INSIDE: Messages from International Of ficers ... · Congr atulations t o Kosh y Mathew for his...

“Together we can do so much more”

Nº 1, 2016/17

INSIDE: Messages from International Officers • International Convention 2016 – A Veteran Participant Recollects • Legislation:

Constitutional Frames • The 16th International Youth Convocation - A Brief Report • 2016 IYC Highlights: Youth Panel Discussion • For

the Record: What’s in a Name? • Y’s Action News from Far and Near • Mantra for the Soul : All We Need is Love – And a Lot of Dialogue

“Together we can do so much more”2

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and

Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai with Christina

Lamb.

When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in

Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be

silenced and fought for her right to an

education.

On Tuesday, 9 October, 2012, when she

was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate

price. She was shot in the head at point-

blank range while riding the bus home from

school, and few expected her to survive.

Instead, Malala’s miraculous recovery

has taken her on an extraordinary journey

from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the

United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a

global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest-ever Nobel

Peace Prize laureate.

I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted

by global terrorism, of the fight for girls’ education, of a

father who, himself a school owner, championed and

encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of

brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a

society that prizes sons.

I Am Malala will make you believe in the power of one

person’s voice to inspire change in the world.

(A Goodreads review)

FROM MY BOOKSHELFFROM MY BOOKSHELFFROM MY BOOKSHELFFROM MY BOOKSHELFFROM MY BOOKSHELF

Dear readers,

You may wonder what happened to Y’s Men’s World. Well,

that name will not be used any more for we re-christened our

bulletin YMI World. It reflects “the changed

realities of the time and inclusive,” as the

relevant Minute of the 2016 International

Council notes.

IP Joan Wilson has been kind enough

to ask me to continue as editor of this

important communication tool, which I am

happy to do. Thank you IP!

My experience shows that there is no

dearth of news of activities in the Movement around the world

and my decision to go for 16-page newsletters every quarter

stands vindicated. Send us reports of your service activities

and your reflections on issues that matter to the Movement

since we now have ample column space for all Areas.

I was privileged to attend the International Council

meeting in Taipei in early August and got to know first-hand

the working of an international organisation such as ours,

apart from being able to put a face to the people I have been

corresponding with these past few months. Although I did

not attend the International Convention to bring you a first-

hand report of that, we are lucky to have one from Ray Seto

of Hawaii. I have reproduced that here from the Kaimuki Y

Service Club’s bulletin. Ray is a veteran IC attendee for, the

Taipei event was his t. enty-first. Congratulations Ray!

An attempt is made here to bring you what transpired at

the International Council Meerting, especially on the vital

amendments to our Constitution and TOF-GPF projects.

Thank you Silvya for the article on “Constitutional Frames,”

originally written for the IP’s e-News and reworked for this issue.

As for communication and public relations, the Council

has instituted an award for the Best Area Bulletin produced

this year. Area leaders, do your bit and project the Movement

in the best manner and send us the bulletins to be adjudged.

This issue of YMI World highlights two major events – the

International Convention and the International Youth

Convocation (IYC) – that took place recently in Taipei.

Attending the interaction between International Council

Members and youth in the panel discussion at the IYC was a

rewarding experience. It assured me that the future of the

Movement is not bleak. YMI must harness youthful exuberance

and convert that into a young membership base. There are

four stories, nay five, in this issue from or about youth. Special

thanks to Stephanie and ’Fola for their contributions!

Looking forward to your continued support.

With every good wish,

Yours in Y’sdom,

Koshy Mathew

EDITORKoshy Mathew222, 7C Main,

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+91/9847220054 (M)[email protected]

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Nº 1, 2016/17

Cover picture: From the Opening Ceremony of IC 2016, Taipei

Deadline for submission of contributions for next issue: 30 November 2016

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

“Together we can do so much more” 3

Dear friends,

It gives me great pleasure to contribute to this first edition

of our international newsletter under the new and more

modern banner of “YMI World”. Congratulations to Koshy

Mathew for his first stellar

year as editor and for the

many positive changes that

he has instituted. I look

forward to another year of

excellent Y’s Men/Y Service

news through YMI World.

I was lucky enough to

meet many Y’s Men and

Y Service members while

at the International Con-

vention in Taipei this sum-

mer. It was wonderful to

see such good representa-

tion from all Areas. I congratulate Region Taiwan for

their hard work in putting this convention together. There

were many memorable parts and for me these included:

the involvement of senior level YMCA leaders; beautiful

hotel and venues; outstanding entertainment; great food;

the involvement of our youth in many sessions; and lots

of fellowship and laughter. On top of that, the Interna-

tional Council meetings at the Beitou Hot Springs were

very productive and successful. Thank you to all our

Taiwanese hosts for a wonderful visit!

During the IP Night, I gave my keynote address to all the

delegates, including the participants of the International Youth

Convocation (for the full text, go to the YMI website). I

spoke about the core values of our Movement, and that despite

so many years since our inception, they are still equally relevant

today. I spoke of our special relationship with the YMCA,

and that despite some challenges in certain parts of the world,

we still have a strong working bond today. I spoke about my

theme and slogan (“Our Future Begins Today” and “Together

We Can Do So Much More”) and offered five ways (see box)

we could all work together.

I encourage each of you to draw on these skills in your

own responsibilities in Y’sdom, no matter how big or small

they may be, and help your clubs to work the same way. By

each member and club doing their parts, we will see big

changes.

Three new things that have been instituted this year that I

want to share with you. The first is the monthly IP eNEWS

which is published about the 20th of each month. You will

find focus articles on the Emphasis Month programmes for

the upcoming month, as well as other short news articles.

You can find the first three editions posted on the YMI website.

Secondly, after a year of development by a dedicated team,

we are launching the Global Opportunities for Leadership

Development (GOLD) 2.0 programme. This programme is

an online interactive learning tool to help our younger members

and youth learn about Y’s Men, as well as other useful skills

such as programme development, communication skills, etc.

It will be offered to recommended young people over this

coming year. We hope that in the future, any member can

access these great training tools. See the website for links on

how to apply for the GOLD 2.0 programme.

And finally, this year we have a new IP letter entitled

“Recognition for Excellence in Service”. The purpose of

this is to acknowledge the good work of clubs in their own

day-to-day projects. I simply require an email

(joanakawilson@gmail. com) with several sentences

describing the project. Include who benefits, what the club

actually does, and the frequency of the work. Include a

picture of the project in action (not a group photo op but

actual work being done). You will receive your letter by

email (so include the club president’s name and email

address), and it can be printed and framed and/or used for

publicity within your communities. I hope that I will be

inundated with emails about the way our clubs are serving

their communities! Let’s celebrate our good work!

