"The Global Heart of Democracy" | Global Connections Call Notes 2.5.2025

Thich Nhat Hanh said: “the longest journey you will ever take is the 18 inches from your head to your heart.” Our 2025 Global Connections call season began with that journey! Sally Mahé joined us to share a new view of democracy. What does it mean to live democracy versus live in a democracy? What power do we hold when we choose to look within for strength and meaning? And what does it look like when we come together as a community to act on what we’ve found within?

Sally shared her experiences and profound insights on spiritual democracy and invited four PPA alumni featured in her book to share their wisdom and practice of democracy. Below you’ll find a complete transcript of our conversation. You’re also welcome to click here to watch the 60 minute call recording.

Introduction

We’re filled with joy today as we bring a few champions, practitioners of peace into the spotlight. Sally Mahé is a deep well of wisdom, holding rich experience and practicing profound compassion. Sally grew up a peacebuilder. As a high school and college student, she worked in inner-city housing projects in St. Louis, Missouri. After college she taught civics in the same area. Throughout her studies and teaching Sally kept being drawn to a deeper exploration of democracy and spirituality. 

Sally’s personal passion led her on quite a  journey. As a young wife and mother she headed to New York City where she received a second master’s degree in theology and spiritual counseling. She was invited to Moscow where she taught civics and democracy to teachers on the outskirts of the city. Returning home, Sally took time off to co-author a book exploring the spiritual practice of democracy, A Greater Democracy Day by Day. Fueled by her deeply rooted compassion, she devoted decades of creative service as a founding member of United Religions Initiative (URI). 

Sally’s path finally crossed the Euphrates river :) Sally joined our first Peace Practice Alliance program as an advisor. Her gifts as an educator, a peacebuilder, a spiritual seeker, and a lover of humankind made her the perfect fit. At this moment, in addition to being an extraordinary grandmother in northern California, she has continued her lifelong learning, writing, peacebuilding, and educating.  Sally is profoundly moved by all of the threads of her life’s interests and pursuits being sown together into a beautiful tapestry…and at the center of that tapestry is The Global Heart of Democracy.

Conversation

Sally:  I am also just honored deeply to be here with each of you and that you have chosen two things -  global connection. When we're connected globally, I think we are pioneering a new possibility, a promise for a shared humanity. Coming together is a powerful thing. And then learning to be together in this way is just a very special opportunity.

I’ll get started with my own story as a peacebuilder. I was happily able to be trained by a wonderful peace educator named John Paul Lederach. He gave me words that I had forgotten until I was speaking with Hollister about this call. Those words that he taught me are so powerful—they're such a part of what the global heart of democracy is all about.

He said peace education is, of course, about skills and learning how to do things better and be with people in good ways. More than anything it's about developing a quality of personhood. Who are we, and who do we want to become? How, as peace builders, do we help other people value their personhood and learn how to deepen and develop that?

I think that really goes to the essence of what I like to zone in on when we talk about democracy - and that’s people power. Where does our power really come from? Where does our personal strength, our creative imagination, our virtue to choose wisely come from? I would put forward that it comes from within. We have to learn, where is this? Who is this within? Who are we in there? 

I'm older now, and this journey toward an inner spiritual democracy started way back in my early days. As I look back, I go, my goodness, it really has chosen me more than I have chosen it. I wanted to run away from such a big idea many times. But life kept opening the door and giving me these opportunities to see this possibility—what’s deeper inside of people that needs to come out, and how can democracy provide that freedom to invite it out?

My very first job in St. Louis in the public schools was to teach civics and democracy to eighth graders. And I loved that work. We did a lot of innovation. But it didn’t take long before I realized, what is it inside these children? I see something special. It’s a spark. It’s a uniqueness. It’s a gift. And then there was a conviction that built into, "I have to do this." Democracy education, civics education, has to be about seeing that special spark, that essence in each person, and inviting it out—bringing it into the room, letting that voice speak.

