Ymw 3 15 16

Mission with Faith

The Official Publication of Y’s Men International

Number 3–2015/16

SerSerSerSerService Beyond Borders –vice Beyond Borders –vice Beyond Borders –vice Beyond Borders –vice Beyond Borders –

Korean Y’Korean Y’Korean Y’Korean Y’Korean Y’s Men Doctors in Cambodia,s Men Doctors in Cambodia,s Men Doctors in Cambodia,s Men Doctors in Cambodia,s Men Doctors in Cambodia, ppppp..... 5 5 5 5 5

INSIDE:INSIDE:INSIDE:INSIDE:INSIDE: Bringing Solace to Flood Victims in India • Indian Y’s Men Host YMI and Serve Their Communities • TOF Global Project: Fostering Youth Potential in

Palestine • Youth in High-level Decision-Making Situations: YMCA/YMI Presence at the Paris Climate Negotiations • Learning from Y’s Men in India, a BHF

Travelogue • The ‘Green Father’ of India, a tribute to a Japanese Y’s man • Mantra for the Soul • News from IHQ • Book Review • News from Far and Near

Mission with Faith

Editor’Editor’Editor’Editor’Editor’s Pas Pas Pas Pas Pagegegegege

EDITORKoshy Mathew

222, 7C Main, First Block HRBR LayoutKalyan Nagar, Bengaluru 560 043, India.

Tel: +91-9845036147Skype: Koshy.mathew367

[email protected]

ASSISTANT EDITORS

AFRICATunji Makinde (Nigeria)

+234/8034064882 (M)[email protected]

ASIAYaz Okano (Japan)

+81/797881808 (O) +81/[email protected]

CANADA & CARIBBEANBill Irwin (Canada)+1/9025693187 (H)

[email protected]

EUROPELiudmila Tyukina (Russia)


INDIAB. Pavithran (Kerala, India)


KOREAKim Kyun (Seoul)

+82/27352395 (O) +82/[email protected]

LATIN AMERICARicardo Andre Cardenas Zanabria (Panama)


SOUTH PACIFICBill Schmidt (Australia)

+61/344338599 (H)[email protected]

USAFred L. Leonard (USA)

+1/5012623566 (H); +1/[email protected]

DISTRIBUTIONBabu Oommen

56, Royal Meridian Layout, Begur RoadBangalore, 560 068, India.

+91/9901199863 (M) :: [email protected]

Reprinted atNational Printing Press

Koramangala, Bengaluru 560 095, India.

Official publication ofY’S MEN INTERNATIONAL

Ave Sainte-Clotilde 9, CH-1205, SwitzerlandTel: +41 22 809 1530

www.ysmen.org

Nº 3 - 2015/16

ONLY FOR PRIVATE DISTRIBUTION TO MEMBERSDeadline for submission of articles and pictures for next issue: 31 May 2016

2

A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity by Nicholas D.

Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, published by Deckle Edge, 2014.

An essential, galvanizing narrative about making a difference — a road mapto becoming the most effective global citizens we can be.

A Path Appears is ambitious in scale: nothing less than asweeping tapestry of people who are making the world a betterplace and a guide to how we can do the same – whether with adonation of $5 or $5 million, with our time, by capitalizing onour skills as individuals, or by using the resources of ourbusinesses.

With scrupulous research and on-the-ground reporting, theauthors assay the art and science of giving, identify successful local and globalinitiatives, and share astonishing stories from the front lines of social progress.We see the compelling, inspiring truth of how real people have changed theworld, upending the idea that one person can’t make a difference.

A Path Appears offers practical, results-driven advice on how each of us cangive back to our communities and reveals the lasting benefits we gain in return.Kristof and WuDunn know better than most how many urgent challengescommunities around the world face today. Here they offer a timely beacon of

hope for our collective future.A ‘Goodreads’ review

Dear esteemed readers,

The call for submissions for thisissue of Y’s Men’s World (YMW) wasmet with such tremendous response

that there was atemporary “problemof plenty” whilefinalising the pages. Aword of special thanksto all those whocontributed to thisissue with encourage-

ment to keep sending materials forsubsequent issues.

The mid-year meeting of officersand Area leaders of our movement methere in Bangalore in February andagreed, ‘in principle’, to increase thenumber of pages in each issue. There-fore, the next issue, scheduled forJune/July, will have 16 pages, like thisone, and thereby be a full magazine.This is an experiment and its successdepends on your response.

On a personal note, it was veryenriching for me to attend parts of themid-year meeting and to get to knowleaders from all the Areas. Theirencouragement and appreciation of the

previous issues has fuelled me to setmy sights higher and work for makingYMW even better.

You will note that the scope ofYMW has been expanded to gobeyond mere news of what we do as aservice organisation. For example, thisissue features a reflection by MaxEdiger. a writer who – through hiswork with International Non-Government Organisations – hasworked worked closely with refugees,slum communities and war victims, toname a few. I want to personally thankMax for allowing us to carry hiscolumn under the title, “Mantra forthe Soul.” The other feature is a shortreview of a book that would come inhandy to all those who are looking forideas to respond to the challenges ofsociety. A tribute to Y’s man Tatsu-maru Sugiyama of Japan fits well intoour quest for global peace and world-mindedness.

I hope to hear from you with newsand notes, and welcome anysuggestions for improvement.

Yours in Y’sdomKoshy Mathew

FROM MY BOOKSHELFFROM MY BOOKSHELFFROM MY BOOKSHELFFROM MY BOOKSHELFFROM MY BOOKSHELF

Mission with Faith

FROM THE INTERNAFROM THE INTERNAFROM THE INTERNAFROM THE INTERNAFROM THE INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENTTIONAL PRESIDENTTIONAL PRESIDENTTIONAL PRESIDENTTIONAL PRESIDENT

3

Dear Friends

We had a very productive IEOs

Meeting and Mid-Year Meeting in

Banga lo re ,

India, this

F e b r u a r y .

Bangalore is a

city full of

trees and

green areas,

and was once

renowned for

being the

Garden City of India. All nine APEs

and all of the IEOs were in attendance

at the meeting to discuss the 2016/17

budget on the Operation and the

Programmes Contribution of each

area, among other things.

One of the primary concerns

addressed was the drop in

membership, along with the

implications of the economic recession

in many parts of the world, especially

in the light of the target we had fixed

for Towards 2022 to achieve and to

celebrate in the centenary year of our

movement. It is now clear that we will

not be able to achieve those figures

with the remaining timeline of just

seven years. The wise counsel from all

participants was not to worry too

much about large numbers as long as

we have trust in promoting quality

membership and participation which

will eventually lead to growth with the

theme Mission with Faith to continue

working towards 2022.