My IP Goal for this 2016-17 year is to see 5 per cent

real growth in paid membership and in support for our

international programmes. The APs have set even higher

goals than mine, and I do hope they are successful. However,

we cannot succeed if our current members are not involved

and engaged in the work to be done. So I encourage you to

support your leaders at all levels to reach our goals this

year! Remember that together we can do so much more!

All the best in your service to the YMCA, and to those

in need in your local communities and around the world.

Y’sly,

Joan Wilson

International President 2016-17

Five Five Five Five Five WWWWWaaaaays to ys to ys to ys to ys to WWWWWork ork ork ork ork TTTTTogetherogetherogetherogetherogether

C Communications – clear and consistent messages;

prompt responses; timely messaging.

L Leadership – model servant leadership; feel

empowered and committed to do your work.

E Everyone – involve young members, Y’s Menettes

and families; all need to be engaged in meeting

goals.

A Action – can’t delay in dealing with our current

challenges; support current service projects and

look for new ones. all must work on member

conservation; new clubs must have ongoing

mentoring.

R Responsibility – each of us must complete

whatever duties are assigned to us, whether big or

small; we must share in problem-solving so we can

go forward together.

FROM THE INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENTFROM THE INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENTFROM THE INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENTFROM THE INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENTFROM THE INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT


International Secretary-General WritesDear fellow members,

The International Council Meeting (ICM16) and

associated meetings were held at

Beitou Hot Springs Resort in

Taipei, Taiwan in the last week of

July and the first week of August.

The Taiwan Regional Office and

Taipei Y’s Men’s Club leaders

under the leadership of

International Council Member

and Area President Tung Ming-

Hsiao coordinated the logistics and other related matters

and all of us want to express our appreciation to the local

host committee once again through this column.

All 15 Council Members were in attendance as well as

some of the International Service Directors, Chairpersons

of Task Forces, other observing leaders and their spouses.

After a two-day meeting of International Executive Officers,

a one-day training of the International Council Members

followed by three and a half days of Council meeting

conducted under the chairpersonship of IP Joan Wilson

were hectic and productive. In addition to reviewing reports

from various leaders and intense discussions, 62 motions

were raised and dealt with. One of the important ones

(No. 49) is regarding the International Election and that

is to come into effect from 1 July 2017. It says that no

Region shall nominate any candidate for the position of

International President-Elect who, at the time of

nomination, comes from the same Area as the incumbent

International President or the International President-Elect.

This motion was carried with majority support as the

purpose is to have a well-balanced International President

Troika. Since this is a Constitutional matter, it requires

the final approval of all clubs, communication for which

will be sent soon from IHQ.

Another motion was on the Guideline for Legislative

Officers in the sense that the nominee shall meet the

qualification requirements established by the International

Council, although the Areas are free to establish their own

qualification requirements subject to the approval of the

International Council. However, the qualifications for

Young Council Members shall be established only by the

International Council. As for International projects, eight

new applications for TOF-GPF grants were approved.

Among them was the Korea Y’s Men Doctor’s Free Medical

Service (projects in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar).

Participants of these major meetings also visited

delegates at the Youth Convocation that was being held at

the same time in the a nearby hotel for a joint panel

discussion. There were over 100 youth representatives from

all over and the dynamism exhibited by them holds promise

for the future of our Movement.

Finally, the Satellite Office in Chiang Mai is a reality. I

have moved into our new office and have had some visitors

already not only from Thailand but also from other parts

of the region. I look forward to continued interaction with

all leaders in this part of the world.

Y’sly,

Nishi

Past Area President of Area Asia Chow Wing Ping from

Hong Kong District receives the prestigious Ballantyne Award

from IPAP Wichian Boonmapajorn and ISG Nishi at the

International Convention in Taipei in August for his long

years of dedicated service to the Movement.

Ballantyne Ballantyne Ballantyne Ballantyne Ballantyne AAAAAward 2016ward 2016ward 2016ward 2016ward 2016

NEWS IN BRIEFNEWS IN BRIEFNEWS IN BRIEFNEWS IN BRIEFNEWS IN BRIEF

Satellite Office Opened in Chiang MaiSatellite Office Opened in Chiang MaiSatellite Office Opened in Chiang MaiSatellite Office Opened in Chiang MaiSatellite Office Opened in Chiang Mai

The Satellite Office in Chiang Mai, Thailand has been in

operation since 19 August. ISG Nishi is now mainly stationed

there, on the second floor of Chiang Mai YMCA. Four

staff members – Tracy, Andrew, Amine, and James –

continue to handle their administrative and financial duties

from Geneva. The two offices are well-linked due to the use

of online solutions for improved email and file sharing and

storage. Use of new tools such as Portalbuzz database and

video conferencing with GoToMeeting, also popular with

many Areas and Regions seeking to decrease costs associated

with hosting traditional meetings are also helpful.

Asia and Pacific Asia and Pacific Asia and Pacific Asia and Pacific Asia and Pacific Areas MergedAreas MergedAreas MergedAreas MergedAreas Merged

On 4 August 2016, the Asia and South Pacific Areas formally

merged. Region Australia moves beneath the umbrella of the

newly-named Area Asia Pacific. Mr Russell Jones (Australia)

will continue as an International Council Member until 30

June 2018, together with Mr Tung-Ming Hsiao (Taiwan) who

will continue also as Area President for Asia Pacific.


A A A A A VVVVVeteran Participant Recollectseteran Participant Recollectseteran Participant Recollectseteran Participant Recollectseteran Participant Recollects

Ray SetoRay SetoRay SetoRay SetoRay Seto

Five of us arrived at Taipei in the early

hours of 2 August to attend the 72nd

International Convention. Waiting to

greet us were three Taiwan Y’s Men,

Austin Lin, Mark Lin, and Spring Yu.

The Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Golf

Tournament was held on 3 August at

the Ta Tun Golf Club. It was a hot and

humid day for golf, and I played as best

as I could with borrowed clubs. After

the tournament we proceeded to Beitou

Hot Spring Resort for the 72nd

International Convention welcome

dinner and presentation of RBM Golf

results. The Taipei Central Y’s Men’s

Club made a pledge of US $10,000 to

RBM. The tournament was supposed

to have raised this amount, but they fell

short, so a donation box was set up at

the welcome dinner, hoping to raise the

balance of the funds. There was even an

RBM Princess to assist donors in making

contributions. The effort was very

successful with over US$ 10,000 being

raised, together with the golf tournament

and dinner.

The International Convention

started on 4 August with registration.

At the registration counters, the Taiwan

Clubs sold several souvenir items with

the Convention logo on it. They had t-

shirts, hats, pens, chopsticks, convention

pins, cookies, etc., all starting at the price

of NT$100 (US$3).

