INSIDE: Messages from International Of ficers ... · Congr atulations t o Kosh y Mathew for his...
Transcript of INSIDE: Messages from International Of ficers ... · Congr atulations t o Kosh y Mathew for his...
“Together we can do so much more”
Nº 1, 2016/17
INSIDE: Messages from International Officers • International Convention 2016 – A Veteran Participant Recollects • Legislation:
Constitutional Frames • The 16th International Youth Convocation - A Brief Report • 2016 IYC Highlights: Youth Panel Discussion • For
the Record: What’s in a Name? • Y’s Action News from Far and Near • Mantra for the Soul : All We Need is Love – And a Lot of Dialogue
“Together we can do so much more”2
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and
Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai with Christina
Lamb.
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in
Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be
silenced and fought for her right to an
education.
On Tuesday, 9 October, 2012, when she
was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate
price. She was shot in the head at point-
blank range while riding the bus home from
school, and few expected her to survive.
Instead, Malala’s miraculous recovery
has taken her on an extraordinary journey
from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the
United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a
global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest-ever Nobel
Peace Prize laureate.
I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted
by global terrorism, of the fight for girls’ education, of a
father who, himself a school owner, championed and
encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of
brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a
society that prizes sons.
I Am Malala will make you believe in the power of one
person’s voice to inspire change in the world.
(A Goodreads review)
FROM MY BOOKSHELFFROM MY BOOKSHELFFROM MY BOOKSHELFFROM MY BOOKSHELFFROM MY BOOKSHELF
Dear readers,
You may wonder what happened to Y’s Men’s World. Well,
that name will not be used any more for we re-christened our
bulletin YMI World. It reflects “the changed
realities of the time and inclusive,” as the
relevant Minute of the 2016 International
Council notes.
IP Joan Wilson has been kind enough
to ask me to continue as editor of this
important communication tool, which I am
happy to do. Thank you IP!
My experience shows that there is no
dearth of news of activities in the Movement around the world
and my decision to go for 16-page newsletters every quarter
stands vindicated. Send us reports of your service activities
and your reflections on issues that matter to the Movement
since we now have ample column space for all Areas.
I was privileged to attend the International Council
meeting in Taipei in early August and got to know first-hand
the working of an international organisation such as ours,
apart from being able to put a face to the people I have been
corresponding with these past few months. Although I did
not attend the International Convention to bring you a first-
hand report of that, we are lucky to have one from Ray Seto
of Hawaii. I have reproduced that here from the Kaimuki Y
Service Club’s bulletin. Ray is a veteran IC attendee for, the
Taipei event was his t. enty-first. Congratulations Ray!
An attempt is made here to bring you what transpired at
the International Council Meerting, especially on the vital
amendments to our Constitution and TOF-GPF projects.
Thank you Silvya for the article on “Constitutional Frames,”
originally written for the IP’s e-News and reworked for this issue.
As for communication and public relations, the Council
has instituted an award for the Best Area Bulletin produced
this year. Area leaders, do your bit and project the Movement
in the best manner and send us the bulletins to be adjudged.
This issue of YMI World highlights two major events – the
International Convention and the International Youth
Convocation (IYC) – that took place recently in Taipei.
Attending the interaction between International Council
Members and youth in the panel discussion at the IYC was a
rewarding experience. It assured me that the future of the
Movement is not bleak. YMI must harness youthful exuberance
and convert that into a young membership base. There are
four stories, nay five, in this issue from or about youth. Special
thanks to Stephanie and ’Fola for their contributions!
Looking forward to your continued support.
With every good wish,
Yours in Y’sdom,
Koshy Mathew
EDITORKoshy Mathew222, 7C Main,
First Block HRBR LayoutKalyan Nagar,
Bengaluru 560 043, India.Tel: +91-9845036147
Skype: [email protected]
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AFRICATunji Makinde (Nigeria)
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Nº 1, 2016/17
Cover picture: From the Opening Ceremony of IC 2016, Taipei
Deadline for submission of contributions for next issue: 30 November 2016
Editor’Editor’Editor’Editor’Editor’s Pas Pas Pas Pas Pagegegegege
“Together we can do so much more” 3
Dear friends,
It gives me great pleasure to contribute to this first edition
of our international newsletter under the new and more
modern banner of “YMI World”. Congratulations to Koshy
Mathew for his first stellar
year as editor and for the
many positive changes that
he has instituted. I look
forward to another year of
excellent Y’s Men/Y Service
news through YMI World.
I was lucky enough to
meet many Y’s Men and
Y Service members while
at the International Con-
vention in Taipei this sum-
mer. It was wonderful to
see such good representa-
tion from all Areas. I congratulate Region Taiwan for
their hard work in putting this convention together. There
were many memorable parts and for me these included:
the involvement of senior level YMCA leaders; beautiful
hotel and venues; outstanding entertainment; great food;
the involvement of our youth in many sessions; and lots
of fellowship and laughter. On top of that, the Interna-
tional Council meetings at the Beitou Hot Springs were
very productive and successful. Thank you to all our
Taiwanese hosts for a wonderful visit!
During the IP Night, I gave my keynote address to all the
delegates, including the participants of the International Youth
Convocation (for the full text, go to the YMI website). I
spoke about the core values of our Movement, and that despite
so many years since our inception, they are still equally relevant
today. I spoke of our special relationship with the YMCA,
and that despite some challenges in certain parts of the world,
we still have a strong working bond today. I spoke about my
theme and slogan (“Our Future Begins Today” and “Together
We Can Do So Much More”) and offered five ways (see box)
we could all work together.
I encourage each of you to draw on these skills in your
own responsibilities in Y’sdom, no matter how big or small
they may be, and help your clubs to work the same way. By
each member and club doing their parts, we will see big
changes.
Three new things that have been instituted this year that I
want to share with you. The first is the monthly IP eNEWS
which is published about the 20th of each month. You will
find focus articles on the Emphasis Month programmes for
the upcoming month, as well as other short news articles.
You can find the first three editions posted on the YMI website.
Secondly, after a year of development by a dedicated team,
we are launching the Global Opportunities for Leadership
Development (GOLD) 2.0 programme. This programme is
an online interactive learning tool to help our younger members
and youth learn about Y’s Men, as well as other useful skills
such as programme development, communication skills, etc.
It will be offered to recommended young people over this
coming year. We hope that in the future, any member can
access these great training tools. See the website for links on
how to apply for the GOLD 2.0 programme.
And finally, this year we have a new IP letter entitled
“Recognition for Excellence in Service”. The purpose of
this is to acknowledge the good work of clubs in their own
day-to-day projects. I simply require an email
(joanakawilson@gmail. com) with several sentences
describing the project. Include who benefits, what the club
actually does, and the frequency of the work. Include a
picture of the project in action (not a group photo op but
actual work being done). You will receive your letter by
email (so include the club president’s name and email
address), and it can be printed and framed and/or used for
publicity within your communities. I hope that I will be
inundated with emails about the way our clubs are serving
their communities! Let’s celebrate our good work!
