By Kai Curry
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Linda Low, member of the Rotary Club of Global Partners in Peace, Washington, USA, Rotary Peace Fellow (2016-18, Duke University/University of North Carolina), and a People of Action: Champions of Peace 2025 honoree.
Some people find their passion and follow it throughout their lives. From the International Red Cross, to the Rotary, to a program she started, Community Leadership Dialogues, Linda Low’s passion is creating common ground to build understanding. Recently, Low was chosen by the Rotary from members around the world as one of six “People of Action: Champions of Peace.”
“It feels like a full circle,” Low said. She was working abroad with the International Red Cross when she had an opportunity to become a Rotary Peace Fellow. This program, Low explained, enables those such as herself, who are already working in global development, to learn more so that they can “come back and contribute in even bigger, better ways.” It was a chance not to be missed. Low took what she learned to North Carolina in August 2016, three months before the presidential election.
“The biggest thing I noticed…was this tension, this anger, this animosity.”
Low, who is originally from Canada, and whose parents immigrated there from Hong Kong, set out to do something about this troubling national atmosphere. In her role as a Rotary Peace Fellow, she is charged with taking on a “local challenge that has global impact.”
“What happens to the United States, happens to the world,” Low pointed out, which is just as true now as ever. Low wanted to understand the reasons for the tension and animosity, which she found to be nationwide. She created the program, Community Leadership Dialogues, which brings together people from differing backgrounds—people at odds with each other—and facilitates dialogue.
It was for this program, as well as her local virtual Rotary group, Rotary Club of Global Partners in Peace, that Low received the honor of Champion of Peace. To date, Low has personally facilitated dialogues with over 2,000 people. The program also responds to requests for training so that others can pass along their method in their own organizations and companies. “We come together based on geographical need,” online or in person, Low said. Those who participate could be other Rotary members or a group that wants to “foster inclusion.” One example Low gave was of a small community in conflict over water and land rights. Common subjects, including in the Seattle area, are homelessness and housing solutions.
Low, or whoever facilitates the gathering, starts by seeking common ground. If the topic is homelessness, for instance, she might start by asking the group, “What is home in your heart?” “We start with soft questions,” Low elaborated. “When everybody shares that, it changes the temperature of the room completely.” People “speak from the heart” and “we all connect immediately.” From this starting point, the facilitator begins seeking solutions from the group, yet in a very nonthreatening manner, such as, “What are the biggest challenges or opportunities that you see in your community right now [linked to X issue]?” Next, they might ask, “Have you seen a solution that worked?” Questions are typically framed in a manner that cools hot tempers.
Eventually, the session(s) will lead more directly to the hot button issues dividing the group. If a group seems ready, they might jump right into it from the beginning; yet more often, the program opts for a soft start.
“It’s been interesting to watch the conversations shift,” said Low, who now lives in Seattle. She recalled when the Black Lives Matter movement took off and they received requests about safety and diversity. “As we moved into the recent election,” it became about polarization, finding common values, conflict resolution, and peace building, she said. Low and Community Leadership dialogues have received requests for training and/or facilitation from diverse groups including South Asian, Chinese, or Ukrainian. Their aim is to equip participants with the tools to tackle divisive conversations on their own in the future.
Right now, the sessions come into being primarily by word of mouth.
“We are sort of this guerrilla team of facilitators across the country, and in some other parts of the world,” Low fondly described. She talked about a close friend and Peace Fellow who does the work in Africa.
“We’re passionate about it…We believe that enabling dialogue across differences is critical right now and always, but in particular right now.” All have other jobs. Low had just started something new for her when she spoke with the Northwest Asian Weekly. She just became the executive director of the U.S. chapter of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF).
“They’re anchored in feminist peace building,” she said. Her previous job was “more corporate,” yet Low knew that it was important right now to “show up in this space,” the nonprofit space.
Low moved to Seattle in 2020, just after the city shut down due to COVID-19. Although it was a “hard landing” due to the pandemic, “I love this city,” she said. “I love Chinatown-International District.” Low feels excited and optimistic about her work with WILPF and with the Rotary. Collaborating with other Rotary members, and community members around the world, as well as facilitating sessions for the program she founded, makes her “hopeful in these times.”
“People feel so helpless in the moment,” she said of why people take part in Community Leadership Dialogues. “This is action.”
Kai can be reached at newstips@nwasianweekly.com.