Nº 1, 2016/17
INSIDE: Messages from International Officers • International Convention 2016 – A Veteran Participant Recollects • Legislation: Constitutional Frames • The 16th International Youth Convocation - A Brief Report • 2016 IYC Highlights: Youth Panel Discussion • For the Record: What’s in a Name? • Y’s Action News from Far and Near • Mantra for the Soul : All We Need is Love – And a Lot of Dialogue “Together we can do so much more”
Editor’ ge Editor’ss Pa Page Dear readers, You may wonder what happened to Y’s Men’s World. Well, that name will not be used any more for we re-christened our bulletin YMI World. It reflects “the changed realities of the time and inclusive,” as the relevant Minute of the 2016 International Council notes. IP Joan Wilson has been kind enough to ask me to continue as editor of this important communication tool, which I am happy to do. Thank you IP! My experience shows that there is no dearth of news of activities in the Movement around the world and my decision to go for 16-page newsletters every quarter stands vindicated. Send us reports of your service activities and your reflections on issues that matter to the Movement since we now have ample column space for all Areas. I was privileged to attend the International Council meeting in Taipei in early August and got to know first-hand the working of an international organisation such as ours, apart from being able to put a face to the people I have been corresponding with these past few months. Although I did not attend the International Convention to bring you a firsthand report of that, we are lucky to have one from Ray Seto of Hawaii. I have reproduced that here from the Kaimuki Y Nº 1, 2016/17
Official Publication of Y’s Men International / Y Service Clubs International Headquartered at: Ave Sainte-Clotilde 9, CH-1205, Switzerland Tel: +41 22 809 1530 :: www.ysmen.org EDITOR Koshy Mathew 222, 7C Main, First Block HRBR Layout Kalyan Nagar, Bengaluru 560 043, India. Tel: +91-9845036147 Skype: Koshy.mathew367 koshym@gmail.com ASSISTANT EDITORS AFRICA Tunji Makinde (Nigeria) +234/8034064882 (M) tunjimakinde@yahoo.com CANADA & CARIBBEAN Bill Irwin (Canada) +1/9025693187 (H) wci0909@hotmail.com
INDIA B. Pavithran (Kerala, India) +91/9847220054 (M) pavithbb@yahoo.co.in KOREA Kim Kyun (Seoul) +82/27352395 (O) +82/27321205 ysmenkrhq@gmail.com DISTRIBUTION Babu Oommen 56, Royal Meridian Layout, Begur Road Bangalore, 560 068, India. +91/9901199863 (M) :: babuoomen@yahoo.com Reprinted at National Printing Press Koramangala, Bengaluru 560 095, India.
Cover picture: From the Opening Ceremony of IC 2016, Taipei Deadline for submission of contributions for next issue: 30 November 2016
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Service Club’s bulletin. Ray is a veteran IC attendee for, the Taipei event was his t. enty-first. Congratulations Ray! An attempt is made here to bring you what transpired at the International Council Meerting, especially on the vital amendments to our Constitution and TOF-GPF projects. Thank you Silvya for the article on “Constitutional Frames,” originally written for the IP’s e-News and reworked for this issue. As for communication and public relations, the Council has instituted an award for the Best Area Bulletin produced this year. Area leaders, do your bit and project the Movement in the best manner and send us the bulletins to be adjudged. This issue of YMI World highlights two major events – the International Convention and the International Youth Convocation (IYC) – that took place recently in Taipei. Attending the interaction between International Council Members and youth in the panel discussion at the IYC was a rewarding experience. It assured me that the future of the Movement is not bleak. YMI must harness youthful exuberance and convert that into a young membership base. There are four stories, nay five, in this issue from or about youth. Special thanks to Stephanie and ’Fola for their contributions! Looking forward to your continued support. With every good wish, Yours in Y’sdom, Koshy Mathew FROM MY BOOKSHELF I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb. When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday, 9 October, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at pointblank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive. Instead, Malala’s miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate. I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls’ education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons. I Am Malala will make you believe in the power of one person’s voice to inspire change in the world. (A Goodreads review)
“Together we can do so much more”
FROM THE INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT Dear friends, It gives me great pleasure to contribute to this first edition of our international newsletter under the new and more modern banner of “YMI World”. Congratulations to Koshy Mathew for his first stellar year as editor and for the many positive changes that he has instituted. I look forward to another year of excellent Y’s Men/Y Service news through YMI World. I was lucky enough to meet many Y’s Men and Y Service members while at the International Convention in Taipei this summer. It was wonderful to see such good representation from all Areas. I congratulate Region Taiwan for their hard work in putting this convention together. There were many memorable parts and for me these included: the involvement of senior level YMCA leaders; beautiful hotel and venues; outstanding entertainment; great food; the involvement of our youth in many sessions; and lots of fellowship and laughter. On top of that, the International Council meetings at the Beitou Hot Springs were very productive and successful. Thank you to all our Taiwanese hosts for a wonderful visit! During the IP Night, I gave my keynote address to all the delegates, including the participants of the International Youth Convocation (for the full text, go to the YMI website). I spoke about the core values of our Movement, and that despite so many years since our inception, they are still equally relevant today. I spoke of our special relationship with the YMCA, and that despite some challenges in certain parts of the world, C L E
A
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Five W a ys to W ork Together Communications – clear and consistent messages; prompt responses; timely messaging. Leadership – model servant leadership; feel empowered and committed to do your work. Everyone – involve young members, Y’s Menettes and families; all need to be engaged in meeting goals. Action – can’t delay in dealing with our current challenges; support current service projects and look for new ones. all must work on member conservation; new clubs must have ongoing mentoring. Responsibility – each of us must complete whatever duties are assigned to us, whether big or small; we must share in problem-solving so we can go forward together.
