Clean Elections Campaigns: A Treasure Trove of Inspiration

I am really excited now about the beautiful gift New Horizons is packaging as our small contribution to the enormous challenges of our day. A new jewel seems to have been discovered to add to our already bountiful offering. Here is the latest in a series of developments that began taking shape out of our recent Abkhazian Dinner event.

Several days ago I came across a wonderfully uplifting blog article titled “Clean Elections Campaign.” The story told of an initiative in Kenya to help bring about peaceful elections. In the words of the article’s author, Deborah Drew, the goals of the effort were described as:

…educating the public on election processes, civic education, sensitizing the public, creating a culture of honesty, and bringing accountability to both the voters and the candidates themselves. CEC is necessary because there is a need for good leaders, encouragement to people to head to the polls, and encourage issue/value based campaigns rather than tribal affiliation…

The report evoked an almost instantaneous response on my part; a rich, new treasure had been found, emerging out of successes of others that we could follow upon. Not the least of which just might connect to and heighten the value of New Horizons’ Possible Human, Possible Society Study. The following morning, thus, had me searching online for more information on the project.

Now several days later I am digging into the information I have been gathering on Clean Election Campaigns in the U.S.A. And, in particular, what I am discovering about programs presently going on in Kenya and, apparently, in various other parts of Africa.

If the map I seem to have discovered continues to un-earth more of what appears to have already come to light, New Horizons may have found a rich treasure trove of fresh ideas that could enhance how we are to use the findings of our Possible Human, Possible Society Study and its new-found convergence with our Small “Zones of Peace” initiative. Still, of course, always intent on heading toward awe.

Our Small “Zones of Peace” Project seeks, primarily, to offer community bridge-building conversations. The main goal of the project is guiding participants in developing enhanced perspectives and skills specially designed to move beyond obstacles that often separate well-intentioned “others” from one another.

Insight: Our Abkhazian Dinner event revealed how limited even well-intentioned individuals might just be, in spite of their best efforts, in doing the very things that that are necessary to truly build peace and unity in this country of our’s. More on this soon.

I am really excited about what I have found and how this development may help tie New Horizons’ two main initiatives; the Small “Zones of Peace” Project and the Possible Human, Possible Society Study together in ways that can truly contribute to helping our supporters and study participants move through and beyond some of our national polarization challenges. Even small steps in this direction could mean a lot, if the timing and the objectives are properly aligned with our times.

More to come.