Common Practice Uses Games and Pins to Spur Health and Activism – The Philadelphia Citizen
This was supposed to be a story about Hello, a game that helps people have conversations about their end-of-life wishes and, in the process, enables them to explore and express what matters most to them.
But as it turns out, the creators of the gameJethro Heiko and Nick Jehlen, whose company is called Common Practiceare more like accidental, or incidental, game creators; their primary, and defining, profession is something more powerful, more timely. Theyre Action Enablers.
A little history.
As a college student in the 90s at University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Heiko cared for his dying father; it was an experience that propelled him to start a bereavement organization with a local hospice in Boston, which he ran for a few years. Then he became a community organizer, leading, among other efforts, Fenway Votes, the charge to save Fenway Park, and co-founding Turn Your Back on Bush, an effort that rallied 5,000 people to descend on Washington to take a stand against Bushs election in 2004.
Voting is so important, I dont want to downplay voting, Jehlen says. But there are just so many other ways to do stuff. All of our work is geared towards giving people a way to try and do stuff.
It was while working as an organizer in Boston that Jethro met a woman whose then-boyfriend was designer Nick Jehlen. The two men became friends and then business partners, launching a consulting firm, and in 2003 Heiko moved to Philly to be near family, continuing to work with Jehlen, who soon after moved to New York. Once in Philly, Heiko became a founder of Casino-Free Philadelphia, getting arrested (and ultimately acquitted) while protesting.
But it was after a difficult client project fell apart that Heiko and Jehlen decided to think more deeply about what they really wanted to do, who they really wanted to serve. On a walk near 7th and Spring Garden streets one day, Heiko came up with an idea for a game called Fear Rummy, about fears and hopes.
That led us to an exploration of death and dying as an issue facing our society, Jehlen says. They began doing interviews, including many with hospice nurses who said, over and over, that they could provide really good care to people from families that had had one good conversation about death and dying. Thats all it took. And if they hadnt had that one conversation, it was a struggle. There was no entrance.
Hello, previously called My Gift of Grace, came out of that introspection and research. Its a conversational game that include a booklet of questions like, Who havent you talked to in six months that you would want to talk with before you died? and If you needed help going to the bathroom today, who is the first person you would ask to help you? Who would you never be able to ask? Its thoughtfully- and beautifully-designed; everyone gets a chance to talk and to listen, and to share their gratitude to fellow players.
But its more than that: Its effective.
Lauren Jodi Van Scoy, MD, is a pulmonologist at Penn State Hershey and the author of Last Wish: Stories to Inspire a Peaceful Passing. Shes been studying Hello for the last six years, and her findings are remarkable: She says that 80 percent of players take some next step towards advance care planning within three months of playing Hellowhether its talking to their physician or making funeral plans. I was really skeptical of the game when I first heard about it, she says. But its the most effective tool that Ive ever seen at getting people to actually do another step beyond just whatever the [end-of-life planning] intervention itself was.
Jehlen likes to say that there are more studies and data on Hello than on any other end-of-life tool. Its nice and cute, but its not Cards Against Humanityits actually gonna change the world, Heiko adds. To date, theyve sold about 40,000 copies of the game, and are looking to scale.
Watching Hello being played, one cant help but wonder what its potential could be to stimulate conversations beyond end-of-life, to get into matters of politics and policy when our country is in dire need of civil discourse.
There, Heiko and Jehlen are one step ahead.
Some more recent history.
After President Trump was elected, and as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg rose to pop-political prominence as an antidote to our countrys collective fear and grief, Jehlen, with the help of an illustrator friend, created an RBG collar pin. He gave 100 of them away to friends.
Then he made 500 moreand sold them all, within days, on Facebook.
Meanwhile, the airport sit-ins in protest of Trumps immigration policies had begun and, watching the news, Jehlen wanted to do something: He realized that he could sell pins for a causethat cause, supporting the work of the legal teams on the front linesand so many more.
I think people want to feel like theyre part of something, Jehlen says. I think theres a real appeal to civil discourse and to being able to wear something that both shows your opinion and also isnt hitting other people over the head with it.
Now, Dissent Pinsa line of cool, colorful metal pins and jewelry, as well as stickers, with progressive subject matteris the financial engine driving the duos business, which they refer to internally as Dissent and Co. Theyve sold more than 150,000 items, and half of all proceeds from the sale of the pins go to meaningful causes.
The original RBG pin supports The Bronx Freedom Fund, International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), and the Center for Reproductive Rights. A colorful birth control pin supports Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Reproductive Health Access Project, and SisterSong: Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective.
Theres the IUD pin and a condom pin, a Thanks, Science pro-vaccine pin and gun-control pins and Pride pins and a Count Every Vote pin and more.
And while, sure, you could just as easily donate to Planned Parenthood without advertising that youve done so, Jehlen and Heiko recognize that there is power in broadcasting your beliefs, even if only silently.
