Ymw 4 15 16 final

Mission with Faith

INSIDE: Messages from International Officers • Taipei Awaits IC 2016 Delegates • Two Quakes, One Response: Y’s Men Lend a Helping Hand • Championing Youth

Causes in YMI • A Past ISG Recalls his Predecessors • For the Record – International Conventions over the Years • Danish Y’s Men’s Spiritual Sojourn to Hong

Kong • Environmental Concerns • YMI-YMCA Partnership Gets a Boost • Y’s Action News from Far and Near • Max Ediger Column on “The Earth is the Lord’s”

The Official Publication of Y’s Men International

Number 4–2015/16

Taipei Beckons

Mission with Faith2

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 4, 2015/16

ONLY FOR PRIVATE DISTRIBUTION TO MEMBERSCover picture: Taipei skyline with the 101 Tower dominating it

Deadline for submission of articles and pictures for next issue: 31 August 2016

FROM MY BOOKSHELFFROM MY BOOKSHELFFROM MY BOOKSHELFFROM MY BOOKSHELFFROM MY BOOKSHELF

The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary

Change by Adam Braun.

The riveting story of how a young man turned $25 into more than 200 schools

around the world and the guiding steps anyone can take to lead a

successful and significant life.

Adam Braun began working summers at hedge funds when he

was just sixteen years old, sprinting down the path to a successful

Wall Street career. But while travelling he met a young boy begging

on the streets of India, who after being asked what he wanted most

in the world, simply answered, “a pencil.” This small request led

to a staggering series of events that took Braun backpacking through

dozens of countries before eventually leaving one of the world’s most prestigious

jobs to found ‘Pencils of Promise’, the organisation he started with just $25 that

has since built more than 200 schools around the world.

The Promise of a Pencil chronicles Braun’s journey to find his calling, as each

chapter explains one clear step that every person can take to turn their biggest

ambitions into reality, even if the start is with as little as $25. His story takes readers

behind the scenes with business moguls and village chiefs, world-famous celebrities

and hometown heroes. Driven by compelling stories and shareable insights, this is

a vivid and inspiring book that will give you the tools to make your own life a story

worth telling.

(All proceeds from this book will support Pencils of Promise.)

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

Once again, greetings from Bangalore!

This is the fourth issue of Y’s Men’s

World for the year 2015/16. I hope you

enjoyed the previ-

ous issues. I must

say that I enjoyed

writing, rewriting,

researching, refin-

ing and finalising

them.

This issue does

not focus on any

one story but gives

a panoramic view of the many themes

that stood out in this quarter –

environment, preparation for the

forthcoming IC at Taipei, and the

disasters that struck Japan and

Ecuador in April. Of course, news of

Y’s activities find their regular space.

I strongly urge you to share your

experiences and stories of action. In

many ways I am encouraged by the

response to the call for submissions

for the current issue. But more can be

done. We had just enough for this

issue.

Writing a story for a newsletter is

no big deal. Let me share with you the

professional recipe to write a piece for

the forthcoming issues. Journalistic

jargon calls it “5Ws and 1H.” If you

answer ‘What’, ‘When’, ‘Where’,

‘Who’, ‘Why’ and ‘How’ you have the

contours of a good report. Throw in a

few high resolution pictures with

appropriate captions and you are

almost there! Embellish it with more

details but try and avoid going

overboard with a whole lot of

adjectives. Give it a try and I will help

you shape it into a publishable piece.

Please do not forget to add your

contact details at the bottom of the

story so that we can get back to you

for clarifications, if needed.

If you are in Taipei for the IC, please

do not forget to write down your

impressions or click some memorable

moments and send them to me. They

may find a place in the next issue.

Finally, let me wish all our leaders

in the Districts, Regions and Areas

who have taken charge of leadership

for the new Y’s year the best for all

their endeavours.

Yours in Y’sdom,

Koshy Mathew

Mission with Faith 3

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

TTTTTaipei,aipei,aipei,aipei,aipei, the Heart of the Heart of the Heart of the Heart of the Heart of Asia,Asia,Asia,Asia,Asia, AAAAAwaits IC 2016 Delegawaits IC 2016 Delegawaits IC 2016 Delegawaits IC 2016 Delegawaits IC 2016 Delegatestestestestes

Taipei, where the old and new and the traditional and progressively modern

live in harmony, awaits delegates to the 72nd International

Convention. Appropriately, the theme chosen for this IC is

“Living in Harmony.” Taipei is known as the “heart of Asia”

and is the political, economic, educational, and cultural capital

of Taiwan. It is one of the major hubs of the Chinese-speaking

world and is considered to be a global city.

The first Y’s Men’s Club in Taiwan was inaugurated in 1955. The Y’s Men’s

Club of Taipei-Alpha became the first club in Taiwan Region having been

chartered on 12 March 1995 after Taiwan was declared a Region. Taiwan

Region comprises three Districts – North, Centre and South – with about 540

Dear Friends

I recall the IPE Night at the 71st Y’s Men International

Convention on the 8th of August 2014 in Chennai, India,when I declared my theme “Mission with Faith” and revealed

my dreams while preparing to lead the movement for a

year. I echoed the six most powerful words uttered byMother Teresa, “I believe in Love and Compassion.” It

still rings in my ears. I believe in ahimsa (non–violence)

preached by the great leader Mahatma Gandhi. It has takenhold of me and this philosophy coupled with Mother

Teresa’s words guided my service term of 2015/16.

Soon we will be assembling at Taipei for the 72nd Y’sMen International Convention from 4 to 7 August.

Looking back, I am happy to say that as a team we have

been able to push forward the major six thrusts, namely,membership drive, promoting various programmes

through the TOF-GPF and the Endowment Fund, focusing

on the signature project of Roll Back Malaria incollaboration with the International Federation of Red

Cross and Red Crescent Societies, reiterating interdepend-

ence and partnership between Y’sdom and the YMCAworldwide and redefining Vision 2022 and Towards 2022,

that I had laid out as my dreams in my inaugural speech at

Chennai.Throughout this Y’s year of working together with all

our Areas we have been able to adhere to the profound

principles of Unity, Purity, Beauty, Charity, Maturity,Accountability and Creativity. They have been the guiding

principles for all leaders and members confronting various

challenges they faced during

the year.We notice the concern

and creativity of Y’s men in

various parts of the world inimplementing projects, espe-

cially the ongoing project of

Y’s Doctors Service BeyondBorders, the Area-wise inter-

ventions of Natural Disaster

Emergency Relief Fund(NDERF) programme, the

new training approach of the

Servant-Leadership pro-gramme in Y’sdom – from club level to the International

level – and in the creation of a satellite office for the Move-

ment in Chiangmai to serve members more effectively.May I take this opportunity to express my appreciation

to all members, leaders, partners in the YMCAs and the

United Nations as well as all supportive organisations,office staff of all Areas, Regions, Districts and IHQ and the

dignitaries of the countries where we have had the privilege

to serve the communities for their cooperation to let uscontinue to serve.

