I of C Globally: VOL 13 No. 4 JUL 10 - MAR 11

VOL 13 No.
4 JUL 10 - MAR 11
DISHA direction DISHA direction DISHA direction DISHA direction DISHA direction DISHA direction
I of C Globally
Disha ~ July 10 - March 11
The Top of the Plateau

Keith Mills Australian teacher on a visit to Panchgani
The view from the very top of the plateau is spectacular at any time of day. It is misty and serene in the morning, majestically bright in the afternoon and ethereal at sunset. Getting there is quite a stiff climb. Always there are stones on which to stumble as one navigates the path slowly heavenward. Brambles may scratch your legs and, as my wife will constantly remind me; there is the inherent danger of snakes. Getting to the summit one may end up on their hands and knees at the final section of the ridge. It is easier at this point if someone above you offers a helping hand.You may sweat, you may sigh, you may stumble. But when you heave yourself up onto flat ground and shake the red dust from your palms you see why you bothered in the first place. From anywhere along the cliff you can see for miles. And it is beautiful. Rivers, valleys, layered landscapes. Sky so blue it appears an unspoiled ocean about to fall on your head. Up there it seems you can look across at all of Gods creation and breathe to yourself in satisfaction that the struggle to get there was worth it. I think there are times in life that can be like this. Ignoring pride and accepting that helping hand at the last obstacle can be an important lesson. The important thing is to just press on upwards, because when you reach the peak you can look back and know that God was with you the whole way. And like the amazing view, that knowledge will stay with you for the rest of your life.
MRA - Initiatives of Change - www.in.iofc.org
IofC in BRIEF
Initiatives of Change is a diverse network committed to building relationships of trust across the worlds divides. Initiatives of Change International, an association of national IofC legal bodies, is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
Friends of Moral Re-Armament (India) is an educational charitable trust registered under the Bombay Public Trust Act, 1950. Donations are exempt under section 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961.The auditors of the trust are Deloitte Haskins and Sells. Asia Plateau at Panchgani, in theWestern Ghats, 100 km from Pune is a training and conference centre for IofC.
Contents
A Visitors Impressions New Initiatives and Actions Clean Elections to Help Earthquake-hit A New Hurb in Korea Japanese PM Meets Gandhi Teaching and Learning Swinging Across the Country Peace Begins at Home Unity in Diversity Breaking the Mould in a Town that Grieves Call for Help The African Agenda Trust Factor in Community Change Emerging Themes, New Plans and... Voyage of Dialogue and Discovery An Asian Community of Shared Values Grassroots Movement Building Trust Its Time for Action! Feeding Africa: Responding to Change Markets and Banks Need Morals The Dual Role Player The Food and Sustainability Network A Bid to Change Media Values Kashmiri Group at Asia Plateau A Fresh Hope for Afghanistan Grampari Goes Global Training College Teachers Action for Life Obituary: Burjor N Billimoria India I Care: Asiz and the Sffron Robe 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 16 17 19 21 23 26 27 28 30 31 33 35 36 37 38 40 41 41 42 44
Photo: Vins
disha team
Editor Ravindra Rao Publisher Mayur Shah Graphics & Layout Saurabh Gupta The Team Sudakshina Bannerjee, Farah Kazi, Anjali Gandhi, Vaishali Gandhi
cover: Saurabh Gupta
Disha is published quarterly.Disha in most Indian languages means direction something IofC essentially seeks to offer. Views expressed in Disha are those of the respective authors and are not necessarily held by Disha or by IofC. More information and news of IofC can be found on our website: www.in.iofc.org Disha ~ July 10 - March 11 3
Cambodia
A Visitors Impressions
by Sriprakash Mayasandra
On my visit to Phnom Penh last year I was very pleasantly surprised when my first partner visit was with Initiatives of Change Association (ICA). I have to admit that before I arrived at their premises I did not connect them to being a part of IofC (MRA). As part of my work I visit peace partners of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) across Asia and I am thrilled at this interface between MCC and IofC. In Cambodia, IofC is very aptly registered as a youth association. In 2002 a group of Action for Life participants visited Battambang University in northwest Cambodia and met with the students. This interaction resulted in five students from the university attending the Asia PacificYouth Conference in Malaysia that same year. They met many others who were part of this movement and returned home highly influenced by the precept that change has to begin with oneself and how through observance of quiet time regularly one can examine and discern direction in ones life. The energy and commitment of the Cambodian youth is obvious since they hosted the 2004 Asia Pacific Youth Conference in Siem Reap and in 2005 registered as an association.
Mayasandra and Peter Hayes of Canada with the Cambodian IofC
Besides these outreach activities, they are involved in two significant initiatives to heal historic wounds with their neighbouring countries the Cambodia Vietnam Dialogue Program and the recently begun meetings between Cambodian and Thai youth. Both these initiatives have been influential in breaking misconceptions and developing relationships between peoples who have struggled with enmity. I heard very moving testimonies of how perceptions have changed and warm friendships have developed following these meetings. Initiatives of Change Association, Cambodia is indeed striving to reach its vision of developing peace and harmony among youth with respect for human rights and ensuring there is no discrimination in society. Their focus for development of their country is evident in their love for their culture and people.
The author is Asia Peace Coordinator for IofC, Mennonite Central Committee
Healing Historic Wounds

My visits to their office and participation in their activities have been very heartening. They embody the spirit of IofC in their relationships, organizational structure and outreach activities. The youth gather regularly for times of mutual sharing, have monthly food distribution program in Phnom Penh and annually engage in book distribution to students in schools. These activities are entirely supported by the youth and I witnessed great joy among them when I happened to be there for the food preparation and packaging last month.
Malaysia
New Initiatives and Actions

by Nandor Lim
AKASHA, the centre of IofC-Learning Community, Malaysia is in Petaling Jaya, a satellite city of Kuala Lumpur. Akasha, a Sanskrit word means ether or brilliance and reminds us to do Gods will instead of mans will. The Community is part of the continuing IofC work and opens up fresh opportunities of IofC in Malaysia by reaching out to the Chinese-speaking within the Malaysian Chinese community. Earlier initiatives were all addressed to the English speaking audience in Malaysia. The Community emphasises Life Changing through Life Sharing, every individual in the community is challenged to take daily initiatives, through inter-dependence and honing the skills of perceiving and learning in daily living. The community participates in conferences and workshops related to family reconciliation, inner development and change, conflict resolution and living as role models to be the change in the country. Established in Sept 2005, by Nandor and Weny Lim who gave their house as an initial community centre, it became a full centre in 2007 when they moved out from there. Its Fifth Year Anniversary is celebrated with a fund-raising dinner. The centre is supported by ordinary individuals. The community has been working for trust-building among the Chinese-speaking communities and for reconciliation starting at personal level, to the family and community. Built up from scratch, it now has more than 700 friends. It leads the works of IofC to removing language barriers and differences. Developed by Chinese this initiative is not just for the Chinese community in Malaysia. It already has been effectively inspiring non-Chinese and other countries. The learning community is set a model for Chinese IofC workers around
the world and could impact the life of the wider modern Chinese Diaspora.
Creators of Peace and Tools for Change

Beside the new initiative, Learning Community, the IofC team also conducts Creator of Peace workshops with several Peace Circles led by Regina Morris and Indira H. Nair. URL: www. my.iofc.org/cop In addition, two Tools for Change Conferences were held in 2009 & 2010. A third is scheduled for February 2011. URL: www.my.iofc.org/t4c
Inner-self Development Programme (IDP): Learning Communitys Main course

These are year-round support group workshops for Chinese speaking groups. They come together for two hours once a week for eight to ten weeks. Along the way many develop into facilitators. Some members have been meeting every week for 5 years. URL: www.my.iofc.org/IDP
Learning Community Project in July (LCM)
Month
Every year in July, the learning community promotes its fundamental idea by organising variety workshops, conferences, school programmes and public speeches. The initial project launched in 2009 drew great response from the public; therefore it has become an important annual project. The project includes the on-going Change Starts with Me conference (seventh conference was held last July 2010), psychological training workshops on grief healing and life matters public speeches, inspirational and educational books fair
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Taiwan
Clean Elections to Helping Earthquake-hit

by Ouyang Huifang, (translation By Hsu Shoufeng)
When IofC (then, MRA), was introduced to Taiwan in 1968, it reached out to university students through Sing-out Groups. Some years later, around 20 years ago, a group of sing-out graduates decided to form an association, MRAInitiatives of Change Taiwan (IofC Taiwan), with the vision of: developing wholesome families, advancing ideas for a sound and stable society, and promoting peace for humanity through changing the individual.
Family EQ
In the latter half of its first decade, Family Camp was introduced in Taiwan as a program that offers a unique space for family members to see, hear and feel for one another outside their normal busy schedules. Life gets a head-start when the family is right. A few years ago, a team of people who consider family issues as their primary concern decided to establish a dedicated organization- the Family EQ and Development Association. The second decade of IofC Taiwan witnessed a paradigm shift in its focus towards social education and social welfare services. With knowledge and experience in social work, IofC Taiwan now has a trained and experienced cadre with adequate capacity to reach out and work with local communities.
Clean Elections Campaign
Restoration of communities
In the first decade since its inception, IofC Taiwan focused on developing the moral and spiritual strength of university youth through leadership trainings. IofC Taiwan invited eligible members to attend international training programs and encouraged them to play a more active role in its local operations. In 1992 the Clean Elections Campaign (CEC) was launched. It was a social movement initiated by IofC Taiwan through a strategic alliance of over 70 local NGOs to address the issue of rampant voting-buying and selling in Taiwan politics. After 6 years of continuous efforts, CEC have managed to make a difference to the issue with government agencies, political parties and the public becoming more responsible stakeholders. Meanwhile, the CEC experience was also shared with the international IofC network to inspire similar programs in other countries.
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Earthquake-hit
In 1999, in response to a major earthquake that devastated central Taiwan, a team of young people from IofC Taiwan took the initiative to work with afflicted communities, helping them acquire the needed financial and human resources as well as delivering service programs that supported the mental and spiritual rehabilitation of youth members in those communities. In this program that spanned over six years, IofC Taiwan mobilized volunteers with 400 person-visits and raised about $1.5 million to support the restoration of these communities. Service-learning is another strategic approach for IofC Taiwan to engage young people in the process of changing oneself and then changing the society through voluntary services. Youth volunteers, working with IofC Taiwan on various programs and in various capacities, are motivated to get training in counselling and related fields. Over
Korea
the past five years, these volunteers have become the foundation that supports our partnership with the local government in delivering programs related to moral and character education, life education and career education for young people who are socio-economically disadvantaged.
A New Hurb in Korea

by Jisun Jung (The First Step of Change)
National Honesty Day

In 2007, in light of the social impact of a former Taiwan president being indicted for corruption, IofC Taiwan launched a National Honesty Day in Taiwan. It is a five-year campaign that aims to promote the relevance of honesty and integrity in a society that is plagued with moral and spiritual decay. Having explored and experimented with various approaches and programs for the last two decades, IofC Taiwan has developed certain sustainable strengths in pursuit of its mission, which is to bring positive change to priority issues and target groups, in Taiwan and abroad, by anchoring its operations on core IofC beliefs: Listening to the inner voice and Change starts with me.
IofC Koreas, First Step of Change centre, the Hurb was moved on 26th June 2010, to a new rented place, with approximately $70,000 contributed by 70 people including some foreign friends. Previously, the centre was located in a flat that functioned as an office, a meeting room and a guest room.
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and exhibition on history of IofC. URL: www. my.iofc.org/LCM
Hurb in Korea
Seed Initiatives Youth Programme (SIYP): a training project

SIYP is another major annual Bilingual youth training of 7 days and 6 nights every December. We celebrate its tenth anniversary for which earlier participants since 2001 will also join. URL: www.my.iofc.org/siyp For more information: www.my.iofc.org/learningcommunity, or email: learningcommunity@my.iofc.org.
Nandor Lim a Chinese Literature graduate and the initiator of the Learning Community, and wife Wenny work full time with IofC.
Since then the Hurb has been used for a meeting place, workshops and accommodating foreign IofC friends. The Hurb, a combination of the words Herb and Hub, is a centre that brings a rich flavour to its activities. It is also meant for connecting people who wish to bring changes wherever they are. We welcome you to visit our new Hurb centre and share our vision of making a difference in we want to see in the world.
Japan
Japanese Prime Minister Meets Gandhi

