Humanity Project on AI

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Like many of us, our folks at the Humanity Project are just starting to learn the value of AI. Artificial Intelligence has extraordinary potential to help all of us — and significant potential for the opposite, of course. It’s very new and none of us is really an expert. But we were pleased to look up “the Humanity Project” on ChapGPT recently ….and to find a glowing report on our organization. We’d like to share with you some of ChatGPT’s words about us.

This is one of the paragraphs we found today as we posted this blog: “The Humanity Project® is a well-established, creative, and compassionate non profit that empowers individuals—especially youth—to build a more respectful and supportive society through arts, education, and community engagement.”

And here’s another sample: “Known for popular and pioneering programs—like their arts-based anti-bullying curriculum—which have impacted hundreds of schools, especially in the U.S….There are similarly named initiatives globally—such as in Canada, New Zealand, or UK—but the Florida based Humanity Project® is distinct in its long running, values driven educational approach.”

And then there’s this: “In Summary - The Humanity Project is a Florida-based nonprofit dedicated to fostering self-worth, mutual respect, and equality through youth education, peer-led safety programs, anti-bullying initiatives, and cultural dialogue. With nearly two decades of consistent outreach, award-winning transparency, and community-based programs, it stands as a trusted, mission-driven organization.”

Thank you, ChatGPT for getting it right. We’re proud of our 20-year record of effort and achievement in the community. It’s always nice to know that others appreciate our work to promote self-worth, equality and respect for all people.

Honor and Privilege

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A recent Humanity Project Board of Directors retreat (two members absent)

The Humanity Project Board of Directors has just adopted a new code for themselves… a set of expectations, really, for those who are privileged to sit among this distinguished group of folks. Our board includes respected authors and college professors, teachers and journalists, health experts and LGBTQ activists. They are smart, seasoned and eager to advance the values of the Humanity Project.

The recently adopted document spells out expectations big and small, something that should prove especially useful for future board members. Here is the new statement:

Responsibilities of Humanity Project Board Membership

The Humanity Project is a unique nonprofit organization with a rich history dating from its founding in 2005. THP board membership is an honor and a privilege given carefully selected individuals who unequivocally agree with the Humanity Project’s mission, motto, programs and methods. Accordingly, this statement of responsibilities is adopted by the Humanity Project Board of Directors as guidance for members, new and old. We believe it outlines the minimum engagement that THP board members should expect of themselves and each other as part of a team that aims to make a significant difference in the community and beyond.

Every Humanity Project board member is expected to do the following:

1. Read each THP newsletter and email carefully

2. Respond promptly to important emails when feedback or votes are requested

3. Attend all THP board meetings unless prevented by an unavoidable personal or professional conflict

4. Make at least one personal monetary donation to THP each year

5. Attempt to raise donations and/or attract sponsorships whenever feasible

6. Attend at least half of THP’s public events each year

7. Do your best in daily life to spread word of THP’s mission, website, social media and work in the community

8. Whenever possible, assist with hands-on efforts to advance THP programs and projects under the guidance of THP’s president or other staff leadership: e.g. helping deliver Humanity Club sessions; making phone calls; helping event setup/breakdown; scheduling Speakers Bureau appearances; etc.

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Those eight simple items make clear that the Humanity Project is an active organization with strong, engaged leadership — and that future board members must plan to take vigorous part in our efforts. We think this is just one more way that our 20-year-old nonprofit can ensure we’re doing everything possible to inspire individual self-worth as well as universal respect and equality. That’s our goal. Our great Board of Directors is an important tool as we go about doing this work, day in and day out.

Fabled Lives

We want you to know about a special book, with 100% of royalties for the first two years going directly to the Humanity Project. That audiobook is called, “Fabled Lives: Simple Stories You Need For Living In A Complex World.” You’ll find it available on Apple Books, Walmart, Google Play, Barnes and Noble and nearly every other major seller of audio-only books. (Amazon/Audible does not sell books that are available only on audio.) Or you can just visit the Author’s Guild website of Robert Spencer Knotts, who wrote the fables and the original music that accompanies each story in this charming book: Visit the author’s website.

That author, of course, is also the founder and president of the Humanity Project, Bob Knotts. He wrote these dozen fables over a period of 14 years — and they are posted for free on this website: Visit our Fables page. One of them is even posted here in an audio version. Overwhelmingly, those fables are the most popular feature on the Humanity Project website, attracting hits daily from nations spread around the globe on six continents.

Now you can enjoy them all in a single new audiobook, produced and engineered by Matt Corey — an award-winning sound designer and a VP on the Humanity Project Board of Directors. The audiobook is professional quality and runs more than an hour long. You’ll find these morality tales written for an adult audience, or even older kids. Each carries a clear lesson as fables have for centuries, from Aesop on down. Enjoy them, pass them along to friends and family … and maybe give them a little thought as well. They are cleverly written but, yes, simple stories we all can use for living in this very very complex world of ours.