we still have a strong working bond today. I spoke about my theme and slogan (“Our Future Begins Today” and “Together We Can Do So Much More”) and offered five ways (see box) we could all work together. I encourage each of you to draw on these skills in your own responsibilities in Y’sdom, no matter how big or small they may be, and help your clubs to work the same way. By each member and club doing their parts, we will see big changes. Three new things that have been instituted this year that I want to share with you. The first is the monthly IP eNEWS which is published about the 20th of each month. You will find focus articles on the Emphasis Month programmes for the upcoming month, as well as other short news articles. You can find the first three editions posted on the YMI website. Secondly, after a year of development by a dedicated team, we are launching the Global Opportunities for Leadership Development (GOLD) 2.0 programme. This programme is an online interactive learning tool to help our younger members and youth learn about Y’s Men, as well as other useful skills such as programme development, communication skills, etc. It will be offered to recommended young people over this coming year. We hope that in the future, any member can access these great training tools. See the website for links on how to apply for the GOLD 2.0 programme. And finally, this year we have a new IP letter entitled “Recognition for Excellence in Service”. The purpose of this is to acknowledge the good work of clubs in their own day-to-day projects. I simply require an email (joanakawilson@gmail. com) with several sentences describing the project. Include who benefits, what the club actually does, and the frequency of the work. Include a picture of the project in action (not a group photo op but actual work being done). You will receive your letter by email (so include the club president’s name and email address), and it can be printed and framed and/or used for publicity within your communities. I hope that I will be inundated with emails about the way our clubs are serving their communities! Let’s celebrate our good work! My IP Goal for this 2016-17 year is to see 5 per cent real growth in paid membership and in support for our international programmes. The APs have set even higher goals than mine, and I do hope they are successful. However, we cannot succeed if our current members are not involved and engaged in the work to be done. So I encourage you to support your leaders at all levels to reach our goals this year! Remember that together we can do so much more! All the best in your service to the YMCA, and to those in need in your local communities and around the world. Y’sly, Joan Wilson International President 2016-17
“Together we can do so much more”
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International Secretary-General Writes Dear fellow members, The International Council Meeting (ICM16) and associated meetings were held at Beitou Hot Springs Resort in Taipei, Taiwan in the last week of July and the first week of August. The Taiwan Regional Office and Taipei Y’s Men’s Club leaders under the leadership of International Council Member and Area President Tung MingHsiao coordinated the logistics and other related matters and all of us want to express our appreciation to the local host committee once again through this column. All 15 Council Members were in attendance as well as some of the International Service Directors, Chairpersons of Task Forces, other observing leaders and their spouses. After a two-day meeting of International Executive Officers, a one-day training of the International Council Members followed by three and a half days of Council meeting conducted under the chairpersonship of IP Joan Wilson were hectic and productive. In addition to reviewing reports from various leaders and intense discussions, 62 motions were raised and dealt with. One of the important ones (No. 49) is regarding the International Election and that is to come into effect from 1 July 2017. It says that no Region shall nominate any candidate for the position of International President-Elect who, at the time of nomination, comes from the same Area as the incumbent International President or the International President-Elect.
This motion was carried with majority support as the purpose is to have a well-balanced International President Troika. Since this is a Constitutional matter, it requires the final approval of all clubs, communication for which will be sent soon from IHQ. Another motion was on the Guideline for Legislative Officers in the sense that the nominee shall meet the qualification requirements established by the International Council, although the Areas are free to establish their own qualification requirements subject to the approval of the International Council. However, the qualifications for Young Council Members shall be established only by the International Council. As for International projects, eight new applications for TOF-GPF grants were approved. Among them was the Korea Y’s Men Doctor’s Free Medical Service (projects in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar). Participants of these major meetings also visited delegates at the Youth Convocation that was being held at the same time in the a nearby hotel for a joint panel discussion. There were over 100 youth representatives from all over and the dynamism exhibited by them holds promise for the future of our Movement. Finally, the Satellite Office in Chiang Mai is a reality. I have moved into our new office and have had some visitors already not only from Thailand but also from other parts of the region. I look forward to continued interaction with all leaders in this part of the world. Y’sly, Nishi
NEWS IN BRIEF Satellite Office Opened in Chiang Mai
Ballantyne Award 2016
The Satellite Office in Chiang Mai, Thailand has been in operation since 19 August. ISG Nishi is now mainly stationed there, on the second floor of Chiang Mai YMCA. Four staff members – Tracy, Andrew, Amine, and James – continue to handle their administrative and financial duties from Geneva. The two offices are well-linked due to the use of online solutions for improved email and file sharing and storage. Use of new tools such as Portalbuzz database and video conferencing with GoToMeeting, also popular with many Areas and Regions seeking to decrease costs associated with hosting traditional meetings are also helpful.
Asia and Pacific Areas Merged Past Area President of Area Asia Chow Wing Ping from Hong Kong District receives the prestigious Ballantyne Award from IPAP Wichian Boonmapajorn and ISG Nishi at the International Convention in Taipei in August for his long years of dedicated service to the Movement. 4
On 4 August 2016, the Asia and South Pacific Areas formally merged. Region Australia moves beneath the umbrella of the newly-named Area Asia Pacific. Mr Russell Jones (Australia) will continue as an International Council Member until 30 June 2018, together with Mr Tung-Ming Hsiao (Taiwan) who will continue also as Area President for Asia Pacific.
