“My journey away from violent extremism began 22 years ago, when I denounced racism and left the American whitesupremacist skinhead movement that I’d helped build,” shares Christian Picciolini, in his TED Talk.
Fourteen-year old Christian just wanted to belong. A lack of quality time with his parents had left him feeling abandoned and lonely. Having withdrawn, his resentment turned into anger. Unsure of his identity or purpose, Christian accepted a lifeline—or a sense of belonging—offered to him by a neo-Nazi skinhead twice his age.
In a remarkable story of transformation, Christian shares his journey: from recognizing he was violently projecting his self-hatred onto others, to renouncing racism, trying to repair the pain he inflicted on others and himself, and helping others disengage from extremist groups. We see the profound results of his conscious choice for inner transformation, as well as what happens in society from unresolved emotions and unmet needs.
Christian was not born into hate. In fact, he felt loved by his parents during what he refers to as his “normal” childhood. What he didn’t have though, was access to the attention and empathy he needed while he was vulnerable, struggling, and yearning to feel a sense of belonging.
As he puts it, “I had a lot of potholes early in life. Potholes are the things in life that we hit, that invariably just kind of nudge us off our path and if they remain unresolved… we can get dangerously lost down pretty dark corridors. Potholes can be things like trauma, abuse, unemployment, neglect, untreated mental health conditions, even privilege.”
Christian now helps people “fill in their potholes,” by building self-confidence, resolving old issues, and cultivating talents—instead of blaming others and getting stuck in anger. Are you a teacher, parent, or caregiver who has a passion for helping others “fill in their potholes” too? The ICWIB! Program is being used successfully to help children and adults access their true creative nature, resolve emotional distress, and create meaningful lives.
With this in mind, we invite you to explore some of the ICWIB! art activities and videos for FREE.
Also, in a recent interview, Dr. Bruce Lipton said, “…Freedom is the ability to create without the limitation of generational programming. The I Create What I Believe! (ICWIB!) Program is a gateway and a pathway into a new and better future because it allows children to fully express themselves and to not be limited by the beliefs that have been passed down from generation to generation. This program also frees up children’s minds and allows their creative nature to create a better world for all of us, which is what we need right now!…”
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