IFI News

Dr. Enright’s Forgiveness Blogs In High Demand

May 16, 2018 No comments

One of the nation’s premier blog sites, Psychology Today, says the number of people who are reading blog posts authored by Dr. Robert Enright for its online journal has reached a record peak.

Dr. Robert Enright

Here are the number of views Dr. Enright’s blogs have tallied since he joined the website’s elite writing corps:

  • Last 7 Days – 5,956
  • Last 30 Days – 12,638
  • Last 90 Days – 31,257
  • Since Dec. 1, 2016 – 115,000+

Psychology Today is a New York City-based print magazine that last year celebrated its 50th year of continuous publication. Its online journal has gathered a group of renowned psychologists (including Dr. Enright), academics, psychiatrists and writers to contribute their thoughts and ideas on what makes us tick. According to the website, “We’re a live stream of what’s happening in Psychology Today.”

The forgiveness blog section on Psychology Today’s website is called “The Forgiving Life.” Here are links to just a handful of the 38 blogs Dr. Enright has produced for the site:

  Is It True That Forgiveness Is “Ridiculous”?
This provocative blog replies to the author of an Amazon.com book review who labeled Dr. Enright’s Model of Forgiveness “ridiculous.”
 Why Forgiveness Is Heroic
While he clarifies that not all people necessarily practice forgiveness in a “heroic” manner, Dr. Enright says many others forgive on a high level encompassing Aristotle’s concept of heroism as “greatness of heart.
  Five Reasons Why Your Romantic Relationships Do Not Last
Has this ever happened to you: A relationship starts and is filled with hope, only to end all too soon? Dr. Enright offers 5 reasons why this may happen and offers suggestions for breaking the pattern?
  Anger and Cancer: Is There a Relationship?
Research indicates, according to Dr. Enright, that intense, persistent, and suppressed anger may indeed be implicated in certain cancers such as prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers.
  Complete list of Psychology Today blogs written by Dr. Enright. 
Click the link above to access all the blogs Dr. Enright has written for Psychology Today.

 

 

IFI Receives Prestigious 2017 All Star Award

April 20, 2018 No comments

The International Forgiveness Institute has received the 2017 All Star Award from Constant Contact for the creativity and effectiveness of its internet communications, particularly its email newsletters..

Only small businesses and nonprofits using Constant Contact’s email marketing tools are eligible for the All Star Award. Criteria used to select this year’s All Stars included, among others, use of social sharing features (Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc.) as well as open, bounce, and click-through rates of email marketing campaigns..

“We’re happy to be recognized by Constant Contact for achieving strong marketing results and for consistently developing creative ways to communicate with our various audiences,” according to Dr. Robert Enright, co-founder of the IFI. “That has helped us gain acceptance of our Forgiveness Education Curriculum Guides in more than 30 countries around the world where forgiveness education is being taught.”
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Constant Contact, with more than 5 million customers, works to empower small businesses and nonprofits to grow effective customer relationships and succeed..

“Our emails and communication tools are made with our 
readers and supporters in mind,” Dr. Enright added.“So thank you  for engaging and interacting with us.  We look forward to even more productive interactions throughout 2018!”
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Dennis Blang, Director of the IFI, handles all the organization’s communications planning and implementation. A Purple Heart Vietnam veteran, Blang has a journalism degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. To sign up for the IFI newsletter, contact Blang at director@internationalforgiveness.com.

 

Four Eye-Opening Reasons Why You Should Watch the Rome Forgiveness Conference Videos

April 7, 2018 No comments
“The first-of-its-kind conference in Rome, Italy, explored what it means to forgive another person who has been unjust to you,” 
according to Dr. Robert Enright, founder of the International Forgiveness Institute. “Crucial ideas on how to help children and adolescents learn to forgive were presented by international experts in the field of forgiveness education.”
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If you were unable to attend the Rome Conference on Forgiveness in January (hosted by Dr. Robert Enright and the International Forgiveness Institute), here are four reasons you should watch the speaker videos that are now available free of charge on the International Forgiveness Institute (IFI) website:
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Reason #1: To learn the importance of forgiveness education.

Dr. Robert Enright, IFI founder, first discusses what forgiveness education is and its importance for children and adolescents. Click here to watch Dr. Enright’s presentation on “The Science of Forgiveness.”.

