Foundations for Freedom Newsletter 24 Greencoat Place, SW1P 1RD, London, UK Tel: +44 20 7798 6000 :: e-mail: info@f-4-f.org :: www.f-4-f.org
Issue 44 // February 2008 CONTENTS:
Introducing new members of F4F Management Group
New members of F4F Management Group
The door half open…
LENA KASHKAREVA
Introducing World’s Initiatives: "Action for Life"
26 years old Lawyer F4F admin/communication officer
Viewpoint Discovering a new world… Miles Paine: Review on “Finding Sanctuary” book by Ch. Jamison Visiting Course in Crimea: Autumn 2007 Values and Responsibility in Public Life
OLEKSANDR KOPIL 25 years old Political Scientist University Lecturer
Youthfulness, Spirit and Russian bath house... News in Brief. Calendar of Events
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Introducing new members of F4F Management Group:
Last year has brought significant changes to F4F coordination in the region. We have been writing about the new F4F Committee members and introduced Tatiana Minbaeva from Russia, who has joined the Committee. However, there were also changes made in the management of F4F. We have employed two new people to work with us for the next two year – Lena Kashkareva (Ukraine) who will fill the part of F4F Administration and Communications, and Sasha Kopil (Ukraine) who will work as a fundraiser. We thought that for all those friends who might not be acquainted with majority of people in the region, we might give a short introduction of those who will work with and for Foundations for Freedom. So, let me introduce this new team of people!
SHORT PROFILES: LENA KASHKAREVA
Name:
OLEKSANDR KOPIL
Age:
26
25
Place of birth:
Khabarovsk, Russia
Nikolayev, Ukraine
Place of living:
the World! :)
Nikolayev, Ukraine
Nationality:
Ukrainian
Ukrainian
Education:
lawyer
MA in Political Sciences
Occupation:
F4F Administrator/ Communications officer to live and learn
University Lecturer
Your calling:
to find one! :)
Your interests:
searching for the balance in people, world cuisine, traveling, cashew nuts, almond, Turkish everything delights, grapefruits and pomegranates, beer, and sometimes – politics…
Last book you have read:
"The Last Bow" by Victor Leif Hovelsen “Out of the Evil Astafyev – highly recommend! Night”
Last movie you have seen: Your skills: Inspirational idea:
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"Gods Must Be Crazy!"
"Stardust", "Man of the Year"
I know how to study, but "specialist in a broad sense", generally I consider myself mainly in the field of civil society enthusiastic amateur in everything and NGO "Sanctity – is not the privilege of "We can’t change this world…., chosen. It’s the duty of all – yours but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t and mine" (Mother Theresa) And at least try to…" another: "you will not become saint through the sins of others" (by Russian writer Chekhov)
What has attracted you to F4F in the first place? And how did your understanding changed since then?
Lena: That was an official chance to skip study at the college. Since then, I had nothing to skip – my studies are over. Sasha: It was in 2004, when I was working with NGO “Centre for Political Education” in Kiev. It happened so, that this temporarily job has became my family and the leaders – Kostya Ploskyy and Anna Borzakovska – my very good friends. Through “Centre for Political Education” I have also learned about Initiatives of Change and F4F. Atmosphere of kindness, relationships full of trust, care and attention they had for people, have surprised me – it was very different from other NGOs I worked with. Besides, all my meetings with interesting people from all over the world, and simple yet very resonating idea…. I guess this is what has then attracted me to Foundations for Freedom.
When you look back? What lessons have you gained?
Lena: Everything changes… (smiles) Sasha: My main lesson – change is a constant process, one can not stop. One can not just say “Right, I have changed now and became a better human being, that’s it!” In reality, the struggle between kind, light and goodhearted Sasha and envious, lazy Sasha is happening every day… Another thing, everything in life has its consequences – both, good and bad deeds. And it works in one’s private life the same it works in one’s professional.
What was keeping your inspiration?
Lena: The thought that inspiration – is not something coming from the outside and leaving whenever it wants not depending on me. It is always within me, I always have it. Sasha: Well, communication with interesting and deep people, my family and friends, in the first place. Besides that, no matter how strange it might be, my dreams. And then, sometimes, books that I read or movies I see.
Why working with Foundations for Freedom?
Lena: It seemed like natural next step of my life’s events. Sasha: I know F4F since 2004, yet only this summer I felt a certain responsibility and relatedness to this programme. I have things to offer to F4F, there are things I could learn from it. Moreover, it is just very nice to work in a group, which goals you believe in and with people you love and trust.