We shall have you all in our prayers.

God Bless.

Y’sly,

Wichian Boonmapajorn

IP 2015/16

members at present. Yin-Tse Lin is currently the Regional Director of Taiwan.

Taiwan Y’s Men have produced a number of leaders for the Movement. Notable

among them are: Past International Council Members Jung-Fa Chao, Robert

Lo, Austin Lin, Jimmy Liu, David Hsiao, Oliver Wu. The latter two went on to

become Area Presidents. Tung-Ming Hsiao, Area President-Elect and ICM-

Elect is currently Chairman of the Host Committee of IC 2016.

Some of the major projects undertaken by Taiwan Region are tree-planting,

promoting reverence for elders, organising blood donation camps, celebrating

Chinese New Year with disadvantaged elders and promoting polite manners

among children and young people.

Pictures in this box item show the IC Host Committee at work in June 2016

Mission with Faith4

The Mission Review Session held on 8March 2016 prior to the ExecutiveCommittee meetings of the Asia andPacific Alliance of YMCAs in HongKong was a journey for the YMCAleaders to revisit the mission of theYMCAs in the present-day context ofthe region.

Dr. Ahn Jae Woong, former GeneralSecretary of the Christian Conferenceof Asia and former President of theNational Council of YMCAs of Koreadelivered the keynote address titled, “AnEcumenical and Theological Reflection:The YMCA Mission, Task and ActionRevisited.”

In his paper, Dr. Ahn reviewed thecurrent global socio-economic andpolitical trends. He specially mentionedclimate change, the refugee crisis, andthe bubble economy of East Asia. Hepointed out some major challenges ofutmost importance to be tackledurgently, especially climate change,population growth, gap between the

International Secretary-General Writes

On CommunicaOn CommunicaOn CommunicaOn CommunicaOn Communication and Second Semester tion and Second Semester tion and Second Semester tion and Second Semester tion and Second Semester WWWWWoesoesoesoesoes

YMCA Leaders of YMCA Leaders of YMCA Leaders of YMCA Leaders of YMCA Leaders of Asia Pacific Re-visit the Mission of the Asia Pacific Re-visit the Mission of the Asia Pacific Re-visit the Mission of the Asia Pacific Re-visit the Mission of the Asia Pacific Re-visit the Mission of the YMCAYMCAYMCAYMCAYMCA

rich and the poor, and so on.Dr. Ahn highlighted the history and

evolution of the ecumenical movementin his keynote address. He said thatYMCA’s adoption of the mottocontaining the prayer of Jesus “Thatthey may all be one,” symbolizes theunity, brotherhood and ecumenism ofthe World YMCA Movement.

After taking the partipants through

an in-depth analysis of the AsianEcumenical movement, he concludedwith the plea to build a culture of peace.He indicated that in Asia “we live andexperience multi-ethnic, multi-racial,multi-cultural, multi-religious andmulti-lingual realities. In this multi-contextual continent of Asia, we arecalled to be peacemakers.”

Source: APAY e-News, April 2016

Dr. Ahn Jae Woong (third from left) with IP Wichian and other YMI/YMCA leaders after his address

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear,slow to speak, slow to anger (James 1:19 ESV)

The International Headquarters (IHQ) had the mostdifficult time in recent years collecting information on

membership for the secondsemester of 2015/16 mainly dueto leaders’ communicationproblems and conflicts in someRegions. Even as I write this, weare awaiting final information ofmembership status for 1stFebruary from a few Regions. Thatmeans we are not sure how manyhave paid their membership Dues

in full for the year.We are on the threshold of implementing the Portalbuzz

database system which will enable our leaders and IHQ toobtain most accurate and real-time information onmembership details. But, if no data is entered, the systemwill not function. Even now some Regions are not updatingthe information with IHQ.

Mid-Year Meeting (MYM) 2016 was held in Bangalore,India in February and after a lot of deliberations andbrainstorming sessions with APs/ APs(E), YMI has set upa Task Force on Communications as one of the new groupswithin the Movement. It aims to coordinate thedissemination of relevant international information tomembers through appropriate media and to ensure that

those unable to use electronic formats receive hard copiesin a timely manner, among other objectives. However, someleaders do not communicate with us in a timely manner.They do not have proper communication even with theRD Troika, resulting in lack of support and assistance forRegional or District management. In some worst-casescenarios, they are in conflict and, in such cases, no data orinformation are shared among Regional leaders.

In the No. 2 issue of Y’s Men’s World, I had said that itwas time to transform ourselves. Permit me to quote fromthat piece I wrote then:

I believe it is time to transform ourselves and not keep the

status quo in our operations in the organisation. In six years’

time, we will be celebrating the hundredth anniversary of our

Movement. We do not need to be pessimistic at all as our

servant leaders exhibit strong passion and sprit to serve the

community and people.

In our daily life, it is also important to care for othersand, if you are committed to our Movement, let us shareinformation as quickly as possible since the internet hasmade it possible for us to do so.

Y’sly

ISG Nishi


w working proactively with leaders

where conflicts have occurred to

develop preventative strategies

so that issues can be addressed

promptly and in a more

amicable manner;

w motivating our membership to

focus on serving our Movement

with integrity in whatever they

do, be it service work,

leadership, paying of Dues,

contributing to international

programmes, promoting Y’s

Men, etc.

Above all I want to serve our

Movement humbly, honestly and

proactively as I both enjoy the pleasures

of being IP and deal with the challenges

that come with the position. Like each

of you I must “Acknowledge the Duties

that Accompany every Right”.

During 2016-17, I have chosen as

my theme and slogan the following:

“Our Future Begins Today”

“Together We Can Do

So Much More”

I strongly believe that working

together towards our common goals

will see the greatest positive impact in

our service work, membership growth,

and recognition in the broader

community, to name just a few. We

must celebrate the good work we

accomplish while still demonstrating

personal modesty. In order to achieve

these goals, I suggest we remember the

following:

1. timely communications – be

proactive and positive in your

communications and respond

promptly to others;

2. empowered and committed

leadership – all members,

regardless of whether they are

international leaders, project

workers, or somewhere in

between, must be responsible to

complete what they have agreed

to do;

3. everyone must be involved – Y’s

Menettes and Youth as well as

Y’s Men are needed to see the

greatest results in service and

growth for our Movement;

4. act promptly in service to others

– we should not wait but get

fully engaged today in the work

that must be done;

5. be responsible for the duties

assigned to us – remember our

motto and seek always to serve

in whatever ways are asked of us.