The opening ceremony held at the

ballroom of the Grand Hotel started at

2 p.m. with the traditional parade of

flags and lighting of the candle with the

Bible opened to Chapter 1 of the Gospel

according to St. John. The opening

dinner followed with a 10-course

Taiwanese meal. Lion dances and musical

performances by Taiwanese artistes

added color and sound to the evening.

The acrobats were fantastic in their

performance.

The next day started with ISG Nishi

giving his report. The highlight of his

report was the revision of his

employment contract, which is in its

second 5-year term. He was able to

negotiate with the ICM to have the ISG

employment contract reduced to four

years instead of five, with one extension

meaning that he will

now serve only eight

years instead of the

10 years he originally

signed up for. Future

hires will have

maximum two 4-year contracts when

hired. Nishi reported that his office is

now in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with his

staff still in Geneva. This arrangement

has reduced the office rent in Geneva.

With modern technology, Nishi is able

to video conference with his staff

regularly from Thailand.

Awards and message from the

YMCA took up most of the morning

session. Mr. Wing Ping Chou of Hong

Kong was awarded the Ballantyne Award

for his long and committed service to

Y’sdom.

Lunch was served in a bento box,

after which we had our break-out

meetings and I attended the Community

Service/RBM session and the Y’s

Menettes session where they had a tea

ceremony among the attendees. We then

had our Area meeting held jointly with

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2016INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2016INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2016INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2016INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2016

TRANSITION: L: IPAP Wichian Boonmapajorn hands over the banner to the ne IP Joan Wilson, who then welcomes the new IP-E Henry Grindheim (middle).

Right: The new team of IEOs sign the register after taking over office.

Participants of the RBM Golf Tournament Handing over the promised amount to IP Joan

This article is reprinted here from the September issue of Kaimuki Y Service Club’s newsletter, of which Ray Seto is a member. Ray

(in the picture on the right) is seen here with his special award for attending more than 20 International Conventions - Editor


I am honoured to be standing here before you this evening as your International

President. It is a privilege for me to be able to serve our Movement and its

members, and I will do my utmost to fulfill my duties.

…

It is for this reason – service to others - that Y’s Men came into existence 94

years ago. Our founder, Paul William Alexander, saw that the local YMCA,

with its strong Christian foundation and focus on providing young men with

positive and engaging activities, was in need of support and encouragement to

maintain their programmes. Thus the Y’s Men’s Club was born, and very soon

it spread across the world. Others saw this as a constructive way to help the

needy in their communities by supporting the good work of the YMCA.

As time passed, clubs in our Movement started to branch out to provide direct

service to the downtrodden in their communities as well as to the YMCA.

Sometimes clubs started where there was no YMCA, and sometimes YMCAs

helped to start clubs. As an international Movement, Y’s Men projects began

to develop that were supported by all members. Some of these are ongoing,

such as the Brotherhood Fund and the Time of Fast-Global Projects Fund. And

thus Y’s Men reached its three-fold purpose – to serve the YMCA, and the

needy in local communities and around the world.

You might wonder why I chose to review this history of Y’s Men with you

tonight. I believe it is so important to remember our true purpose in the midst of

many other changes that face us over the course of time: changes in societal

attitudes to volunteering; cultural differences in our almost 70 member countries;

changes in our relationship with the YMCA; changes in how the YMCA

presents itself in different countries; challenges in involving young people, and

so on.

For all the changes and challenges we face, let us not forget who we are –

people of many faiths and cultures working collectively to improve the lives of

the poor and needy through collaboration with the YMCA, in our own

communities, and across the globe.

As your IP, I have chosen as my theme “Our Future Begins Today” and my

slogan as “Together We Can Do So Much More”. I believe that we must set

realistic goals for the coming years and then get to work on achieving them.

This means we need to get to work right away – our future begins today!

– and that we must involve all our members, Y’s Menettes, families, youth

and Y’s Lings to get the best results – together we can do so much more!

Remember our motto: “To Acknowledge the Duty That Accompanies

Every Right”

There is no doubt that we face a number of challenges in Y’s Men today. These

include: stagnant membership growth; reduced revenues; reaching and keeping

young members; changes in world attitudes to volunteering; and meeting our

own goals set out in the Towards 2022 plan. However we have had challenges

in the past and have worked our way through them. I am confident that we

can do that now and in the future.

As part of my vision and goals for this year, I provide some ways that we can

move forward productively:

Keep our Y’sdom core values in mind. Let us:

w Do better at celebrating successes at various levels.

w Improve our use of electronic communications and social media.

w Make changes where necessary to address our challenges.

w Look for ways to save costs so our dues produce the greatest benefits.

w Embrace new programs that can make a difference in our movement.

w Prepare our youth and young members for being adults in our

movement.

w Start to improve our membership statistics by setting realistic and

achievable goals for each year.

I am confident that Y’s Men will continue to change and evolve as it meets the

challenges of our changing world realities. I for one want to be part of that

change and hope that each of you will join me in working hard together to

achieve all that we can for the growth of Y’s Men and for greater service to the

YMCA, and to those in need in our communities and around the world.

Remember: It is up to us to ensure that Our Future Begins Today! And

that Together We Can Do So Much More!

Thank you!

Excerpts from IP Joan Excerpts from IP Joan Excerpts from IP Joan Excerpts from IP Joan Excerpts from IP Joan Wilson’Wilson’Wilson’Wilson’Wilson’s s s s s Address aAddress aAddress aAddress aAddress at IC 2016t IC 2016t IC 2016t IC 2016t IC 2016

Canada/Caribbean/Latin America in

the same room.

The dinner programme shifted to

Expo Park. We were all bussed to the

Park, but had to find our way back to

the hotel, which was a 10-minute taxi

ride. Officially called the IPE’s Night, it

was a grand affair with a full 10-course

dinner with performances by Area

delegations. The U.S. Area performed a

hip hop dance by all of us.

Day 3, Saturday, 6 August: The

programme was held at the Expo Dome

Hall at Expo Park with reports from the

Forums, and featured an IBC Triangular

Club signing, and 2 Brother

Club signings among the clubs

at the Convention. I was

approached by two different

clubs wishing to have Brother

Club relations: the Kaohsiung

Y’s Men’s Club in Taiwan, and

the Y’s Men’s Club of

Peninsula in Hong Kong. The

Kaohsiung Y’s Men’s Club is

interested in forming a

Triangular Club relationship

with Tokyo Setagaya and Kaimuki Y

Service Club. Lunch was again served in

a bento box.

The evening programme was once

again a grand affair. Called the IP’s Night,

it featured IP Joan Wilson’s address, and

the presentation of the Champions

Award which was initiated during the

last International Convention. Two

participants, Kazuyoshi Aoki and I were

awarded special medallions for attending

more than 20 Conventions. I have

attended a total of 22 ICs including this

Convention, while for Aoki, it was his

twentieth.

