Nelson Mandela Speech 46667 Concert 2007

No Africans allowed. Has our way of life come to this?

"There may indeed be problems in the resettling of some African refugees, but these are not strictly of their making; rather, they represent the bridging of a wretched, traumatised past and a new, vastly different, society with its own rules and structures. Just as the refugees must learn to adapt, so, too, should Australians learn to be encouraging, not dismissive. For example, African migrants in Dandenong are able to enrol in a driver-education program set up in response to a spate of incidents, including drink-driving. In May, Victoria Police sent two officers to Sudan to learn about a culture that includes an inherent distrust of those in authority. The man who sent the officers, Assistant Commissioner Paul Evans, told ABC Radio yesterday that such prejudices would be overcome, but in time. "There's no quick fix," he said.


No such compassion or understanding is to be found in the Government's own quick fix. Instead there is dispassion and obduracy, along with the ominous feeling that Australia is tightening its borders for short-term political advantage that can only further this country's unfortunate racially intolerant reputation. Is this really how we want to be seen by the rest of the world?" (Article from The Age)


In a conversation about how best to approach working with the Sudanese Refugee community, I wrote this to a friend a few months ago:

'I think exploring the 'Human Capacity Development' is a really positive way of approaching working with the Sudanese Community in Australia. I have been involved in a volunteer capacity over the last year or so tutoring english and from my experiences, the biggest challenges for them as they arrive in Australia is obviously language, but also social integration. And is there any wonder, in a society that is very private and comes across as quite cold to them. The challenges of living in the australian system - eg. job hunting, guidance in dealing with government support (centrelink -in which most english speaking australians struggle with!), attitutes to authority/police etc. This is to not even mentioning dealing with the past trauma that most have faced.

For me, all of the concerns that i've heard over the last year highlight the need for us as a church to be present with them above all else and supporting them as they face each hurdle. I was embarrassed to be Australian one day when a young sudanese guy said to me "you are the first white person that just wants to be friends". It hit me what impact our culture of being 'cold' on public transport has, the fact that at his university (where he is trying to complete high school as a mature age), you could sit in a class with the same people for 12 weeks, and not even ask someone thier name. Come, sit, listen, go home. That was my experience of university - and if university was where i was looking to make friends, I would be very lonely right now. Is there any wonder on my part that there are barriers to Social Integration? No. Just as growing up in a lifetime of war is foreign to most of us, so too is the culture that we live in here. It takes two to break down those barriers of igorance and misunderstanding, and without making the effort to be in relationship with each other - i can't see the way forward. (And between you and me, i don't think its the Sudanese that are holding back)

Clarke and Dawe: Invading Indigenous communities

Peace

I was asked to talk at Camberwell Corp tonight – just a bit about what I’ve been doing – but connected to the theme of Peace...I was a little confused at first and I think the words I used was “what the hell do I know about peace!? Is the Peace Vigil about Iraq or something??”…cause I’m clueless. But I think God has actually been teaching me a lot about peace lately so I thought I would just share some of those rambling thoughts around what I’ve been doing...

For the past couple of years I have be working for the Asia Pacific Regional Facilitation team, and one of the places we have been most involved with is Sri Lanka. For those unaware, Sri Lanka is the tiny island next to India and has been in Civil War for the last 25 years. The Tamil Tigers in the North are fighting for independence from the Sinhalese population which represents the majority. But there is a strong resentment from the Tamil people of all ages, of the Sinhala majority.

When I first went there 2 years ago, the “peace” agreement was fragile but holding. We were actually able to go up to the North and hold a Tsunami Trauma Counselling Workshop – where we were trying to establish groups of volunteers to go and be community counselors, allowing people the opportunity to share their grief and deal with the psychological impact of the tsunami. Very quickly we established, the tsunami was just one part of a lifetime of war trauma. When the Tsunami came, people actually just assumed that it was the sound of fighting starting again. It was very much a superficial belief in ‘peace’ – they didn’t trust it. I can tell you some great stories about our translator for the week that ended up being a Tamil Tiger spy – just keeping tabs on what we were up to.

But one home visit we did, this tiny little lady sat in her temporary shelter and showed me the last picture she had of her 8 sons…Pointing to each one…war, war, tsunami, war …of her 8 sons, 5 were killed in the war, 2 in the Tsunami, and one had managed to escape to London. After a very emotional encounter, I came away from Jaffna asking a lot of questions about peace….

I have a good friend in Sri Lanka who is a young single officer and from the North and I once asked her the all important question of why did she decide to become an Officer? her response… “Because Tamil and Sinhala marry each other”…Not the response I was expecting but one that I’ve thought a lot about since. For her, The Salvation Army was modeling what society could be like, where Sinhala and Tamil lived together. What a powerful testimony to what we as the Salvation Army can be.

As limited as my understanding is, the peace agreement that was brokered by the UN did nothing to change the attitudes of people in everyday life towards each other, and so the grief and hurt still fuels the division hatred and fighting.

However God has really been challenging me a lot lately about how easy it is to look at places like Sri Lanka, say they should all live in peace without looking at what is underneath, and what’s more, without looking in the mirror on ourselves and in particular the Indigenous situation here in Australia. I won’t even begin on the Government’s intervention but the image of how the Salvation Army are modeling reconciliation in Sri Lanka (whilst not perfect), is a powerful statement. And my questions is…does our church model that same image of Australia reconciled with its Indigenous people??

Daryl Crowden has written a piece on Reconciliation (which I recommend, see his blog link on the right) and I particularly love a part under a section “WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE ARMY?”

“This means taking time to understand the Aboriginal culture, not just to observe and judge the forms, but take time to reflect on the function and meaning behind the often-misunderstood observable behaviours.

Allowing the culture to influence our own. Acknowledging that the culture has impacted our own. Our values are, in part, formed by our common history. We need to face this history truthfully and honestly – acknowledge the part we have played in the current economic, physical and spiritual context of the Aboriginal person and seek to find ways in which this wrong can be redressed. Forgive and be forgiven by hearing and telling the stories.”

But for me that means we need to make the first step to put ourselves in a position that we can actually hear those stories, we have to be in relationship.

Tuesday 18th is National Close the Gap Day – and Oxfam are holding a rally at Federation Sq 12pm – 2pm.

If anyone is interested in joining a group of us going as TSA, you’re most welcome. For me it is about starting to step out into spaces where I can learn about the Aboriginal people, their culture, doing something very small but symbolic to say that I care about the situation and that I want to learn and be changed by it.

