Blog | A Peace of My Mind

Kerem

July 4, 2018 by johnnoltner

Last week I met Kerem. A friend of a friend, he was a Turkish photojournalist until it became unsafe to be a Turkish photojournalist. Kerem got a green card when that was easier to do. He sold all his belongings and moved to the United States with his wife and twin boys. They went first to Rochester, MN to be close to other family who had settled there and just last month moved to the Twin Cities in search of […]

Categories: Blog • Tags: book, greencard, immigrant, Istanbul, photography, refugee, Syria, Turkey

What is the world you want?

April 24, 2018 by johnnoltner

Sometimes we settle. We forget to aim high. We figure things are good enough, or they will never be better anyway, so we lower our expectations. It’s a mistake. We need to articulate our vision for a better world. We need to imagine better results. And we need to believe they are possible. So last week, at Edmonds Community College, in Lynnwood, Washington, we asked students and staff to tell us about the world they want to create and they […]

Categories: Blog • Tags: aim high, create, Dream, edmonds, hope, imagine, vision, washington

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Civil Discourse

April 16, 2018 by johnnoltner

In Washington DC last week, A Peace of My Mind set up a studio at the Joint Counsel of Extension Professionals’ Public Issues Leadership Development Conference. The theme of the gathering was Cultivating Civil Discourse, and we asked participants, “How have you cultivated civil discourse in the past year?” Given the tone of our national debate, and tuning into media outlets, my mood can be troubled, but spending time with a center full of people doing good work, I was […]

Categories: Blog • Tags: 4h, civil discourse, civility, connection, dialogue, extension, hope, peace, youth

Your odds are greatly improved…

April 14, 2018 by johnnoltner

It was time to be bold. I brought one of my books along yesterday when I attended a panel discussion on ending civil wars at the US Institute of Peace. I didn’t know who I wanted to give it to, but I imagined I might run across someone worth connecting with. One of the panelists was Nancy Lindborg, the President of the Institute, and as I listened to her speak, it only made sense I should give the book to […]

Categories: Blog • Tags: ask, Dream, lincoln memorial, MLK, peace, US Institute of Peace, USIP, washington DC

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Memphis Theological Seminary

March 4, 2018 by johnnoltner

Just wrapping up a busy month in Memphis, with American Stories at Memphis Theological Seminary and American Stories at First Congregational Church. I’ve been to Memphis a few times now, and I’m always drawn in by the combination of history, music, food, and good people. I had the chance tp speak at the seminary, and I also set up a studio to ask, “How does your faith impact your view of social justice?” Some of the replies are below, and […]

Categories: Blog • Tags: a peace of my mind, faith, healing, justice, memphis, race, reconciliation, seminary, service, social justice

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My New Year’s Wish

December 29, 2017 by johnnoltner

We stood in utter darkness. I was 12 years old, 100 feet underground, in the long, winding passages of Mammoth Cave. The park service guide gathered us in one of the large rooms. He spoke of geology and history. He told us about preservation and heritage. Then he introduced me to the idea of light pollution. He explained that because of stray light in our increasingly urbanized world, most of us had likely never experienced total darkness. Then he turned […]

Categories: Blog • Tags: courage, darkness, faith, holden village, hope, interfaith, light, peace, social justice

It’s hard work

December 18, 2017 by johnnoltner

These gloves were new, not long ago. When I am not shooting assignment photography or traveling with A Peace of My Mind’s exhibits, my family grows Christmas trees. We started planting ten years ago and we knew nothing about being tree farmers. Now we know just slightly more than that. Last week we finished our first big harvest and now my gloves look like this. It’s hard work. But so is life. Sometimes we forge ahead, with the belief that […]

Categories: Blog

University High School

November 3, 2017 by johnnoltner

We visited University High School in Carmel, Indiana, and asked the community, “What makes a meaningful life?”

Categories: Blog • Tags: connections, high school, Indiana, Life, meaning, peace

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Do they cry?

October 20, 2017 by johnnoltner

She walked right up to me. I think she was in 8th grade. “Can I ask you a question?” she wondered. Of course. “Do they cry? These people you interview?” Often, I told her…and so do I. There is something powerful about an open and honest exchange. When you give someone your full attention and make it clear that what they have to say is important, it can be a moving experience. “I’m Syrian,” she said, “and sometimes when I […]

Categories: Blog • Tags: Alaska, connection, cry, Holocaust, human, listen, stories, Syria, together, tradition

March for Civility

September 25, 2017 by johnnoltner

Over the weekend, A Peace of My Mind was a part of the March for Civility in Washington, DC. We set up a studio at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial to gather stories from the participants there. It was a hot day, but a historic place to gather, and once again, people shared powerful stories of redemption and healing. We asked people to share a time they were able to find good in an adversary. Because it’s easy to […]

Categories: Blog • Tags: civility, Confederate, healing, Houston, Hurricane Harvey, race, unity, washington DC

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A Peace of My Mind

Exploring the meaning of peace, one story at a time.

Category Archives: Blog

Kerem

What is the world you want?

Civil Discourse

Your odds are greatly improved…

It’s hard work

University High School

Do they cry?

March for Civility