- Ray’s Thoughts On Occupy Wall Street
-
Ray based this essay on his keynote address at the Oregon Mediation Association conference on November 4, 2011.
At 11:30 am, on the 17th day of December 2010, 26 year old Mohammed Bouazizi, an impoverished high school graduate, pour gasoline on himself in front of the provincial headquarters where he was denied redress for confiscation by the police of his unlicensed vegetable cart. 28 days later, the 23 year old regime of dictator Zine el Abidine Ben Ali collapsed, so great was the sound of Mohammed’s burnt voice to the citizens of Tunisia. Mohammed ignited a courageous conversation in one of the Middle East’s worst authoritarian societies and galvanized a nation out of lethargy into direct political action.
Was Mohammed’s an act of desperation or a statement needing to be heard that only flames could enunciate? If his was a personal grievance, but others took it as their grievance then for them was his immolation a courageous conversation about what they knew he meant?
To read more, click here.
- Our Impact
-
Building Entrepreneurship in Yemen
Partners-Yemen promotes women leaders and entrepreneurs in the Mareb region of Yemen, bolstering economic security and creating role-models within the local community.
-
Increasing Civic Participation in Moldova
Partners trained Moldovan trainers to support citizens groups in creating a new culture of democratic action at the local level, engaging their local governments and mobilizing fellow citizens to create concrete improvements in their quality of life.
- Remembering Raymond Shonholtz, Founder of Partners for Democratic Change
-
Raymond Shonholtz of Kensington, CA died January 7, 2012.
He was born on June 8, 1943 in Los Angeles, and was a graduate of UCLA and UC Berkeley School of Law. In 1976, Raymond founded Community Boards of San Francisco, one of the first neighborhood and school mediation programs in the United States. Raymond then moved into the international arena, founding Partners for Democratic Change, dedicated to the advancement of civil society and the culture of nonviolent dispute resolution, with centers established in 20 countries around the globe, run by local nationals.
Raymond is survived by his wife, Anne Devero, brother Barton, daughter Kelley (Drake), son Patrick, grandson James, and Morgan.
A celebration of Raymond’s life will be held on Thursday, January 19, 2012, at 1:00 p.m., at the Piedmont Community Hall, 711 Highland Ave., Piedmont, CA 94611. A second memorial will be held in Washington, D.C. in early March. We will post more details when they are available.
We have established a Memorial Website for Ray that we hope you will visit and contribute to, as he touched so many lives around the world.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Partners for Democratic Change or to the charity of your choice. Donations can be made here:
or by mail:
Partners for Democratic Change
1779 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Suite 515
Washington, DC 20036