As we enter this new Y Service year

on 1 July, I ask each and every one of

you to join me in the work before us,

so that we can truly see Y’s Men Inter-

national show positive changes for the

future. Remember, our future begins

today and together we can do so much

more!

I look forward to seeing many of

you in Taipei!

Joan Wilson

Incoming International President

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

Dear friends,

As my year as your IPE draws to a

close, I look back with both pleasure

and gratitude at

the wonderful

people and

clubs that I

have met along

the way. Hav-

ing been privi-

leged to partici-

pate in RDE

Training week-

ends in Canada/ Caribbean, Europe,

USA, Asia/Korea/South Pacific and

India, I was able to meet many

upcoming leaders. These Y’s people

demonstrated great passion for our

Movement, a desire to learn and share

with one another, and enthusiasm to

set achievable goals and work to see

them through. I look forward to work-

ing with these and other leaders around

the globe.

As June approaches, my thoughts

are being focused more and more on

my goals for my year as your

International President. I want to

make sure that I am ready to do the

work you have entrusted to me. Some

of these duties include:

w recognising and celebrating

amazing service efforts at the

club, Regional and Inter-

national levels;

w establishing reasonable goals

for membership growth/club

extension and programme con-

tributions in collaboration

with Area leaders, and working

with them to ensure they suc-

ceed;

w working with our young leaders

to more effectively engage and

involve our youth and younger

members in meaningful ways;

w supporting our IHQ staff as they

all adapt to the opening of the

satellite office in Chiang Mai

with our ISG based there;

“T“T“T“T“Together ogether ogether ogether ogether WWWWWe Can Do So Much More”e Can Do So Much More”e Can Do So Much More”e Can Do So Much More”e Can Do So Much More”

Mission with Faith

DISASTER & RESPONSEDISASTER & RESPONSEDISASTER & RESPONSEDISASTER & RESPONSEDISASTER & RESPONSE

TTTTTwo Quakes,wo Quakes,wo Quakes,wo Quakes,wo Quakes, One Response: One Response: One Response: One Response: One Response: Y’Y’Y’Y’Y’s Men Lend a Helping Hands Men Lend a Helping Hands Men Lend a Helping Hands Men Lend a Helping Hands Men Lend a Helping Hand

The The The The The Y ResponseY ResponseY ResponseY ResponseY Response

in Japanin Japanin Japanin Japanin Japan

Kumamoto YMCA, which

runs a handful of public

facilities such as a

gymnasium and sports

facility was one of the

heavily-damaged structures.

Y’s Men, YMCA staff and

others in the building at that

time escaped, but they lost

most of their property.

Kumamoto YMCA is

somewhat undamaged but

the quake has resulted in

damage to the walls and

electrical fittings. It will take

considerable time to return

to work inside the YMCA

building.

In spite of the huge

damage, Masuki Town

officials took care of 1,200

evacuees and 600 people

who stayed in the cars all day

long. As for Mihune Town,

rescue workers took care of

200 evacuees although the

Town Hall had considerable

damage.

Y’s Men and YMCA staff

worked together to help the

evacuees with relief materi-

als as a temporary measure.

The Kumamoto YMCA,

though damaged, is working

day and night to set it up to

accommodate 2,000 evacu-

ees with a place to sleep.

District Governor-Elect

of Kyusyu District, Ryuji

Miyazaki, who is also Vice-

President of Kumamoto

YMCA is leading the relief

and rehabilitation efforts in

the area. Plans are afoot to

set up refugee camps in the

Mashiki Town Gym and

Mihune Sports Centre.

There are plans to reach out

to those affected in Aso area,

an isolated part of the

region, though it is far from

Kumamoto YMCA.

Kumamoto YMCA has

also embarked on a fund-

collection drive from Y’s

Men and others and plan to

send these funds to

Kumamoto YMCA to use

of their work among the

evacuees. Highest priority is

being accorded by the Y to

treating those who are

physically and psycho-

logically affected by the

quake with the help from

the NGO Clinic team from

Tokyo.

The The The The The Y ResponseY ResponseY ResponseY ResponseY Response

in Ecuadaorin Ecuadaorin Ecuadaorin Ecuadaorin Ecuadaor

In response to an appeal

from the State, members of

the Quito YMCA and the

Y’s Service Club travelled

to Manta (Manabí) to help

with the collection, storage,

and distribution of

donations. Back in Quito,

other members of the

Quito Y Service Club

assembled donation kits

and participated in other

relief activities.

With their quick efforts,

the first donations arrived

the next day on 18 April.

It will take about five

years for life to return to

normal for many in the

town of Kumamoto.

Intense efforts are needed

and the Y’s Men are willing

to put in hard work. Help

is solicited from all parts of

the world. Yours too, with

gratitude.Michihiro Endo

RD in Japan West Region

Many persons affected by

the disaster came to the

collection centres for

provisions, clothes,

medicines and water. They

lost everything - their

homes, their jobs, and

some their family members.

At the last count,

approximately 700 were

trapped under the rubbles

but 113 have been rescued.

The Y’s Men and Youth

of the Quito Y Service

Club, with the help of

partners and other

organisations, will continue

to work in solidarity, due,This was the scene in many office buildings in Kumamoto soon after the quake

April, it appears, is a cruel month.

On 14 April, a 6.5 magnitude earth-

quake jolted the residents of

Japan’s Kyushu Island. The tremor

that struck in Kumamoto Prefecture

occurred just before 9:30 p.m. local

time and resulted in 9 deaths and

over 850 injuries. An additional 44,000

people were rendered homeless.

Though numerous smaller after-

shocks followed, many believed that

the worst was over.

But, on 16 April at 1:25 a.m. local

time, the Kumamoto Prefecture was

rocked by an even bigger, 7.0-magnitude

earthquake. It is believed to have caused

at least 41 deaths and over 2,000 injuries.

Hundreds of thousands of residents went

without water or power.

While people worldwide were coming to

grips with this shocking events, news

came of another even more powerful

earthquake in Ecuador, South America.

The 7.8-magnitude followed many

months of smaller tremors that hit a

sparsely populated coastal town at

about 7:00 p.m. local time on

Saturday, 16 April.

The massive quake, one of the

strongest to hit Ecuador in seven

decades, has killed at least 350 people,

injured over 2,000, and caused roads

and bridges in the vicinity to buckle

and collapse. In the coastal tourist

town of Pedernales, 80 per cent of the

buildings have been reduced to rubble.

