[ Girard, PA ] She was disappointed
with personal attacks on opponents heard in recent political
messages. And she's disturbed that the gossiping, intimidation,
bullying, vandalism, aggression and violence she has seen on
the news and in communities are not only prevalent, but tolerated.
So Andrea Reynolds is about to launch her one-woman Civility
Campaign across North America. She will promote very simple,
but seemingly forgotten concepts: respect, empathy and compassion
(kindness) in an effort to counteract the mean-spiritedness she
has both seen and experienced.
Reynolds' response to the skeptical:
"I know. It sounds so simplistic and idealistic, but I believe
civility is the first step toward reducing and
eliminating violence. Think about this: why do people pick on
others, intimidate, bully, cheat, steal, become violent, hurt
others and destroy property? Because they feel inadequate, unloved,
unwanted, unworthy, unheard, hurt, ripped off, etc., and they
haven't developed the critical thinking
skills to be able to identify other, more constructive behavior
choices."
She then asks: "What if
we treated those individuals (everyone) with kindness, understanding,
and patience. Yes, that sounds New Age-y, but there are specific,
practical things we can do and I'm happy to share some of the
offbeat things I've done that have worked. I offer specific creative
ideas for change that anyone can use; and I can talk about my
own experiences challenging swindlers,
bullies, and stalkers."
She adds: "In the time
I have left on the planet I want to speak, write, teach, and
do what I can to reduce domestic and "stranger" violence,
senseless murders of pregnant wives, school shootings, and suicides
resulting from bullying, by diminishing all the thousands of
hurts that bring a person to act out his frustration and feelings
of low self-worth."
Bio
Andrea has been interviewed
as an expert on manners, morals, and civility by such media hosts
as British journalist David Frost, the late Peter Gzowski on
CBC radio and by USA Today, National Post, Financial Post,
and Canadian Business. She has conducted seminars on Business
and Executive Civility for such companies as Northern Telecom
(NorTel) and privately groomed corporate CEOs on the finer points
of civility in business. At one time she operated Author's Bed
& Breakfast in downtown Toronto which incorporated many elements
of civility to guests of many nations.
She used to be a Family Studies
teacher in the most dangerous school in Toronto and was well
liked and respected because she too came from a violent home
and understood the students' predicaments. ("I turned out
all right because I chose to find healthy behaviors.") Later
she was a media guest expert on bad relationships (abuse, violence
in relationships, etc.) on a number of Canadian programs on CBC
radio and 4 programs on the Life Network.
She worked with Toronto police
as a community volunteer and helped put a serial burglar in jail.
Then because of her outspokenness and visibility on national
TV she became the target of a stalker who had savagely beaten
and raped two women and (police think) may have killed two other
women in her neighborhood. She escaped... but had to leave everything
behind after 25 years in Canada to return to the US.
Page Two
Planning to criss-cross North
America by van, with her 2cats, for a year starting May 1, 2005,
she is seeking assignments to cover her expenses.
10 Things
you could do to support her Kindness Campaign: See her wish list.
1. Invite her to brainstorm
multiple solutions, one-on-one,
if you are facing poverty, cruel treatment by others and feelings
of hopelessness. Many problems stem from a lack of money or fear
about not having enough money.
(Andrea plans to live simply
while teaching critical thinking skills to resolve crises, stress
and tension.)
2. Subscribe to her Weekly
Kindness Tip.
3. Sponsor her weekly
column in your local newspaper... if you're a business who
cares about making our society kinder. Contact
Andrea to ask about specific ways you will benefit.
4. Order
a publication from Andrea's online store.
5. Invite her to appear on
your local radio program to discuss critical thinking
skills and how we can conquer many of society's ills by practicing
specific acts of kindness and civility.
6. Interview her for your newspaper
column or send the link for her "news
release" page to your local newspaper.
7. Read her web
based contest journal, and later, her in words and photos
of her encounters and experiences while on
the road for a year.
8. Invite her to house-sit
for you or be an overnight guest in your home... or manage your
small B & B for you while you're
on vacation for a week or two... so she can have a hot shower
and bed to sleep in from time to time when traveling from town
to town. (B & B-sitting was how she came to own her own B
& B that she had to leave behind.)
9. Write an article about her
tour, if you're a staff writer, columnist or freelance writer,
or have a web site. A link to http://www.CrisisBrainstorm.com
would be appreciated.
10. Invite
her to speak to your association conference, business, school, college, university, prison, juvenile
detention center, shelter, church, temple, etc. about how
to incorporate civility and how it can actually work in your
neighborhood, workplace, community.
She welcomes invitations
to speak on:
Kindness as an Antidote
to Violence in Your Community and Society
Business Kindness: Kindness as a Marketing Tool in Your
Professional Practice
Smart Thinking: Triumph Over Life's Crises and Challenges
With Your 10 Creative Solutions
Stop the Chatter: How you can find creative solutions
by getting quiet
Anatomy of a Hate Campaign:
How Hate Starts and
How to Eliminate it from Your Family, Neighborhood and Community
(True Story)
Homelessness: 25 Brilliant Ways to Keep a Roof
Over Your Head When Homelessness Seems to be Inevitable
Empathy: Is Someone You Know (or You) Missing
the Empathy Gene?
Poverty: You're
Smart... Why Aren't You Earning Enough? Steps to Take You
from Chronic, Financial Chaos to Financial Comfort
Poverty: Charity Begins
Next Door: 100 Much Need Gifts You Can Give Someone in Need
To support Andrea Reynolds'
Kindness Tour, please visit CrisisBrainstorm.com
or write to Andrea Reynolds.
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Note to Editor or Producer: Andrea can teach your readers
and listeners how to arrive at 10 unconventional solutions
to serious problems. For an information-packed interview call
Andrea Reynolds directly: (905)
708-3081, or email her:
info@CrisisBrainstorm.com
