I was in New York last week looking forward to lunch and the waiter greeted us with “What can I do for you”.
I couldn’t resist shooting back “Tell me the meaning of life”.
And he said – without a moment’s hesitation – “To love and be loved”.
I jotted it on my phone. I can remember that more than the meal I ate because not only is he right but if he is – many of us are in big trouble.
We’re too worried about making money.
Handling the stress in our lives.
Dealing with difficult people.
All the money in the world is meaningless if we cannot remember that we’re on this earth first and foremost to love and to be loved
Character Matters: Gratitude is the Queen of Virtues and Empathy is the King
USD’s gem Edward DeRoche is presented the 2015 Sanford N. McDonnell Lifetime Achievement Award, and it is most well-deserved for modeling and mentoring matters of character in education and beyond!
Pick it up at around 11 minutes if you are short on time and experience “REAL ED”…
Here is an ROI (Return on Inspiration) poem from the A4E Summit in the past week:
Ode to Empowerment, Owed to the ‘Heart-ist’ in YOU
Inspired by the Presenters at A4E
It’s not important what you look at,
What’s important is what you see,
See me, respect me, remember me.
What good is sight, if you have no vision?
Realize, with re-a-l eyes,
There is no division.
Know your vision and stay true to it,
Through passion, purpose, and strategic partnership.
Empower a compassion-based, kind comm-unity
Ennoble self-efficacy with universal access to opportunity
See me, respect me, remember me,
My demography won’t determine MY destiny!
Failure is a bruise, not a tattoo
Our world so needs the transmutation in you.
To hide your pain is to hide your power,
This might be your finest hour.
That’ MY sister, MY daughter, MY kin, MY wife,
Love it. Own it. Elevate Your Life!
You are the change we wish to see,
Let’s manifest it thru A-4-E.
Remember lasting change comes from within,
I will stop now as time is running thin…
Your soul speaks.
Are you listening?
Your soul speaks.
Am I listening?
Is your heart singing yet?
A4E Summit
The Alliance 4 Empowerment (A4E) is a non-profit organization created to empower underserved people with the universal opportunity to live with dignity, self-esteem, respect and love, in the San Diego region and beyond. Our goal is to create inspired, innovative & inclusive communities that are sustainable economically, socially and environmentally, and to develop platforms for full participation of women and youth globally.
A4E provides a hand up instead of a hand out, ensuring recipients thrive through the power of Social Credit loans, rather than a historical dependency on charity. This unique model strives to overcome poverty at the root level through a more efficient use of capital and innovation. Our primary focus is building financially inclusive communities, by helping hard-working individuals develop their existing skills into profitable, self-sustaining small businesses, in a nurturing, loving and supportive environment.
To attain this goal, A4E partners with existing community organizations. Instead of working in silos, A4E collaborates with other effective nonprofits to identify as well as work with qualified social entrepreneurs to leverage global connections with the expertise to enable them to maximize their impact, increase employment and use resources sustainably. Knowing that access to affordable quality health care is essential for communities to thrive economically and socially, A4E advocates for community access to quality healthcare and wellness programs, that contribute to long-term growth and prosperity.
Here is a link to the first part of the A4E summit:
As a sampler, you might want to listen to the two keynotes by UC San Diego Vice Chancellor Dr. Becky Pettit, starting at 36:16 and Dr. Twyla Garrett, Senior Advisor to Homeland Security at 1:07 as their stories will definitely strike a chord as they set the stage for the day!
Usher’s New Video Confronts Racial Injustice Like You’ve Never Seen
“It is important not only to feel the issue but to face it.” #DontLookAway
Being a mixed race Indian child myself this article resonated for me…
“What are you?” might just be the most commonplace question every Indian child learns to respond to, dodge, or deflect, depending on how they feel about the person who’s doing the asking. Ethnicity, race, and personal identity continue to forge an inexplicable link the world over—often highlighting our differences rather than bringing us together. The latter two, however, are aspects of the human experience we consider far too little…
Thanks this week go to all the inspired souls at A4E, the Cathedral Clan in Bombay and now distributed world-wide, everyone focused on building inclusive communities and Larry H for the pics!
The 21st Century Earth’s Prayer to Complement the Timeless Lord’s Prayer
Invitation | Gala Luncheon | 70th Anniversary of the United Nations | Oct 24, 11-2pm
Save Neville the Dog
Incredible Photos to Commence the Weekend:
Resiliency and Risk Taking:
In the past week, San Diego Grant Makers held their annual conference with an underlying theme of risk taking and resiliency. These quotes during a plenary session featuring California State Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, and California Endowment Director of Healthy Communities Beatriz Solis, facilitated by San Diego Grant Makers CEO Nancy Jamison really resonated for many of us…
The Earth’s Prayer to Complement The Lord’s Prayer
It is crazy that I wrote this in 2009 after being inspired on a trip to Europe, yet it seems as timely today as when inspiration struck.
I am guessing Pope Francis would agree with me…
“Leaving an inhabitable planet to future generations is first and foremost, up to us.” —Pope Francis
Invitation | Gala Luncheon | 70th Anniversary of the United Nations | Oct 24, 11-2pm
My friend Bettina Hausmann is the President of the United Nations Association in San Diego. They are having a really amazing event to celebrate United Nations day on October 24th, 2015 that coincides with the 100 year celebration of Balboa Park, the 70th anniversary of the UN, and the UNA-SD connection with Eleanor Roosevelt, who was instrumental in getting the UNA-SD started 69 years ago. Her grandson will be a featured speaker, which is really cool!
