Co-Human Harmony: Using Our Shared Humanity to Bridge Divides

by Gudjon Bergmann

People are tired of the divisiveness and acrimony that permeates our society. They are seeking real, down-to-earth, and achievable bridge-building methods that go beyond clichés and platitudes. In response to an ever-growing need, Rev. Gudjon Bergmann, founder and lead educator at Harmony Interfaith Initiative, gathered ideas, tools, and strategies from Nobel Peace Prize laureates, ethicists, interfaith leaders, civil rights icons, ancient prophets, sociologists, and psychologist, with an intent focus on bridging divides. The outcome is a unique composition for people who are interested in working towards a harmonious society. The overarching goal is to improve relations between those who have strong ideological disagreements about everything from religion and politics to diet and spirituality. Described as “refreshing,” “succinct, clear, and profound,” and “offering practical and powerful wisdom,” this earnest opus offers a soothing tonic to counter the disharmony in the world. Whether you are dealing with family discord due to politics, communal friction between religious sects, or wounds that are tearing at the fabric of society, you will find an array of methods, from new ways of thinking to a connective vocabulary, dialogue guidelines, co-human experiences, and more. By simultaneously providing strategies and encouraging people to find ways of their own, Rev. Bergmann urges 'the willing' to be actively hopeful and replace dread, irritation, and anxiety with dynamic contributions within their spheres of influence. In a content-rich addendum, readers will find responses from nineteen well-respected bridge-builders, including priests and rabbis, interfaith leaders and seminarians, business connectors and men’s group operators, spiritual visionaries and psychologists, Holocaust educators and dialogue facilitators. The breadth and width of answers provide multiple variations on the theme. The book was created as an aid for people who want to build bridges and work towards social harmony and it can be of particular value to religious leaders, interfaith organizations, universities, police departments and their civilian training programs, civic engagement organizations, religious and spiritual congregations, community builders, prisons, social good organizations, workplaces, and nonprofit organizations. The publication is a joint venture between Harmony Interfaith Initiative and Flaming Leaf Press.

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 21, 2019

About the author

Gudjon Bergmann blends his background in spirituality, religion, and human psychology with 20 years of experience as a workshop facilitator, mindfulness teacher, and professional speaker. He has published two novels and several nonfiction books on self-development, yoga, meditation, stress management, interfaith, and more. Born in 1972 in Iceland, Bergmann moved to the USA in 2010 and became a U.S. citizen in 2013.