On the day of arrival in Tokyo for a six-day visit Rajmohan Gandhi, then President of IofC International, met for 30 minutes with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama. He was accompanied byYukihisa Fujita, a Member of the Diet, and by Hironori Yano, President of IofC Japan. At a time when the Prime Minister is wrestling with scandals in his government, severe economic problems and sliding support over unpopular decisions, Mr. Gandhi commented that success or failure is determined not by media reports or opinion polls, but by our consciences and by history. He appreciated Mr. Hatoyamas focus on understanding the moral roots of economic crisis. In a major policy speech in the Diet in January this year, Mr. Hatoyama had asked how government should control the excesses of the capitalist society and had quoted Mahatma Gandhis Seven Social Sins which are inscribed at Gandhis memorial in Delhi: Politics without principles; Wealth without work; Pleasure without conscience; Knowledge without character; Commerce without morality; Science without humanity; and Worship without sacrifice. According to the Prime Minister, Gandhis words point incisively to the problems facing Japan and the world today. At the interview yesterday, Professor Gandhi noted that the Indian media had reported this policy speech favourably. In response, the Prime Minister commented that when he speaks of such moral questions, some accuse him of hypocrisy, but that is what he really believes in. Professor Gandhi also voiced his respect for the Prime Ministers striving for an Asian community, which IofC has endeavoured to support by
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creating a small-scale, non-state community of Asians from numerous countries committed to moral principles. The Prime Minister remembered speaking at the IofC international conference in Caux, Switzerland, in 1996 and asked about the current program. Mr. Gandhi was able to update him on development of the Caux Forum for Human Security. Mr. Fujita, who accompanied Mr. Hatoyama on his visit to Caux, reminded Mr. Hatoyama that his grandfather, who was also a Prime Minister in the 1950s, had supported and encouraged MRA in making its contribution to peace-building efforts in post-war Japan. It is now 50 years since a high level Japanese delegation came to Caux, the first after the end of the War. It included the Mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the governors of seven prefectures and Prime Minister Yasuhiru Nakasone. Following the meeting, Professor Gandhi was met by the media at the Prime Ministers office. His visit included lectures at the Ozaki Yukio Memorial Foundation and the 33rd annual international conference of IofC Japan.
Brazil
Teaching and Learning

by Alline Serpa
Working with youth is a tradition for IofC in Brazil. First, it is a great opportunity for both to learn from each other, with a new vision of the world; and second, it prepares those who will be leading the future actions. When we talk about the future, the concerns are amplified because the country, although now showing signs of further development in some areas, still carries the legacy of past actions. From generation to generation, IofC and many other organizations have worked on the restless minds of the countrys youth, whether rich, poor, resigned or interested. For many years IofC Brazil has addressed specific or mixed youth gatherings, leading discussions and providing open space to express and contribute. They have also met and heard experienced people.Their courage and willingness has inspired them. They have made new friends and forged more lasting relationships with IofCs work. The Brazilian team has taken golden partners. Working with community leaders, often fraught with risk, the team has helped in bridge-building amongst young people in the slums. The impact is noticeable. Anna Marcondes, from the Morro dos Macacos (Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro), has dedicated her life believing that people can change. When real danger and threat is at her door, it is a challenge to bring change to these youngsters so peace can come to the community. Many of these young people came to the Sitio So Luiz (Petrpolis), the IofC Training Centre in Latin America, and honest conversations were held. Taming the behavior of incredulous and angry young people through dialogue with open-hearts was a great opportunity to learn. Often, just to be heard was what they needed most. Many at the meetings got interested in topics on the family, community, trust, personal change, corruption, politics, and relevance of standards
of love, unselfishness, purity and honesty. Several returned to subsequent meetings, changed their behavior at home and in the community, decided with an open heart to be change-makers in the places they live.
Brazilian IofC team working with the youth
Same Problems across Levels

In many of these meetings it was possible to have young people from higher socio-economic status. The answer given by many of them has been very positive because the youth of today, more than ever, questions and wants to change things. The understanding was that we live in one world. The thought, What my poor neighbor lacks, concerns me got deep into them as they followed the news and realized that, the social advances were slower than desired. Having young people of different social and economic level at the same dialogue, created opportunities for understanding and teamwork. Even more interesting was to discover that although they lived in different conditions, the problems were concentrated in the same areas: personal values, family, collective thinking, spirituality and morality of each one. IofC has worked in Brazil with different approaches for young people. Some decades ago there were meetings, each time with different groups where
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the ideas of Frank Buchman were put forward and many of them are already veterans today, and lead the IofC team in action. The era of Up with People brought much attention for its cultural approach. Today, with Gente que Avanza, the Latin American movement, you can have deep but playful and cheerful activities, exchanging with Latin America what happens in Brazil, and bringing change to those who want and accept it.
an annual schedule of encounters and selected issues, which go from personal to general affairs of the city and nation. With moments of stunning emotion and sincerity, this program involved over 30 participants. Many more young people have been touched by IofC in Brazil in the past. Personally, I am extremely grateful for those who believed in me. I was at a taxi drivers meeting in Stio So Luiz 17 years ago, still a little girl, looking at that beautiful place. Years later, Luis and Evelyn Puig invited me to one of these youth meetings mentioned above, and since then I have never stopped, because my call is to be a changemaker that IofC empowers through the experience of simple people who live their lives in sync with this global action.
Youth Changing Lives

In recent years, the meetings have gained new impetus. It was possible to have a new generation, who decide to give new direction to their lives and become definitively involved with IofC actions. And more recently, with the Youth Changing Lives program, a group began to meet with
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the capacity of each participant. Distinctively, participants and staff come from different generations, nations, and faiths to form a diverse learning and working community that represents an increasingly globalised world. In Australia many in IofCs network have sought reconciliation through genuine listening, honest apology, forgiveness and a working commitment to healing between Aboriginal and non-indigenous Australians. Many are active in initiatives such as Sorry Day and the Journey of Healing. These campaigns aim to acknowledge the atrocities committed in the past and work together towards a brighter and fairer future for all Australians. Three years ago, the Australian Government finally recognised the wrongs of the past and formally apologized to the Aboriginal people. We still have a long way to go in creating understanding, trust and reconciliation between cultural groups in Australia. IofC believes this transformation is possible, and that it starts from within us. The Journey of Healing continues...
Some of the AfL team
of change-makers, equipped with integrity and faith who are committed to bringing transformation in the world, starting with themselves. Its action-based training programs have run periodically over the past 10 years in India, spreading out to develop and support young change-makers and their initiatives in many countries of Asia and the Pacific, in Africa, Europe and the Americas. AfL centres on releasing locked potential through inner change and inspiration. It uses a combination of interactive training and fieldwork to expand
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Australia
Swinging Across the Country

by Keith Mills
Initiatives of Change (IofC) Australia is in full swing right across the country. Within Australia the organization builds bridges of trust through a change in people - their attitudes, motives and actions - in families, the workplace, between Australians of different backgrounds, between Australia and her neighbors. IofC participated in the fifth Parliament of the Worlds Religions in Melbourne, 39 December 2009, with over 6,000 from 200 countries representing all the worlds major faiths. IofCs contributions included a Creators of Peace workshop, sessions on forgiveness and screenings of The Imam and the Pastor by IofCs FLT films. Outside the official program, the IofC centre in Melbourne, hosted two occasions with speakers from the Parliament.
Dialogues designed to heal past wounds and promote reconciliation. Other programs such as Creators of Peace and Global Club are also currently working to address the ignorance that leads to fear and hatred in our society. The Life Matters course is also run every year in Melbourne and Sydney. NSW Police community liaison officers Rosemary Kariuki and Assefa Bekele, with Kuranda Seyit (Forum on Australias Islamic Relations) enthusiastically arranged a weekend version of the Life Matters course in Sydney 17-19 September. (This is the second time this has taken place.) They received funding to cover all expenses. Two Sydney couples gave practical and logistical support. The course was delivered by a faculty of five to a multicultural group of young adults at the Granville Community Centre. Course faculty member David McLaurin wrote, The course was a whirlwind of workshops and ideas that were of great value to explore, both for the participants and the facilitators alike. Perhaps the relationships forged and the friendships made were the most valuable component. The Melbourne course ran for nine days in February this year, giving many young people from a range of countries a chance to look at their lives and to develop new skills for living. The program was varied and interactive. It included panel discussions, personal reflection, workshops, music and outdoor activities. It also provided participants the opportunity of mixing with people from diverse walks of life and cultural backgrounds. In 2010/11 IofC Australia took part in the Action for Life program that is run with IofC International, particularly with offices here in India. Action for Life (AfL) aims to develop a new generation
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Life Matters Workshop in Melbourne and Sydney
Australia is a lucky country in many ways. She boasts beautiful beaches, picturesque landscapes and a pretty handy cricket team. We are, however, separated by vast oceans from most other nations. Despite the multiculturalism of some of our major cities there is a narrow- mindedness about other cultures that often borders on xenophobia. Despite normally being a peaceful place, Australia experienced heavy rioting in 2005, as young Anglo-Australians clashed with Australians of Middle-Eastern origin. Tension, fear and hatred had festered for years and eventually spilled into violence. But from this conflict, Groups like IofC Australia were able to establish Inter-faith
Somalis in London
Peace Begins at Home

by Ayan Osman
Peace begins at home was the theme of two-day workshops organized by the Somali Initiative for Dialogue and Democracy (SIDD), an organisation that has grown out of IofCs Agenda for Reconciliation programme in the UK. Three of these events were held in early 2010, in the London Boroughs of Brent, Harrow and Islington, each an area of concentration of the growing Somali community. They were funded by the Awards for All National Lottery Fund and Agenda for Reconciliation. Dawn Butler, then Member of Parliament for Brent South and Minister for Young Citizens and Youth Engagement, said: Inter-generational issues are not unique to the Somali community. They can be found in all communities. The contribution of SIDD in facilitating this workshop is invaluable. The workshops tackled issues facing young and old. Both generations face identity problems: are they British or Somali? There is also a clash between traditional Somali and Western values. Young people are sometimes dismissed by the older generation as having little respect for traditional values, while the internet-savvy younger generation regard their elders as out of touch. Many of the young people pointed out that breakdown, in communication between parents and children, were in many cases due to a lack of a common language. Some parents do not learn English, yet children growing up in Britain gradually lose touch with their mother tongue. Somali mothers and children arrive in Britain with little knowledge of the British system and the new environment takes power away from parents, making them feel less in control. Somalis experience racism and segregation in many forms. British society classifies them as black. Among Africans, they would be Somali. Clan divisions are rife and young
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people get caught up in clan prejudices, whether they choose to or not. The young people appealed to parents to mentally unpack, and refrain from repeatedly talking about going back to Somalia or yearning the past good life. There should be honest conversations about life, school, religion, cultural and social issues. Issues such as sex or drugs are either covered up as xaraan (prohibited by religion) or ceeb (shame) or maya! (no!), with no explanation given! They agreed that parents were blissfully unaware of what their children got up to in and outside school and needed to be involved with their childrens education. Expressing unconditional love for children was not done within the Somali community, and this attitude needed to change. Children could feel neglected and unloved. Many Somali families are run by single mothers and poverty is rife. Many are on income support and are barely able to get by. Women participants shared the difficulties they face, bringing up children alone without the traditional support-networks of relatives and friends. This forces some young people to seek work and sacrifice their careers, but they can quickly get stuck in a cycle of hopelessness. They also discussed the impact of chewing khat, a stimulant native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Many Somali fathers empty their paypackets in the khat cafs socialising with their friends, rather than being at home with their families. Without the support of fathers, mothers are forced to work as cleaners or cooks to keep the family going. Young people and some women are now picking up the habit. The participants decided to create a network of parents and adults, committed to forging better
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Indonesia
Unity in Diversity
by Miftahul Huda
Indonesia is one of the most pluralistic societies in terms of ethnic, linguistic, cultural and religious differences. The Indonesian archipelago - the largest in the world, consists of over 17,800 islands and people speak over 525 languages. It is the largest Muslim nation in the world, with 206 million people, but it is not an Islamic state. Islam in Indonesia adopted the middle path, which is based on five principles: 1. Belief in One Supreme God; 2. A Just and Civilized Humanism; 3. The Unity of Indonesia; 4. Democracy; 5. Social Justice. Our national motto is Unity in Diversity. In this spirit, Initiatives of Change (IofC) Indonesia has played an important role in our history. Many years ago an IofC team came and met the first President, Soekarno. In 2002 Ron Lawler from Australia visited a students group, led by Bahrul and Dadan, who were student leaders in the State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, the largest university in our country. In 2003 the first Action for Life (AfL) met this group who practice Quiet Times and share IofC values in order to be agents of change. Since then the team has grown and in 2006 Lembaga (Institution) Initiatives of Change Indonesia was registered as an NGO. Several initiatives have taken place to share the values of care and love to Indonesians; building trust and peace in the society with the values of honesty, purity, unselfishness and love, initiating social change through personal change.
responsibility and action to serve others. Other initiatives include, supporting a project in Panawuan Village giving children books and providing school leadership programs for students, and Indonesia We Care in Jakarta and Tangerang. We also visit communities and do projects such as cleaning the beaches in a Jakarta island. With our advisor, Lily Zakiyah Munir of the Humanitarian Centre for Peace and Democracy, we have held a students camp for peace with 100 students from fifty high schools, universities, and Islamic boarding schools in Solo Central Java and Bandung West Java. They started SAVE Students Against Violence and Extremism. They committed themselves to creating a peaceful society by respecting every difference as a treasure of the nation, refusing any discriminatory attitude and behaviour harmful to other people; to speak out against any form of violence on whatever grounds and to uplift the spirit of brotherhood with respect and peace for the sake of the oneness and harmony of Indonesia.
Youth for Peace