I have fallen in love with a quote underneath a painting at THQ that reads:

"The promise of reconciliation begins with the journey of indigenous and non-indigenous people approaching the cross of Christ where we sit and share stories, honoring one another as those made in the image of God. United in purpose, we walk away as partners – reconciled people – committed to being agents of reconciliation"

So that is my small ramble about some thoughts around “Peace”…

Youth Capacity Development – Japan, September 2007

This week the story of YCD in Japan continued to deepen and grow in strength -strong images of Release, Freedom and a calling for the new generation to dream dreams, the young to see visions (Joel 2:28). Never have I been a country where the contrasts and realities of life between generations have been so vast, so different. Before coming here, that exact mix has been my attraction and curiosity of Japan – to see a country with such an amazing mix of old and new, images of tradition, in mix with a high tech savvy modern generation. Here poverty is not of a monetary kind, it is poverty of community and human connection.

The question for all of us is how do we remain relevant in such a society that is forgetting to teach the next generation how to simply connect with each other? How to play, how to deal with emotion face to face, how to be in relationship with each other…living the life of fullness that God wants. How do we remain relevant to the youth growing up in this new globalised world?

My answer: Just listen to them. Give them space to express their concerns…their hopes…their vision for the future…and start acting like we believe they have the capacity and creativity to respond.

The Vision: Is it old or new?

Over the last few days I've been reading a book called "Red Moon Rising" by Pete Grieg. I highly recommend for those of you that haven't heard of it. It is story of how the 24-7 Prayer movement started, and has some pretty amazing stories of how the spirit has led people together with similar visions of an army of young people, a whole generation of prayer warriors calling out to God...and how God has been answering them...

I remember going along with a friend to a 24-7 prayer room soon after i'd become christian (at some crazy hour of the morning after we'd been out on a friday night). ..As well as laughing at how my parents (not church goers) thought I was passed out in a gutter drunk because i had turned my phone off and wasn't answering and thier utter disbelief when i rang at 5am to tell them not to stress i was just in a prayer room... it has been interesting reflecting back on the experience... I remember it being a special time but also a time that God really started to break my heart for the poor (and the start of turning my life upside down!). The bizaree thing is, until i started reading this book, i had always thought this 'movement' was just a regular rythym of the church, or perhaps nothing new - why would i question it... of course we should have time as a church community coming together in prayer...praying for ourselves, each other, praying for our communities, our nation, our world....nothing revolutionary about that!? And Pete Greig's story tells, it is not new, generations before us have led similar movements...the Moravian community prayed for 100 years non-stop!

For me personally, a vision that is shared in the book had strong resonance with me - it was very similar to one that I have of the global Salvation Army: "There were hubs of concentrated light, almost like powerhouses, which were sending out pulses of light"...But my image is of a globe with Salvation Army corps scattered all over, with people being released from the captivity of the church building, walking out of the safety of our corps and reaching out into thier communities hurting....and thier communities being healed. For me that is the potential of the Salvation Army...we are a global army, a global family, yet are local and grassroots focused ...friends often ask me why i choose to work for the Salvation Army as opposed to another NGO? And on many many points it is so tempting, but recently i can't get away from this one vision... I love that we are the communities. By that i mean, for example, when a disaster happens like the tsunami, or as communities struggle to cope with the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, we don't have to send a team there, because we already are there, we are already part of the community, we are in relationship with them, and we will be there long after the emergency disaster and project teams leave. Our Soldiers remain. I am humbled when i think of friends I have made globally that are living out this vision, mostly unpaid!...they are the saints that keep going unrecognised, yet remain focused on bring love, care and healing to thier communities. I think Daryl Crowden has a similar vision when he says "It is this priority for transformation that makes every Salvationist a community, and human capacity developer".

In my mind, Integrated Mission (or whatever you want to title this similar vision) isn't a new movement, just as the 24-7 prayer movement wasn't...But it does take us back to our roots, back to an Army that walked out of established church held captive by religion and straight into the communities that were hurting most...That is my vision. Is it yours?

Here's a thought...perhaps we should call NEO's (New Expressions of Church) - OEO (Old Expressions Church)???

Close the Gap Campaign

I just finished reading a government report called "Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage - Key Indicators 2007" and is the basis behind Oxfam's "Close the Gap" campaign. The thing that struck me as ironic was, all the examples of "Things that work" and recommendations were bottom up, community-owned, grassroots initiatives that have proved successful! One that i looked up caught my attention, and I've cut and pasted a little bit below: good stuff!


"The aim of the Empowerment Research Program is to explore the role and contribution that concepts of empowerment and control can make towards better understanding and addressing the social determinants of Indigenous Australian health and wellbeing.



We have utilized two practical programs or tools for studying empowerment and control and their relationships to Indigenous health. These are the Family Wellbeing Empowerment Program and Indigenous Men’s Support Groups. Both of these interventions are ‘inside-out solutions’ that build on Indigenous strengths. The dominant image of Indigenous Australia portrayed by health statistics and the media is a traumatised people plagued by chronic and debilitating disease, incompetent governance systems, alcoholism, violence, unemployment, boredom and appalling education outcomes. Too often these images overlook crucial facts that Indigenous communities, like all human societies, mainly consist of people trying as best as they can to go about the daily business of living a meaningful life. Equally important is that no matter how desperate the situation might look to the outsider, communities often have pockets of exceptional strength, resiliency, creativity and innovation."



National Close the Gap Day is on Tuesday 18 September 2007 - and will give Australians across the nation the opportunity to come together and show their support for closing the 17-year life expectancy gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and other Australians.

For Salvos in Melbourne: A group of us are going to the event at Federation Square 12pm - 2pm. Want to join??

See Oxfam's website for more details: http://www.oxfam.org.au/events/close-the-gap-day/

Paul Keating - The Redfern Address - Australian Labor Party

Woman at the Well John 4:4-42

Last friday i had the opportunity to go to UNOH's Surrender conference "Fools for a Revolution". For me it was a really positive time to be able to connect with such a diverse group of people also passionate about the situation of Indigenous people in Australia. Hearing thier stories and experiences, it was further confimation to me that the relational approach that the regional team use in community is vital. By far the highlight of the weekend was hearing two aboriginal people talk, Aunty Jean Phillips and Ray Minniecon who are both very passionate about both seeing the Indigenous church grow in Australia and raising up the next generation of Indigenous leaders.

In the elective with Ray, he facilitated a discussion on the Story of Jesus meeting the woman at the well in Samaria (John 4:4-42) and the link with the situation of the Aboriginal people. Was very interesting and i was amazed at the discussion that came out of a couple of basic questions. I thought i would very roughly share a few thoughts we had.

The Questions that were posed to the small group discussions were:

1. What barriers did Jesus have to overcome in order to have a relationship with the samaritan woman?
2. Think about Jesus's approach and method. What principles can we learn for relationship building?

