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Welcome to the thirty-fourth issue of Living Values e-News, the electronic newsletter of the Association for Living Values Education International.
President, Association for Living Values Education International |
The Way of the Heart organization invited
Indonesia's Taka Gani, an experienced LVE Trainer and a leader with LVE in her
country, to lead a three-day LVE Workshop in Australia. As Taka said "LVE in
Byron Bay was magnificent. Tears of love and laughter were our company
throughout the workshop.” Everyone was most grateful for the seminar and for the
energy which surrounded the activities. Sixteen participants shared a wonderful
experience. The age of participants ranged from 16 to 68. As the life experience
of the participants and the professional backgrounds varied immensely, it became
more like a retreat.
The Association of Living Values in Education, Greece and the
magazine "Window to Children's Education” organized a two-day
experiential seminar, "Cultivating Values in School and in Life”, on
December 6 and 7, 2008, in Athens. It was conducted by author and
educator, Pilar Quera Colomina of Barcelona, Spain. Pilar Quera
Colomina is one of the creators of the Living Values international
program and network, and one of the authors of its educational
materials. There were 25 participants: educators, psychologists and
university students.
A local television
station visited the LVE Parents Group in Komló in the south of Hungary in
October 2008. The group has functioned for two years. What is unique about
this club is that parents and kindergarten teachers, including the
head-kindergarten teacher, created this together.
LVE is active in several regions of Italy. Mrs
Daniela Mascotto, a graduate in education, contributed the following
about the two LVE projects carried out in Tribano during 2008.
Peter Williams, an ALIVE trainer and the former principal of an LVE school in
Kuwait, recently presented a symposium paper on Values Education to 800
delegates in Mauritius. The Deputy Minister of Education and the Head of Early
Childhood Education in Mauritius indicated to him that a values-based approach
to education will be adopted by the Early Childhood Education Authority.
Azra Ali, Headmistress of The City School - Junior Boys Branch PECHS, Karachi,
Pakistan shares the following:
The Third National Meeting for LVE Educators, with the theme "For a Country
of Values”, was held in July of 2008 at Universidad Nacional del Este (UNE)
in Cuidad del Este, the capital of "Alto Paraná” under the auspices of the
Faculty of Philosophy of UNE and the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Three hundred educators, students, and parents gathered together to share
experiences and develop personal skills to ignite this values education
program in the classroom, the community, the family and with children at
risk.
Congratulations to Alpha Abu Kamara, a young man with a passion
for peace and human rights who became the LVE Focal Point for
Sierra Leone two months ago. He learned about Living Values
Education from a fellow educator living in Guinea in July of 2008
and wrote to say that he wanted to become involved. As a college
student, he was a member of Human Rights Clinic, a human rights
foundation. There he learned about conflict prevention, conflict
resolution and promoting peace within society. Now he teaches
English language, drama and poetry in a secondary school; he is
also in charge of a peer mediator program in his school.
The first LVE Educator Workshop in Sri Lanka was
held in November 2008 in Dehiwela, led by Trish Summerfield, the
LVE Focal Point for Vietnam. A group of 57, including educators,
managers, and administrators, attended the four-day program. The
event began by lighting of the traditional oil lamp to inaugurate
the workshop. All the participants actively participated and the
knowledge, experience and skills they acquired was remarkable.
Although the days were packed with many sessions, no one felt
tired or heavy. Trish made each event light, relaxed and enjoyable
by being a practical role model. Each moment was filled with fresh
experiences and a harmony dance made everyone active and alert.
Vegetarian food nourished the minds as well as the physical bodies
with enthusiasm and joy. The loving presence of all was an
encouragement to many.
Asha, Executive of a government
authority
Anura, Manager
Prof. S. Mohanadas, Former Vice
Chancellor of a local university
Chitra Liyanapathirana,
Administrator
Ambiga Jeger, Teacher
Mrs. L. Kamalambigai, Retired
principal
Mr. Sugathasoma, Retired teacher
Mrs. Ramya, Lawyer
Two one-day LVE
Educator Workshops were organized at Kasem Bundit University
for160 teachers from 160 schools under the supervision of Bangkok
Metropolitan Administration (BMA) in late summer 2008. Hosted by
the university, the workshops were offered free of charge to
educators. Each school was given one set of LVE books by the
President of the University.
Miami Herald just published an article about ACES
celebration of International Peace Day!