My IP Goal for this 2016-17 year is to see 5 per cent
real growth in paid membership and in support for our
international programmes. The APs have set even higher
goals than mine, and I do hope they are successful. However,
we cannot succeed if our current members are not involved
and engaged in the work to be done. So I encourage you to
support your leaders at all levels to reach our goals this
year! Remember that together we can do so much more!
All the best in your service to the YMCA, and to those
in need in your local communities and around the world.
Y’sly,
Joan Wilson
International President 2016-17
Five Five Five Five Five WWWWWaaaaays to ys to ys to ys to ys to WWWWWork ork ork ork ork TTTTTogetherogetherogetherogetherogether
C Communications – clear and consistent messages;
prompt responses; timely messaging.
L Leadership – model servant leadership; feel
empowered and committed to do your work.
E Everyone – involve young members, Y’s Menettes
and families; all need to be engaged in meeting
goals.
A Action – can’t delay in dealing with our current
challenges; support current service projects and
look for new ones. all must work on member
conservation; new clubs must have ongoing
mentoring.
R Responsibility – each of us must complete
whatever duties are assigned to us, whether big or
small; we must share in problem-solving so we can
go forward together.
FROM THE INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENTFROM THE INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENTFROM THE INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENTFROM THE INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENTFROM THE INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT
“Together we can do so much more”4
International Secretary-General WritesDear fellow members,
The International Council Meeting (ICM16) and
associated meetings were held at
Beitou Hot Springs Resort in
Taipei, Taiwan in the last week of
July and the first week of August.
The Taiwan Regional Office and
Taipei Y’s Men’s Club leaders
under the leadership of
International Council Member
and Area President Tung Ming-
Hsiao coordinated the logistics and other related matters
and all of us want to express our appreciation to the local
host committee once again through this column.
All 15 Council Members were in attendance as well as
some of the International Service Directors, Chairpersons
of Task Forces, other observing leaders and their spouses.
After a two-day meeting of International Executive Officers,
a one-day training of the International Council Members
followed by three and a half days of Council meeting
conducted under the chairpersonship of IP Joan Wilson
were hectic and productive. In addition to reviewing reports
from various leaders and intense discussions, 62 motions
were raised and dealt with. One of the important ones
(No. 49) is regarding the International Election and that
is to come into effect from 1 July 2017. It says that no
Region shall nominate any candidate for the position of
International President-Elect who, at the time of
nomination, comes from the same Area as the incumbent
International President or the International President-Elect.
This motion was carried with majority support as the
purpose is to have a well-balanced International President
Troika. Since this is a Constitutional matter, it requires
the final approval of all clubs, communication for which
will be sent soon from IHQ.
Another motion was on the Guideline for Legislative
Officers in the sense that the nominee shall meet the
qualification requirements established by the International
Council, although the Areas are free to establish their own
qualification requirements subject to the approval of the
International Council. However, the qualifications for
Young Council Members shall be established only by the
International Council. As for International projects, eight
new applications for TOF-GPF grants were approved.
Among them was the Korea Y’s Men Doctor’s Free Medical
Service (projects in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar).
Participants of these major meetings also visited
delegates at the Youth Convocation that was being held at
the same time in the a nearby hotel for a joint panel
discussion. There were over 100 youth representatives from
all over and the dynamism exhibited by them holds promise
for the future of our Movement.
Finally, the Satellite Office in Chiang Mai is a reality. I
have moved into our new office and have had some visitors
already not only from Thailand but also from other parts
of the region. I look forward to continued interaction with
all leaders in this part of the world.
Y’sly,
Nishi
Past Area President of Area Asia Chow Wing Ping from
Hong Kong District receives the prestigious Ballantyne Award
from IPAP Wichian Boonmapajorn and ISG Nishi at the
International Convention in Taipei in August for his long
years of dedicated service to the Movement.
Ballantyne Ballantyne Ballantyne Ballantyne Ballantyne AAAAAward 2016ward 2016ward 2016ward 2016ward 2016
NEWS IN BRIEFNEWS IN BRIEFNEWS IN BRIEFNEWS IN BRIEFNEWS IN BRIEF
Satellite Office Opened in Chiang MaiSatellite Office Opened in Chiang MaiSatellite Office Opened in Chiang MaiSatellite Office Opened in Chiang MaiSatellite Office Opened in Chiang Mai
The Satellite Office in Chiang Mai, Thailand has been in
operation since 19 August. ISG Nishi is now mainly stationed
there, on the second floor of Chiang Mai YMCA. Four
staff members – Tracy, Andrew, Amine, and James –
continue to handle their administrative and financial duties
from Geneva. The two offices are well-linked due to the use
of online solutions for improved email and file sharing and
storage. Use of new tools such as Portalbuzz database and
video conferencing with GoToMeeting, also popular with
many Areas and Regions seeking to decrease costs associated
with hosting traditional meetings are also helpful.
Asia and Pacific Asia and Pacific Asia and Pacific Asia and Pacific Asia and Pacific Areas MergedAreas MergedAreas MergedAreas MergedAreas Merged
On 4 August 2016, the Asia and South Pacific Areas formally
merged. Region Australia moves beneath the umbrella of the
newly-named Area Asia Pacific. Mr Russell Jones (Australia)
will continue as an International Council Member until 30
June 2018, together with Mr Tung-Ming Hsiao (Taiwan) who
will continue also as Area President for Asia Pacific.
“Together we can do so much more” 5
A A A A A VVVVVeteran Participant Recollectseteran Participant Recollectseteran Participant Recollectseteran Participant Recollectseteran Participant Recollects
Ray SetoRay SetoRay SetoRay SetoRay Seto
Five of us arrived at Taipei in the early
hours of 2 August to attend the 72nd
International Convention. Waiting to
greet us were three Taiwan Y’s Men,
Austin Lin, Mark Lin, and Spring Yu.
The Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Golf
Tournament was held on 3 August at
the Ta Tun Golf Club. It was a hot and
humid day for golf, and I played as best
as I could with borrowed clubs. After
the tournament we proceeded to Beitou
Hot Spring Resort for the 72nd
International Convention welcome
dinner and presentation of RBM Golf
results. The Taipei Central Y’s Men’s
Club made a pledge of US $10,000 to
RBM. The tournament was supposed
to have raised this amount, but they fell
short, so a donation box was set up at
the welcome dinner, hoping to raise the
balance of the funds. There was even an
RBM Princess to assist donors in making
contributions. The effort was very
successful with over US$ 10,000 being
raised, together with the golf tournament
and dinner.
The International Convention
started on 4 August with registration.
At the registration counters, the Taiwan
Clubs sold several souvenir items with
the Convention logo on it. They had t-
shirts, hats, pens, chopsticks, convention
pins, cookies, etc., all starting at the price
of NT$100 (US$3).