And so, that is really what led me then into seminary, because I thought, "How do I learn to listen and really draw that forth as a teacher, as an educator?" So, I went in and I learned spirituality. But then, out of the blue, 14 years later, I get a call that says, "Can you go to Russia and teach democracy?" This is after the fall of the Soviet Union, and in the early years, they were quite impressed and wanted so much to learn about democracy in a good way.

The surprising thing, though, is I was invited out of the public school system, where I spent most of my teaching, into an alternative school way outside of Moscow. It was a group of teachers providing a kind of a creative atmosphere. It was a special school basically supported by the Quakers.

We sat in a circle, and one of the people translated. They said, "We have so many questions for you." And one said, "Can we teach democracy in kindergarten? What does it have to do with creativity? Do you think it helps people become better when they learn it?"

With those words about creating personhood, I tingled with fire in my heart. That is what I knew to be true. And here are these teachers, way beyond any understanding of Western democratic systems, who knew that there was something more—that democracy was a force that could elicit the best in the human spirit.

But I also want to say a word about those years. I wrote something, and I really felt this - hanging out with this inner, more spiritual approach to democracy was like being on a first date. I was so attracted to it. I loved it. I mean, it was so cute. But I was shy. I was embarrassed to know how to approach it. It’s such a big idea, this world of spirituality we’ve inherited. And then there’s also this world of politics, power over, and governance. How in the world could these two ideas find—you might say—a happy relationship?

I think this relationship is ongoing. I don’t have the answers yet. I’m just still on the path. I think now, instead of shying away from bridging these ideas—the worlds of spirit, depth and inner purpose—with the world of politics, power, and governance, I think we’re ready to hold hands. That’s what I’m inviting us to do. Let’s just hold hands. We don’t have to get married, but let’s just walk together a bit and see where we go.

I wanted to approach spiritual democracy in a way that people treat spiritual practice. We could read a quote every day to sort of enrich our understanding. So in 2000, I put together, with Kathy, my friend, a book called A Greater Democracy, Day by Day. It was 365 quotes that basically brought in all kinds of perspectives about democracy—from Socrates to the Dalai Lama to Whoopi Goldberg. And in that, I found this one quote, that really knocked my socks off from Mary Parker Follett.

"There has gradually come into the world a new idea of democracy. If we here tonight pledge ourselves to a new democracy, a new force will be created in the world. For we no longer think of democracy as a form of government. We know now that it is far more than that. It is the substance of our life. It is a flame that burns in the heart of humanity, that binds us together and makes us one."

When I read those words, I said, "I have to run and find Mary Parker Follett. We have to sit down and talk. She's going to be my new best friend." And I read a little further and found that she passed away in 1933. She was a philosopher, a social reformer, and a pioneer in organizational management.

In the last 28 years, I've helped develop the United Religions Initiative, an interfaith network of peace builders. Our theme song was, given certain circumstances and the liberty to try, ordinary people will consistently do extraordinary things. People closest to the action are the ones who are invited to step up, to participate, and to make decisions that fulfill their life and serve their community.

So that is what led me, because I knew such wonderful people—and many are here on this call—to put together this book called The Global Heart of Democracy. It allowed us to see more than just a theory about it, but really hear stories of the people who are living this way in my observation and witnessing.

Hollister: I love the title of your book. It feels stacked with three very powerful words: global, heart, and democracy. I think maybe everybody would love to hear a little bit more. You gave us a little dose of what your exploration of democracy looked like, but how did these words open up new dimensions for you in peace building, in relationship with yourself and others?

Sally: The Global Heart of Democracy—a big idea. I certainly love it, and I know it's stunning. It invites us to think in new ways. Let’s expand. What does it mean to really be global? How does our heart work? And what about democracy?

We ourselves here on this call, I think, are very much learning what it means to be global. We are people who are experiencing a bigger sense of belonging. Yes, we're members in our own towns, in our own cultures and countries, but now we are enjoying and learning how to be effective members of a shared humanity, of a global community.

