I continue to present and develop the research begun with my dissertation, The Myth of Peace: A Culture of Peacemaking, The Process Arts, and The Emergence of a Global Communitarian Mythology, as well as enjoy the writing and teaching that are central to my vocation. I value an atmosphere which encourages learning and the practice of inquiry, a collegiate setting which both sharpens students' thinking and nourishes the soul's expression. As a result, I continue to travel and remain open to opportunities for adjunct work and terms as a visiting lecturer. While engagement with concrete projects anyone may recognize as valuable is essential to my work, the ordered environment of the classroom and training space are also of central importance. I am well prepared to teach undergraduate literature and psychology, as well as provide classes in approaches to peace and conflict, mythology, the history of ideas, cultural studies and critique, and the philosophy of religion.

Brandon WilliamsCraig Ph.D.
Berkeley, CA
brandon at culturesmith dot com
I am seeking professional academic employment at this time which leverages my extensive background both in classroom teaching and deploying online resources for learning and community building. I am happy to teach undergraduates, survey courses, and take on administrative tasks. The materials which follow give an idea of my primary areas of expertise and interest.
Areas of Expertise and Research Emphasis
- Comparative-Critical Studies in Religion, Mythology, Psychology, and Culture
- Origination and Development of the Process Arts concept
- Peace and Conflict Facilitation
- Peace Environment Community Building
- Violence in Communication, Organization, Governance, and Culture
- Religion, Nationalism, and Terror
- Contemporary Social Movements based on Inclusivity & Communitarianism
- Interdisciplinarity of the Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
- American Mythologies of Justice, Democracy, and the Politics of Economic Development
- World Citizenship and Globalization
Courses Prepared
Syllabi available upon request |
Community: The Myth of Peace The Mythology of Dreaming |
Archetypal Images of Peace and Conflict Joseph Campbell and Cultural Mythologies |
Recent Courses Offered
| Format | Title or Content |
Details
|
|
| Community Series |
Tales of Wonder and the Myth of Peace |
Lectures, readings, and forum offered collaboratively with Huston Smith |
|
| Ongoing Public Classes
|
Free Aiki
|
Aikido and Martial Nonviolence Dojo in Berkeley CA
|
|
| Workshop Training | Martial Nonviolence | Epworth UMC community activism intensive
|
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| Ongoing Classes | Basic & Advanced Aikido for Adults - continuing
Children's Aikido Program - 2yrs
|
Instructor - Aikido of Berkeley | |
| Facilitated Process | Process Arts Orientation | Nexus for Change Conference 2007 | |
| Classroom Lecture and demonstration
|
Scriptural Violence and Conflict Metaphors
|
Epworth UMC community education
|
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| Workshop Training | Community Building Facilitator Training
|
FCE model
|
|
| Weekly Class
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The Body In Conflict
|
Moving On Center out-of-term curriculum
|
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| Weekly Class
|
Beginning Aikido for 3-6 year olds
Aikido for Children 6-12 years of age
|
Aikido of San Leandro
Aikido of Berkeley
|
|
| Visiting lecturer/facilitator
|
Consequences of Ideas:
Narrative Navigation in Religious Study
|
Kessler Park UMC
|
EDUCATION
M.A. and Ph.D. Pacifica Graduate Institute, Mythology Studies & Depth Psychology
B.A. University of Dallas, Liberal Arts – Department of Theater
Jesuit College Prep High School, outstanding freshman debate gavel, merit scholarships and performance Awards, honor roll
Dallas Theater Center - internationally renowned Actors Equity Regional Theater Company
Montessori child, born and raised
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Free Aiki Dojo and Golden Bears Aikido at UC Berkeley
Dojo cho (Founder - Chief instructor), 2009 to present
- Traditional Aikido martial arts curriculum
- Original curriculum delivery - Martial Nonviolence® training for bodymind conflict facilitation
- Public teaching three mornings a week with private lessons, demonstrations, and tutorials
Association Building Community (ABCglobal) 501(c)3
President, 2001- present
Executive Director, 2001-2004
Co-founder 1999
Co-Director, Guardians of Peace