The opening ceremony held at the
ballroom of the Grand Hotel started at
2 p.m. with the traditional parade of
flags and lighting of the candle with the
Bible opened to Chapter 1 of the Gospel
according to St. John. The opening
dinner followed with a 10-course
Taiwanese meal. Lion dances and musical
performances by Taiwanese artistes
added color and sound to the evening.
The acrobats were fantastic in their
performance.
The next day started with ISG Nishi
giving his report. The highlight of his
report was the revision of his
employment contract, which is in its
second 5-year term. He was able to
negotiate with the ICM to have the ISG
employment contract reduced to four
years instead of five, with one extension
meaning that he will
now serve only eight
years instead of the
10 years he originally
signed up for. Future
hires will have
maximum two 4-year contracts when
hired. Nishi reported that his office is
now in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with his
staff still in Geneva. This arrangement
has reduced the office rent in Geneva.
With modern technology, Nishi is able
to video conference with his staff
regularly from Thailand.
Awards and message from the
YMCA took up most of the morning
session. Mr. Wing Ping Chou of Hong
Kong was awarded the Ballantyne Award
for his long and committed service to
Y’sdom.
Lunch was served in a bento box,
after which we had our break-out
meetings and I attended the Community
Service/RBM session and the Y’s
Menettes session where they had a tea
ceremony among the attendees. We then
had our Area meeting held jointly with
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2016INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2016INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2016INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2016INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2016
TRANSITION: L: IPAP Wichian Boonmapajorn hands over the banner to the ne IP Joan Wilson, who then welcomes the new IP-E Henry Grindheim (middle).
Right: The new team of IEOs sign the register after taking over office.
Participants of the RBM Golf Tournament Handing over the promised amount to IP Joan
This article is reprinted here from the September issue of Kaimuki Y Service Club’s newsletter, of which Ray Seto is a member. Ray
(in the picture on the right) is seen here with his special award for attending more than 20 International Conventions - Editor
“Together we can do so much more”
I am honoured to be standing here before you this evening as your International
President. It is a privilege for me to be able to serve our Movement and its
members, and I will do my utmost to fulfill my duties.
…
It is for this reason – service to others - that Y’s Men came into existence 94
years ago. Our founder, Paul William Alexander, saw that the local YMCA,
with its strong Christian foundation and focus on providing young men with
positive and engaging activities, was in need of support and encouragement to
maintain their programmes. Thus the Y’s Men’s Club was born, and very soon
it spread across the world. Others saw this as a constructive way to help the
needy in their communities by supporting the good work of the YMCA.
As time passed, clubs in our Movement started to branch out to provide direct
service to the downtrodden in their communities as well as to the YMCA.
Sometimes clubs started where there was no YMCA, and sometimes YMCAs
helped to start clubs. As an international Movement, Y’s Men projects began
to develop that were supported by all members. Some of these are ongoing,
such as the Brotherhood Fund and the Time of Fast-Global Projects Fund. And
thus Y’s Men reached its three-fold purpose – to serve the YMCA, and the
needy in local communities and around the world.
You might wonder why I chose to review this history of Y’s Men with you
tonight. I believe it is so important to remember our true purpose in the midst of
many other changes that face us over the course of time: changes in societal
attitudes to volunteering; cultural differences in our almost 70 member countries;
changes in our relationship with the YMCA; changes in how the YMCA
presents itself in different countries; challenges in involving young people, and
so on.
For all the changes and challenges we face, let us not forget who we are –
people of many faiths and cultures working collectively to improve the lives of
the poor and needy through collaboration with the YMCA, in our own
communities, and across the globe.
As your IP, I have chosen as my theme “Our Future Begins Today” and my
slogan as “Together We Can Do So Much More”. I believe that we must set
realistic goals for the coming years and then get to work on achieving them.
This means we need to get to work right away – our future begins today!
– and that we must involve all our members, Y’s Menettes, families, youth
and Y’s Lings to get the best results – together we can do so much more!
Remember our motto: “To Acknowledge the Duty That Accompanies
Every Right”
There is no doubt that we face a number of challenges in Y’s Men today. These
include: stagnant membership growth; reduced revenues; reaching and keeping
young members; changes in world attitudes to volunteering; and meeting our
own goals set out in the Towards 2022 plan. However we have had challenges
in the past and have worked our way through them. I am confident that we
can do that now and in the future.
As part of my vision and goals for this year, I provide some ways that we can
move forward productively:
Keep our Y’sdom core values in mind. Let us:
w Do better at celebrating successes at various levels.
w Improve our use of electronic communications and social media.
w Make changes where necessary to address our challenges.
w Look for ways to save costs so our dues produce the greatest benefits.
w Embrace new programs that can make a difference in our movement.
w Prepare our youth and young members for being adults in our
movement.
w Start to improve our membership statistics by setting realistic and
achievable goals for each year.
I am confident that Y’s Men will continue to change and evolve as it meets the
challenges of our changing world realities. I for one want to be part of that
change and hope that each of you will join me in working hard together to
achieve all that we can for the growth of Y’s Men and for greater service to the
YMCA, and to those in need in our communities and around the world.
Remember: It is up to us to ensure that Our Future Begins Today! And
that Together We Can Do So Much More!
Thank you!
Excerpts from IP Joan Excerpts from IP Joan Excerpts from IP Joan Excerpts from IP Joan Excerpts from IP Joan Wilson’Wilson’Wilson’Wilson’Wilson’s s s s s Address aAddress aAddress aAddress aAddress at IC 2016t IC 2016t IC 2016t IC 2016t IC 2016
Canada/Caribbean/Latin America in
the same room.
The dinner programme shifted to
Expo Park. We were all bussed to the
Park, but had to find our way back to
the hotel, which was a 10-minute taxi
ride. Officially called the IPE’s Night, it
was a grand affair with a full 10-course
dinner with performances by Area
delegations. The U.S. Area performed a
hip hop dance by all of us.
Day 3, Saturday, 6 August: The
programme was held at the Expo Dome
Hall at Expo Park with reports from the
Forums, and featured an IBC Triangular
Club signing, and 2 Brother
Club signings among the clubs
at the Convention. I was
approached by two different
clubs wishing to have Brother
Club relations: the Kaohsiung
Y’s Men’s Club in Taiwan, and
the Y’s Men’s Club of
Peninsula in Hong Kong. The
Kaohsiung Y’s Men’s Club is
interested in forming a
Triangular Club relationship
with Tokyo Setagaya and Kaimuki Y
Service Club. Lunch was again served in
a bento box.
The evening programme was once
again a grand affair. Called the IP’s Night,
it featured IP Joan Wilson’s address, and
the presentation of the Champions
Award which was initiated during the
last International Convention. Two
participants, Kazuyoshi Aoki and I were
awarded special medallions for attending
more than 20 Conventions. I have
attended a total of 22 ICs including this
Convention, while for Aoki, it was his
twentieth.