I think people want to feel like theyre part of something, Jehlen says. I think theres a real appeal to civil discourse and to being able to wear something that both shows your opinion and also isnt hitting other people over the head with it.
Heiko wants the pins to empower people. When you wear a pin like that, it makes you behave a certain way, he says. Our hope is that you go into the day, and youll feel more powerful. Youll feel more powerful to stand up and dissent when you need to.
Not that theyre opposed to verbalizing their beliefs. On a recent Thursday morning in November, Heiko and Madeline Elwell, a Philly native who leads Common Practices customer outreach and engagement, showed up in front of Independence Hall, wearing, on their winter coats, name tags that said Hello, Im President Zelensky and Hello, Im President Trump, respectively. They proceeded to read the memorandum of the now-infamous July 25 call between the two world leaders; it was their way of saying, if only to the Chinese tourists and locals who happened to pass by, This is nuts, peoplewake up! They also created a document called the Citizen Subpoena, on which theyve been gathering citizen signatures to subpoena Mike Pence; they plan to mail it directly to the Veep himself.
In 2020, theyre launching The Big One, A preparation kit for the most important election of our lives. It is a five-by-eight card, downloadable for free on their site, with two questions: Why is the 2020 election important to you? and Because the 2020 election is important to you, what are you committing to do about it? It is meant to be shared and discussed among groups.
Witnessing, Jehlen says, alluding to the viewer turnout for the televised impeachment hearings, is very important, but its not the only thing. We are living through history, and we better grab the reins, he notes. Otherwise theres some really bad stuff that will continue to happen.
If their efforts seem all over the place, theres a unifying theme, ayupCommon Practice, among them all.
In many ways, all were designing are ways and handles to do things together, to do things in public, to take action, Jehlen says. I think theres a tendency in this moment in this democracy for people to believe that voting is the only thing that you can do. And voting is so important, I dont want to downplay voting. But there are just so many other ways to do stuff. All of our work is geared towards giving people a way to try and do stuff.
Link:
Common Practice Uses Games and Pins to Spur Health and Activism - The Philadelphia Citizen
- Protests are the last thing keeping Turkeys democracy alive - The Economist - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Ive never seen such clampdowns in Istanbul. Turkeys democracy is fighting for its life | Orhan Pamuk - The Guardian - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Democracy is more than rules and institutions, its a way of life - The Conversation - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Voters Need to Know What Redboxing Is and How It Undermines Democracy - Campaign Legal Center - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Trumps Latest Executive Order is a Shamand a Warning - Democracy Docket - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- How the Fight for American Democracy Can Start with Unions - Progressive.org - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- US swing toward autocracy doesnt have to be permanent but swinging back to democracy requires vigilance, stamina and elections - The Conversation - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Donald Trumps chilling effect on free speech and dissent is threatening US democracy - The Conversation - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- The Price of Peace: Money, Democracy, and the Life of John Maynard Keynes - Paul Krugman and Zachary D. Carter in Conversation - CUNY Graduate Center - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Hip-Hop Star Macklemore on New Film The Encampments & Why He Speaks Out Against Israels War on Gaza - Democracy Now! - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Why Elon Musk, GOP Are Trying to Buy the Wisconsin Supreme Court Election - Democracy Docket - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Free Inquiry & Expression and the Future of Democracy Series Continues March 27 - Stetson University - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Arkansas AG rejects proposed ballot measure to amend states direct democracy process - Arkansas Advocate - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Our Voice: Threats to Democracy, From Oopsie Too late, to Ignoring Classified Communications - The Ark Valley Voice - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- For the sake of US democracy, its time for Chuck Schumer to step down | Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin - The Guardian - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- To Build a Better Democracy, Start by Rethinking Your Relationship to the Internet - Tech Policy Press - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Duluth Residents Share Concerns at a Town Hall Hosted by Practicing Democracy - FOX 21 Online - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- GOP Slammed Bidens Voting Order as Federal Overreach But Praised Trumps - Democracy Docket - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Democracy in Action group to host Hixson town hall for lawmakers Blackburn, Fleischmann and Hagerty - Chattanooga Times Free Press - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Pro-Beijing Chinese Influencers Kicked Out in Test for Small Democracy - Newsweek - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Comments - This Week in Democracy Week 10: Trump Brags About Institutions 'Bending' to His Will - Zeteo - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- The frog of democracy is nearly boiled. We can still jump out of the pot - The Philadelphia Inquirer - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Fear and anger as 'battle for the soul of Romanian democracy' looms - BBC.com - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Erdogans crackdown: Turkey and the fight for democracy - European Council on Foreign Relations - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- ICYMI: Democracy Forward Challenges Trumps Executive Overreach and Attacks on Legal System - Democracy Forward - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Mourning Democracy, Professors Lambast Columbia Administrators for Submitting to Trump - The Chronicle of Higher Education - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- SCOTUS Hears Latest Conservative Assault on the Voting Rights Act - Democracy Docket - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Civics Education Is About More Than Elections Its the Foundation of Democracy - The 74 - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Avoiding your neighbor because of how they voted? Democracy needs you to talk to them instead - The Conversation Indonesia - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Chicago priests warn about growing Trump threats to immigrants and democracy - People's World - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Trump is abandoning democracy and freedom. That