About Joy Helmer
About Joy
I have had a lifelong passion for creating a peaceful world. Shaped by difficult experiences in my family growing up, witnessing the cold war, the civil rights era and the Vietnam War, among other conflicts, I have always had a deep knowing that human beings have the potential to live together in much more life-affirming ways. While I have been a psychiatric nurse my entire adult life, my avocation and passion has been to understand the origins of conflict and violence. I am self taught and have no advanced degrees in these subjects. I was trained as a mediator in the early 90’s and was involved with the Restorative Justice movement for several years. I led a workshop on accountability to a group of men convicted of murder and other violent crimes at a state prison for several years. I have also studied different forms of communication, from Non-Violent Communication to Compassionate Listening. I was President of the Board of Directors of The Compassionate Listening Project for two years and was also on the Board of the Israel-Palestine Project for three years. One of the most profound influences in my life has been my training with Landmark Education where I have taken courses since 2001. I have practiced meditation daily since 1980. My basic approach to the entwined subjects of war/armed violence and peace is inquiry, deep listening, engagement and embracing all of it, even that which I may dislike intensely.
My Promise for the World:
By the year 2033 all people will know the joy of heart to heart connection.
Fall in love with life!
Posts by Joy Helmer
- Lies of the Mind–Part Two: Beating Enemies into Submission
- Lies of the Mind–Part One: Racism
- Film Review: Gran Torino
- Finding Clarity and Direction in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict –Part Two
- Finding Clarity and Direction in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict- Part One
- From a Local Us to a Global We
- Being Complete with War Itself
- Beyond Blame: Transcending the Victim/Perpetrator Dynamic in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
- Time to Grow Up Israel, You’re Not a Victim Any More
- Poem: Sometimes