Our goals to realise Vision 2022

are:

w To extend Y’s Men to at least

50,000 members based in 100

countries.

w To strengthen Y’s Men at the

global level as it relates to the

organisation and its mission.

w To offer relevant services to the

YMCA and the communities.

w To improve and expand the Y’s

Men image and identity in the

community.

w To improve our membership’s

perception of YMI and our

International programmes in

general.

I will not dwell on the nitty-gritty

details of the meeting. All of the

reports and further details will be

passed on to you from the

International Headquarters through

your Regional Directors and the

members of the International Council.

World Malaria Day is on the 25th

of April. Our worldwide organisation

is a part of the Roll Back Malaria

Partnership (RBM), an initiative led by

the World Health Organization

(WHO). Since its creation in 1998, it

has played a major role in the global

fight against malaria. The World

Malaria Report 2015 reports that

more than half of the 106 countries

with malaria in the year 2000 have

achieved at least a 75 per cent

reduction in new cases by 2015.

YMI continues to give priority to

its role in the partnership to eradicate

malaria. This was reiterated at the

MYM in February. Over the next

decade or so we will have to be more

proactive in resource mobilization to

honour our commitment to see a

World Free of Malaria (WFM).

Friends, by the time you read this

issue of the Y’s Men’s World, you will

have already closed the activities for the

year and will be busy preparing for

leadership transition for next year,

2016-2017. I thank all the leaders

leaving their offices for the wonderful

work done during this thematic year

of Mission with Faith and wish the

new teams all the best for the

forthcoming year.

We can all look back and see what

a year it has been! The world has been

rocked by terror strikes here and there,

climate changes, social upheavals,

political turmoil, economic recession

and calamities, despairs and the agony

of the refugees. But, in this season of

Lent and in the hope of the Easter

message that beckons us, let me recall

a verse from the famous Hymn “Count

Your Blessings”:

When life’s billows you are

tempest tossed

When you are discouraged

thinking all is lost

Count your many blessings,

name them one by one

And it will surprise you what

the Lord has done.

May God bless us all,

Wichian Boonmapajorn

International President 2015-16

Mission with Faith4

New Members to the International Council ElectedNew Members to the International Council ElectedNew Members to the International Council ElectedNew Members to the International Council ElectedNew Members to the International Council ElectedThe deadline for this year’s International Election voting papers was 29 January 2016. Clubswho sent votes after this date were considered as election participants but their votes were notcounted. Until 16 February, 800 clubs had sent in their voting ballots. Based on the numberof clubs as on 1 August 2015 (1,494 clubs), the participation rate was 53.5%. Out of theballots received, 37 were late and the IEOs had to declare 86 invalid for various reasons leavinga total of 677 valid voting ballots.Mr Henry J. Grindheim of Norway (right) was elected International President Elect 2016/17and will take office in July 2016.

New International Council Members to serve from 1 July 2016 (from L to R) are: Mr Svein Håvåg, Norway (NorwayRegion) for Area Europe (Area President Elect); Mr Koh Young-doo (Korea Jeju Region) for Area Korea (Area PresidentElect); Mr Janardhanan Pillai Sivanandan Nair, India (South West India Region) for Area India, and Mr B.V. NarayanaRao, India (Central India Region) for Area India. The new International Council Members Elect and Area Presidents

Elect from 1 July 2016 are Mr Reginald Springer, Canada (Maritimes Region) for Area Canada/Caribbean and MrTibor Foki, USA (Pacific Southwest Region) for Area USA.

WhaWhaWhaWhaWhat is t is t is t is t is “Portalbuzz”“Portalbuzz”“Portalbuzz”“Portalbuzz”“Portalbuzz” ? ? ? ? ?

Portalbuzz is a system which wasdeveloped originally for KiwanisInternational and has been improvedthrough the years, and is now beingused by other international serviceorganisations as well. YMI has adoptedthis to replace the current membershipdatabase. This new online system willmake many of the administrative tasksmuch more accurate and efficient.Portalbuzz is much more than adatabase, however, providing manyvaluable tools not only for clubs butalso for Regions, Areas and theInternational. We can see the real timeshape of YMI to keep us runningtowards and beyond 2022.

Club Secretaries and Treasurers willlove Portalbuzz, as it simplifies andstreamlines the club’s administrative

tasks to:

w Manage roster and committee

reports as well as tracking

attendances.

w Manage billing process and

email or mail invoices.

w Create e-newsletters in pdf

format and post announce-

ments.

For a reasonable monthly fee, clubs

will be able to:

w Build a professional website.

w Manage meetings and events.

w Manage volunteers with online

and printable sign-ups.

w Store event documents,

meeting minutes, and meeting

agendas.

Club members will be able to:

FROM THE IHQFROM THE IHQFROM THE IHQFROM THE IHQFROM THE IHQ

Regions should now be quite familiar with the Portalbuzz system. It was introduced after IHQ was

mandated by the International Council to introduce an online club member registration system. After an

initial pilot phase involving Areas Canada/Caribbean, South Pacific and USA, the system was

extended to most remaining Regions late last year. The 1 February 2016 reporting period presented an

opportunity for Regions to combine the usual requests for membership with the collection of member

data and this progressed very well. We thank the Regions for their enthusiasm and support for the new

system.

Twenty-one Regions (more than 45% of Regions) are now able to use the system, allowing their

members to manage their own contact information and clubs to quickly and easily make changes to

their member rosters and club officers. These Regions will no longer need to manually submit

semester membership reports to IHQ with the added benefit of being able to generate real-time

membership figures when required. Clubs can also very quickly generate club directories, adding as

much or as little information as required, including profile photos, email addresses, phone numbers and

so on.

w Sign up to volunteer and

browse volunteer needs.

w View own member invoice.

w Communicate with other

members through the portal.

Just like before, member privacy is

of the utmost importance to Y’s Men

International and all reasonable

precautions have been taken to protect

member data. In the meantime, please

contact your Regional office or Regional

Administrator for more details. Enjoy

Portalbuzz!

Editor’s Note: The customary message from the

International Secretary-General does not appear in this

issue. Instead, news from IHQ is shared through these

columns.

Mission with Faith

Service Beyond Borders –Korean Y’s Men Doctors in Cambodia

5

COVER STORYCOVER STORYCOVER STORYCOVER STORYCOVER STORY

Korea Area sent a team of medical

professionals to Cambodia in the first

half of February 2016 for almost a

week as part of its community service.

