Words Can Heal - Another Project

Posted By: Nancy
Date: Tuesday, 11 September 2001, at 9:37 a.m.

Group Launches Campaign to Reduce Gossip

By Alan Elsner
Reuters

WASHINGTON (Sept. 3) - A group headed by an orthodox rabbi and backed by a bevy of U.S. politicians and film stars is launching a media campaign Tuesday to reduce gossip in everyday life.

The organization, Words Can Heal, will begin running television advertisements in the Washington area and display posters reminding people about the power of words on buses and in Metro stations.

The effort, designed ''to promote ethical speech to improve democracy and build mutual respect, honor and integrity,'' is the brainchild of Rabbi Chaim Feld of Aish Hatorah, an international orthodox Jewish educational organization.

Some of the ideas behind the campaign stem directly from religious beliefs, including the biblical injunction against bad-mouthing others, which originates from a line in Psalm 34: ''Guard your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking guile.''

The campaign coincides with the start of the school year and its organizers quoted statistics from the National Education Association estimating that 160,000 children skip school each day because of intimidation by their peers.

Words Can Heal also released a public opinion poll in which 69 percent of respondents said gossip was a somewhat or significant problem in schools, 79 percent said it was a problem in the workplace, 80 percent said it was a problem in politics and 84 percent said it was a problem in reporting by the news media.

A PLEDGE TO THINK BEFORE SPEAKING

To get the anti-gossip message out, Words Can Heal is distributing handbooks and information packages to help people curb the natural urge to gossip by taking a pledge which reads:

''I pledge to think more about the words I use. I will try to see how gossip hurts people, including myself, and work to eliminate it from my life.

''I will try to replace words that hurt with words that encourage, engage and enrich.

''I will not become discouraged when I am unable to choose words perfectly because making the world a better place is hard work. And I am pledging to do that, one word at a time.''

The group is backed by at least eight senators, including Majority Leader and South Dakota Democrat Tom Daschle, Connecticut Democrat Joe Lieberman and Republicans John McCain of Arizona and Sam Brownback of Kansas.

Among the movie stars on the campaign board are Tom Cruise, his ex-wife Nicole Kidman, Whoopi Goldberg, and Bette Midler.

The organization has raised $1 million from private donors for the effort and is hoping to collect more money to advance the campaign.

Words Can Heal - Take the Pledge

Messages In This Thread

Words Can Heal - Another Project
Nancy -- Tuesday, 11 September 2001, at 9:37 a.m.

Re: Words Can Heal - Another Project
Marjorie Wolfe -- Friday, 30 December 2005, at 8:50 a.m.

Re: Words Can Heal - Another Project
Nancy -- Monday, 2 January 2006, at 12:41 a.m.

Re: Words Can Heal - Another Project
Bob -- Monday, 2 January 2006, at 7:35 p.m.

Re: Words Can Heal - Another Project
Nancy -- Monday, 2 January 2006, at 9:36 p.m.

 

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