“Together we can do so much more”
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2016
A Veteran Participant Recollects Ray Seto This article is reprinted here from the September issue of Kaimuki Y Service Club’s newsletter, of which Ray Seto is a member. Ray (in the picture on the right) is seen here with his special award for attending more than 20 International Conventions - Editor
Five of us arrived at Taipei in the early hours of 2 August to attend the 72nd International Convention. Waiting to greet us were three Taiwan Y’s Men, Austin Lin, Mark Lin, and Spring Yu. The Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Golf Tournament was held on 3 August at the Ta Tun Golf Club. It was a hot and humid day for golf, and I played as best as I could with borrowed clubs. After
started on 4 August with registration. At the registration counters, the Taiwan Clubs sold several souvenir items with the Convention logo on it. They had tshirts, hats, pens, chopsticks, convention pins, cookies, etc., all starting at the price of NT$100 (US$3). The opening ceremony held at the ballroom of the Grand Hotel started at 2 p.m. with the traditional parade of
meaning that he will now serve only eight years instead of the 10 years he originally signed up for. Future hires will have maximum two 4-year contracts when hired. Nishi reported that his office is now in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with his staff still in Geneva. This arrangement
TRANSITION: L: IPAP Wichian Boonmapajorn hands over the banner to the ne IP Joan Wilson, who then welcomes the new IP-E Henry Grindheim (middle). Right: The new team of IEOs sign the register after taking over office.
the tournament we proceeded to Beitou Hot Spring Resort for the 72nd International Convention welcome dinner and presentation of RBM Golf results. The Taipei Central Y’s Men’s Club made a pledge of US $10,000 to RBM. The tournament was supposed to have raised this amount, but they fell short, so a donation box was set up at the welcome dinner, hoping to raise the balance of the funds. There was even an RBM Princess to assist donors in making contributions. The effort was very successful with over US$ 10,000 being raised, together with the golf tournament and dinner. The International Convention
flags and lighting of the candle with the Bible opened to Chapter 1 of the Gospel according to St. John. The opening dinner followed with a 10-course Taiwanese meal. Lion dances and musical performances by Taiwanese artistes added color and sound to the evening. The acrobats were fantastic in their performance. The next day started with ISG Nishi giving his report. The highlight of his report was the revision of his employment contract, which is in its second 5-year term. He was able to negotiate with the ICM to have the ISG employment contract reduced to four years instead of five, with one extension
Participants of the RBM Golf Tournament “Together we can do so much more”
has reduced the office rent in Geneva. With modern technology, Nishi is able to video conference with his staff regularly from Thailand. Awards and message from the YMCA took up most of the morning session. Mr. Wing Ping Chou of Hong Kong was awarded the Ballantyne Award for his long and committed service to Y’sdom. Lunch was served in a bento box, after which we had our break-out meetings and I attended the Community Service/RBM session and the Y’s Menettes session where they had a tea ceremony among the attendees. We then had our Area meeting held jointly with
Handing over the promised amount to IP Joan 5
Canada/Caribbean/Latin America in the same room. The dinner programme shifted to Expo Park. We were all bussed to the Park, but had to find our way back to the hotel, which was a 10-minute taxi ride. Officially called the IPE’s Night, it was a grand affair with a full 10-course dinner with performances by Area delegations. The U.S. Area performed a hip hop dance by all of us. Day 3, Saturday, 6 August: The programme was held at the Expo Dome Hall at Expo Park with reports from the Forums, and featured an IBC Triangular
Club signing, and 2 Brother Club signings among the clubs at the Convention. I was approached by two different clubs wishing to have Brother Club relations: the Kaohsiung Y’s Men’s Club in Taiwan, and the Y’s Men’s Club of Peninsula in Hong Kong. The Kaohsiung Y’s Men’s Club is interested in forming a The choir that gave a wonderful performce Triangular Club relationship with Tokyo Setagaya and Kaimuki Y attended a total of 22 ICs including this Service Club. Lunch was again served in Convention, while for Aoki, it was his a bento box. twentieth. The evening programme was once The closing ceremony of the again a grand affair. Called the IP’s Night, Convention was held on Sunday. It it featured IP Joan Wilson’s address, and included the Youth Convocation report the presentation of the Champions and traditional closing ceremony. The Award which was initiated during the Korea Area showed highlights of Korea, last International Convention. Two where the 2018 International participants, Kazuyoshi Aoki and I were Convention will be held in Yeosu, Korea awarded special medallions for attending between 2 and 5 August 2018. The more than 20 Conventions. I have theme is “Yes we can change!” Courtesy: Kaimuki Y Service Club
Enjoying a sumptuous ten-course dinner
Excerpts from IP Joan Wilson’ Wilson’ss Address aatt IC 2016 I am honoured to be standing here before you this evening as your International President. It is a privilege for me to be able to serve our Movement and its members, and I will do my utmost to fulfill my duties. … It is for this reason – service to others - that Y’s Men came into existence 94 years ago. Our founder, Paul William Alexander, saw that the local YMCA, with its strong Christian foundation and focus on providing young men with positive and engaging activities, was in need of support and encouragement to maintain their programmes. Thus the Y’s Men’s Club was born, and very soon it spread across the world. Others saw this as a constructive way to help the needy in their communities by supporting the good work of the YMCA. As time passed, clubs in our Movement started to branch out to provide direct service to the downtrodden in their communities as well as to the YMCA. Sometimes clubs started where there was no YMCA, and sometimes YMCAs helped to start clubs. As an international Movement, Y’s Men projects began to develop that were supported by all members. Some of these are ongoing, such as the Brotherhood Fund and the Time of Fast-Global Projects Fund. And thus Y’s Men reached its three-fold purpose – to serve the YMCA, and the needy in local communities and around the world. You might wonder why I chose to review this history of Y’s Men with you tonight. I believe it is so important to remember our true purpose in the midst of many other changes that face us over the course of time: changes in societal attitudes to volunteering; cultural differences in our almost 70 member countries; changes in our relationship with the YMCA; changes in how the YMCA presents itself in different countries; challenges in involving young people, and so on. For all the changes and challenges we face, let us not forget who we are – people of many faiths and cultures working collectively to improve the lives of the poor and needy through collaboration with the YMCA, in our own communities, and across the globe. As your IP, I have chosen as my theme “Our Future Begins Today” and my slogan as “Together We Can Do So Much More”. I believe that we must set 6
realistic goals for the coming years and then get to work on achieving them. This means we need to get to work right away – our future begins today! – and that we must involve all our members, Y’s Menettes, families, youth and Y’s Lings to get the best results – together we can do so much more! Remember our motto: “To Acknowledge the Duty That Accompanies Every Right” There is no doubt that we face a number of challenges in Y’s Men today. These include: stagnant membership growth; reduced revenues; reaching and keeping young members; changes in world attitudes to volunteering; and meeting our own goals set out in the Towards 2022 plan. However we have had challenges in the past and have worked our way through them. I am confident that we can do that now and in the future. As part of my vision and goals for this year, I provide some ways that we can move forward productively: Keep our Y’sdom core values in mind. Let us: w Do better at celebrating successes at various levels. w Improve our use of electronic communications and social media. w Make changes where necessary to address our challenges. w Look for ways to save costs so our dues produce the greatest benefits. w Embrace new programs that can make a difference in our movement. w Prepare our youth and young members for being adults in our movement. w Start to improve our membership statistics by setting realistic and achievable goals for each year. I am confident that Y’s Men will continue to change and evolve as it meets the challenges of our changing world realities. I for one want to be part of that change and hope that each of you will join me in working hard together to achieve all that we can for the growth of Y’s Men and for greater service to the YMCA, and to those in need in our communities and around the world. Remember: It is up to us to ensure that Our Future Begins Today! And that Together We Can Do So Much More! Thank you!