The closing ceremony of the

Convention was held on Sunday. It

included the Youth Convocation report

and traditional closing ceremony. The

Korea Area showed highlights of Korea,

where the 2018 International

Convention will be held in Yeosu, Korea

between 2 and 5 August 2018. The

theme is “Yes we can change!”Courtesy: Kaimuki Y Service ClubEnjoying a sumptuous ten-course dinner

The choir that gave a wonderful performce

6


Even when we may not usually perceiveit, all our service activities and our actions

as club mem-bers/ officers,as officers atany level, andthose of ourclubs’ are de-v e l o p e dwithin thestrong, firmframe of ourCons t i tu -

tions.

From club to International, includingDistrict, Regional and Area ones, theseConstitutions explain the rules that wehave agreed on to carry out our missionand achieve our objectives in amulticultural global scenario.

Constitutions let us be the way weare, belong to the Club we love, have itactive in the various levels in which itrelates to others (in the District, theRegion, the Area, the Internationalorganisation) for coordination andstrength.

Unperceived, perhaps even invisibleto our day-to-day eye, these Constitutions

Constitutional FramesConstitutional FramesConstitutional FramesConstitutional FramesConstitutional FramesSilvya Reyes de CrociSilvya Reyes de CrociSilvya Reyes de CrociSilvya Reyes de CrociSilvya Reyes de Croci

ChairChairChairChairChair,,,,, Constitutional Review Committee Constitutional Review Committee Constitutional Review Committee Constitutional Review Committee Constitutional Review Committee

are what they should be: the sturdy,resilient frames of THE PACT, theagreement – either expressly debatedaround a table or accepted by affiliationto a group that lives by it – on some basicrules that safeguard the identity and theway of operating of the group. That iswhy these fundamental agreements, in theform of written rules, are “theConstitutions,” with a capital “C” – thecovenant that has brought us together.

Our clubs are sovereign within theframe of their own Club Constitutions,never in conflict with the InternationalConstitution. Within that frame, a blankcanvass for them to paint as they see fit:the image of Y’sly service as they wish tolive it. By their joint affiliation, theInternational Association of Y’s Men’s/Y Service Clubs has come into existence.

Immersed in a changing world andwhile keeping its core values intact, Y’sMen/Y Service International must alsochange … or perish.

And so, from time to time, changesare introduced in these Constitutions.Not written in stone, they have, however,a vocation for permanence: they can onlybe amended through sanctioned

LEGISLATIONLEGISLATIONLEGISLATIONLEGISLATIONLEGISLATION

procedures – also written into them andagreed upon.

Now is time for change. Time foreveryone of you, Y’s Men and Y’s Womenreaders, to be alert to the changes yourclub will be able to introduce to ourInternational Constitution, and from it,necessarily to your own Area and Regionalones.

The new structure of the InternationalCouncil, after one year of effectiveoperation, has shown the need for somefine-tuning of its constitutionaldispositions. For instance: Does your Area

think that its Young Council Member can be

the Area President? Do you want your Area to

set the requisites for its ICM candidates, beyond

what International already requires? And…do you prefer or not that at any given time the

IP, the IPE and the PIP come from different

Areas to better reflect our global dimension?

These questions will soon come toyour club and its response will affect theInternational Constitution and,consequently, all the Area Constitutions.

Remember: the ultimate word todefine our constitutional frames restsalways with the club, the member of theInternational Association.

The first one concerns the balance within the International

President Troika (IP, IPE, IPIP) which resulted in a motion to amend

Article V of the Constitution which relates to the election of the

International President Elect. The motion was passed with majority

support from the Council. It was proposed that from 1 July 2017,

the members of the Troika should each be from a different Area.

The amendment now needs to be put to clubs for voting and the

ballot will be conducted during the 2016/17 International Election

period.

Accordingly, Article V, Section 2 will be sought to be amended

by inserting the following at its end: “Effective 1 July, 2017, no

Region shall nominate any candidate for the position of

International President Elect who, at the time of nomination, comes

from the same Area as the incumbent International President or the

International President Elect.”

The second one relates to the qualification requirements for

legislative officers of the Movement. The Constitution Review

Committee presented a report to ICM that emphasised that all

candidates for International Officer positions, particularly that of

ICM, shall be qualified according to YMI criteria, including proficiency

in the English language. Areas may establish their own qualification

requirements subject to the approval of the International Council

however the qualifications for Young Council Members shall be

established only by the International Council.

Accordingly, Article IV – Legislative Officers, Section 3 is being

sought to be amended by inserting, immediately after “at least ninety

(90) days prior to the election date,” the phrase: “This nominee shall

meet the qualification requirements established by the International

Council. Areas may establish their own qualification requirements

subject to the approval of the International Council. The

qualifications for Young Council Members shall be established only

by the International Council.”

These and other motions will be sent to the Clubs to be voted

on. Your response is essential to make them effective.

From the IHQ (RD Memo 2/206-17)

TTTTTwo Constitutional wo Constitutional wo Constitutional wo Constitutional wo Constitutional Amendments thaAmendments thaAmendments thaAmendments thaAmendments that Need Urgent t Need Urgent t Need Urgent t Need Urgent t Need Urgent AttentionAttentionAttentionAttentionAttention

7

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The Sixteenth InternaThe Sixteenth InternaThe Sixteenth InternaThe Sixteenth InternaThe Sixteenth International tional tional tional tional YYYYYouth Convocaouth Convocaouth Convocaouth Convocaouth ConvocationtiontiontiontionStephanie SpencerStephanie SpencerStephanie SpencerStephanie SpencerStephanie Spencer

Following a little more than six months

of intense preparation, young delegates

journeyed from

all parts of the

Movement to

the Sixteenth

International

Youth Convo-

cation (2016

IYC), held at the

Chientan Inter-

national Youth Activity Centre, located

in the heart of Taipei, Taiwan.

The biennial event, held from 1 to 7

August 2016, saw a total of 92 delegates

and five facilitators in attendance.

The emphasis for the 2016 IYC was

encapsulated in the theme, “Service in

Action—Dare to Lead.” The IYC

delegates were encouraged and

commissioned to build on their

established skills and dare to take on even

greater roles of leadership. This ‘mission’

was reflected in the IYC schedule, where

the sessions were planned to bring out

the best of the delegates’ latent potentials

and natural strengths.

One of the critical tasks of the 2016

IYC was to elect the new International

Youth Representative (IYR) for the 2016-

2018 term. Ricardo Cardenas, Past AYR

for Area Latin America, was elected after

a very open process.

The 2016 IYC was not designed to

be ‘all work and no play’. The delegates

visited and participated in some of the

best cultural sites and activities that Taipei

had to offer. Visits to the Lin An Tai

Historical House and Museum and the

National Palace Museum were edifying.