What are expecting to gain from your work with F4F coordination?
Sasha: I hope to get more experience of work in the multicultural and multilanguage setting. Also, to receive new knowledge and skills. And, what is very important – new friendships!
How do you evaluate, generally, the work of F4F in the region, and in which areas should we work more? Lena: I highly evaluate it, otherwise I wouldn’t apply for job. I believe we should work more and exchange our experience with other IofC programmes, give more support to people after our Visiting Courses, and definitely train more course facilitators. Sasha: I am very glad that F4F is being active in Ukraine, however I feel we should not forget the other regions. I believe we should work more with people responsible for the future of our countries – in politics or business. Also, it might be time to do something more than just courses or meetings. Could it be a social project or a campaign? Just my thinking aloud…
What is the feeling you start your job with?
Lena: With a certain sense of fear… (smiles) Sasha: With a sense of interest and being intrigued.
What are your priorities for the first month in new job?
Lena: To get clear with F4F structure and the process of work, as well as develop understanding and effective strategy for future plans. Sasha: First, I need to get acquainted with a new system and understand what was done before in the area of fundraising, define realistic goals and try to achieve those. Generally, I see my professional task in creating a fundraising system for F4F, which will need to be supported and nurtured later, but which will have a certain foundations in place. The thing is, it is often a hardest task to develop (from scratch) relationships with donor organisations, business companies or private individuals who could support our activities.
And what about your professional goals in life?
Lena: I would like to find practical application of everything I have ever got and learned. Sasha: Hard question… Most probably, the bigger part of my life will still be related to the activity of nongovernmental and public organisations. That’s how I see it today… (smiles) GOOD LUCK TO YOU!
Anna Pozogina (Latvia)
Lena: I really hope to get a sense that what I do can bring use and help to other people and world in general.
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The door half open…
Children are all asleep, the door to their room is slightly open, so that I can hear if they wake up and I can finally sit down and write what I have got to say…
I was thinking these days that 2007 is exactly 10 years since I got to know the ideas of Moral ReArmament. More than one third of my life… What change did this 3 days seminar called ''Search for Freedom'' make to my life? I think that is the main questions I asked myself. First thing that came to my mind is strong relationships. Some people I met during the following Visiting Courses became my closest friends, those who don't come for a reason or season, but a lifetime: with whom I can share joys or sorrows and who are always there. Also these are the people who look in the same direction and share the same ideals and therefore it is so important for me to know what they think whenever I have to take a decision. It is generally believed that strongest relationships are formed in the childhood and everything that comes later is ephemeral. Nevertheless, I am very grateful and blessed to start such wonderful friendships in adulthood. Another, not less important thing is that in life I got a direction to search for. Life seems for me to be a continuous quest and lucky are those who found out that what they are doing is the right thing for them to do. I don't pretend to be in this group yet, but I got to understand that exploring applied ethics and teaching it to others is something that brings inner satisfaction. May be because it is true that 'if you really want to learn something start teaching it to others'. I don't know if this is the path to follow till the very end, but looks like a big next step. And finally, I realized that if three children in virtue, as true we could ever bring to this Earth! understood it required first my Integrity is crucial for children, you are not doing. As in perception started to face and I always failed in is an ever lasting just wishing children to make them such at All these thought made be clear about how we before they pop out, now, it is much harder, children woke up… got to go…
together my husband and I can bring up our humans, that would be the greatest good That though proved to be a hard task as I personal behavior and personal example. as they will never do what they see leadership. And that's where my self challenges. I lack discipline teaching myself discipline. It journey and I realize now that grow good and kind doesn't once. me come to idea: we have to want to see our children and change ourselves. And
Mirciuc Alexandra (Moldova)
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Action for Life
Initiatives of Change Leadership Training and Development Programme
With this interview, we start a new series of articles about various initiatives, programmes, organisations and groups throughout the world that work in the area of international development and strengthening of world community. In different directions and with different focuses, yet united by the same vision – to bring about positive changes in our common world. We will attempt to tell why and how they were founded, what helps them move forward and what vision they carry in the heart of their activities. We will talk about opportunities to get involved or support them in their efforts. And we will do this through talking to people working with these initiatives – being the ones carrying the flame, which once gave birth to that idea. Programme “Action for Life” is well known to many of us. The author of this article was a participant herself in years 2005 – 2006. And every time, there are several applicants from Eastern and Central Europe wiling to take part in the next round of the programme. This time, we asked some questions to Alex Birnberg from Australia who is a member of the organising team for the upcoming programme “Action for Life 4”, which will commence on October 1st, 2008.