The closing ceremony of the
Convention was held on Sunday. It
included the Youth Convocation report
and traditional closing ceremony. The
Korea Area showed highlights of Korea,
where the 2018 International
Convention will be held in Yeosu, Korea
between 2 and 5 August 2018. The
theme is “Yes we can change!”Courtesy: Kaimuki Y Service ClubEnjoying a sumptuous ten-course dinner
The choir that gave a wonderful performce
6
“Together we can do so much more”
Even when we may not usually perceiveit, all our service activities and our actions
as club mem-bers/ officers,as officers atany level, andthose of ourclubs’ are de-v e l o p e dwithin thestrong, firmframe of ourCons t i tu -
tions.
From club to International, includingDistrict, Regional and Area ones, theseConstitutions explain the rules that wehave agreed on to carry out our missionand achieve our objectives in amulticultural global scenario.
Constitutions let us be the way weare, belong to the Club we love, have itactive in the various levels in which itrelates to others (in the District, theRegion, the Area, the Internationalorganisation) for coordination andstrength.
Unperceived, perhaps even invisibleto our day-to-day eye, these Constitutions
Constitutional FramesConstitutional FramesConstitutional FramesConstitutional FramesConstitutional FramesSilvya Reyes de CrociSilvya Reyes de CrociSilvya Reyes de CrociSilvya Reyes de CrociSilvya Reyes de Croci
ChairChairChairChairChair,,,,, Constitutional Review Committee Constitutional Review Committee Constitutional Review Committee Constitutional Review Committee Constitutional Review Committee
are what they should be: the sturdy,resilient frames of THE PACT, theagreement – either expressly debatedaround a table or accepted by affiliationto a group that lives by it – on some basicrules that safeguard the identity and theway of operating of the group. That iswhy these fundamental agreements, in theform of written rules, are “theConstitutions,” with a capital “C” – thecovenant that has brought us together.
Our clubs are sovereign within theframe of their own Club Constitutions,never in conflict with the InternationalConstitution. Within that frame, a blankcanvass for them to paint as they see fit:the image of Y’sly service as they wish tolive it. By their joint affiliation, theInternational Association of Y’s Men’s/Y Service Clubs has come into existence.
Immersed in a changing world andwhile keeping its core values intact, Y’sMen/Y Service International must alsochange … or perish.
And so, from time to time, changesare introduced in these Constitutions.Not written in stone, they have, however,a vocation for permanence: they can onlybe amended through sanctioned
LEGISLATIONLEGISLATIONLEGISLATIONLEGISLATIONLEGISLATION
procedures – also written into them andagreed upon.
Now is time for change. Time foreveryone of you, Y’s Men and Y’s Womenreaders, to be alert to the changes yourclub will be able to introduce to ourInternational Constitution, and from it,necessarily to your own Area and Regionalones.
The new structure of the InternationalCouncil, after one year of effectiveoperation, has shown the need for somefine-tuning of its constitutionaldispositions. For instance: Does your Area
think that its Young Council Member can be
the Area President? Do you want your Area to
set the requisites for its ICM candidates, beyond
what International already requires? And…do you prefer or not that at any given time the
IP, the IPE and the PIP come from different
Areas to better reflect our global dimension?
These questions will soon come toyour club and its response will affect theInternational Constitution and,consequently, all the Area Constitutions.
Remember: the ultimate word todefine our constitutional frames restsalways with the club, the member of theInternational Association.
The first one concerns the balance within the International
President Troika (IP, IPE, IPIP) which resulted in a motion to amend
Article V of the Constitution which relates to the election of the
International President Elect. The motion was passed with majority
support from the Council. It was proposed that from 1 July 2017,
the members of the Troika should each be from a different Area.
The amendment now needs to be put to clubs for voting and the
ballot will be conducted during the 2016/17 International Election
period.
Accordingly, Article V, Section 2 will be sought to be amended
by inserting the following at its end: “Effective 1 July, 2017, no
Region shall nominate any candidate for the position of
International President Elect who, at the time of nomination, comes
from the same Area as the incumbent International President or the
International President Elect.”
The second one relates to the qualification requirements for
legislative officers of the Movement. The Constitution Review
Committee presented a report to ICM that emphasised that all
candidates for International Officer positions, particularly that of
ICM, shall be qualified according to YMI criteria, including proficiency
in the English language. Areas may establish their own qualification
requirements subject to the approval of the International Council
however the qualifications for Young Council Members shall be
established only by the International Council.
Accordingly, Article IV – Legislative Officers, Section 3 is being
sought to be amended by inserting, immediately after “at least ninety
(90) days prior to the election date,” the phrase: “This nominee shall
meet the qualification requirements established by the International
Council. Areas may establish their own qualification requirements
subject to the approval of the International Council. The
qualifications for Young Council Members shall be established only
by the International Council.”
These and other motions will be sent to the Clubs to be voted
on. Your response is essential to make them effective.
From the IHQ (RD Memo 2/206-17)
TTTTTwo Constitutional wo Constitutional wo Constitutional wo Constitutional wo Constitutional Amendments thaAmendments thaAmendments thaAmendments thaAmendments that Need Urgent t Need Urgent t Need Urgent t Need Urgent t Need Urgent AttentionAttentionAttentionAttentionAttention
7
Four motions were aFour motions were aFour motions were aFour motions were aFour motions were approved approved approved approved approved at the Internat the Internat the Internat the Internat the International Council meeting in tional Council meeting in tional Council meeting in tional Council meeting in tional Council meeting in TTTTTaipei thaaipei thaaipei thaaipei thaaipei that clubs will be asked to vote on.t clubs will be asked to vote on.t clubs will be asked to vote on.t clubs will be asked to vote on.t clubs will be asked to vote on. Given below are Given below are Given below are Given below are Given below are
two of them:two of them:two of them:two of them:two of them:
“Together we can do so much more”
The Sixteenth InternaThe Sixteenth InternaThe Sixteenth InternaThe Sixteenth InternaThe Sixteenth International tional tional tional tional YYYYYouth Convocaouth Convocaouth Convocaouth Convocaouth ConvocationtiontiontiontionStephanie SpencerStephanie SpencerStephanie SpencerStephanie SpencerStephanie Spencer
Following a little more than six months
of intense preparation, young delegates
journeyed from
all parts of the
Movement to
the Sixteenth
International
Youth Convo-
cation (2016
IYC), held at the
Chientan Inter-
national Youth Activity Centre, located
in the heart of Taipei, Taiwan.
The biennial event, held from 1 to 7
August 2016, saw a total of 92 delegates
and five facilitators in attendance.
The emphasis for the 2016 IYC was
encapsulated in the theme, “Service in
Action—Dare to Lead.” The IYC
delegates were encouraged and
commissioned to build on their
established skills and dare to take on even
greater roles of leadership. This ‘mission’
was reflected in the IYC schedule, where
the sessions were planned to bring out
the best of the delegates’ latent potentials
and natural strengths.
One of the critical tasks of the 2016
IYC was to elect the new International
Youth Representative (IYR) for the 2016-
2018 term. Ricardo Cardenas, Past AYR
for Area Latin America, was elected after
a very open process.
