Keywords: Respect; Humanity; Disrespect; Implicit Bias; Strategies to end Implicit Bias; Dialogue, and Empathy. The word ‘respect’ is often used to describe the admiration we have for someone because of who that person is.  It is commonplace to say we respect a particular individual because of that person’s abilities or qualities.  We may also think of respect in terms of something that is considered valuable.  However, respect is much more than this. It is often recognized, when there is a deficit of respect, and when we speak of someone who lacks civility or refinement.   ..read more

Keywords: diversity, diversity and inclusion, tolerance, social justice, fair treatment, belongingness, fairness, value One of the terms that is very commonplace today is that of diversity.  It is found in many disciplines and situations.  Business leaders are called upon to consider diversity as a way of improving their workforce.  But more specifically, they are told that diversity leads to improved performance.  Therefore, many organizations encourage their leaders to embrace diversity as a means of improving their performance. Diversity Is Not Tolerance? Some leaders sp ..read more

Keywords: emotional intelligence; parents, siblings, children; employer/employee; groups What is emotional intelligence and why is it important? How can it help you live a more successful life?  How can it help you to improve your performance at work, and enhance your personal and professional relationships? Understanding how emotional intelligence works can be the answer to many puzzling questions you may have. What is Emotional Intelligence? Emotional intelligence is often described as an ability or a trait that makes it possible for individuals to “perceive, understand, use, and manage ..read more

Keywords: education in pandemic; online learning; educational options; overcoming dropout and school failure; deciding your educational journey; older teens and young adults Educators, parents, government officials as well as mental health and other professionals express concern over school closings because of possible impacts on students. Yet, many of these adults have recognized that school closings were necessary depending on the severity of the pandemic in their particular areas. Today, there is not only concern over mental health consequences, but the realization that disruption in educat ..read more

Keywords: overcoming school failure conduct in school relationship boundaries welcoming responsibility freedom and authority showing respect dealing with disrespect One of the misconceptions we have about our freedom is that we have an unlimited amount of it, freedom to do whatever we want.  The truth is, we can only experience our freedom within the context of boundaries.  This is a useful lesson for us all to learn, and it is even more important and useful for students.  Regardless of their level, students need to realize that without boundaries there would be chaos.  Som ..read more

Keywords: Pandemic and science; human kindness and caring; wearing a mask; COVID-19; public health and pandemic precautions Not by itself. Over the past few months, I have had reason to ponder this question, particularly as the COVID-19 virus has hit us all hard, some more than others, with close relatives and friends dying because of it.  I have had to take time to think this through, why, with all the science that we have, do we still have to lose loved ones through this pandemic. It has forced me to the conclusion that science alone cannot save us. Through science, our society has made ..read more

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”.  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  from his Birmingham jail cell, April 16, 1963. Keywords: justice; respect; injustice and unfairness; human kindness; human rights; human rights activists; Respect is Only Human; Tolstoy; Desmond Tutu; Martin Luther King, Jr. Keywords: justice; respect; injustice and unfairness; human kindness; human rights activists; Respect is Only Human; pandemic; injustice and pandemic; deforestation and pandemic; human-livestock-wildlife connection to pandemic; Pangolin Effect and COVID-19; climate justice In ou ..read more

RESPONSIBILITY 1 FOR 2020: OVERCOMING PANDEMIC FATIGUE?           Keywords: Rights, responsibility, pandemic, mask wearing, Coronavirus, social distancing, contact tracing Having faced the onslaught of the coronavirus at the end of last year and the over one million deaths that have occurred globally to date, we may be at the point of pandemic fatigue.  We have suffered shock, grief, anger, frustration and varied emotions as we have experienced many of our loved ones dying as a result of this pandemic, and as many of us have suffered finan ..read more

Keywords: career, career planning, job skills, learning skills, life skills, literacy skills, interpersonal skills, critical thinking skills In preparing for a career, many young people believe that obtaining a degree or a job skill is what is required to enter the job market.  But as many are finding out, the competition for jobs covers more than the skills.  This is supported by the fact that many highly qualified people find that they are unable to obtain and hold a job.  While some are aware of the reasons for this, others do not. In a previous post, we discussed careers and ..read more

Keywords – career choice, job skills, pandemic, transferable skills, graduating students The year is 2020.  The month is August. At the present time, the COVID-19 pandemic is raging in many parts of the world, and young people may be thinking, “This is not what we bargained for when we started our high school or college four years ago.”  Things have changed and careers that once looked promising appear to be in jeopardy, or not to be a good career choice after all. Young people who were promised jobs or who had jobs targeted for the next few years have suddenly found themselves witho ..read more