6

Contd. on next page

Mission with Faith

in part to the support received from our brothers and

sisters of Y’s Men International and from other clubs in

the Region. Our next step is to work on medium- and

long-term activities to support these families and to help

them heal from the effects of this earthquake. If you wish

to contribute, please contact CP Lili Tinoco, at lilialet@

gmail.com.César Valverde

Y’s Service Club of Quitus

YOUTHYOUTHYOUTHYOUTHYOUTH

Championing Championing Championing Championing Championing YMI’YMI’YMI’YMI’YMI’s s s s s YYYYYouth Forceouth Forceouth Forceouth Forceouth Force

I am extremely excited to have served

the Movement in my capacity as

International Youth Representative

(IYR, 2014-

2016). It has

been a great

exper i ence

having to be

the voice of

all young

people in

YMI as Chair-

person of the

International Youth Committee. The

IYR has non-voting rights on the

International Council but does have

a voice.

Some milestones of this two-year

tenure:

w Partnering with Y Care Inter-

national on the “Life Starter”

project was rewarding. This was

our Unified Global Project (UGP)

and we were able to sponsor

training programmes and buy

equipment and tools to help

unemployed and financially dis-

advantaged in volatile regions learn

a skill (tailoring, mechanics,

hairdressing and so on) and get

start-up tools and kits. The partner-

ship with Y Care International gave

us that platform to work on a

beautiful life-touching project.

w International Youth Project theme,

“Saving the future, one young

person at a time” has been success-

ful with the overall goal to reach

10,000 young people in two years.

Y’s Youth across the globe through

various platforms achieved this.

w The International Youth Forum in

Sao Paulo, Brazil gave the attendees

an opportunity to visit community

projects supported by YMI and the

YMCA in Brazil as well as to engage

in a forward planning session for

the Movement.

On a personal level, the memor-

able events are:

w Attending the 42nd International

Council Meeting at Kyoto, Japan

in August 2015.

w Attending the Asia Area Youth

Convocation in Kyoto, Japan.

w Attending the 37th International

Peace Seminar organised by the

YMCA of Hiroshima and also the

70th Memorial Anniversary cere-

monies of the Hiroshima atomic

bombing.

w The 2nd International Youth

Forum and Latin America Youth

Convocation in Sao Paulo, Brazil

in May 2015.

The opportunity to link up with

people across different cultures and

time zones on a regular basis and share

notes and access to a brilliant team in

the International Youth Committee

has been wonderful and mind blowing

in a lot of instances.

As the curtain draws to a close on

a beautiful term, I look forward to

meeting a lot of young people in Taipei

during the 16th International Youth

Convocation. We will have a remark-

able experience there. You can count

on that.Afolabi ‘Fola’ Ajomale

International Youth Representative (2014-2016)

Two Quakes, One Response (from previous page)

Rescue workers looking for survivors The team of young Y volunteers who led the rescue ops

16th International Youth Convocation

Taipei, Taiwan, 1-7 August 2016

Theme: Service in Action—Dare to Lead

7

Mission with Faith8

YMI InternaYMI InternaYMI InternaYMI InternaYMI International Conventions Over the tional Conventions Over the tional Conventions Over the tional Conventions Over the tional Conventions Over the YYYYYearsearsearsearsears

August 5-8, 2010

Pacifico Yokohama Convention

Centre, Yokohama, Japan

August 7-10, 2014

Chennai Trade Centre

Chennai, India

August 3-6, 2000

HK International Convention

Centre, Hong Kong, China SAR

August 12-15, 2004

Galfar Convention Centre

Cochin, India

August 1-4, 2002

Darling Harbour, Sydney,

Australia

August 3-6, 2006

Hotel Lotte and BEXCO

Busan, Korea

July 31-Aug. 3, 2008

Herning Congress Centre

Herning, Denmark

Taipei would be about the 70th city to host the

International Convention (IC) of Y’s Men International

(YMI) in its history of 94 years. Guideline 1001 of the

YMI Constitution explicitly says, “… the International

Convention shall provide opportunity to disseminate

information, share experiences and provide inspiration and

spiritual renewal for the delegates, and to be a source of

suggestions and recommendations to the International

Council for consideration and possible implementation.”

It is, therefore, at once a forum for fellowship and for

discussing matters of common concern. Almost all service

clubs and other associations of persons hold their

conventions in a grand manner at various intervals – some

annually, others biennially or triennially.

The International Conventions of Y’s Men International

were held annually for a long time – from its inception in

1922 until 1976, with the exception of three years when it

could not be held for external reasons. As we get ready to

assemble in Taipei, Taiwan for the 72nd International

Convention, it is only appropriate that we take a quick

look into the past.

The first Convention was held in Atlantic City, USA

in November 1922. Though designed as an annual feature,

the intervening period between two ICs was increased to

two years by a decision of the International Council in

1976. Understandably all the Conventions in the early years

were held in North America, either in the USA or in

Canada. As on date, 49 International Conventions have

been hosted either by USA or Canada, the two countries

where the membership grew rapidly after Paul William

Alexander founded the Movement. Mexico (1950) and

Jamaica (1973) were the two other countries to have hosted

the IC in the western hemisphere.

The IC held in Paris in 1955, coinciding with the

centennial of the founding of the YMCA movement,

became the first IC to be held outside the western

hemisphere. Region Denmark hosted the IC for the first

time in 1970 in Copenhagen, thus marking a major shift

in the growth pattern of the Movement in parts of the

world other than the western hemisphere. Japan became

the first Asian country to host the IC in 1975.

The first IC after the decision to hold it in even-

numbered years was held in Melbourne, Australia in 1978.

Thereafter, almost all ICs were held either in Asia (Seoul,

Korea, 1982; Kyoto, Japan, 1988; Singapore, 1994; Hong

Kong, 2000; Cochin, India, 2004; Busan, Korea, 2006;

Yokohama, Japan, 2010 and Chennai, India, 2014) or in

Europe (Stockholm, Sweden, 1980; Aarhus, Denmark,

1986; Oslo, Norway, 1992; Helsinki, Finland, 1998;

Herning, Denmark, 2008; and Stavanger, Norway, 2012).

Australia hosted it once more in 2002 in Sydney, while

USA hosted it in Minneapolis in 1990 and Canada in

Fredricton, New Brunswick in 1996.

Only thrice has the IC been cancelled – the first in

1933 due to the Great Depression in the USA and in 1943

and 1945 because of World War II.

IC 2016 is a landmark event for the Movement in

Taiwan for it has grown in strength over the years.

Researched and scripted by

Koshy Mathew

International Conventions held in this millennium

FOR THE RECORDFOR THE RECORDFOR THE RECORDFOR THE RECORDFOR THE RECORD

August 2-5, 2012

Stavanger Forum

Stavanger, Norway


Reminiscences of a Past InternaReminiscences of a Past InternaReminiscences of a Past InternaReminiscences of a Past InternaReminiscences of a Past International Secretartional Secretartional Secretartional Secretartional Secretary-Generaly-Generaly-Generaly-Generaly-GeneralIngvar Ingvar Ingvar Ingvar Ingvar WWWWWallinallinallinallinallin*****

I have never met Henry D. Grimes and those before him

but the History of Y’sdom publish-ed in

1972 has some useful information.