The delegates also participated in a well-

loved local activity, shrimp fishing. Many

caught as many as four shrimps! Other

highlights of the week included the

Cultural Night presentations — which

were a major hit amongst the delegates,

Y’slympics, and the Shilin Night Market

Food Treasure Hunt Game.

The 2016 IYC was an overall success,

and most importantly, the delegates left

the exciting city of Taipei empowered

with knowledge reinforced by

informative sessions, memories of a rich

cultural experience, and having built

long-lasting friendships.

Stephanie Spencer is Youth World Editor &

Immediate Past Youth Intern (IPYI)

They came from all over to discuss, express concern, have some fun and leave a mark

YOUTHYOUTHYOUTHYOUTHYOUTH


On On On On On YMI-YMCA RelaYMI-YMCA RelaYMI-YMCA RelaYMI-YMCA RelaYMI-YMCA RelationshipstionshipstionshipstionshipstionshipsThere are wide gaps in the views of YMCA leaders on how we can develop goodpartnership with Y’s Men in their country. There are some areas where both have

positive feelings but in some other areas they have difficulties.Therefore, we may start the concrete discussion for planning someprojects wherever that partnership building is possible.

In order to build a stronger partnership, we need to startdiscussions at the national level for the two organizations. Theprojects should be agreed to by both groups. The examples couldbe A) Supporting refugees, especially youth; B) Supporting victims

due to a big disaster; C) Supporting particular populations suffering in each country;and D) Conducting campaigns or actions involving youth to protect global climatechanges and related issues.

If both organizations agree to the partnership, Y’s Men needs to review the currentsupport system to create more effective ways to meet the needs of the YMCA, as wellas for the proposed partnership projects. On the other hand, YMCA leaders shouldmake a commitment to introduce members to the Y’s Men movement and to help

start a new club in the area where YMCA exists without any Y’s Men’s Club.

Kohei Yamada, YMI Liaison to the World YMCA

The 16th International Youth

Convocation had many high moments

throughout the seven days. One prime

example was the much anticipated

Youth Panel Discussion.

In the face of recent changes within

Y’s Men International, the panel

discussion was initiated to serve as the

perfect opportunity for YMI leaders to

discuss these changes with the youth,

as well as to assess the role and future

support of youth within the

Movement.

The five panelists hailed from varied

backgrounds and held key positions

within the YMI family. They were IP

Joan Wilson; ISG Takao Nishimura;

IHQ staff member and Past

International Youth Representative

James Olle; ISD for Y’s Men Liaison

to the YMCAs) Kohei Yamada, and

IYR Afolabi Ajomale.

Two pertinent questions posed to

the panel in this regard were:

1. It has been said that the future of

the Movement is the youth;

however, youth membership has

decreased internationally. What

strategies are being devised to

address this situation, and what

can Y’s Youth and Youth clubs do

to increase enrolment?

2. The YMI-YMCA relationship varies

amongst regions internationally

despite the historic relationship

they have. What strategies are in

place to build and strengthen the

relationship internationally and

how will it impact youth?

In the limited time allotted to the

panelists, they assured the youth

delegates that the Taipei ICM meeting

too had underlined the role and

YYYYYouth Panel Discussion - outh Panel Discussion - outh Panel Discussion - outh Panel Discussion - outh Panel Discussion - A High MomentA High MomentA High MomentA High MomentA High Moment’Fola Fola Fola Fola Fola AjomaleAjomaleAjomaleAjomaleAjomale with with with with with Stephanie SpencerStephanie SpencerStephanie SpencerStephanie SpencerStephanie Spencer

PANELISTS: Joan Wilson, Afolabi Ajomale, Takao Nishimura, Kohei Yamada and James Olle

Continued overleaf

IYC Participants aIYC Participants aIYC Participants aIYC Participants aIYC Participants at t t t t YMI InternaYMI InternaYMI InternaYMI InternaYMI International Conventiontional Conventiontional Conventiontional Conventiontional Convention



YYYYYuva Sallauva Sallauva Sallauva Sallauva Sallapam - a pam - a pam - a pam - a pam - a YYYYYouth Camp in Indiaouth Camp in Indiaouth Camp in Indiaouth Camp in Indiaouth Camp in India

Yuva Sallapam (Youth Talk), a zone-level youth camp of Mid-

West India Region was held from 9 to 11 September 2016 in

which 59 youngsters from four Districts of the Region took

part energetically.

The camp began with an interactive session called “Y’s

Men International – Commitment to Youth” led by PIP Isaac

Palathinkal, followed by the ice-breaking session facilitated by

camp director Prakash James, who successfully communicated

the idea of how to become an effective leader through various

examples.

The participants were divided into teams and were asked

to come up ideas for various activities. The three-day camp had a good mix of outdoor and indoor activities. Outdoor

activities included aerobic exercises in the mornings, volley

ball in the evenings, treasure hunt and a camp fire in one of

the nights. The indoor activities saw inputs by professionals

on group dynamics, personality development, qualities of

leadership, managing oneself, building confidence, etc;

coaching for public speaking; elocution competition; quiz

sessions, apart from a display of talent by the campers.

At the valedictory session, Essa Sebastian, Arya S. Raj,

Goutham Harilal, Traicy Thomson, Desny Desline and Danny

Biju Philip were declared best campers for their outstanding

inputs, performances and attitude.Pavithran B.

Assistant Editor, IndiaOne last picture - for the albums

An animated group dscussion

importance of youth in Movement-

building and that more forums of this

nature will be provided at the Area,

Regional and District levels to build

on the connection that exists between

the youth and the leaders of the

Movement. (See box itemon previous

page for the response of one of the

panelists in this regard.) Overall, the

Youth Panel Discussion was a

memorable event for participants of

both the IYC and the International

Council.

A big surprise that lay in store at

this session was the induction of James

Olle into the Y’s Youth Hall of Fame

for his two-decade long active

involvement and service to the

Movement, first as a Y’s ling, then as a

Y’s Youth member in Australia,

followed by his years as a Youth intern,

an International Youth Represent-

Youth Panel Discussion - A High Moment --- from previous page

ative, and continuing to support and

encourage youth activities as an IHQ

staff member. He is the first and only

person so far to have achieved such

distinction.’Fola Ajomale is Immediate

Past International Youth Representative

International Council Members with IYC participants



The youthThe youthThe youthThe youthThe youth

brigadebrigadebrigadebrigadebrigade

at IC2016at IC2016at IC2016at IC2016at IC2016

While most of us are accustomed to the

term “Y’s Men”,

it is rare for any-

one to state the

reason for that

term and why it

became known.

While our Paul

William Alexan-

der belonged to a group of enthusiastic

men whose main purpose was to pro-

vide assistance to the Toledo Ohio

YMCA, there were 17 men who formed

a club called “Tolymca” named for To-

ledo and YMCA. This group had be-

come so empowered and dedicated to

that YMCA that the Ohio State Secre-

tary of the YMCAs requested that sev-

eral of the men make a presentation in

the YMCA State Meeting in February,

1922.