The 18-member team led by Korea

Area President, Sung Kwang Moon,

consisted of five doctors, two nurses,

two pharmacists, one dresser and it

was supported by an administrator,

translators and others aides.

The week-long medical camp was

held in the remote mountain area of

Aoral district, about three hours’

drive from the capital city of Phnom

Penh. The local coordinators chose

this area partly for the remoteness of

this location and partly for the

seriousness of medical problems they

confronted during an earlier visit.

Most of the patients in the area have

neither seen a hospital nor have they

been medically examined. So, it was

a challenge to the Korean team of

doctors, who attended to about

1,500 adults and about 800 children.

They were given decent haircuts and

instructed on sanitation and primary

hygiene and health care.

that did not need a sophisticated

operation theatre or complicated

assistance such as tissue biopsies,

abscess removal, warts removal, repair

of small skin cuts, moles, biopsy and

removal, ingrown toenails, foreign

body removal from skin and tissues,

lipomas removal, cancerous and

benign skin lesions removal,

laparoscopy, breast biopsy and so on

were conducted.

society. This was conducted as a

forerunner to what could be a regular

project or programme of Y’s Men

International. Korea Area feels that

such an activity could be brought

under the ambit of Time of Fast

projects.

The team learned that many people

who availed this service were facing

serious health problems including

early stages of cancer and various

tumours. While such cases were

referred for further medical attention,

several serious surgeries were

conducted in the camp. Procedures

The Team, together with Y’s Men

of Korea feel that there is much more

that professionals can do to alleviate

the sufferings of the people in every

Apart from Busan and Daejon

YMCAs, several Y’s Men donated

hundreds of footwear, notebooks,

pencils, erasers and other stationery

for children which were carried by the

team for distribution.

Peter (Hangyu), Kim

ISD-Community Service

In the makeshift operation theatre

People queueing up for registration Examination prior to treatment

The Korean team of doctors and support staff with the local hosts in Cambodia

Mission with Faith6

BringBringBringBringBringing Solace to Flood ing Solace to Flood ing Solace to Flood ing Solace to Flood ing Solace to Flood Victims in IndiaVictims in IndiaVictims in IndiaVictims in IndiaVictims in India

camps, Y’s Men of the East (Chennai)distributed nearly 1,200 “Relief Kits”containing 30 essential items such asclothes for men, women and children,blankets, provisions, cooking stoves,and essential medicines includingmosquito repellants, and so on, tofamilies in one village on the outskirtsof Chennai city. Each of these kits costthe club Rs. 2,000 and it all came fromwell-wishers.

Reports are still coming in to theArea from various clubs and Regionsas to the support they rendered at thetime of this hardship. At the lastcount, nearly 200 clubs respondedwith materials and money thatsurpassed the amount of IndianRupees 7 million (approx. USD100,000).

Y’s Men International also chippedin with a contribution of INR200,000 while Area India and theRegion contributed INR 50,000 each.

The second phase of rehabilitationwork commenced on 01 January 2016during which period medical and legalaid was also be extended to those inneed, apart from conducting seminarson disaster management andcounselling sessions to combat thetrauma caused by the havoc.

Needless to say, the disaster hasbrought about the best of humanqualities, especially in Y’s members

who deemed it their duty to respond.

B. Pavithran, YMW Assistant Editor

for Area India

Severe spells of rain flooded most ofChennai city and large parts of thesouthern states of Tamil Nadu,Puducherry and parts of neighbouringAndhra Pradesh in South India inDecember 2015. By the middle ofDecember, it had left behind a trail ofdeath and destruction, with over 500dead in these three states and hundredof thousands rendered homeless.Damage to property was estimated ataround INR 10,000 crore (USD 15billion).

Y’s Men’s Clubs active in thesestates gave shape to Mission

Santhwanam (Solace) to bring relief tothe affected and plan out a programmeof rehabilitation. Y’s Men’s Club ofthe East in Chennai were the first torespond with their ongoing “Meals onWheels” programme, followed byother clubs in and around the city. PastArea President Thomas V. John, ClubPresident Ranjan of YMCThiruverkadu Town, Mohan Daniel ofYMC East, DG Manoharan ofPuducherry led from the front andgathered support from other YMCsand social service organisations.

Within a matter of days severaltrucks laden with water bottles, foodmaterials such as bread, biscuits, andmedicines moved to Chennai fromclubs and well-wishers in Kerala,Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Y’s Men also deployed a team ofdoctors and developmentprofessionals to reach out to theaffected and offer relief to people in

some of the worst-affected regions.

Y’s Men of the East and other volunteers who led the Chennai flood relief operations

The Y’s team has been managingrelief and rehabilitation operationsuntil the end of February, includingassessing local situations, supervisingrelief camps and distributing essentialitems for cooking. The team haspartnered with local NGOs toeffectively carry out the reliefoperations. As of now, the relief andrehab operations have benefitted morethan 75,000 individuals. Y’s Men alsoset up medical camps in several

locations inChenna i ,w h e r ehundreds ofpeople weret r e a t e d .These havebenefittedover 10,000people thusfar.

A p a r tfrom such

Help came rolling in from far and near

DISASTER RELIEFDISASTER RELIEFDISASTER RELIEFDISASTER RELIEFDISASTER RELIEF

Puducherry Y’s team with some of the beneficiaries

Mission with Faith

IMPRESSIONSIMPRESSIONSIMPRESSIONSIMPRESSIONSIMPRESSIONS

In February, Y’s Men’s Clubs inBangalore India hosted two majorYMI meetings. The first was a verysuccessful RDE and DGE Trainingweekend (Feb. 12-14) with some 60Indian participants and included ISGNishi and myself. Congratulations toIndian leaders for this productivetraining weekend.

From February 17 to 23, YMI helda series of international meetings aspart of their Mid-Year Meetings(MYM). Various Bangalore clubshosted several special evenings with theparticipants. At each meeting, clubsshared with us the stories of their pastand present projects in support ofthose in need in their communities.A huge thank you to all clubs andmembers involved in these events. Thehospitality and generosity of our Indianclubs and members is amazing.

days. One, the Infant Jesus Children’sHome in Kothannur, provides a homefor about 100 girls between infancy and21 years. This is run by a religiousorder with a number of paid staff andvolunteers. The girls receive theirmedication twice a day, are now ableto go to community schools, enjoy a

healthy meals including milk form theircows and goats. Medication isadministered twice daily on a strictschedule. We were there while mostof the boys were away at school, butdid meet their two youngest pre-schoolchildren who greeted us with smilesand flowers. A slide show and manypicture books helped us see the majorevents of their home and the activitiesof the boys. The TOF-GPF providedall the furniture and equipment for thelarge dining room of the home. Priorto that the children had been eating

Indian Indian Indian Indian Indian Y’Y’Y’Y’Y’s Men Host s Men Host s Men Host s Men Host s Men Host YMI and SerYMI and SerYMI and SerYMI and SerYMI and Serve ve ve ve ve Their CommunitiesTheir CommunitiesTheir CommunitiesTheir CommunitiesTheir Communitiesbbbbby IPE Joan y IPE Joan y IPE Joan y IPE Joan y IPE Joan WilsonWilsonWilsonWilsonWilson

healthy diet (including milk twice dailyfrom their herd of 15 cows) and severalcreative activities such as dancing. TheTOF-GPF partially paid for thebuilding of a large utility block toaccommodate everyone, and shared inthe purchase of a jeep. Signs on eachthese reflect their appreciation to YMIand TOF-GPF.