The 2016 IYC was not designed to
be ‘all work and no play’. The delegates
visited and participated in some of the
best cultural sites and activities that Taipei
had to offer. Visits to the Lin An Tai
Historical House and Museum and the
National Palace Museum were edifying.
The delegates also participated in a well-
loved local activity, shrimp fishing. Many
caught as many as four shrimps! Other
highlights of the week included the
Cultural Night presentations — which
were a major hit amongst the delegates,
Y’slympics, and the Shilin Night Market
Food Treasure Hunt Game.
The 2016 IYC was an overall success,
and most importantly, the delegates left
the exciting city of Taipei empowered
with knowledge reinforced by
informative sessions, memories of a rich
cultural experience, and having built
long-lasting friendships.
Stephanie Spencer is Youth World Editor &
Immediate Past Youth Intern (IPYI)
They came from all over to discuss, express concern, have some fun and leave a mark
YOUTHYOUTHYOUTHYOUTHYOUTH
“Together we can do so much more”
On On On On On YMI-YMCA RelaYMI-YMCA RelaYMI-YMCA RelaYMI-YMCA RelaYMI-YMCA RelationshipstionshipstionshipstionshipstionshipsThere are wide gaps in the views of YMCA leaders on how we can develop goodpartnership with Y’s Men in their country. There are some areas where both have
positive feelings but in some other areas they have difficulties.Therefore, we may start the concrete discussion for planning someprojects wherever that partnership building is possible.
In order to build a stronger partnership, we need to startdiscussions at the national level for the two organizations. Theprojects should be agreed to by both groups. The examples couldbe A) Supporting refugees, especially youth; B) Supporting victims
due to a big disaster; C) Supporting particular populations suffering in each country;and D) Conducting campaigns or actions involving youth to protect global climatechanges and related issues.
If both organizations agree to the partnership, Y’s Men needs to review the currentsupport system to create more effective ways to meet the needs of the YMCA, as wellas for the proposed partnership projects. On the other hand, YMCA leaders shouldmake a commitment to introduce members to the Y’s Men movement and to help
start a new club in the area where YMCA exists without any Y’s Men’s Club.
Kohei Yamada, YMI Liaison to the World YMCA
The 16th International Youth
Convocation had many high moments
throughout the seven days. One prime
example was the much anticipated
Youth Panel Discussion.
In the face of recent changes within
Y’s Men International, the panel
discussion was initiated to serve as the
perfect opportunity for YMI leaders to
discuss these changes with the youth,
as well as to assess the role and future
support of youth within the
Movement.
The five panelists hailed from varied
backgrounds and held key positions
within the YMI family. They were IP
Joan Wilson; ISG Takao Nishimura;
IHQ staff member and Past
International Youth Representative
James Olle; ISD for Y’s Men Liaison
to the YMCAs) Kohei Yamada, and
IYR Afolabi Ajomale.
Two pertinent questions posed to
the panel in this regard were:
1. It has been said that the future of
the Movement is the youth;
however, youth membership has
decreased internationally. What
strategies are being devised to
address this situation, and what
can Y’s Youth and Youth clubs do
to increase enrolment?
2. The YMI-YMCA relationship varies
amongst regions internationally
despite the historic relationship
they have. What strategies are in
place to build and strengthen the
relationship internationally and
how will it impact youth?
In the limited time allotted to the
panelists, they assured the youth
delegates that the Taipei ICM meeting
too had underlined the role and
YYYYYouth Panel Discussion - outh Panel Discussion - outh Panel Discussion - outh Panel Discussion - outh Panel Discussion - A High MomentA High MomentA High MomentA High MomentA High Moment’Fola Fola Fola Fola Fola AjomaleAjomaleAjomaleAjomaleAjomale with with with with with Stephanie SpencerStephanie SpencerStephanie SpencerStephanie SpencerStephanie Spencer
PANELISTS: Joan Wilson, Afolabi Ajomale, Takao Nishimura, Kohei Yamada and James Olle
Continued overleaf
IYC Participants aIYC Participants aIYC Participants aIYC Participants aIYC Participants at t t t t YMI InternaYMI InternaYMI InternaYMI InternaYMI International Conventiontional Conventiontional Conventiontional Conventiontional Convention
YOUTHYOUTHYOUTHYOUTHYOUTH
“Together we can do so much more”10
YYYYYuva Sallauva Sallauva Sallauva Sallauva Sallapam - a pam - a pam - a pam - a pam - a YYYYYouth Camp in Indiaouth Camp in Indiaouth Camp in Indiaouth Camp in Indiaouth Camp in India
Yuva Sallapam (Youth Talk), a zone-level youth camp of Mid-
West India Region was held from 9 to 11 September 2016 in
which 59 youngsters from four Districts of the Region took
part energetically.
The camp began with an interactive session called “Y’s
Men International – Commitment to Youth” led by PIP Isaac
Palathinkal, followed by the ice-breaking session facilitated by
camp director Prakash James, who successfully communicated
the idea of how to become an effective leader through various
examples.
The participants were divided into teams and were asked
to come up ideas for various activities. The three-day camp had a good mix of outdoor and indoor activities. Outdoor
activities included aerobic exercises in the mornings, volley
ball in the evenings, treasure hunt and a camp fire in one of
the nights. The indoor activities saw inputs by professionals
on group dynamics, personality development, qualities of
leadership, managing oneself, building confidence, etc;
coaching for public speaking; elocution competition; quiz
sessions, apart from a display of talent by the campers.
At the valedictory session, Essa Sebastian, Arya S. Raj,
Goutham Harilal, Traicy Thomson, Desny Desline and Danny
Biju Philip were declared best campers for their outstanding
inputs, performances and attitude.Pavithran B.
Assistant Editor, IndiaOne last picture - for the albums
An animated group dscussion
importance of youth in Movement-
building and that more forums of this
nature will be provided at the Area,
Regional and District levels to build
on the connection that exists between
the youth and the leaders of the
Movement. (See box itemon previous
page for the response of one of the
panelists in this regard.) Overall, the
Youth Panel Discussion was a
memorable event for participants of
both the IYC and the International
Council.
A big surprise that lay in store at
this session was the induction of James
Olle into the Y’s Youth Hall of Fame
for his two-decade long active
involvement and service to the
Movement, first as a Y’s ling, then as a
Y’s Youth member in Australia,
followed by his years as a Youth intern,
an International Youth Represent-
Youth Panel Discussion - A High Moment --- from previous page
ative, and continuing to support and
encourage youth activities as an IHQ
staff member. He is the first and only
person so far to have achieved such
distinction.’Fola Ajomale is Immediate
Past International Youth Representative
International Council Members with IYC participants
YOUTHYOUTHYOUTHYOUTHYOUTH
“Together we can do so much more” 11
The youthThe youthThe youthThe youthThe youth
brigadebrigadebrigadebrigadebrigade
at IC2016at IC2016at IC2016at IC2016at IC2016
While most of us are accustomed to the
term “Y’s Men”,
it is rare for any-
one to state the
reason for that
term and why it
became known.