Past Director, Saving Sounds program
- Facilitation of an intentional, distributed community dedicated to teaching and practicing the Process Arts (the field of group process study, design, and facilitation) and opening doors for local community initiatives. Facilitation of over ten years of circles and meetings, from founding through incorporation, inclusion and leave-taking of members, life transitions (births, weddings, deaths), three offices in Oakland, San Leandro, and Berkeley - over 1500 hours
- Co-facilitation of weekly public co-creative space in our office in downtown Oakland - over 60 hours
- Co-created community building facilitator training for 10-20 participants in a remote location
- Co-facilitation of Dedicated Weekly Group - over 100 hours
- Co-facilitation of monthly community building circle - over 300 hours
- Co-facilitation of creative alliance groups with other organizations including Artship, Citizen Deliberative Councils, more
- Community mediations for ABC members - over 100 hours
- Professional mediation between associated members and external entities as a substitute for legal proceedings - over 100 hours
- Development and implementation of the plan and vision of the Council (Board) with strong cooperative leadership
- Created and maintained all web design and IT infrastructure, wifi and PC network, email listserves and groups, online presence through Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Tribe, LiveJournal, WiseEarth, etc.
- Project planning, facilitation, and presentation services donated to local non-profits: First United Methodist San Leandro, St. Paschal Baylon Church, San Leandro Unified School District, among others
Aiki Extensions Inc. (AE) 501(c)
AE contracted ABC so that I might create an AE administration and the position of Executive Director 2008
- Direction of an international network dedicated to understanding the learning and teaching of martial arts as peace practices and extending the "arts of peace" metaphor
- beyond the training environment in the form of process arts and
- into concrete projects to benefit those most vulnerable and in need in African and South America
- Co-creation and implementation of the Strategic Plan and vision of the Board with strong cooperative leadership
- A clear overview of all projects with a compassionate dedication to meeting deadlines
- Develop and monitor budgets, projections & balances, support for audit, monitor all bank activity, evaluate opportunities, and participate in the creation of all proposals
- Oversight & maintenance of databases, support of initiatives, campaigns, and events
- Generating and monitoring publicity content, advertising, production, and distribution
- Member education
- Negotiates agreements with umbrella organizations, monitors project performance, and oversees maintenance of records
- Documenting organizational history and reinforcing institutional memory through auto-critical processes
- Remote location leadership, teaching, and team direction
Moving On Center School for Participatory Arts and Research (MOC) 501(c)3
Director of Administration 2000-2003
- International program with worldwide in-house and associate (contract) faculty
- Coordinated all operations under the supervision of Co-directors in Oakland, CA and New York, NY
- Managed all office functions, daily financial tracking and coordinating budget development with Treasurer and bookkeeper, student records and recruitment
- All facility I.T. infrastructure and web design, communications, purchasing
- Executive Assistant to Executive Director
- Event planning and coordination
- Liaison to facility and residents council, mediation and dispute facilitation,
- Employee hiring, management, firing process, and all Human Resources functions including payroll and tax reporting, institution insurance, more...
Original Methodologies (trademark):
-
Martial Nonviolence - MNv® - bodymind conflict facilitation training for individual and group conflict that is physical, intangible, and systemic
- Flexibility In Adversity Training - FIAT®
Certifications in Existing Methodologies:
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Community Mediation – State of California, Marvin Schwartz J.D.
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Aikido, Martial Art of Peace, 4th degree black belt, Instructor
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Community Building Facilitator – Leadership Training, Foundation for Community Encouragement (F.C.E.) – M. Scott Peck M.D.