Six annual Youth Camps for Peace have taken place. The camps bring together young people for a weekend program to find inner peace, to practice Quiet Times and share life values with others. The camps are raising awareness of personal
CoP Workshop
IofC Indonesia has also worked with YMCA Jakarta, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Youth Association and other NGOs to respond to terrorism and
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South Africa
Breaking the Mould in a Town That Grieves

by Anthony Duigan
Jan Bosman of Kempton Park is a son of Africa who believes intensely in the role of God in the destiny of nations. Reflecting one day some while back on the tragic events in Ventersdorp, a small town about 150kms from Johannesburg, where two young black men were on trial for murdering an extreme right-wing politician in the town, Eugene Terreblanche, he got the thought: what if Ventersdorp, tarred with the image of extremism, fear and racial hatred, became the role model for reconciliation and racial co-operation? That would be something, Jan thought. Why not? He broached the idea with some Initiatives of Change (IofC) folk and the outcome was a visit to Ventersdorp and Tshing, a neighbouring black peoples township, by a small group that included Jan and a University of Johannesburg student, Leon Marincowitz. Leon connected with IofC at the talk given by Prof. Rajmohan Gandhi at the University in March. Leon is busy with his Philosophy masters degree on forgiveness. A meeting with some black and white churchmen led to a bigger meeting that included a farmer and some business people, and suddenly things were on the go!
and white church ministers drawn together to promote inter-racial reconciliation). About 200 people - many from Tshing, but including a significant group of white townsfolk from Ventersdorp - were encouraged in their first steps towards breaking down the barriers by the towns Mayor, Councillor Cecilia Mponyane, and several black and white churchmen who addressed the gathering. We want reconciliation in Ventersdorp, so let us show people what we can do, the Mayor said. I hate hearing that Ventersdorp is a racist town. But we who live here know what we have to do. I see people, black and white, sitting together and I believe we are going to move on from here. But it was the church ministers who struck the most vital notes. In his address, Rev Letsumo Seleke of the Living Jesus Ministries in Ventersdorp told the gathering: the enemy was not my brother, not the white man, nor the Indian ( South Africans of Indian origin), but what the devil brings into my mind.
Rally for Reconciliation

On 19 September, a rally was held in Tshing, organized by the Ve n t e r s d o r p Faith-Based Organisation (a forum of black
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Rev Letsumo Seleke
Councillor Cecilia Mponyane with Rev Johan Scheepers, one of the organisers of the event. MRA - Initiatives of Change - www.in.iofc.org
Some of those responsible for the event, including Jan Bosman (centre)
Rev Enslin van Velden of the Dutch Reformed Church in Ventersdorp, said that Jesus looked at people as people. Its we that make them black and white, he said. Jesus loves people, it doesnt matter what culture a person is or where the person lives. We need to learn to say to each other: I need you. But the problem is, we dont know each other. How can we work together if we dont know each other?
can help each other to cross the boundaries that divide us, he added. The IofC group has been asked to continue its involvement and, indeed, to take the initiative in building the reconciliation momentum. At the next planning meeting in Ventersdorp, Peace Circles will be put forward as the tool to begin building the bridges between small groups in the two communities. The intention is to follow this up with Connecting Communities Workshops and, in February/March, possibly shorter Harambee Leadership courses for final year high school scholars in Tshing and Ventersdorp. An inspiring outcome to one persons willingness to follow the inner voice of guidance.
Learning to Love
Learning to love each other is hard and is built on respect, he added. How Rev Letsumo Seleke many black people have been to my church in the town? he asked. But then, I havent been to your church in Tshing. People needed to get to know one another, to find out about the other, to visit each other in their homes. Perhaps in this way we
radicalism in Indonesia. NU is the biggest Muslim organization in the world, believing in tolerance, moderation and the middle way. Terrorism and radicalism are damaging our economic and social life. We have responded to this with open dialogues and sharing what it means to be Muslim, Christian and other faiths in order to build a peaceful Indonesia.
Jakarta, Garut, and Ciputat, and continue with them to encourage more women to be agents of peace, a core team to initiate programs in Jakarta and beyond is formed. Creators of Peace is a Program of Initiatives of Change involving womens initiatives which challenge and empower women to become active peace-makers. It works partly through Peace Circles which have been established in 25 countries around the world.
Miftahul Huda is a Volunteer for IofC Indonesia, a Masters Student of Islam and Peace Studies at the State Islamic University Syarif Hidatullah Jakarta.
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Creators of Peace
IofC Indonesia has a womens club, supported by friends from around the world. It is a part of the Creators of Peace (CoP) movement. They have organized CoP workshops in Lenteng Agung
South Sudan
Call for Help

by Mike Brown
Southern Sudans Vice President, Dr Riek Machar Teny, has urged Initiatives of Change to come in and help heal the trauma of Africas longest civil war which left 2.5 million dead and every family affected. Many of us were fighters, people who used violence to change the situation, Dr Machar told a team from IofC in Juba last week. When Teny and his wife led a delegation to Caux (the international IofC centre in Switzerland) two years ago, we were shown another powerful way to change the same force we have seen now in Egypt and Tunisia based on the peoples will to bring change without violence Now we are facing the challenges resulting from war The psyche of using violence to change things is confronting us (because) if we continue to use it we will produce a ragged state. We are a traumatized country But we want to change our society. Can IofC come in and help? This place is now conducive for the core values of the Moral Re-Armament / Initiatives of Change movement. Dr Riek Machar Teny and Angelina TenyDr Riek Machar made these comments at a dinner hosted at his residence at the end of the 10 day visit of a group from IofCs Action for Life programme. The occasion was the initiative of his wife, Angelina Teny. In 2007 Mrs Teny had also hosted a team who ran two Creators of Peace workshops for leading Sudanese women, in Khartoum and Juba. On their first day back in the country, she welcomed her friends from Creators of Peace, Jean Brown (Australia) and Dr Christiane Garin (Switzerland), along with an Action for Life team of six others from China, Ukraine, Australia and Kenya. Among the 25 dinner guests were two Ministers of the newly formed government and three veteran generals, including General Joseph Lagu who formed the first rebel Anya-Nya army in 1963,
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Dmitriy from Ukraine meets young Sudanese (Photo: Mike Brown)
and who later became Sudans Vice-President and its roving Ambassador to the United Nations. Concluding the dinner General Lagu spoke passionately of the need of IofCs four pillars of honesty, purity, unselfishness and love in Southern Sudans reconstruction, and said there is no need of bitterness against the north. The government in Khartoum had accepted the referendum results immediately. We dont need to hold any grudge so long as they accept what has been decided. A week earlier General Lagu had opened a threeday workshop facilitated by the Action for Life team on Reconciliation, peace and community building. He took the chance to review the history of racism and conflict going back to the imperial policies of Britain, Egypt and Ottoman empire from 1820, arguing that we should keep the door open to the peoples of the North who have been with us in the struggle. Among the 14 young people participating were two ex-child soldiers, forced to carry arms from the age of 10, who had seen the slaughter of most of their friends. The session on forgiveness was intense and real. They
Kenya
The African Agenda

by Ann Njeri
In the last months, the IofC team in Kenya has been out and about reaching out to Kenyans from all walks of life in different ways. Most of our energy is directed towards peace, reconciliation and a healing process, much needed after the massive violence that rocked the country in 2007-2008 causing a lot of mistrust between the people. Joseph Wainaina, who has passionately propelled the Agenda for Reconciliation programme in the tribally troubled Eldoret region, has continued with the work amidst many challenges. He has been doing a lot of one-to-one meetings in the area for peaceful coexistence -a slow and painful process that calls for a lot of patience, perseverance and courage. The African answer -a film documenting the work of reconciliation by Pastor Wuye and Imam Ashafa from Nigeria has been a great tool with its message of forgiveness, reconciliation and healing. Since its launch in the month of June, 2010, Joseph Karanja has been showing it across the country. I never thought the launch of this was lighting a fire.
Kenya I Care with School children
for this film. says Karanja. Plans are underway to extend the use of the film in the country before 2012- our elections year. The Creators of Peace workshops, which challenge and encourage women to be creators of peace in their society starting with ones own lives, have been taking place in Nakuru and Eldoret. A group of ladies who were part of the Creators of Peace workshops in May, have joined hands and plan to reach out to Eldoret and its environs. Peace is what we want in Eldoret, many of the ladies echoed in their meeting. Besides the peace efforts, there is need to nurturing the most promising and the most vulnerable part of our society the youth. The Kenya I Care programme, which was inspired by the India I Care, has been up and moving, courtesy the youth in the IofC Kenya team. We have been visiting schools and youth groups to advocate creative leadership and responsibility. We aim at helping the young people view things from a different perspective, reason more positively and appreciate our country as it is, as we plan and work to take it to the next level. With all these programmes continuing, IofC Kenya looks forward to hosting the Africa Action
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Womans initiative as Creators of Peace
I find it so hard to say no to tens of invitations by various groups to see the film, ...people are thirsty for reconciliation and there is an insatiable craving
team from the Action for Life programme early next year. And the greatest of all is the Eastern Africa Youth Conference in February 2011. It aims to bring together young IofC people from Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somali, Rwanda and Burundi besides Kenya. The Action for Life team will take part in the preparation and running the conference.
were riveted by the film The Imam and the Pastor portraying two Nigerian peace-makers who overcame their enmity. The visit to Southern Sudan was arranged and facilitated by Tongo James, a participant of the current Action for Life programme. With teams operating on four continents, it aims to develop a new generation of change-makers equipped with integrity and faith Tongo James is one of seven young Sudanese who have been trained for sixmonths as interns at Asia Plateau, the IofC centre in India. At the dinner he spoke of his conviction to help establish and carry forward the work of IofC within the newly emerging nation. With others young Sudanese, principally those of The Lost Boys generation who walked out of Sudan into refugee camps, he supported a Youth Summit in Juba during December, committing themselves to a non-violence during the January referendum which set Southern Sudan towards becoming Africas 54th state. He took his Action for Life friends four hours out of Juba to Mundri, meeting the people of his home town where until recently he worked with the Mundri Relief and Development Association (MRDA). At a rural teachers college run by MRDA, their singing was interrupted by high-pitched ululating and applause as they presented IofCs core principles. A dinner under the stars with the County Commissioner, Anglican bishop and local NGO workers went on until late. Back in Juba, they had further meetings with three Ministers of the new government and the Commissioner responsible for the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Re-integration of thousands of ex-fighters, a daunting task with few resources. Southern Sudan which is the size of France has no sealed roads outside a few in Juba. The Action for Life team departed by bus as they came: on a long dusty journey to their next field work visit in Uganda.
Published on Initiatives of Change International website (http://www.iofc.org
IofC teams elsewhere in Africa

In South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Democratic Republic of Congo there have been Creators of Peace circles and workshops being run. A programme initiated by young people by the name Springs of Hope is also reaching out to young people in Uganda. Nigeria in West Africa, is hosting the next Harambee Africa Leadership programme October, 2011. Through this program, they hope to reach other parts of the country with the ideas of IofC. They are also concerned about the 2011 general elections in and plan to have a Clean Africa Campaign in Nov/Dec. 2010.
understanding and dialogue within the community, including a facebook discussion on intergenerational dialogue. Parents were urged to undertake `parenthood classes. One father said: I came with some baggage and reservations to this workshop. I thought that mothers and children point the finger at the fathers only. During the workshop, we had honest dialogue. I realise now that I need to change my attitudes towards my children, to take time to be with them and listen to what they have to say.
Extracts from Ayan Osmans article published in IofC Newsletter No 12 Summer 2010. Sent by Peter Riddell
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USA
The Trust Factor in Community Change