Being global means being inclusive, and it means being aware that difference and diversity are things to be curious about, and things that enrich us. So "global" is, to me, a commitment now to learn with people who are different, to honor, and to just open the expansiveness of who we are. And therefore, belong to the world that we love together as peacebuilders and as caregivers to the world.

Heart, heart, heart. Here’s the month of hearts for February. So heart—we see so many times. I think it’s a power and a center within human beings that is a mystery, still. And I think we will forever be discovering more about it.

Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist teacher, said, "The longest journey you will ever take is the 18 inches from your head to your heart." And a peace leader I came to know in South Sudan, her name’s Jane Alex, and she runs a group called Wipe My Tears, for women who have been abused and people who are suffering from war and many indignities. She and her group may not have professional skills, but she said her mother told her, "Just learn how to see with your heart."

And I just love that. Let us learn how to see with our heart.

And I wanted us to read another quote about the heart that I think is very well described by Parker Palmer, who wrote a book called Healing the Heart of Democracy.

He wrote: "Heart is a word that reaches far beyond our feelings. It points to a larger way of knowing, of receiving and reflecting on our experience that goes deeper than the mind alone can take us. It is where we can think, work together, not apart, and find the courage to act on what we know."

So we’re deepening, we’re deepening our understanding of the heart.

I think that brings us to democracy. Democracy itself, as we know, living right now.

Oh my goodness. What are we being faced with in our local communities and as a world community? It is a heavy word. It’s a flashpoint word. It elicits a lot of reactions. And almost everywhere in the world, it is a time of pain, of some uncertainty. The structures, the values, the systems that we’ve come to learn about and trust as democracy are being threatened by most people's experiences.

And I ask myself, why now? Why now are we going into this deeper understanding of talking about the heart of democracy? I’m not in charge of the wisdom of the universe, but maybe it is just the right time to explore a deeper meaning and to find that the strength is in powerful, good systems and values that are out there, what we’ve come to know as democracy.

But there’s more. There’s an inner strength. There’s a personal conviction. To use your life and use your freedom to fulfill your heart and to give service to others. That’s what I would say the next step or the blooming, the blossoming, that we’re here to explore and that we’re here to decide how we want to engage with a deeper, more inner conviction in our determination to live with democracy. As you’ve heard it often said, democracy is not something you have; it’s something you live.

Someone said about my book, "Sally, it’s not to read. You’ve got to live your book." If I want to leave us with a new thought about democracy, it’s that it is something that we can make our own and that we can live it.

Hollister: That is what I think is so engaging for me. When you and I first spoke about your book and the opportunity to come and speak to the community I realized it’s [democracy] not something that’s out there. It’s something that we can nurture on the interior. And that seems like the most valuable thing. It’s in our locus of control. We can only control our own thoughts, experience, heart.

The value of the exploration at this particular moment in time seems really important. When the seeds of discontent and chaotic disagreement—not just disagreement, chaotic disagreement, conflict and violence feel so elevated, it’s tempting to believe that our individual voice and agency doesn’t have impact. I would love to hear ideas that you have about how we can live into that versus just as a concept. Spiritual democracy [comes] from within. What efforts can I make to live into that?

Sally: Yes, good question. And it is a question for each of us because I don’t presume there’s one answer that fulfills each person’s need to do something and need to do something that creates a sense of empowerment for oneself.

I have three thoughts to offer. We are a global group, and we can do new things together.

One is to think of ourselves as a midwife. This is a time of birthing. I do believe we are birthing something new - this deeper power, this sense of a shared humanity. It’s coming into the universe, into the world in a way that I don’t think we’ve experienced before.

And what does a midwife do? It stands by. A good midwife has faith and trust in the process of birthing. When it's painful, when things look like they're not going to work out too well, or there's fear, a midwife stands by and says, "It's going to be okay. We just have to keep our focus and keep doing the work. Keep breathing. Keep pushing."

