digs picks

Learn how to use affirmative words for people with disabilities by going here.

Read this insightful article about communicating respectfully with other cultures.

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Dignity Language

Expressing Yourself

The Seven Challenges Workbook: A Guide to Cooperative Communication Skills for Success at Home and at Work is a new workbook by Dennis Rivers that walks you through role playing ideas and real life examples to help you learn how to listen more carefully, express yourself more clearly, make requests instead of complaints and express more gratitude and appreciation in your daily interactions. It's available free of charge and can be reproduced for use within your family, school, organization and workplace.
Seven Challenges

Put-Ups

Many young people have been so conditioned to use disrespectful language or put-down statements that they don't know any alternatives. This thoughtful article introduces the concept of categories (“put-ups” such as compliment, sparkler, validator, booster, builder-upper and respect) that help students develop a vocabulary of considerate language.

Students are encouraged to learn words and phrases from each category and use them in place of disrespectful ones.

Read more at Education World.

Magic Words

As part of their philosophy called The Beauty Way, the Navajos believed it was important to empower others with beautiful words, in order to create people who value all of life. What words can you sprinkle into your everyday conversations that acknowledge, uplift, and bestow dignity upon others?

Abracadabra is thought to derive from the Aramaic term avra kehdavra, which means, “I will create as I speak.”

Glossary

access - being able to make use of public transportation, public places, educational opportunities and other community resources.

apology - an admission of error, discourtesy or harm, accompanied by an expression of regret and an intention to make amends.

appreciation – a sensitive awareness of something or someone; an expression of acknowledgment, admiration or gratitude.

collaborate – to work cooperately with others for a common goal.

contribution - sharing of one's unique talents and gifts in the world.

dignity - the quality of worth and honor intrinsic to every person.

dignitarians - people who choose to treat themselves and others with dignity.

equality of regard - when both parties in a relationship have equal respect for each other.

honor – to regard or treat with respect. 

inclusion - having adequate income, physical access, opportunity and recognition to feel like an integral part of a group or community.

level playing field - having our basic human needs met so we can begin our quest for contribution and recognition on equal footing.

meritocracy - a system in which people are rewarded on the basis of their contributions and achievements, rather than relative status or connections.

non-zero-sum-game - one in which both players end up better off than they began.

positive identity - having a sense of one's own power, purpose, worth and promise.

reciprocity – mutual give and take.

recognition – notice and appreciation from others that shores up one’s sense of self; identity food.

reparation - making amends for wrongdoing; the payment of damages or other compensation for injury to another.