As reported in the April 2008 LVE newsletter, the
Ministry of Labor in Vietnam communicated that LVE's program for
drug rehabilitation was the most successful program being used in
government drug rehabilitation clinics. LVADR (Living Values
Activities for Drug Rehabilitation) is being used in 25% of the
government rehab facilities. The following are comments of other
people that have been involved in Vietnam
Mrs. Hoang Thi Viet Hong, Vice
Manager of DSEP
Truong Son, Journalist , Ho Chi
Minh City, Vietnam
Thanh Ha, Director of the Education
Department of Vietnam Television
Mr. Thuc, Director of Drug
Rehabilitation Center Number 6, Ba Vi, Vietnam
Dr. Tran Tuan Lo, Dean, Psychology
Department of Van Hien University
Dr. Nguyen Tung Lam, Principal,
Dinh Tien Hoang High School and Vice Director of the Psychology
Institute of Hanoi, Vietnam
Please
also send us: your success stories in using Living Values for the Impact
section of our Web site;
photographs for the News section of our Web site; and students only, your stories, experiences, feelings and inspirations about
Living Values for the
Children Participate section of our Web site.
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News
and Success Stories From Around the World
AUSTRALIA
Living Values in Bryon Bay - Tears of love and
laughter were our company
At the end of the three days, a core group of eight persons expressed a
willingness to carry on with Living Values Education as trainers. They will meet
in February to reconvene and share everyone's personal "fallout” from the
experience. A further LVE three-day course with the team of eight, plus new
invitees - is planned for April 2009. This will provide opportunities for the
core group members to gain personal experience co-facilitating the workshop.
GREECE Cultivating
Values in School and in Life
Areti Foufopoulou stated: "It was a delightful experience shared by
twenty-three people. Her genuine warmth, wisdom, experience and
light shone right through and went straight to our hearts. Moreover,
she helped everyone feel connected and committed to the mission of
the values on a new basis while giving an opportunity to those
attending for the first time to get to know the programme at its
best. It was really empowering and refreshing to get together, that
is why we are now examining the possibility of preparing a major
seminar with guests from Spain and, ideally, other countries on a
Greek island in the summer of 2009.”
HUNGARY
Light and Loving Parent /
Teacher Club Attracts Media Attention
Kindergarten teacher Szabóné Andi explains, "The club provides an excellent
opportunity for parents and educators to interact not only casually or when
there are some problems with the children, but by spending precious time
together, they become partners to educate children in another way. As a result
of these connections, the children benefit greatly. The very light and playful
meetings, which include the most important spheres of life, such as
relationships with the self, with the family, with others, attract more and
more educators from the local schools, also. In the photo you can see parents
and educators writing on each others' backs, identifying in the hearts one
another's qualities. Everyone was very happy that they could see the good in
one another.” 
ITALY
LVE Helps
Those Who Act Aggressive or Shy - And is best when parents are involved
The first LVE project was done with 22 children ranging from 3- to
9-years old. "At the Summer Holiday Centre, the teachers implemented
some LV Activities every day, within the normal activities of the
centre. That included visualizations, reflections, communication,
listening, concentration, leisure and artistic activities aiming at
improving both the socializing aspect and the personal skills by
enhancing the inner values of each child. Such values as peace,
love, respect and unity were particularly worked out.
Results: At first, the most restless kids tried to fill the empty
spaces created by the moments of silence with bursts of laughter and
words, but after a few days they became quieter and more willing to
relax. Within the activities about peace, respect and love, even the
children showing more aggressive behaviours could discover a new way
to come in touch with the others, a more positive social
communication approach, a better listening ability and a more
selected vocabulary. On the other hand, the most introvert and shy
ones improved both their self-esteem and self-respect which had a
consequent effect in the quality of their ways to relate with the
others. Children seemed to be more capable to come in touch with
their inner values and speak about them. The activities included in
the Unity session were such that they helped to create a harmonious
group, in spite of the different ages of the children and the
schools they came from.
The activities also included daily meetings with the parents, who
were stimulated to reflect upon this kind of education. In fact they
had already caught its positive effect and often wondered about the
good changes in the behaviour of their children and the atmosphere
brewing in the Summer Centre.
The above experience shows how important it is to create an
atmosphere based on values and to be reliable as a teacher involved
in the process. The results will be greater and more immediate when
the children involved are very young because they tend to absorb and
imitate what comes to them through their environment. That is why it
is important to apply the LVE program starting from nursery school.
But, as an educator, I would say that it is even more important to
develop the LVE program with parents as well, because they are their
children's first educators and founders of their development which
is not only physical but also intellectual, emotional and
spiritual.”