Introducing World’s Initiatives
Alex, can you tell us more about the upcoming programme – what is the main thinking behind it? What do you expect as a team?
The main aim of Action for Life 4 is to give its participants a deep experience of personal change. This change will also give them the skills and energy needed to tackle the big issues facing their communities and societies back home. Of course, we also hope that everyone has a great time and creates a group of friends they can take with them for life.
How is this programme different from previous three? Is there any difference?
AfL4 is much more focused on the core idea of personal transformation and developing top quality leadership skills. This focus has led us to actually reduce the length of the course to 32 weeks (just over 7 months). We are also introducing the concept of the ‘stepping stone’ project to sharpen the skills and experience of participants. The Indian fieldwork phase will also include some internship opportunities with other leading NGOs which were not available before.
How would you describe an “ideal participant”?
Someone who has the courage to face themselves, who has the determination to want to make a difference in the world and is not afraid to give their best.
Where are you now in the process of preparation and planning?
We are currently gathering the required resources to make AfL4 a reality. This includes the process of application, with the October 15th deadline. Funding, as well as
“Action for Life” is a sevenmonth
leadership development program.Its activities mainly take part in the South and Southeast Asia. It started as a vision of Taiwanese teacher Ren Jou Liu, who believed that young people should take more leadership in the world processes, but this leadership should be of the new quality grounded in valuecentered motivation. The programme has taken place for three times now, and you can read some of participants’ reflections below. It aims to develop a new generation of change makers equipped with integrity and faith who are committed to transformation in the world by starting with themselves. The course uses a combination of interactive training and fieldwork to expand the capacity of each participant. Distinctively, participants and staff come from different generations, nations, and faiths to form a diverse learning and working community that represents an increasingly globalised world. An international faculty delivers a curriculum focused on teambuilding, crosscultural communication, conflict transformation and program development and management. Action for Life is facilitated by Initiatives of Change, and draws on its 60 years of considerable experience in international reconciliation and peace building. The next Action for Life program, AfL4, will commence 1 October 2008. Although, the final date to submit applications was 15 October 2007, we encourage you to follow the development of the programme and read about the future plans through Internet website: www.afl.iofc.org
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support staff are also high priorities.
What are some of the opportunities that you see for the programme?
Action for Life has now happened three times. Each time it has attracted and empowered top quality people. This has given AfL a very good reputation within the IofC network, but also with many others who have been impacted by AfL alumni. As the network of alumni expands, their impact will grow. We see some great potential for AfL working with the many projects initiated by AfL alumni.
And what might be the difficulties you could face?
Apart from all the usual ones you mean? Of course, the need for funding is something that looms large with a project of this size. However, it may be something like visas which becomes a very big obstacle. Each AfL has found it increasingly difficult to allow move participants between countries. This is a big concern for us.
I know, and you have mentioned it before, that you have introduced the new part to the programme, called “The Stepping Stones”. Can you share with us what is it all about? What does that mean?
Looking back at previous AfLs, many participants found it very difficult to return to their home situations after such an intense community experience. The aim of the stepping stone project is two fold: to assist participants with the reality of what they face back home and to make the broader IofC network realise the potential of interlinking with AfL alumni. The idea is to send participants in teams of two or three for a period of around 2 to 3 months to local IofC teams all over the world. The accepting team would have written up a project proposal to make sure the project is very clear for all concerned.
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This will give the participants a great chance to use all they have learned and to apply more of their initiative before heading back to their home situation.
You have been a participant yourself. How does that impact you in the process of planning? Is it of help?
I think it has been a great help that everyone on the core team has been on AfL before. It has allowed us to really think through our experiences and to keep what is best and modify those things that we felt did not deliver. Most of all, it is so great to be working with a group of people who you can call friends.
So, after all, why you and AfL 4? What motivated you to take an “official role” in making it happen? I was personally totally transformed by my AfL experience. It went very deep for me, and I was absolutely convinced about the necessity of such a course to be offered to another group of people. When I found out that there weren’t enough to take on AfL4 – well, I had to put my convictions to the test. So here I am!
If you could look into the future, after you finish with AfL 4, what could be the thing you might like to see there?
I would love to see a strengthening of the AfL alumni all the way from AfL1 to AfL4. I hope that this group of dynamic people all over the world can feel really connected and start forming a nucleus on which to rejuvenate the amazing ideas of IofC.
Thanks and Good Luck!