When asked to tell about their

Tolymca group, it was realised that the

name could not be one used by other

clubs and they needed to come up with

a more universal name. Paul William

Alexander had been reading articles in

the YMCA magazine written by an actor

and author by the name of Will M.

Cressy. (Cressy was well known in

vaudeville for his acting and writing

numerous short plays and news articles

for many years.) He had volunteered for

the National War Work Council of

Young Men’s Christian Association to

take the group of performers to provide

entertainment for the American

Expeditionary Forces in France. They

toured the area in 1918. He wrote in

the YMCA magazine about his

experiences and called himself “one of

the Y’s Men of the East.” The title ‘Y’s

Man’ was because he worked for the

YMCA and ‘from the East’ was because

he was from New Hampshire (eastern

part of the United States) but it also

referred to the Christian faith of the

YMCA. Cressy was invited to speak at a

Tolymca Lunch Meeting and was made

an Honorary Member of the group. He

gave permission for the group to change

their name to Y’s Men. Their club

became the first Charter Club, Toledo

Y’s Men’s Club.

In the first three months of making

the presentation, there were seven Y’s

Men’s Clubs formed and the first

meeting of all seven clubs together was

held in May. At that meeting, they chose

to send out information about Y’s Men

Clubs to YMCAs within the United

States. By November, 1922, the first

Convention was held in Atlantic City

as a part of the International YMCA

Convention. At that point, there were

then seventeen clubs from Ohio, Nova

Scotia, Alabama, New Jersey, New York

City, British Columbia, North Dakota,

Pennsylvania, and Illinois. The

organisation had become International

with the addition of Nova Scotia and

British Columbia (Canada) to their

group.

It should be noted that Will Cressy

died in 1930 as a result of being gassed

on the battlefields in France. Another

victim of the aftermath of being gassed

during the War in France was the first

International Secretary-Treasurer, Earle F.

Kuhn who was elected in November,

1922 to the position and died in

October, 1923.

*Debbie Redmond is International Service Director

(Historian)

WhaWhaWhaWhaWhat’t’t’t’t’s in a Name?s in a Name?s in a Name?s in a Name?s in a Name?Debbie Redmond*Debbie Redmond*Debbie Redmond*Debbie Redmond*Debbie Redmond*

Earlier this year, the Y’s Men’s Club of

Broken Hill received a surprise

invitation to visit the YMCA-NSW in

Sydney, a journey of over 1,100

kilometres.

The club was presented with an

award at a special NSW Business

Breakfast in Sydney, recognising their

outstanding commitment to the

YMCA and the community of Broken

Hill for more than 50 years. The meeting

was also attended by the NSW Minister

for Ageing and Disability Services, the

Hon John Ajaka. YMCA-NSW CEO

Leisa Hart who acknowledged the club’s

wonderful contribution in their home

city, was responsible for inviting the club

members to come to Sydney for this

special presentation.

YMCA-NSW Honours YMCA-NSW Honours YMCA-NSW Honours YMCA-NSW Honours YMCA-NSW Honours Y’Y’Y’Y’Y’s Men’s Men’s Men’s Men’s Men’s Club of Broken Hills Club of Broken Hills Club of Broken Hills Club of Broken Hills Club of Broken HillBroken Hill YMCA Manager, Shane

Simmons, also expressed his

appreciation for the accumulated

efforts of this club over many years and

the vital role played as part of

strengthening the

local community

too.

Six members of

the club enjoyed

their two days in

Sydney, visiting the

Maritime Museum,

Darling Harbour,

YMCA Head-

quarters and other

city sights. A fitting

reward for many

years of faithful

Broken Hill Club members at the YMCA-NSW

to receive the special award

service, not sought after but well

appreciated. The then Club President,

Garry Halliday accepted the award on

the club’s behalf.Jennifer Jones

FOR THE RECORDFOR THE RECORDFOR THE RECORDFOR THE RECORDFOR THE RECORD


Colin Lambie, a member of the Y Service

Club of Bendigo, was in charge of a

‘crowdfunding’ campaign to raise

AU$11,000 to put 11kW of solar panels

on the roof of the Bendigo Science &

Discovery Centre. This was the second

‘crowdfunding’ campaign that he had

conducted on behalf of the Bendigo

Sustainability Group. The first campaign

raised $25,000 to pay for 20kW of solar

panels installed on the roof of the local

library. Both campaigns were supported

by the Y Service Club of Bendigo, the Y

Service Club of Kangaroo Flat and the

Y Service Club of Bendigo South.

The first campaign was unique in that

the group that raised the funds is paid

for the electricity generated by the solar

panels at the library. The group

established a ‘power purchase agreement’

(PPA) and a lease agreement with the

building owner that will last for 20 years.

The building owner is happy, because

they are not paying more for the ‘green’

electricity coming from their roof, and

the owners of the solar are happy because

they have a revenue stream for the next

20 years.

The second campaign was a

Reducing Carbon Footprint in Reducing Carbon Footprint in Reducing Carbon Footprint in Reducing Carbon Footprint in Reducing Carbon Footprint in AustraliaAustraliaAustraliaAustraliaAustraliacommunity service to help the Bendigo

Science & Discovery Centre be more

sustainable, by reducing their electricity

costs by about $3,000 per year.

The same model can apply to a

YMCA. A YMCA could conduct a

crowdfunding campaign to put solar

panels on the roof of the building they

are using, and hence reduce their

operating costs. They could establish an

agreement with the building owner that

would ensure they keep getting the

financial benefit from the solar panels

even if they stop using the building.

Installing solar systems is not just

about reducing costs, it also reduces

greenhouse gas emissions. In countries

like Australia which uses mostly coal

to generate electricity, transitioning to

renewable energy is a necessary step to

help us have a big impact on our carbon

footprint, which is among the highest

per capita in the world.Colin Lambie with the Editor

Colin Lambie with the ‘solar panel’. Each panel is

divided into 44 squares, each representing one of the

44 solar panels that made up the 11kW system. Donors

were asked to ‘donate a panel’. The images in the

squares are either names or company logos. This

panel with photos was a useful marketing tool in the

crowd funding campaign. Most of the marketing was

achieved using social media.

Vejle Vadestedets Y’s Men’s Clubestablished a project last year named “Y’sDESIGN.” The purpose was to makeproducts with Y’s Men’s logos that cancontribute to promote the Movement.The project has been a great success andsales in the first year was about 15,000

Denmark:Denmark:Denmark:Denmark:Denmark: Y’Y’Y’Y’Y’s Men Sell Promotional Mas Men Sell Promotional Mas Men Sell Promotional Mas Men Sell Promotional Mas Men Sell Promotional Material to Fund Projectsterial to Fund Projectsterial to Fund Projectsterial to Fund Projectsterial to Fund ProjectsEuro. The profits from the sale goes toprojects of Region Denmark.