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Children’s Theater, History of Theater, Musical Theater, Voice, Improvisation as Social Action – Dallas Theater Center
Formal Recognition
Recommended for and inducted by Huston Smith into the Pacific Coast Theological Society at the Graduate Theological Union
PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
Primary Websites and Public Blogs
Dissertation
The Myth of Peace: a culture of peacemaking, the process arts, and the emergence of a global communitarian mythology
Research
Pre-Dissertation
| The Roots of Imagination: Creating a Mythological Education | 4/8/2005 | Santa Barbara, CA
|
| Share Equity Create Value | 4/20/2005 | San Francisco, CA |
| 2nd International Academic Conference of Analytic Psychology & Jungian Studies | 7/7/2005 | College Station
Texas A & M University
|
| The Network of Spiritual Progressives Conference on Spiritual Activism | 7/20/2005 | U.C. Berkeley |
| BIONEERS 2005 16th Annual Conference | 10/14/2005 | San Rafael, CA
|
| Greenfestival 2005 | 11/5/2005 | San Francisco, CA
|
| Blossoms Bloom in the Fire: A Tribute to Marion Woodman | 2/17/2006 | Santa Barbara, CA |
| 1st Annual Joint American Homeopathic Conference: Homeopathy in Pediatrics and Family Care : Homeopathy in Pediatrics and Family Care | 4/7/2006 | San Jose, CA |
| Spiritual Activism Conference 2006 / A Project of the Network of Spiritual Progressives | 5/17/2006 | Washington D.C.
All Souls Unitarian Church
|
| Mythic Imagination Institute - Mythic Journeys 2006 | 6/7/2006 | Atlanta, GA |
| Sojourners 2006/ From Poverty to Opportunity: A Covenant for a New America | 6/26/2006 | Washington D.C.
National City Christian Church
|
| Green Festival 2006 - San Francisco | 11/10/2006 | San Francisco, CA |
| Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM: Daring to Be Men of Hope | 2/7/2007 | Danville, CA |
| Marion Woodman at Pacifica Graduate Institute | 2/9/2007 | Santa Barbara, CA
Pacifica Graduate Institute
|
| Uncovering The Heart of Education | 2/22/2007 | San Francisco, CA |
| Foundation for Mythological Studies/ Nature and Human Nature | 3/16/2007 | Santa Barbara, CA
Pacifica Graduate Institute
|
| 16th National Conference on Child Abuse | 4/16/2007 | Portland, OR |
| Imagination and Medicine: The Future of Healing in an Age of Neuroscience | 4/27/2007 | Santa Barbara, CA
Pacifica Graduate Institute
|
| Sacred Activism ~ The Power of Inclusion | 5/10/2007 | Tulsa, OK |
| Nutrition and Health/Columbia University and Univ. of Arizona | 5/14/2007 | San Diego, CA |
| Third International Women's Peace Conference | 7/10/2007 | Dallas, TX |
| Globalization Teach-In 2007: Confronting the Global Triple Crisis | 9/14/2007 | Washington D.C.
George Washington University
|
| 1st Annual Somatic Experiencing® Conference | 10/24/2007 | Oakland, CA |
| San Francisco Green Festival | 11/9/2007 | San Francisco, CA |
| International Association of Emergency Managers (FEMA, military, city and county governments, etc) |
11/11/2007 | Reno, NV |
| O for a World: Faith, Community and Sustainability (Earl Lectures) | 1/22/2008 | Berkeley, CA |
| Publicizing Truths with Consequence: Independent Media Strategy Summit Design | 1/26/2008 | Santa Cruz, CA |
| James Hillman - Senex and Puer | 4/16/2010 | Montecito, CA |
| Integral Theory Conference |
7/30/2010 |
Pleasant Hill, CA John F. Kennedy University |
Contributions to Wikipedia on the following pages/topics:
Huston Smith, Seth Godin, Frak, Madrasah, Atenism, Nicholas Samstag, Society of Jesus, Operations Research, Robin Williams, Alfred North Whitehead, Octavio Solis, Swallow, Betty Buckley, Reaction formation, Focusing, Procrustes, William Sansom, Hans Vaihinger, Tasseography
REFERENCES
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