Australia Country Report - Asia Pacific

 

2022 

Climate Change and Values

Reflect for a moment on the world your heart longs for... this was one of the aspects considered by Australian Focal Point in the latter months of 2022. How might the values of peace, love, respect, honesty, cooperation and freedom create a social fabric of harmony and change?

Climate Change is no longer coming, it is here now and the majority of the seven billion people on the planet are aware to varying degrees. Large numbers of people are in some way starting to experience the dynamic of a world fast disintegrating into a very real potential of global deprivation and terror for many. Climate affects food production, extreme weather and temperature, the safety of homes, floods, fires and safe water supplies. These events result in mass migration, a reduction in sustainable living and the destruction of flora and fauna that support the biosphere. We, together with our children are at risk of a devastating future.

Einstein said that you cannot solve a problem from the same level of consciousness that created it. If this is true then we need to look not at a quick fix to each drama that unfolds, rather at the reason we have created this experience.

Clearly, our collective Values need to be addressed and change the way we live our lives. Embracing Values in our daily life directly impacts how we live on the planet. We could be the change we want to see in the world, with a goal to change the way we live and start to give our Earth and Her Oceans the opportunity to heal. This book is dedicated to that objective - to bring awareness through engaging these carefully thought-out activities for children and adults to create understanding, affirm our Values and stimulate positive action in our daily lives before it is too late.

This book is filled with environmental values related activities ideal for the school classroom or, for parents to use at home with their children ages 3-7,8-14 and even young adults to bring awareness to the diverse aspects that involve all aspects of how we live our lives and relate to the environment, ** In celebration of World Values Day 2022, we created a FREE pdf download of the Climate Change and Values book. To obtain a copy simply click here. 

 

2021 

Another year has passed us by in Australia.  Although not much has changed with the Covid virus still evident in our lives through the local lockdowns, schools being closed for weeks, online teaching, and for social interaction we are certainly all now very familiar with our conversations via Skype and Zoom.

It would have been impossible to hold LVE workshops and activities face-to-face here, obviously similar to the situation that has and still does exist in many countries.  Australia just prior to Christmas decided to reopen its borders, not only between States which have been isolated as well as international travel.  With over 85% of the country vaccinated they feel it is safe to do so and, like elsewhere the numbers of 'sick' people are skyrocketing.

Living Values Education focus has changed a lot in the past couple of years.  With many facilitators, including ourselves not able to provide LVE workshops the emphasis for support of members the ALIVE Board moved to the continuing promotion of the online Distance Training Courses and to redesigning our resources, adding yet more new materials relative to the times we live in. 

This will continue through 2022 with the second series of LVE Activities for Children 3-7, 8-14, Young Adults with eight new values books being produced.  These will be also available by end of the year in the Rainbow booklet activities series for these age groups. As with series one, each booklet will focus on one value.

Covid also showed us the importance of bring values to parents and Diane Tillman is developing two new books and Guides for this market segment.  We recognise that It is wrong for us to just expect teachers to be responsible for bringing values awareness to their classroom students, parents too have to continue the effort at home if enjoyable and mutually beneficial home life is to be expected.

This year India was the star for certifying many new DFT facilitators although we now also have DFT facilitators active in the Maldives, Mauritius, and the Philippines.

One of the new resources in celebration of World Values Day 2021was "Living Values Education - Values-based Atmosphere"  a book with contributions from our Associates, Focal Points, and facilitators seeking to explain what constitutes our VbA, how to develop it and how to use in every moment in our own lives and within the awareness building of Values education.  Free download on the website under Resources/download.

In the later part of the year the ALIVE Board undertook a "Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats" analysis.  It was very revealing and allowed the board to develop strategies to rectify areas where we could perform better. A total of 25 strategies, new projects were nominated to be undertaken, many requiring research. 

To facilitate the priority projects nominated by the board are the five LVE Working groups - Cooperation, Membership, Resources, Partnerships, and Distance.  These management teams constitute the engine that keeps LVE in creativity and growth. Teams of 6-8 volunteers man the teams and work in small groups on aspects of the Projects nominated.