I’m calling it the "global heart of democracy" because I love those three words, and they're so pertinent right now. It is about believing that humanity has a destiny that's higher than what we've experienced, and we are being asked to contribute and do our very best to nudge that evolution forward. A midwife trusts that there's a birthing going on and that we can help.

The second thing is -  it's an inside job. I love democracy out there. I love those systems. I love the principles of freedom, equality, and all the things that we fight for. But I also know that it's about what gives me meaning and fulfills my heart. Who am I in this day? Where am I going? How can I give my very best? It's not to take that question lightly but to take it very seriously, like a practice. It's a personal peace practice. 

How am I doing today? Who am I serving? Where is the meaning? How does my heart feel? Those are big questions. And I think we don’t need everything around us to fall into good order. We can do that with chaos around us.

The other one is, like I did with this book, look for the people who are living lives with the value and meaning that you appreciate. Believe in them. Talk to them. Give them your attention and appreciation. Who we focus on, the more we give attention to the small acts of goodness, courage, participation, and responsibility, the more it comes forward. The opposite is true, too. If we keep following the news cycles of horrors and disasters, it becomes bigger in our consciousness.

I do want to get to reading a little bit from the beginning of my book, and then we’ll move on to talk to four wonderful people whom I interviewed for the book. This kind of helps you see where I'm coming from. I want people to make democracy their own and meet these times with indomitable spirit and resourcefulness. Democracy is not only a set of principles enshrined in constitutional systems and government. It is far more than that. It is a universal, loving force that opens space for each person to act for the good of all.

Democracy illuminates freedom that does not come from the outside, but that is rooted in the human heart. Terry Tempest Williams, a U.S. writer, wrote, "The human heart is the first home of democracy."

As people make consequential choices moving from fear to love, from acquisition to generosity, from separation to solidarity, from me to we, from hostility to kindness, the arts become full, joy sneaks in, and we understand what being free really means. When we choose to live with that which transcends us in accord with what gives life—justice and love—the promise of democracy evolves beyond anything that it has ever been.

Hollister: That's such a beautiful passage. I find it very moving and filled with so much promise. Which makes me so excited for the next part of of this call. It’s time to welcome in some of the people that you interviewed in your book.

Sally: Four of the 14 I met through the Peace Practice Alliance (PPA) program, and they're all here today. Each person's story, as I said, is extraordinary, but they're also ordinary. They're just who they are and how they've chosen to live. It gives us a picture. It gives us, I call it a spark, a guidance. 

The first I'd like to invite in is Ahmad Shah Karimi. We first met via Zoom. Ahmad was a peacebuilder in Afghanistan, and he was the head of the Afghanistan Youth Empowerment and Peacebuilding Organization (AYEPO), part of the first PPA cohort. 

When the Taliban swept into power in 2021, Ahmad and his staff had to make a heart-wrenching decision to stay or go. But knowing their lives would be in mortal danger if they stayed, Ahmad and 12 of his staff members decided to leave. And in the last few years now, they've been living in Berlin.

In our talks, Ahmad has taught me much about peacebuilding, and he says this one piece of wisdom that I'd like him to say a little bit more about: You told me that becoming an agent of peace starts on the inside, with a sense of having a bigger identity. When people see that they are not limited to one place or one culture, they find a bigger identity and the world gets closer. When we feel ourselves part of something bigger, we find belongingness, and this helps us do the good we want to do. Ahmad, please tell us more about this insight. It's so powerful.

Ahmad: Thank you very much, Sally, for including me in your book. Thank you very much for that introduction, and thank you for sharing your gifts with the world in so many ways through your eyes and as you went through it all and now through your book. I’m so grateful to be part of this and to be mentioned in the same breath as so many other wonderful people, many of whom are here.

That is a good question, and that is a difficult question at the same time to answer. I think, or I have realized that the sense of expanding or expanding identity isn’t just to understand it but kind of move beyond that in a way to practice it, to live it as you said. And now that I'm far away or in a part of the world where I'm exposed to different cultures and different people, I see that.

