Giraffe
Heroes Project launches new book
on citizen activism by John Graham
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Here’s
what two distinguished activists
have written about this book:
"Helen
Keller said, 'life is either a daring adventure or
it is nothing.' What more daring adventure can one
live than making something better, more beautiful,
more inspiring, more fun, more fair or more wholesome
for others? It takes guts, will, smarts, and drive.
It takes love, kindness and humility. It teaches you
about life and grows your soul. And Stick Your Neck
Out gives you just the roadmap you need to engage in
this daring adventure fully. Read this book and come
alive."
—Vicki Robin,
coauthor of Your Money or Your Life,
and Cofounder, Conversation Cafes and
Let’s Talk America
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"If
you are not happy with the way things are in your life, in
your organization, in your family, in your country or in
the world, maybe you can be a catalyst for making things
better. Here are practical suggestions on how you can use
your talents and ideas to help create the changes you desire."
—Millard Fuller,
Founder and President, Habitat for Humanity
International
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Published
by Berrett-Koehler, Stick Your
Neck Out—A Street-Smart Guide to Creating Change
in Your Community and Beyond is the Giraffe
Heroes Project’s newest tool for moving people to
courageous, compassionate action.
Stick
Your Neck Out is a comprehensive
and practical guide to the skills, qualities, and strategies
you need to make a difference, covering every aspect of
working for change—from choosing an issue to mapping
out a plan, creating a vision of success, organizing a
team, building trust, resolving conflicts, working with
the media, moving through bureaucracies, setting legal
strategies and more.
Filled
with practical tips and inspiring examples of real people,
this book provides the missing link between ideas and ideals
on one hand, and effective action on the other.
The
book is anchored in three key ideas:
•
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Courageous
and compassionate people can solve any problems and
meet any challenges, in their communities and in the
world. |
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The
surest path to a meaningful life is service— acting
for the common good. |
| • |
The
key to success on this path is balance— head and
heart, trust and street smarts, passion and professionalism,
reflection and action. |
Author
(and Project President) John Graham draws on his own
extensive experiences as an activist and negotiator,
as well as on the experiences of hundreds of average
citizens—artists, truck drivers, doctors, waitresses,
and others—and seasoned activists around the world
who have brought about constructive change.
“I
wrote this book,” John says, “because
I care about the future of our communities and our
planet. I wrote it because I have the experience
to help solve the public problems that challenge
us; I’ve had failures that have taught me which
paths not to take, and successes that have confirmed
the ideas and actions that work.”
The
book also includes inspiring stories of Giraffe Heroes—the
people honored by the Giraffe Heroes Project for taking
on problems like poverty, racism, gang violence, environmental
pollution, and many others. |
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