Skip to content
Upswell
A community. Not a conference.
UpswellUpswell
  • Upswell 2021
  • Archived Stories
  • Upswell 2021
  • Archived Stories
  • Search

Author Archives: Debra Rainey

Upswell Pop-Up #7: In the Wake of the Election, How Do We Regain Social Trust?

Upswell Pop-UpBy Debra RaineyNovember 17, 2020

The election may be over, but uncertainty, fear, and political unrest in our country continues. Contention over the results, divisions over politics and policy, fears about the pandemic, ongoing racial unrest, nervousness about national and personal economic concerns – the nerves of our nation are raw, leaving changemakers to wonder, “How can we navigate this…

Upswell Pop-Up #5: Interrogating the Narrative

Upswell Pop-UpBy Debra RaineyAugust 18, 2020

Who among us could have foreseen at the start of 2020 where we’d be today – contending with a worldwide health emergency that threatens us all, limiting where we can go, what we can do, who we see – and with no end in sight? We’ve also been forced to fully see and acknowledge the…

The Indomitable Spirit of the Human Rights Struggle

Upswell Pop-UpBy Debra RaineyJuly 29, 2020

Dr. Shirin Ebadi was an accomplished attorney, and one of Iran’s first female judges. She also served as president of the city court of Tehran from 1975 to 1979 and was the first Iranian woman to achieve Chief Justice status. But that all changed when she and other women judges were dismissed from that position…

Upswell Pop-Up #4: All About Trust

Upswell Pop-UpBy Debra RaineyJuly 28, 2020

Trust is a fragile thing. Hard to gain, and harder still to gain back if it is lost. We know from our recent survey on trust in civil society that there is broad trust in the ability of nonprofits to strengthen society – trust we want to hold onto and strengthen even more. Pop-Up #4…

Using the Power of Trust to Transform a Nation

Upswell Pop-UpBy Debra RaineyJune 30, 2020

Have you ever met someone who personally ended a civil war? If the answer is no – and our hunch is that it might be – July 14 is your big chance to do so. For Upswell Pop-Up #4, we’re proud and excited to host a dynamic conversation with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Leymah Gbowee…

Upswell Pop-Up #3: Forging a More Just and Equitable Union

Upswell Pop-UpBy Debra RaineyJune 18, 2020

Simply acknowledging that inequity exists isn’t enough. We are duty-bound to leverage every ounce of our energy, empathy, intelligence, and power as individuals and as a sector to be a force that helps drives the change that is needed to create a more just and equitable America. Upswell Pop-Up #3 explored the critical factors that…

Pop-Up #2: To Create Real Change, You Gotta Shake Things Up

Upswell Pop-UpBy Debra RaineyJune 9, 2020

Creating transformative change often requires doing something different. You’ve gotta take different approaches; be open to different ideas from new people; collaborate with different people who share your dream; and after thoughtful consideration, forge ahead with dogged resolve to make a difference. And sometimes, with determination, grit, and a little luck, you do. That was…

Nobel Women’s Initiative Series: Learnings from the Power of One

Upswell Pop-UpBy Debra RaineyJune 5, 2020

Ever find yourself thinking, “I can’t really make a difference. What can one person do?” How about secure a ban on landmines? Promote human rights, particularly the rights of women, children, and political prisoners in Iran? Lead a women’s peace movement that brought an end to the Second Liberian Civil War? Shine a glaring spotlight…

Go to Top

—