Anna Pozogina (Latvia)
Mira Kang (South Korea; AfL3)
Through this opportunity to live in diverse community I have learned that our differences are not a weakness – they are our strength. Another significant learning for me is a deeper understanding of my life. For the last few years I have been in a constant run. I realised that I need to stop, look back and see whether the way I lived was the way I actually wanted to live my life.
Lena Kashkar’ova (Ukraine; AfL3)
AfL has helped me to get free from some of my preoccupied ideas and attitudes, and has shown me how much still needs to be changed. In realising that we are all interconnected I’ve seen how much I’m still in “my” reality with “my” problems and “my” belongings. But in order to really help others I have to leave my comfortable place.
Chris Breitenberg (USA; AfL3)
I’ve wasted time in my life covering up my true self by presenting different images to those around me.
But there is no reason to hide from myself or from others. I am who I am with strengths and faults just as everyone. I realised that we are each made beautifully and our weaknesses are part of that.
VIEWPOINT
"I learned to believe people again; found out many imperfections in me, and discovered a lot of what is important to me. I managed to get free from the fears that controlled my life. Thanks to you, I am no longer unaware I know what I want to change in the world, in my relationships with others and, first of all, in myself. I discovered that its more important to know who you really are, than whom you’d like to seem to be".
People have got used to the routines of their lives: home – work – home. I guess you’d agree, just few of us like to leave the “comfort zones” and jump into the unknown. I am no difference in that sense. Let me introduce myself – Anastasiya Kulikova, 3year student of CrimeanAmerican College, and author to this article. Obviously, when someone offered me to leave my ordinary life for a week and go somewhere, with no motivation from my side, I just left this idea behind. Yet, took the Application Form and filled it in, just in case. And in a week, totally unexpected from my side, I found myself in the bus going to Nikolayevka. I still had no particular motivation – I was going to have some rest.
Quote of the participant of the VC in Crimea, April 2007
When the bus entered the gates of private hotel “Gelios”, I deeply breathed in and thought “Wow…” But five minutes later, the first disappointment came – instead of giving the same room to me and my friend I was put in the room with totally unknown girl. And when I tried to protest, they said that it was for a reason! Yet disappointments continued: in my room I found the schedule for a week, where it was clearly stated that my personal free time was not more than three hours per day. “And what about my plans to have a rest?!” – I was outraged and wondering what else to expect. What turned out, was that me and my friend, alongside with all other participants, were not allowed to go to the
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nightclub, which we found just across the street. I was angry with my quick decision to come, and willing to go back to my usual environment. I was not happy neither with good conditions of the hotel, nor with closeness to the sea. Nothing was enjoyable. I was desperately feeling sorry for myself. Yet, with the beginning of the first session, something happened within – being guided by our facilitators, we defined rules for the next week, “punishments” for breaking those rules, and generally felt like we know each other for ages (only later I discovered that most of participants have already been together in the Club of Young Leaders). That was definitely something new for me! I got accustomed with the process, gradually loosing that feeling of disappointment I felt earlier. We had so much within our course programme! We were divided into groups that either worked in the dining room, or were silent for fifteen to thirty minutes in the morning (with unclear purpose at that time). And most interesting was still ahead of me. One of the activities was to tell our lifestory – basically, open our hearts to other people and dare to share our fears. That evening will stay with me forever, candlelight and tea… And lives of other people, who were there with you and in those few minutes, became closer than ever. I must mention that our hotel (our part of it) calmed down only around three in the morning. There were tears, running from room to room, and the only possible result – we became much closer to each other.
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I don’t know about others, but that moment changed a lot for me. I have gained the motivation – “I have to change myself!”, “I need to change the world around me!” I have noticed that most people became more serious in their attitude towards sessions of the course, being more creative and with no doubt more open to each other. The experience I gained during the course can’t be estimated easily – I have reexplored many things: my faith, morals, love, goals and motives in life. It became clear that we have to leave our “comfort zone” from time to time and develop, move on, and never be satisfied with what we have achieved.
It was hard to reintegrate into the usual routine, yet thought that through changing ourselves bit by bit, we change the world around us was very encouraging. My home environment was somewhat not usual anymore. We jumped into our everyday activities, but we were different. I want to believe that all people who were on the course are slowly changing the world they live in and their own lives. And I want to wish them luck! Finally, I would like to add that we should not be afraid to leave the “comfort zones” of our lives, as we never know what and when we will lose, yet what can we gain instead.