“Together we can do so much more”
LEGISLATION
Constitutional Frames Silvya Reyes de Croci Chair Chair,, Constitutional Review Committee
Even when we may not usually perceive it, all our service activities and our actions as club members/ officers, as officers at any level, and those of our clubs’ are developed within the strong, firm frame of our Constitutions. From club to International, including District, Regional and Area ones, these Constitutions explain the rules that we have agreed on to carry out our mission and achieve our objectives in a multicultural global scenario. Constitutions let us be the way we are, belong to the Club we love, have it active in the various levels in which it relates to others (in the District, the Region, the Area, the International organisation) for coordination and strength. Unperceived, perhaps even invisible to our day-to-day eye, these Constitutions
are what they should be: the sturdy, resilient frames of THE PACT, the agreement – either expressly debated around a table or accepted by affiliation to a group that lives by it – on some basic rules that safeguard the identity and the way of operating of the group. That is why these fundamental agreements, in the form of written rules, are “the Constitutions,” with a capital “C” – the covenant that has brought us together. Our clubs are sovereign within the frame of their own Club Constitutions, never in conflict with the International Constitution. Within that frame, a blank canvass for them to paint as they see fit: the image of Y’sly service as they wish to live it. By their joint affiliation, the International Association of Y’s Men’s/ Y Service Clubs has come into existence. Immersed in a changing world and while keeping its core values intact, Y’s Men/Y Service International must also change … or perish. And so, from time to time, changes are introduced in these Constitutions. Not written in stone, they have, however, a vocation for permanence: they can only be amended through sanctioned
procedures – also written into them and agreed upon. Now is time for change. Time for everyone of you, Y’s Men and Y’s Women readers, to be alert to the changes your club will be able to introduce to our International Constitution, and from it, necessarily to your own Area and Regional ones. The new structure of the International Council, after one year of effective operation, has shown the need for some fine-tuning of its constitutional dispositions. For instance: Does your Area think that its Young Council Member can be the Area President? Do you want your Area to set the requisites for its ICM candidates, beyond what International already requires? And… do you prefer or not that at any given time the IP, the IPE and the PIP come from different Areas to better reflect our global dimension? These questions will soon come to your club and its response will affect the International Constitution and, consequently, all the Area Constitutions. Remember: the ultimate word to define our constitutional frames rests always with the club, the member of the International Association.
Two Constitutional Amendments tha thatt Need Urgent Attention Four motions were aapproved pproved aatt the Interna tional Council meeting in Taipei tha International thatt clubs will be asked to vote on. Given below are two of them: The first one concerns the balance within the International President Troika (IP, IPE, IPIP) which resulted in a motion to amend Article V of the Constitution which relates to the election of the International President Elect. The motion was passed with majority support from the Council. It was proposed that from 1 July 2017, the members of the Troika should each be from a different Area. The amendment now needs to be put to clubs for voting and the ballot will be conducted during the 2016/17 International Election period. Accordingly, Article V, Section 2 will be sought to be amended by inserting the following at its end: “Effective 1 July, 2017, no Region shall nominate any candidate for the position of International President Elect who, at the time of nomination, comes from the same Area as the incumbent International President or the International President Elect.” The second one relates to the qualification requirements for legislative officers of the Movement. The Constitution Review
Committee presented a report to ICM that emphasised that all candidates for International Officer positions, particularly that of ICM, shall be qualified according to YMI criteria, including proficiency in the English language. Areas may establish their own qualification requirements subject to the approval of the International Council however the qualifications for Young Council Members shall be established only by the International Council. Accordingly, Article IV – Legislative Officers, Section 3 is being sought to be amended by inserting, immediately after “at least ninety (90) days prior to the election date,” the phrase: “This nominee shall meet the qualification requirements established by the International Council. Areas may establish their own qualification requirements subject to the approval of the International Council. The qualifications for Young Council Members shall be established only by the International Council.” These and other motions will be sent to the Clubs to be voted on. Your response is essential to make them effective. From the IHQ (RD Memo 2/206-17)
“Together we can do so much more”
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YOUTH
The Sixteenth Interna tional Youth Convoca tion International Convocation Stephanie Spencer Following a little more than six months of intense preparation, young delegates journeyed from all parts of the Movement to the Sixteenth International Youth Convocation (2016 IYC), held at the Chientan International Youth Activity Centre, located in the heart of Taipei, Taiwan. The biennial event, held from 1 to 7 August 2016, saw a total of 92 delegates and five facilitators in attendance. The emphasis for the 2016 IYC was encapsulated in the theme, “Service in Action—Dare to Lead.” The IYC delegates were encouraged and commissioned to build on their established skills and dare to take on even greater roles of leadership. This ‘mission’ was reflected in the IYC schedule, where the sessions were planned to bring out the best of the delegates’ latent potentials and natural strengths. One of the critical tasks of the 2016 IYC was to elect the new International Youth Representative (IYR) for the 20162018 term. Ricardo Cardenas, Past AYR for Area Latin America, was elected after a very open process.
