An article in The New York Times yesterday entitled "An Internet Jihad Aims at U.S. Viewers" brought back a phone conversation I had with someone last week, who's an Idealist Coach.
It should come as no particular surprise to anyone, with the possible exception of those that run the American government, that Al Qaeda is now attempting to appeal to young Americans and European Muslims.
They are using blogs and music videos among other methods to attract the discontented in the West. Discontentment can come in many forms. According to the Times' article there are more than 100 English language sites devoted to increasingly sophisticated jihadist ideology.
Dave Wheitner caught my attention when I discovered his web site. He is what is sometimes called a "life coach." He has, however, focused on a particular niche in the broad field of coaching.
A number of individuals work in the field of executive coaching, whose emphasis is on various aspects of workplace performance and team building. The goal is often directed at improving morale and ultimately a company's profitability. Dave Wheitner's particular forte might be best described as whole-life coaching.
He is interested in working with people in the "idealist" professions. How to change the world in positive ways may be a noble goal but it requires one to have his or her feet planted firmly on the ground, if for no other reason than resistance most likely confronts those that want to initiate change.
This becomes especially valid when we talk about creating sustainable societies that function in the real world and not as some ideal abstraction, and that people will ultimately buy into and support.
I believe we're going to have to make some drastic alterations in how we all live, especially those of us that dwell in the developed world. The journey is likely not going to be an easy one. What sort of change are we going to work toward?
You can contact Dave Wheitner at Idealist Coach. His telephone number is 412-222-5999.
