Ocls-blog logo

International Year of Peace and Trust: Mandela and the General & Trust First

International Year of Peace and Trust: Mandela and the General & Trust First


Mandela and the General by John Carlin with art by Oriol Malet

Will the freedom struggle end in a bloodbath? Nelson Mandela’s fight against racism is about to spiral into an all-out race war. Unless he can win over his archenemy, the white supremacist General Viljoen, the democratic struggle for equality and justice in South Africa will end in “the peace of graveyards.”

History comes vividly to life in visual form as veteran British journalist John Carlin teams up with Catalan artist Oriol Malet to create a graphic novel with obvious relevance to today’s polarized politics.

 


Trust First: A True Story About the Power of Giving People Second Chances by Bruce Deel with Sara Grace

When Pastor Bruce Deel took over the Mission Church in the 30314 ZIP code of Atlanta, he had orders to shut it down. The church was old and decrepit, and its neighborhood had the highest rates of crime, homelessness and incarceration in Georgia. Expecting his time there to only last six months, Deel was not prepared for what happened next. One Sunday, he was approached by a woman he didn’t know. “I’ve been hooking and stripping for 14 years,” she said. “Can you help me?”

Soon after, Bruce founded an organization called City of Refuge rooted in the principle of radical trust. The community began to seek more than food and shelter. They asked City of Refuge for help getting into recovery centers, to serve as advocates in court and for job training and vocational skills. When they asked City of Refuge for something it could not provide, City of Refuge collaborated with other organizations that could.  

As a result, City of Refuge grew.

“…by learning to trust first, Bruce has been able to help transform people’s lives in ways that few people could imagine.” 
– Simon Sinek, Foreword to Trust First

 

Read to Understand: Peace & Trust is a yearlong series in recognition of the International Year of Peace & Trust as designated by the United Nations 

Alert Icon

Thanksgiving Closure

Orange County Library System will be closed starting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 27 and remain closed through Friday, November 29 in observance of Thanksgiving. The library system will resume normal business hours on Saturday, November 30. Learn more about library closures >

Upcoming Southwest Branch Closure

Southwest Branch will be closed Monday, December 2 through Thursday, December 5 for replacement of the HVAC system. The book drop will remain open. We plan to reopen for normal business hours on Friday, December 6.