The idea of the small “business” tooka long time to bear fruit. Several in theclub were skeptical of earning any moneyby selling clothes, bags, roll-ups, beachflags and others, but today nobody

doubts thatit is a verygood idea.

We havehad got agood startwith our ac-tivities. Theclubs andthe Regionhave wel-comed usand we havebeen able top r o d u c emerchand-Volunteers with the merchandise

ise at competitive prices. That means a lot tous, and we are happy that we can help theRegion and the clubs by engaging in publicrelations work for the Movement’s work,tells Lars Grønfeldt of Committee behindY’s DESIGN.

Y’s DESIGN is managed by a smallcommittee of four members from VejleVadestedet Y’s Men’s Club. All themembers are working voluntarily and thatis how the costs are kept down and theprofits are decent.

It is not only the Y’s Men’s Clubs inDenmark that have got help from Y’sDESIGN. Other organisations too haverequested for help.

Y’s DESIGN is ready to help all Y’sMen’s Clubs in Denmark and in Europewith different promotional materials. Ifyou wish to know more about Y’sDESIGN visit the homepage at

www.ysdesign.dk (in Danish).

Evan Johansen

FROM FAR AND NEARFROM FAR AND NEARFROM FAR AND NEARFROM FAR AND NEARFROM FAR AND NEAR


Two projects aimed at reaching the

young minds have met with tremendous

response from the authorities and the

general public in Mid West India Region

(MWIR).

The first is the Learning through

Reading project focusing on students of

Government and State-aided schools by

distributing 10 copies of local daily

newspapers in schools for a year and by

donating books to school libraries.

Madhuram Malayalam (Sweet

Malayalam) launched with the support

of a leading Malayalam daily newspaper

CaCaCaCaCatching ’em tching ’em tching ’em tching ’em tching ’em YYYYYoung – oung – oung – oung – oung – TTTTTwo Projects in Mid wo Projects in Mid wo Projects in Mid wo Projects in Mid wo Projects in Mid WWWWWest India Regest India Regest India Regest India Regest India Regionionionionionis now more than a decade old aimed at

encouraging love for the mother tongue.

The newspaper is circulated in class

rooms on all school days to help

children improve their linguistic abilities

along with their general knowledge by

discussing the contents daily.

Half a dozen clubs in as many districts

of the Region have prioritised this

activity with a view to reach out to the

students.

The second project, implemented

among college students is the Traffic

Awareness Campaign. Launched by

District VI of MWIR in collaboration

with the Motor Vehicles Department in

the City of Cochin, it is gaining good

mileage for the Movement.

The urgency for this intervention is

understandable when one learns that the

tiny state of Kerala stands third in India

in terms of road accidents with 4,000

deaths and 40,000 injuries every year. It

is the third major cause of death and

disability in Kerala.

The Motor Vehicles Department has

decided to strictly enforce traffic rules in

order to reduce road accidents. They have

also decided to conduct traffic awareness

classes for college students, especially for

those who own vehicles and drive them.

A study reveals that 65 per cent of the

road accidents could have been avoided

if drivers had been more alert and aware.

One traffic awareness class was

attended by 900 students of a leading

college in the city on 16 August 2016.

The class was led by Mr. Dilip Kumar,

Motor Vehicles Inspector. District

Governor Bexon has announced that the

same programme will be held in nine

colleges of the city in the current year

targeting over 10,000 youngsters.

Pavithran B.

Assistant Editor, India

College students attending the traffic awareness

class at Thevara Sacred Heart College, Cochin

Newspaper distribution in St.Louis High School by

Heritage City Y’s Men (Dist I of MWIR). Club

President Niju Mohandas and other leaders with

school officials and students

Y’Y’Y’Y’Y’s Men of New s Men of New s Men of New s Men of New s Men of New YYYYYork in ork in ork in ork in ork in ActionActionActionActionAction

Members of the Y’s Men’s Club of Long Island, New York,

USA, conducted a charity event (sandwich preparation)

for needy people on 29 April. Y’s Men’s World editor Koshy

Mathew who was in NY then also participated and

addressed the members. Earlier that month, the Y’s Men’s

Club of New York Floral Park held its fund-raising dinner

to support the Kidney Foundation. Charlie Redmond,

U.S. Area President attended the fund-raising dinner.

Y's Men's Club of Negombo, Sri Lanka implemented the

community project of cleaning Thaladuwa area where over

5,000 inhabitants live. The project was implemented with

the support of Health Department of the Municipal Council

of Negombo, the Police Department, Thaladuwa Road

Welfare Society and the Youth Section of the Lions Club of

Oriental. The main objective of this project is to keep the

area clean and prevent dengue epidemic .

Preventing Dengue in Sri LankaPreventing Dengue in Sri LankaPreventing Dengue in Sri LankaPreventing Dengue in Sri LankaPreventing Dengue in Sri Lanka

FROM FAR AND NEARFROM FAR AND NEARFROM FAR AND NEARFROM FAR AND NEARFROM FAR AND NEAR


Each year, the comprehensive International Brother Club

Directory is carefully assembled by its

dedicated editor, Murray Stevens, who

has been doing it since 1983. The

Directory is the essential guide to every

Brother Club, Triangle Club and

Quadrangle Club around the world.

IHQ deeply thanks Murray for his tireless efforts to compile

this wonderful tool. This can be downloaded from

The International Council that met in Taipei in July-August

2016 approved eight new TOF-GPF Projects for a total of

CHF 141,406, as under:

w Korea: Y’s Men Doctor’s Free Medical Service (In

Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar Projects) Busan,

Korea (CHF 24,500).

w Asia: “Healthy Future” Teenager Personal

Development Program, YMCA of Mongolia & Y

Service Club of Ulaanbaatar (CHF 7,616).

w Canada/Caribbean: Haiti Decadome, Ann Arbor

YMCA & Y’s Men International Caribbean Region

(CHF 9,534).

w Africa: Improving the Socio-economic Resilience of

Rural Young People in Madagascar, Y Care

International & Nairobi YMC, Kenya (CHF 29,500).

w Latin America: Emprendedores Plus, YMCA Peru &

Y’s Club San Borja–Lima– Region Peru (CHF 7,150).

w Europe: Education for girls to be Midwives in poor

areas of Nepal, Västerås Y’s Men’s Club, Sweden &

The Society for Street Children in Nepal (CHF

30,000).

w India: Computer Training &

Tailoring for Economically Poor

Women and Organ Donation

(Eye Donation), YMC

Machilipatnam C.I.R (CHF

9,143).

w India: Skill development for socio-economically

marginalized women population Y’s Menette’s Club

of Karuvanchal, West India Region (CHF 23,963).