This is followed by a stirring presentation delivered by teacher Annette Shannon of the Holy Cross Primary School in Belfast, Northern Ireland–a school that experienced the effects of The Troubles in Northern Ireland in the early part of this century. Click here for Ms. Shannon’s presentation.
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You can also see the introduction to the conference by the Conference Master of Ceremonies, Fr. Robert Gahl, who is Professor of Philosophy, University of Santa Croce. Click here to watch and hear Fr. Gahl introduce the speakers.
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Reason #2: To hear the surprising declarations made by a high-ranking Iraqi official about forgiveness in Islam.
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The Iraqi Ambassador to the Vatican, Hon. Omer Ahmed Kerim Berzinji, said forgiveness plays a prominent role in his Muslim faith and that it is cited roughly 100 times in the Quran. (Click here to watch the opening part of his presentation, which includes a consecutive translation of his Arabic words. After this brief consecutive translation, the rest of the ambassador’s talk is in Arabic without the translation). The Hon. Berzinji expressed an interest in considering the implementation of forgiveness education in Iraq.

Reason #3: To hear for yourself the Orthodox Jewish speaker’s views on forgiveness.
Peta
Peta Pellach of the Elijah Interfaith Institute in Jerusalem gave an inspiring presentation of forgiveness in Judaism that is not to be missed. Click here to watch Ms. Pellach’s presentation.
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Reason #4: To hear for yourself the Christian speaker’s views on forgiveness..

Monsignor Mariano Fazio, Vicar General of Opus Dei and a long-time personal friend of Pope Francis, discusses his views on forgiveness.  Click here to watch Msgr. Fazio’s presentation. Author of more than 20 books, Msgr. Fazio’s newest book is titled Pope Francis: Keys to His Thought.

        

We extend our thanks and appreciation to our  conference partner Forgive4Peace for helping us make it possible.

Holocaust Survivor: “Let’s heal the world through forgiveness.”

March 6, 2018 No comments
Eva Kor, Holocaust Survivor:
“Let’s heal the world through forgiveness.
Not bullets, not bombs. Just forgiveness.”

Those are the words of Eva Mozes Kor, a survivor of the Holocaust who, with her twin sister Miriam, was subjected to human experimentation under Josef Mengele at the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. Both of her parents and two older sisters died at the camp; only she and Miriam survived the near-starvation, illness, and other indignities of the camp.

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Eva has written an emotional blog, exclusively for the International Forgiveness Institute, entitled “My Forgiveness.” It begins with these words:
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“Forgiveness is a way of healing oneself from pain, trauma, and tragedy. It is a means of self-liberation and self-empowerment.”
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You can access Eva’s entire blog on the IFI website by clicking here.
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In one of her many interviews following her release, Eva told the anecdote of how she once sat in her room, imagining that Joseph Mengele was sitting right next to her. .

“I picked up a dictionary and wrote 20 nasty words, which I read clear and loud to that make-believe Mengele in the room. And in the end, I said: ‘In spite of all that, I forgive you.’ Made me feel very good, that I, the little guinea pig of 50 years, even had the power over the Angel of Death of Auschwitz.’ ” Source: The Vintage News
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Eva Kor’s recent video, produced by BuzzFeed, has drawn more than 5 million views on YouTube: I Survived The Holocaust Twin Experiments. 

New Documentary Focuses on Forgiveness, Restorative Justice, and Accountability

March 4, 2018 No comments
After the brutal slaying of her teenage son, Janet Connors reached out to her son’s killer to offer a chance for forgiveness. They soon teamed up with a group of mothers of murdered children to help young people in their community break the chain of violence and revenge.
That tale of forgiveness and healing is now a new, award-winning documentary film called Circle Up. It is a call to action for reframing approaches to crime and punishment through the lenses of
forgiveness, restorative justice, and accountability. Throughout, the film focuses on human dignity, violence prevention, and healing.
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 Now you have an opportunity to be one of the first in the country to see this gut-wrenching yet heartwarming documentary. A special screening is being held in Madison, WI on Saturday, March 10. Free admission.
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Circle Up
Documentary Screening
and Panel Discussion

Saturday, March 10, 2018
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Free Admission
Discovery Building 
UW-Madison Campus
330 N. Orchard St.
Madison, WI 53715

 

The 69-minute documentary film will be followed by Q&A with director, Julie Mallozzi, and a panel discussion with individuals working on or participating in restorative justice initiatives in the Madison area. This event is being hosted by Dane County TimeBank and is being co-sponsored by organizations that include the International Forgiveness Institute.

 Click here for more info about the film and to watch the trailer.

Click here for information on the Director’s Q&A and Panel Discussion.

Click here for a list of other screenings throughout the country.