by Susan Corcoran
Radical change in the lives of people and their relationships is Americas most urgent need. President Obama speaks of a trust-deficit. Lack of trust undermines the best efforts to work for justice and inclusion in our increasingly diverse communities. Race, ethnicity, religion, and politics polarize and isolate us. Initiatives of Change in the U.S. works to inspire, equip, and engage citizens with the qualities of integrity and courageous leadership needed to be trust-builders. Hope in the Cities is building trust through honest conversations on race, reconciliation, and responsibility. This model of honest conversation incorporates three vital steps: dialogue with people of all backgrounds and viewpoints; personal responsibility and change as a foundation for institutional transformation; and intentional acts of reconciliation. In November this year Hope in the Cities will host the 14th annual Metropolitan Richmond Day community breakfast which will convene more than 300 leaders from the public and private sectors to discuss the trust factor in bridging the socio-economic divides. The 2010 publication of Trust-building: an honest conversation on race, reconciliation, and responsibility, authored by Rob Corcoran, and published by UVA Press, has focused IofCs outreach to universities. Upcoming events include programs at American University in DC and Virginia Commonwealth University, followed by a speaking tour by Rob Corcoran in cities on the West Coast of the US and Canada. In January a program in Trust-building Leadership will be piloted at Norfolk State University and offered to other campuses. Walking through History offers experiential learning. For two decades Hope in the Cities has helped transform the city of Richmond, Virginia once
the largest interstate slave market, capital of the Southern Confederacy in the Civil War, and leader of resistance to integration from a symbol of historic divisions to a model for reconciliation. History acknowledged can provide creative energy for the restoration of broken relationships and the reform of unjust systems. The commemorative events marking the 150th anniversary of the Civil War in 2011 will include programs for students, religious groups or simply those seeking to heal painful racial history. One such group from Duke Divinity School will gather with other seminary students for a Pilgrimage of Pain and Hope. A Reconciliation Statue now marks each of the points of the newly established Reconciliation Triangle that Richmond has established in partnership
At the Caux Scholars program -IofC International Centre, Switzerland
with Liverpool, UK and Benin, West Africa, along the routes of the former infamous slave trade. An exchange of economic empowerment and education is part of a healing process. Hope in the Cities is also actively engaged in helping to facilitate Richmonds plans for a multi-million dollar heritage site and slavery museum. Community Trust-building Programs offer specific tools that help leaders from diverse backgrounds
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address issues of critical importance to communities and work creatively together to build shared visions for reconciliation and justice. Through a combination of teaching, dialogue, and experiential learning participants learn to connect theory with practice, and inner change with change in society.
hear Gandhi speak about freedom of speech and public debate; and a program on the campus of Howard University, one of Americas most distinguished historically black universities. The Caux Scholars Program, administered in Washington, recruits outstanding students from across the U.S. and the world for an academic program of applied studies in peace-making and conflict transformation in Caux, Switzerland. Three hundred and forty scholars from 87 countries have taken part since 1991. One 2010 scholar said, CSP opened my heart allowing me to overcome a lot of personal difficulties and in turn grow into a better, stronger person.
Community Trust-building programme
The president of the Islamic Centre of Virginia and the representative of a foundation supporting international Christian evangelical efforts are among a group of leading Muslims and evangelical Christians who began an honest conversation in one community trust-building initiative sponsored by Hope in the Cities after the events of 9/11. After several years of sustained dialogue the group has issued Ten Agreements. Building Trust with the World and addressing the root causes of human insecurity is the focus of IofCs program in Washington, DC. Regular forums, public events, documentary film screenings, and receptions aim to model and encourage active listening, quiet reflection, and honest conversation the hallmarks of IofCs peace-building approach. In the early summer of 2011, IofC will hold a Trust Factor Forum in DC as outreach to people in government, think tanks, media, and the international community. Public events surrounding Rajmohan Gandhis visit in June 2010 included an evening at the Swiss Embassy honoring the work of the IofC center at Caux, Switzerland; a near-overflow crowd at the National Press Clubs First Amendment lounge to
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Honest conversation
Together these initiatives in the U.S. aim to build trust and understanding across the divides of politics, religion, race and nationality.
For updated information on specific programs, please visit our website for Initiatives of Change USA, www.us.iofc.org
Canada
Emerging Themes, New Plans and

by Ayan Osman
Since the autumn of 2008 IofC Canada has been undergoing a transformation to meet the immediate and future challenges. From our most recent National Consultation in Toronto about two years ago, four key themes emerged for the: 1.Youth, 2.Finances, 3.International and 4. Bridge-building.
Whats On the Go in Canada?

We are focusing on building relationships of trust within and between individuals and communities. This will help us grow and sustain our efforts in the other three theme areas youth, finance and focussed major international project.
At the Caux Scholars program -IofC International Centre, Switzerland
Bridge Building
New Outreach and More Relationships in the Business Community In some cities of western Canada, we have recently established and expanded our relationship with the Indo-Canadian community. Many know of Rajmohan Gandhi and certainly and of course, of the Mahatma.
new to them gave them hope and could fill a gap in relationships through honest conversations and help build a positive framework for our common future. Hope In The Cities, Hamilton is an example of a Canadian city embracing the work done by Hope in The Cities from Richmond, Virginia, USA. Rob Corcoran, founder of HITC, and his staff have generously given of their time and talent to help Canadian communities to build on the work done in the USA. In Hamilton people of diverse backgrounds came together for A Walk Through History, similar to what Richmond,Virginia successfully undertook a few years ago. This led to involvement in Dialogue Hamilton, an organization comprised of various people and organizations, Iike IofC Canada, focused on better conditions in the community.
Hope in the Cities and Trust-building with Rob Corcoran

Relationship with our American neighbours is strengthening. We are particularly excited about Rob Corcorans new book, Trust-building, and have used its launch as a way to connect with communities across Canada. Rob joined us in Toronto in May for the Canadian AGM and October 12th17th in Metro Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton for fund raising events, university presentations and workshops with community advocates, municipal officials, representatives from the secular non-profit and business communities, and multicultural and religious groups. As we talked to people we found that Initiatives of Change which is
Caravan of Dialogues for Peace (Quebec)

In Montreal, a team of different generations and backgrounds has travelled to communities in the province of Quebec to listen to the issues that divide them and to bring hope based on the moving story of The Imam and The Pastor. The DVD acts as a key talking point for trust building
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Peace Circles (Creators of Peace)

In the last year Peace Circles in Vancouver and Calgary have brought women together in a confidential setting. They share about their lives, what they celebrate, their fears, and quickly build strong bonds of friendship.
Canadian team members breakfast together to plan activities in Calgary
Youth
IofC @ UofC Club in Calgary, CanadaSince 2005 IofC Canada has been working at The University of Calgary to establish a youth club. The International work of IofC has great appeal. Several members of the Club have participated in Caux conferences as Interns and Conference Assistants.
International
IofC Canada continues to maintain a strong presence in Caux through participation in the Caux Scholar and Caux Interns programs. This year more attention was focused on Action for Life, with funds designated to assist Canadians or others to attend AfL. Canadians in Caux, Switzerland celebrate Canada Day July, 2010
August 25th B2B Exchange in Calgary
Bridges to a Common Future

In these days of extremists promoting fear and mistrust between western and eastern religions and cultures, Initiatives of Change is finding that it can play the role a convenor locally, to bring together people of different backgrounds, beliefs and prejudices in a safe place where they can listen and speak openly developing trust in one another to work to heal deep hurts and resentments. Christians and Muslims, in Calgary come together to understand and support one another in the realization they have much in common
Inspired Change and a Bold New Future

IofC Canada is wrapped around several generations of people all working to change themselves and our country for the better through inspired reflection and action.
To know more you may contact Bill Parker: bill.parker@ ca.iofc.org.
Team building & Fund Raising Events

More effort is going into strengthening Canadian team building and fund raising. IofC has a history of hospitality and openness that creates an environment of inspired transformation from the inside out. With a priority on more directed fund raising from Canadian communities to support our local work we are building a track record of credibility and familiarity which will sustain our future as a viable life changing alternative for people.
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GandhiVoyage
Voyage of Dialogue and Discovery

Associated from 1956 with IofC (formerly known as Moral Re-Armament), Rajmohan has been engaged for half a century in efforts for trust-building, reconciliation and democracy and in battles against corruption and inequalities. In the 1960s and early 1970s, he played a leading role in establishing Asia Plateau, the 80-acre conference centre of IofC in the mountains of western India. Asia Plateau has been recognized in the Indian subcontinent for its ecological contribution. During the 1975-77 Emergency in India, he was active for democratic rights personally and through the weekly journal Himmat, published in Bombay from 1964 to 1981. He is a well-published author and his previous book, a biography of his grandfather Mahatma Gandhi, Mohandas: A true story of a man, his people and an empire, received the prestigious Biennial Award from the Indian History Congress in 2007. It has since been published in several countries. In 2002 he received the Sahitya Akademi (Indias National Academy of Letters) Award for his Rajaji: A life, a biography of Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (1878-1972), his maternal grandfather and a leading figure in Indias freedom movement who became Governor General, 1948-50. In 2004 he received the International Humanitarian Award (Human Rights) from the City of Champaign, and in 1997 he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Law from the University of Calgary (Canada) and an honorary Doctorate of Philosophy from Obirin University, Tokyo. He currently also serves as a Jury Member, Nuremberg International Human Rights Award, and Co-chair, Centre for Dialogue & Reconciliation, Gurgaon, India.
In his role as President of IofC International, Prof Rajmohan Gandhi with his wife Usha led an IofC team to countries in Asia, Africa, the MiddleEast, Europe and the Americas, on a Voyage of Dialogue and Discovery. In their journey, with a hope for honest dialogue and a desire for collaboration, to15 countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle-East, Europe and the Americas, they were joined by various teams of young people.
Rajmohan Gandhi a brief profile:

Rajmohan Gandhi is a Research Professor at the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA and is currently serving as President of Initiatives of Change (IofC) International for a twoyear term, 2009-2010. A former member (1990-92) of the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of the Indian Parliament), Rajmohan led the Indian delegation to the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva in 1990. In the Indian Parliament he was the convenor of the all-party joint committee of both houses addressing the condition of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
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At the start of the voyage Gandhi declared:

In the face of enormous environmental, economic and social challenges, how can we all begin to address the divisions that get in the way of effective responses? In an era of global competition, how might we contribute to a climate of cooperation? Amid the pace of todays world, can we find the time, energy, and humility needed to build trust across the divides around us? We dont come with simple answers but with a hope for honest dialogue and a desire for collaboration. We want to hear your stories, dreams and challenges, to share experiences, and explore together fresh ideas. What opportunities or new approaches might we discover? What might be achieved through a coalition of those willing to respond to the inner voice of conscience? How to create a climate of cooperation and trust where, together, we meet the challenges of peace and survival?
Rajmohan was born in 1935 in New Delhi, India. He is married to Usha. They have two children, Supriya and Devadatta. Usha Gandhi encountered IofC/MRA as a student in 1964 and has been associated with it since then. The challenge to connect with, and find fresh direction through the inner voice, remains for her an ongoing process. She regards it as a privilege to have worked alongside friends and colleagues in many different parts of the world who selflessly, courageously, and often sacrificially, strive for healing and reconciliation where there is strife and division, for honesty and justice in the face of untruth and callousness. Usha worked for a spell as a journalist on Himmat; has done research related to South Asia, including Partition, and on issues of human rights; and has been a programme coordinator with an international unit at a US university, which included editing a journal, and organizing study abroad visits by American students to India. Usha believes strongly that nations and individuals need not be prisoners of the past, prisoners of history, and believes in the power of non-violent change as the way to the future. She is married to Rajmohan.
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Some of the travelling team in the Middle-East:

An IofC team joined the Gandhis at various legs of the Voyage. It included: Edward Peters has worked as a volunteer with IofC since leaving school in 1970. Experience of over 40 countries includes frequent and/or longer spells in Sweden, Norway, Ukraine, Poland, New Zealand, India and the USA. He was responsible for formal training programmes for young people from 1981-83 and 1995-2000. He was a commissioning editor and monthly columnist of For A Change magazine (www.forachange.net) from 1990-96. He was international coordinator of Foundations for Freedom (F4F), a programme of courses aimed at strengthening democracy in Eastern Europe (1993-98). He was Chair of the national Clean Slate Campaign, a millennium initiative in the UK, 1999 (www.cleanslate.org). From 2002-2008 he managed the global internet work of IofC. He is married with two children in their twenties, and lives in Oxford, UK. Wadiaa Khoury is 30 years old and was born in Zahle, Lebanon. She studied educational sciences
at Saint-Joseph University in Beirut before taking part in Action for Life 1, a 10 month IofC leadership training programme in Asia. Since then, she has worked as the Community Service Coordinator at the International College in Beirut. While working, she has continued her studies, completing a Bachelors in Law and a Masters in Public Law. She has been a frequent collaborator with IofC, regularly attending Caux, the international IofC conference centre in Switzerland, while taking part in a number of other activities including the IofC Global Consultation, an IofC Conference in Sydney, 2003, and two British-Arab Exchange Trips. She has a keen interest in building trust across the worlds divides, particularly for religious and cultural dialogue. At the moment, she is on unpaid sabbatical leave to deepen her own spiritual and life commitments and to give time to IofC involvement. Wadiaa enjoys taking long drives to reflect on life, the quiet solitude of walking in nature and working and having conversations deep into the night. Chris Breitenberg is from the United States, where he was born in 1981. He has worked in the Washington DC office of IofC as a Communication Assistant, Researcher and Programme Developer and Coordinator. In 2005, his passion for travel and education led him to participate in Action for Life 3. This experience set him on a journey to work with young people to develop their leadership potential. He has since worked for an educational leadership company in Washington, DC and served as a programme coordinator for Action for Life 4. In 2009 he cocoordinated the Caux Interns Programme. At the moment he is starting a programme to develop young American leaders in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He is an active musician and songwriter and follows international football with great interest. Fabiola Benavente is from Mexico. She was born in 1979 and has been involved with IofC since she was a University student in 2000. She was a Caux Scholar in 2001 (an IofC
academic programme on conflict transformation), and then worked with the IofC publication, For a Change magazine, for two years in London. Since returning to Mexico she has been part of building an IofC team in Mexico City. She also run a leadership training programme, some of whose students have participated in the Caux conferences. She has also been part of the Trust and Integrity in the Global Economy (TIGE) conference organizing team. Fabiola is aware of the current transition in IofC and is convinced that those from the developing world and a younger generation have a key role to play in shaping the future of IofC and the world. She attempts to live a balanced and creative lifestyle. Some of her passions are writing, music, yoga and helping people as well as trying to make a positive difference in the world. Rob Lancaster grew up in Australia, but since leaving school has spent periods in Europe (mainly France and England), as well as some time more recently in India. Hes been working on and off with IofC for a couple of years now, in between the final stages of study. The main part of this involvement has been with the Interns Programme in Caux, but has also included Action for Life 4 and a few other fingers in other pies. A graduate from the Australian National University with a Bachelor of Arts (International Relations/ French) (Hons) and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons), his main academic interest is in cosmopolitan theory, which looks at relationships between different groups of people, particularly across national borders. Hes especially interested in exploring potential for a new ethic in political and social leadership. Day to day, he has a sporting passion for cricket and Australian rules football, and an intellectual passion for debating, formally as well as with friends and family. His spare time consists largely of drinking coffee with friends, playing the piano, reading and watching BBC dramas.
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GandhiVoyage - Japan
An Asian Community of Shared Values

