We had the good fortune of connecting with Francesca Po and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Francesca, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
To be honest, there wasn’t a major thought process behind starting my own business. I’ve got so many passions that it is natural for me to have multiple, simultaneous projects.  I am a scholar of religion and nonreligion, peace activist, esoteric artist, historical and avant-grade fashion enthusiast, poet, musician, and nature lover.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

As part of my work as a peace activist, I serve as a member of the Board of Directors at the Metta Center for Nonviolence (www.mettacenter.org), which is a nonprofit that advises, educates, and advocates for nonviolence globally.  Our founder is Michael Nagler, who is the world’s leading Gandhian.  Ela Gandhi, Gandhi’s granddaughter, is also a member of our Board.  As you can imagine, this work is very timely in the current geopolitical landscape.

One thing that I am most proud of with the Metta Center is our work with Kyrgyzstan.  Back in back in 2010, Michael and I co-wrote an article (https://worldpress.org/Asia/3590.cfm) making an analysis and offering suggestions to Kyrgyzstan about how to nonviolently defuse the early stages of a potential civil war.  At that point, I had recently returned from working in the Central Asia region with the Peace Corps, so I had some experience with the situation.  Some months later, in response to that article, the president of Kyrgyzstan at the time, Roza Otunbayeva, took our advice and invited Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) to work in the country to help with the situation.  This marked the first time in history that NP was ever invited to, as opposed to infiltrate, a country.  Currently, NP no longer has any projects in Kyrgyzstan, indicating a sustainable level of peace and stability in the country.  Furthermore, NP currently uses excerpts from that article in their training handbook.

In 2020, we released a documentary, “The Third Harmony” (www.thirdharmony.org), a film about the theory and practice of nonviolence. Not only that, it showcases the evidence behind nonviolence and how it stands much more effective against our previously held notions of the “effectivity” of more violent and coercive tactics. It also provides practical guidelines in how to play a part in peace-building using nonviolence in our daily lives and beyond.

The namesake of “The Third Harmony” is the one that focuses on what the individual: practices that one can do in one’s daily life that help oneself as well as the world at large. This is where my work in spirituality and the arts comes in. I offer holistic services in Nonviolent Communication (NVC), meditation, the Enneagram, and Astrology, among many other modalities (www.francescapo.wordpress.com/services). What makes my work different from others is that I have formal training from grounded traditions in all of my modalities—not arbitrary appropriations. I am available for individual sessions, couples sessions, speaking engagements, community-building events, workshops, and retreats, in both religious and nonreligious contexts. Helping others find peace within themselves and others – to find the Third Harmony – is a step in moving towards that goal of world peace.

Lastly, I recently published a book, “Religion and Peace”, which also brings together the work that I do with spirituality and nonviolence.  It showcases how religion and spirituality play a major role in global peace-building. My chapter is called “Witchy Activism: Self-religion in Global Peace Movements”, which focuses on the role that contemporary forms of spirituality has in peace-building. You can find the details of the book here: www.wiley.com/en-gb/The+Wiley+Blackwell+Companion+to+Religion+and+Peace-p-9781119424345

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

First, we would definitely hike to the Hollywood sign and explore Griffith Park and the Observatory. These are definitely spots that make living in LA truly magical.

Second, we would have to stroll through the following: the Museum of Jurassic Technology (I’m a member!), The Huntington (because EVERYTHING about it), LACMA and the Broad (for all the photo opps), the Getty (to see “Irises”, one of my all-time favorite paintings), Venice Beach and Santa Monica Pier (what’s more LA?!), and a picnic at the Hollywood Forever cemetery (for something slightly left of center).

Most of our food would come from food trucks and street vendors (particularly Mexican and Philippine), but we’d have to splurge at Crossroads Kitchen (because everyone needs to experience high-end vegan cuisine).

Lastly, we’d spend our evenings having craft cocktails and swing dancing at Clifton’s, the Cicada Club, the Edison, and the Dresden.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

First and foremost, I dedicate this shoutout to my family: Sandy, Fernando, Paul, Julia, Whitney, and Ariel. Without their unconditional support through everything, I wouldn’t have the strength to pursue what I have in my life.

I dedicate so much of my life’s work to Michael Nagler, Stephanie Van Hook, and everyone involved with the Metta Center for Nonviolence. So many of my life’s passions are supported by the important work of this organization, and I am always left feeling infinitely indebted by the joy and opportunities it brings me.

I also owe my academic success to my doctoral supervisor at the University of Oxford, Martyn Percy. He was like a parent to me during my time in the UK, and supported me in matters both spiritual and professional. The process of attaining a doctorate from Oxford was no easy task, and he always made it known to me that I was meant to be there.

Website: www.francescapo.wordpress.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/fancy_po

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sfrancescapo

Image Credits
Andrew Roberts, Saul Barnabas, John Godin

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