The barriers we mentioned included: Gender, Language, Social Stigma - cleanliness of associating with a gentile, Social Class, her history (the time of the meeting at the well is an indication that she herself was socially excluded, perhaps because of her history), physical barriers - Jesus went out of his way to pass by Samaria.

A good question to ask ourselves: who in your community/society represents the woman at the well?? We discussed the link to the Indigenous people in Australia.

Key Principles/Approaches:

1. There is a surprising bargaining power in the way that Jesus approaches the woman and asks her for a drink of water, he is the one in need. How often do we go to the community with things for them, rather than showing our own needs and vulnerability. There appears no power structure here - which surprises her.

2. Jesus is aware of her history, acknowledges it, but is not judemental - he continues to talk to her. He is 'informed' yet has compassion and is gracious.

3. Jesus being with her there at the well, and building a relationship with her, meant he put her above religous laws & norms. And surprisingly, the disciples didn't question it when they returned.

4. Jesus mixes the 'natural' (being the water) with the supernatural (living water)- which leads to transformation.

Just imagine if we could apply so perfectly the approaches that Jesus used in our own interactions with people!!!

More than Eyes Can See - Rhidian Brook

Reviews Independent:

HIV/ Aids has enough experts," the Salvation Army told BBC journalist Brook as it sent him on this task. "We just want someone to go and see and find the stories." So he sets out, with two young children in tow, to the scummiest parts of India, Africa and China. And tell them he does, with a light, deft touch. Without a trace of mawkishness or sentimentality, Brook sets it out straight - most movingly when his six-year-old daughter asks him, "What is a prostitute?" or his son wants to know why people commit genocide. "Remember to write my name somewhere," a dying man asks him. This he does, with heartbreaking simplicity.

Book Description

This book presents an extraordinary account of a nine-month journey made by the author and his family into some of the World's HIV/AIDS epicentres. Sent by the Salvation Army to bear witness to the work they were doing in response to the pandemic, Rhidian Brook, his wife and two children, follow a trail of devastation through communities still shattered and being broken by this disease: truck stop sex workers in Kenya, victims of rape in Rwanda, child-headed families in Soweto, children of prostitutes in India, farmers who sold blood for money in China. It is a remarkable journey among the infected and the affected through a world that, despite seeming on the brink of collapse, is being held together, not by power, politics, guns and money; but by small acts of kindness performed by unsung people choosing to live in hope.

(http://www.amazon.co.uk/More-Than-Eyes-Can-See/sim/0714531421/2)

"I can’t pretend: the world we saw on this journey really was in terrible shape. But the further we travelled the more we saw how the hidden, unsung acts of neighbours in forgotten communities seemed to be making the difference between hope and despair – between living and dying. Whenever a situation seemed close to overwhelming we would encounter stories of amazing grace, and hope; small stories that slowly accumulated into being The Big Story."

http://www1.salvationarmy.org/ihq\www_sa.nsf/vw-issue/634E77139F8D17168025728B0000CF4D?opendocument&id=E070C217D74FFBCC8025725A0011B769

I cannot recommend it enough!!

"Little Children are Sacred"

"There's no quick Fix"

(Image from Oxfam.org.au)

After much request, I've posted a letter below that was written to the Commissioner of Australian Southern Territory about the recent interventions into Aboriginal communities. It is a very sensitive issue in Australia with so many different opinions on what should or shouldn't be done. I'm placing it here to get people thinking and raise awareness about the issues involved. I also just wanted to say that I am so glad we have a Commissioner here that we feel comfortable expressing these concerns to and having the youth voice heard.

Much Grace,
Heather

Dear Commissioner,

Firstly, welcome home to Australia!

As we are sure you are aware, following the recent release of the report " Little Children are Sacred" on child sex abuse in the Northern Territory, the Federal Government announced a major policy intervention into the welfare of remote aboriginal communities. The policy that encompasses a number of extreme measures has been met with mixed responses from both Aboriginal communities and the wider Australian public (including the authors of the report).

We were very disappointed to read the Salvation Army's THQ media release, which fully supported the Government's proposed solutions and advocates for the State governments to adopt similar measures.

As youth passionate about this issue, we, like many people are in complete agreement that this is an urgent issue and a national crisis that needs our immediate attention. We need to ensure that communities are safe and free from violence and abuse. It is for this reason we fully support the intention of the policy.

Despite our support for the intention, we have many concerns about the detail of the policy and believe the approach the government is pursuing, sends a very strong message of blame and disempowerment to the aboriginal communities. In the words of Paul Briggs an aboriginal leader of Yorta Yorta in Shepparton, it " legitimizes the view of indigenous dependency". To us the policy does not seem in the spirit of reconciliation, a concept that acknowledges the impact of past policies on indigenous people. Australia's history of paternalistic, western, imperialist approaches to aboriginal affairs should inform this new policy so that it does not simply become another failed experiment.

In a privileged position of trust and respect from the public, The Salvation Army, a grassroots organization focused on assisting the marginalized and oppressed, has the responsibility to question policies that target the poor, oppressed and marginalized – the voiceless. In Australia that is our Indigenous people. It is a central part of our democratic society that we can debate these issues, rather than uncritically accept government's decisions. The Salvation Army has valuable experience in assisting those with drug and alcohol addictions, victims of domestic violence and child abuse, all things being targeted as a result of this report. Would we encourage an extreme policy response in communities within our cities? In our rural towns? Take the alcohol bans as an example, whilst we would support the movement towards more dry communities, we recognize that to simply ban alcohol will not cause the problem to disappear; people with addictions require rehabilitation, counseling support and a personal willingness to get clean.

The government's policy has not been well thought out or planned and as a result details are changing continually as people and organizations raise their voice of concern over the plans. To our knowledge the Salvation Army has not been one of these voices. Key adjustments include the decision to not target the non-indigenous sex offenders, clearly a discriminatory decision considering the findings of the report. Secondly, the compulsory health checks are now going to be voluntary because people voiced their concern over the psychological impact these would have on the children. It has been widely supported by medical professionals that such a policy is abusive and could simply place additional trauma on children. We believe there is scope for us as an organization committed to reconciliation and mission to the poor, to encourage the government to adjust and implement changes that will result in the long-term health, healing and wholeness of these communities.

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ecumenical Commission (NATSIEC) which is a commission of the National Council of Churches in Australia have also raised a number of important questions worth mentioning regarding the holistic impact that the policy will have on communities by identifying some key areas missing;

Ø "We are concerned that the focus is on the identification only of victims, with too little thought being placed on appropriate long term counselling and medical support as well as a lack of attention being given to charging and processing perpetrators through the justice system and, importantly, protecting communities during this process. We ask the Government to pause, in its eagerness to intervene, and listen to the experts in child abuse; and to take on board their well thought out recommendations to both prevent further abuse and to ensure those children who are already victims are cared for appropriately . "

Ø "We are also concerned that not enough attention is being paid to other aspects of alcohol abuse, in particular the violence against women. The fact that more Aboriginal women die from violence in the Northern Territory than any other cause of death is a statistic which should have inspired intervention long ago ."