"The second project was developed during the whole 2007/2008 school
year with a group of children attending a private nursery school
from 3- to 6- years old. As their educator, I had the opportunity to
realize the great importance of a kind of education based on LVE
principles not only in favour of the children's intellectual,
emotional and spiritual growth but also of their health thanks to
the harmonious balance they create on the body wellness. All 11
values were included among the various teaching activities during
the whole school year.
The outcomes of this kind of work have been excellent, resulting in
great harmony in the children's relationship among them and with
their teachers. However I do believe that such positive results have
been made possible thanks to the involvement and cooperation of the
parents in the LVE program. In fact, they took an active part by
meeting monthly during the whole school year. This also shows the
importance of cooperation between teachers and families in the
educational process which is made possible thanks to the acceptance
of a kind of education rooted on the sharing of common values. In
this way, the LVE program becomes a self-educational process for
adults, both teachers and parents, who jointly cooperate for the
development of children's individual skills. It encourages free
expression of the innate values which are at the basis of a sane
society by allowing children to express themselves fully as men and
women to be. Considering the positive results achieved, both parents
and the teacher agreed upon going on with the LVE program for the
2008/2009 school year.”
MAURITIUS Values
Education throughout the Island
The symposium was followed by a lively, informative and interactive two-day TTT
which resulted in 30 colleagues being trained as trainers. A second two-day LVE
Educator Trainer followed immediately afterwards with 30 attendees. They were
trained for the most part by the "newly qualified” trainers who presented with
enthusiasm, presence and effectiveness. One of the attendees came from
Madagascar; Isabelle is currently working with the Heart and Conscience
organization and will be taking the LVE program back to her students.
One of the key issues in Mauritius is the decreasing amount of time parents are
spending with their children. In trying to help deal with this issue, the
University Pro-Chancellor has established a "Happy Families” community programme
that promotes a minimum of 30 minutes of family conversation every day. He is
keen to bring this programme to LVE and Peter is currently working with him in
regard to this initiative.
Peter also facilitated seminars with youth, post graduate students at the
university, community and social workers, business and civil servant leaders,
held two public programmes on the Power of Intuition … and, of course, made two
visits to local schools.
He wrote: "The Mauritius family is so amazing, so giving and so loving. One
cannot but give and succeed on this island. It was a joy to be there.”
Are good people always busy?! The following week, Peter participated in a U.K.
LVE event with 34 primary school educators from Oslo, Norway. He said, "They
were introduced to the joys of values-based learning using LVE. They embraced a
very interactive day with an enthusiasm to learn more.” Thank you, Peter, for
all your wonderful work.
PAKISTAN
Living Values is Adopted by Educators Who Care
The City School is one of the largest private English-medium school systems in
Pakistan. This year our Director of Studies, Dr. Dania, shared the topic of
Values Education with us. Different values are already associated with our
curriculum, however Dr. Dania asked us to prepare special programmes to be
introduced during Assembly Time every week and that's how I came across your
website. Values such as Cooperation, Respect, Tolerance, Patience, etc., will be
introduced during assembly using different means such as role play, mime, games,
story telling, activities, etc.
My branch started with the programme on Monday November 3, 2008 with
"Cooperation." We had an introduction of the topic, an activity on movement of a
heavy object by the students and story time. Students enjoyed the activity
tremendously. Since then, they have been bringing different things on the topic
such as poems, definitions, write-ups, etc. We have set up a soft board for them
to display their contributions. Tomorrow is another exciting day for us as our
choir has prepared a song: "Teamwork". Also, our young artists will be busy
creating their drawings on Cooperation.
I will keep writing to share with you what children of Pakistan are doing for
this noble cause, i.e, in creating a caring, respectful environment where
students feel good and safe, want to learn and live their values.
PARAGUAY
Third National LVE Educators Forum - "For A
Country of Values”
With great love and enthusiasm the LVE team of instructors and collaborators
travelled 350 km to Ciudad del Ester, carrying dreams, a great quantity of
LVE books, books on personal growth and many blessings to give to the
participants fo the meeting.
A successful experience of implementation through pedagogical methods was
presented to the family and the community in Yaguaron city. These methods
were presented by the Department of Education and Art: Mrs. Perla Jara -
development of workshops and experiences for Educators; Rodrigo Brites Alves,
Program Coordinator in Brazil - he worked successfully with street children
and teenagers that are in conflict with the law; and Mrs. Miriam C. de Ginzo,
National Program Coordinator - she contributed with her experience and
impact of the program in Paraguay.