While our Paul
William Alexan-
der belonged to a group of enthusiastic
men whose main purpose was to pro-
vide assistance to the Toledo Ohio
YMCA, there were 17 men who formed
a club called “Tolymca” named for To-
ledo and YMCA. This group had be-
come so empowered and dedicated to
that YMCA that the Ohio State Secre-
tary of the YMCAs requested that sev-
eral of the men make a presentation in
the YMCA State Meeting in February,
1922.
When asked to tell about their
Tolymca group, it was realised that the
name could not be one used by other
clubs and they needed to come up with
a more universal name. Paul William
Alexander had been reading articles in
the YMCA magazine written by an actor
and author by the name of Will M.
Cressy. (Cressy was well known in
vaudeville for his acting and writing
numerous short plays and news articles
for many years.) He had volunteered for
the National War Work Council of
Young Men’s Christian Association to
take the group of performers to provide
entertainment for the American
Expeditionary Forces in France. They
toured the area in 1918. He wrote in
the YMCA magazine about his
experiences and called himself “one of
the Y’s Men of the East.” The title ‘Y’s
Man’ was because he worked for the
YMCA and ‘from the East’ was because
he was from New Hampshire (eastern
part of the United States) but it also
referred to the Christian faith of the
YMCA. Cressy was invited to speak at a
Tolymca Lunch Meeting and was made
an Honorary Member of the group. He
gave permission for the group to change
their name to Y’s Men. Their club
became the first Charter Club, Toledo
Y’s Men’s Club.
In the first three months of making
the presentation, there were seven Y’s
Men’s Clubs formed and the first
meeting of all seven clubs together was
held in May. At that meeting, they chose
to send out information about Y’s Men
Clubs to YMCAs within the United
States. By November, 1922, the first
Convention was held in Atlantic City
as a part of the International YMCA
Convention. At that point, there were
then seventeen clubs from Ohio, Nova
Scotia, Alabama, New Jersey, New York
City, British Columbia, North Dakota,
Pennsylvania, and Illinois. The
organisation had become International
with the addition of Nova Scotia and
British Columbia (Canada) to their
group.
It should be noted that Will Cressy
died in 1930 as a result of being gassed
on the battlefields in France. Another
victim of the aftermath of being gassed
during the War in France was the first
International Secretary-Treasurer, Earle F.
Kuhn who was elected in November,
1922 to the position and died in
October, 1923.
*Debbie Redmond is International Service Director
(Historian)
WhaWhaWhaWhaWhat’t’t’t’t’s in a Name?s in a Name?s in a Name?s in a Name?s in a Name?Debbie Redmond*Debbie Redmond*Debbie Redmond*Debbie Redmond*Debbie Redmond*
Earlier this year, the Y’s Men’s Club of
Broken Hill received a surprise
invitation to visit the YMCA-NSW in
Sydney, a journey of over 1,100
kilometres.
The club was presented with an
award at a special NSW Business
Breakfast in Sydney, recognising their
outstanding commitment to the
YMCA and the community of Broken
Hill for more than 50 years. The meeting
was also attended by the NSW Minister
for Ageing and Disability Services, the
Hon John Ajaka. YMCA-NSW CEO
Leisa Hart who acknowledged the club’s
wonderful contribution in their home
city, was responsible for inviting the club
members to come to Sydney for this
special presentation.
YMCA-NSW Honours YMCA-NSW Honours YMCA-NSW Honours YMCA-NSW Honours YMCA-NSW Honours Y’Y’Y’Y’Y’s Men’s Men’s Men’s Men’s Men’s Club of Broken Hills Club of Broken Hills Club of Broken Hills Club of Broken Hills Club of Broken HillBroken Hill YMCA Manager, Shane
Simmons, also expressed his
appreciation for the accumulated
efforts of this club over many years and
the vital role played as part of
strengthening the
local community
too.
Six members of
the club enjoyed
their two days in
Sydney, visiting the
Maritime Museum,
Darling Harbour,
YMCA Head-
quarters and other
city sights. A fitting
reward for many
years of faithful
Broken Hill Club members at the YMCA-NSW
to receive the special award
service, not sought after but well
appreciated. The then Club President,
Garry Halliday accepted the award on
the club’s behalf.Jennifer Jones
FOR THE RECORDFOR THE RECORDFOR THE RECORDFOR THE RECORDFOR THE RECORD
“Together we can do so much more”12
Colin Lambie, a member of the Y Service
Club of Bendigo, was in charge of a
‘crowdfunding’ campaign to raise
AU$11,000 to put 11kW of solar panels
on the roof of the Bendigo Science &
Discovery Centre. This was the second
‘crowdfunding’ campaign that he had
conducted on behalf of the Bendigo
Sustainability Group. The first campaign
raised $25,000 to pay for 20kW of solar
panels installed on the roof of the local
library. Both campaigns were supported
by the Y Service Club of Bendigo, the Y
Service Club of Kangaroo Flat and the
Y Service Club of Bendigo South.
The first campaign was unique in that
the group that raised the funds is paid
for the electricity generated by the solar
panels at the library. The group
established a ‘power purchase agreement’
(PPA) and a lease agreement with the
building owner that will last for 20 years.
The building owner is happy, because
they are not paying more for the ‘green’
electricity coming from their roof, and
the owners of the solar are happy because
they have a revenue stream for the next
20 years.
The second campaign was a
Reducing Carbon Footprint in Reducing Carbon Footprint in Reducing Carbon Footprint in Reducing Carbon Footprint in Reducing Carbon Footprint in AustraliaAustraliaAustraliaAustraliaAustraliacommunity service to help the Bendigo
Science & Discovery Centre be more
sustainable, by reducing their electricity
costs by about $3,000 per year.
The same model can apply to a
YMCA. A YMCA could conduct a
crowdfunding campaign to put solar
panels on the roof of the building they
are using, and hence reduce their
operating costs. They could establish an
agreement with the building owner that
would ensure they keep getting the
financial benefit from the solar panels
even if they stop using the building.
Installing solar systems is not just
about reducing costs, it also reduces
greenhouse gas emissions. In countries
like Australia which uses mostly coal
to generate electricity, transitioning to
renewable energy is a necessary step to
help us have a big impact on our carbon
footprint, which is among the highest
per capita in the world.Colin Lambie with the Editor
Colin Lambie with the ‘solar panel’. Each panel is
divided into 44 squares, each representing one of the
44 solar panels that made up the 11kW system. Donors
were asked to ‘donate a panel’. The images in the
squares are either names or company logos. This
panel with photos was a useful marketing tool in the
crowd funding campaign. Most of the marketing was
achieved using social media.
Vejle Vadestedets Y’s Men’s Clubestablished a project last year named “Y’sDESIGN.” The purpose was to makeproducts with Y’s Men’s logos that cancontribute to promote the Movement.The project has been a great success andsales in the first year was about 15,000
Denmark:Denmark:Denmark:Denmark:Denmark: Y’Y’Y’Y’Y’s Men Sell Promotional Mas Men Sell Promotional Mas Men Sell Promotional Mas Men Sell Promotional Mas Men Sell Promotional Material to Fund Projectsterial to Fund Projectsterial to Fund Projectsterial to Fund Projectsterial to Fund ProjectsEuro. The profits from the sale goes toprojects of Region Denmark.