The WG activity is designed to get us all 'out of the box' thinking globally rather than locally, spending more time together crossing borders and countries to see the bigger picture. It's all about those lovely values of cooperation, responsibility and unity. We realise we need to encourage looking over the fence to see what others are doing. Often what works well for one country works equally well for another. If you are in any way involved with LVE there is a place available for you in the Working Groups/Management teams. If you are interested you can contact me at: communications@livingvalues.net

At the end of 2022 I shall be retiring from the ALIVE Board, after six years focusing largely on the whole global reach of LVE I shall be back to using some of the experience gained with ALIVE in Australia and also New Zealand. I will be also looking for a partner to work with me in the Australia/New Zealand Focal Point role. The person can live anywhere, in either country. Our priority will be to develop the independent Distance Facilitator Training course, build community LVE Study Groups and promote training using the new Parenting Guide.

If you are interested, you could start anytime during 2022. If you are interested you can contact me at: australia@livingvalues.net

So, on behalf of the LVE Australian Focal Point, we wish you a Great New Year in '22 , we pray that you stay safe and with an open heart for whatever we attract to ourselves in the coming months ahead.

Blessings to you all, Roger

 

2020 

In Australia like other countries COVID 19 lockdowns and border controls have been in effect since March 2020. This has made the past means of extending Values training and through participation workshops impossible. Therefore the Australia activity re-focused its attention on supporting further expansion of the Distance Online Courses concept to assist not just Australia, but also other countries to create a new means of delivering the message.

This report summarises the activities that have taken place since August 2020

In August 2020

1. New identity look adopted for all LVE presentation materials

2. Facebook Header created for members

3. Facebook Page for ALIVE - "Living Values Education" with Self Reflection course available with a new value offered each week. 

4. New LVE Business, Cards, Stationery, for members

5. Work started on 12 pages ALIVE Introductory Brochure

 

In September 2020

1. Values Bookmarks/reminder cards creation project undertaken by Singapore Focal Point to celebrate World Values Day and thereafter. Use/translate by ALIVE membership for their country.

2. 15 min Video made of ALIVE members saying "hello" to the world on WVD.

3. Above incorporated into WVD international 'products'.

4. Above added to the LVE website for download.

 

In October 2020

1. LVE Bookmark .ppt and also print version sent to WVD and all ALIVE membership for distribution before 15^th October - World Values Day.

2. ALIVE Introductory Brochure 1^st draft sent to Board members.

3. Revision of all Distance materials graphic presentation separating from Distance materials from the other Rainbow Library products/activities.

4. New ALIVE funding application put in place on MO site.

 

In November 2020

1. ALIVE introductory brochure completed print and ebook version sent to all members, provided for uploading to the LVE website

2. Distance Online Course in Distance Facilitator Training included into 2020 version of ALIVE's new LVE Training Guide.

2.2. Special reference given to LVE Study Groups to expand facilitator introduction and training in values awareness. Formation of Study groups anywhere given 'green light' for individuals to use to widen the reach of values.

2.3. DOC materials upgrade of presentation completed for Level One and Level Three, Level Two will be re-developed based on the new LVE Training Guide in December.

 

In December 2020 and ongoing into 2021

1. LVE Training Guide.  Launch - now available free on Kindle.

 

2.  January 6^th launch - ALIVE Facebook page - Living Values Education commencement date for the new weekly LVE Values Self Reflection Schedule and other LVE materials in automated creation for LVE Facebook Page and in place, all LVE membership invited to "share" on their own FB pages. Extra LVE 'news' will be included added every week. Schedule for 12 weeks repetitive has been created by Ris Promotions, Brisbane.

 

3. UPGRADING OUR INTERNATIONAL COUNTY REPORTS SERVICE TO MEMBERS:

3.1 Country Reports:  All Associates and Focal Points are being requested to provide the name, photo, with a 50 word bio of their current/active facilitators.  These names will appear on the Country Reports.