Anastasiya Kulikova (Crimea, Ukraine)
Discovering a new world…
Twenty young people gathered in the midspring at the Crimean south coast in a small village called Nikolayevka. They wanted to spend few unforgettable April days together, to learn how to hear oneself and others. Participants from the “Club for Young Leaders” (Simferopol, Ukraine) and guests from England, Latvia and Belarus got to know each other, and shared their expectations and fears about approaching as a group this work of learning about yourself and surrounding environment. That’s how the course “Freedom, Morals and Responsibility in Society” of the programme “Foundations for Freedom” has started. Course leaders – Angela Starovoytova, Anna Bondarenko and Lena Kashkareva from the Crimea, Kostyantin Ploskyy from Kiev, Mike Murphy from the UK and Latvian guest Ulla Ernstreite – were presenting basic human values to the participants from a different perspectives. Those included core ideas of “Initiatives of Change” and wellknown humanity values like honesty, purity, justice, unselfishness and love. Because the leaders were helping participants to think deeply about each of those values, were trying to transmit its meaning step by step, the importance of those eternal human values have touched our hearts. Some course participants managed to discover and to feel not only positive aspects of their personality, but also negative sides of their ‘selves’. Understanding sickening traits like lies, selfishness, hatred, envy, indifference towards others, pride, that exist in each human being, went alongside with efforts to understand oneself as an individual and brought about huge selfrealisation and unforgettable experience. Number of entertaining psychological and interactive games added joy and ease to the sessions, therefore balancing intellectual and physical types of activities. Some of the most
remembered games were “Who would go to Atlantida?”, “Red and Blue”, and teambuilding trainings that caused mixed feelings and lots of conversations. A bright room where the group was spending most of its working time was covered with children’s pictures, which supported welcoming and sincere atmosphere that group leaders were trying to create. The sound of the seawaves and very comfortable facilities of the private hotel inspired productive thoughts during ‘Quiet time’ sessions. The deepest emotional experience during the course was created when each of the participants was sharing their personal lifestory. Shared experiences were quite often helpful in understanding personal problems of the listeners, in analysing personal attitude to oneself, family and others, in re estimating values and life principles. Participants were also greatly influenced by a popular Russian movie ‘Island’.
Apart from the planned sessions there were lots of personal conversations that lasted at times till late night. Young people were exchanging their thoughts and impressions of the day, were helping each other, if someone was struggling, and exchanged their knowledge and interests. All participants were learning about themselves, were more attentive to the words of others as if discovering a new world. On the closing session, in the tense atmosphere of approaching departure, each participant of the course had lit a candle and shared new thoughts and feelings, experienced during the past days. Dancing lights of small candles have turned into the strong flame that was opened to many other little candles, so that through that unity the light could be shed onto the whole world. In a month time a letter came. It was personally addressed and written by each one of 20 young people on one ordinary day in April, while sitting at the coast of a Black Sea in a small Crimean place called Nikolaevka, collecting sunrays in envelopes and breathing salty sea breeze. Lyubov Pranevych (Crimea)
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Miles Paine:
Review on “Finding Sanctuary” book by Abbot Christopher Jamison I have just read a book called ‘Finding Sanctuary’; an easy read and less than 200 pages. It has become a bestseller partly because it follows a British television series about five men aged 29 to 37. They volunteered to enter a Benedictine monastery for forty days, temporarily leaving a range of professional careers. The author is the Abbot of the Monastery, Christopher Jamieson, who earlier was a monk then a teacher and headmaster. The book contains much profound wisdom and I found it challenging and humbling as well as in some ways strengthening my own personal discoveries on my walk in faith through life. The founder of the monastic order, Saint Benedict, was born in the year 480 and defined a number of Rules or basic principles for living in community; ‘a whole way life’ as Jamieson describes it. St Benedict drew much of his inspiration from the ‘Desert Fathers’ These very early Christians were among the pioneers who decided to live in community; they still have much to teach us today. Two books about them have recently been published in England one by our present Anglican Archbishop, Rowan Williams. Much of ‘Finding Sanctuary’ relates, as the title suggests, to the need to find time for silence and the practice of contemplation and listening. For many, silence is difficult to achieve and for some impossible, or unbearable, to maintain for long. There are both personal as well as practical hurdles that get in the way. But it is and has been down the ages the very foundation for living a godcentred life. It is presumably something which all those who read this Newsletter will have attempted to practice from the very first F4F course. As with prayer, it requires discipline to maintain and develop. And it may not get any easier as time goes on. But books such as this help to encourage, restimulate and develop the attempt, as it did for me. And to know that I am not the only one who finds it difficult is at least a comfort. Although there is a chapter on obedience this relates more about obedience to one another ‘in love’ than obedience to any inner unexpected or difficult promptings. The outcome of accepting such inner prompting for me has always been an encouragement that help me pursue and develop adequate times of daily silence and guidance.