Jerry Heyl was Secretary-General

when I was employed as Associate

Secretary-General in 1970. Jerry took

over after the death of Henry Grimes in

1962 and the office was moved to

Downers Grove, Illinois (IL), USA. A

financial campaign started with a goal

of US$ 125,000 to build a HQ building. Land was

eventually bought in Oak Brook, Illinois, and the building

was built and inaugurated in 1968. Jerry was overseeing

the work related to fundraising and completing the building

over and above his “normal” duties as Secretary-General.

When Y’s Men International decided in 1972 to move

its IHQ to Geneva, Switzerland, Jerry indicated that he

did not feel in a position to move – being close to

retirement with all his family in the USA. He suggested

that Ingvar would take over as Secretary-General and Jerry

himself would stay to become Secretary-General for the

US Area.

He ended his closing statement to the Executive

Committee meeting in February 1974 (the last one before

the new International Constitution) quoting a poem:

It’s the set of the sail – and not the gale

That puts you towards your goal

You are the master of your fate

You are the captain of your soul.

Björn Pedersen from Norway was my “successor and

predecessor” taking over after me on 1st January 1979 –

and leaving me to take over after him on 1st May 1984.

When I retired, Rolando Dalmas from Uruguay became

the Secretary-General on 1st January 2001. Christiane and

I were very close also to Rolando and his wife Gloria. They

took over renting the apartment of my daughter, Ann, and

her family. Their two sons still live in (or near) Geneva and

they come back every summer to visit – not the least their

grandson. As we were in southern France every summer,

they stayed in our apartment in Geneva.

In his early years as Secretary-General Rolando had a rather

tough time with continuous attacks, from some parts of

our movement, and I defended him as well as I could, much

to the dismay of some of the leaders. The movement was in

a critical situation and it was thanks to the “statesmanship”

of PIP Benson Wabule that the movement came together

again.

Takao “Nishi” Nishi-mura took over after Rolando on

1st September 2010. We have a good working relationship

and he “picks my brain” from time to time to get the

historical background on issues.

*Ingvar Wallin served as International Secretary-General of YMI twice in his long

distinguished career. This article is reprinted fom the PIP Newsletter (March 2016).

A SLICE OF HISTORYA SLICE OF HISTORYA SLICE OF HISTORYA SLICE OF HISTORYA SLICE OF HISTORY

From 1925 to 1962 the headquarters of the international

organisation was located in the basement of the Massachusetts

home of Henry Grimes, who first served as the volunteer secretary-

treasurer of the organisation and later became the organisation’s

first full-time employee. Following his death, Y’s Men International

moved the headquarters to rented facilities in Downer’s Grove,

Illinois, near George Williams College. The need for a permanent

headquarters building was ascertained by the leadership and a capital

campaign was undertaken to raise funds for the building that was

eventually constructed in Oak Brook, Illinois. As the organisation

grew into a worldwide operation, the leadership and members made

the decision to relocate the headquarters to Geneva, Switzerland

at the John R. Mott building already serving as the headquarters of

the World Alliance of YMCAs. The International Headquarters

remains today in Geneva, Switzerland YMCA.

Source: YMI Website (Archives)

Past International Secretaries-General of YMI

Name (Nationality) Stationed at Period

Earle F. Kuhn (USA) Columbus, Ohio Nov. 17, 1922 – Oct. 16, 1923

I. Wilson Haley (USA) Waverly, Massachusetts Oct. 16, 1923 – Oct. 17, 1925

Henry D. Grimes (USA) Lawrence, Massachusetts Oct. 17, 1925 – Dec. 27, 1962

Gerald L. Heyl (USA) Oak Brook, Illinois Sep. 15, 1963 – Aug. 31, 1973

Associate: Bruce Kimmel (USA) Oak Brook, Illinois Apr. 01, 1969 – Apr. 01, 1971

Associate: Ingvar Wallin (Sweden) Geneva, Switzerland Jan. 01, 1970 – Aug. 31, 1973

Ingvar Wallin (Sweden) Geneva, Switzerland Sep. 01, 1973 – Jan. 02, 1979

Björn Pedersen (Norway) Geneva, Switzerland Jan. 03, 1979 – Mar. 31, 1984

Ingvar Wallin (Sweden) Geneva, Switzerland Apr. 01, 1984 – Dec. 31, 2000

Rolando Dalmás (Uruguay) Geneva, Switzerland Jan. 01, 2001 – Aug. 31, 2010

Note: Takao Nishimura from Japan took over as ISG on Sep. 01, 2010 and is stationed in Geneva.

Source: YMI Website

THE FIRST

RESPONSIBILITY

OF A LEADER IS TO

DEFINE REALITY.

THE LAST IS TO SAY

THANK YOU.

IN BETWEEN THE

LEADER IS A

SERVANT

- Max Depree- Max Depree- Max Depree- Max Depree- Max Depree

Mission with Faith10

Twelve Y‘s Men from District Randers-

Djursland of Region Denmark em-

barked on a spiritually-enriching jour-

ney to Hong Kong in March 2016 to

visit two of their club members, Anne

Sofie and Leif Holm, who are senior

volunteers at Tao Fong Shan Christian

Centre.

Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre

is run by the Norwegian organisation

Areopagos. The Centre was founded

in 1930 by the Norwegian missionary

Karl Ludvig Reichelt (1877-1952), who

was sent to Hunan Province in China

in 1904. There he gradually developed

the idea to share the gospel with Bud-

dhists and, in 1930, due to the politi-

cal situation that prevailed in China

at that time moved his work to Shatin,

Hong Kong. The buildings at the Cen-

tre were designed by Danish architect,

Johannes Prip-Moller. On 13 March

1952, Reichelt died and was buried at

the Tao Fong Shan cemetery.

Tao Fong Shan is a Chinese word.

‘Tao’ means God, ‘Fong’ means breath

and ‘Shan’ means mountain. Put to-

gether, ‘Tao Fong Shan’ literally means

“the mountain where God breathes.”

The main objective of the Centre is to

“foster and develop contextual Chris-

tian spirituality, art and liturgy and

Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish Y’Y’Y’Y’Y’s Men on a Spiritual Sojourns Men on a Spiritual Sojourns Men on a Spiritual Sojourns Men on a Spiritual Sojourns Men on a Spiritual Sojourn

AN INTER-CULAN INTER-CULAN INTER-CULAN INTER-CULAN INTER-CULTURAL EXPERIENCETURAL EXPERIENCETURAL EXPERIENCETURAL EXPERIENCETURAL EXPERIENCE

Ib Moller JensenIb Moller JensenIb Moller JensenIb Moller JensenIb Moller Jensen

From left to right: Ib Moller jensen, Karen Tvedegaard, Ninna Jensen,Anni Nielsen, Flemming Nielsen, Elin

Vibe, Margit Hansen, Peter Vibe, Carl J. Christiansen, Carl E. Byskov, Eva Marie Omark, Uffe Hansen

encourage interfaith and cultural ex-

change and dialogue.”

