A Tribute to John McKnight (1931-2024)
*The Weaver of Weavers*
Four score and thirteen years
Of weaving,
The forest loom lumbers,
Snugly around small
Bounded places.
Life shaped him and he shaped life.
A circle of friends around the world,
Hold gently a silk thread,
Hosting unseen connections,
A paper boy in rural Ohio,
Through to an Adobe in Cuernavaca,
Where a prophet foretold the limits of Kings’ horses and men.
Life shaped him and he shaped life.
Do not for others what they can do for themselves,
America, burning again,
new dreams emerging, again,
As the Blue Planet, unfinished, gasps:
“I can’t breathe”,
and
Is revealed.
Life shaped him and he shaped life.
The weaver too was weaved,
From the Great Depression,
Korea and Selma,
From Bobby to George,
The Moon landing and the fall of the Berlin Wall,
He cheered as a former student proclaimed “Yes We Can!”
He’s lived through a Plague and traveled the world.
Life shaped him and he shaped life.
He paid attention, always curious,
About the edges, the forest’s fringe,
Where strangers are sent, and labels afixed.
Where carelessness comes home to roost and where surprises also,
Spring.
Life shaped him and he shaped life.
He was courageous
and fiercely kind,
Forever featuring the handmade and homespun,
Backgrounding Caesar;
While foregrounding his neighbor.
With Covenanter’s resolve and Irish wit,
He made the invisible power that surrounds us, visible,
And vibrant, and beautiful.
Life shaped him and he shaped life.
He was a weaver of weavers,
Neighborhoods; his precious loom.
Life’s functions the threads,
And the tapestry he helped us see,
Is a cultural womb; for the birthing
Of the beloved Community.
Life shaped him and he shaped us all
for the better! We. Will Weave onwards.
Goodbye dear friend, rest well.
Cormac
(In loving memory of John L. McKnight, 1931-2024, November 02)
Heartbreaking. The family had visits from social workers, health visitors. Mother a lone parent had mental health problems, poor housing. Far too much expected of her. No family support. Her 4 boys died in house fire. So tragic. The state must do more.
https://t.co/fqg6BhTA8O
It bothers me more than ever the big gap between what gets presented as the aspiration of health services- the language of strategies, values, partnership etc- & the gritty reality of working in & using services.
We need far more honest conversations, starting with where we are.
“The leader that would thrive in public service is someone that comes to work in public service not for power or promotion, but actually to serve – the leadership is almost secondary.”
@Vibrant_Socks on the type of leader public services need📹 https://t.co/lJykJEQQFJ
I am convinced that we must declare a moratorium on all deficit-focused and damage-centered research. This research pathologises and is often used to enforce harmful social engineering policies. Researchers focusing solely on problem identification should turn their critical gaze back on themselves and their harmful practices. Researcher, first, do no harm!
Poorer children are almost 2 years behind their better-off classmates by the end of secondary school.
The disadvantage gap has grown to its widest point since 2012. Our young people have been utterly failed by the last Government. I’m so angry.
https://t.co/C8KcTLWDfb
@bmj_latest@brigidrussell51 This is a lovely idea and resonated due to my own recent stay in hospital. Thank you Sarah! Also reminded me of a blog I wrote a few years ago if anyone's interested 💖
https://t.co/UZj9VoeCnV
Young people must have a say in the decisions that shape their lives – and voting is crucial🗳️
⏰Tomorrow is the last day to register to vote in the General Election
Please urge the young people in your life to make their voices heard
#RegisterToVote👉 https://t.co/hvmA60e9Pa
I don’t know much about motorbikes or the biking community but have to mention what a wonderful lot of riders we met yesterday, lovely considerate people from right across the country who had made so much effort, it was a real privilege to host them in Barrow #DaveDay
"A child protection system preoccupied with risk aversion is impeding the emotional growth of children. We need a new model based on relational care and reciprocity to break the cycle" - Jarrod Wheatley for The Policymaker
Read the article here: https://t.co/jhU900bODv
#outofhomecare #childprotection #policymaking #policydevelopment
We're still reeling from our #MenandGirlsDance Barrow show. This company were a joy to be with and to connect with. How lucky were we to meet you all?! Thanks also to @BarrowFull and @theforumbarrow for having us, and to our great audiences. Missing you all...
Are you a people person who is a great listener? Would you like to join a wonderful team making an impact with healthcare services in your local community?
Could you be our new Engagement Officer 👉 https://t.co/3Y65Tvt6Ki
📢 Next Tuesday, April 23rd from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. Plena inclusión in Spain have organized an online seminar on Community Development.
🎙 I will be in conversation with them about their amazing #ABCD efforts across Spain and we will talk about asset-based community development and the role of community connectors around the world. Come join us:
🖥 Simultaneous Spanish-English translation will be available
➡ Enroll here: https://t.co/CiTtgvunD8
Brutal honesty & transparency is the start of any genuine change. Public services (including the NHS) in their current form are broken. Pretending otherwise to “bolster morale” will do the opposite. We are teetering on the brink & a total reset, not a positivity drive, is needed.