They came from all over to discuss, express concern, have some fun and leave a mark
The 2016 IYC was not designed to be ‘all work and no play’. The delegates visited and participated in some of the best cultural sites and activities that Taipei had to offer. Visits to the Lin An Tai Historical House and Museum and the National Palace Museum were edifying. The delegates also participated in a wellloved local activity, shrimp fishing. Many caught as many as four shrimps! Other highlights of the week included the Cultural Night presentations — which
“Together we can do so much more”
were a major hit amongst the delegates, Y’slympics, and the Shilin Night Market Food Treasure Hunt Game. The 2016 IYC was an overall success, and most importantly, the delegates left the exciting city of Taipei empowered with knowledge reinforced by informative sessions, memories of a rich cultural experience, and having built long-lasting friendships. Stephanie Spencer is Youth World Editor & Immediate Past Youth Intern (IPYI)
YOUTH
Youth Panel Discussion - A High Moment ’Fola Fola Ajomale with Stephanie Spencer The 16th International Youth Convocation had many high moments throughout the seven days. One prime example was the much anticipated Youth Panel Discussion. In the face of recent changes within Y’s Men International, the panel discussion was initiated to serve as the perfect opportunity for YMI leaders to discuss these changes with the youth, as well as to assess the role and future support of youth within the Movement. The five panelists hailed from varied
PANELISTS: Joan Wilson, Afolabi Ajomale, Takao Nishimura, Kohei Yamada and James Olle
backgrounds and held key positions within the YMI family. They were IP Joan Wilson; ISG Takao Nishimura; IHQ staff member and Past International Youth Representative James Olle; ISD for Y’s Men Liaison
On YMI-YMCA Rela tionships Relationships There are wide gaps in the views of YMCA leaders on how we can develop good partnership with Y’s Men in their country. There are some areas where both have positive feelings but in some other areas they have difficulties. Therefore, we may start the concrete discussion for planning some projects wherever that partnership building is possible. In order to build a stronger partnership, we need to start discussions at the national level for the two organizations. The projects should be agreed to by both groups. The examples could be A) Supporting refugees, especially youth; B) Supporting victims due to a big disaster; C) Supporting particular populations suffering in each country; and D) Conducting campaigns or actions involving youth to protect global climate changes and related issues. If both organizations agree to the partnership, Y’s Men needs to review the current support system to create more effective ways to meet the needs of the YMCA, as well as for the proposed partnership projects. On the other hand, YMCA leaders should make a commitment to introduce members to the Y’s Men movement and to help start a new club in the area where YMCA exists without any Y’s Men’s Club. Kohei Yamada, YMI Liaison to the World YMCA
to the YMCAs) Kohei Yamada, and IYR Afolabi Ajomale. Two pertinent questions posed to the panel in this regard were: 1. It has been said that the future of the Movement is the youth; however, youth membership has decreased internationally. What strategies are being devised to address this situation, and what can Y’s Youth and Youth clubs do to increase enrolment? 2. The YMI-YMCA relationship varies amongst regions internationally despite the historic relationship they have. What strategies are in place to build and strengthen the relationship internationally and how will it impact youth? In the limited time allotted to the panelists, they assured the youth delegates that the Taipei ICM meeting too had underlined the role and Continued overleaf
IYC Participants aatt YMI Interna tional Convention International “Together we can do so much more”
YOUTH
Yuva Salla pam - a Youth Camp in India Sallapam Yuva Sallapam (Youth Talk), a zone-level youth camp of MidWest India Region was held from 9 to 11 September 2016 in which 59 youngsters from four Districts of the Region took part energetically. The camp began with an interactive session called “Y’s Men International – Commitment to Youth” led by PIP Isaac Palathinkal, followed by the ice-breaking session facilitated by camp director Prakash James, who successfully communicated the idea of how to become an effective leader through various examples. An animated group dscussion The participants were divided into teams and were asked to come up ideas for various activities. The three-day camp had a good mix of outdoor and indoor activities. Outdoor activities included aerobic exercises in the mornings, volley ball in the evenings, treasure hunt and a camp fire in one of the nights. The indoor activities saw inputs by professionals on group dynamics, personality development, qualities of leadership, managing oneself, building confidence, etc; coaching for public speaking; elocution competition; quiz sessions, apart from a display of talent by the campers. At the valedictory session, Essa Sebastian, Arya S. Raj, Goutham Harilal, Traicy Thomson, Desny Desline and Danny Biju Philip were declared best campers for their outstanding inputs, performances and attitude. Pavithran B. Assistant Editor, India
One last picture - for the albums Youth Panel Discussion - A High Moment --- from previous page
importance of youth in Movementbuilding and that more forums of this nature will be provided at the Area, Regional and District levels to build on the connection that exists between the youth and the leaders of the Movement. (See box itemon previous page for the response of one of the panelists in this regard.) Overall, the Youth Panel Discussion was a memorable event for participants of both the IYC and the International Council. A big surprise that lay in store at this session was the induction of James Olle into the Y’s Youth Hall of Fame for his two-decade long active involvement and ser vice to the Movement, first as a Y’s ling, then as a Y’s Youth member in Australia, followed by his years as a Youth intern, an International Youth Represent10