I see different perspectives or engage in conversation and, through personal experiences, see that we are connected. We may come from different places, but at the core, we’re all connected.

We want to laugh, we want security, belonging, and connections. And though we might have different experiences, come from different cultures, our life experiences shape how we pursue these things. The underlying need pretty much remains the same. Some may be driven by different motivations beyond safety, connections, and friendship—such as power, curiosity, or the need for relationships—but at the core, we all want safety, relationships, and purpose in our lives to guide us through it all.

Sally: Thank you, Ahmad. And you are experiencing such a different place as Berlin, but the core of people is the same, even though so much on the outside changes.

I also want to mention that Ahmad has just completed his memoir, a wonderful story of his life and his journey of change, which I hope we can hear more of at another time.

James Offuh is a peace builder from Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. He is the president of the United for Peace Against Conflicts International. He's been a teacher, facilitator, and advisor with PPA for many years. When terrible violence broke out in his town and country, and people were terrified to go to the streets, they chose to go to Offuh’s barbershop. After getting their haircuts, they didn’t want to leave because they wanted to talk about stopping the violence.

You said, even though you didn’t have formal training at the time, what you did have was the authenticity of your heart. Can you share with us one learning about how to listen with your heart?

Offuh: Thank you, Sally. You had great wisdom, and the presentation has really edified my spirit. When I hear you say "learn how to see with your heart," I think that’s exactly what I learned to do. My heart was the only way to perceive realities from the divine. What I think and what I feel don’t carry the same power. What I think is circumstantial, but what I feel comes from the inner side of the spirit.

Just like you beautifully said, that’s where the power lies—from the inside. That made me see beyond the situation, even without any prior training in peacebuilding, but my heart was alive. I could see the situation through divine inspiration. Listening better comes only when your heart is open to the divine. I say that the heart is where humanity and divinity meet.

Where humanity and divinity meet sparks new change, bringing a transformative experience in the physical world. Every human feels at home when you meet them in the home of their heart. That’s been the strategy and power of my work in peacebuilding. The heart is the miracle, and that’s where I always invite people to meet me. I don’t meet people in what they think, but I meet them in their heart. When that happens, new possibilities open up, and that can change the course of the story.

Sally: Thank you so much. People feel at home when we meet them in the home of their heart. That is profound. Thank you so much for those words.

I met Jon Rasmussen during the PPA cohort. There you are, Jon, with your bright face and warm feeling of connection with each person. After interviewing you, I wrote that you naturally make the journey from your head to your heart, especially as you work with young adults.

You are a seasoned dialogue facilitator and peace trainer, with teaching and leadership positions in many groups, especially with the International World Scouts movement. You said you love the idea of “democracy of the heart.” You said it starts there—the basic rhythm of everything, all music, all basic rhythm, comes from the heart. We start there and we move, and we love, and we share life. Tell us how we can build up the human heart, especially in times of crisis and when facing fear?

Jon: First of all, thank you for the introduction and the kind words, and for allowing me to be part of your fantastic book.It’s a really good question. Let me try to sum it up. I think it all starts with something simple, simple but still profound—connection. 

First, we need to connect to ourselves. The heart is not just a physical organ; it’s a place of deeper wisdom, courage, and love. But fear and crisis can close it off. One of the most powerful things we can do is practice stillness through meditation, prayer, or just quiet moments to breathe and reconnect with ourselves. We need to remember love, not fear, because love is our natural state.

Secondly, I would say we need to connect to others. Fear of isolation is real, but the heart thrives in relationships. To build the human heart means choosing connections, even when it’s difficult—whether that’s reaching out to someone in pain, practicing radical empathy, or engaging in deeper, honest conversations. Just showing up and showing kindness in our everyday lives.

Thirdly, we connect through action. Just like in sports, the heart strengthens through movement, just like the rhythm of music. Love isn’t just a feeling; it’s something we practice, even in small ways—acts of service, generosity, standing up for what’s right. By doing this, we strengthen not only our own hearts, but also the hearts of those we choose to be around.