During this event, input was also given to different aspects: the need of
spiritual development in educators, by Mr. Antoine Ducrot; the
responsibility of the media to educate and broadcast values, by Mr. Tito
Saucedo - ABC Color, Educational Department Director, a great contributor
and driving force for this international Program in Paraguay. Finally, Jose
Luis Ginzo introduced the benefit and potential of positive thinking to
educators and students.
Organizers, educators, and all the enthusiastic participants were so happy
because of the benefit received from the conference as well as the shared
experiences. They also expressed the need to train educators who are willing
to develop this program in Ciudad del Este, for there is a great need in the
various requirements of education in this area. The teachings of the program
were given in an environment of experiential workshops - an educational
paradigm of "Being an example from a learned lesson,” "Be what you wish to
see in your students and children,” - which allow one to experience the
values and develop emotional skills in order to experience them, manifest
them, and be an inspirational example for others.
This experience generated excitement, motivation and hope in the hearts of
all of those who participated in the workshops. It also created a great
movement of feelings, ideas, and actions with the purpose of developing the
program at the Alto Parana area.
SIERRA
LEONE Three
Young Men with a Passion for Peace and Human Rights
Alpha Kamara's interest in LVE was so strong that he organized the
first LVE workshop in Sierra Leone on 26 August, only one month
after learning about LVE, with the help of another young man, Mr.
Alhaji Karmara, from the Gambia. Alhaji had attended a two-day
workshop with the LVE coordinator of Living Values Senegal, Mamour
Sylla, another young man with a desire for a peaceful, productive
society. LVE grows with educators who have a passion for a better
world, and the values of cooperation and respect! After a day of
LVE presentations, reflections and sharing, participants felt they
would be able to do LV Activities in their schools and be better
able to cope with children in schools, and protect the rights of
the child.
SRI
LANKA The
First LVE Training - and Hope for a Better Future
Many practicing teachers and some volunteers from the first
training then participated in the two-day Train the Trainer
workshop which followed. The TTT allowed time for participants to
become more familiar with the LVE methodology. They practiced
their facilitation skills by conducting sessions in small groups.
At a planning and implementation session, the Sri Lanka ALIVE
group drafted a plan for the future.
Apart from the workshops, Trish was interviewed by two leading
newspapers in the country on ALIVE activities and her service at
Vietnam. The Director of the Social Cohesion and Peace Education
Unit at the Ministry of Education invited Ms. Summerfield to her
office to discuss how to carry through a values education project
in the local education system. The director was happy and very
much convinced by the activity books and asked the local LVE team
to present a proposal for a project for the next year. Ms.
Summerfield also visited Dr. Kariyawasam, the former Director
General of the National Institute of Education in Sri Lanka and a
pioneer in value education in our country.
Comments from participants:
"This LVE Training Programme is very valuable to me as this is the
first time I was exposed to such a training programme. Those LVE
activities are very interesting and very useful for our day to day
life. We can apply all these values at home, work and in the
community and set examples to others. Trish won all of our hearts
during the entire session and she remains in our hearts with the
universal values we learnt from her.”
"I am so happy that I could participate in educator training and TTT. It was really valuable and I got lot of confidence to plan
and conduct similar workshops in future.”
"The event was a great success and I have immensely benefited. Now
I have confidence in conducting a Living Values Education
Programme.”
"Being the president of the LVE Association in Sri Lanka, I am
very proud to be associated with LVE Programme and all the members
of the association. It was a great team effort and this first LVE
Training Programme was a great success. The foundation is now laid
to bring peace and happiness to all the communities in Sri Lanka
through Education of Universal Living Values.”
"I am a teacher by profession, dealing with very young minds. This
training program helped me realize many mistakes we make in our
teaching styles which can cause great damage in their learning
process. Thanks to the trainer and other participants who actively
helped to unveil certain teaching and learning secrets which will
help in future teaching.”
"I had a happy childhood and these four days I felt I was enjoying
my childhood days again. I was made to realise that life could be
happy and gay even at old age. This programme taught us to be open
and receptive, and appreciate the beauty of individuality in
diversity. We are all beautiful flowers in a lovely garden.”
"Now I feel there is a hope for a beautiful world.”
"This programme helped me improve my inner values. It will help in
my day to day life as well as my professional life. I learnt more
about tolerance and how to work with cooperation.”