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One interesting chapter relates to living in community. St Benedict in Rule 72 says ‘They should each try to be the first to show respect to each other, supporting with the greatest patience one another’s weaknesses of body or behaviour’. ‘Staying the course with other people is a vital step in spiritual living’ says Abbot Jamieson. Not many I know have actively considered entering monastic life. But some try to battle their way through ‘living the life’ on their own rather than escape the dead end of ‘self sanctuary’ (St Benedict). Our reactions to other people teach us a great deal about ourselves and a good reason to live with, even if not within, a community. While the word ‘community’ can have many different meanings here it means a group of people who have the specific intention of engaging with others who have the same interest. In other words as generally used in connexion with F4F. This invariably means both making requests on others as well as offering them your contribution, whatever it may be. One interesting suggestion which might be applied at the end of a team meeting for example. Each person to say what they felt, good and bad, about the meeting or even the behaviour of others at it. Maybe for future issues of the Newsletter it would be good to have peoples’ feelings about the contents. There might even be opportunity to hear from those who are learning truths about themselves and their community that could be a help to others. ‘Finding Sanctuary’ is unlikely to be available to you and almost certainly not in Russian, Ukrainian or Romanian. But there will be many other books that could be explored on St. Benedict or the Desert Fathers. If that fails there are web sites such as www.sacredspace.ie, www.laybenedictines.org or www.thesoulgym.org which have some bearing on the book under review.
January 2007
Visiting Course in Crimea: Autumn 2007 "To understand is to forgive", shared one of the Crimea VC participants, during an R&D time in our small group. I felt this short phrase contains a much deeper meaning than I think.
We had 7 days, in a beautiful resort, at the seaside with a group of people interested in their personal growth, ready to search, curious, able to receive and apply their own discoveries in life. It is difficult for me to judge the impact of this VC on each participant, I believe it is an ongoing process inside and outside each participant and facilitator, which can’t be measured or framed into words. Outside of our usual environment and with a lot of spiritual input, time and space for introspection, interesting topics discussed during training sessions our mind and heart may get closer and more in touch to our deeper nature. We may or may not discover new things about ourselves, other people around us, meaning of our existence, our values, beliefs, identity, spirit.
Probably the deepest moment for me was the final session when all of us shared what we are taking from this course. We lit a small candle from a bigger fire in the center of the room. Each person shared deeply. I felt a true unity, connection with everybody and everything around me. I hope that this time was useful for us and that we got closer to who we really are meant to be. I remember after my first VC in Moldova in 2000, it felt strange to get back to my daily routine. A bit difficult. It was an intense and useful 10day course, which took us quite deep into who we are and what we could change in our lives. Unfortunately it was challenging for me to maintain that depth every day. Maybe I was not successful at doing this. Support from friends who truly care is very important in such moments. After 8 years and the VC in Crimea I helped run, I still ask myself who am I truly and what am I meant to do in this place? I think that my answer is in every day that I live. Thank you for the chance to help.
Violeta Frimu (Moldova)
Every time I meet a new group of people I am dazzled by the thought of the higher meaning hidden in this meeting. What things are they there to teach me? What can I give them? How can I serve them? I notice inside me a fear of being vulnerable, of being judged especially after a personal sharing session. Maybe that fear is inside some of them as well. Maybe not.
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Values and Responsibility in Public Life This was the theme of 7day discussion that took place in the framework of Visiting Course by Foundations for Freedom run in Bahchisaray, Ukraine from 13th19th of August 2007. The course was initiated by National Democratic League of Youth together Youth Movement “STUDAKTIV” from Sevastopol, Ukraine. This course was organised for activists of youth nongovernmental organisations and members of Student Parliaments from Ukraine. It gathered 20 people from Kiev, Poltava, Rovno, Donetsk, Cherkassi, Simferopol and of course Sevastopol. The selected course venue, house of Youth Centre, was more than suitable and gladly invited us to stay with them. This 3stored private house was enormously comfortable and warm. Thanks to this, we could spend all of our time with great joy, and not worry about accommodation matters.
