Nikola Pavelic

Change Agent, Concerned citizen, Connector, Consultant, Gay, Idea generator, Job-seeker, Project manager, Single

I was born in the former Yugoslavia in a city called Banja Luka. My parents were two social and entrepreneurial spirits who did everything possible to make the life of their two precious children prefect. After seven years of living on this earth my parents protection was no match to the experiences people can create when they work under a shared vision; in this case, it was a war that tore my country apart. As a matter of fact, it is still tearing individuals, families and communities apart. Iowa was home from 1997 to 2016 and my developmental years were shaped by Callanan Middle School, Theodore Roosevelt High School, University of Iowa, and Drake University; in addition to the many adult role models and close friends. For four years I worked in the Human Rights Department for a local city as a Community Engagement Coordinator and prior to this role, I spent four years in the nonprofit sector in diverse roles. I now live in Brooklyn, NY serving a nonprofit as an Evaluation Officer. The lessons my life experiences have thought me are at times unconscious to me. I'd like to acquaint myself with them by plunging myself fully into community development. I envision a community where the community members are able to fully expand who they are while honoring those around them. I imagine a community that not only measures its success by economic growth but also by citizen engagement, conflict resolution, proactive measures, and other non-monetary ways of living which are pluralistic/coexistence oriented. My experiences are a small spec in the macrocosm of the human experience, and it is time for us to not just learn, but use those lessons to create experiences in a way that show respect to our ability to learn, adapt, and thrive as a collective species.

Making possible strong, vibrant and sustainable communities in which diversity, in every form, is celebrated and interwoven into the fabric of the community; from social capital to the infrastructure.

The more open to diversity a person is the less conflicted their life will be. The way to embrace diversity as a way of life can be picked up at any age, yet it is the easiest when we are younger; just like languages. However, just like the air we breath or the water we drink, we have taken diversity for granted. We took the diversity of plants, animals, etc for granted until science and common sense said we have to be better or pay the price. We seem to continue to take the diversity of the human experience for granted and are ignoring the price being paid. Sometimes the price truly is a financial cost while at other times it is the extinction of languages, cultures, lessons, and memories. And, other times, it is the end of our own countries, states, communities, families, and loved ones. But, as many TED speakers have show, this is not the human destiny. The history does not have to repeat itself.

community engagement, facilitation, organizational development, strategic learning, training

The first TED video I ever saw was titled, "Do Schools Kill Creativity?" by Ken Robinson. I now have over 3 days worth of TED videos I find particularly interesting. At times, it was the TED speakers who inspired me or/and gave me hope; not to mention made me laugh. As a matter of fact, any chance I get I use TED talks in the community.