Category Archives: Transforming

Projects that are making a difference, improving lives, and building communities.

Around the world, Authors R-Z, Politics, Religious Diversity, Social Issues

The Way Cousins Speak – by Tom Wegner

For decades, peace in our region has been negotiated between governments. What has been missing is a shared story between peoples. I learned this across divides that many Israelis never cross: in the IDF’s District Coordination and Liaison unit in Jericho, coordinating with the Palestinian Authority’s police, and later as a spokesperson for the Peres Center for Peace.

October 7, 2023 made one truth impossible to ignore: The way our region was living was not working for any of us. The massacre of the Yazidis and the civil wars in Iraq and Yemen made that clear long before that day. After it, I returned to those old relationships with one message: something had to change.

I did not believe that lines on a map, on their own, could resolve a conflict rooted in identity.

Continue reading The Way Cousins Speak – by Tom Wegner →

Advisors, Authors A-H, Healthcare

Renewing Diversity Part 17: Rethinking Patient-Centered Approaches to Health Equity – by Carlos Cortés

I’m sometimes amazed at how thoroughly my thinking about health equity has changed since I became part-time co-director of the University of California, Riverside, School of Medicine’s Health Equity, Social Justice, and Anti-Racism curriculum a little more than six years ago in July, 2020.

Throughout several decades prior to that appointment I had given numerous talks and workshops about cultural competence in health care, including at such places as M. D. Anderson in Houston.  On my own campus, I had been delivering an annual required cultural competence lecture for first-year medical students, augmented by a smattering of faculty.  So when I said yes to the dean’s invitation, I felt reasonably confident, particularly since I was teamed up with one of the school’s clinical professors of pediatrics.

Continue reading Renewing Diversity Part 17: Rethinking Patient-Centered Approaches to Health Equity – by Carlos Cortés →

Authors I-Q, Healthcare, Neuro-diversity

Beyond the Curve: Redefining Giftedness and Neurodiversity in Healthcare – by Dr. Veronica Palladino 

For decades, human intelligence and cognitive development have been measured through a rigid statistical lens. In clinical and educational settings, the Gaussian bell curve has dictated who is considered “normal,” who is “deficient,” and who is “gifted.” However, as explored in my research essay, Beyond the Curve: The Neurobiology and Psychology of Giftedness in the 21st Century, this binary approach to human minds is proving to be outdated. To truly understand the human brain, modern healthcare and advocacy must look past statistical models and embrace the profound reality of neurodiversity. 

Continue reading Beyond the Curve: Redefining Giftedness and Neurodiversity in Healthcare – by Dr. Veronica Palladino  →

Authors A-H, Healthcare

Healthcare Systems: After Treatment Ends – by Andrew Drasen

For many individuals, completing a treatment program is a milestone filled with hope, relief, and anticipation. Residential programs, intensive outpatient services, and structured recovery tracks provide a framework for learning new skills, managing triggers, and building a foundation for change. Yet the moment a person leaves structured care is also the moment the safety net thins, and many find themselves navigating complex social, familial, and environmental pressures without the scaffolding that previously supported them.

Healthcare systems and programs designed to address substance use or mental health challenges often focus on stopping harmful behaviors and managing relapse risks. These approaches are critical. They teach clients to recognize triggers, practice coping strategies, and adhere to care plans. However, behavior-focused programs address only one side of a larger equation. Without guidance on who they are becoming beyond the behavior, individuals often struggle to sustain change once the structured environment is removed. Old patterns can resurface, not because the person intends to fail, but because they lack a coherent framework for their evolving identity.

Continue reading Healthcare Systems: After Treatment Ends – by Andrew Drasen →

Authors I-Q, Healthcare

The Future of Fitness – by Tor Arne Jørgensen

In 1997, at age 23, I took my first bodybuilding photos for B&K Sports Magazine. My only goal was to look as muscular as possible. I had trained seriously for three years. Bodybuilding was not just something I did; it was a big part of who I was.

Two years later, I entered the Southern Norway Bodybuilding Championship. I competed again in 2000, and that was my last competition. The physical results were visible on the outside, but I paid less attention to what was happening inside. I rarely thought about my health or how I would feel years later.

Continue reading The Future of Fitness – by Tor Arne Jørgensen →

Authors I-Q, Entrepreneurship

Building a Lasting Creative Business That Balances Art and Strategy – by Julie Morris

Creative professionals, freelance designers, writers, photographers, makers, and independent artists, often see real creative career opportunities, yet struggle to turn talent into income with any consistency. The challenges of creative entrepreneurship show up fast: unpredictable demand, fuzzy boundaries, underpricing, and a constant pressure to market while still doing the work. Plenty of talented people end up stuck in a loop of feast-or-famine projects or overcommitment that drains their craft. Building sustainable businesses starts by treating creativity as a real value you can shape, protect, and grow.

Continue reading Building a Lasting Creative Business That Balances Art and Strategy – by Julie Morris →

Authors A-H, Politics

Pandering to Gerrymandering: Who Won the Redistricting War? – by David Grinberg

Here’s the Score…

Examining the race to redraw congressional maps prior to the midterm elections.

What started as so-called “Trump-mandering” quickly became a national political battle between Republicans and Democrats to redraw as many congressional districts as possible before the critically important midterm elections on November 3, 2026.

When the smoke finally cleared, one party emerged victorious and will likely have up to a 10-seat advantage in the race to control the House of Representatives going into Election Day. That’s theoretical, of course, because even though a district map is redrawn to heavily favor one party, there’s no guarantee that an upset won’t occur, even if it remains a long shot.

Continue reading Pandering to Gerrymandering: Who Won the Redistricting War? – by David Grinberg →

Authors A-H, Social Issues

Becoming Insightful: Thinking Together – by Leland Beaumont

Dialogue, derived from the Greek dia logus, meaning “through words and reason,” is a unique communication skill driven by genuine curiosity, and aligned with understanding. Dialogue seeks insights. Dialogue listens closely and asks: What are they saying? Why are they saying that? What are they thinking? What can I learn? What is true? What is the insight?

Continue reading Becoming Insightful: Thinking Together – by Leland Beaumont →

Authors A-H, Social Issues

Is Your Backyard Playground Ready for Fall? – by Sheryl Berkley

7 Common Hazards to Look for After Summer Break

As summer winds down and kids head back to school, families often start spending more time in the backyard after school and on weekends. If you have a home playground, now is a good time to take a closer look at it. Months of summer sun, rain, storms and everyday play can leave behind safety hazards that may not be obvious at first glance.

Before the kids return to regular outdoor play, take a few minutes to walk around the playground and surrounding area. A simple inspection can help you spot small problems before they become bigger safety concerns. Here are seven common backyard playground hazards to look for after summer break.

Continue reading Is Your Backyard Playground Ready for Fall? – by Sheryl Berkley →

Authors I-Q, Social Issues

Grabbbing Ahold Of Time – by Martin Kimeldorf

An Essay About The Most Elusive, Perplexing, Sought-After Element of Modern Life

Certain dream stories repeat themselves over time until they no longer hold my interest. I call these Dream Themes. One theme that has lasted a long time centers on my first year or two of college. 

I attended the University of California at Santa Cruz in the late 1960s. Back then it was an emerging experiment created in response to the Berkeley uprisings. It featured small classes built around themes, and combined large lectures with smaller, intensely interactive seminars. The first year consisted of only one class, Western Civ, which combined history, English, and art. You didn’t get to deviate from the core curriculum until after the first year or so. 

Continue reading Grabbbing Ahold Of Time – by Martin Kimeldorf →