The idea of the small “business” tooka long time to bear fruit. Several in theclub were skeptical of earning any moneyby selling clothes, bags, roll-ups, beachflags and others, but today nobody
doubts thatit is a verygood idea.
We havehad got agood startwith our ac-tivities. Theclubs andthe Regionhave wel-comed usand we havebeen able top r o d u c emerchand-Volunteers with the merchandise
ise at competitive prices. That means a lot tous, and we are happy that we can help theRegion and the clubs by engaging in publicrelations work for the Movement’s work,tells Lars Grønfeldt of Committee behindY’s DESIGN.
Y’s DESIGN is managed by a smallcommittee of four members from VejleVadestedet Y’s Men’s Club. All themembers are working voluntarily and thatis how the costs are kept down and theprofits are decent.
It is not only the Y’s Men’s Clubs inDenmark that have got help from Y’sDESIGN. Other organisations too haverequested for help.
Y’s DESIGN is ready to help all Y’sMen’s Clubs in Denmark and in Europewith different promotional materials. Ifyou wish to know more about Y’sDESIGN visit the homepage at
www.ysdesign.dk (in Danish).
Evan Johansen
FROM FAR AND NEARFROM FAR AND NEARFROM FAR AND NEARFROM FAR AND NEARFROM FAR AND NEAR
“Together we can do so much more” 13
Two projects aimed at reaching the
young minds have met with tremendous
response from the authorities and the
general public in Mid West India Region
(MWIR).
The first is the Learning through
Reading project focusing on students of
Government and State-aided schools by
distributing 10 copies of local daily
newspapers in schools for a year and by
donating books to school libraries.
Madhuram Malayalam (Sweet
Malayalam) launched with the support
of a leading Malayalam daily newspaper
CaCaCaCaCatching ’em tching ’em tching ’em tching ’em tching ’em YYYYYoung – oung – oung – oung – oung – TTTTTwo Projects in Mid wo Projects in Mid wo Projects in Mid wo Projects in Mid wo Projects in Mid WWWWWest India Regest India Regest India Regest India Regest India Regionionionionionis now more than a decade old aimed at
encouraging love for the mother tongue.
The newspaper is circulated in class
rooms on all school days to help
children improve their linguistic abilities
along with their general knowledge by
discussing the contents daily.
Half a dozen clubs in as many districts
of the Region have prioritised this
activity with a view to reach out to the
students.
The second project, implemented
among college students is the Traffic
Awareness Campaign. Launched by
District VI of MWIR in collaboration
with the Motor Vehicles Department in
the City of Cochin, it is gaining good
mileage for the Movement.
The urgency for this intervention is
understandable when one learns that the
tiny state of Kerala stands third in India
in terms of road accidents with 4,000
deaths and 40,000 injuries every year. It
is the third major cause of death and
disability in Kerala.
The Motor Vehicles Department has
decided to strictly enforce traffic rules in
order to reduce road accidents. They have
also decided to conduct traffic awareness
classes for college students, especially for
those who own vehicles and drive them.
A study reveals that 65 per cent of the
road accidents could have been avoided
if drivers had been more alert and aware.
One traffic awareness class was
attended by 900 students of a leading
college in the city on 16 August 2016.
The class was led by Mr. Dilip Kumar,
Motor Vehicles Inspector. District
Governor Bexon has announced that the
same programme will be held in nine
colleges of the city in the current year
targeting over 10,000 youngsters.
Pavithran B.
Assistant Editor, India
College students attending the traffic awareness
class at Thevara Sacred Heart College, Cochin
Newspaper distribution in St.Louis High School by
Heritage City Y’s Men (Dist I of MWIR). Club
President Niju Mohandas and other leaders with
school officials and students
Y’Y’Y’Y’Y’s Men of New s Men of New s Men of New s Men of New s Men of New YYYYYork in ork in ork in ork in ork in ActionActionActionActionAction
Members of the Y’s Men’s Club of Long Island, New York,
USA, conducted a charity event (sandwich preparation)
for needy people on 29 April. Y’s Men’s World editor Koshy
Mathew who was in NY then also participated and
addressed the members. Earlier that month, the Y’s Men’s
Club of New York Floral Park held its fund-raising dinner
to support the Kidney Foundation. Charlie Redmond,
U.S. Area President attended the fund-raising dinner.
Y's Men's Club of Negombo, Sri Lanka implemented the
community project of cleaning Thaladuwa area where over
5,000 inhabitants live. The project was implemented with
the support of Health Department of the Municipal Council
of Negombo, the Police Department, Thaladuwa Road
Welfare Society and the Youth Section of the Lions Club of
Oriental. The main objective of this project is to keep the
area clean and prevent dengue epidemic .
Preventing Dengue in Sri LankaPreventing Dengue in Sri LankaPreventing Dengue in Sri LankaPreventing Dengue in Sri LankaPreventing Dengue in Sri Lanka
FROM FAR AND NEARFROM FAR AND NEARFROM FAR AND NEARFROM FAR AND NEARFROM FAR AND NEAR
“Together we can do so much more”14
Each year, the comprehensive International Brother Club
Directory is carefully assembled by its
dedicated editor, Murray Stevens, who
has been doing it since 1983. The
Directory is the essential guide to every
Brother Club, Triangle Club and
Quadrangle Club around the world.
IHQ deeply thanks Murray for his tireless efforts to compile
this wonderful tool. This can be downloaded from
The International Council that met in Taipei in July-August
2016 approved eight new TOF-GPF Projects for a total of
CHF 141,406, as under:
w Korea: Y’s Men Doctor’s Free Medical Service (In
Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar Projects) Busan,
Korea (CHF 24,500).
w Asia: “Healthy Future” Teenager Personal
Development Program, YMCA of Mongolia & Y
Service Club of Ulaanbaatar (CHF 7,616).
w Canada/Caribbean: Haiti Decadome, Ann Arbor
YMCA & Y’s Men International Caribbean Region
(CHF 9,534).
w Africa: Improving the Socio-economic Resilience of
Rural Young People in Madagascar, Y Care
International & Nairobi YMC, Kenya (CHF 29,500).
w Latin America: Emprendedores Plus, YMCA Peru &
Y’s Club San Borja–Lima– Region Peru (CHF 7,150).
w Europe: Education for girls to be Midwives in poor
areas of Nepal, Västerås Y’s Men’s Club, Sweden &
The Society for Street Children in Nepal (CHF
30,000).
w India: Computer Training &
Tailoring for Economically Poor
Women and Organ Donation
(Eye Donation), YMC
Machilipatnam C.I.R (CHF
9,143).
w India: Skill development for socio-economically
marginalized women population Y’s Menette’s Club
of Karuvanchal, West India Region (CHF 23,963).