3.2 Country Websites: As a further service to our Ass and FP, ALIVE is developing a standard ALIVE Country website.  This will be an adjunct to the Country Reports. The website is to provide greater details of what the country offers, excluding dates and costs and other variables which should be available and updated regularly by the member on their country Facebook Page. 

3.3 Recognising that most internet use is now by phone rather than computer a new Country members website will be greatly simplified have more graphics and minimal text to be easily read and assimilated by handheld device. Material relevant to each country will be provided in their own language to suit each Associate or Focal Point activities. National website's web and email addresses will be noted on the LVE country pages site.

From Australia Happy New Year wishes for a return to normality with greater awareness for the fragility of our world and its peoples. Let Love, Peace and Respect be our individual and collective way of life.

 

2019

A New Adventure - taking LVE to the people - Distance Online Courses - launched.

Stemming from the inability of gathering groups for workshops and presentations in such a large continent with distance, travel, and cost factoring high on people not being able to attend LV meetings and with such a diverse socio-economic group,  LVE Australia has been creating the Distance Online Course concept. 

The Courses meet a wide range of needs for Living Values include - for ALIVE Members - Refresh, Facilitator, and Trainers with lapsed certification - Refresh. For new would-be Members an LVE Approach Familiarisation Course, For would be LVE Facilitators - self-development and practical Online Training Course. For Public - Self Reflection, Home Study and Personal Journal and Study Group management.  All Courses are offered free.  details available on this website under "Distance".

November 2019 New LVE RB Activity booklets created available to Queensland schools

During 2018 and 2019 Diane Tillman re-created a new advanced version of the successful LVE Age group Activity books used in schools and with educators  around the world.  The final one to be released on Amazon, "LVE for Young Adults" was in July 2019.  Following on Australia took the initiative to develop the three age group activities into 40 - 60 page pocket book size booklets, easy to carry, inexpensive to print - one for each value and, each age group covering the entire spectrum of the school education system.  The booklets are simple "teacher/classroom" aids.  When encountering a difficult circumstance in a classroom, any teacher can take a booklet with the Value surrounding that situation and immediely offer clarity through implementing the values activities that will assist young people in broadening their perspective and understanding of how this relates to them.  The booklets can be printed in school on office printer.  The boolets are FREE.  As of end of year some 160 Australian schools,  primary receiving the 3-7, secondary, 8-14 and Young Adults will have been distributed.

Please note:  All Rainbow booklets are available for download from this website including the new School Age series. See under Resources.

Distance Facilitator Training (DFT) Launched in May

Raj Miles, the Focal Point for LVE in Australia, reported on an exciting new offering for people who wish to engage with LVE from home: "Australia has become something of a LVE "hatchery" and we have laid some Living Values Education golden eggs in the form of three mentors for the Distance Facilitation Training Course. The 12-week Distance Facilitator Training Course was formally launched in May 2019 for international participants and is run by three Australian mentors, Suzanne Stallard, Raj Miles and Denise Shaw under the auspices of the Focal Point for LVE in Australia. The three mentors soon found themselves with a lot more to do than originally envisaged! Not only are there twelve new DFT participants from Singapore, Malaysia, India, Hong Kong, USA and Jordan, all working their way through the first weeks of self-reflection on values, but they have also been joined by representatives of ALIVE Associates in Africa with a view to them subsequently offering online distance training in their own countries. We also launched explanatory videos on DFT which can be seen at livingvalues.net/distance-facilitator."

 

2018/2019

In November of 2017 Raj (Australian co-Focal Point with Suzanne Stallard) was invited to attend the Association of Living Values Education International Annual (ALIVE) General Assembly in Jogjakarta and Sambi, Java, Indonesia. A position was offered and accepted on the Board of ALIVE. 

It soon became apparent that there was a significant opportunity for the new Board to revitalise the 20-year-old Organisation and the decision was taken by the executive committee to make this a priority. Bringing the Australian perspective of a Focal Point, it was clear that new LVE resource material was required; updating the LVE 5 book series, a new range of simple inexpensive and electronically distributed booklets, new areas and aspects offered to both public and the global trainers, the website had to be refurbished with updated material and the new presentation, new logo designed and a reassessment of the international Associates and Focal Points, their facilitators and activities study undertook. Fortunately, funding was offered in support of the vision. 