The children were very excited tosee us, and greeted us with a beautifulsong and many smiles. Then smallgroups and individuals performed anumber of dances and songs. (pics 7, 8

& 9). It was very clear to me that thesegirls were happy and felt part of a largeand loving family. The Bangalore Club,and a number of its members,continue to support this home evenafter the TOF-GPFproject has beencompleted, by pledging to cover thecosts of daily meals for all 100 of them.The club itself covers several weeks of“food for a day.”

The second TOF-GPF project, St.Gregorios Dayabhavan in Kunigal, issimilarly run by a religious order alongwith staff and volunteers. This homeserves some 85 boys from infancy to21 year-olds. They grow a lot of theirown food, and ensure the boys have

on the floor. They also built a largeutility block to serve the needs of allat the home. Seeing children’sdrawings on the walls up the stairwell,and the way the littlest boy sat on thelap of the priest and eventually fellasleep on his shoulder, made it veryclear to me that this was a home oflove and safety.

St. Gregorios has started twohospitals to serve people with AIDSand we had the opportunity to visitboth of them, delivering oranges to thepatients in one of them. As part oftheir outreach to help reduce thestigma of AIDS in the community,one hospital is in the middle of a town.They are also in the process of buildinga small facility to provide clean waterand counseling to people in thatcommunity.

I commend these clubs andmembers for their commitment andcaring. Remember that together we

can do so much more!

Focussed group discussion during the MYM

ISG Nishi and I had theopportunity to visit several projects inand around Bangalore on our “free”days. The Bangalore District I iscurrently constructing a house for ahomeless handicapped man and hisfamily. (See, page 12 for separate news item

and picture –Ed.) Even though he couldnot speak English his appreciation ofthis gift was most evident.

Visit to TOF-GPF Projects

Two completed projects, supportedby Time of Fast-Global Project Fund(TOF-GPF), both related to caring forchildren who have or are affected byHIV/AIDS, were visited on different

With the sisters and the TOF gift at

Infant Jesus Children’s Home

Being greeted by children at the

St. Gregorios Dayabhavan

7

Mission with Faith8

One of the current activities supportedby the Time of Fast–Global ProjectFund (TOF-GPF) is fostering youthpotential in strife-torn Palestine. YoungPalestinians have been hit the worst byyears of conflict in the country. Thisproject, called the “Youth Potentials,”is executed by the East Jerusalem YMCAin cooperation with East Jerusalem Y’sMen’s and Women’s Club.

Jerusalem was annexed by Israel in1967 and separated from the West Bankand the Palestinian villages and cities.This caused many a negative impact onPalestinians living in East Jerusalem.The annexation has contributed to thefeeling, especially among the young, thatthey are excluded from their Palestinianculture and traditions.

This project was prioritized to offeryoung Palestinians in East Jerusalemopportunities to enhance their skills,help them overcome challenges andimprove their social reality. With thiswe provide them with safe spaces togrow in a healthy way that will developtheir body, mind, and spirit.

The project, geared to reach 200young people from Jerusalem was kick-started in January 2016 and includesleadership courses, personality develop-ment, creative activities, sports, and

social activities. In January we offered atwo-day workshop to a group of 25young people from Jerusalem. Apsychosocial workshop was designed toenhance the personal and social skillsof the youth.

IN FULL ATTENDANCE: All international officers and all nine Area Presidents-Elect took part in the Mid-Year Meeting in Bangalore in February. From L to R: Immediate

Past International President Isaac Palathinkal; Earl Foster (AP-E, Canada-Caribbean); Roselyne Birungi (AP-E, Africa); Rafael Sagre (AP-E, Latin America); Tung

Ming Hsiao (AP-E, Asia); International President Wichian Boonmapajorn; Knud Klausen (AP-E, Europe); International President-Elect Joan Wilson; Charley Redmond

(AP-E, USA); Aby Abraham (AP-E, India); Tor Backman (Chair, Brotherhood Fund Expenditures Committee); International Treasurer Philips Cherian; International

Secretary-General Takao Nishimura; Kim Mun-sik (AP-E, Korea) and Russell Jones (AP-E, South Pacific)

MYM 2016 ParticipantsMYM 2016 ParticipantsMYM 2016 ParticipantsMYM 2016 ParticipantsMYM 2016 Participants

programme became a memorable onefor those involved.

This TOF-GPF funded project willoffer empowerment programmes forthe young people who will be given thetools, means and encouragement tobecome good leaders and influenceothers in a positive way. At the end ofthis project period, it is our hope thatthe East Jerusalem YMCA will be theplace where young people know theycan go to meet others, and have regularsocial and cultural activities throughoutthe year. This, we are sure, will give theyoung people of Jerusalem a new lease

of life and hope.– Yara Hasan Dowani (Youth Coordinator,

The East Jerusalem YMCA) and Barbro Thorén

(RSD Palestine, Team Sweden)

Fostering Fostering Fostering Fostering Fostering YYYYYouth Potential in Palestineouth Potential in Palestineouth Potential in Palestineouth Potential in Palestineouth Potential in Palestine

The two YMCs in Palestine – Bethlehem and East

Jerusalem – are part of Region Sweden – Ed.