Ø "We have concerns about the blanket approach to quarantining welfare payments. We believe that quarantining should only apply where it is proven that there is a failure of responsibility and children are at risk. Casting all Aboriginal people as irresponsible and unable to manage their income is erroneous. It will cause more problems than it will fix. Care must be taken to ensure these measures are targeted to those people who will benefit from them. We do not support a blanket approach which will affect all Aboriginal welfare recipients . "

We recognise that this is not an easy issue or situation to address with policy solutions. We believe the government, needs to work with the aboriginal people to ensure real, positive, and long lasting change is achieved, something the report also recommended. The government needs to listen to the aboriginal voice, recognize and support the efforts and successes that already exist . They have given very little recognition to the strengths and capacity that is present within these communities. Pat Anderson, a co-author of the report has raised concerns over the policy and urged us to "build on the successes that are already out there and to not turn away from the body of knowledge that we have already accumulated about these issues". There are many indigenous people and communities fighting for change, who recognize a solution for their own community. There is no one size fits all solution, but that doesn't mean a culturally sensitive and sustainable solution does not exist. We just need to learn to listen.

In the foyer of Territorial Headquarters in Mont Albert, there is a beautiful aboriginal painting of a cross that has foot prints leading up to it; recognizable as non-indigenous feet represented by the circle and five toes either side of the aboriginal symbol for footprints. Underneath is the quote:

"The promise of reconciliation begins with the journey of indigenous and non-indigenous people approaching the cross of Christ where we sit and share stories, honoring one another as those made in the image of God. United in purpose, we walk away as partners – reconciled people – committed to being agents of reconciliation"

Our common vision is one of individuals, communities and our society enjoying health, healing and wholeness. However to get there, we believe the approach needs to be one that believes in the capacity of people, is at the grassroots, is empowering and community driven. An approach where we can discover grace and be transformed as a society together – a reconciled nation.

We leave you with one question, is this the message we are telling the public and the government by supporting the Federal Government's policy of intervention without any challenge as to its approach?

Yours Sincerely,

Heather Saunders, Sarah Roberts, Mayra Landy-Alliston, Claire Ruthven, Beth Callander & Paul Roberts

Nelson Mandela: The Epidemic of AIDS

AIDS has devastated not only families, but entire communities…and even countries. It is also considered one of the greatest threats to children today. There are 13 million AIDS orphans in the world. In South Africa, 70,000 babies are born with AIDS every year. Former South African President Nelson Mandela is deeply concerned about the impact of AIDS, not only in South Africa but around the world...


When Oprah sat down with Nelson Mandela to discuss this topic, he was passionate about combating the spread of this devastating disease... [yes, i am blogging something from Oprah! :-) ]

"One of the things that is destroying people with AIDS is the stigma which we attach to it. When a person realizes that they're suffering from a disease in which I'm shunned by my friends, by my parents, I'm a castaway. He or she loses the determination to fight. One thing we must avoid is to allow people to lose hope in the future. "

Question: Do you think we attach the same stigma to suicide & depression?? In the Asia-Pacific, we have countries with some of the highest suicide rates in the world.

To name a few: Australia, Japan, the pacific islands...So, why aren't we talking about it??

IMEX (Integrated Mission Experience)

I hope Beth doesn't mind me posting this but i wanted to share some of her reflections on a trip to Zimbabwe we did together under the banner of "IMEX Africa" in 2004. The idea of the trip was to simple go and build relationships with the local youth, hoping to share and learn from each other, in particular, learn about how they and thier communities are responding to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. This is quite different to many traditional forms of short term mission trips where they are often focused on going to help with material items such as helping build centres, helping them financially, teach them different skills - very much driven by the idea that we from the developing countries have the solutions.

But i will let Beth's reflections speak for themselves:

“Reflecting back on my trip to Zimbabwe and Zambia, it’s easy to wonder “What did I achieve? What difference did I make? What do I have to show for this?”. However, the IMEX concept that we worked under helps me to remember the people I met. We shared life with these people, and the greatest achievement I feel like we made was by simply encouraging them to continue on their journey, to encourage them that they are doing a GREAT job, which can often be forgotten when you are in the middle of the day-in, day-out work that you do. IMEX allowed me to help the leaders in Zimbabwe to realise the bigger picture, and the potential in themselves. Bringing this back to Australia, I see that the same potential lies within me, that I am capable of changing the world that I live in. There is no tangible thing that I can show for my trip, but instead it is a change in heart, in attitude, in my attitude towards the problems that our society faces. And mostly, it’s a change in my attitude towards the relationships that I have with others. Relationships are no longer about what I can gain from them, but I what I can share with others. This for me, is IMEX.”

Asleep In The Light

Keith Green meets William Booth's "Vision of the Lost"

Kunming HomeAids Project

Alma recently returned from a trip to China. Here are her reflections:

Kunming is the capital city of Yunnan province, China. It has an estimated population of 3,740,000 including 1,055,000 in the urban area and is located at the northern edge of the large Lake Dian. Here The Salvation Army works in partnership with Yunan Red Cross in implementing a HomeAids Project. In June the Asia-Pacific Regional team was invited to do a participatory project evaluation of the project.

During the week we were able to meet with several people involved in the project. These individuals are full of stories to share about the changes in their lives, how they got involved and how they are now helping to make a difference in their own communities. About 1000 volunteers are actively engaged and are mobilized.

Story depiction of community volunteers participating in one of the community meetings

Here are few of the excerpts from the discussion with the volunteers:

“I am just only one month volunteer but I found new meaning in helping communities. I like to do the drama performances. These help me to share my personal experiences. My parents don’t believe that I can break away from drugs. Now, I haven’t been in drug detox but I am clean.”

“ I came from west side of Kunming. I happen to know HomeAids from my friends. HomeAids teaches community and I wanted to know more about HIV/AIDS. I stopped using drugs. I am now able to help former drug users. We come together, communicate with each other and share how to keep ourselves clean.”

There are so many testimonies telling of the changes people have experienced when they started to find meaning in their lives through the value people give them. People have the capacity to change and develop. From the community meetings we observed and heard that former drug users are now working with the district director and policeman. They used to say that they were discriminated against but they now find that people begin to understand them as people.

A picture of Hope and Acceptance. Former drug user happy participating and helping with community activities.

People undergo the process of change. Change happens as we continue to listen, to help support one another, and to learn from each other’s experiences. Each story that we heard validates that people need each other in order to change. Change is possible together.