Apart from regular year-long di-

ploma courses in spiritual formation

and direction, the Centre conducts

many seminars and is endowed with a

hostel, not only for backpackers but

also for people who visit to attend

these seminars.

The 12 Y‘s Men had an unforgetta-

ble experience in this metropolis in

southern China. From their base in

Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre they

visited mainland China for two days,

went to some churches, attended a

theological seminar, and talked to

some of the stu-

dents there before

ending the evening

with a cruise on the

Pearl River.

In Hong Kong

the group took part

in a Sunday service

in a church on the

75th floor (the Sky

City Church in

Central Plaza in

Wanchai), visited a

Buddhist pagoda,

joined a meditation

session before attempting a meditation

walk. Guided by two Buddhist nuns,

the group learned a beautiful medita-

tion song, which goes thus:

Breathing in, breathing out

I am blooming as a flower

I am fresh as the dew

I am solid as a mountain

I am firm as the earth

I am free.

Visit with Visit with Visit with Visit with Visit with Y’Y’Y’Y’Y’s Mens Mens Mens Mens Men

A visit with the Tsim Sha Tsui Y‘s

Men’s Club members in Hong Kong

was part of the sojourn. District Gover-

nor Jorence Tsang hosted a reception

and briefed the group about Y‘s Men’s

work in Hong Kong. Banners were ex-

changed by Ib Moller Jensen and

Jorence Tsang on behalf of Y’s Men’s

Clubs of Kronjyllands-Randers and of

Tsim Sha Tsui, respectively.

There was a healthy discussion about

differences between the two cultures

and other matters. The discussion on

fundraising and club meetings did not

sound very different in spite of their

clubs belonging to Regions located far

from each other.

Exchanging banners – Ib Moller Jensen and Jorence Tsang

Ib Moller Jensen is DG-E of District

Randers-Djursland, Denmark Region


ENVIRONMENTENVIRONMENTENVIRONMENTENVIRONMENTENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNAL CONCERNAL CONCERNAL CONCERNAL CONCERN

The Moratuwa YMCA in Sri Lanka

has been implementing an

environmental improvement project

with financial assistance from the

Green Team of YMI.

Under the current programme, the

community is being educated on

handling and disposal of solid waste

including composting of organic waste.

The YMCA is working closely with the

Moratuwa Municipal Council to

ensure that the non-degradable waste

is collected regularly thus benefitting

the total environment.

The project directly benefits 450

people, they being the recipients of 90

compost bins and with the expected

overall environmental improvement

the entire neighbourhood will benefit.

The community was educated on

separating organic waste and non-

degradable waste, on the correct use

Compost Bins fCompost Bins fCompost Bins fCompost Bins fCompost Bins for Better Environment – or Better Environment – or Better Environment – or Better Environment – or Better Environment – An UpdaAn UpdaAn UpdaAn UpdaAn Updatetetetete

This project was funded by a

‘carbon offset’ grant from Y’s Men

International. For more details about

grants available, refer under

‘environment’ at www.ysmen.org or

contact the Green Team via email

[email protected] Lambie

Pope Francis on Climate ChangePope Francis on Climate ChangePope Francis on Climate ChangePope Francis on Climate ChangePope Francis on Climate Change

It was on 18 June 2015 that Pope Francisreleased his encyclical, “Laudato Si,” or“Praised Be,” calling for an “ecologicalconversion.” The 192-page encyclicalargues for a new partnership betweenscience and religion to combat human-driven climate change – a positionbringing him immediately into conflictwith skeptics, whom he chides for their“denial.”On the occasion of its first anniversay, werecap some key “take-aways” of thatencyclical for us to reflect on:Climate change is real, and it’s getting

worse. Pope Francis does not mince wordswhen he says: “Climate change is a globalproblem with grave implications:environmental, social, economic, politicaland for the distribution of goods. Itrepresents one of the principal challengesfacing humanity in our day,” he says. “Ifpresent trends continue, this century maywell witness extraordinary climate changeand an unprecedented destruction ofecosystems, with serious consequences forall of us.” This has brought him into directconflict with climate change deniersworldwide.Human beings are a major contributor

to climate change. While many agree thatclimate change is real, some believe thathuman beings don’t contribute to it. The

science suggests otherwise, and Pope Francis– a trained chemist – says human beings dohave an effect on the Earth: “We have cometo see ourselves as her lords and masters,entitled to plunder her at will.”He has taken the rich nations to task for theirgreed and says, “The warming caused by hugeconsumption on the part of some richcountries has repercussions on the poorestareas of the world, especially Africa, where arise in temperature, together with drought,has proved devastating for farming.”Climate change disproportionately affects

the poor. Climate change’s worst impact,Pope Francis says, “will probably be felt bydeveloping countries in coming decades. Manyof the poor live in areas particularly affectedby phenomena related to warming, and theirmeans of subsistence are largely dependenton natural reserves and ecosystemic servicessuch as agriculture, fishing and forestry.”

We can and must make things

better. Some of those who study climatechange believe this process to beirreversible, too far gone. But the Popesays he doesn’t believe we should berobbed of hope. “Human beings, whilecapable of the worst, are also capable ofrising above themselves, choosing againwhat is good, and making a new start.”There is hope, he affirms.Individuals can help, but politicians must

lead the charge. Francis argues thatpersonal responsibility is an importantstep toward reversing climate change, butthat political and structuraltransformations are needed for lastingchange. “What kind of world do we wantto leave to those who come after us, tochildren who are now growing up?” hewrites. “Each community can take fromthe bounty of the earth whatever it needsfor subsistence, but it also has the duty toprotect the earth and to ensure itsfruitfulness for coming generations,” headds.

The full text pf the encyclical can be downloaded

from http://www.catholicclimatecovenant.org/

encyclical.

Also listen to a TED talk by Al Gore on “The case

for optimism on climate change” (filmed February

2016) on https://www.ted.com

of compost bins and also

they were also given some

education on home

garden practice.

The beneficiary houses

are grouped into small

clusters and a trained,

volunteer coordinator

from the community assists

them to use and maintain

the bins. YMCA staff and

volunteers carry out

periodical inspections.

Furthermore, under

this project, school children are being

educated on solid waste management

and composting in order to promote

environmental awareness within the

communities.

A special committee of the

Moratuwa YMCA is monitoring the

programme.

