Is Empathy an Antidote to Bullying, Intimidation,
Aggression, Hostility, Violence?
[ 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.
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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