Mike Brown
Rajmohan Gandhi gave a highly symbolic public lecture in Tokyo, on Japans role in the world. Ozaki, a Member of the Diet for 63 years, Rajmohan Gandi and statue of was known as the faOzaki Yukio, Japans father of parliamentary government ther of parliamentary government. After Japans war with Russia (1904-1905), as Mayor of Tokyo, he sent cherry trees to Washington, DC, expressing gratitude for the mediation of the US President. On visiting Europe after World War 1, he saw the devastation and became a pacifist, risking his life to oppose militarism in the build up to World War II. Following that War, his daughter, Yukika Sohma , played a key role in making historic apologies to The Philippines, Korea and other nations. She founded an organization for aid to assist refugees from Indo-China, which became a co-laureate with a network of civil society bodies and was awarded Nobel Peace prize in 1997. Gandhi began his lecture remembering Mrs Sohma as one of the most unforgettable people Ive met Her love for Japan was combined with care for the whole world. While acknowledging the strains that Japanese are facing today from bursting of the economic bubble and unprecedented national debt, Professor Gandhi challenged his audience of 230 to go beyond their own security concerns, cultural customs and comfort to enable their nations role in creating an Asian community in service of the worlds needs. On the first day of his visit, when received by Prime Minister Hatoyama, he had voiced support for the Prime Ministers concept of an EastAsian community. But then Gandhi urged that it should extend beyond East Asia: a genuine Asian
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community. Initiatives of Change has endeavored to support such a vision, he asserted, by creating a non-state, small-scale, multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-religious community where we know one another, care for another, are sensitive to one another. Spelling out the principles for such an Asian community, Gandhi said it would be democratic throughout for without rights, people cannot create a community. It would be free of any imposition of religious, sectarian views on anyone. It would work for the reduction of the nuclear danger. Because of Japans unique experience of atomic bombs, you have a bounden duty to pursue nuclear disarmament, said Gandhi. It would place need over greed, bread over bombs, he said. About 30 years ago, the world learned that Communism and state control distort the economy and cannot produce wealth for all. But the last few years, the world has also learned that the pursuit of greed is equally damaging to economies. Above all, he concluded, it would be a community motivated by conscience listening to the Inner Voice. Quoting Mahatma Gandhis principle that the only tyrant I will obey is the still small voice, Professor Gandhi emphasized that in the Asian Community of his vision, obedience to that voice would be accepted as a voluntary principle. Mr. Nakasone recounted his visit 60 years ago with a delegation of 75 Japanese to Caux, the IofC centre in Switzerland, saying that having lived through War experiences in Japan, to be then surrounded by many people from all over the world practicing the way of life envisaged by moral rearmament had a very deep impact on my life. He added, we need to convey that agenda to the coming generation.
GandhiVoyage -Ukraine
Grassroots Movement Building Trust

Chris Breitenberg
Rajmohan Gandhis final thoughts for Ukraine were a fitting conclusion for the first Week of Trust that was celebrated from Kiev to Crimea in April 2010. The Voyage Team were special guests in support of the peoples movement led by Foundations for Freedom, the local IofC team in Ukraine. The week had included several lectures, press conferences and public forums. The team arrived from Romania to a traditional Ukrainian choir welcome at Kievs Taras Shevchenko University. Surrounded by the media, an entourage of about 40 people walked across the street to the memorial park of Taras Shevchenko. After laying flowers at the Shevchenko statue, the group returned to a packed lecture hall for a discussion on trust. During her remarks, Wadiaa Khoury shared three critical lessons she learned while trying to build trust in her native Lebanon: first, a conviction that all people are equally thirsty for peace and security; second, that each person is responsible for a conscious effort to create unity; third, that times of high tension in a country are not times of legitimate isolation. Professor Gandhi followed: Trust has a wonderful connection with yesterday. I have my version of what happened yesterday and you have your version of what happened yesterday. And when I say that I will have trust, it means that Im putting yesterday behind. Yesterday belongs to yesterday. Today is a new day. Today I will trust you. In response to a question from the audience about the limits of trust, Gandhi continued, There is a limit to trust.Yes. But there also must be a limit to mistrust. Today we must stand up and say we have met our limit of mistrust.
Well-known civil activist and human rights expert Evgen Zakharov said, In many ways the problems of Ukraine have their foundations in mistrust. The source of this mistrust is a lack of shared values. As such, our values are not uniting society. But the path to mutual trust is possible when there is listening and empathy. The two hour panel discussion was followed by an awards ceremony for the winners of a photoand-essay-competition on the theme of trust and a reception featuring music from a traditional Ukrainian folk ensemble and a fusion group who mesh traditional Ukrainian sounds with Sanskrit poetry.
Ttraditional Ukrainian choir welcoms the Gandhis outside Taras Shevchenko University
A number of public figures spoke at the event, including the editor of a Crimean Tartar newspaper, the head of a Crimean Jewish social group, a professor of theology, a WWII veteran and a local politician.The tightly run event allowed a number of voices to emerge from those gathered. A local school principal urged the audience to start locally, Trust is the biggest part of social life and we need it in every sector of society. In order to build it, we need to start in small groups: chilcontinued on page 29
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Its Time for Action!

by John Bond
Three hundred people met at the Caux Forum for Human Security, last Summer and considered how to advance human security under four main themes healing memory, just governance, sustainable living, and inclusive economics. In a week of intense deliberation, a wide range of initiatives emerged, and are now being implemented. What is human security? At the start of the 2010 Caux Forum for Human Security, Pierre Helg, Switzerlands Deputy Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, outlined his Governments approach. He said, as against the limitations of the traditional understanding of security, which focused on territorial integrity and borders Human Security puts the individual human being at the centre of attention, focusing on sustainable development, social justice, respect for human rights and democracy. It is my hope that, thanks to the wealth of expertise gathered here, the Caux Forum will allow us to identify effective ways to advance human security. Crises can be devastating, said the Forum Chair, Mohamed Sahnoun, but they prompt us to seek change. His conviction was supported by Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. Eighteen to 25 centimetres of topsoil are all that stand between us and extinction, he said. Our generation will either set human history on the path to sustainable development or to self-destruction. We can still choose sustainability, but there is no time for procrastination. Gnacadja, who comes from Benin, chaired a session on how to better support women farmers in Africa. Among the participants were two recipients of the World Food Prize, the head of the Rwanda Womens Network, the environmental columnist of a major British newspaper, and the
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manager of a trust fund which supports African agriculture.
Healing Historic Wounds

Mo Bleeker, a Senior Advisor to the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs who took part in a session on Healing Memory addressing historic wounds, arranged for several Africans who are taking leadership in this field, including heads of Truth Commissions, to attend the forum. They contributed from their national experience, and heard from others such as Jo Montville from USA, a pioneer in preventative diplomacy programmes, and Lebanese peacemaker Assaad Chaftari, described by the New York Times as the only major participant in Lebanons civil war who has apologised for his role in the atrocities. The King of Bunyoro-Kitara in Western Uganda brought a senior delegation. Since attending the 2008 Forum he had brought together traditional rulers from throughout the region, with the aim of overcoming deep hostilities. For centuries Bunyoro-Kitara was a powerful kingdom. In the meetings the King had spoken frankly about the historical errors Bunyoro-Kitara made, and asked neighbours to forgive. In recent years oil had been discovered in Bunyoro-Kitara. At the Forum the King led a session on how this oil could be extracted in a way which benefits the Ugandan community, and avoids the conflict and corruption which oil extraction has caused elsewhere in Africa. What motivates people to take on the challenge of advancing human security? And what keeps them going? These questions lay at the heart of the Forum. Otis Moss, an associate of Martin Luther King, spoke of the spiritual teachings in which the civil rights movement was anchored and of its
unrelenting conviction that service, suffering and sacrifice are redemptive. The civil rights movement called tens of thousands of people into non-violent direct action and similar citizens leadership is needed again today, said Clare Short, formerly Britains Secretary of State for International Development. Federico Mayor, former Director General of agreed. Inertia is our biggest enemy, he said, It is time for a radical change. Initiatives for Change is exactly what we need.
dren and parents; neighbour to neighbour; you and me. The week concluded with two and half days of regional meetings with Foundations for Freedom. Throughout the meetings, young Ukrainians spoke about the need for trust and the steps they are taking to create trust in society. Two young men in Central Ukraine are building an environmentally-sustainable community house for Foundations for Freedom. Olka Hudz, a young woman from Lviv, is coordinating Ukrainian Action: Healing the Past a program to work with young people to restore trust in Ukraine by starting with themselves. There is a group working with young professionals to create positive change in the society, another on a project, Strengthening Trust between the Multicultural Youth Rajmohan surrounded by the who met the Voyage media team. In conversation with young people from Simferopol, Usha Gandhi shared her sentiments. There is revenge in all of our histories. Maybe these feelings are inside each of us. We may want revenge. But at other times we are inspired to build a bridge or we see a division and were moved to reconcile. Its up to each of us. What will be the stronger force in our lives? In his closing remarks to Foundations for Freedom at the end of the Week of Trust, Professor Gandhi praised the efforts of the week, The whole country is talking about trust. Its an amazing thing that has happened. Source URL: http://www.iofc.org/node/48171
Caux Call to Action

Two years ago Clare Short proposed that a statement be written to express the Caux Forums approach, and take it to the world. She returned this year with a draft developed with a team of people from many countries. We all know that world events are going to get uglier if we do nothing, she said, We want to bring people together in a creative response. The statement in support of a Caux Call to Action was adopted by the Forum. For the first time in the history of humanity there is the technological, social and economic capacity to meet everyones needs, it says and outlines how this could be achieved through the growth of a world-wide coalition of people of conscience. The full text of the statement is available at www.caux.ch. A campaign will be developed in the coming months, and Clare Short will chair the steering committee. A variety of actions were initiated during the Forum. But for many the Forums value lay in the inspiration they found there. I came to the Forum to understand how others managed to live ethically in unethical environments, wrote an Australian chartered accountant, Will Richardson. I met many who faced moral decay and physical violence yet continued to live their values. People shared personal stories exposing their true selves without fear of rejection or manipulation. Caux allowed me to witness people of true courage and to find some of my own.
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Farmers Dialogue
Feeding Africa: Responding to the Challenge

by Ayan Osman Farmers Dialogue - a programme of Initiatives of Change (IofC) - brings farmers and other stakeholders together, sharing their concerns and searching for lasting solutions as they pursue the task of feeding humanity. Here is a report of its last conference.
From Uganda to Namibia 264 participants from thirteen African countries were joined by Austria, UK, and France to discuss consider Africas potential, the role of NGOs in food security, energy-saving technologies and such other topics at last years conference. Welcoming the participants, Jamil Ssebalu, President of the African Farmers Dialogue, outlined why he believed Africa could feed itself and has a role to play in feeding the world. He highlighted the issues Africans must face: increasing population, climate change, inter-religious and intertribal divisions causing violent conflict and political disunity. The role of Farmers Dialogue was to bring people together to talk about issues that affect them, identifying practical solutions and developing action points. Andrew Mukhwana, conference secretary and a school head master explained what Initiatives of Change (IofC) was all about. Haji Hassan Nakabaale speaking on behalf the Vice President of Uganda, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, told participants the Vice Presidents office has been working closely with Farmers Dialogue and will continue to do so. He called upon farmers to elect people into leadership who have farming experience. Percy Misika from Namibia, FAO Country Representative in Uganda, officially opened the conference by saying the theme of the conference resonated well with FAOs global mission of Helping to build a world without hunger for present and future generations.
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Presenting a background of the organization, Jim Wigan, international coordinator of Farmers Dialogue, felt farmers were at an important moment in history when the decisions made would have a profound effect on the world that future generations inherit. Farmers Dialogue has grown out of the commitment of farmers to renew their calling to feed the world. At a later session he said, To feed the world population in 2050 governments now need to make food production a priority in their policies.This will encourage farmers and put resources where they are really needed. Each one of us has a part to play. Hajat Takia Nsubuga Hajat Takia Nsubuga, Resident District Commissioner for Mpigi District, a very effective mobiliser of women leads a large group. She said their major problem was lack of markets. She was advised that as a way forward participants should form a community-based organization. Rosemary Namatsi, a Senior Lecturer has a mission to promote sustainable livelihoods, through bio-intensive agriculture among Kenyan communities, through training, research, extension and partnerships. She talked of bio-intensive being environmentally friendly farming for smallscale farmers, using locally-available resources, focusing on production per unit of resources for sustainable household food security and income. Correctly practiced it could increase crop yields 2-3 times compared to conventional agriculture. Juliana Swai from Tanzania spoke of her work with farmers groups in Tanzania. Many are single women and poverty stricken, with children not in school, inadequate food and no access to health care. She encourages women whose husbands had run away from home because of poverty, taught them to keep cows and raise money for school
Book Review
Markets and Banks Need Morals

