ATD 工作坊报告

Today, 25th of September 2009, is the first day of the Global Gathering of Awakening the Dreamer facilitators around the world.  On 5 continents there are groups coming together to celebrate all that we are doing in 40 or more countries around the world spreading the message of awakening.  So there is no better day than this to share the latest news from China.

United International College in Zhuhai, China , is the first full-scale cooperation in higher education between the Mainland and Hong Kong. Its mission is to build a new model for liberal education in China and to nurture talented future graduates with international perspectives so it is just thrilling to know that the school is beginning to embed the Awakening the Dreamer symposium in its Whole Person Education curriculum.  The inspiration for this is Paul Wong, a faculty member with a strong background of activism within China.  Paul was introduced to the symposium in Hong Kong and trained there as a facilitator so that he could take the message back to his work at UIC – Paul, we salute you.

So the symposium is alive and growing within one of the most innovative approaches to tertiary education in China, and through this will become available to secondary and maybe even primary education there.  The approach is also a model of what’s possible in every other country in the world, so please feel free to spread this inspiration far and wide.

UIC students engaged in the symposium

And here are some of their comments, which just remind me of our shared humanity, regardless of nationality, race or other differences;

这节课印象最深的事一段十分钟的视频，沉重的话题，令人震撼的画面与数字令我不得不反思“Where are we”和“How did we get here”, 令我不得不思考那些我以前觉得不关我事的问题。很高兴有这次机会给了我思考环境的问题。

——冯叶 文化产业管理 大二

今天看了不少Video, 对其中一个讯息有很深的印象，“我们以为科技可以带我们做更多，处理问题，怎料在过程中也给人类带来不少的麻烦。”会把这个当作提醒，今天享受的时候也要记得自己为地球也要负上责任。

——Lam Lok Yan 社会工作与社会行政管理 大二

In today’s class, I’ve seen many ruthless truths from the 3 steps of topics. I got shocked every time I see the videos. To me, and also to human beings, environmental protections should be an obligation.

——冯羽 会计 大二

Through this workshop, I knew more about danger of the environment and the earth. We not only need to know the impact, but also need to do more and make a contribution to the earth.

——陈欣 会计大二

For the environmental sustainability on this planet, I realize I can protect the trees, avoid using one-used products and encourage more people to protect our earth.

——陈欣 会计大二

For the environmental sustainability on this planet, I realize I can change the life style of mine and try to do more good things for our earth.

——Peng Cheng会计大二

For the environmental sustainability on this planet, I realize I can cherish the resources surrounding myself, meanwhile, I need to encourage other people beside myself to do something for our planet

——马可 会计大二

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Results

As some of my recent posts show, I’ve just spent a remarkable month in South East Asia, conceived and organised for the largest part by Jo Fok.  Here’s my conversation with her and hubby Paul as I’m about to head for home.

Jo, I acknowledge you for the fantastic results you’ve achieved; thank you for being you.

Awakening Rings Loud in Manila

What a joy it was to visit Manila and witness the birth of another new community of soul brothers and sisters committed to help ring in a new dream for the human family.

And what a pity to visit the Philippines for the first time and be there but 72 hours.  I arrived to a wonderful greeting from the Philippines Tourist Board and was promptly escorted by the helpful and gracious Jo-Jo to a waiting car, and whisked safely off (thanks Vic) to Tagaytay, a volcano within a volcano just south of Manila.  Although an afternoon of site-seeing was on offer all I could do was fall into the hotel bed for a long-postponed sleep.  Hours later I woke up, enjoyed a massage and went back to sleep for another 10 hours.  That was my chance to see something of the country.

Returning the next day to Manila I met with some of Earthwards, stewards for a sustainable world, a newly formed group in Manila who had organised my entire visit: hotel rooms, symposium venues, professional A/V and meeting production staff were all arranged, and funded, so my thanks go to this group for their vision and their generosity.  You can find out more if you find the Earthwards page on Facebook.

The symposium on Saturday afternoon was quite a blast.  There was a full and enthusiastic crowd, lots to eat (remind me never to mix food and symposiums again) and a brown-out half-way through (yep, a black-out in that part of the world is called a brown-out!)  So the second half of the symposium was delivered by yours truly into a gloomy room as our A/V team worked to restore power.  And by a mix of means we got to the desired end-point, a crowd of folk awake and inspired to see what (more) they can do through their own lives to bring about an environmentally sustainable, spiritually-fulfilling and socially just human presence on Earth.

The very next day 18 enthusiastic souls gathered again to train as facilitators, here they are with their message to the world.

Hong Kong’s Happening

I’ve just arrived here in Hong Kong at the beginning of a 30 day visit to this busy, bustling city and other parts of South East Asia.

The team here have worked really hard to create symposiums at a bunch of places, two universities in mainaland China, the Asia Consciousness Frstival here and Manila and Kuala Lumpur too.  We’re also planning trainings in each of these countries so we hope by the time the month is out to have new teams of facilitators in the Philippines, Malaysia and mainland China – how cool is that.

And here’s what I was writing about the opportunity we have for the region during this period

The Big Opportunity
During this month we can build significant new capacity in the Awakening the Dreamer community here in SE Asia, which means

• train more facilitators to present the symposium and to join the other activities
• take some of these people through the Deepening Training to develop an even greater connection to the work
• help more of the trained facilitators to find their own active role within the activities and possibilities of the region
• to develop materials and tactics to specifically support activities in the region [including translations and local promotional strategies]
• to develop strategies for the continuing development of the Initiative in the different countries and in the region

The target to which we are all committed is to further develop self-generated, self-expanding activity here that is also aligned with the rest of the ATD Initiative around the world.

Better get going, there’s work to do

Hong Kong Happenings

Just back from a week in Hong Kong, where I was privileged to train up another 30+ people to carry the message of Awakening the Dreamer.

Got to tell you a bit about the city, which is like New York on speed. Crammed on to a few small and rocky islands, 7 million people create one of the busiest ports and financial centres anywhere. Its one of the most densely populated cities in the world, 40% of residents live above the 14th floor, largely because 70% of the land mass is either too mountainous to build on or protected habitat.

I got to experience both of these elements first hand. staying as I was in an apartment in Causeway Bay, one of the most crowded areas (and this courtesy of the generosity of a friend of a friend). The apartment was 2000 square feet, four bedroom, and was palatial compared to the average size living space here. To get some sense of what this part of HK looks like check out the video at the bottom of this post.

I also tripped out by commuter ferry to Lantau Island to visit Merrin and Louise in their idyllic hideaway, 20 minutes walk to the end of a steep path in the forest, a small house completely off the beaten track, enjoying fresh spring water and great views of the countryside.

The business end of the trip was organised by the indomitable, tireless Ms Jo Fok, who has taken on the organising of Awakening the Dreamer in HK. She was largely responsible for organising the Symposium there last Thursday, Lynne Twist and Marcia Martin delivered this to a crowd of about 170. The response of the audience was as moving, and moved, as usual and so we had 32 people show up the following Sunday to train as presenters of the symposium.

From this, and from the many contacts of contacts in this highly networked city, we already have options to share our work with universities in mainland China and Hong Kong, at least three schools and a host of groups of all kinds. Another friend of Jo’s, film star Michael Wong, wants to take us into the educational hierarchy of the city and a Thai Buddhist sect – I can only say watch this space, things are happening in Hong Kong.