously. Women chatted while cooking. Special dishes of a family would catch the attention ofthe whole kitchen. During Chinese New Year, Grandma of the upstairs backroom would offer a bowl ofsesame dumplings to curious kids. It was not uncommon that people of different regional backgroundslearned to appreciate and even imitate each other’s cuisine. Sharing a sink during meal preparationrequired a protocol of courtesy and mutual accommodation. Rules for usage of communal spaces and facilities were mostly based on unwritten, tacit understanding of what was reasonable and appropriateunder the given circumstances.
Shikumen culture was a migrant culture derived from traditional Chinese culture. Thecollectivist orientation of traditional Chinese culture once relied heavily on the kinship system and/orshared local identity to work. Migrants from all over the country, now cut off from their old ties, foundthemselves in an unfamiliar urban environment, isolated and helpless. To alleviate this problem,shikumen played a role as friendly architecture. Shikumen units provided not just a place to live but alsoa social space for its occupants to continue to practice their cultural values such as Confucianbenevolence, easy-going manners as advocated by Daoists, and mercy and resignation to fate taught byBuddhism. Applying kinship terms to address neighbors was not a simple act of courtesy; it madeshikumen feel like a big family, a clan, or a miniature village. In short, it represents a culturalreconstitution. This was the fundamental reason why shikumen may be regarded as a typical friendlyarchitecture.
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*I wish to thank Mr. Billy Lee for inspiring this essay and an extended article on shikumen in theUS-China Review. I would not have done the writing without his consistent encouragement and support.
Sheng-Tai Chang received his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of Southern California (USC). He also holds an M.A. in English from the University of Calgary in Canada and a second M.A. in Asian Languages and cultures from USC. In addition to writing, his areas of interest include American literature, Chinese literature, and East Asian humanities. He has published scholarly articles and translations of Asian and Asian-American writers. He regularly teaches various courses in composition, literature, and humanities.
CHATGPT : Orchids are deeply revered in Chinese culture, not only for their delicate beauty and fragrance but also for the profound symbolic meanings they have carried for over two millennia. They are one of the “Four Gentlemen” (四君子) in Chinese art and philosophy—alongside bamboo, chrysanthemum, and plum blossom—each representing noble virtues admired in scholars and moral individuals.
🌸 Why Orchids Are So Precious in Chinese Culture:
1. Symbol of Virtue and Integrity
Orchids symbolize purity, humility, and elegance. They often grow in secluded valleys and emit fragrance even when no one is around to admire them, representing people of high moral character who do good without seeking recognition.
2. Confucius’ Praise
Confucius (孔子), the great philosopher, is one of the earliest known admirers of orchids. He famously said:
“The orchid grows in the solitude of the forest and does not lose its fragrance. The virtuous person maintains his integrity even in difficult times.” (“芝兰生于深林，不以无人而不芳。”)
He used orchids to describe noble friendship and virtue. To Confucius, being with good people was like walking into a room full of orchids—quiet, refined, and morally uplifting.
3. Taoist and Poetic Reverence
In Taoist thought, orchids represent natural harmony, simplicity, and spiritual growth.
Many ancient poets like Tao Yuanming (陶渊明) and Qu Yuan (屈原) praised orchids in their verses. Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet from the Warring States Period, often used the orchid as a metaphor for loyalty and unwavering principles in the face of political corruption.
📜 Historic Stories and Associations
1. Qu Yuan and the Orchid
In his poem Li Sao (离骚), Qu Yuan repeatedly mentions orchids:
“I wore fragrant orchids to show my innocence.”
This use of the orchid became a powerful metaphor for moral resistance and inner purity, especially under unjust governments.
2. The Orchid Pavilion Gathering (兰亭集会)
In 353 AD, a famous literary event occurred at the Orchid Pavilion (Lanting), organized by Wang Xizhi, the master calligrapher. He and his scholar friends gathered to drink wine and compose poetry. His masterpiece, the Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion (兰亭序), is one of the greatest works in Chinese calligraphy.
The gathering symbolized harmony with nature, friendship, the fleetingness of life, and cultured elegance—all associated with the orchid.
🖌 In Chinese Painting and Calligraphy
Orchids are a favorite subject of ink brush painting, especially in literati art. Their graceful leaves and blossoms are challenging to paint, requiring sensitivity and control.
Painting orchids became a practice in self-cultivation, reflecting the painter’s spirit and ethical temperament.
🎎 Cultural Symbolism
Symbolic Meaning
Explanation
Nobility & Morality
Reflects upright character, like a noble person in seclusion.
Friendship
Gentle, unselfish, sincere—often used in poetry about ideal companions.
Modesty & Beauty
Not flamboyant, but quietly beautiful and enduring.
Loyalty
Especially when facing adversity, as shown in Qu Yuan’s poetry.
🌿 Summary
The orchid in Chinese culture is much more than a flower—it is a moral and aesthetic ideal. It represents a person who is refined, loyal, modest, and virtuous, even when unrecognized or isolated. From Confucius to calligraphers, from ancient poets to modern admirers, orchids have remained a timeless symbol of inner strength and quiet beauty.
🌸 “The Orchid and the Empty Valley”
A Story of Quiet Strength and True Character
Once upon a time in ancient China,
in the misty folds of the southern mountains, there was a deep, hidden valley. The valley was quiet and untouched, far from the noise of kingdoms and courts. In this lonely place, a single orchid bloomed.
It was not large or brightly colored. No passerby ever came to admire it. Yet every morning, it released a delicate fragrance into the cool mountain air, as if the forest itself were being blessed by its presence.
In a nearby town, a proud young scholar named Liang was preparing for the imperial exams. He dressed finely, spoke loudly, and made sure everyone saw how hard he worked and how clever he was. “Greatness must be seen to be known,” he would often boast.