ative, and continuing to support and person so far to have achieved such encourage youth activities as an IHQ distinction. ’Fola Ajomale is Immediate staff member. He is the first and only Past International Youth Representative
International Council Members with IYC participants “Together we can do so much more”
FOR THE RECORD
Wha t’t’ss in a Name? What’ While most of us are accustomed to the term “Y’s Men”, it is rare for anyone to state the reason for that term and why it became known. While our Paul William Alexander belonged to a group of enthusiastic men whose main purpose was to provide assistance to the Toledo Ohio YMCA, there were 17 men who formed a club called “Tolymca” named for Toledo and YMCA. This group had become so empowered and dedicated to that YMCA that the Ohio State Secretary of the YMCAs requested that several of the men make a presentation in the YMCA State Meeting in February, 1922. When asked to tell about their Tolymca group, it was realised that the name could not be one used by other clubs and they needed to come up with a more universal name. Paul William Alexander had been reading articles in the YMCA magazine written by an actor
Debbie Redmond* and author by the name of Will M. Cressy. (Cressy was well known in vaudeville for his acting and writing numerous short plays and news articles for many years.) He had volunteered for the National War Work Council of Young Men’s Christian Association to take the group of performers to provide entertainment for the American Expeditionary Forces in France. They toured the area in 1918. He wrote in the YMCA magazine about his experiences and called himself “one of the Y’s Men of the East.” The title ‘Y’s Man’ was because he worked for the YMCA and ‘from the East’ was because he was from New Hampshire (eastern part of the United States) but it also referred to the Christian faith of the YMCA. Cressy was invited to speak at a Tolymca Lunch Meeting and was made an Honorary Member of the group. He gave permission for the group to change their name to Y’s Men. Their club became the first Charter Club, Toledo Y’s Men’s Club. In the first three months of making the presentation, there were seven Y’s
Men’s Clubs formed and the first meeting of all seven clubs together was held in May. At that meeting, they chose to send out information about Y’s Men Clubs to YMCAs within the United States. By November, 1922, the first Convention was held in Atlantic City as a part of the International YMCA Convention. At that point, there were then seventeen clubs from Ohio, Nova Scotia, Alabama, New Jersey, New York City, British Columbia, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. The organisation had become International with the addition of Nova Scotia and British Columbia (Canada) to their group. It should be noted that Will Cressy died in 1930 as a result of being gassed on the battlefields in France. Another victim of the aftermath of being gassed during the War in France was the first International Secretary-Treasurer, Earle F. Kuhn who was elected in November, 1922 to the position and died in October, 1923. *Debbie Redmond is International Service Director (Historian)
YMCA-NSW Honours Y’ Y’ss Men’ Men’ss Club of Broken Hill Earlier this year, the Y’s Men’s Club of Broken Hill received a surprise invitation to visit the YMCA-NSW in Sydney, a journey of over 1,100 kilometres. The club was presented with an award at a special NSW Business Breakfast in Sydney, recognising their outstanding commitment to the YMCA and the community of Broken Hill for more than 50 years. The meeting was also attended by the NSW Minister for Ageing and Disability Services, the Hon John Ajaka. YMCA-NSW CEO Leisa Hart who acknowledged the club’s wonderful contribution in their home city, was responsible for inviting the club members to come to Sydney for this special presentation.
Broken Hill YMCA Manager, Shane service, not sought after but well Simmons, also expressed his appreciated. The then Club President, appreciation for the accumulated Garry Halliday accepted the award on efforts of this club over many years and the club’s behalf. Jennifer Jones the vital role played as part of strengthening the local community too. Six members of the club enjoyed their two days in Sydney, visiting the Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour, YMCA Headquarters and other city sights. A fitting Broken Hill Club members at the YMCA-NSW youth reward The for many to receive the special award years of brigade faithful “Together we can do so much more”
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FROM FAR AND NEAR
Reducing Carbon Footprint in Australia Colin Lambie, a member of the Y Service Club of Bendigo, was in charge of a ‘crowdfunding’ campaign to raise AU$11,000 to put 11kW of solar panels on the roof of the Bendigo Science & Discovery Centre. This was the second ‘crowdfunding’ campaign that he had conducted on behalf of the Bendigo Sustainability Group. The first campaign raised $25,000 to pay for 20kW of solar panels installed on the roof of the local library. Both campaigns were supported by the Y Service Club of Bendigo, the Y Service Club of Kangaroo Flat and the Y Service Club of Bendigo South. The first campaign was unique in that the group that raised the funds is paid for the electricity generated by the solar panels at the library. The group established a ‘power purchase agreement’ (PPA) and a lease agreement with the building owner that will last for 20 years. The building owner is happy, because they are not paying more for the ‘green’
electricity coming from their roof, and the owners of the solar are happy because they have a revenue stream for the next 20 years. The second campaign was a
Colin Lambie with the ‘solar panel’. Each panel is divided into 44 squares, each representing one of the 44 solar panels that made up the 11kW system. Donors were asked to ‘donate a panel’. The images in the squares are either names or company logos. This panel with photos was a useful marketing tool in the crowd funding campaign. Most of the marketing was achieved using social media.