We had many challenges on our way. Let’s take the fact that we had to refuse or minimise our communication with the outside world. Yet how much of our energy is wasted on problems which we deal with in our everyday lives…. Young and experienced team of facilitators: Vyacheslav Balan (Moldova), Anna Pozogina (Latvia), Zoryana Borbulevych (Ukraine), Anna Bondarenko (Ukraine) and juniorfacilitator Anatoliy Zasoba (Ukraine) helped the participants to explore essential concepts of Freedom, Love, Responsibility (the latter three are the official values of STUDAKTIV), alongside with Compassion, Unselfishness, Honesty and Integrity. We got acquainted with broad understanding of these concepts not only from major world religions, philosophy and psychology, but also from areas like coaching and meditation.
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Participants have been introduced to the instruments of Quite Time/ RnD and sharing your lifestory. Not any of the participants have been left indifferent to the process of the course. This course has united, both, previously consolidated group from Sevastopol (we were 11 people) and new, but very understanding and open to each other, group from the rest of Ukraine. One of unofficial participants within our course was twoyear old Nikita, son of Anna Bondarenko. This little guy has brought a lot of interesting and unusual to the activities, always behaving and making our time even more enjoyable. He has taught many the frankness and sincerity, which is so typical to children. In particular, what has left a deep impact onto some of us who have not yet experienced the role of “parent” was the way the mother approached her child. Anna has conquered people’s hearts with her wisdom in bringing Nikita up. In her attitude, one could feel great love and care, which was not limiting the freedom of act and right to choose of the child. Laughter and tears, freedom and responsibility, integrity and sincerity – these were not just emotions or topics for discussion during the course. The course will stay in the memory of each participant, because it has significantly influenced the philosophy and inner world of everyone. It has helped us to discover something new and clarify all that was already within us through putting everything in order. I sincerely wish that everyone takes this course, for all of us, often being in the “desert of existence”, are desperate for the sip of cool, infinitely pure “water” from the source of “eternal living”….
Аnatoliy Zasoba (Ukraine) Course organiser
YOUTHFULNESS, SPIRIT AND RUSSIAN BATHHOUSE...
If one cay that our society has learned to pass on the cognitive, rational knowledge to the coming generations, let’s say with the help of Universities and books, then what relates to passing on the Spiritual component, faith, the magical side to our existence, which obviously involves the irrational aspect as well, bears more difficulty. It is obvious to me, that one can’t pass on the mystical image of faith through introducing the “youth programme of spiritual development”, for it is not something one can understand, but rather something one can feel. Nikolay Berdyaev (Russian philosopher) has described faith as a heroic deed, renunciation of rational mind. And this heroic path of spiritual development is unique for each and everyone, so I find it impossible to define any model for it. Nevertheless, what can be valuable, is sharing your own experience and insights. So, where did I find my Spirit?
stink from it first”. Now, remembering those mellow conversations in the bathhouse, I see no anger, anxiety in any. Rather, the simple words of those simple people have filled the air with peace and sense of eternity.
I also remember how after the bathhouse, all of my life difficulties and offences seemed light as a down, which you could easily blow off into the air. And besides the physical warmth I had after hot bath, I also felt connectedness and warmth of heart to people around me. So, I ask the question – why those kind feelings and thoughts came, and where from? Pragmatic person, as such, will start to describe the logical connection and impact of steam and warmth onto the nerve system and inner organs.
I was surprised to discover that what has, in the first place, connected me to the spiritual notion in general and the spirit of my nation in particular, was such ordinary thing as Russian bathhouses. I was overwhelmed with this new perception I had of such a common thing. I’ve started going to bathhouse with my father when I was seven. He was a great admirer and enthusiast of this thing. I remember how awkward and ashamed I felt being totally naked in front of others. I remember how, afterwards, I was sitting with father’s friends and listening to fishing and hunting stories, sad and funny experiences of those adult people, who were sitting in a big hall, like patricians, wrapped in their bedsheets. Those stories were sincere and pure, like after Holy Communion – they were purified not by soap and shower. The words of Russian actor and singer Vladimir Visotskyy come to my mind: “Don’t be in a rush for a shower. Don’t compare equally washing and purity. One has to clean one’s soul with the switch of birch twigs. One has to evaporate
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Yet, can it be so, that in this Slavic bathhouse experience there happen a reconciliation of two polarities – collective (nude and open to everyone) and individual (shy and self concentrating)? And could it be so that this individual finds enough courage to become naked and through this – feel the greater connection to all more intimately discovering itself? Could it be the place where the Slavic spirit explores itself as force that unites the collective power of the East with the individual West, which Vladimir Solovyev was writing about? Victor Ploskyy in his “Bathhouse Tractate” was writing about the origins of the bath houses: “All bathhouses started in Rome. At the time where there were thousands of bath houses in Rome, before Christ birth, the territory of modern Russia….was inhabited by hungry, wild tribes”. Its interesting that in the West bathhouse (as a place something bigger than just a place for washing) has never got the same sense as a tradition. In the same “Tractate”, one can read that with the collapse of Rome Empire and the spread of Catholicism, bathhouses have been viewed as something immoral and finally disappeared. What about today? Well, even in the Slavic world, bathhouses are not perceived as a part of community life anymore. From one side, there are less and less bathhouses working with every year. From the other side, numerous “community surrogates” (like TV, Internet, nightclubs) are slowly pushing away everything people considered spiritual. Especially, when talking about the younger generation.