THAILAND University
Funds LVE Workshops and Books for Hundreds of Teachers
During the last year, five one-day LVE Educator Workshops have
been organized for about 450 teachers from the BMA schools and 350
schools have received a set of the LVEP books in Thai from the
Kasem Bundit University. Most of the participants enjoyed the
trainings. Many stated they gained insight on how to teach values
to their students, and some wished the trainings had been longer
than one day.
USA International
Peace Day - Children really get it when it comes to Peace!
Children really get it when it comes to Peace! Since the opening
of Aventura City of Excellence School (ACES) in August, nearly
1,000 students focused on the value of Peace, culminating in their
annual International Peace Day celebration on Friday, September
19th. This year's celebration included not only the children, but
also parents and officials from the City of Aventura, the latter
delivered an official proclamation. The program featured the
children's "Peace Day Chorus"; expressions of Peace through
students' artwork, essays and poetry about what peace meant to
them, a keynote talk on Peace by Brigitte Benchimol, author of the
children's book "I Met Gandhi - Jayden and the Magic Bubble" and
awards and presentations by representatives from the University of
Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Parents were engaged in the program as well, assisting in the
construction of a Peace Quilt by 100 Kindergarten students;
wrapping and preparing 1,000 colorful gift boxes filled by the
children and destined for international distribution through Good
Samaritan program; and creating a video featuring children and
teachers answering the questions "What Peace Means to Me", and
"How I contribute to Peace at ACES."
It's important to understand what's behind all of this, so others
can join to foster Peace as the positive core of the home, school,
community and world at large. ACES is the USA "flagship" school
for the Living Values Education Program, a global collaborative of
educators and other volunteers committed to creating an atmosphere
for learning where everyone feels valued, respected, loved,
understood and safe. For six years, ACES teachers, administrators
and students have been exploring universal values and implementing
them in the classroom, in school activities, and in community and
world service projects. There is a culture of peace at ACES that
is spilling into the community and beyond. As middle-schooler,
Carolina Suarez noted in her essay "Peace becomes present at every
moment in the day. It is present in the food we eat. Also in the
young people who prepare themselves to be good people. We could
also see peace in the migratory flight of birds, or in a boy that
learns to take care of a tree. It is even present in the smiles of
a parent and the development of a human being toward their
destiny. All that is Peace…."
This year, the United Nations is featuring a new "Peacebuilding"
initiative. According to the UN, "Peacebuilding" is different from
peacemaking and peacekeeping in that it "focuses on creating a
long- term culture of peace, rather than solving existing
conflicts or preventing old ones from re-occurring. Peacebuilding
activities aim at building understanding and tolerance between
individuals, communities and societies and establishing new
structures of cooperation. Peacebuilding activities range in scale
from personal acts of kindness toward others to global
inter-governmental programs."
EVERYONE can participate, and we encourage you to do so by
visiting the website
http://internationaldayofpeace.org/about/background.html.
Character education is required by law in Florida. Schools may
want to list their events. State governments and local
municipalities can issue proclamations and hold special programs;
families can make a promise for peace, individuals can offer a
moment of silence or a peaceful thought for the world.
As ACES students say, "Peace - the word is more than just a word
-
it's an action!" Many joined with the students at ACES, the Living
Values Education Program, and others throughout the community in
marking the official International Day of Peace on Sunday,
September 21, 2008, the day that Peace came to South Florida!
VIETNAM Further
Positive Feedback on LVE's Program for Drug Rehabilitation
"In a number of Drug Rehabilitation Centres, I saw tears of
happiness in many youths' eyes as they discovered Living Values.
The LVE methodology is very effective for both staff and patients.
It helps the staff put their feet in the patient's shoes to gain
empathy and also enables the patients to recognize possible
relapse situations and find solutions in preparation for when they
go back to their communities."
"This book not only shows you how to be effective in both your
professional and personal life, it also teaches you how to live so
that you can have a happy life."
"Do you know who is the most peaceful? When do you feel peaceful?
Is there anyone asking you these questions seriously? The first
time I read these questions in this book, I felt surprised and
interested in this open education program. In all twelve values,
there are always simple questions with easy structures which are
like keys to open the door of discovery and to move us through our
layers of thoughts. Then stepping out of these thoughts, we
suddenly are full of energy."
"I think all staff and patients' family members need to study this
LVEP program so that they can develop new ways to help and support
youth addicted to drugs."
"My students have learned a correct living philosophy and surely
that they will become the best and most qualified counselors
through this program."
"I think in modern schools such as mine it is imperative to teach
LVEP."
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