So how do we build it? Keep choosing connections—to ourselves, to each other, and to love in action. And as I often remind myself, no matter how heavy the world feels, the heart keeps beating. The rhythm is always there. You just have to listen and move with it. It’s simple—keep dancing. Sally, you’re amazing.

Sally:  Life is life, and we are part of it. And hear the rhythm, listen to the rhythm, the rhythm is right there. Thank you, John.

Daisy was also in the PPA cohort a few years ago. And again, when I was thinking of people to interview, Daisy, my intuition just landed on you. It wasn't only your wisdom or your words, but you had a beaming face. You had a quiet presence. And I just wanted to know more about that. I know you are a steadfast explorer and a good friend of many people in Vietnam. You get together to study esoteric philosophy. 

You said, “The birth of a new humanity has begun and is coming now. It's starting small, but will grow and reach its final time. The soul of humanity is in the process of birthing. It is coming through people who live with compassion and the will to do good. We need to nurture this process and support the birthing of the soul of humanity.”

Daisy, would you just tell us a little bit more about how people can support this birthing of the soul of humanity?

Daisy: Thank you so much, Sally, for including me in your work. So, about your question—how can we support the soul of humanity in the birthing of humanity? 

What we can do is our own inner transformation. And along with our own inner transformation, we need to gather together to form a community, to connect with like-minded people, to meditate with each other, and to do good things for the world. 

For inner transformation, we have three things. The first thing is that we can contemplate or study ageless wisdom. 

Then we meditate. We meditate to connect with our divinity - that means the soul, our soul. Because when we connect to our divine self, or the higher self, we can also support the soul of humanity. The soul of humanity is the total of the soul of each one of us. The more we connect with our divinity, the more we support the soul of humanity, as one family.

And then the third thing is we do things that bring joy to the earth. We do things that make our hearts sing because the quality of the soul is joyous. It’s wisdom; it’s love. So the soul is simply the divine self, the divinity on earth.

When we serve, we manifest our soul, we express the love of our soul.

Sally: Thank you so much, Daisy. The wisdom and tidbits from each person, I don't think you realize, or any of us realize, the depth and quality that we heard in those few words from each of these extraordinary, ordinary people, the wisdom that is coming forth.

Daisy said, contemplate, meditate, and serve, because the joy from inside of us is natural, and we can find it there.

This has been incredible sparkles of sharing. Thank you. I see us all as a community on a threshold of understanding. What I like so much about Dot’s work, in terms of being a peacebuilder, is that she also understands evolutionary consciousness. We are who we are, and we are magnificent in choosing our lives, but we’re also part, and a very essential part, of a much bigger movement going on, I believe. Towards the fulfillment of humanity, what Daisy was alluding to. It’s a transformation. And we need each other. And that it’s possible. As Jon was saying, the heart keeps beating.

Offuh mentioned, it’s a divine connection, this heart. As Ahmad said, it’s the belonging, the knowing that people are the same at their core, even as you get jerked around from one country to another and go through all kinds of change you didn’t expect.

I think each of us here has a tremendous special opportunity because we’re already bound together as a community.

I want to read a poem from another young peacebuilder to leave us here with the thought that I believe in what's possible. I believe in the promise of democracy. For me, it is the opening. It’s an invitation. It’s a promise for humanity to fulfill the meaning that we were placed on earth to do, to take care of each other and to take care of the planet. That happens because we choose to do what we choose to do every day.

This poem is from a young woman, a URI staff person, Tanya Sablock from Delhi.

Create says the sun

I’m sending a river of gold

It is flowing through your heart

Churning the old anew.

The dream is realizing itself upon Earth through you.

Persevere

Victory is near

Perhaps it is here.

I want to thank you. And I think it’s a great idea that we can come together in a month and have much more time for question and answer and conversation. This is just an opening to an idea of how we can journey together.

And we need each other for that journey. Thanks so much.