Community and Y volunteers with the compost bins in a


FROM FFROM FFROM FFROM FFROM FAR AND NEARAR AND NEARAR AND NEARAR AND NEARAR AND NEAR

The Southern District is one of threeDistricts in the Australia Region wheremost of the clubs are located in Victo-

ria (state in southeast corner of Aus-

tralia). But one club, Central Coast, is900 kilometres away from the main clus-ter. This club organised the DistrictCamp in late May at Numurkah, asmall town in the northern part of thestate of Victoria amid beautifully irri-gated farmland and small meanderingwaterways.

A variety of activities were offeredfor the 42 people who attended – golf,bowls, winery visits and local window

shopping. A river cruise attracted agroup of members who travelled about30 minutes north to the Barmah For-est – a magnificent red-gum forest onthe Murray River. The sports werekeenly contested with Nick Farrell, LynWilson and Ted Bullow winning thegolf and Ian Bennetts, John Giffordand Jennifer Jones winning the bowls.

PIP Dale Fotheringham led thegroup in devotions on Sunday morn-ing, focussing on some of the key ele-ments of our Constitution. He encour-aged us to continue to “build a better

world for all mankind,” knowing that we

Camping Down UnderCamping Down UnderCamping Down UnderCamping Down UnderCamping Down Underare all equipped for a purpose – bear-

ing fruit that will last!

During the District Meeting, clubsexplained highlights from reports. Theyoungest club, Bendigo South, cel-ebrates their 10th birthday this yearand although comprising mostly olderretirees, continues to draw new re-cruits into their ranks. Eaglehawk wasawarded the Best Club in the Districtand proudly stood together with thetrophy as photos were taken. ASDLTOD Wayne Cameron spoke aboutthe new Regional Website and thegood activity on that site. RDChristine Van Der Zee, APE RussellJones and AP Jennifer Jones spokeabout such matters as the amalgama-tion, new Area Constitutional Guide-lines, upcoming Regional Conference,celebration dinner, club insurance,MYM Meeting and APAY Meeting.

A lovely BBQ lunch was served tocomplete the morning activities beforemembers left to return home. Othermembers stayed a day or two longer,having time to relax on the banks ofBroken Creek with each other and theresident bird life. A beautiful place tobe together – so much so that the or-ganising clubs have arranged the same

venues for the following year.Jennifer Jones, AP South-Pacific

The historical partnership between

YMCA and Y’s Men International

received a boost when the Presidents

of the four Areas of Y’s Men

International in the Asia-Pacific region,

namely Asia Area, India Area, Korea

Area and South Pacific Area had a joint

meeting with the leaders of the APAY

(Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs)

during its annual Executive

Committee Meeting from 8 to 11

March, 2016 in Hong Kong. The

meeting discussed ways to strengthen

partnership between Y’s Men and

YMCA at different levels of the region,

particularly in the area of youth

empowerment.

The Executive Committee also

found a lot of commonalities and

intersection with work and

programmes shared by the World

Alliance of YMCAs. Thus, a

YMCA-Y’YMCA-Y’YMCA-Y’YMCA-Y’YMCA-Y’s Men Partnership Gets a Boosts Men Partnership Gets a Boosts Men Partnership Gets a Boosts Men Partnership Gets a Boosts Men Partnership Gets a Boost

strengthened partnership and

cooperation with the World Alliance

of YMCAs will be continued this

quadrennial.

Source: APAY ECM Communique, March 2016

Official group photo of the joint meeting of Asia Pacific Alliance of YMCAs and YMI in Hong Kong, 2016

Eaglehawk Y’s Club with the Trophy for Best Club in the District



The “Champion in Me” run is afundraising event exclusively forchildren living with HIV/AIDS inKarnataka (state in south westernregion of India), especially thosehoused in the Sneha Care Home, aresidential care facility in Bangalore. Italso aims to make the societycollectively think about the future ofsuch children.

The run, which was started fouryears ago, has grown into a mass-basedevent because of the passion forrunning and commitment towards

social causes. As in the past, the 2015run in November was led by the Y’s

Men’s Clubs of Barons, New City and

Carmelaram, and supported byBangalore District II.

It was a morning to cheer and livenup the spirit of kids living with HIV/AIDS. The run saw people of all ages– young, old, parents and children –

Running for a CauseRunning for a CauseRunning for a CauseRunning for a CauseRunning for a Cause

joining in to make this a memorableone. It was a wonderful misty morningfilled with run, fun, live music andZumba, with close to 1,000participants joining hands to supportthe noble cause of HIV/AIDS-affected

children at Sneha Care Home.Vimal Jayan

YMC-Bangalore New City

Participants warming up before the run

The concept of ‘genbrug’ (‘recycling’

or ‘second-hand’) has been in existence

for quite some time in Europe, par-

ticularly in Nordiic countries.

Since September 1981, Brædstrup

Y’s Men’s Club has been running a

second-hand shop on the main street

in Brædstrup, a town in central Den-

mark. Over the years it sold lots of sec-

ond-hand clothes, books and other

items, which generated profits for the

community service projects of the

Club. It has given more than 150,000

euro to KirkensKorshær – an organi-

‘Genbrug’ Shop Celebra‘Genbrug’ Shop Celebra‘Genbrug’ Shop Celebra‘Genbrug’ Shop Celebra‘Genbrug’ Shop Celebrates 35 tes 35 tes 35 tes 35 tes 35 YYYYYears and Expandsears and Expandsears and Expandsears and Expandsears and Expands

sation that helps socially

vulnerable people – and

has also supported the

ecclesial child and youth

work in Brædstrup and

around the world.

The club has recently

renovated the shop to

give it more space for a

large number of second-

hand goods and will take

the name ‘Bræ-dstrup

Genbrug’. It has more

than double the space it had earlier,

which means even sec-

ond-hand furniture can

be stocked and sold. In

the last few years, the

shop has generated a

profit of approximately

14,000 euro a year.

Henning Jensen, chair-

man in charge of the se-

lection of second-hand

goods for sales, expects

profits to be higher with

additional space and

more goods.

Brædstrup Genbrug will be open

every day and will be managed by about

40 volunteers, including members of

the club.

The decor of a new shop was in-

deed big job, which was executed by

volunteers. The work has gone well and

has created a sense of community

among members of the club, who were

busy during the whole of January get-

ting the shop ready for its opening in

February.Evan Johansen

The idea sells well – the Genbrug run by Trehøje

Y’s Men’s Club in Vildbjerg, Denmark

Volunteers working to refurbish the BrædstrupGenbrug


About 70 Y’s Menettes from Denmark

Region of Europe Area held their

Regional Conference on 28 May 2016,

hosted by the Sunds Y’s Menettes

Club. The Region consists of eight

active clubs with about 200 members

in total.