A one-day programme for the youngpeople of Jerusalem to meet andinteract with otheryoungh people from theYMCA in Beit-Sahourwas also organised inthis short period. Theyoung people living inJerusalem do notusually get the chanceto meet other peopletheir age living in otherareas of Palestine andhence this one day

Discovering youth potential through workshops

TOF-GPFTOF-GPFTOF-GPFTOF-GPFTOF-GPF

The East Jerusalem Y group

Mission with Faith 9

YOUTHYOUTHYOUTHYOUTHYOUTH

YYYYYouth in High-level Decision-Making Situaouth in High-level Decision-Making Situaouth in High-level Decision-Making Situaouth in High-level Decision-Making Situaouth in High-level Decision-Making SituationstionstionstionstionsYMCA/YMI presence at the Paris Climate NegotiationsYMCA/YMI presence at the Paris Climate NegotiationsYMCA/YMI presence at the Paris Climate NegotiationsYMCA/YMI presence at the Paris Climate NegotiationsYMCA/YMI presence at the Paris Climate Negotiations

The Climate Negotiations in Paris came at a time whenthe people of France, Paris had just faceda huge terrorist attack; despite thebarbaric attacks the world stood unitedin solidarity not only to deliver justiceagainst terrorism but also to show ahuman face. The climate changenegotiations brought about young

leaders, mobilised by the YMCA, from different parts of

the world. This was the biggest involvement of YMCA’s

Regional Group on Environment (RGE) since its birth at

the Rio+20 conference in 2012. The impact was experienced

at the Paris climate negotiations where over 500 YMCAyouth, including Y’s Men leaders, took part in the 21stConference of Parties (COP21) under the United NationsFramework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Civil society plays a major role in the climatenegotiations. Many young people who took part in the

Paris climate talkswere representativesof civil societies. Itis, in this case, theYMCA thatrecognised that astrong successfulclimate regimerequires a strongand vibrant civil

society. The World Alliance of YMCAs in partnership withY’s Men International (YMI) recognises the young peopleby giving them space to meet and discuss issues affectingtheir lives.

The 200 states that gathered in Paris came up with adeal that could forge a roadmap to reduce the amount ofcarbon emissions from fossil fuels. Countries have triedyear after year with limited successes and failures in thepast; the Paris Climate talks, however, did show a new faceof commitment towards climate justice.

Key Points

The key points of the Paris agreement were, purpose toimplement according to the principle of Common butDifferentiated Responsibilities (CBDR), introduction tothe National Determined Contributions (NDC), holdingthe increase of global temperature below 2°C with an aimof 1.5°C, strong ambitious mechanisms, nature of finance,transparency and accountability, vague but wonky long termmitigation, implementation of adaptation, loss and damageas a standalone element, and capacity buildingimplementation. Paris also gave a human face to the climate

negotiations where human rights were some of the mainissues in the negotiation. The rights of indigenous people,gender issues and the rights of island nations were highlycontested. The YMCA delegates took part in supportingthe International Union for Conservation and Nature(IUCN) as gender ambassador showing the importance ofwomen in climate negotiations.

The World Alliance of YMCAs recognises theimportance of involving young people in high-level decisionmaking since they are the future nego-tiators; when theyoung generat-ion meet theoryand practicethey becomebetter thinkersand they canlook at pro-blems with areasoning mind.This indeed wasthe experience atCOP21.

Despite the large number of youth delegations, Africanyouth representation at the Conference of Parties (COP)was lacking. There were very few African youth delegatescompared to youths from the rest of the world. The biggestchallenge experienced was the difficulty in gettingaccreditation and funding.

The youth, however, can provide important manpowerin attending different meetings and collecting criticalinformation that different governments need to strengthena better negotiations outcome. The YMCA has decided toput a keen eye on the next climate conference, COP22,

which will take place in Marrakesh, Morocco, 7-18

November 2016. As all eyes are set to Marrakesh, the YMCAis building a roadmap on how to have a bigger youth

presence there. Clifford Collins Omondi Okwany,

member of the Kenyan YMCA and YMC of Nairobi.

Future negotiators in action at Paris

Some of the youth at Paris meeting

Mission with Faith10

I was privileged to embark on a

Brotherhood Fund (BF) tour of India

in January this year. I applied for a

grant under the BF programme soon

after I completed my term as President

of the YMC Rifey, part of the Ural-

Siberian District in Region Russia of

Area Europe in 2013-14. I took ini-

tiatives in extending Y’sdom in Russia

and was keen to learn from the

experiences of other Regions, part-

icularly in India Area.

I arrived in Cochin, the

commercial capital of Kerala State on

the south-western coast of India, and

experienced the shock of being

“attacked” by harsh weather and spicy

food. The heat was somewhere around

mid-30 degrees celsius and indulging

in hot and spicy curries was the last

thing I had prepared myself for.

However, the Y’s men went out of their

way to keep me indoors as much as

possible and provide me with food that

agreed with my palate. It was not just

in Cochin that this situation prevailed,

but almost the entire duration of my

stay in India, spanning three States –

Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Tight Schedule

In Kerala, my first halt was at

Cochin (6-8 January). I visited the

magnificent Catholic and Orthodox

churches and took a ride through the

backwaters of Cochin in a houseboat.

I visited the enterprises – a stone

quarry, a rubber plantation, textiles

shops, etc. – of several Y’s members of

Ernakulam South and Kakkanad

Town. I was the guest of honour at a

planned Regional meeting and was

impressed to witness a large service

projects in the fields of youth, sports,

development, charity, projects for the

poor and orphans, as well as special

education and leadership projects for

promising young people.

While in Kerala, I visited Kottayam,

Trivandrum, Thrissur and a number

of smaller towns in between. I was

treated to a wonderful show of the

traditional dance of Kerala, Kathakali,

that mystical art of facial expressions

synchronized with dance steps. It was

an unforgettable experience for me. I

also visited an Ayurveda hospital

offering traditional therapeutic

massage, an old Catholic Church and

the Museum of St. Thomas, as well as

the Elephant Park.

It was not just tourism for me. I

visited several projects of Y’s Men in

all these places such as a nursing home

for abandoned and the homeless

elderly people. I even participated in a

seminar on business management and

financial engineering for students of a

local private school before leaving

Kerala for Bangalore. All in all, it was

a week packed with a lot of learning

and some fun.

On to Bangalore and Chennai

The three days I spent in Bangalore

(15-17 January), once called the garden

city of India, were very enriching. My

hosts took great care of me and took

me to several projects of the local clubs

there. There was a community service

project supporting school education

for children from poor neighbour-

hoods (slums). We even had a warm

BBQ party, in European style.

My last days in India, 18-20

January, were very interesting and at

the same time, sad. It was in the city

of Chennai. I saw a beautiful cathedral,

built on the site where St. Thomas the

Apostle of Jesus is believed to have

been martyred. The Y’s men there

introduced me to two major service

projects, led by Metropolitan and

Thiruverkadu Town clubs. One of the

projects was supporting a children’s

home which is also a boarding school

for boys. The other project was charity

help to the poor and disadvantaged,

homeless residents on the streets of

Chennai. We distributed free food and

water, as well as medicines.

