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Dear Keystonians,

Warm greetings to each of you this Friday!

Earlier this week, at an informal gathering, I had the privilege of meeting a group of professional conflict resolution and peace keeping experts visiting China from Europe. These experts—highly trained attorneys and diplomats-- who are at the forefront of handling global conflicts, shared valuable insights on how schools can contribute to a more peaceful future for our global community.

Their response was both simple and profound: teach your students to listen to others. However, it wasn't just about listening to respond or debate, but rather listening to truly understand. The peacemakers of the future need to possess a genuine curiosity about the lives, experiences, and beliefs of individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Reflecting on this fundamental skill of peacebuilding, I am pleased to see that it aligns perfectly with Keystone Academy's mission and values. It also prompts us to consider how we can further strengthen our efforts. Deep listening brings us back to the core theme for our 10th school year: connection.

How can we forge deeper and more authentic connections within our globally diverse school community? How can we engage in conversations where we approach differing viewpoints with curiosity and open-mindedness?

When confronted with behaviors or words that challenge our own experiences or beliefs, we have two choices: we can judge and dismiss, or we can embrace curiosity and learn. The former weakens connections, while the latter deepens them.

Consider the contrasting responses to encountering something unfamiliar or contrary to your own perspective:

A: "That's wrong. You are wrong to do/say/believe that."

B: "Interesting! I wouldn't have seen/done it that way. I wonder why you do/say/believe that? I'd like to learn. Can you tell me more about that?"

Let's strive to incorporate variations of this "Interesting! I wonder... Can you tell me more?" framework into our conversations throughout the month of December. As it is the darkest month of the year, it presents us with the perfect opportunity to embrace connection and strengthen our peacebuilding skills, one warm interaction at a time.

Yours truly,

Emily