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Why so? I don’t think it is related to time and morals. Orthodox priest Vladimir Zelinsky has noticed that: “To be honest, not only in our lifetime, have people loved the darkness with some sort of perverted love; the world has seen time worse than these”. I dare to suggest, that it might be the part of our common journey, which we have to undertake in order to be reborn from the ashes. While finishing these lines, I thought – what did I write about? Was it about bathhouse? It seems, not really. Was it about educating younger generations? I was not planning to give my wisdom on that as well. Most probably, it was about the beauty of life, which allows finding real treasures in the ordinary things around you. About the fact that you can find those treasures in the things you knew since you were born – knew with your mind, but rarely with your heart, knew but never really listened to what they have to share…
News in Brief:
The middle of October 2007, in Chernigiv (North Ukraine), was marked with F4F Visiting Course run for leaders and activists of regional youth NGOs. The course was invited by Tatyana Gromovaya – energetic leader of youth NGO “Youth of 21st Century” and a former participant of Visiting Course herself. The aim of this course was to help young leaders to develop foundation for future cooperation
F4F Management Group members have just come back from 40th Asia Plateau Celebrations and international meeting of Initiatives of Change in Panchgani, India. Angela Starovoytova, Lena Kashkareva and Oleksandr Kopil have represented Foundations for Freedom and presented our future plans in the region and internationally. We hope to hear more from them in the next issue of F4F Newsletter.
F4F has started a consultative process for Training of Trainers. The first meeting of existing Visiting Course leaders and facilitators happened in December in Crimea, Ukraine. The next meeting is planned for end of Februarybeginning of March. The actual Training of Trainers, as planned, should happen Spring 2008. Follow our email loop for additional information and opportunity to take part.
and develop teamwork, especially on the regional level.
Bhavesh Patel with support of F4F will lead an “Open Space Technology” (OST) training in Moldova, on February 8th – 10th 2008. The training will gather around 10 participants from 3 countries, who are willing to learn how to use OST facilitation method. It will take place in the “Sunrise” centre for elderly people in Straceni.
There will be Visiting Course Stage 2 delivered to National Democratic League of Youth (NDLM) in Ukraine at the end of February. The VC 2 will gather leaders of the regional bodies of NDLM who have been through the VC before. The course will be led by David Curtis (UK) and Anna Pozogina (Latvia) with support of Miles Paine (UK). It will look deeper at the questions of values and principles within work of NDLM nationally, and aim to further defining vision and goals for the next year. Foundations for Freedom is planning to host an international conference dedicated to the 15th Anniversary of F4F work in the region of Eastern and Central Europe. The conference is planned for November 2008 and the organisers are looking for ideas and people who could help with the Planning process. If you are interested or have any ideas, please write to Zoriana Borbulevych on: zoro_ua@yahoo.com
CALENDAR OF EVENTS: February 16 – FollowUp meeting in Chernigiv, Ukraine
February 23-24 Kiev, Ukraine
– F4F Committee meeting in
February 25-27 – FollowUp course for regional
leaders of National Democratic League of Youth, Ukraine – 2nd Consultative Meeting of F4F Visiting Course facilitators and leaders
Beg. Of March
– National Communitybuilding meeting in Ukraine
March 15-16
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Foundations for Freedom Newsletter 24 Greencoat Place, SW1P 1RD, London, UK Tel: +44 20 7798 6000 :: e-mail: info@f-4-f.org :: www.f-4-f.org
Issue 44 // February 2008
Dear Reader,
We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to making this issue of the F4F Newsletter. If you think that someone else you know should get this newsletter or if you have any suggestions, please contact the editor Anna Pozogina at annapozogina@gmail.com. Thank you.
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