Participation in these projects peaked

with a pleasant club meeting and

discussions.

I strongly recommend all Y’s men

to contribute liberally to the

Brotherhood Fund and to apply for

BF Grants as it is one of the best ways

to see and learn the real values of

Y’sdom.

Learning from Learning from Learning from Learning from Learning from Y’Y’Y’Y’Y’s Men in Indias Men in Indias Men in Indias Men in Indias Men in IndiaNikita KarpovNikita KarpovNikita KarpovNikita KarpovNikita Karpov,,,,, BF Delega BF Delega BF Delega BF Delega BF Delegate to India 2016te to India 2016te to India 2016te to India 2016te to India 2016

Nikita, in Chennai, with the Y’s men distributing food and water to the destitutes on the streets

A BF TRAVELOGUE


FROM FAR AND NEAR

Hawaii’s “Fight the Bite” campaign

against dengue fever got a bit of extra

help from the Hilo Y’s Men & Women

Service Club . Over 1,500 mosquito-

repellent bracelets were distributed in

partnership with other service

organisations to homeless people

around the island using some of the

proceeds from its 66th annual

Christmas tree sale.

The club launched the project to

provide mosquito-repellent bracelets

to those most at risk from the

Helping HaHelping HaHelping HaHelping HaHelping Hawaii’waii’waii’waii’waii’s s s s s “Fight the Bite”“Fight the Bite”“Fight the Bite”“Fight the Bite”“Fight the Bite” Campaign Campaign Campaign Campaign Campaign

dangerous spread of dengue fever on

their island, where 170 people have

been hit with the disease. Those are

the island's homeless whose outdoor

life exposes them more than most to

mosquito bites.

Lance Niimi, District Governor for

the Y Service Club said that the bands

have become much more popular since

the dengue outbreak started. It has

been declared non-toxic and only

DEET–free lemongrass oil mix is used

on the bands.

Source: Russ Lynch in FB page of

Y Service Clubs HawaiiDisplaying the bracelets acquired for distribution

Every year the Denmark Region of Y’s

Men International undertakes one or

more fund-raising drives to help

children and youth in Denmark and

other parts of the world. In 2015-16

RD Steen Christiansen and the District

Governors of the Region chose to work

with Blå Kors, an organization in

Greenland that primarily helps people

with alcohol- or drug-related issues as

well as children and youth growing up

in such homes. The target is to collect

1.2 million Danish Krone (about USD

175,000) for the project.

For many years, alcohol and drug

abuse has been a problem in Greenland,

affecting children and youth in a very

hard way. Investigations show that a

third of all Greenlandic children and

youth live with abuse and many of

Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish Y’Y’Y’Y’Y’s Men s Men s Men s Men s Men Pledge to Pledge to Pledge to Pledge to Pledge to Make a DifMake a DifMake a DifMake a DifMake a Difference to Greenlandic Childrenference to Greenlandic Childrenference to Greenlandic Childrenference to Greenlandic Childrenference to Greenlandic Children

them, especially girls, have been

sexually abused. These

circumstances traumatise the

young and they need serious

help. Public funds are not

available for such work, hence

the intervention of Y’s Men and

Blå Kors.

The idea of the project – also

supported by Ole Kirks Fond

(LEGO) – is to create a row of

shelters for these children and

youth where volunteers will counsel

them to create new hope and start over.

Initially, six cities have been identified

where the project will be implemented

and will be supported by Nivi Hellman,

who will train the volunteers to counsel

children and youth in Greenland.

Apart from the fund-raising effort

The South District of Taiwan Region

cooperated with the Tourism Bureau

Danish Y’s Men getting ready for children in Greenland

A Clean Beach – for the sake of the communityA Clean Beach – for the sake of the communityA Clean Beach – for the sake of the communityA Clean Beach – for the sake of the communityA Clean Beach – for the sake of the community

of Kaohsiung City Government and

YMCA Kaohsiung to conduct a

“Clean Beach”

community service

activity towards the end

of last year. Regional

Director Lin and DG

Shu gathered 83

members, their

Menettes and Y’sings

from five clubs and

about 200 students

from nearby schools to participate in

this meaningful action. Banners and

flags with Y’s Men logos carrying

environmental messages to hang in the

stores and walls within 50 metres of

the beach were printed and

distributed. They were still on display

at the time of writing this story, three

months later to inform tourists and

others of the goodwill image of Y’s

Men International.Mei-Hui Chen, CP, YMC-KaohsiungMembers and volunteers gather on the beach after a hard day’s work

the Region is working on the modalities

for a trip to Greenland in the summer

of 2016 and Danish Y’s Men are

equipping themselves to help renovate

and convert some the houses to shelters

for the children.Evan Johansen


FROM FAR AND NEAR

Y’s International Leaders, IPE Joan

Wilson and ISG Takao Nishimura

visited the project being executed by

Bangalore District One as part of the

Area President’s pet project Parpidam

(Shelter). The District has committed

to building a shelter for Muniyappa, a

homeless handicapped man living on

the streets of Bangalore for the past

several years, at a cost of Rs. 250,000

(about USD 3,750). The house

coming up on the outskirts of the city

will be complete soon and will be

handed over to him at a function to

be held on 10 April 2016.Thomas Biju, DG, Bangalore 1

A House for Muniyappa in BangaloreA House for Muniyappa in BangaloreA House for Muniyappa in BangaloreA House for Muniyappa in BangaloreA House for Muniyappa in Bangalore

Poinsettias Free,Poinsettias Free,Poinsettias Free,Poinsettias Free,Poinsettias Free,

Donations ExpectedDonations ExpectedDonations ExpectedDonations ExpectedDonations Expected

Known as the Christmas flower, the

poinsettia is a symbol of good cheer.

Every year, during

yuletide season, the

North Coast Y Service

Club (San Diego

District, Pacific

Southwest Region,

Area USA) brings

cheer to many homes by giving

poinsettias away for free. The catch is

that the recepients are expected to show

their support to the Camp Pendleton

Armed Services YMCA programmes for

active duty military personnel and their

families with donations. Last year the

Club raised several hundreds of dollars.

The club has so far donated $28,000

including the $8,000 in January 2016

towards youth programmes run by the

Armed Services YMCA.Source: FB page of North Coast Y Service Club

Members with the latest tranche of donation

The Y’s Menettes in Japan West

Region are guided by the slogan, “We

walk the line set by Y’s Men in Japan

West Region.”