Please attend if possible and equally important if you could broadcast this widely to your networks that would be GREATLY appreciated. Bettina and her team are rallying the San Diego region to display its global connectedness (see information below and feel free to forward as you see fit).
Thanks this week go to Grant Makers everywhere, Quadruple Bottom Line leaders focused on people, planet, profits and purpose, Bettina H & Alan D, change agents that stand up for the plight of those that can’t, and Larry H for continuing to feed me soul food that I can share with you! Pay it forward…
Love,
Neville
“Leaving an inhabitable planet to future generations is first and foremost, up to us.” —Pope Francis
“What matters is the Mortar, not just the Bricks!”
With a little help from my friends, I have been advancing notions of Social Capital optimization for years, and this example just underscores its importance
Denise Herzing has been studying the same pod of wild dolphins for 30 years. Every summer, she and the dolphins are reunited. But this summer, things are a little different—this summer, with help from Thad Starner (one of the inventors of Google Glass), she’s testing a new device that could change the conversation for good.
“I’m a School Principal. What is YOUR Super Power?
School Administrators work hard to ensure students receive a quality education with one end game in mind….a happy, productive life for each student. They inspire every member of their school communities to embrace this vision through action. In observance of the importance of educational leadership at the school, school district and county levels, October 12-16 is designated as “Week of the School Administrator.” Be sure to celebrate your school administrators changing lives behind the scenes every day!
Speaking of “Cool” Principals Check This One Out…
If You Are Local:
Are you committed to the FULL participation of girls, women and youth in their own economic and social transformation?
Then you’ve got to be at the Global Empowerment Summit: October 16th and 17th, 2015 in San Diego, California
Here is your invitation to participate in our Inaugural Alliance4empowerment & UC San Diego, Global Empowerment Summit on October 16th and 17th, 2015 at the Sanford Consortium and Bella Vista Social Club & Caffe’, in San Diego, California. This conference, made possible by the generous co-sponsorship of the University of California-San Diego, including Dr. Suresh Subramani, Executive Vice-Chancellor, will bring together world renowned innovators who are changing the world, and offer a unique opportunity for collaboration and exchange of ideas, actions and solutions for local and global implementation. Outcomes of this dialogue will encourage and direct attention to new fields of action and enable the joint exploration of visions and strategies to provide the necessary platform for full participation of girls, women and youth in their own economic and social transformation.
Inspire, engage, expand and support global collaboration!
Here is the web site with the invitation and summit program:
Kids Free October at the World Famous San Diego Zoo:
Take Your Kids to the Zoo this month on us…
Thanks Mission Fed!
Perspectives on Dyslexia: Sat Oct 10th at USD “You laugh because you think I am different. I laugh because you are all the same…”
Making Mission’s Possible:
Our Mission Fed Community Newsletter
Mission Fed Community Moments continue
Our support of the San Diego community never slows down. In this edition of Mission Possible, we’re highlighting the city’s largest outdoor art festival, Mission Federal ArtWalk. And, take a peek at a variety of other community events, including our Eastlake Branch Grand Opening in its new location, a volunteer visit to Helen Woodward Animal Center and San Diego Padres infielder Cory Spangenberg’s visit to the winning Read With A Pro classroom. Plus, enjoy an update on the soon-to-open Mission Fed JA Finance Park.
Achieving maximum results
We were thrilled that we were able to reach our goal during the Miracle Month of May in support of Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, and we had a wonderful time visiting a variety of schools with our Max Out My Class campaign with MAX 105.7 FM. To find out where Mission Fed will be in the community, check out our Events Calendar.
Thanks this week go to all of you who deeply invest in the practice and principles of social capital optimization, the noble warriors in the fight for education & social justice, the civic activists championing the causes of emerging populations and disenfranchised communities, and hard working parents tirelessly working to make Mission’s possible!
Change the Conversation for Good
YOU are Beyond Measure!
Love,
Neville
Every totalitarian regime is frightened of the Artist.
It is the vocation of the prophet to keep alive the ministry of the imagination,
to keep on conjuring and proposing alternative futures
to the single one the King wants to urge as the only thinkable one.
–Walter Breuggemann
Support Education: Back to the Future with the Brave New Library that is more about “connections” than “collections”…
Speaking of Equity, Access and Connectivity, Schoolkids Don’t Just Need iPads. They Need Data Plans!
Who Are YOU? Who Who? This might surprise you…
The Difference Between Equality and Equity:
Education must be about equity and access, and the Education Synergy Alliance is working to provide both!
A recent trip up north for members of the ESA team was illuminating. San Francisco Unified elevates these principles in every session. They talk about it explicitly, measure it, and hold themselves accountable for it both in internal planning, and in frequent dialogs with the public. This is an image they are using across the district to foster dialog about equity:
Support Education: Back to the Future with the Brave New Library that is more about “connections” than “collections”
Support your local library! They are working to transform their place in 21st century society. We were proud to be part of one celebration of curation at the iconic UC San Diego Library…
Locally, Vista Unified, Qualcomm Education, UC San Diego and Mission Fed totally agree and are working on “The Connectivity Convening” in November for communities nationally to ensure connectivity for all families to stop the digital divide from getting any larger!
This article will spark some interest…
Schoolkids Don’t Just Need iPads. They Need Data Plans
Thanks this week go to Laura K, Meredith S, Sandy T and the ESA team, UC San Diego Alumni building the future, Vicki M/B, Devin V, Alan D and Steve for advancing connectivity for all communities, and to Larry H for keeping the soul food coming!
Happy Soul Food Friday! 