Appreciative Inquiry - Dr David Cooperrider

Doesn't God call us to look towards bringing heaven on earth?

Integrated Mission

Integrated Mission is the process of being present in people’s lives, homes and neighbourhoods, of engagement and support, and the facilitation of change that brings about an eternal hope. Integrated Mission and the facilitation process stimulates local community response by affirmation of the strengths that exist in the community and living environments, and building the community's own capacity to respond to critical issues.

Health, Healing & Wholeness

WHOLENESS: Gods plan is that man enjoys health, healing and wholeness. It is the vision of the Asia-Pacific Regional Program Facilitation Team (APRPFT) that the Salvation Army as an International movement of faith be truly integrated with the community to promote wholeness and the characteristics of the Kingdom of God by believing in the capacity of people, and being transformed together.

The Beach Boys & Shop 16...We're all on a journey

Down south in Sri Lanka, Hikkaduwa is known for its beautiful beaches and as such is a popular place for tourists to visit. It was also a town hit hard by the Boxing Day Tsunami in 2005.




The Salvation Army has been doing a lot of work there, not only with tsunami reconstruction but also in the area of HIV & AIDS. For many of the young men that live there, employment options are limited. There are limited labouring jobs, at best temporary, and there is of course the seasonal fluctuation of jobs within the tourism industry... and the hidden - ugly - side to tourism, that is the sex industry. A team mate working in the area told me a story about the local 'Beach Boys' in March that taught me on a much deeper level, the importance of being in relationship with people...of journeying with them.

In an area where unemployment is high, the team in Hikkaduwa have been starting a lot of sports activities in the community to not only give them something to do and an alternative to sitting and drinking, but to build relationships. In talking to these young men that they've become friends with, they were gently asking questions about thier choices to engage in prostitution with tourists, it was clear that they were not taking ownership of the health risks involved, the risks of contracting HIV & STD's. They were aware of them...but it wasn't a factor in thier decision making process. The youth often have this idea that they are 'invicible', young and strong, "It won't happen to me" attitude. It is for this reason that no amount of telling them what to do, or awareness programs alone will change thier behaviour. However, sadly there often comes a time when either them or a friend, does become the person that it happened to...If we are not there journeying with them, we may miss that 'light bulb' moment, where not only do they now understand the risks you were talking about in very real way, but they turn to you for support and advice... They give us permission to help guide them on a path to health and healing.


This week we were out at "Shop 16" in Reservoir, Melbourne and I was once again reminded about this lesson, that we journey with people in order to bring about behaviour change, to bring about health, healing and wholeness. How can such different places, different issues, different cultures, teach me the same lesson?


'Shop 16' is an amazing...to say 'place' would be misleading...i will say family and community that inhabit a shop front as thier home. During the morning out there, we spent some time thinking about how care is expressed within the Shop 16 community, but also what changes have occurred as a result of the care. A common reflection was that care is shown through acceptance and respect regardless of life circumstances . But also how the care that is shown for the kids and family has slowly evolved into a community culture that sets healthy expectations on each other. For example, the kids expect each other to actually go to school, or that after school they will look for work rather than rely on welfare etc....this is a huge shift in the attitutes and culture of the area. There is real behaviour change, that in the long term will break the cycle that is often generational. But this only comes through a long term, relational and loving acceptance of people and believing in people's capacity to care, change and make decisions for themselves that will bring hope for a healthier life.

Its all about Community Ownership...

Following exert comes from an article in The Age, "Another tricky Howard ruse", Gregory Phillips, June 23, 2007

"Nobody denies that sexual abuse and alcoholic dysfunction in indigenous communities is a massive problem. Many Aborigines have long advocated for better services to deal with the issues, and have strongly asserted that alcoholism and sexual abuse are not a part of Aboriginal culture. It is, in fact, a learned behaviour.

Where did Aborigines learn it? It is partly a hangover of the missionary days only 20 and 30 years ago, where sexual violence was routinely perpetrated on Aborigines by police, pastoralists and missionaries, and where the church often forced people to marry against their social and cultural clan systems. This is not an excuse for abuse today, but it is part of the reason people are behaving this way now. Sure, the abuser must take responsibility for these terrible actions, and sure, society has a responsibility to protect children. But to do so only through the law has never worked either here or overseas.

There's no evidence that dealing with addictions and sexual abuse through legal, criminal or administrative systems alone works. It might help alleviate some physical injury and perhaps prevent a small amount of abuse, but it doesn't address the emotional and mental turmoil that gave rise to the behaviour in the first place.

By contrast, Native Canadian communities in crisis with sexual abuse have turned the issue around in 10 years by community-led action, by government being prepared to listen to and trust local community leaders, and by supporting communities themselves to make the abuse of alcohol a socially unacceptable behaviour. "

Apparently governments in developed countries have a clue...

Well I just recieved the link to this article from a friend, a little distressed about the approach that our wise government is taking to addressing aboriginal issues...

Check it out:
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=60407

Would LOVE to hear your thoughts!

What is Appreciative Inquiry?

Ap-pre’ci-ate, v., 1. valuing; the act of recognizing the best in people or the world around us; affirming past and present strengths, successes, and potentials; to perceive those things that give life (health, vitality, excellence) to living systems 2. to increase in value, e.g. the economy has appreciated in value. Synonyms: VALUING, PRIZING, ESTEEMING, and HONORING.

In-quire’ (kwir), v., 1. the act of exploration and discovery. 2. To ask questions; to be open to seeing new potentials and possibilities. Synonyms: DISCOVERY, SEARCH, and SYSTEMATIC EXPLORATION, STUDY.


"Appreciative Inquiry is about the coevolutionary search for the best in people, their organizations, and the relevant world around them. In its broadest focus, it involves systematic discovery of what gives "life" to a living system when it is most alive, most effective, and most constructively capable in economic, ecological, and human terms. AI involves, in a central way, the art and practice of asking questions that strengthen a system’s capacity to apprehend, anticipate, and heighten positive potential. It centrally involves the mobilization of inquiry through the crafting of the "unconditional positive question" often-involving hundreds or sometimes thousands of people.

In AI the arduous task of intervention gives way to the speed of imagination and innovation; instead of negation, criticism, and spiraling diagnosis, there is discovery, dream, and design. AI seeks, fundamentally, to build a constructive union between a whole people and the massive entirety of what people talk about as past and present capacities: achievements, assets, unexplored potentials, innovations, strengths, elevated thoughts, opportunities, benchmarks, high point moments, lived values, traditions, strategic competencies, stories, expressions of wisdom, insights into the deeper corporate spirit or soul-- and visions of valued and possible futures. Taking all of these together as a gestalt, AI deliberately, in everything it does, seeks to work from accounts of this "positive change core"—and it assumes that every living system has many untapped and rich and inspiring accounts of the positive. Link the energy of this core directly to any change agenda and changes never thought possible are suddenly and democratically mobilized. "

David L. Cooperrider and Diana Whitney
A Positive Revolution in Change: Appreciative Inquiry

bono's acceptance speech (edited)

Atmosphere of trust

" Poverty is a chronic disease. It cannot be cured with ad hoc measures. There may be short-run measures, but one must have a long-term strategy in mind when taking a quick tactical step.

