Grace and Associates
Inspiring Courage, Hope and Action for Just Communities
Our Philosophy
vCommunity
We recognize that the challenge of animating social progress is so great that it must proceed from vital relationship with others where we are continually challenged to reach for our best and sustained when exhausted or wounded from pursuing the quest.
We perceive that the urgency of this moment in global history calls for committed people of good conscience to take bold action to enact social change in individuals, institutions and society.
vCourage
We believe that a spirit of forgiveness and a commitment to the work of reconciliation can mend human division, bringing wholeness to individuals and society.
vWholeness
We commit to the discipline of discerning the invisible forces at work within persons, institutions and society which may either encourage or inhibit the establishment of the common good and, based on this awareness, we strive to liberate organizations to achieve their noblest purposes.
vAwareness
We affirm that a spirit exists within and beyond individuals and institutions that wills the good, calls us to work for the manifestation of good, and sustains us in our efforts to achieve it.
vSpirituality
We do not turn away from suffering but seek to identify with the pain of others in order to be more instrumental in alleviating it.
vCompassion
In spite of the depth of brokenness in the world, we affirm the positive possibilities that emerge when we confront the truth of our current situation and maintain an inspired vision of what we want to create.
vHope
Guiding Principles
vIntegrity
We aspire to maintain alignment between our values and practice, maintaining a consistent, trustworthy personal presence in all of our relationships
We believe that the well-being and prosperity of any individual, institution or community is contingent upon the well-being of all others. In our inter-connected global system, it is becoming increasingly clear that none of us will ultimately thrive at the expense of others and our environment.
So, we aspire to the Common Good, a state of existence where resources are stewarded justly to ensure the sustainable well-being of all. At every level of society--family, business, corporation, nation or global village--this emerging worldview must take root, in order to survive and thrive in an inter-dependent world.
We believe that human beings find meaning and fulfillment when they can give expression to what is most truly their personal essence, in all aspects of their lives. We also affirm that, when people live in harmony with their deepest and most enduring values, they will choose action that manifests the Common Good.
So, we listen deeply and help people, institutions and communities clarify and choose what is most deeply important to them and we assist them in imagining paths of action that serve their personal, business, or societal intentions that proceed from their foundational values and principles.
We believe that achievement of the Common Good will require a profound level of transformation and that deeply engrained and frequently unnoticed systems and structures naturally resist efforts to alter the status quo.
So, we help people, institutions and communities explore the subtle forces that hamper the achievement of their noble purposes and journey with them as they embark on the long journey of bringing systems and structures into alignment with their values and purposes.
