OMA's "This I Believe" Project
"This I Believe" is an international organization that works to engage people in writing and sharing essays that describe the core values that guide their daily lives. More than 90,000 of these essays, written by people from all walks of life, are archived on the “This I Believe” website, heard on public radio, chronicled in books, and featured in weekly podcasts. The project is based on the popular 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by
Edward R. Murrow.
OMA's This I Believe Project
The Oregon Mediation Association produced a booklet of "This I Believe" essays which we distributed at our 2001 Fall Conference. Click on the links below to access these essays.
We hope these essays will give you a deeper appreciation for the amazing people who constitute the community of mediators in Oregon. The essays are thoughtful and thought provoking. Although some knew right away what they wanted to write, others struggled to put into words ideas they may have never previously formulated. This was not an easy task and we want to thank everyone who put heart and soul into their offerings.
We thank the following contributors for their essays:
Juanita Range
All current OMA members are invited to continue submitting essays for possible inclusion on this website.
How can you participate? Submit a "This I Believe" essay for consideration. See the guidelines and more information below.
How will OMA decide which essays to include? A committee will review all essays to ensure that they meet our general guidelines and will select those to include on the website. OMA reserves the right to determine if essay content or language is not in keeping with OMA's overall values and OMA reserves the right not to publish essays for any reason.
"This I Believe" Essay Guidelines
Tell a story. Be specific. Take your belief out of the ether and ground it in the events of your life. Consider moments when your belief was formed or tested or changed. Think of your own experience, work, and family, and write about the things you know. Your story need not be heart-warming or gut-wrenching—it can even be funny—but it should be real.
Keep our work in mind. We will accept essays about any beliefs. However, we especially welcome essays that are related to the values reflected in our work.
Be brief. Your essay can be up to 600 words.
Name your belief. If you can’t name it in a sentence or two, your essay might not be about belief. Also, rather than writing a list, we suggest focusing on one core belief.
Be positive. Please avoid preaching or editorializing. Tell us what you do believe, not what you don’t believe.
Write your essay about you. Speak in the first person. Avoid writing about the editorial “we.”
In planning this project, we are guided by the original "This I Believe" series and the producers' invitation to those who wrote essays in the 1950s. Their advice holds up well. In introducing the original series, host Edward R. Murrow said, “Never has the need for personal philosophies of this kind been so urgent.” We agree that the need is as great now as it was 60 years ago. We are eager for your contribution.
Adapted from: This I Believe Essay Writing Guidelines," Copyright ©2005 by This I Believe, Inc. http://thisibelieve.org/guidelines/ Reprinted with permission.
How to Submit Your Essay
- By submitting your essay to the Oregon Mediation Association (OMA), you affirm that your essay is your original work and that your essay does not defame any third party or violate any copyrights or other rights of third parties. In addition, you agree that OMA may use, display and publish your essay, or decide not to use it, at the sole discretion of OMA.
- Before you submit your essay, proofread it carefully. We may not be able to make changes once you have submitted it. We reserve the right to edit it if necessary. You will not have a chance to review it before it is published.
- Submit your essay as a Word document, double spaced in 12 point font (Arial).
- Do not send pdf files.
- Include your name, address, email address and phone number at the top of your Word document.
- Email your essay to director@omediate.org. In the subject heading, write This I Believe_Your Full Name.
For information about OMA's This I Believe project, email director@omediate.org or call (503) 872-9775.
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