One short programme is totally ineffective in this regard. Continuity of relationships creates an atmosphere of trust which helps to lay down the foundation of a higher level of relationship. Projects can have an impact only when a long-term commitment underlies them. "

Muhammad Yunus "Banker to the poor"
(Noble Peace Prize Winner 2006 for his work in microcredit with the Grameen Bank)

Memory Work

With an estimated 14 million children globally who have lost one or both parents due to HIV/AIDS and other factors, the challenge of care for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) left behind is huge. To quote Meble, a teammate in Kenya, “children appear to be slipping through social safety nets or places of security, love and belonging, ending up in households with no resident adult, or as children living on the streets and silently be exploited, trafficked or abused. There is concern that there children might come to constitute a ‘lost generation’ of young people who have been marginalized and excluded for much of their lives”.

The African Regional Team have been doing a lot of Psycho-Social Support (PSS) with OVC’s, particularly through Youth Capacity Development, which originally emerged out of concerns related to future leadership in Africa. YCD is an important recognition that as the adults are hit hardest by HIV/AIDS, the youth have immense capacity to respond, care and support OVC’s. And it seems the same situation in Papua New Guinea is emerging. As HIV/AIDS infections continue to rise at a rapid pace, family structures are breaking down under stress and the numbers of street children is rising. And the youth want to respond.

(Adventure Based Learning at Masiye Camp - Zimbabwe)

One of the ways that the African teams are responding is through ‘Memory Work’ and it has really got me thinking lately, so….I thought I would share. (A big thanks goes out to Meble too!)

Memory Work
This is a key element in the concept of Psychosocial Support that strengthens family bonds, but also provides a chance for mourning, and dealing with the losses associated with death of a close relative, especially to children. A process of capturing family backgrounds and links through the memory box, gathering special items that remind you of family, traditions, ties, ongoing traditions, key things that stood out for family or communities. Story telling as facilitated by different generations, community time-lines, mapping out of experiences, memory boxes, writing letters and keeping them as memories, all contribute to reducing the long-term trend of incompetence and undealt with emotions for generations to come. The idea of memory linking to strengthening relationships between sick parents and their children, preparation for responsibility but also being aware of the roots and origin that adds value to family relationships. Memory work in this sense goes beyond children but for communities, and families to remember experiences that have stood out, activities, celebrations, events and changes in the weather and practices related to natural disasters. People that were present, significant behaviors of well known leaders, but also memories on moments for care and change in the communities. Memory keeping practices, then preserves communities’ memories and a transfer of knowledge, skills and information between the generations; to support children in expressing their feelings associated with grief.

A significant role for memory work is for facilitating and stimulating sick parents to talk to their children, in preparation for future through past experiences and finding pathways for parents and children to talk about issues within the household strongly; especially for sick parents who are ailing, on left relationships with the extended family and preservation of family ties; but not only preserving memory for children but also for families.

In reading that, it hit me how universal the need to be able to connect to family histories are in shaping our identity. And in particular, cultures where stories and beliefs are passed down orally through the generations, HIV/AIDS is robbing millions of children of this history. But it is not only important in Africa and PNG to do this same kind of work, perhaps it should be an important part of supporting and helping facilitate immigrant communities to be able to continue connecting to their home country/culture or Aboriginal communities preserving their stories for future generations as a means of preserving their identity. But I too have been on a journey the last two years learning about my own family background. After moving to Footscray last year where my grandparents and great-grandparents all lived, there was something liberating about learning more about my family in the smallest things such as driving past an old church at the end of my new street and my grandmother telling me that is where my great-grandfather went to primary school. A good friend in Footscray Marcus, is very passionate about connecting to his Cornish roots and helped me to have a much deeper and richer understanding of not only where I’ve come from but also what it means for my life. For Christians, we have a shared history where our identity is not only shaped by Jesus, but our understanding of him should be embedded in our understanding of the Exodus story where God liberated the oppressed Israelites from slavery in Egypt.

So I don’t really know how to finish these rambling thoughts, they continue to evolve as I talk to more people about them. I would love to hear what others think…whether they have experienced a need to connect to their roots, or perhaps they are still trying to find what those are??? Does it even matter to you??

Human Capacity Development (HCD)

Supporting communities as they make decisions for change

There are many issues in the world such as HIV/AIDS, drugs, suicide, violence to name a few, which require us to think about what we believe in, our attitudes and behaviours and how this impacts on our lives, our families lives, our friends lives and also our wider communities life. In many situations we are able to navigate decisions and actions for ourselves or with the support of others. Sometimes however we are not aware of our own strength to do this, or of the different choices available to us, in such situations additional support can be helpful.

The Salvation Army over the last 20 years has developed a network of teams that can support individuals/families/communities as they identify the key issues affecting them, discuss the root causes, make decisions for change and take action. There are some key beliefs and ways of working which is the foundation of how the teams form and function:

Key belief:
Decisions for change have to be taken and owned by those making the choice. If someone tells you to change, you may change of a short time as a mark of respect, but will it be lasting change? Change has to be wanted. People have strengths within them – this is sometimes called capacity. People have the capacity to talk with each other. They have the capacity to think through their options, they have the capacity to care for each other; they have the capacity to change. In this context, change is an internal process that comes about through knowing that you are not alone in facing the issues and have people that can be a source of support if required, that is, care leads to the hope for something different, and change.

What makes you own the decision to change/want to change?
Ø The issue relates to me personally
Ø I feel motivated to do something about it
Ø You ask yourself the question – what can I do? What are others doing?

Are there people who can support me as I look at what is really going on and what I can do?

Ø A supporting team may visit and open up discussion around the issue – they may go home to home and talk with people, talk to the leaders and ask people whoa re interested to gather to discuss the issue together

Ø The people running the discussion invite those who are interested to be involved and be part of ongoing support within the community, they suggest the volunteers could visit house to house and coordinate future community discussions. They offer to help the volunteers feel more confident in asking questions that open up issues that are affecting people beyond the physical, and listening to the responses.

Ø The team believe that the people involved can make a difference and can change – they support those involved to also believe this about themselves

Ø The visiting team keep visiting and letting the volunteers and community know they are supported and not alone

Ø As the decisions and changes occur, the volunteers are invited to come and share their experiences with other people and other communities to motivate and encourage others to also change.