Gordon Brown in his new book on the financial crash
Reviewed by Michael Smith
This is one of the best books on the global financial crash, its causes and consequences. Gordon Brown may have been perceived as a more successful chancellor of the exchequer (finance minister) than prime minister. During his 10 years as chancellor he kept UK inflation down to an historic low of three per cent. But as prime minister, he and his Chancellor, Alistair Darling, also took decisive action in October 2008 to recapitalise failing banks, taking Northern Rock, Royal Bank of Scotland, Halifax Bank of Scotland and Lloyds, into public ownership. The Bush administration in the USA had to follow suit. It was the first crisis of globalization and Brown emphasises that I had long felt that we were dealing not only with a technical failure, but a moral failure too. What is fascinating about this book is not only his recommendations on the future of banking but also his robust analysis of the moral failures. If there is no criminal law and thus there are no criminal prosecutions to deal with these and other companies flagrant abuses there should be. The collapse of Lehman Brothers, he writes, reveals that right at the heart of the worlds biggest banks was a culture of unethical financial practices that were, right up to boardroom level, connived at, condoned, and rewarded. It was nothing short of chronic recklessness powered by unchecked greed. I was furious to discover that other major banks too were recklessly using their customers own money to speculate. Indeed the banks high leverage, often undisclosed due to a lack of transparency, was doubly dangerous. Not only do you have too little capital to survive the loss, but the chances of loss rise as the leverage increases At some stage in the top of the cycle the system is inevitably exposed to very bad lending decisions, and maybe even fraud.
There was also the moral failure of unjustified rewards to staff, such as the extra 600,000 paid to an HBOS employee most implicated in the banks failed commercial property deals, which brought the bank down. So the human failings were all too obvious. Due to such moral deficits, the crash when it came led to a drop in world trade of 20 per cent and 100 million people were thrown into poverty. Now there is a need for a new banking constitution: a way of harnessing finances creative energies to allocate resources and risk so effectively that it spurs and speeds economic growth. After all, credit is one of the keys that unlock opportunity. And access to adequately secured credit is critical for companies that create decent work for people. In its second half, Browns book is nothing less than a call for a new global compact between nations to lift the world out of poverty. Stimulating global growth can be achieved, he argues, through a concerted effort to increase aggregate demand in the global economy across borders. Thus America needs to invest in education and skills to produce high value-added goods and service, such as in environmental and energy-saving technologies, in order to tackle its unemployment rate of around 10 per cent, or well over 15 million unemployed, double that of 2006-07. China, predicted to be the worlds biggest economy by 2024, needs to expand its domestic demand through it growing middle class, to become the leading driver of world growth. Chinas consumer spending by over a billion people is still only 20 per cent that of the USAs 300 million citizens. But such a domestic expansion needs to be without the spectre of market protectionism.
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India, meanwhile, has between 300 million and 400 million (nearly 40 per cent) of its population living in absolute poverty. It too needs to open up to more international trade as well as investing in educationtackling illiteracyand infrastructure. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself admits to the real limits to the extent of Indias integration into the global economy. Indias tariff rates, for instance, are still twice those of China. And India still suffers from red tapethe permit license Raj. It can take over six months for businesses to obtain licenses and permits. As part of a global growth pact, Brown writes, the world could help India by ensuring that it is less vulnerable to the forces of globalization it worries about most: capital shocks and commodity shocks. Other chapters deal with the challenges facing the Eurozone and post-crisis Africa where growth averages a respectable five per cent and where there are more mobile phones than in North America. In his last chapter, Brown returns to the notion that markets need morals. He condemns the idea that individual gain would somehow always lead to collective gain; that selfish motives would invariable produce better results than selflessness. Yet the banking crisis showed that unsupervised globalisation not only crossed national boundariesit has crossed moral boundaries too. Market disciplines, particularly self-regulation and regulatory approaches that reinforced greed, were completely inadequate. And because we are agreed that markets depend on trust, which has to be underpinned by self-discipline (which failed) or imposed discipline, we have a duty to act in the public interest. In the absence of a high code of standards set by bankers for themselves, Brown concludes, we need a shared set of moral rules that can be the basis of a constitution for our banking system. Who spells out those moral rules is another matter. The re-entry of the moral claim into economic policy, he writes, is what makes me confident that the argument for a global growth and employment plan can be won within nations and between them. Lets hope he is right.
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fees and building homes. When the mother became successful the husband often came back home humbly and there was peace in the family. Juliana said, Poor women are an example of the spirit of I can do. George Kiiru Kaman of Kenya, known locally as Mite Minge (Many Trees) because of his work in forestry, has developed his one-acre farm as an example for others and encouraged farmers to demonstrate imaginative methods of soil conservation and storing water in underground tanks to prevent evaporation. Joseph Lukyamuzi, a Ugandan working with the European parliament for 20 years, said one couldnt talk about farming without talking about the culture of people living in the different countries. He advised participants to convince people to stay on their farms as he believed African farmers had something to offer the world. Participants visited a mixed farm at Namilyango, one at Nakakabala consisting of fish ponds of tilapia and catfish. A retired lawyer, Mr Sendege runs another farm visited: he started farming 20 years ago and now has a herd of 40 dairy cows; he practices zero grazing with a large proportion of the food being silage. He has a bio-gas installation and uses the gas to pasteurise his milk which is made into yoghurt. Okasai Opolot, officially closing the conference on Agriculture Ministers behalf, said farmers faced a challenge to feed everyone and what was being discussed in the conference was very important. WE LEARNED during the Dialogue that farming could be undertaken in a spiritual way, building sound character and trust, and that change started with an individual. Action starts today. Source URL: http://www.fd.iofc.org/node/49922
Turning Point
The Dual Role Player

by Rita Dutta
Suresh Vazirani, Chairman and Managing Director of Transasia Biomedicals, enjoys playing the roles of a business tycoon and a social messiah to the hilt. Suresh has not only shown how one can start a knowledge-intensive business with no domain knowledge and a measly amount, and then expand it to make it a global company, but has only displayed to the world that India could also manufacture and export high-tech bio medical equipment. This leader had a very humble beginning. In 1950, Vazirani was born at a decrepit garage in Nagpur. Though his father was a civil engineer in the office of Accountant Generals Office in Nagpur, the family had limited resources as they had moved in from Sind in Pakistan during partition as refugees. Despite odds, parents always ensured that he received good education at a private school, often his borrowing money to support their eldest sons education. Vazirani went on to do Electrical Engineering from Government Engineering College, Nagpur. After completing his engineering in 1969, he shifted to Mumbai to work as a trainee in National Organic Chemical Industries Limited (NOCIL). I wanted to save money to fuel my dream of having US education and settling down there, says he. But his dreams and beliefs went for a complete overhaul when one day he chanced upon an advertisement in the newspaper about a musical play that claimed to guide people about their purpose in life. The play was organised by Moral Re-Armament (MRA, now Initiatives of Change, IofC). The 19-year-old impressionable mind of Vazirani was completely blown away by its message. The play highlighted that everyone in this world was born to play a certain role in the betterment
of society. I realised that I could no longer lead the selfish life I was leading so far, where I focused on what I could get and not what I could give. I wanted to do more for people and the country, says he, encapsulating the message. So, he along with a group of young people (all of whom impressed by the plays poignant message) approached the municipal bus authorities to pay the amount that they owed by not purchasing bus tickets. Then, the enlightened Vazirani chucked his job and joined IofC as a volunteer. He worked it for nine-long years, disseminating messages of honesty, purity, unselfishness and love. From 1975 to 1977, as part of IofC, he worked in the news magazine Himmat, which opposed the emergency imposed by the Government and did not succumb to any pressure from Government to censor its content. When Vazirani was 29, because of pressure to earn his livelihood and support his family, he decided to leave IofC and do a regular job. However, the chances of getting a job were not that bright. The other option was to start his own venture. That he did not have the funds to start a business did not deter him. As healthcare implied that I could in a way serve people, I decided to foray into healthcare. I realised that in the essential field of healthcare, a large country like India should not be dependent entirely on MNCs and hence I wanted India to develop its own strong technological base, says he. So, with just Rs 250, his monthly honorarium from IofC, he started his company Transasia Biomedicals - by first printing visiting cards and letter heads for it. Call it providence or good luck, an acquaintance of his offered him an unsolicited loan of Rs one lakh. I was quite reluctant to take the money as I was
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not sure whether my business would be successful or not. But as he had belief in me, I decided to take it, he reminisces. What he did with the lump sum money is surprising. He went on a six-month world tour to visit MNCs in biomedical space to explore the possibilities of being an Indian distributor for them. One Japanese and one Italian company agreed to tie up with me, but only as a service engineer, says he. By 1982, he got into distribution of bio medical equipment and in 1991 he opened a manufacturing unit and an R&D unit at MIDC, Mumbai. One of his proud moments is in 1998, when Transasia became the first Indian company to participate in Medica, Germany. It was a heart-warming moment to see the hoisting of Indian flag at Medica, he says. After three decades, the company with seven overseas acquisitions involving over Rs 180 crore, has expanded to have 25 offices with over 1,000 employees and Rs 500 crore as turnover. The target is to make Transasia a Rs-1000-crore company within the next two years and in the next 10 years to make it a leading global brand, he adds. For him, spending time with family is as crucial as his devotion to work. He loves holidaying in Maldives, Bali and Mexico with his wife Mala, and their children- twins Nikhil and Niharikaa and Vibhuti. He loves reading biographies and autobiographies, some of the recent ones being Winners Never Cheat by Jon M Huntsman and Cold Steel on Lakshmi Mittal. His musical ears are mainly for Mozart, and his taste buds admire North Indian cuisine and Sindhi curry. While he rules out the possibility of slowing down at 60, he is determined to give more time to social causes as a trustee of IofC. He also wants to set up a leadership training centre in Panchgani. We talk of imparting good education, but never train people to become good public leaders. So, I want to start a centre for leadership training for the future leaders of India and Asia, says he. The three things that you cannot do without First, it is my country. Though I had multiple opportunities to settle abroad, I never did so. Secondly, its my family which is my pillar of strength.
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Thirdly, its my BlackBerry which helps me stay connected with the world round the clock. The three qualities that you want to change in yourself I envy people who can do with a few hours of sleep. So, firstly I want to sleep less than seven hours a day so that I can devote more time to work. Secondly, I want to be more impatient and angry about the wrongs in life and society, so that I could do a lot more for the society. Thirdly, I wish I could devote more time to IofC and other social causes. The three must-have qualities in a leader Humility, sacrificial giving and openness to learn from others. Three people who shaped your life Rajmohan Gandhi, who gave a new meaning and direction to my life. Dalai Lama, who connected me to my roots and one American businessman (whose name I want to withhold), who built a three-billion dollar company from the scratch and acquired 35 companies in a span of 10 years. The three most important decisions in your life Studying engineering, when people discouraged me saying that I was too poor to do it. Serving MRA as a voluntary worker without salary for nine years, once again against my parents wishes. And starting my own company, when people thought it was impossible to do an honest business in India and that too without enough funds. The three vital qualities for success Learn, learn and learn. Forget about bio-medical, I did not even have a background in healthcare or business. But I could achieve what I did only because of my ability to learn from people, books and practical experiences. The three key values that you always uphold Honesty, frugality and being caring and humble towards others. Source: http://www.expresshealthcare.in/201012/weekend01.shtml
Caux Call to Action
The Food and Sustainability Network