community service to help the Bendigo Science & Discovery Centre be more sustainable, by reducing their electricity costs by about $3,000 per year. The same model can apply to a YMCA. A YMCA could conduct a crowdfunding campaign to put solar panels on the roof of the building they are using, and hence reduce their operating costs. They could establish an agreement with the building owner that would ensure they keep getting the financial benefit from the solar panels even if they stop using the building. Installing solar systems is not just about reducing costs, it also reduces greenhouse gas emissions. In countries like Australia which uses mostly coal to generate electricity, transitioning to renewable energy is a necessary step to help us have a big impact on our carbon footprint, which is among the highest per capita in the world. Colin Lambie with the Editor
Denmark: Y’ terial to Fund Projects Y’ss Men Sell Promotional Ma Material Euro. The profits from the sale goes to projects of Region Denmark. The idea of the small “business” took a long time to bear fruit. Several in the club were skeptical of earning any money by selling clothes, bags, roll-ups, beach flags and others, but today nobody doubts that it is a very good idea. We have had got a good start with our activities. The clubs and the Region have welcomed us and we have been able to produce merchandVolunteers with the merchandise
Vejle Vadestedets Y’s Men’s Club established a project last year named “Y’s DESIGN.” The purpose was to make products with Y’s Men’s logos that can contribute to promote the Movement. The project has been a great success and sales in the first year was about 15,000
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“Together we can do so much more”
ise at competitive prices. That means a lot to us, and we are happy that we can help the Region and the clubs by engaging in public relations work for the Movement’s work, tells Lars Grønfeldt of Committee behind Y’s DESIGN. Y’s DESIGN is managed by a small committee of four members from Vejle Vadestedet Y’s Men’s Club. All the members are working voluntarily and that is how the costs are kept down and the profits are decent. It is not only the Y’s Men’s Clubs in Denmark that have got help from Y’s DESIGN. Other organisations too have requested for help. Y’s DESIGN is ready to help all Y’s Men’s Clubs in Denmark and in Europe with different promotional materials. If you wish to know more about Y’s DESIGN visit the homepage at www.ysdesign.dk (in Danish). Evan Johansen
FROM FAR AND NEAR
Ca tching ’em Young – Two Projects in Mid West India Reg ion Catching Region Two projects aimed at reaching the young minds have met with tremendous response from the authorities and the general public in Mid West India Region (MWIR). The first is the Learning through Reading project focusing on students of Government and State-aided schools by distributing 10 copies of local daily newspapers in schools for a year and by donating books to school libraries. Madhuram Malayalam (Sweet Malayalam) launched with the support of a leading Malayalam daily newspaper
Newspaper distribution in St.Louis High School by Heritage City Y’s Men (Dist I of MWIR). Club President Niju Mohandas and other leaders with school officials and students
is now more than a decade old aimed at encouraging love for the mother tongue. The newspaper is circulated in class rooms on all school days to help children improve their linguistic abilities along with their general knowledge by discussing the contents daily. Half a dozen clubs in as many districts of the Region have prioritised this activity with a view to reach out to the students. The second project, implemented among college students is the Traffic Awareness Campaign. Launched by District VI of MWIR in collaboration with the Motor Vehicles Department in the City of Cochin, it is gaining good mileage for the Movement. The urgency for this intervention is understandable when one learns that the tiny state of Kerala stands third in India in terms of road accidents with 4,000 deaths and 40,000 injuries every year. It is the third major cause of death and disability in Kerala. The Motor Vehicles Department has decided to strictly enforce traffic rules in order to reduce road accidents. They have
also decided to conduct traffic awareness classes for college students, especially for those who own vehicles and drive them. A study reveals that 65 per cent of the road accidents could have been avoided
College students attending the traffic awareness class at Thevara Sacred Heart College, Cochin
if drivers had been more alert and aware. One traffic awareness class was attended by 900 students of a leading college in the city on 16 August 2016. The class was led by Mr. Dilip Kumar, Motor Vehicles Inspector. District Governor Bexon has announced that the same programme will be held in nine colleges of the city in the current year targeting over 10,000 youngsters. Pavithran B. Assistant Editor, India
Y’ Y’ss Men of New York in Action
Preventing Dengue in Sri Lanka
Members of the Y’s Men’s Club of Long Island, New York, USA, conducted a charity event (sandwich preparation) for needy people on 29 April. Y’s Men’s World editor Koshy Mathew who was in NY then also participated and addressed the members. Earlier that month, the Y’s Men’s Club of New York Floral Park held its fund-raising dinner to support the Kidney Foundation. Charlie Redmond, U.S. Area President attended the fund-raising dinner.
Y's Men's Club of Negombo, Sri Lanka implemented the community project of cleaning Thaladuwa area where over 5,000 inhabitants live. The project was implemented with the support of Health Department of the Municipal Council of Negombo, the Police Department, Thaladuwa Road Welfare Society and the Youth Section of the Lions Club of Oriental. The main objective of this project is to keep the area clean and prevent dengue epidemic .
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NEWS FROM IHQ 2016 International Brother Club Directory Each year, the comprehensive International Brother Club Directory is carefully assembled by its dedicated editor, Murray Stevens, who has been doing it since 1983. The Directory is the essential guide to every Brother Club, Triangle Club and Quadrangle Club around the world. IHQ deeply thanks Murray for his tireless efforts to compile this wonderful tool. This can be downloaded from
www.ysmen.org. Murray reports that as of 28 August 2016, there are 1044 Brother Club partnerships in 50 countries. The Brother Club programme joins in partnership clubs located in different countries for their mutual benefit and better understanding. It is designed to assist fellow Y’s Men and Women and their families to learn about and exchange ideas between clubs, whether they are just over the border or right across the world. Women’s clubs may prefer to use the term “Sister Club.”