This process is termed HUMAN CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

Its simple silly.

Sri Lanka PSS - Photos

The Family!!

Batticaloa Team

Manel & Sita

Batticaloa Team - Community Map

Community Counselling Cycle

What are we creating?

Well I've just returned home from what was a really good week back in Colombo, where we held a Psycho-Social Support (PSS) Workshop. After 2 years of Community trauma counselling there, the local team saw the need to continue supporting communities emotionally beyond the trauma of the tsunami but in general life issues.

There are so many reflections i could give but the thing i wanted to write about is an eternal question within development circles that came up a lot this week...On our first day we asked the group, what are your hopes for your community? And the response that hit me was.. "to change the receiving mentality of our community"...The sheer amount of money and material aid poured into the tsunami response has changed communities, and i would argue not in a healthy or sustainable way.

On the other hand, during our workshop we spent a couple of afternoons in IDP (Internally Displaced Person) camps just outside Colombo that had been hit by the tsunami and it must have been one of the poorest tsunami communities i've visited. My heart was really broken by the stories of a number of the families we chatted to. A young lady our group visited really impacted upon all of us. Her husband had recently gone to prison and now she lives in the camp with her son who is 3 and she is 5 months pregnant. She told of how her husband had never been in trouble before the tsunami but he had started hanging out with people that were not good for him since. She shared of how her son cries for food and the support of her neighbours who are now helping feed them. Compared to areas in the south i've been to previously such as Hikadduwa, this area seems to have recieved very little assistance at all in the last 2 1/2 years. The camp was at the back of a buddist temple and the houses were very simple and life there still very temporary.

So where do we find the balance between material assistance and remaining true to the belief that these communities do have capacity within to collectively change thier situation? Whilst the communities maybe not able to change the hard employment situation that they face, and the material aid, liveihood programs, mobile clinics that other areas have would all provide huge benefits to that community, there is also a lot they themselves can do to improve life there in the camp...But the later often takes a bit more time, and time journeying with people, to show them that they can infact bring about change themselves and hope for a better future.

Community Counselling - Pakistan

Claire Campbell and Alma Acub (team mates) went to Pakistan last week to do a Community Counselling Workshop in communities affected by the earthquake...Here is Claire on her experience there...

“I was working in the shop. After the earthquake I rushed home. On the way I saw a school where many children had died. There were community people pulling the bodiesof children out of the rubble. I could see that they were working hard. I went and got water for them to drink”. (In the Muslim faith it is considered an act of grace to give water to another person).


An initial exploratory visit invited by the Pakistan territory in December 06 had determined that the communities affected by the earthquake would benefit from a holistic response to their needs arising from the disaster. That is, a response that included physical, mental and emotional considerations. During the initial visit it had become clear that psychological and psychosocial influences were impeding the rate of recovery within communities.

Experience with the 04 tsunami had demonstrated that a community counselling approach whereby local people are supported and encouraged to counsel and be there for each other, as their greatest and sustained strength is an effective way to facilitate community and individual healing around psychosocial issues and influences all other areas of their lives.

Consequently, the Pakistan territory invited the regional team to return to conduct a workshop with community leaders in community counselling processes.

The week clearly demonstrated the principles of integrated mission - healing grace within every community and every heart whatever the faith background.

We included in our discussions the issue of faith. We were aware that this could be a sensitive issue among people particularly if being raised by people coming from a Christian organization. We firmly believed however, that faith is one of the key foundations of any community and is something that should be part of any discussion around community healing. We discussed with the Insan team (local NGO) before meeting with the community the best way to phrase and raise the faith issue for discussion. It turned out to be a pivotal point of discussions, with the participants happily talking about the strength their faith gave them, the way in which their faith inspired them to help others after the earthquake and how their faith continues to sustain them "God gave us strength, we must use it". The fact that we as facilitators were from a Christian background was not a hindrance and indeed appeared to be accepted and respected.

The experience demonstrated that when approached with sensitivity for local nuances, faith is a natural part of community life and discussion.

Hope...Where has it gone?

Do you need a new pair of glasses to find it?

This week a good friend of mine who has inspired me a lot recently in my quest to understand the situation of the Aborignal people here in Australia, sent me an article describing the living conditions of a community in Queensland. And even i was shocked at how strongly i reacted to it, not to the commuinty's situation, but to the way the article was written.

To quote:

"Driving in from the highway, there are glimpses of the coastline's rawbeauty from the pot-holed, corrugated dirt road. But there is little to findthat is beautiful in Yarrabah itself. It's the smell that hits you first — a pungent cocktail of decaying rubbish,damp and the ocean salt, which leaves chalky white splatters on the fewpossessions the people have. The houses are little more than tin sheds and each accommodates two,sometimes three, big families. It's a reality that means as many as 25people sharing each ramshackle space....

Teenage boys kick a football between makeshift goals between the trees. Thedream of playing professional rugby league might just take them away fromhere. A cluster of girls watch them but don't join in. For them, maybe thereis no point pretending...

Edgar Harris has lived in the area for more than 40 years. He doesn't askfor much. "I want my children not getting sick any more," he says. For him,election year budgets and the glossy promises of a bright indigenous futurefor Australia sound like many other promises made by politicians out toimpress voters."I just want a house," Edgar says. "But I don't think we'll ever get it."

This was my reply:

"My intial reaction to this article, probably not what you are expecting....but it is so easy to focus on the negative, and its quite a hard but important discipline to see the strengths in people and communities because it is the complete opposite to what society (and newspapers) tell us everyday. I personally think its time Australia starts looking for, AND SEEING, the strengths in the Indigenous people. To me, he paints a picture of a community just waiting for the government to give them houses. And call me crazy but I refuse to believe that is an accurate picture of the life of the people in that community. In the regional team work, we often find that it only takes a local team building relationships with the community and focusing on strengths to stimulate the community to act themselves. Check out http://ordinarybeautiful.blogspot.com/ and the entry titled "Future". The blog is written by a good friend of mine who lives in South Africa. You will see the difference i'm talking about. No doubt that situations can be completely horrible and just plain unfair, but its about seeing the hope admist the struggle...Does the story sound familiar?

As Christians I think we should know that better than anyone... and we should be living out our faith accordingly."