All this required a committed activity by the active new Board Members which has resulted in diverting attention from the Australian Living Values Education general activity schedule of workshops.  The benefit to LVE Australia was, as part of the international activity and focus, LVE Australia's contribution to redesigning the Distance Facilitator Training programme. An effort to streamline the process of facilitator training both in this country as well as making the programme available on a global basis as a major component of the practical activities of ALIVE - which now, in 2019 has been announced.

For Australia, a country of the same size as America, the distance between our towns and cities as in many larger countries pre-empts the possibility of group participation in gatherings in one place for regular monthly LVE workshops. Cost of travel and time taken from work, business and families precludes this as an option. With the 12 week intensive, mentor-supported DISTANCE training formalised as a LVE training event providing similar certification to the three, three-day (60-72 hour total required) standard LVE accredited workshops we, in Australia have the real potential to generate national state representation of Living Values.

This opportunity can not be understated as the one thing which has held back significant interaction throughout this country has been the geographical challenges for would-be participants to join in the LVE training process.

Please go to the Australian website - www.livingvalues.com.au for more details, or contact distance@livingvalues.net - as the DFT is now an international standard in all respects wherever you live in the world and anywhere in Australia Living Values education is available to you.

In this period, a further contribution from Australia both for this country and all countries has been the creation of the Rainbow Booklet Library.

Now 30 publications of both facilitator training information, classroom resource materials, values criteria for schools, personal self help and self development, business in values and many more subjects are covered in the FREE download convenient pocket size booklets for self printing at minimal cost.

Available for download: www.livingvalues.net

2017

Understanding we cannot present something we have not done ourselves we, who represent the international core teams of Living Values Educators are invited to join with us, Board members, Associates, and Focal Points, Trainers and Facilitators by personally experiencing the concept of "Living In My Values" for this 12 week Study.

Benefits of Participation: You can discover more deeply about yourself and, according to Gandhi, as your awareness deepens, your life could well be expected to change as a result.

Participation: It requires little of you, just honest contemplation and personal assessment of one of Humanity's 12 core Values - ten minutes each morning and evening for one week, living in the dynamic of that Value for a week and during the week, evaluating your feelings and realisations relative to the Value and any changes that you discover occurring in your life.

Frequency: Each week on Sunday on the website you find your next Value and the accompanying self-development questions.

We encourage you to check out the program and how it works on lveresearch.net. You can register online and immediately on login begin participation by engaging the Value of the Week.

Any queries, please contact:
Roger (Raj) Miles, Living Values Education Distance Programs. Click here to email 

2015/2016

Australia: Living Values Education Distance Course - Part of Facilitator Training

October / November 2015 Workshop Series

Living Values Australia annually holds four 2- and ½-weekend group workshops for people interested in becoming Facilitators. Each workshop embraces three or four specific Values and explores a particular theme - Human Rights, Refugees, Relationships, etc., areas where Values play a dominant role. After attending two weekends, participants are offered the opportunity to continue to become facilitators, co-facilitating nominated activity modules 'honing' their skills at leading the group through the LVE experience.

This month seven participants gathered at the home of the local Focal Points for LVE in Australia, Suzanne Stallard, and Raj Miles, in Wondai, Queensland to finalize their training. Ms. Taka Gani, a lead LVE trainer from Indonesia, joined the group to undertake the completion of two day TTT process. The certificate given endorsed the new facilitators to organize and deliver LVE workshops.

 

In the past, Australia's Living Values Education growth has been constrained by attendance time requirements and long-distance travel cost which has prevented bringing people together for multiple LVE workshops. A new initiative has been recently trialed to combat these difficulties: the 12 week Distance Facilitator Training (DFT) Program comprises a Home Study program based on activities drawn from "Living Values Activities for Children 8-14", "Living Values Activities for Young Adults" and a Facilitator training manual from "LVEP Educator Training Guide" and other international training organizations, and attendance at one practical facilitation five-day workshop which incorporates the basic TTT elements. The Living Values Activity Facilitator certification completes the Program.