The 11th of March 2011 was tragic

for Japan which was hit by a devastating

earthquake and massive Tsunami

which caused the melt-down of the

atomic power plant in Fukushima

East, which lies in West Japan. Since

this overwhelming disaster hit the area

five years ago, Y’s Men’s Clubs in Japan

have continuously supported the

national effort of rehabilitation by

buying special products from the area.

This may not bring about any

immediate solution for those less

fortunate people there. But, every little

act of kindness helps in times of such

big disasters.

The main product is “WAKAME”

– the soft seaweed used in Japan as

seasoning and as food. It is a special

product and all profits from its sales

go to the people.

I visited all Districts in Japan West

Region and attended club meetings to

find ways and means of helping the

people of Fukushima.Noriko Endou,

Service Director (Menettes), JWR

Menettes walk the line set bMenettes walk the line set bMenettes walk the line set bMenettes walk the line set bMenettes walk the line set by y y y y Y’Y’Y’Y’Y’s Men in Jas Men in Jas Men in Jas Men in Jas Men in Japan pan pan pan pan WWWWWest Regest Regest Regest Regest Regionionionionion

At one of the meetings

Supporting Local Supporting Local Supporting Local Supporting Local Supporting Local Authorit iesAuthorit iesAuthorit iesAuthorit iesAuthorit ies

Taking into consideration the hardship

of visitors to local administration

offices in Kerala, the Y’s Men’s Club

of Ettumannoor donated wheel chairs

to the Kottayam Collectorate (seat of

the District revenue officer) for the

convenience of the numerous sick and

the aged who come there with petitions

for relief and succor. The gift was

received by the District Collector, Mr.

Jose, at his office in late 2015.

IPE Joan Wilson with the beneficiary Muniyappa and DG Biju at the site


FROM FAR AND NEAR

Reaching OutReaching OutReaching OutReaching OutReaching Out

The first distribution activity of YMCSingapore, Alpha Chapter was held incollaboration with SARAH SeniorsActivity Centre on 21 December 2015.This Christmas Season, we gave small

TTTTToronto Megaoronto Megaoronto Megaoronto Megaoronto Megathonthonthonthonthon

Central Canada Region and the OttawaY Service Club donated Fair Tradesoccer balls to the North York (Toronto)YMCA Megathon. The Megathon is afundraiser for the YMCAs of Greater

We also reached out to other elderlypeople who were not part of SARAHSeniors Activity Centre, which takescare of and monitors the health of theelderly living in that area. Together with15 other volunteers coming from allwalks of life, we gathered early in themorning to pack the gifts that were tobe given. Although our task seemed verysimple, it was not easy. Our volunteerswent from door to door to engage andspeak with the elderly, which wasrewarding for them as well as the

volunteers.Patricia Lim

Toronto. The soccer balls were includedin the prizes for a basketball fundraiserheld at the North York Y on Saturday5 March 2016.

Asia Prizes 2015Asia Prizes 2015Asia Prizes 2015Asia Prizes 2015Asia Prizes 2015

Matsumoto Y’s Men’s Club (Azusa

District, Japan East Region), held their

17th edition of the essay-writing

competition for Asia Prizes in

December 2015. Started in 1999 by the

Matsumoto Club, the Asia Prizes

encourages self-sponsored Asia students

studying in Japan to develop themselves

and to achieve their dreams. The prizes

were for outstanding essays written in

Japanese. The

manuscripts of the

contestants were

excellent and rich

in variety and

covered topics

such as living as

foreigners in Japan,

the differences in

culture and the

importance of international under-

standing. They were all looking forward

to making the best of the knowledge

and experiences acquired in Japan after

they return to their countries.

Nobutoshi Iijima

Christmas gifts to the elderly who arestaying in the Bukit Merah Estate.

Winners of the seventeenth edition of ‘Asia Prizes’

In this picture, former IHQYouth Intern Dominique Fernandez-Trelles is on the left and in the centreis Martin Dand, PAP, ISD-PR, andmembers of the North York Y’sMen’s Club along with Y Staff

members.

Martin Dand

Going from door to door

Welcome to TaipeiWelcome to TaipeiWelcome to TaipeiWelcome to TaipeiWelcome to TaipeiIC 2016 will be held in Taipei from 4 to 7 August 2016. The major convention venue will be the famous Grand

Hotel. We will move to the nearby EXPO Dome on the second night. This is our first

time to host the International Convention since we started the Y’s Men movement

in Taiwan 61 years ago.

Taipei is multi-cultural and multi-ethnic in composition with a friendly population

that gives primacy to traditional values and works in a progressive and modern

environment, all in harmony with nature and the world around it.

We, the International Convention Host Committee, are working hard to plan unique

and enjoyable programmes to offer you at IC16 that would be engraved into your minds forever.

Registration has started and can be done online or by fax. Registration fee is USD 450

per member at early bird special price until 30 April. Details on http://ic2016.org.

Be sure to come and experience the charming land and meet our friendly Y’s family. It

surely is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

International Convention Host Committee (ICHC)


Many of us Y’s Men in Japan came to

know of Tatsumaru Sugiyama’s work

in India only recently through a TV

programme that featured him. It was

a pleasant surprise to learn later that

he was a member of the Fukuoka

Central Y’s Men’s Club and had

taken part in the YMCA and Y’s Men

movement from an early age. He was

born into a well-established family in

Fukuoka, Japan in 1919. He is still

little known both within Japan and

abroad, but his work has left a lasting

legacy in India, a country far away

from his homeland.

Tatsumaru’s grandfather, a

political activist and entrepreneur, and

his father, a well-known author died

within a year of each other when

Tatsumaru was only 16 years old. His

grandfather left him the words “Save

the peoples of Asia,” which seem to

have shaped his future. One of his

grandfather’s undertakings was an

agricultural education programme for

young people from across Asia, on a

37-acre farm which he had bought for

that purpose. When World War II

came to an end, Tatsumaru resumed

this undertaking by taking in Indian

students to acquire agricultural know

how. He was just 36 old at that time.

In 1962, Tatsumaru’s link with

India led to a telephone call from

Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime Minister

of India, who asked him to help India,

then stricken by famine and poverty

as a result of desertification. When

he reached India, he saw the vast areas

which had turned into deserts. After

surveying the land, he concluded

planting eucalyptus trees could restore

the much-needed greenery in these

areas. He thought the fast-growing and

deep-rooted eucalyptus trees would

have the effect of pumping up ground

water to the surface and would enable

A TRIBUTEA TRIBUTEA TRIBUTEA TRIBUTEA TRIBUTE

farming. At first the villagers were

reluctant to help him — they were

simply too busy eking out a living —

but, struck by his determination and

seeing Tatsumaru planting trees with

his own hands, people began helping

him. At the end of the project,

260,000 trees were planted along 470

kilometres of the highway connecting

India and Pakistan.

