Kaitlin Curtice and Micky ScottBey Jones are two of the leading voices for the integration of activism for a better world with a more whole way of being as individuals. If the world we yearn for will not be built by merely complaining about what’s wrong, and if we seek wholeness for ourselves at the same time as aching for the suffering of others, we must find a way not only to live the change we want to see in the most broken places, but claim lives that embody the very love and connection that we want everyone else to experience. In our experience, Micky and Kaitlin help show the way. Our hosts Brian Ammons and Gareth Higgins can’t wait to share this space with Micky and Kaitlin, and hopefully you too. Our Ireland Retreat in October will be eight days of experiential learning, community, great food and walks, exquisite natural surroundings, open hearts and minds, and we expect something powerfully transformative can be born in us all. If it calls to you, come join us!
Some last-minute places are available on our October 2024 retreat - contact us for details.
AND A REMINDER THAT YOU CAN SPREAD THE COST UP TO TWELVE MONTHS - JUST CONTACT US IF YOU’RE INTERESTED.
Micky ScottBey Jones and Kaitlin Curtice are both storytellers and activists for a better world, making a profound impact in the lives of those who hear them.
Kaitlin Curtice is an award-winning author, poet-storyteller, and public speaker. As an enrolled citizen of the Potawatomi nation, Kaitlin writes on the intersections of spirituality and identity and how that shifts throughout our lives. She also speaks on these topics to diverse audiences who are interested in truth-telling and healing.
As an inter-spiritual advocate, Kaitlin participates in conversations on topics such as colonialism in faith communities, and she has spoken at many conferences on the importance of inter-faith relationships.
In 2023, Kaitlin released two books, first, Living Resistance: An Indigenous Vision for Seeking Wholeness Every Day,which examines the journey of resisting the status quo of hate by caring for ourselves, one another, and Mother Earth, and second, her first children’s book called Winter’s Gifts: An Indigenous Celebration of Nature, which is the first in a series of four books on the four seasons coming out with Convergent, RandomHouse Books.
Besides her books, Kaitlin has written online for Sojourners, Religion News Service, On Being, SELF Magazine, Oprah Daily, and more. Her work has been featured on CBS and in USA Today. She also writes at The Liminality Journal. Kaitlin lives near Philadelphia with her partner, two dogs, and two kids. Learn more at www.kaitlincurtice.com.
Micky ScottBey Jones, a former birth doula, now accompanies people as the Justice Doula, supporting the birth of more love & belonging into our world. As a womanist thinker with a MA in Intercultural Studies from North American Institute for Indigenous Studies & Portland Seminary, innovative certified enneagram teacher & coach, compassionate facilitator and nonviolence practitioner, Micky develops innovative ways to support changemakers in their desire for sustainable leadership strategies, healing and resilience practices and embodied liberation through inner and outer change through tools like individual and team enneagram work, resilience skill building and transformative travel experiences.
Micky is the author of Keep the Fires Burning: Conquering Stress and Burnout as a Mother-Baby Professional and contributing author in Becoming Like Creoles: Living and Leading at the Intersections of Injustice, Culture and Religion and Keep Watch With Me: An Advent Reader for Peacemakers and has contributed to the Journal of NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community and the Oneing Journal through the Center for Action and Contemplation. Her writing has also been featured on many online platforms including Christians For Social Action and The Porch Magazine and she’s a sought after guest on many podcasts including CTZNWELL, Their Wildest Dreams? and From Armor to Ease. Her most recent writing project, The Stony Road Pilgrimage: The National Museum of African American History and Culture as a Site of Spiritual Pilgrimage will be available through Christians for Social Action in 2024. Micky is a regular co-host on the podcast, Bruce Reyes-Chow and Friends. You can find out more about Micky at mickyscottbeyjones.com.
Kaitlin says:
I’m really looking forward to thoughtfully joining everyone in this sacred space as we explore our stories, histories, cultures, and experiences together in a spirit of kinship and belonging. I am confident that together with Brian and Gareth, we will create a space that nurtures our questions and allows us room to explore them together, connecting to the land and work of truth-telling along the way. Can’t wait to see you there!
Micky says:
Gareth and Brian are the kind of friends that I always want to introduce to other people so part of my excitement with this trip is to be able to introduce you to one another. For over a decade we have shared meals, music, ideas, stories, laughter, tears and hard conversations. We’ve also found ways to work together, most often creating spaces that welcome people and nurture spaces of self-discovery, genuine connection and transformation. It's work that synergistically offers a transformative experience that is difficult to define, but I know you will experience when you journey with us.
I came to Ireland with Gareth and Brian in 2018 to learn about cultural and political divides, peace and reconciliation from a different history, people and land than the stories I knew from the racialized contexts in the U.S. and South Africa. As a Black, queer woman in the Southern US context, involved in racial justice work, the Black Lives Matter Movement and even connecting with others in racially based struggles in other nations, I knew what I knew, but didn’t know what I didn’t know, ya know? There is something that happens when you engage a story that is not your own - a transformative experience that comes from the clarity of “listening at the edges”, not just finding the similarities in our stories, but also learning to hold the unresolvable differences while staying connected. This is a skill set and posture that continues to support my life, my work and my relationships and I look forward to more of these transformative moments with you on this trip.
Some last-minute places are available on our October 2024 retreat - contact us for details.