creates an opening for Europe and Britain | Jonathan Freedland - The Guardian - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Poll: 63% of public fears for Israeli democracy as government votes to fire Shin Bet head - The Times of Israel - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- In a true democracy Netanyahu has the right to remove the head of the Shin Bet - Ynetnews - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Purple reign: NCs history of split-ticket voting is democracy working - Carolinacoastonline - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Do You Want to Fight Back Against Elon Musks Attack on our Democracy? - Shepherd Express - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- 'This game is not over ... our democracy is worth fighting for' is Rep. Summer Lee's rallying cry at Hill District town hall - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- When Did We Decide That Democracy and Improving Peoples Lives Contradicted Each Other? - Esquire - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- An Unprecedented, Breathtaking Assault on American Democracy: LWV Responds to Trump Administrations First 60 Days - League of Women Voters - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Opinion | Dont count on the courts to save democracy - The Washington Post - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Video. We need to improve democracy, Lech Wasa says - Euronews - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- DOGEs USAID Takeover Likely Violated the Constitution, Judge Says - Democracy Docket - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Commentary: California sheriffs are becoming MAGA allies and threatening democracy - Stocktonia News - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- The End of US Democracy and the Implications for International Relations - E-International Relations - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Why Indonesias new military law is alarming pro-democracy activists and rights groups - The Associated Press - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Breaking Social Security: Trump & Musk Move Ahead with Plan to Cut Agency Staff & Services - Democracy Now! - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Chris Murphy: 'If We Continue to Engage in Business as Usual, This Democracy Could Be Gone' - Rolling Stone - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- House Of Lords Thrown Into 'Chaos' As Democracy Protesters Bring Debate To A Halt - Yahoo News UK - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Unchaining Venezuela: a struggle for democracy - The London School of Economics and Political Science - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Murkowski says Trump is testing the institutions of democracy - KTOO - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Democrats grapple with Trump, democracy and an argument that didnt work - The Hill - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Trumps Cuts to Democracy Promotion Like the NED Already Hit Asian Organizations Hard - Council on Foreign Relations - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- A Slim Majority of Voters Think U.S. Democracy Is Currently Working Well - Data For Progress - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Ken Roth on Israels Starvation Strategy in Gaza & Righting Wrongs of Abusive Governments - Democracy Now! - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- African Democracy Is in Retreat. That's a Problem for America | Opinion - Newsweek - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Political science department hosts discussion on the state of U.S. democracy - The Collegian University of Richmond - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Join Light For Our Democracy - Marblehead Current - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Polish democracy hero Wasa says Trumps treatment of Zelenskyy filled him with horror - The Associated Press - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Trumps War Against Democracy and the Rules-Based World Order - The Globalist - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Authoritarianism expert weighs in on Trump, Musk and the fate of U.S. democracy | Here & Now - WBUR News - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Letter: Do we have any way to save our besieged democracy? - Yakima Herald-Republic - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- The Freak Show: Our Democracy Is Being Dismantled Right Before Our Eyes - Aquarian Weekly - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Mayor Johnson heads to Washington to be grilled on immigration. GOP should focus on democracy instead. - Chicago Sun-Times - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Democracy that works - Anhui News - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Trumps moves test the limits of presidential power and the resilience of US democracy - The Associated Press - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Passing SAVE Act Would Be Taking a Chainsaw to Democracy - Democracy Docket - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Just 6% of the worlds population live in a full democracy, new report claims - The Independent - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Bezos, Billionaires and Bibi: Democracy and the Free Press Are Shrinking - Haaretz - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- California to launch first-in-the-nation digital democracy effort to improve public engagement - Office of Governor Gavin Newsom - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Defending American arts, culture, and democracy - Brookings Institution - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- European Reactions to the U.S. Retreat From Democracy - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Urge Your Members of Congress to Stand Up for Democracy - League of Women Voters - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- A Protest, a Phone Call, and the Power of Democracy - LGBTQ Victory Institute - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- This Week in Democracy - Week 6: Chaos in the Oval, Attacks on the Press, and What Did you Accomplish Last Week - Zeteo - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Defining Oligarchy: The Fusion of Wealth and Power in American Democracy - Baylor University - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Opinion | The Worst Existential Threat to American Democracy Is Already Here: Voter Suppression - Common Dreams - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Democracy in the crosshairs - IPS Journal - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Separation of powers and democracy under threat in US - MSR News Online - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Extended Interview: Mark Graham on Internet Archives Work Preserving the Web as Govt Sites Go Dark - Democracy Now! - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Wayback Machine Saves Thousands of Federal Webpages Amid Purge of Government Data Under Trump - Democracy Now! - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Human Rights and Democracy in the Quantum Age - Just Security - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]