Europe Area has only Denmark as

a Menettes Region as there are no Y’s

Menettes clubs elsewhere in Europe.

It is estimated that there are between

8,000 and 10,000 Y’s Menettes

around the world. In addition to

Denmark, there are clubs in the United

States, Canada, Australia, India and

Korea. The oldest Y’s Menettes Club

in Denmark is Aalborghus Y’s

Menettes Club, chartered in 1955 and

the club’s oldest member, now about

90 years, is still active.

The Regional Director, Gerda

Braad, in her report rejoiced at the high

level of activity in all the clubs in the

Region. The Menettes have collected

105,000 kroner to support various

projects outside Denmark, the major

ones being “Help for women and

children in Syria and northern Iraq”

and “Widows and poor women in

rural India” in addition to 375,000

kroner available as aid to be used by

the eight clubs in local areas. As next

year’s Regional project, the Menettes

have opted to support YWCA’s Social

Work, especially with trafficked

women.

YWCA’s social work was the theme

for a subsequent session on the theme

“Where there is hope, there is life” by

Birgitte Hjort Graakjær. She was Chair


Danish Menettes GaDanish Menettes GaDanish Menettes GaDanish Menettes GaDanish Menettes Gather to Refther to Refther to Refther to Refther to Reflect and Decide on lect and Decide on lect and Decide on lect and Decide on lect and Decide on ActionActionActionActionAction

of YWCA Social Work in Denmark

for 15 years. The organisation operates,

among others, safe houses (‘nests’) for

distressed women. It was a poignant

and topical talk challenging the senses

of all those present.

The Regional Conference ended

with a service in Gjellerup Church,

with Birgitte Hjort Graakjær as pastor,

and the day was rounded off with a

banquet, where a handful of Y’s Men

performed the task as waiters.

Text and photo by K.E. Hansen

Regional Conference in session

An Inter-School Kids Fest was

organised by Cosmopolitan Ys Men’s

Club along with District IV of Mid-

West India Region over four days in

November 2015. This image-building

project attracted more than 5,000

students from 300 different schools in

the area. Competitions were conducted

for 25 different items at different venues

in the city.

Competitions were held in various

events such as recitation, general

knowledge, story-writing, hand-writing,

essay writing, memory, spelling bee,

patriotic song

(group), elocution,

news reading, light

music, colouring,

story-telling and so

on. The events were

designed to bring

out the talent of

boys and girls in

lower primary,

upper primary and

high school and

were held in

different venues of the city in both the

local language (Malayalam) and English.

Children’s Day, celebrated nation-

wide on 14 November each year to

mark the birth anniversary of Pandit

Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime

Minister of India, was dedicated to

children enrolled in the kindergarten

section of the schools in the city.

The competitions on the last day

were held at the Town Hall and its

premises, and about 1,000 children

aged one to 12 years took part in

competitions such as baby smiles,

action songs, etc.

Thousands of parents and other

spectators took back a slice of Y’sdom

in their hearts or as prizes for their little

ones as the fest drew to a close on 15

November with a grand prize-

distribution ceremony.Pavithran B.

Assistant Editor for Area India

InterInterInterInterInter-School Kids Fest-School Kids Fest-School Kids Fest-School Kids Fest-School Kids Fest

Colouring competition for primary school children


“We sometimes need to cut a forest tree down for wood

to build our house or for firewood, but before we cut it

we speak to the tree. We tell the tree why we need it and

we thank the tree for providing us with this wood which

will help us survive. Then we ask the tree and all the nature

around it for forgiveness because we know that our duty is

to protect and care for the forest, not exploit it. All life is

precious and we know that not only does the tree have life,

but there are many animals and insects that survive because

of the tree. We have deep respect for this environment that

God has given us as a responsibility.”

These words, from an indigenous woman, were shared

recently at a conference here in Cambodia on “Our Faith

Listens to the Earth.” Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists,

Muslims and Indigenous people gathered for the two-day

conference to reflect on what we, as people of faith, should

be doing and saying about the destruction of the forests in

Cambodia for the economic benefits of a few.

The most passionate voice came from the Indigenous

participants and their stories echoed what I have heard

from other Indigenous people around Asia. Last year, in

the School of Peace, two Indigenous women from North

America (they call it Turtle Island) shared the same

sentiments when talking about the tradition of Indigenous

people to “walk softly on Mother Earth and do not pollute

Father Sky.”

Buddhist monks attending the conference shared how

they sometimes ordain trees as monks to prevent

“developers” from chopping them down to make way for

another golf course or a banana plantation.

A Muslim participant quoted words from the Koran

teaching us that all the environment is sacred and must be

treated with dignity. Planting trees, he said, is an act of

charity and we are called upon by Allah to allow all people

and animals to eat freely of the fruit of the tree because it is

a gift to all the world.

A Catholic nun spoke of the creation story, emphasizing

that God was the Creator, and thus the owner, of all the

universe and it is our responsibility to make sure this

universe is clean and protected.

As I listened to all of these voices the words of Psalms

24:1 kept going through my thoughts: “The earth is

the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and its

inhabitants too.” That is a beautiful verse and I remember

learning it as a small child in Sunday School. But I don’t

think I really thought deeply about its meaning until this

short conference.

We seem to have become a very possessive people. “This

is my land.” “These are my trees.” “These are my natural

resources.” And so we feel it is our right to cut, chop, dig,

blow up, hew down and sell off anything that is on “our

land.” But Psalms 24: 1 would challenge us on that. All of

this actually belongs to the Lord and we have no right to

exploit it just for our sole economic benefit. The trees are

needed, not just for building our houses, but for the birds,

the insects and the various animals. They were all created

by God and we are responsible to care gently for them.

The voices of the Indigenous Peoples reflect deeply an

understanding that we are not the owners of God’s creation,

but rather its protectors. When they speak to the tree before

cutting it down, they are not worshiping the tree, rather

they are worshiping the Creator, thanking the Creator for

giving us all that we need and seeking forgiveness for when

we show disrespect for all the bounty provided for us. We

must learn from the Indigenous voices. They can, and must,

teach us how to recognize that “The earth is the Lord’s.”

MANTRA FORMANTRA FORMANTRA FORMANTRA FORMANTRA FOR

THE STHE STHE STHE STHE SOULOULOULOULOUL

The Earth is the Lord’The Earth is the Lord’The Earth is the Lord’The Earth is the Lord’The Earth is the Lord’sssss

*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

Max Ediger*

On this World Environment Day, Iurge people and governments everywhere

to overcome indifference, combat greedand act to preserve our natural heritage

for the benefit of this and futuregenerations.

– UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon

in his 2016 Environment Day message

Mission with Faith

Ymw 4 15 16 final

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Transcript of Ymw 4 15 16 final