One day, Liang passed through the forest on his way to a temple to pray for success. As he climbed the mountain path, he caught the faint scent of something unusual—soft and sweet. Curious, he followed the trail until he came upon the orchid blooming quietly between two rocks.
He frowned. “Such beauty, and no one here to witness it? What a waste.”
An old hermit, who had been watching from nearby, stepped out of the trees.
“Why do you think beauty must be seen to be real?” the hermit asked.
Liang replied, “Because what is not seen or praised might as well not exist.”
The hermit smiled and said, “Then you have not yet understood the orchid.”
He sat down beside it and continued:
“This flower blooms for no reward. Its fragrance fills the air whether a thousand admire it or no one at all. It is like the noble person, who remains kind and true even in loneliness. That is the strength of real character.”
The scholar was quiet for a moment.
He returned to town, and over the next months, his pride softened. He began helping others with their studies, even those who might do better than him. He stopped boasting and began reflecting. His words became fewer—but truer.
When the day of the imperial exam came, he passed with high honors. Yet when asked how he had achieved such success, Liang simply smiled and said:
“I once met a flower that bloomed in an empty valley and taught me the value of unseen goodness.”
🌱 Moral:
True character doesn’t need applause. Like the orchid in the mountains, goodness is real—even in silence.
🌿 “The Gathering of Orchids”
A Story of Solitude, Fellowship, and Inner Light
Long ago in the Kingdom of Chu, there lived two orchids—one grew alone high in the cliffs, the other in a grove with many others near a quiet stream.
The Lone Orchid, known as Lan, was proud of her solitude.
“I bloom in silence, untouched by weeds or shallow praise,” she whispered to the wind. “I do not need others to shine. My fragrance rises on the mountain air.”
Down in the valley, the Orchid Grove swayed together in the breeze. They laughed in the sunlight, caught morning dew together, and shared the shade of a willow tree.
One day, a great drought came. The mountains dried up. Streams vanished. Lan, the lone orchid, held on as long as she could. But the rocky cliffs offered no water, no cover from the heat, and no one to lean on.
In the valley below, the orchid grove suffered too—but they protected one another. The outer flowers shielded the younger ones from the sun. The roots tangled together underground, sharing moisture and strength. When rain finally came, most of the grove survived.
A few days later, a poet named Ziqi came to the mountain. He found the withered stem of Lan and a single petal still fragrant. He placed it in his scroll and sighed.
“How noble she was… but how lonely.”
Then he walked down to the valley and sat beside the living orchid grove. As the breeze carried their sweet scent, he began to write:
“One orchid may inspire, But many orchids bring peace. Alone, they show character. Together, they create a garden of grace.”
🧠 Cultural Reflection:
Individual Orchid
Orchid Grove
Symbol of personal virtue
Symbol of community and harmony
Like the noble recluse (隐士) or upright official who resists corruption
Like the ideal Confucian society where good people support one another
Represents strength in solitude
Represents strength in unity
Praised by poets like Qu Yuan for integrity under pressure
Celebrated by Confucians for shared moral cultivation
🌸 Message for Teens:
It’s good to be strong and true on your own, like the orchid that blooms even in silence.
But don’t be afraid to join a community of others who also seek goodness.
Real strength is not just standing tall—but standing with others.
劉可強 Prof. John KC Liu – June 15, 2025 – Taiwan, ROC
Re. This assignment
Friendship and Community
A real, live and healthy community is most often not always harmonious and peaceful. There are fights and differences as in any family, competition for scarce resources such as bickering over funding for school lunches vs. elderly meals, spatial disputes among neighbors over parking spots and garbage disposal, presence of strangers and troublemakers requiring official intervention, etc. All these are normal aspects of a community. So, what is the role of friendship in a community? Resolving disputes requires mutual trust, arbitrating over limited resources requires reciprocity, mediating among different characters requires empathy.
Story:
An empty neighborhood site surrounded by various groups of residents with different cultural backgrounds became a garbage dump since the community was unable to agree on a plan for a neighborhood park. Something had gone wrong, and this community had become stagnant and unhealthy.
The source of the problem was that different factions of the community were not speaking to each other. Older people, because they came from different cultural backgrounds, were set in their ways and reluctant to engage other people in the community. Young people, while they do make friends with fellow classmates of different backgrounds, most often they keep to their own cultural circle away from school. The issue is how to transcend cultural boundaries and encourage interaction and friendship among both adults and young people in order to jointly face the problem with the garbage dump site.
A neighborhood participatory design workshop was conducted wherein young people of the community played a key role in bringing different factions of the community together. Two particular activities are notable. The first is to find common values about the environment. When people of different backgrounds were asked about what they liked and what they disliked about the neighborhood, most of them pretty much agreed on what’s good and what’s not so good. By presenting the results of this survey back to them, they were surprised by how much they have in common. That is, about the environment, they shared the same values. This was an important first step in engaging the different factions in speaking to each other and to appreciating each other’s values. This was the beginning of friendship among neighbors who had not talked to each other before.
The second activity was to engage young people in planning a new park for the site. Design teams composed of young people from different backgrounds came up with designs for the park and one was chosen by all those who participated to be implemented. For the first time young people of this community felt they could come together and collaborated on a common project and see it through to completion. In the process they formed strong bonds with each other. This helped enormously with the community self-management of the park, including resolving disputes, mediating conflicts, organizing maintenance, etc… in short, through bonding and the friendships that were developed over the course of jointly facing the issue of the garbage site, the community has reversed its stagnancy and began to return to a healthy and vibrant neighborhood.
This is a story of a concrete example of how friendship building is central to making healthy communities,