Tatsumaru’s next project was to

restore greenery in the Shivalik range

along the Himalayas frequently affected

by landslides. A huge sum of money

was needed for planting eucalyptus over

the 3,000-kilometre stretch of the

rapidly desertifying region. The launch

of the project, unfortunately,

coincided with prolonged drought and

the Indian government could not

afford to fund the project. He turned

to the United Nations for assistance,

but was unable to secure help for

reasons beyond the mandate of

Tatsumaru. As a last resort, he sold all

his possessions, including the 37-acre

farmland in Fukuoka, and got an

equivalent of around US $140 million

in today’s value.

The project was unfinished when he

died of apoplexy and overwork in

1987, at the age of 68. The project,

however, was taken over by the local

people. Trees continued to be planted

and today, there are lush trees and

farmlands which was once arid

wasteland. The local people say

“Mahatma Gandhi is the Father of

Independence. Tatsumaru Sugiyama is

the Father of Green.” Tatsumaru’s son,

Mitsumaru, has been quoted as saying,

“We no longer have a farm in Fukuoka,

but it still survives as the green of India.”

As well as leaving a lasting legacy in

India, Tatsumaru’s work has inspired

his fellow Y’s men in Japan. Y’s man

Takeshi Sakamoto, a member of

Fukuoka Central, is now actively

engaged in desert greening in

Mongolia. Tatsumaru set out to do

what many thought was impossible

saying, “If you don’t think it’s

impossible, everything is possible.” His

hard work, dedication and

determination will be an inspiration

to fellow Y’s men facing various

challenges in different situations

around the world.

Michihiro Endo, RD, JWR and

Takashi Watanabe, RD, JER

The The The The The “Green Fa“Green Fa“Green Fa“Green Fa“Green Father”ther”ther”ther”ther” of India of India of India of India of IndiaA JaA JaA JaA JaA Japanese panese panese panese panese Y’Y’Y’Y’Y’s Man who devoted his life and fs Man who devoted his life and fs Man who devoted his life and fs Man who devoted his life and fs Man who devoted his life and fortune to gortune to gortune to gortune to gortune to greening an Indian desertreening an Indian desertreening an Indian desertreening an Indian desertreening an Indian desert

FAR FROM HOME: An undated file picture of Sugiyama (circled) with his Indian friends during one of those

marathon sessions that involved miles of walking to plant green cover in the Himalayas


Mission with Faith

The School of Peace is generally held once a year here in

Asia and brings together around 20 young people from

different Asian countries, different faiths and different

cultures. The 14-week programme is designed to promote

self-transformation which can lead participants to begin

working for transformed communities back in their homes.

At the end of the fourteen weeks, each participant is

asked to give a presentation on what they have learned and

how they have changed during the programme. One of the

participants shared the following story as part of his

reflection.

A small village lay nestled in the flat plains between the

mountains and the sea. The people of this village were

farmers, working hard to produce food for their families.

The village was also home to many crows that scavenged

for food among the village garbage dumps. All of the crows

were black and the villagers accepted as truth that crows

are only black. This was something they never questioned

or were even concerned about.

One day a stranger visited the village. He was a wanderer,

travelling from place to place and sharing his stories with

those who would listen. The people in the village always

welcomed story-tellers and in the evening gathered to hear

what fabulous stories this stranger would have for them.

“Friends,” he said. “You have many black crows here

in your village. I see only black crows. But did you know

that there are also white crows?”

The villagers laughed, thinking the stranger was telling

them a joke. But when they looked at his face, they saw

that he was serious.

“There are no white crows,” they said in unison. “Crows

are only black. See all the crows here. They are all black.

Crows are black, but never white.”

“But I have seen a white crow,” he said seriously. “There

are white crows.”

Late into the night the people asked questions about

the white crows he had seen, and he answered in such detail

and with such sincerity that soon the people began to believe

him.

“But we have never seen a white crow,” they said. “We

only see black crows.”

“Then you must go looking for them” the storyteller

said with a smile. “If you do not look, you will never see

them. Only those who seek, will find new things to admire

and enjoy. Seekers are the only ones who discover a bigger

world.”

He concluded that before coming to the School of

Peace, he was not a seeker. He simply accepted as fact that

what he himself knew and had experienced was sufficient

truth to help him understand the world. While he still

had not seen any white crows, he was now challenged to

go out and look for them – to seek new perspectives on

the issues facing his community and the world in general.

He was ready to discover a bigger world. I have followed

the journey of this young man since his return to his home

community. He has, indeed, set aside his belief that all

crows are black and is now searching for a white crow. He

is living with the marginalised in his community, listening

to their stories of struggle, defeat and victory and discovering

that his original understanding of why people are poor,

hungry or homeless is not sufficient to explain what he is

now seeing and hearing.

To better understand the world in which we live we

must first recognise that our present understanding is

limited. Even though we have only seen black crows, that

does not mean there are no white crows. If the mass media

tell us that Islam is a violent religion we need to ask serious

questions because the truth may be very different. We need

to take the time to seek deeper information about things

such as the affordable health care act, gun control, marriage

equality, poverty and welfare. We may find that what we

are being told is not the complete truth and if we listen to

those who have a different perspective than we do, we might

realise that our original understanding is not sufficient to

explain the true realities.

Proverbs 3:13-14 suggests that becoming wise and filled

with understanding is something we have to work at.

“Happy is anyone who becomes wise – who comes to have

understanding. There is more profit in it than there is in

silver; it is worth more to you than gold.”

Yes, there are white crows. I have seen one, and I shall

continue being a seeker because I am convinced that there

is still so much that I do not understand or that I

misunderstand about this wonderful creation God has

made.

Max Ediger*

The The The The The White CrowWhite CrowWhite CrowWhite CrowWhite Crow

*Max Ediger grew up on a small farm in the Panhandle of Oklahoma. At the age

of 19 he began working with an international Non-Government Organization,

serving in Africa, Vietnam and Thailand. His work has brought him into close

personal contact with refugees, slum communities, poor rural communities and

victims of war. These communities struggling for justice and human rights have

greatly influenced his writing, which attempts to reflect to the reader the hope and

courage he finds among people in struggle. He currently directs the School of

Peace from Cambodia and acts as a resource person for the YMCAs in several

countries.

Reprinted with permission of PeaceSigns, the online publication of the Peace and

Justice Support Network of Mennonite Church USA, www.mennolink.org/peace

15

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Mission with Faith

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