Since the inception of the TOF-GPF programme in

1973, Y’s Men International has contributed around US$

6,300,400 to various YMCA and community projects and

emergencies around the world. Today, eight newly approved

projects and 17 ongoing projects in a total of 16 countries

and geographical areas are supported by TOF-GPF.

In addition to these TOF-GPF Projects, for over 30

years the Y’s Menettes have supported International

Projects. This year they have approved one new project in

Italy: YMCA Siderno, “Learn fast, be smart! – Empowering

Migrants and refugees through social integration” (CHF

10,863).

www.ysmen.org. Murray reports that as of 28 August 2016,

there are 1044 Brother Club partnerships in 50 countries.

The Brother Club programme joins in partnership clubs

located in different countries for their mutual benefit and

better understanding. It is designed to assist fellow Y’s Men

and Women and their families to learn about and exchange

ideas between clubs, whether they are just over the border

or right across the world. Women’s clubs may prefer to

use the term “Sister Club.”

2016 International Brother Club Directory2016 International Brother Club Directory2016 International Brother Club Directory2016 International Brother Club Directory2016 International Brother Club Directory

ICM 2016 ICM 2016 ICM 2016 ICM 2016 ICM 2016 Approves Eight New Approves Eight New Approves Eight New Approves Eight New Approves Eight New TOF-GPF ProjectsTOF-GPF ProjectsTOF-GPF ProjectsTOF-GPF ProjectsTOF-GPF Projects

Elementary … My dear Watson

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson go on a camping trip. Set

up their tent and fall asleep. Some hours later, Holmes wakes

his faithful friend. “Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what

you see.” Watson replies, “I see millions of stars.” “What does

that tell you?” Watson ponders for a minute.

“Astronomically speaking, it tells me that there are millions

of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, it

tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Time-wise, it appears to be

approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, it’s evident

that the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant.

Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow.

What does it tell you?”

Holmes is silent for a moment, then speaks. “Someone has

stolen our tent.”From a wall hanging in the restroom of a hotel in Bangalore

Cartoon by Mohan Sivanand. Reproduced with permission

Just a little bit of humourJust a little bit of humourJust a little bit of humourJust a little bit of humourJust a little bit of humour

NEWS FROM IHQNEWS FROM IHQNEWS FROM IHQNEWS FROM IHQNEWS FROM IHQ


MANTRA FORMANTRA FORMANTRA FORMANTRA FORMANTRA FOR

THE SOULTHE SOULTHE SOULTHE SOULTHE SOUL

All All All All All WWWWWe Need is Love – e Need is Love – e Need is Love – e Need is Love – e Need is Love – And a Lot of DialogueAnd a Lot of DialogueAnd a Lot of DialogueAnd a Lot of DialogueAnd a Lot of Dialogue

Max Ediger*

We have been overwhelmed with news of violent events

the past weeks. Every day the evening news has brought us

reports and videos of the horrors of shootings in the USA,

horrific bombings in Afghanistan, a deadly assault on a

restaurant in Bangladesh, to mention only a few. These

events have left us feeling worried and perhaps even fearful.

Social media responses have been immediate and

numerous, many attempting to understand or explain the

causes of this upsurge of violence. One post on Facebook

especially caught my eye.

“Alton Sterling didn’t deserve this. Philando Castille

didn’t deserve this. Those cops in Dallas didn’t deserve

this. Just stop it. Stop the blame. Stop the killing. Stop

the hate.”

We should also add that the people of Baghdad didn’t

deserve this. The people enjoying their dinner in a Dhaka

restaurant didn’t deserve this. All those suffering from

other violence these past months didn’t deserve this.

How I wish these words were sufficient to bring about

calm and peace, but I know that words, no matter how

powerful and pertinent, cannot bring about the healing

and transformation our societies need. Only love and a

lot of hard work of the right kind can do that.

“Just stop it. Stop the blame. Stop the killing. Stop

the hate.” Yes of course, but how? These questions are

some of the challenges we try to deal with in the three-

month School of Peace here in Asia

(www.interfaithforum.org). Obviously three months is

insufficient time to find answers needed to approach such

complex challenges, but hopefully we can at least begin to

see some hope for ways in which we can begin working so

that the vision of inclusive, justpeace communities can begin

to take tangible shape.

One of the most important topics we focus on during

our sessions is that of dialogue versus discussion in conflict

transformation processes. According to some dictionaries,

the word discussion comes from the Greek and has two

parts. The first is “discus” and is the same word used for

the Olympic game where a discus is thrown for distance in

a competition. The second part is “cussion” and is the

same root used in percussion and concussion. Thus the

word discussion means throwing ideas in order to hit and

overcome an opponent.

The word dialogue, also from the Greek, has a very

different meaning. “Dia” means a gentle flow such as a

soothing breeze coming through the window on a hot

summer day, or the gentle flow of a stream. “Logos”, the

second part of the word, means ultimate truth as in John

1:1: ”In the beginning was the word…” Dialogue therefore,

means the gentle flowing of truth between persons or

groups. It suggests deep listening and recognizing that the

“other” is not an opponent, but has some truth to share

with us. This is much more important than throwing our

ideas to convince others that we are the ones with truth.

By bringing our two “truths” together we find the space to

build love and community.

To do dialogue, we must be willing to engage with those

who are different instead of just tolerating or accepting

them. In dialogue and engagement, we recognize that

everyone has some truth and it is important for us to learn

that truth from them by listening deeply to their thoughts

and their experiences. The Chinese character for listen is

made up of six parts: ears, mind, presence, eyes, undivided

attention, and heart. It emphasizes that in deep listening

we focus our entire being on the messenger in order to

receive any truth their message might have for us.

It doesn’t help to point the finger at others. It doesn’t

help to only demand a response. We need to have the

courage to seriously ask the question why and then listen

deeply to discover the roots of the conflict. That requires

engagement and dialogue and the willingness to set aside

our egos, assumptions and biases so that we can listen to

the truths others hold without making assumptions about

them. If we can do that, then we will have a much clearer

vision of what we can/must do to bring healing to our

communities.

It won’t be easy and it cannot be forced. People will

only engage and dialogue with each other when their hearts

are ready. But we do not need to wait for others to be

ready before we take action. We can start now with

ourselves. Find someone whose voice is not being heard

and find ways to engage and dialogue with them. It is a

very small step, but it is an important step and as Lao Tzu

said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one

step.” We can take that one first step and begin the journey.

All we need to move toward healing in our world is

sincere love and the courage to engage and dialogue with

those who feel their lives do not matter to the broader

society. Then the diversity of the world God created will

no longer be something to fear, but rather will be

something beautiful to celebrate in unity.

*Max Ediger directs the School of Peace from Cambodia.

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

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


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