by Cristina Bignardi
The FSN (Food and Sustainability Network) born after the Bologna Conference, Between abundance and famine. Food: a crossroad for peace, organized in Italy (October, 2008), by IofC, Pace Adesso Peace Now and Cefa The seed of solidarity. At the end of the conference, a group of us decided to go about the topic of food and all the related problems. When we say food, we dont talk about only the food itself, but we talk about a lot of different delicate questions. Food, energy resources and water are at the heart of todays conflicts. Food consumption implies numerous highly diverse and complex aspects. Being seated around a table is a cultural, symbolic, anthropological and religious act. In fact, our eating habits define many social practices of the culture we belong to. Access to food is closely connected with the economic empowerment of every individual. This is why some types of food become a status symbol; others are needed simply to survive. The quantity and the quality of the food we eat are fundamental both for our health and for our ability to make our own living. Food production and food industry have a major impact on a countrys economy. Nonetheless food is, above all, a right that determines peoples freedom and their planning skills. Hungry or malnourished people are not able to look towards their future, because they are caught up in a mere struggle for survival. Today, three major groups are facing each other in the food chain: global agribusiness, mainly driven by profit, farmers with all their difficulties and modern challenges and consumers, often searching for better prices and seeking quality, but mostly unaware of the reality of production. We were a group of people with different skills and diverse points of view (farming, environmental, historical, anthropological, etc.). We
started, in our countries, to do something to increase peoples awareness about Food and Sustainability.
Cristina Bignardi
In 2009, Mohan Bhagwandas, Organising Team Leader of the Conference Trust and Integrity in the Global Economy (TIGE) at Caux gave us (Lavinia, Ingrid, Hennie and I), as FSN, an opportunity to present our case. This was the birth of our working group. At the next TIGE also, the presentation went down well and our conviction to go on with our work in our countries was strengthened. In Switzerland, Lavinia Sommaruga Bodeo is working on food sovereignty, Ingrid Franzon in Sweden on the environmental problems caused by chemicals in agriculture, Claude Bourdin working on problems of Farmers and me in Italy creating consumers awareness about food. I am an Italian living in Bologna, in the north of Italy; Im the eldest of three daughters, and Im graduated in History of Arts and did a Masters in History and Culture of Food. While I run my small farm with my two sisters, Emma and Beatrice, I also work as consultant for Non-profit organisations. In Pace Adesso Peace Now I am responsible for the Food Security Programme and fund-raising. In 2009/2010 the FSN programme in Italy focussed on consumer awareness about food, particularly the consumption responsibility. This year our attention will be on the problem of water the right to have clean, safe and enough water to live and to grow food. Thats our Caux Call to Action and we invite people from IofC to join us in our work.
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A Bid to Change Media Values

by Hugh Nowell
Bill Porter, founder of the International Communications Forum, died on April 1st 2009. It was only during the previous month that he wrote a synopsis of a book exploring the controversial subject of ethics in the media world. He conceived a book written by 40 of his media colleagues covering five continents. He suggested themes on which each of them might write essays expressing their experiences. He was in discussions with ICF Executive Director, Robin Williamson, on how the concept might be realized, three days before he unexpectedly died. The book is now being published in November by Troubador Press, UK, publishers specializing in journalism titles. In the event, 27 of his 40 colleagues have contributed, making it a unique book. It is unique in the sense that there is perhaps no other book where professionals at so many levels and with such experience in the industry have written of their own inner attitudes to ethical issues in their work issues of importance for the integrity of the profession. Bill Porter ended his distinguished publishing career as Vice-Chairman of Kluwer Publishing UK. The challenge that he undertook was to ask whether the driving force of the industry was good enough for the critical age in which we live. He felt his own life-time aim of being successful and important for himself and his company, were not enough. He considered that individuals needed to look into their own consciences and check whether the impact of their work on the general public was for good or ill. Starting with his own shortcomings either in his handling of inaccurate accounting or misleading advertising, he decided he needed change. He needed a greater objective.
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After the first 10 years of international forums around the world, the President of the World Association of Newspapers, Roger Parkinson, commented, that in his view the ICF had put the question of media ethics on to the world agenda.
Hugh Nowell
Commenting on the book, Sir David Bell, nonexecutive director of The Economist, chair of the Media Standards Trust and recently retired chairman of the Financial Times writes: This is an impressive book inspired by a remarkable man who was devoted to the simple idea that the media can have high standards and prepared to campaign tirelessly to make this idea come alive. As this book shows, his impact was considerable and the torch which he lit is burning stronger than ever, The book can be ordered on line at <www.icforum.org> using PAYPAL or from the ICF Office at 24 Greencoat Place, London SW1P 1RD. UK. There is a special prepublication price of 12.50 plus carriage (2.50 in Europe and 5 in the Rest of the World.)
Hugh Nowell is a chemistry graduate from Oxford turned a publisher and was instrumental in starting Grosvenor Books, the publishing arm of MRA (IofC). On retiring from publishing he became the founding Joint Secretary of International Communications Forum (ICF)
Kashmir
Kashmiri Group at Asia Plateau

Report on workshop
IofC India organized a program for twelve young Kashmiris from 10-21 January 2011 at AP to help strengthen IofC Kashmir team. The idea was to give enough time and opportunity to them to reflect upon the situation and their personal lives and search for answers within. During this period, the participants went through a process of observing collective quiet times, had discussions on: value based life & living, From personal change to global change, difference of being active & passive in the universe, who is a leader & what is leading us, future of Kashmir & future of the world and living in the shoes of other. Half of the team of young professionals came from Gujarat after completing higher education on scholarships provided by Charuatar Vidya Mandal. It was not designed but divine that two programs one ELL for industries and training for IAS officers were going on side by side which was an opportunity for the participants to interact with and have better understanding of the ideas IofC believes in practicing. Ghulam Hussain from a small village near Sumbal Kashmir said I came here with a different perception I was not sure about myself but after coming here I have found meaning and purpose in my life. I use to be a chain smoker and have never
ever thought of giving up smoking. Now I promise I will never touch cigarettes. Another boy from Budgam district said that I have started understanding about why we should think of others and be caring. I have always been thinking about myself and my future. I am learning the people first attitude. Gujarat team has decided to go Kashmir together in the month of April and help organizing programs for one week with the rest of the team in J&K. Showket team leader from Sumbal said that he has to share a lot about what he gained from this trip however, will only share it in Kashmir after he starts practicing in real life. The participants probably shared first time their life stories with other friends.This is the first time that I have come to know my friend better said Qaiser Jan after hearing the struggles of her friend Roshan Ara. I have always taken for granted the struggle of my parents and have been irresponsible till date; will I be able to bring back smile on their faces by being responsible? I think I will said Ashiq Bhat who has resigned from 3 companies after completing his studies in Anand. What a life changing and wonderful experience said another participant Mudasir Ahmed from Tral Kashmir. Everyone was touched with the humility and sincerity of the people around. It is worth mentioning that Churatar Vidya Mandal Gujarat already offering scholarships to students coming from J&K has promised more scholarships from this year. Another development was that an officer from Bangalore offered 5 scholarships to Kashmiris as his contribution.
Zulfkiar Ali, Showket Ahmed, Mudasir Naik, Roshan Ara, Qaiser Jan, Ashiq Bhat, Zubair Ahmed, Akhtar Hussain, Muneer Dar, Ghulam Hussain, Imtiyaz Ahmed And Altaf Khan from Kashmir
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Afghanistan
A Fresh Hope for Afghanistan

by Elizabeth Loy and Keith Mills
The courage and resilience of the human spirit can be seen in abundance around our globe. A few weeks ago if you had asked me if this statement included Afghanistan I would not have known how to answer. It is a place that many of us think has been left behind, war-torn and forsaken by its maker. From Asia Plateau, Panchgani, comes the story of two young men who will challenge this notion to its core. Perhaps your own preconceptions will be challenged in the process. Take a minute to study the photograph below.You will see two young men, seemingly no different to boys the world over. T-shirts, jeans, ready smiles.
Khalids father and grandparents were executed by the Taliban outside their home. The government was punishing all those who did not speak Arabic. Khalids family spoke Persian. As you may know, women faced the harshest treatment under Taliban law. They were not allowed to leave their homes, denied basic freedoms like education, social interactions and fresh air. At the age of about six, Khalid, became the familys sole bread winner. The only one allowed to leave the home, he scratched a tiny living by selling biscuits on the streets. With only one arm in use, Khalid often struggled to tie his turban properly. If caught miswearing the garment, the boy was beaten without mercy. On one occasion his legs were tied down and whipped repeatedly. Khalid could not walk for three days. At the age of fifteen, Khalid was to lose his sister, three years older, to cancer. This was only four years ago, and a deep anger filled the young mans heart. He hated his uncle for refusing to assist the family financially, especially in his sisters time of need, for she had received no medical attention. He hated his other sister who was also unable to help the family. He hated the regime which had murdered his family and reduced them to their impoverished state. And Khalid hated God, who had seemingly cursed his family, his body and his future. With the help of sponsors like Maboba Rawi, founder of the Afghan women support foundation Mabobas Promise, Khalid and Javed found themselves in Panchgani, India. Asia Plateau was a strange place to them, with an emphasis on quiet time, personal change and something called The Inner Voice. Sullen and introverted, the boys initially stayed in their rooms, emerging only for meals. They kept their eyes down and spoke to
Khalid and Javed
What you do not see is the remarkable story of change behind their happy faces. Khalid Mohammadi and Javed Orya lived out their childhoods under the Taliban regime. Their conflict-ravaged home city of Kabul is slowly being rebuilt, but remains a dangerous place to live in. While both young men suffered immensely at the hands of their oppressors, it is Khalids story in particular that will remain hewn into the hearts of anyone lucky enough to hear it from the young man himself. Born a twin, Khalid arrived with only one arm. Within his first year, his twin brother passed away. While just a young boy,
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no one. Within a week, they both wanted to go home. However, soon, a remarkable transformation started to take place in the hearts of both young men. They suddenly began to talk, to smile, and to share their story with people eager to listen. Khalid and Javed began to change. For Khalid this change was more visceral, as he was provided the money for a very special gift. On hearing his story, Elizabeth Loy, who was visiting from the UK, got a strong conviction that if Khalid was to become a doctor, he first needed his other arm. When Leena Khatri who was helping with the interns took Khalid to consult specialists there were many obstacles and the cost of prosthesis seemed unaffordable. Elizabeth, Leena and other friends combined their efforts and raised enough to meet the cost. IofCs Dr. Anand found the right specialists and Khalid finally got his other arm. Whole in body and peaceful in spirit for the first time in his life, a handsome smile now radiated from Khalids freshly shaven face. The burden of hatred had been lifted, and his first endeavour was to write letters to his uncle and his sister, asking for forgiveness for his years of bitterness. When asked if he needed anything else, he replied that he dreamed of one day having the money to buy his sister a small laptop for her studies. What happened next was also quite amazing.
Khalid got, was not due to sympathyit was out of love that he had earned. Khalid has decided he wants to be a doctor, in order to help the disadvantaged communities in his country. He faces a cavalcade of exams almost the minute he puts his foot on home soil. He has quite a journey ahead of him, but with the weight of anger removed and hope and direction for the future, he will be a weapon against those who would keep Afghanistan in darkness. As this is being written he boards a plane bound for home. Khalid and Javed have taken so much value from their time as interns at Asia Plateau.Yet they have given much more in return to those who remain. For me, it is the gift of a changed perspective on what I believed to be a country under a curse. To show this photo, to tell this story, to combat stereotypes and broadcast to Australia and the rest of the world the extraordinary lives of two simple boys with an inspiring tale. That is my gift.
Khalids own words in a report to Mahboba:

One of my dreams for my country Afghanistan is for a country without family conflict. When I remembered my own family in one of my quiet times, I myself had some conflict. So I started changing myself to end a very small part of that conflict in my country. I said sorry to my uncle that I did not speak with for more than six years. I said sorry to one of my sisters, and like this Javed also brough some changes in his life. I could not imagine that I will do these kid of things. The idea is to turn peoples lives to four absolute standards that are honesty, purity unselfishness and love. We met a lot of people who really inspired me by their life stories. When I heard how people round the world suffered from war, hunger, family conflict, relationships and so many other things, I forgot about myself, what I faced in my life even when I was a child. And I understood that not just in Afghanistan but all over the world people suffer from so many things.
Elizabeth Loy adds:

I had also made wax cards to sell to participants of a yoga camp at AP to help with the funds. A strange thing happened the funds kept flowing even after the cost was met! These participants had been told the money from the cards would be to help Khalid. The next day, they came up with an envelope full of moneyabout sixteen thousand!! With a laptop in hand (donated by generous individuals at Asia Plateau) and a song in his heart Khalid left with Javed for Afghanistan, a changed man. It might be mentioned, that all the help that
39
News Briefs
Grampari Goes Global!

