Commonweal

COMMONWEAL OPERATES IN THREE CORE FIELDS - HEALTH AND HEALING, ART AND EDUCATION, AND ENVIRONMENT AND JUSTICE. WITHIN THOSE FIELDS, COMMONWEAL INCUBATES AND SUPPORTS A DOZEN DIFFERENT PROGRAMS IN CANCER, HEALTH PROFESSIONALS EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, (CONT. ON SCH O)

RESILIENCE:COMMONWEALS RESILIENCE PROGRAM IS AN UMBRELLA THAT INCLUDES BOTH THE RESILIENCE PROJECT AND OMEGA. THE RESILIENCE PROJECT (TRP) BUILDS ON FOUR DECADES OF WORK AT COMMONWEAL ON HEALING OURSELVES AND HEALING THE EARTH. TRP FOCUSES ON THE POLYCRISISMORE THAN TWO DOZEN ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL STRESSORS THAT HAVE CREATED A PERFECT STORM OF HUMAN AND BIOSPHERE THREATS. TRP GOALS: EMPOWER PEOPLE, PROJECTS & PRACTICES TO MEET THE GLOBAL CHALLENGE; WELCOME DIVERSE VIEWS ACROSS THE GLOBAL SPECTRUM; ENCOURAGE RESPECTFUL DIALOGUES ACROSS REGIONS & CULTURES; INSPIRE CREATIVE RESPONSES TO THE POLYCRISIS. STANLEY WU SERVES AS DIRECTOR. OMEGA INCUBATES NEW INITIATIVES FOR LIVING IN AND THROUGH THE GLOBAL POLYCRISIS. OMEGAS GOAL IS TO HELP BUILD THE NASCENT FIELD OF POLYCRISIS RESEARCH AND ACTION. THIS INCLUDES: (1) TO MAP THE BEST THINKING ON THE POLYCRISIS, (2) TO IDENTIFY THE GLOBAL NETWORK OF THOSE WORKING TOWARD CREATIVE SOLUTIONS, (3) TO IDENTIFY THE COMMUNITY OF THOSE WHO CAN WORK TOGETHER TO STRENGTHEN RESILIENCE, AND (4) TO IDENTIFY AND SUPPORT SPECIFIC PROJECTS WITH SPECIAL VALUE ADDED. OMEGAS INITIATIVES INCLUDE: THE OMEGA COLLABORATIVE, A STEADILY GROWING WORKING GROUP OF PARTNERS AROUND THE WORLD COMMITTED TO A BETTER FUTURE THROUGH A FOCUS ON SYSTEMIC RISK, INTERCONNECTED AND INTERSECTING STRESSORS, COMPLEXITY, EQUITY, GOVERNANCE, AND THE FULL RANGE OF ISSUES THREATENING CIVILIZATION; AND THE OMEGA RESILIENCE AWARDS (ORA), WHICH PROVIDES FELLOWSHIPS, RESEARCH GRANTS, AND MEDIA CREATION TO SUPPORT NEW MODELS OF THINKING, LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, AND ENGAGEMENT IN RESPONSE TO THE CHALLENGES OF THE GLOBAL POLYCRISIS. MICHAEL LERNER SERVES AS DIRECTOR. (OMEGA.NGO)

PARTNERS FOR YOUTH EMPOWERMENT:PARTNERS FOR YOUTH EMPOWERMENTS (PYE) MISSION IS TO UNLEASH THE CREATIVE POTENTIAL OF YOUNG PEOPLE. FOR 25 YEARS, GUIDED BY THIS MISSION, PYE HAS BEEN WORKING TO SHIFT THE FIELD OF YOUTH WORK TO RESPOND TO THE DEEPER NEEDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE FOR MEANING, PURPOSE, CREATIVITY, AND CONNECTION. PYE DOES THIS BY TRAINING INDIVIDUALS, SCHOOLS, AND ORGANIZATIONS IN THEIR CREATIVE EMPOWERMENT MODEL, A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION, GROUP FACILITATION, AND THE ARTS, WHICH TOGETHER FOSTER KEY LIFE SKILLS THAT HELP YOUTH THRIVE IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD.PYE PRIORITIZES ENGAGING DIVERSE POPULATIONS, IN ALL OF THEIR PROGRAMS, WITH THE END GOAL OF REACHING YOUTH WHO ARE MARGINALIZED AND FURTHEST FROM OPPORTUNITY. (PARTNERSFORYOUTH.ORG)

HUMANE PRISON HOSPICE PROJECT:HUMANE PRISON HOSPICE PROJECT (HUMANE) IS DEVELOPING A HUMANITARIAN, COST-EFFECTIVE AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE SOLUTION TO ENSURE THAT THOSE AGING AND DYING IN PRISON RECEIVE COMPASSIONATE CARE. THE HUMANE TEAM BELIEVES THAT THE RIGHT TO RECEIVE COMPASSIONATE END-OF-LIFE CARE IS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHTONE THAT SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO EVERYONE, EVEN SOME OF THE MOST WOUNDED AND TROUBLED IN OUR SOCIETY. HUMANE STRIVES FOR A WORLD WHERE ALL INCARCERATED PEOPLE ARE TREATED WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT. THEIR MODEL BENEFITS NOT ONLY THE DYING, BUT THEIR FELLOW PRISONERS WHO PROVIDE THE CARE, AND THE PRISON CORRECTIONAL STAFF AS WELL, AS THEY WITNESS HOW TRANSFORMATIVE IT CAN BE FOR PRISONERS TO LEARN TO CARE FOR THEIR DYING BROTHERS. THE CURRICULUM THEYVE DEVELOPED TRAINS PRISONERS AS HOSPICE VOLUNTEERS IN END-OF-LIFE CARE AND GRIEF SUPPORT, AND IN OTHER MODES OF CRISIS INTERVENTION THAT PREPARES THEM TO SUPPORT THEIR PEERS WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION, SUICIDAL IDEATION, OR THE EFFECTS OF TRAUMA AND VIOLENCE OFTEN EXPERIENCED BEHIND BARS. THE OUTCOME IS A THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY WITHIN PRISON WALLS THAT RESULTS IN A CULTURAL SHIFT TOWARD COMPASSION, CARE, EMPATHY AND SUPPORT THAT SETS THE FOUNDATION FOR RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PRACTICES. THE PRISON ENVIRONMENT BECOMES A PLACE FOR REHABILITATION AND SUPPORT RATHER THAN PUNISHMENT AND CONFLICT. LISA DEAL SERVES AS DIRECTOR. (HUMANEPRISONHOSPICEPROJECT.ORG)