Category Archives: Authors

Authors A-H, Trends 2025: Chaotic Times

Leadership in Chaotic Times – by Zen Benefiel

A Call to Action for Unity and Purpose

In the age of rapid global changes and persistent uncertainties, leadership has become a critical beacon guiding humanity through uncharted waters. From ecological crises to technological disruptions and social divides, our chaotic times demand not just decision-makers but visionary leaders who prioritize the collective well-being and long-term sustainability of our world. True leadership lies in forging authentic connections while remaining steadfast in purpose, balancing the immediate challenges with a broader, future-focused vision.

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Advisors, Authors A-H, Trends 2025: Chaotic Times

Well, did I answer your question “Deb?” – by Terry Howard

    “We write history, not erase history.” ~ President Joe Biden 

“Deb,” the editor of one of several global publications I write for posed the following question to me and her other columnists who write on issues of culture, religion, race and other issues:

What do you consider the most critical issue facing our nation in 2025?

Wow, where do I start? 

Well, after mulling through a list of top of mind burning issues for me, I kept circling back to the first on that list that crossed my mind….banning books altogether or, at a minimum, rewriting ugly aspects of African American history – think slavery – in the U.S.

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Advisors, Authors A-H, Trends 2025: Chaotic Times

A realistic approach to 2025 – by Marc Brenman

“When You Stare into the Abyss,
the Abyss Stares Back” ~Nietzsche

The most important event in the new year for the United States will be Trump’s resumption of the Presidency. Will this mean the end of American democracy, as he has pointed to with pronouncements like being a dictator, inciting insurrection, encouraging legal prosecution of critics and Democratic legislators, opposing a peaceful transition of elected power, nominating bizarre people for the highest Executive Branch positions, etc?

There has been much discussion as to what good-thinking people should do. Much of the verbiage concerns self-care, marching around, doubling down on beliefs unpopular with half the American electorate, etc. This reminds me of trigger warnings, safe spaces, and correct pronouns. I’ve been focusing instead on the following:

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Authors A-H, Politics, Trends 2025: Chaotic Times

Political Commitments 2025 – by Kerry Hayes

A few days before November 5, I opined on social media that democracy isn’t a crockpot – you can’t set it and forget it. It’s more like a risotto: something special and quite wonderful, but needing constant attention unless you want it to turn mushy or burn altogether.

 The outcome of the election seemed to reinforce this notion. I guess it would be more accurate to refer to the November 5 elections, as turnout data indicates that every county in the United States, from California to Colorado to New York, moved rightward. The national popular vote bore this out, as did the results of many contests for the U.S. House of Representatives, the Senate, and myriad state and local races.

By the time the sun rose on November 6, it was clear that the right had risen well. We’d failed to stir the risotto; now it was sticky as all hell.

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Advisors, Authors A-H, Social Issues

Holiday Connections – by Dr. Gail Dawson

There’s something special and perhaps a little magical about the Holiday Season. As the weather starts to cool and the leaves start to change, there seems to be excitement in the air in anticipation of the holidays. We tend to look for greater human connection as we plan gatherings from Thanksgiving feasts to New Year’s celebrations. While some see the holidays as the opportunity to connect with family and friends through festive celebrations of their faith, others may enjoy the more commercialized aspects of the season. 

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Authors A-H, PSK, Race & Ethnicity, Social Issues

Build a Stronger Economy: Focus on Minorities & Opportunity Zones – by Rachel Hooks

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Everyone is familiar with Wall Street in New York where stock trades are made, but are you familiar with Black Wall Street, an area in Tulsa, Oklahoma? It’s the place where African Americans built their own economy with grocery stores, schools, homes, churches, hospitals, hotels, and other businesses. By 1921, they owned 35 square blocks of property in this community where they flourished, until one day, there was the Tulsa race massacre where this entire community was burned to the ground.

Unfortunately, this community was never the same again and very few people were able to keep their family homes that were destroyed. In a time of segregation, this type of community was necessary to carry out the law, “separate by equal”. I can recall my grandmother, Jimmie Hooks, born in 1930, before her passing this year at age 93, stating that her grandfather had a business, but could not own a home. She would say, “Ain’t that crazy”. This is no longer the case today, every man is considered equal, or are they?

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Authors A-H, PSK

Minding Your Mental – by Ikeko Bass

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I am the face of mental health—a survivor of suicide and a testament to the resilience of minding your mental. Did you know that 59.3 million Americans suffer from mental health challenges? Mental health encompasses our psychological, emotional, and social well-being. It influences how we think, feel, and act, shaping our relationships, our ability to manage stress, and the decisions we make.

My journey took me to the darkest place I’ve ever known. Weighed down by years of mounting stress, grief, and hopelessness, my life is a story of rediscovering strength, purpose, and faith in the aftermath of despair. Through my experience, I’ve learned that while mental health challenges do not discriminate, they can forge connections among us. With time, healing, and courage, those challenges can become a source of strength—empowering us to help others on their own journeys. Through self-care, setting boundaries, staying connected, practicing mindfulness, seeking professional help, and cultivating gratitude, I’ve found the tools to effectively mind my mental and embrace a healthier, more balanced life.

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Authors A-H, PSK, Social Issues

The Hundred-Handed Purpose Connector – by Donley Ferguson

Cultivating the Path of Purpose

If I were to tell my story—the story I’d share with the world—it would start with echoes of loss, shadows of hope, and a path carved through trials no one could have foreseen.

The only memory I carry of my father, whose name I bear, is of new Hush Puppies on his feet and the soulful loop of Friends of Distinction’s “Going in Circles” reverberating through the night. I watched his silhouette diminish into the darkness, an untouchable fragment of my life that unraveled into a tragic tale—the stories of his empty pockets, hollow eyes, and the lifeless repose on that frayed couch in a den of broken souls. The whisper of overdose. The finality of it.

In 2020 alone, nearly 70,000 lives were lost to overdoses, a reminder that the pain of addiction reverberates through countless families. My father’s story is one of many, yet it marks the beginning of my journey—a path paved with loss but leading to the discovery of purpose.

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Academic Articles, Authors A-H

Global Human Rights in Focus – by Dean Bordode

Current Challenges and Pathways
to Progress

Introduction

The global state of human rights in the 21st century continues to evolve, with notable advances in areas such as LGBTQ+ rights and gender equality, alongside persistent challenges like systemic discrimination, conflict-induced displacement, and the rise of authoritarian regimes. Despite progress, marginalized communities remain vulnerable, and civil liberties are under constant threat.

This report explores the current human rights landscape, drawing on contributions to various advocacy initiatives, including my work supporting Jewish groups and activists, amplifying the voices of LGBTQ+ communities, and addressing key global challenges. With decades of experience in human rights advocacy, I’ve supported efforts by Jewish rapporteurs in the U.S. and Canada, as well as contributed to reports on LGBTQ+ rights through submissions to bodies like the ILGA, the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, and the UN Human Rights Committee via SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) submissions. These efforts emphasize the need for a collective, coordinated approach to addressing the pressing issues we face today.

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Advisors, Authors A-H, Politics

Are we better than this? Well, obviously not – by Terry Howard

Call it stealing shamelessly, opportunism or laziness, or whatever you choose to accuse me of after reading this narrative. Okay, I plead guilty.

You see, when the unexpected results from the recent election settled into our imaginations, reactions were immediate, passionate and all over the place. 

Now like the opportunist you may accuse me of, like the hungry grizzly bear wading into the cold Alaskan waters with her pick from hundreds of spawning salmon, as a writer I got to pick and choose kernels from an assortment of writers who poured out their heartfelt reactions to the results.

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