Tipping points, according to Malcolm Gladwell, are the people and actions that cause a trickle of an idea to become a flood of action. A current example of such a tipping point is Cindy Sheehan, the mother camped out in front of Bush’s Ranch in Crawford, Texas. This single woman, with a focused message, has been a tipping point in the peace movement in the US.

However, a single person walking down the street in protest is not a march. It is imperative we be connected together to achieve greater strength. Once others join, huge change can be made. We cannot act alone. Mrs. Sheehan’s message has be reiterated through numerous organizations on the internet and by the media.

We are located on nearly all the continents of the world across numerous time zones. We cannot march down a single street, yet we answer to a common cause. However, we are very diverse in our focus on our concepts of peace. Some of us are focused on conflict resolution, while others focus on development studies. Some of us focus on diplomacy and foreign policy, while others are interested in social change at the local level. This is not a weakness – it is exactly what makes us so strong.

Each of us brings strength to this fellowship and to this organization. Each of us have something to offer. When combined, we can achieve many things, together. We do not have to be “on message” but we do need to march in the same direction.

This organization is an important first step in garnering our strength, identifying potential for change and moving towards those goals. As we can learn from the systems sciences, it is important that we work together by whatever means we have to ensure we can share our combined knowledge.

Gladwell identifies three actors in his work that I believe describes the role each of us have. We can be connectors who bring others together. We can be mavens, the collectors and sharers of knowledge. We can also be the salesmen who promote the agenda. Who are you?

I am a connector and a maven and it is in this spirit, I encourage you to join, participate, share, and go forth from this organization with knowledge and encouragement to make your difference in the world.