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Dignitarian Dialogues and Bookcrossing.com

http://www.digdi.org/

http://www.breakingranks.net/weblog/dictionary-project/

http://www.bookcrossing.com/newscontent/18

This is an example of creativity in attempting to spread an idea (or meme, if you speak that language).

Here's the idea: all people deserve to be treated with respect, and each of us should protect the dignity of others as if we were protecting the pupil of our own eye.

Robert Fuller’s book “Somebodies and Nobodies” addresses the concept of “rankism,” which he called “the mother of all other ‘isms’." It happens when anyone in a hierarchy (family, school, religious institution, government, business, etc.) abuses someone beneath them on the totem pole just because they can. That's wrong.

How do we get people talking about the concept of rankism, or a dignitarian society, or the idea of treating all people with respect?

We decided to get the book into the hands of people who love to read and talk about what they read.

In 2003 in conjunction with the book-sharing website www.bookcrossing.com, The Harnisch Foundation purchased and distributed about 20,000 copies of "Somebodies and Nobodies."

Result: thousands of copies mailed worldwide, sparking lively discussion on the BookCrossing site, in person MeetUps, and other places.

The idea of a dignity movement has been discussed in recent political campaigns and on The Huffington Post, and the concept is making its way into the public consciousness.

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