COMMONWEAL

Founded in 2002, the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE) has almost 5000 partners in 50 states and 79 countries who are committed to addressing environmental health concerns related to chronic disease and disability. CHE translates and disseminates emerging environmental health science for different audiences, serves as a highly respected convener of colleagues in various fields, organizes monthly conference calls on relevant topics with leading researchers, and develops scientific consensus statements, white papers, and fact sheets. CHE currently has 18 working groups and initiatives, including asthma, autism, breast cancer, cancer, children’s environmental health, climate change, cumulative impacts, database improvements, diabetes/obesity, electromagnetic fields, fertility/reproductive health, healthy aging, integrative health, learning and developmental disabilities, mental health, neurodegenerative diseases, pet health, and science—and three state-based initiatives in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington. CHE also has a particularly strong working partnership with the Health and Environmental Alliance (HEAL) in Europe. Elise Miller serves as the director of CHE.

Founded in 2007, The New School at Commonweal (TNS) is a community of inquiry exploring topics in health, the arts and sciences, the environment, and the inner life. TNS presents conversations, book readings, performances, and other events with thought and action leaders who are changing our world. The events, over 180 over the past seven years, are recorded and then offered as podcasts on iTunes and our website. Most are offered free of charge as gifts to the Commonweal community, giving forward into a circle of generosity. In the year that ended June 30, 2014, TNS conversations have included cultural anthropologist Angeles Arrien, California history publisher Malcolm Margolin, social innovator Vicki Robin, British organic food pioneer Patrick Holden, folk musician Ramblin' Jack Elliott, and many others. In addition, TNS continues to refine an online presence, including maintaining the website and sending monthly newsletters that are eliciting good response and discussion. Michael Lerner serves as the director and Kyra Epstein serves as the coordinator of TNS.

Founded in 1992, the Commonweal Juvenile Justice Program is widely regarded as one of California’s most influential advocacy organizations in the field. Attorney David Steinhart directs this program, with the founding premise that public safety and welfare are best served by a juvenile justice system that deals successfully with the treatment needs of children. Mr. Steinhart has played a central role in all major juvenile justice reforms in California over the past 22 years and consults with State programs around the nation. In 2012 the California Senate appointed Mr. Steinhart to the California Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC).

Founded in 2006, the Commonweal Biomonitoring Resource Center (CBRC) helps citizen groups around the world measure, or biomonitor, the levels of toxic substances or their breakdown products in human tissue and fluids. By documenting the personal chemical body burdens of key individuals, CBRC generates and delivers clear messages about the significance of biomonitoring data to the public, community groups, and state legislators. Biomonitoring data tells us that toxic chemicals pollute our "internal landscape" and suggests that this landscape is precious, fragile, and vulnerable to chemically related harm. Sharyle Patton serves as the director of CBRC.

Beyond Conventional Cancer Therapies (BCCT) is a new program that will help patients and practitioners go “beyond conventional cancer therapies” in informed and prudent ways. We are building a website that will enable patients to explore science-based or at least science-informed choices. We are developing databases of natural products and centers engaged in promising integrative oncology work. In a sense, BCCT is a new version of Michael Lerner’s book from MIT Press, Choices in Healing: Integrating the Best of Conventional and Complementary Cancer Therapies. Advisors include a dozen of the leading integrative oncologists in the country.

The Gift of Compassion uses art as a portal for introducing mediation as a healing practice for individuals and groups. The focus of the Gift of Compassion collaborations is on underserved, under-resourced segments of society—foster youth and young adults from the foster system, individuals charged with criminal offenses, individuals who are returning to communities after a period of incarceration, and immigrant youth. Every collaboration gives access to learning about and practicing methods that increase self-awareness and the experience of self-healing from trauma. Angela Oh and Tu Ying Ming co-direct the Gift of Compassion.

Founded in 2014, the Center for Creative Community (C3) is an umbrella for a number of Commonweal projects that explore the intersection of dialogue, cognition, creativity, and community. Through work in different communities, C3 seeks to deepen our exploration of complex issues in our world. C3 programs include the Power of Hope Youth Camp, the Creative Facilitation Training Series, Commonweal’s Fall Gathering, Visual Thinking Strategies, and the Ecology of Awakening program. These programs are bringing new energy and diversity to Commonweal, strengthening the foundation for the next forty years of work.

The Regenerative Design Institute (RDI) offers classes, workshops, and internships in permaculture gardening and nature awareness. Each year, hundreds of people come to the Garden to learn the principles of permaculture and regenerative design, which not only apply to gardening but also represent a tool kit of ethical ways of living on earth. James Stark and Penny Livingston-Stark serve as co-directors of RDI at Commonweal Garden.

Founded in 2014, Healing Circles is an international learning community for people who want to do deep intentional healing work with cancer and other diseases or experiences of loss. Designed to extend the core work of the Cancer Help Program, it seeks to bring the deep experiences of healing to people who want to create a healing circle in their living room, church or any other setting. Healing Circles was founded in partnership with three other centers—in Vancouver, B.C., Washington State, and our Smith Center for Healing and the Arts in Washington, D.C.—that have done residential retreats based on the Cancer Help Program model for at least 20 years. We now have new centers in Langley on Whidbey Island, Washington, and in Houston, Texas. Our three Bay Area CCHP alumni groups are our laboratories for Healing Circles work in the Bay Area. Healing Circles are forming in North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Another Healing Circle just began in Jerusalem. Hundreds of people have experienced and studied Healing Circles work.

The mission of Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) is to transform the way students think and learn through programs based in theory and research that use discussions of visual art to significantly increase student engagement and performance. In addition to flourishing in schools and art museums, today VTS is applied in natural science centers, in medical and nursing schools, as a therapy for adults with dementia and patients with brain injuries, and as tool to support both children and adult English-language learners.