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SICA IS AN OFFICIAL MESSENGER OF PEACE for UNESCO'S MANIFESTO 2000 AS PART OF THIS INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF CULTURE AND PEACE. SICA has registered with UNESCO as an official Messenger on their website and will be in turn be listed there as an international NGO (non governmental organization) supporting UNESCO's International Year of Culture and Peace. Several Nobel Peace Prize Laureates — including Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu — drafted Manifesto 2000 to urge us to focus on a culture of peace and non-violence. As the intention is to enable the most people to express their personal contribution to a culture of peace on a daily basis, the participation of many is fundamental. The objective is to collect 100 million signatures to be presented at the United Nations "Millennium Assembly" in September of the year 2000. SICA as a Messenger, is authorized to collect signatures in support of Manifesto 2000. These signatures will be added to the Manifesto in SICA's name and will serve to help strengthen our name with the UN as a cultural organization of value. Watch for follow up in next edition of website. KATHERINE CARRÉ IS SICA'S NEW UN ADVISOR; SICA TO PARTICIPATE WITH SDI IN UN CONFERENCE ON RACISM IN 2001 Katherine Carré has agreed to be the SICA advisor on issue related to the UN activities, UNESCO relationship and UN conferences. Katherine and Bachtiar agree that SICA's participation in the 2001 UN conference on racism should be one of SICA goals. They also encourage a good relationship with SDI in this activity to take advantage of the current consultative status of SDI that enable peoples to participate in UN meetings. Bachtiar has asked Katherine to provide to the SICA officers, the required information to relate SICA's activities, especially at national levels, to the UNESCO programmes and projects. Katherine's address is sk.carre@wanadoo.fr <mailto:sk.carre@wanadoo.fr> Letter from Katherine to SICA's Board of Directors: Dear SICA Board, May I introduce myself: my name is Katherine Carré, I live in Paris and amongst other things I have been one of SDI’s representatives to the UN in Geneva during the past 5 years, attending and reporting on mainly UN human rights and NGO meetings (human rights cover economic, social and cultural rights and not just political and civil rights) . As you know, Bachtiar has asked me to be an advisor to SICA in matters relating to the UN, more specifically with a view to complying with a resolution voted at the last World Congress, to work along UNESCO lines with the objective of acquiring an official status with that organization. I will not go into great detail at this stage but what I understood when I went to UNESCO with Rosanna to find out about NGO affiliation was that from 1996, the rules of the game had become stricter and of official status (there are different levels) was now only accorded to NGOs that were active in the field and made a real contribution to the programmes and ideals of UNESCO. Therefore I suggest that national SICAs, especially those in developing countries, contact the UNESCO field offices, keep them informed of their activities, invite their representatives to cultural events etc. and see how they can collaborate with them. There are 60 field offices; I think in Jakarta, SD or one of the schools is in contact with the UNESCO office. The list of field offices can be looked up on www.unesco.org <http://www.unesco.org/> . At the same time we can study the main programmes and see where there are links between SICA and UNESCO which we might like to work on in order to show that SICA is interested in what UNESCO is doing. In my view it is useful to look closely at the broad programme which has just been established for the next decade, the Declaration and Programme of Action on a CULTURE OF PEACE. This year, the year 2000, has been declared the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the next decade 2001-2010 has been proclaimed the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World. In the programme of action there are several issues of direct interest to the work of SICA: education/values; sustainable economic and social development; actions to promote mutual understanding, tolerance and solidarity among all peoples; supporting activities in the context of the UN Year (2001) of Dialogue among Civilizations. These last two themes correspond closely to SICA’s Programmes. This brings me to a more practical suggestion: as regards fostering understanding and tolerance the UNESCO text specifies some of the groups considered vulnerable such as indigenous people, refugees and migrants and these will figure prominently in the upcoming World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and related Intolerance in which SDI is getting ready to participate. There are several reasons why SDI is focusing on this conference: the subject seems to be particularly well suited to Subud members who by doing the latihan with people from all over the world are capable of having a deep conviction of the oneness of mankind as Bapak explained it. Racism is of course one of the major causes of war. This conference is going to be the first UN world conference of the century, and as usual there will be a parallel NGO forum where all kinds of exchanges can take place. It will be held in South Africa, during the last week of August or the first week of September 2001 and will be attended by heads of states. The Secretary General of the conference is Mary Robinson, High Commissioner for Human Rights, a very remarkable woman, former President of Ireland, who is determined that the conference should be a success in the sense that it will make a difference. Several artists and writers have been appointed as goodwill ambassadors to raise awareness of the problems to be solved. SDI’s participation in the preparatory process of the conference and in the conference itself are in their initial stages and if you are interested will be communicated to you when they get off the ground. Kumari Beck is coordinating. The whole issue of improving inter-cultural and inter-ethnic relations is as relevant to artists and writers as it is to those engaged in social projects, that is why I am suggesting that SICA join in. This could be done under the SDI umbrella or even directly since for world conferences accreditation for just that conference is fairly easy to get. The NGO planning committee for the conference in Geneva is encouraging all NGOs (with or without consultative status) to join it but I don’t see any great advantage in SICA joining separately. That is all I have to suggest for the time being. I would like to get some feed back before going any further, especially regarding the conference so that eventually some joint planning could be done. If there are one or two motivated people amongst SICA writers or teachers that you know of, we can move ahead. I contacted Mustapha Dadha last summer because he seemed to me the ideal person, and I hope he will participate. I mentioned to those attending the January board meeting that there is a UN Commission on Sustainable Development in New York; those running the SICA network on the subject might wish to connect with them. I hope I can be of some use to SICA. With my best wishes to everyone, Katherine SIMONE VAN BEEK JOINS SICA/UN INITIATIVES WITH FOCUS ON AFRICA AND YOUTH Letter from Simone to Board on 3/28 Hello everyone, I felt I'd better "report" before I got going too far too fast! The Lewes Susila Dharma meetings that followed the WSC meetings last week and weekend were very exciting for a number of reasons...I'm sure you'll hear in detail from all kinds of sources soon. There were alot of crossover discussions, especially powerful when Sharif told us that the WSC people had tested about the wings in several ways: with the upshot that there should be combined ISC/WSC/wing representative working groups which met on a regular basis; the only wing with any world standing as felt in the latihan test was SDI. SES was considered nonexistent, as was SICA. And SYA was extremely important to encourage. When I went to Lewes, it was at my own expense to tie up all kinds of SD committments for the Congo shipments and projects with SDGermany, SDFRance and SDUK; and Katherine Carre had asked me to consider collecting the signatures on the UNESCO website for Manifesto 2000. For the past year I've been curious to do something with and for SICA - and Bachtiar had drawn up a rather sophisticated job description to do with gathering names and networking between Africa and Europe, which I turned down as far too complicated.... Oliver and I met about starting a small catalog of art reproduced as greeting cards, and a calendar with art as postcards, and perhaps music cds which seemed more do-able and I already have samples from a brother in Brazzaville with his permission. So we have a sort of plan to carry out in that direction which is Holland-based but definitely in SICA's name with hoped-for profits for SICA and SDI.... However Katherine wouldn't stop prodding, and after linking almost magically with several youth interested in African music, instruments, and future concepts, I tested with Melinda Lassalle about "real" involvement with SICA....it was peaceful and wonderfully easy, and the area was definitely Africa. This shifted my SDI work more clearly away from any actual committee position, and though there are still many jobs to do related to the sending of seeds, letters to continue translating and general sort of The incredible energy of the youth at the meeting also made it clear that any SICA work to do with UNESCO and Africa would be with their help I spoke to the international coordinator (Miriama-based in Oslo) who feels that youth are now open to the world in very talented and professional ways, looking for connections within the Subud networks and organizations and very happy to develop alongside SICA. There will be some deeper interest on their part for example in UN activities....and with Mufridah going to the Nkembo school in Muanda, Congo as an observer/teacher of English for four months as of April, the project training and education aspects of connection with SDI still really intrigue many of the young people I met. And, since there are a lot of musicians and dancers, this can also mean an exchange of bands, shipping of second-hand instruments, entertainment tours and so on. I have to stop here, but wanted to let you have a quick glance at the what one afternoon and one morning showed me, and ask for your ideas, and your "permission" to follow up the networking and leads heading at me Thanks, Simone Email: simone.vanbeek@wanadoo.nl
SICA FUNDING REQUESTS Some recent SICA requests for funding support from MSF and/or ISC have either been severely cut back or turned down. We are disappointed, but we realize that difficulties can also be opportunities. Sometimes money is just tight. This seems to be especially true when a World Congress approaches. Members are saving up for the costs of travel and accommodation, and national and international committees are spending what they have in congress preparations. This can put a strain on everyone — and on enveryone's pocketbooks. The test is for us not to lose patience with one another, but strengthen our caring and support for one another. Clearly we are being presented with another opportunity to grow. "The SICA team always works with the feeling and understanding that we are part of Subud and the main objective of all our efforts is to establish co-operation and mutual support of the Subud community," writes Bachtiar.Lorot, SICA Chair. "Let us have that willingness to develop harmonious working relationship with mutual support everywhere in our organization. "I remember Bapak commenting to some of us in the Big House (1986): 'God does not want you to be rich. If it was the case you would have already all the money you wanted, because the money of the world belongs to God. What God cares about is that you be honest and in harmony'.... "It is not enough to feel nice alone in testing sessions; it is necessary that we all feel nice from our common understanding and from working together. It is not enough to look after Subud; it is necessary to care about the world situation and to begin to improve it altogether." BACHTIAR'S VISIT TO INDONESIA (FEB-MAR 2000) Report to SICA Board by Bachtiar Lorot, Chair I visited Indonesia from February 24 - March 8, 2000 for family reasons, and stayed in Wisma Subud for about two weeks. I was able to meet people active in areas related to SICA. I would like to share with you the very good discussions I had with them. Salamah Dick and Education programme Salamah had a good meeting in Holland last year, and we were wondering if it could be a good idea to promote another gathering during the Holidays Week in UK next August. We will assess the possibility of having some activities about education in UK this summer and to ask an Austrian educator who participated in the Holland meeting to coordinate this together with SICA UK. Ibu Insiyah and SICA Indonesia JKT festival team The approach of the festival is very attractive: it consists in organising a festival of (mainly non-Subud) artists and professionals for the local community. Programmes coordinators will be identified among them for each of the seven SICA programmes, and will be given the autonomy for the implementation of the programmes activities. SICA/Subud is acting only as the initiator and the sponsor of the event; we create the space for something to happen within the human community. I am very supportive of this approach that summarizes what we worked for since Spokane: how Subud could be active in the world in the area of culture. We enable professionals to express and share their talents, and let God give a direction, so people involved in the festival may feel and understand something that they need for themselves. I am very grateful to the festival team for their courage and incentive to develop this approach and to show us the way to work with the human community at large. When I became chairman in 1997, this was my goal, but I thought first to develop a know-how within the Subud Community. It was the French SICA week in August 1998, the educators' workshop in Mexico 1999. Now I realise that we may not need to have a preparatory step within Subud, that it is better go straight to the human community and work within it. There was awareness of the large amount of work to do, but the first steps are promising, and the competence and harmony among the team members make me believe that it is possible to make this festival happen in time for June 2001. June 22, 2001 is also the celebration of Jakarta's Anniversary, and many people are willing to do something for that event. Consequently, many artists and professionals warmly welcome the preparation of the venue and the facilities by the Jakarta festival team. This is why I am confidence that this festival will take place. Remark: Due to the retraction of the WSA in supporting our programme, we need to find a way to provide the required services without losing time in research for human and financial resources. Rashid Carre and Canopy Luqman McKingley and Canopy Pak Siregar and the next world congress Two issues came out form that discussion: 1) the role of Subud and the world congress in that process, and the 2) the West-East relationship. We stressed out that the process of increasing autonomy is based in the change of values with a strong understanding of the roles of the local cultures. The link between development process and cultural background is now well understood (see the UNESCO last decade report). Secondly, the role of the western community in countries like Indonesia is controversial, which leads to more nationalistic approaches. The Western community is going through the same kind of challenge about national autonomy: Loss of control and power against increase of trust and international co-operation. This issue is so much part of the daily behaviours that the organisation of the Subud world congress is coloured by this western - eastern relationship issue. Consequently, Pal Siregar and myself we agreed that the cultural component is essential. The role of SICA stressing the cultures-oriented approach is a natural necessity. Pak Muninjaya and the next world congress In that respect, Pak Muninjaya is in touch with SIHA and the educators group for the preparation of good programmes and projects. I would like very much to know how the international educators group is working on that topic. Raymond Lee and the world congress Hartati Horthy and Kalimantan Hamid da Silva and Rungan Sari project I suppose that there is an educational concept that say that we cannot transfer to other peoples more than what we have already understood and put into practices ourselves. Ibu Rahayu Ibu Insyah reported on the progress of the Jakarta festival. Ibu Rahayu told her that it is all right and enough if SICA sponsors the festival. I understood that we do not need to claim about "Subud" and to show that Subud is doing this and that. The outcomes of the festival and the space that SICA and Subud peoples will create for the Will of God to happen is enough and could benefit of the human community. Conclusions I did not expect to have so many activities with so many interesting discussions with peoples. I found Indonesia very active with many projects, willingness to work, a good ambience, a sense of being pioneers, and a concern about Subud's role in the world. I came back with an agenda of work for few months and feel frustrated that I do not have the time for it and that our resources are so limited. But as Latifah wrote one day, we have to leave in God´s hand and just do our piece of work. Lewes School News SICA wholeheartedly applauds the work of many creative and enterprising Subud members in Lewes (Sussex, UK) to establish a school that can reflect genuine human values in its makeup and pedagogy. And in the interests of allowing members to keep pace with developments, have established a special Lewes School News Page. Take me there!
Summer Workshop with Rebecca and Mauricio Wild: Lucie Scharfenberger-Gräbe writes that educational workshops with Rebecca and Mauricio Wild are being organized this summer in Austria. The Wilds have run an outstanding Subud Kindergarten and school in Ecuador for 23 years. "Its a fantastic place for children and young people to develop their true nature," says Lucie. The language of the workshops is German, but Rebecca and Mauricio Wild also speak English fluently. The workshops take part in a small valley 1 1/2 hous from Vienna, where 5 Subud members and some other families live in a small community, where they also run a little private school, nourished by the ideas of R. and M. Wild. Contact Lucie Scharfenberger-Gräbe if you are interested. salu.graebe@utanet.at Subud Travel School, Year 2000 Excursion! by Lusana Stokes, USA This summer from July 10 to August 6 the SICA USA and Subud Educational Association (SEA) are supporting a modern expedition that will follow the Lewis and Clark Trail from St. Louis, Missouri to the mouth of the Columbia River (near Portland, Oregon). As the Lewis and Clark expedition was a Journey into an geographically unknown territory, so this Year 2000 journey will be an exploration into a new way of education. The idea of a travel school as a format for receiving a secondary school education where most of the learning was experiential seems to me to be the most stimulating, exciting, and meaningful way for anyone to receive an education. This idea of traveling about our country and/or world to see and explore the people, experience nature in all its permutations, and exploring mathematical and scientific concepts in relationship to everyday living - it seems so much more alive than sitting in a classroom reading or hearing about it. The concept of incorporating necessary education with travel started to percolate in my brain and feelings some time ago. It will be an experiential and integrated curriculum that will be a whole person education which will truly honor the human self. Following our national education meeting last August and receiving support for this concept , the follow-up plan will be so exciting and rewarding, that it could be the basis and the prototype for a secondary education travel school. We are hoping to have up to twelve participants, age 13 - 80, travel this trail with the 4 educators leading it. We will travel by train, van, foot, bike, canoe, with various options available for people with different levels of energy, athletic prowess and skills. We will learn survival-in -the -wilderness skills, cooking out and sleeping out. We will become a travelling community, developing our interpersonal skills as we go. The cost per person could be as high as $2000.00 or as low as $1400.00. For those who are determined to join us but are having difficulties making the arrangements, please contact us--we are contacting potential sponsors and there may be some grant money. Participants will need to bring their own personal tent, clothing, musical instruments, camera, and some other supplies. Willingness, creative thinking and positive attitudes will be good to have along as well! Donations go to Subud Education Association, c/o SICA-USA , 14019 NE 8th St #A, Bellevue, WA 98007 . Make the checks out to SICA-USA , earmarked Travel School. VISA and MASTERCARD accepted. Many Thanks! Lusana Stokes 406-837-2992 |
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