To share a personal story of my own: In January and Febuary this year, I was in London with my brother and his partner Debra whose kidneys suddenly failed in in November. While i was there, I spent a lot of time with Debra in hospital while she had dialysis and during that time there was so much uncertainty and anxiety about what her future held, whether the kidneys would recover, whether she could have a transplant or whether her condition would simply attack any new kidneys etc. Every Doctor that spoke to us would tell us a different opinion. One day in hospital a nurse came in and began talking to us, and when she realised that this was THE Debra that had got every doctor completely perplexed as to what to do, the nurse shared in a very compassionate way that they all just felt so sorry for her, such a sudden thing to happen to a young girl, they couldn't believe it....and I know this nurse meant very well, but Debra broke down. She didn't need someone else to make the negative even more concrete. On the opposite scale, people that would react and just focus purely on the positive, she would battle to show them that no, maybe it won't. God taught me a lot through Debra about the need for us to acknowledge the struggle and the suffering when we're journeying with people, yet also learning to discipline ourselves in looking for the positives, allowing ourselves to see the hope.

Do we know what the youth are really facing?

My mum came home from school today with a huge smile on her face. She started to tell me about the success of a workshop her school had hosted for the year 9 students run by Jim Stynes (an ex-Aussie Rules footballer) and his organization called ‘Reach’ (www.reach.com.au).

Starting her description of the day with “I have never seen 500 Year 9 students cry…and I was crying too”, I was thinking…sounds really fun! But then she described what sounded like an extraordinary, interactive, fun but liberating day where the kids were asked on a ‘call to adventure’, exploring who they are, their ‘ordinary lives’, the challenges they face, and ‘slaying the dragons’ to achieve their dreams.

One of the most amazing reflections of the day has got me thinking quite a bit tonight...so I thought I would share...

In one of the sessions, they asked the group of students from the 4 schools to nominate a person that is very loud, vocal and enjoys putting people down. The nominated kids came forward, and then based on the strongest cheer (ie support for ‘yes’ this kid is in fact the biggest bully), one of the kids was selected (already amazed?). But then they did a trust exercise where he climbed a ladder and the other kids nominated to catch him…asked how he felt, his response was…scared…perhaps like the kids that he bullies. Asked why he likes to bully the other kids and his response was to shrug his shoulders and smile simply saying it was fun. And I’m sure this doesn’t surprise you.

But then, he was asked ‘what is something that has moved you this year, really touched you’…and he started to tell about the loss of both his grandparents in a car accident this year and how he’d been very close to them.

After he shared his story, the audience was asked to put their hands up if they’d seen the boy tease or put down other kids - nearly all from his school raised their hand. Asked if they’d seen this ‘other’ softer side, and barely anyone moved.

So often I think we see the behavior and react before asking why?

The Reach team used the analogy of us all having an inner core, where the spirit of whom we are comes from, not in any religious sense, but it is where we feel our true selves. As life hits us with different challenges, we start to wrap layers around it to protect ourselves… Bullying and gang violence is a big issue here in Australia and it is very destructive. Similarly, youth around the region are facing similar struggles such as the loss of family due to HIV, domestic abuse, depression, suicide…and the list goes on.

If our sole response to the concerns of the youth is to organize events where we can wrap them up and protect them in our church walls…I think we are failing them. We are in denial if we think they don’t see the brokenness in the world or are too young to understand. We need to engage with the youth on what they are facing, strengthening them to make choices that are healthy for them and their future today…If today is a demonstration, the students expressed grief associated with loss of family members, in car accidents, to cancer, family break ups, bullying….so much about relationships. It will therefore be through relationship, we need to engage with them on the same issues they face at home, at school, on the streets…..

The challenge remains to us all...how do we 'engage' with the youth, or our peers, on these issues in our local community....any thoughts??

Youth Leadership

I recently came across a really challenging blog with a post titled "Youth & Sustainability" (http://disasters-and-development.blogspot.com/search/label/indigenous%20peoples) that raised the question of youth leadership in the context of Indigenous Australia.

For those unaware, in Australia, there is massive disparity between the living standards of Indigenous Australians and the rest of the population. Facing epidemic health issues the situation is often compared to issues facing developing countries rather than developed. There are problems of drug & alcohol, domestic violence and abuse and it is a complex political issue. This blog raised the question of why more often than not indigenous youth have been over looked as leaders.

Have a read: "Young men who for various reasons have been dispossessed of the land which traditionally governed every aspect of the social, political, spiritual and political order. They've not only been shut out of their inheritance, but they're told that to be worthwhile, they need an education in the formal education system, and a job in the formal economy. Given that they can't have either of those things, why are we surprised when they get caught up in the excitement and temporary sense of empowerment that physical violence provides?
I know of one community development agency in Australia that's running a "leadership program" that doesn't target those kids that are usually defined as "leaders" - it's not the academic and social over-achievers that are invited to participate. Instead they're inviting the kids who are, in some respects, the very opposite of that.
...
Should we in fact be offering 'leadership' programs to those that are regarded as 'leaders' in the traditional sense, or should we be seeking to build the 'leadership' skills of those who are most marginalised?"

I think the problem is we see leadership capacity through the lens of having an education, qualifications, becoming an expert at something. But if we shift our understanding, to see leadership in the context of relationships with others in the community it becomes much more about thier capacity to care and journey with people because I believe through care and hope, communities can change and move forward working together. These are our core beliefs in 'Human Capacity Development". And that is leadership.

This is exactly what Youth Capacity Development is about. Its about what Rebecca replied to me: "looking for the young people that are doing amazing, community building stuff below the radar...Maybe young leaders aren't those that are most eloquent, but those that are at the centre of organising the games of footy or soccer just down the road..." It is about the relationships we have as youth and the change we can bring in those settings as Christ's Ambassadors.

For this is what Integrated Mission is all about.

YCD has gone digital!

Well after 2 years of promised 'internet' presence, and a lot of procrastination as to how...Here it is! A Blog for YCD, a place for stories, a place for photos and a place for ideas and thoughts!


A quick update for those who don't know, our little team has seen quite a few changes over the last months with Matt & Jerry moving on and our team taking new form as the SPEA (South Pacific East Asia) Regional Facilitation Team. Stuart Manning (New Zealand) is now the Regional Co-ordinator with Alma Acub (Philippines) as Cluster Liason for South East Asia, Claire Campbell (Australia) as Cluster Liason for East Asia and I have stepped into Matt Campbell's old role as Focal Person for Youth Capacity Development. We would love any prayer support as we continue to grow as team, continue to learn from you, and learn from the communities we meet.


If you are here reading this, in some way or another you too have been part of this 'YCD' movement, whether it be apart of the iYCD that happened in Mizoram '04, IMEX Africa '03 & '04, Pacific YCD in Guam '05, or whether you have met us as we've had the chance to come and be with you in your own place! Even if you can't remember what those crazy words of "integrated mission" or "human capacity development" are, I would love to hear your reflections of what your up to at the moment - where ever in the world that is!! What this whole YCD 'stuff' has meant for you...or even just a quick hello! Email me at: heath.saunders@gmail.com

Imex Africa '04 Team

(Pacific YCD - Guam '05)

Prayers & Blessings
Heather.