by Rachel Mills
It began with 1,350 entries from 750 nonprofit organisations worldwide. The Annual Youtube DoGooder short video competition always receives plenty of attention around the globe and puts some very worthy causes under the spotlight. Asia Plateaus Grampari, the Indian IofC Rural and Ecological Centre, was the backdrop for a low budget entry titled Its in Your Hands. The video is a result of a collaborative partnership between IofC Indias Grampari, Watershed Management Group International (WMGi), and filmmaker Andrew Hinton of Pilgrim Films. The competition was narrowed down to 16 A school child using tippy tap during one of Gramparis rural school hand finalists. After a gruelling seven days of pub- washing promotion programmes lic voting and scrutiny, Its in Your Hands emerged on top as winner of the Best Thrifty We are excited to receive this award and leverVideo category. As a result of this, not only was age it to raise awareness of how public health can the victorious video awarded a coveted place on improve dramatically with water and sanitation the Youtube homepage a valuable piece of ininterventions. shares Gramparis water expert, ternational online exposure, but also a flip video Dr. Jared Buono. camera and $2,500! With a prize position on one of the internets most popular websites, within 48 hours it had been viewed by over 150,000 people worldwide. The 2 minute video focuses on hand washing with soap as a lifesaving behaviour through the use of a tippy tap. The tippy tap is a simple, lowtech, low cost, low water device that anyone can assemble. The video highlights that every day, in India alone, around 1000 children die from acute diarrhoea and respiratory illness. With regular hand washing, this figure could be cut almost in half. A hearty congratulations to the organisations and individuals behind this video. Grampari and WMGi have also collaborated to produce www.tippytap.org, a website that hopes to bring awareness to the impact of hand washing as well as act as a resource for public health practitioners in the field.
For more details or to view the international award-winning video, please visit www.tippytap.org or www.grampari.org. Rachel Mills works for a non profit promoting youth mental health and well-being. A native of Sydney, Australia, she is currently in Panchgani, her first stop on a year long round the world trip with her husband.
40
News Briefs
Training College Teachers

A Program for the Dept. of Karnataka Collegiate Education:
IofC was invited by Mr. Tushar Girinath, the ex MD of BESCOM, to offer training to 5000 Asst. professors of the department of collegiate education. The government of Karnataka runs around 350 UG colleges catering to nearly 2,00,000 degree students in Arts, Science, Commerce and Management. The training included ethical values, life skills, leadership, computer skills and spoken English. The pilot program for the first batch aimed at rediscovering the teachers esteem, connecting the responsibilities for social change and inducing leadership qualities amongst the youth who would create a cleaner, just and sustainable future for India. The IofC philosophy of change begins with me and listening to inner voice made a huge impact on the participants, who in turn would be influencing the youth for creating an equitable inclusive society.
Action For Life

The AFL team started, full of expectations, back in November last year. After two months of intensive team building and training based at Asia Plateau, the IofC centre in India, they graduatedsymbolically leaving a cave high on the plateau at sunset to face the challenging new tasks ahead. Now this intergenerational group of 30 which forms Action For Life 5 has split into four action teams starting their respective journeys in Kenya, Romania, Indonesia and New Zealand. For 3 months, they will partner with IofC teams in those regions, getting involved in their national issues and programmes. The aim of the Action for Life programme is to develop a new generation of change-makers, equipped with integrity and faith who are committed to bringing transformation in the world, starting with themselves. The two-month stay in India included fieldwork encounters with change-makers working at grassroots in Indian society- Village entrepreneurs in the eastern tribal belt around Jamshedpur, students at elite leadership and management institutes in Pune. And many more. These dialogues have had a powerful influence on the AfL members
from 18 countries, helping shape their own concepts of calling and social change. But more than these, this first phase of this fivemonth programme was framed by the core team facilitators around a context from IofCs initiator, Frank Buchman: change yourself, engage others, create answers in communities and countries, give hope to humanity. Or to borrow Mahatma Gandhis motto : Be the change you want to see in the world. Personal change and development took on earthy reality as individuals in the group addressed cultural prejudices, past dishonesties, hurting relationships, family and office feuds, complacency or ignorance. My life has been changing so much, I hardly know who I am, said Dana, a TV journalist from Romania. To equip themselves for the action in other countries, the group received training in a series of IofC programmes: Life Matters discover the other, Creators of Peace Circles and an experimental workshop on the Caux Call of Action. They will be able to offer modules from these courses wherever they are.
41
Obituary
Burjor N. Billimoria
by Russi M. Lala
In the passing away of Burjor N. Billimoria in Pune at the age of 97 Panchgani lost a towering figure in the field of education. Specialising in education at the Edinburgh University he headed the Billimoria High School with his brother, Russi, as Joint Principal. He had a rare touch in education. He spoke to every student as an equal. Some difficult students were sent by me to the school with a request that he look after them. Every single one of them reported spectacular progress. I met one of them only a fortnight ago, looking confident and successful. He was the adopted child of a friend of mine and the mother was apprehensive of how he would take to education in life. Burjor did not teach by the book alone. With some students he was more intimate than others but all of them held him in the highest respect. When Moral Re-Armament first came to Panchgani in the mid-60s he made us not only welcome but included us among the Heads of institutions who met regularly. It was usually over dinner and it brought about a camaraderie which we all relished.
His father started the Billiomoria High School and after him the son of Burjors brother, Russi, took over the principal-ship. After running the school for over 40 years Burjor bowed out and the school was sold. After that Burjor and his wife Najoo never visited Panchgani, to my knowledge, but before he died he had obviously expressed a wish to be buried in Panchgani, a place where he spent the happiest years of his life. As a person he was high-cultured and many a book from his library has enlightened me. We used to love our walks, especially during the rainy season in gumboots, as he himself wrote to me once, Tired the Suns and sent him down the sky. He used to subscribe to magazines but few in India were subscribed to. Let alone a school principal his cultural boundaries knew no end neither did his affection for friends. To meet him itself was an education. He leaves behind his wife, Najoo, his two sons, settled one in America, the other in the UK and his dear daughter, Roshan, in Pune, who looked after him.
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Asia Plateau (AP)/IofC India Schedule

Date
Apr. 6 to 9 Apr. 15 & 16 Apr. 20 to 23
Day/s
Wed/Sat Fri & Sat Wed/Sat
Event
ELL for Public & Private Sector Organisations Catering College Students Program HEL Heart of Effective Leadership
Ref. Person/s
Darshan Joshi; Kalindi Bhat Darshan
May 2 to 6 May 12 to 15 May 18 to 21 May 25 to 28 May 28 to 31 May 28, 29 May 29
Mon / Fri Wed/Sat Wed/Sat Wed/Sat Sat/Tue Sat Sun
ELL for Educators + Children ELL for Families ELL for Public & Private Sector Organisations HEL Heart of Effective Leadership Youth Co-ordinators Workshop MC Meeting Trust AGM [Proposed]-[Time: 2 to 6 pm]
Joshi; Rekha Shahani Joshi; Sheel Rege Darshan Darshan Joshi; Viral Vartak
Jun. 1 to 8 Jun. 11 Jun. 15 to 18 Jun. 20 Jun. 22 to 25 Jun. 27 to 30
Wed/Wed Sat Wed/Sat
Lets Make a Difference Youth Camp* Wed ELL for Public & Private Sector Organisations Mon
Joshi; Viral Mazumdar INI - RTRC 16 Darshan INI - BSS (O) 14 Darshan Joshi/S.N. Singh
Wed/Sat Mon/Thu
HEL Heart of Effective Leadership* ELL for Social Entrepreneurs & Rural Volunteers*
ELL: Effective Living and Leadership | HEL: Heart of Effective Leadership | * Participation encouraged For confirmation please contact: Tel: (02168) 240241/242 | E-mail: ap@in.iofc.org, programs@in.iofc.org
Local IofC Team Meetings

Bangalore First Sunday 4 pm each month Details from Aswini Mohapatra: 9886607066; 740466211 and Kannan: 9741022933. Chand and Chandreshwar Khan, C5, Kharkai Road, Nildhi Colony, P O Golmuri, Jamshedpur 831003 Contact: 0657-6510614 3 Kumaram, 10 Worli Sea Face, Mumbai 400018 Contact: Asha Anand 020-2492958, 24931642 Residence of Mrs. and Dr. Anurag Gupta, Magnolia Meadow, 24, Gulmohar Park, Aundh, Pune -411007 Ph. (020) 25884589 Contact: Datta Dhamanaskar 020-27658011
Jamshedpur Every Thursday 6.30 pm
Mumbai Pune
First Saturday 5 pm each month First Thursday 6.30 pm each month
43
India I Care
Asiz and the Saffron Robe

by Dr. S. K. Ramachandran Nair This is a true story which, my friend related me.
He was my contemporary in University College for B.Sc. After his M.Sc.in Geology and a stint as Lecturer at the University College, he joined the Mining and Geology Department of the Govt. He was put in charge of two districts of Kollam and Trivandrum. Once he was returning to Trivandrum from a mining site in Kollam with all the equipment loaded in a lorry along with his lorry driver and another coworker. It was late in the night. The coworker wanted to be dropped at his house though the lorry had to take a detour. Reluctantly my friend agreed. The lorry veered off the main road and was speeding towards Kaniapuram. In the middle of nowhere was standing someone by the road side waving a piece of dirty wrinkled saffron cloth. My friend told the lorry driver to stop. The driver said it would be dangerous to stop, for it could be a drunkard. My friend insisted, the lorry stopped and he got out. Suddenly there was a roar of a train whizzing past through the adjacent railway track which could not have been visible to the driver. Had they not stopped they would have been pounded to powder by the running train. My friend felt so grateful to the man who waved the saffron rag and stopped him just as they were about to cross the railway track! He went to the man and thanked him for saving their lives and asked for his name. He was Asiz. He
had a small shop by the side of the railway track. At 9 pm each day he closed shop when the last customer left. Amazed, my friend enquired why he had stayed up so late at night even after closing the shop. Asiz said every night, he stayed on till the train passed through at 10.30 pm, because the railway crossing was unmanned and on several occasions unwary passengers had tried to cross the tracks and had lost their lives. So Asiz acted as a volunteer and warned the passing vehicles by waving the saffron rag he had. He said to my friend that had been doing this for more than four years without a break. This was the first time any body had bothered to thank him and enquire about him. My friend is alive today to tell the story because of Asiz who was doing an unselfish service to society as an unsung hero. As long as we have men like Asiz in our midst our society will survive. Years later when my friend became an IAS officer and went in search of Asiz his shop was found demolished and neighbours told that Asiz was no more! My friend, Ayyappan wiped his tears when he finished his narration of this story.
The opinions expressed in the articles are those held by the contributors and not necessarily of MRA-IofC. Edited by Dr A. S. Ravindra Rao and Published by Mayur Shah on behalf of Friends of Moral Re-Armament (India). Printed at Rich Prints, MRA - Initiatives of Change - www.in.iofc.org 44 Narayan Peth, Pune 30. For private circulation only. For additional information contact: Asia Plateau, Panchgani 412 805, India. Telephone: +91(0)2168 240241/2 Fax: 240004 E-mail: disha@in.iofc.org Website: www.in.iofc.org

I of C Globally: VOL 13 No. 4 JUL 10 - MAR 11

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I of C Globally: VOL 13 No. 4 JUL 10 - MAR 11

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VOL 13 No.

Disha ~ July 10 - March 11

The Top of the Plateau

MRA - Initiatives of Change - www.in.iofc.org

cover: Saurabh Gupta

Mayasandra and Peter Hayes of Canada with the Cambodian IofC

Healing Historic Wounds

MRA - Initiatives of Change - www.in.iofc.org

New Initiatives and Actions

Creators of Peace and Tools for Change

Inner-self Development Programme (IDP): Learning Communitys Main course

Learning Community Project in July (LCM)

Clean Elections to Helping Earthquake-hit

Clean Elections Campaign

A New Hurb in Korea

National Honesty Day

continued from page 5

and exhibition on history of IofC. URL: www. my.iofc.org/LCM

Seed Initiatives Youth Programme (SIYP): a training project

Disha ~ July 10 - March 11

Japanese Prime Minister Meets Gandhi

MRA - Initiatives of Change - www.in.iofc.org

Teaching and Learning

Brazilian IofC team working with the youth

Same Problems across Levels

Youth Changing Lives

continued from across the page

Some of the AfL team

Swinging Across the Country

Life Matters Workshop in Melbourne and Sydney

Peace Begins at Home

Youth for Peace

Breaking the Mould in a Town That Grieves

Rally for Reconciliation

Rev Letsumo Seleke

Call for Help

Dmitriy from Ukraine meets young Sudanese (Photo: Mike Brown)

The African Agenda

Kenya I Care with School children

Womans initiative as Creators of Peace

continued from page 16

IofC teams elsewhere in Africa

continued from page 12

MRA - Initiatives of Change - www.in.iofc.org

The Trust Factor in Community Change

At the Caux Scholars program -IofC International Centre, Switzerland

Community Trust-building programme

MRA - Initiatives of Change - www.in.iofc.org

Emerging Themes, New Plans and

Whats On the Go in Canada?

At the Caux Scholars program -IofC International Centre, Switzerland

Hope in the Cities and Trust-building with Rob Corcoran

Caravan of Dialogues for Peace (Quebec)

Peace Circles (Creators of Peace)

Canadian team members breakfast together to plan activities in Calgary

August 25th B2B Exchange in Calgary

Bridges to a Common Future

Inspired Change and a Bold New Future

Team building & Fund Raising Events

MRA - Initiatives of Change - www.in.iofc.org

Voyage of Dialogue and Discovery

Rajmohan Gandhi a brief profile: