This short newsletter has been put
together by the youth who attended the World Spirit Forum in
2005. The aim of this newsletter is to share with you some of
our memories of the time we spent in Switzerland and how the
experience has influenced our lives.
We hope that the work we are all currently
involved with demonstrates the commitment of youth to Peace and
also the importance of a strong spiritual network that the WSF
community provides.
In the spirit of peace!
When asked why he wanted to attend the
World Spirit Forum in Arosa:
First to take the risk of exploring a
topic that has been of deep, but personal interest to me, in
the hopes of maybe reconnecting to spirituality; also to do
some effective networking that would build prospects for future
support, and meet some extraordinary people. Ben remembers... The highlights, as always, are the incredible people
it brought together and the unique chance for some exceptional
personal time with these people. In our case, it was with the
youth group... That is what I remember the most.
Ben is the Founder and Executive Director
of the Global Youth Action Network (GYAN). Through this
organisation he is committed to increasing youth participation,
action and recognition. GYAN is a network that seeks to
facilitate the flow of information and resources among youth
organizations worldwide. www.takingitglobal.org
Right now I'm in Chiapas (south of
México) working with my organization to help with the
development of the rural communities that produce coffee at the
mountains. At this moment we are in the middle of a documentary
which explains the benefits of fair trade. As you know,
indigenous communities in Chiapas have a long time fighting for
their rights, and fair trade is just one of the ways they have
to do this. This kind of activities empower people and help to
build solutions for the deep economical and politic problems
that affect this region, which also have brought indigenous
people to find in war and violence - a (wrong) way out.
Why did Oran want to attend the World
Spirit Forum? I first heard of WSF through the Children of the
Earth and, immediately, was enticed by the implications a
conference like this could have on myself, my world and my NGO.
I was intrigued by the idea that leaders from all over
the world had created a hub to exchange ideas and learn from
each other based on impacting on the world through
spirituality.
I saw the World Spirit Forum as a
committed body in assisting leaders to make fundamental
transformation within themselves, their organizations and their
environment and, naturally, I was excited and inspired by such
a venture!
My intent for going was to meet
like-minded and like-hearted individuals whose focus was on
creating social change from within, starting with the
individual, to exchange ideas, to learn, to experience and to
network.
When asked what he has felt he gained from
his experience, Oran answered:
I feel like the 2005 meeting gave me much
more than I ever expected. It opened doors to future synergies,
connected me with dynamic, impactful and visionary leaders
(both young and old) and allowed me a platform to strengthen
support for my Inner-peace initiative that I am involved in.
The passion and conviction of the organizations and
individuals that attended was truly inspiring. I learnt
a lot about the power of like-minded synergies and of the
abundance of leaders we have in this world that are spiritually
oriented and focused on changing the world one idea and
limitation at a time, starting from within.
Oran’s memories of the World Spirit
Forum:
What I remember most from the very
successful 2005 conference was the meeting of Minds, the true
friends that were made and the long-lasting partnerships that
were created through brain-storming sessions within the
conference and in-between official sessions. In
conclusion, I walked away from the 2005 conference a better
person and perhaps more enlightened about certain issues,
challenges and potentials that are ahead for future spiritual
leaders of our world. In my mind and heart, I left with many
fond memories, powerful moments and extraordinary encounters
with fellow conference participants. I am excited and honored
to be part of the 2006 conference where I hope that the
boundaries of what is possible and what can be achieved will be
pushed to the next level and I look forward to adding the
knowledge I have gained over that past year to the synergy of
knowledge that I will encounter this coming January. The WSF is
truly awe-inspiring and I appreciate all the hard work the WSF
team undertake to make it a reality.
Oran is the Founder and Director of The
Living Peace Foundation - We are
offering you, the passionate individual, the opportunity of
realizing your visions of transforming the world for the
better. Oran is 23 years old
and is currently living in South Africa; he is working towards
Peace and Transformation of Perception in the Middle East.
www.livingpeaceproject.org
Zeke is a young Ghanaian student involved
in a number of peace-related projects. He is a board member of
the International Youth Professional Foundation Ghana
(IYPF-Ghana) and was President of his school’s Student
Representative Council (SRC). Zeke works tirelessly with the
Apeadu Peace Centre, an affiliate of Children of the Earth (NGO
of the UN), and has been a key organiser of the Apeadu Peace
Centre’s International Youth Leadership Conference for a
number of years.
Zeke, Nana, Nina
When asked why she wanted to attend the
WSF: I wanted to attend the WSF because I thought it
was a great opportunity to demonstrate the power and potential
that young people have in making a difference. I felt it
was important to be an example of what can be achieved - young
people making things happen and making a difference. I
also wanted to further develop my spiritual understanding of
the world and I did this with the help of the incredible
speakers the WSF brought together.
How has WSF impacted on your life in the
past year?
It has been a great year for me. It
has been little differences that I have noticed that can only
be explained by my participation in WSF. By this I mean
taking an extra moment before I get cross and start an argument
with my sister, and stopping to consider another interpretation
of an email that initially upset me . . . It is the little
things that I believe contribute to realising inner peace. It
is not difficult to make small changes in our daily
interactions with people yet the results are huge. The WSF
helped me to understand this and to better apply these
principles to my life. I have also started my own small
projects, which was a big aim of mine after seeing the other
work youth were involved with. Slowly but very surely things
are growing!
Jacqueline remembers: The people.
The fun. The memories. It was so wonderful to
be amongst like-minded people where you don’t have to try
to be someone you’re not and where you are free from
judgement. The security and support I felt was incredibly
special.
I also won’t forget sliding down the
mountain, in the dark, on my jacket, with Ben. Sharing a
room with Olivia. Learning of Brian’s travels or
sharing awesome conversations with Luis. Everyone was
amazing and I know my life is more enriched as a result of
having spent just a little time with them.
Jacqueline and Olivia
It has only been in the past couple of
years that Jacqueline has been involved in peace related
projects such as the Share the Spirit of Peace Sydney Summit
and the Share the Spirit of Peace Youth Summit in New York.
Prior to this Jacqueline has, and remains, committed to
promoting the voice of youth whether it be on local issues or
on a more global scale. Related to this Jacqueline has been a
member of her local Youth Council and is coordinator of her
church’s youth group. She is also currently coordinating
a water-conservation campaign which is aimed at involving young
people as part of the solution.
Colins shows commitment and dedication to
making our world a better place through the substantial
experience he has had in peace-related organisations and
projects – among other positions he is a committee member
of International Young Christian Students and has worked at the
UNOY foundation Netherlands as the Africa Desk coordinator of
the Africa Network of Young Peace Builders. His vision is
a world where youths are empowered to be the voice of the
voiceless and a beacon of light and hope to the world.
Currently he focuses his attention on issues of peace and the
environment.