ICM 2016 Approves Eight New TOF-GPF Projects The International Council that met in Taipei in July-August 2016 approved eight new TOF-GPF Projects for a total of CHF 141,406, as under: w Korea: Y’s Men Doctor’s Free Medical Service (In Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar Projects) Busan, Korea (CHF 24,500). w Asia: “Healthy Future” Teenager Personal Development Program, YMCA of Mongolia & Y Service Club of Ulaanbaatar (CHF 7,616). w Canada/Caribbean: Haiti Decadome, Ann Arbor YMCA & Y’s Men International Caribbean Region (CHF 9,534). w Africa: Improving the Socio-economic Resilience of Rural Young People in Madagascar, Y Care International & Nairobi YMC, Kenya (CHF 29,500). w Latin America: Emprendedores Plus, YMCA Peru & Y’s Club San Borja–Lima– Region Peru (CHF 7,150). w Europe: Education for girls to be Midwives in poor areas of Nepal, Västerås Y’s Men’s Club, Sweden & The Society for Street Children in Nepal (CHF 30,000).
w India: Computer Training &
Tailoring for Economically Poor Women and Organ Donation (Eye Donation), YMC Machilipatnam C.I.R (CHF 9,143). w India: Skill development for socio-economically marginalized women population Y’s Menette’s Club of Karuvanchal, West India Region (CHF 23,963). Since the inception of the TOF-GPF programme in 1973, Y’s Men International has contributed around US$ 6,300,400 to various YMCA and community projects and emergencies around the world. Today, eight newly approved projects and 17 ongoing projects in a total of 16 countries and geographical areas are supported by TOF-GPF. In addition to these TOF-GPF Projects, for over 30 years the Y’s Menettes have supported International Projects. This year they have approved one new project in Italy: YMCA Siderno, “Learn fast, be smart! – Empowering Migrants and refugees through social integration” (CHF 10,863).
Just a little bit of humour Elementary … My dear Watson Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson go on a camping trip. Set up their tent and fall asleep. Some hours later, Holmes wakes his faithful friend. “Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see.” Watson replies, “I see millions of stars.” “What does that tell you?” Watson ponders for a minute. “Astronomically speaking, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Time-wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, it’s evident that the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you?” Holmes is silent for a moment, then speaks. “Someone has stolen our tent.” From a wall hanging in the restroom of a hotel in Bangalore Cartoon by Mohan Sivanand. Reproduced with permission
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MANTRA FOR
THE SOUL
Max Ediger*
All We Need is Love – And a Lot of Dialogue We have been overwhelmed with news of violent events the past weeks. Every day the evening news has brought us reports and videos of the horrors of shootings in the USA, horrific bombings in Afghanistan, a deadly assault on a restaurant in Bangladesh, to mention only a few. These events have left us feeling worried and perhaps even fearful. Social media responses have been immediate and numerous, many attempting to understand or explain the causes of this upsurge of violence. One post on Facebook especially caught my eye. “Alton Sterling didn’t deserve this. Philando Castille didn’t deserve this. Those cops in Dallas didn’t deserve this. Just stop it. Stop the blame. Stop the killing. Stop the hate.” We should also add that the people of Baghdad didn’t deserve this. The people enjoying their dinner in a Dhaka restaurant didn’t deserve this. All those suffering from other violence these past months didn’t deserve this. How I wish these words were sufficient to bring about calm and peace, but I know that words, no matter how powerful and pertinent, cannot bring about the healing and transformation our societies need. Only love and a lot of hard work of the right kind can do that. “Just stop it. Stop the blame. Stop the killing. Stop the hate.” Yes of course, but how? These questions are some of the challenges we try to deal with in the threemonth School of Peace here in Asia (www.interfaithforum.org). Obviously three months is insufficient time to find answers needed to approach such complex challenges, but hopefully we can at least begin to see some hope for ways in which we can begin working so that the vision of inclusive, justpeace communities can begin to take tangible shape. One of the most important topics we focus on during our sessions is that of dialogue versus discussion in conflict transformation processes. According to some dictionaries, the word discussion comes from the Greek and has two parts. The first is “discus” and is the same word used for the Olympic game where a discus is thrown for distance in a competition. The second part is “cussion” and is the same root used in percussion and concussion. Thus the word discussion means throwing ideas in order to hit and overcome an opponent. The word dialogue, also from the Greek, has a very different meaning. “Dia” means a gentle flow such as a soothing breeze coming through the window on a hot summer day, or the gentle flow of a stream. “Logos”, the
second part of the word, means ultimate truth as in John 1:1: ”In the beginning was the word…” Dialogue therefore, means the gentle flowing of truth between persons or groups. It suggests deep listening and recognizing that the “other” is not an opponent, but has some truth to share with us. This is much more important than throwing our ideas to convince others that we are the ones with truth. By bringing our two “truths” together we find the space to build love and community. To do dialogue, we must be willing to engage with those who are different instead of just tolerating or accepting them. In dialogue and engagement, we recognize that everyone has some truth and it is important for us to learn that truth from them by listening deeply to their thoughts and their experiences. The Chinese character for listen is made up of six parts: ears, mind, presence, eyes, undivided attention, and heart. It emphasizes that in deep listening we focus our entire being on the messenger in order to receive any truth their message might have for us. It doesn’t help to point the finger at others. It doesn’t help to only demand a response. We need to have the courage to seriously ask the question why and then listen deeply to discover the roots of the conflict. That requires engagement and dialogue and the willingness to set aside our egos, assumptions and biases so that we can listen to the truths others hold without making assumptions about them. If we can do that, then we will have a much clearer vision of what we can/must do to bring healing to our communities. It won’t be easy and it cannot be forced. People will only engage and dialogue with each other when their hearts are ready. But we do not need to wait for others to be ready before we take action. We can start now with ourselves. Find someone whose voice is not being heard and find ways to engage and dialogue with them. It is a very small step, but it is an important step and as Lao Tzu said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” We can take that one first step and begin the journey. All we need to move toward healing in our world is sincere love and the courage to engage and dialogue with those who feel their lives do not matter to the broader society. Then the diversity of the world God created will no longer be something to fear, but rather will be something beautiful to celebrate in unity. *Max Ediger directs the School of Peace from Cambodia. Reprinted with permission of PeaceSigns, the online publication of the Peace and Justice Support Network of Mennonite Church USA, www.mennolink.org/peace
“Together we can do so much more”
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From the Interna tional Convention, Taipei International
“Together we can do so much more”