Since the inception of the TOF-GPF programme in
1973, Y’s Men International has contributed around US$
6,300,400 to various YMCA and community projects and
emergencies around the world. Today, eight newly approved
projects and 17 ongoing projects in a total of 16 countries
and geographical areas are supported by TOF-GPF.
In addition to these TOF-GPF Projects, for over 30
years the Y’s Menettes have supported International
Projects. This year they have approved one new project in
Italy: YMCA Siderno, “Learn fast, be smart! – Empowering
Migrants and refugees through social integration” (CHF
10,863).
www.ysmen.org. Murray reports that as of 28 August 2016,
there are 1044 Brother Club partnerships in 50 countries.
The Brother Club programme joins in partnership clubs
located in different countries for their mutual benefit and
better understanding. It is designed to assist fellow Y’s Men
and Women and their families to learn about and exchange
ideas between clubs, whether they are just over the border
or right across the world. Women’s clubs may prefer to
use the term “Sister Club.”
2016 International Brother Club Directory2016 International Brother Club Directory2016 International Brother Club Directory2016 International Brother Club Directory2016 International Brother Club Directory
ICM 2016 ICM 2016 ICM 2016 ICM 2016 ICM 2016 Approves Eight New Approves Eight New Approves Eight New Approves Eight New Approves Eight New TOF-GPF ProjectsTOF-GPF ProjectsTOF-GPF ProjectsTOF-GPF ProjectsTOF-GPF Projects
Elementary … My dear Watson
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson go on a camping trip. Set
up their tent and fall asleep. Some hours later, Holmes wakes
his faithful friend. “Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what
you see.” Watson replies, “I see millions of stars.” “What does
that tell you?” Watson ponders for a minute.
“Astronomically speaking, it tells me that there are millions
of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, it
tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Time-wise, it appears to be
approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, it’s evident
that the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant.
Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow.
What does it tell you?”
Holmes is silent for a moment, then speaks. “Someone has
stolen our tent.”From a wall hanging in the restroom of a hotel in Bangalore
Cartoon by Mohan Sivanand. Reproduced with permission
Just a little bit of humourJust a little bit of humourJust a little bit of humourJust a little bit of humourJust a little bit of humour
NEWS FROM IHQNEWS FROM IHQNEWS FROM IHQNEWS FROM IHQNEWS FROM IHQ
“Together we can do so much more” 15
MANTRA FORMANTRA FORMANTRA FORMANTRA FORMANTRA FOR
THE SOULTHE SOULTHE SOULTHE SOULTHE SOUL
All All All All All WWWWWe Need is Love – e Need is Love – e Need is Love – e Need is Love – e Need is Love – And a Lot of DialogueAnd a Lot of DialogueAnd a Lot of DialogueAnd a Lot of DialogueAnd a Lot of Dialogue
Max Ediger*
We have been overwhelmed with news of violent events
the past weeks. Every day the evening news has brought us
reports and videos of the horrors of shootings in the USA,
horrific bombings in Afghanistan, a deadly assault on a
restaurant in Bangladesh, to mention only a few. These
events have left us feeling worried and perhaps even fearful.
Social media responses have been immediate and
numerous, many attempting to understand or explain the
causes of this upsurge of violence. One post on Facebook
especially caught my eye.
“Alton Sterling didn’t deserve this. Philando Castille
didn’t deserve this. Those cops in Dallas didn’t deserve
this. Just stop it. Stop the blame. Stop the killing. Stop
the hate.”
We should also add that the people of Baghdad didn’t
deserve this. The people enjoying their dinner in a Dhaka
restaurant didn’t deserve this. All those suffering from
other violence these past months didn’t deserve this.
How I wish these words were sufficient to bring about
calm and peace, but I know that words, no matter how
powerful and pertinent, cannot bring about the healing
and transformation our societies need. Only love and a
lot of hard work of the right kind can do that.
“Just stop it. Stop the blame. Stop the killing. Stop
the hate.” Yes of course, but how? These questions are
some of the challenges we try to deal with in the three-
month School of Peace here in Asia
(www.interfaithforum.org). Obviously three months is
insufficient time to find answers needed to approach such
complex challenges, but hopefully we can at least begin to
see some hope for ways in which we can begin working so
that the vision of inclusive, justpeace communities can begin
to take tangible shape.
One of the most important topics we focus on during
our sessions is that of dialogue versus discussion in conflict
transformation processes. According to some dictionaries,
the word discussion comes from the Greek and has two
parts. The first is “discus” and is the same word used for
the Olympic game where a discus is thrown for distance in
a competition. The second part is “cussion” and is the
same root used in percussion and concussion. Thus the
word discussion means throwing ideas in order to hit and
overcome an opponent.
The word dialogue, also from the Greek, has a very
different meaning. “Dia” means a gentle flow such as a
soothing breeze coming through the window on a hot
summer day, or the gentle flow of a stream. “Logos”, the
second part of the word, means ultimate truth as in John
1:1: ”In the beginning was the word…” Dialogue therefore,
means the gentle flowing of truth between persons or
groups. It suggests deep listening and recognizing that the
“other” is not an opponent, but has some truth to share
with us. This is much more important than throwing our
ideas to convince others that we are the ones with truth.
By bringing our two “truths” together we find the space to
build love and community.
To do dialogue, we must be willing to engage with those
who are different instead of just tolerating or accepting
them. In dialogue and engagement, we recognize that
everyone has some truth and it is important for us to learn
that truth from them by listening deeply to their thoughts
and their experiences. The Chinese character for listen is
made up of six parts: ears, mind, presence, eyes, undivided
attention, and heart. It emphasizes that in deep listening
we focus our entire being on the messenger in order to
receive any truth their message might have for us.
It doesn’t help to point the finger at others. It doesn’t
help to only demand a response. We need to have the
courage to seriously ask the question why and then listen
deeply to discover the roots of the conflict. That requires
engagement and dialogue and the willingness to set aside
our egos, assumptions and biases so that we can listen to
the truths others hold without making assumptions about
them. If we can do that, then we will have a much clearer
vision of what we can/must do to bring healing to our
communities.
It won’t be easy and it cannot be forced. People will
only engage and dialogue with each other when their hearts
are ready. But we do not need to wait for others to be
ready before we take action. We can start now with
ourselves. Find someone whose voice is not being heard
and find ways to engage and dialogue with them. It is a
very small step, but it is an important step and as Lao Tzu
said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one
step.” We can take that one first step and begin the journey.
All we need to move toward healing in our world is
sincere love and the courage to engage and dialogue with
those who feel their lives do not matter to the broader
society. Then the diversity of the world God created will
no longer be something to fear, but rather will be
something beautiful to celebrate in unity.
*Max Ediger directs the School of Peace from Cambodia.
Reprinted with permission of PeaceSigns, the online publication of the Peace and
Justice Support Network of Mennonite Church USA, www.mennolink.org/peace
“Together we can do so much more”
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