In addition to working through the Living Values Education activities relative to each Value, the real personal development comes from the experience of 'living-in' each Value for one week.  Participants who have been trialing the Program are discovering the requirement to embrace the Value daily helps them see their behavior and negative responses to circumstances in the moment and to correct themselves. 

The three-month commitment is not necessarily easy as the Values bring up a lot of deeply emotional patterns. As one person wrote, "I hate not being able to control something and in writing this I realise I can't control myself, this incessant want for food to fill me up to make me feel better, to stop feeling this uneasiness that is still rising in me. I can't continue in this way; something is bubbling and going to burst, not sure if it will be my heart. The growing sensation seems so loud I will burst through all the resistance I have been feeling to completely change my life. I want to break through the crap."

Participants in DFT are required to document their weekly 'lived-in' Values experience and submit together with their Journal notes on their chosen Living Values Education Activities.

The second initiative in response to several requests from people around the country, untrained in Living Values Education but who want to explore Living Values in a casual shared community environment, the Focal Points developed a 12 week Study Group program. This Program provides all the guidelines for the successful running of a Study Group, the delivery of the Values activities, and sharing of the group's 'living-in' values aspect. No formal reporting is required. A newsletter is envisaged to bring groups together to share experiences.

The third initiative is a combination of the first and second Programs whereby the Study Group package is offered to people with common interests, e.g., working in social welfare organizations, with the full reporting requirements of the DFT. The Focal Point for LVE provides the group with their practical workshop experience and certification at the Study Group location anywhere in Australia.

If any ALIVE Associate or Focal Point for LVE is interested in reviewing these Programs for possible application in their country, they are invited to contact us.  Click here to email 

Suzanne Stallard and Raj Miles

2011

August 2011 - Company Embraces the Ethics of Living Values as a Culture Change Program

Last November we held an introductory one-day seminar at the company in Canberra which resulted in a recommendation by their staff that management adopts LIVING VALUES as their Culture at every level throughout the Company.

Looking at the wider potential of living values...

In Australia, the opportunity to bring Living Values Education to schools has been stifled due to bureaucratic and administrative difficulties. This has encouraged LVE Australia to take values awareness into the community.

Last year we introduced Living Values Education as a 'change in culture' - re-framing how management and a team see themselves and relate to one another and to the clients or customers they serve.

The Living Values program requires the courage to implement. It requires progressive thinking to embrace a complete turnaround for organisations that have been founded and focused on volume, profitability, and performance-based ideology. Not withstanding this, a company based in Newcastle and Canberra, New South Wales, which has established a business caring for teenagers and young adults in 24-hour supervised housing, decided to embrace the possibility. They recognised that to move to the next level of excellence they needed to change the approach to their ethics and all relationships.

They chose to embrace the Living Values Culture program at every level of the organisation, extending, most importantly to their young people, their 'clients'.

Meeting others' needs...how can we serve you best?

A proposal was put to the organisation following an audit undertaken with 18 staff interviewed in the two cities, focusing on how they might create change by implementing Living Values.

We offered a three-stage program that would empower management and staff alike to embrace Living Values developing pro-active initiatives in caring for young people and improving day-to-day operational matters in a cohesive and effective manner, through respectfulness, integrity, personal responsibility, and tolerance.

Following the audit, we held a customised LVE weekend workshop in which management, administrative and caregivers participated. The Values activities were designed to meet both personal and company challenges and goals and showed how effective it is to have common communication at all levels generating improved working relationships and increased self-responsibility. In the process, the group united to support the Living Values Education culture environment. A Culture Change Team of four members drawn from all three levels of the organisation was established to supervise all 100 staff in the introduction to the Values.

The Living Values Home Study program with activities based on the core 12 values provides a new 'corporate' value every two weeks. This value then becomes the theme for the working environment. Values signs appear at all work stations, as signatures in emails and in-house correspondence. All staff including management is required to submit at least one completed activity from the Home Study program answering questions relative to the value of that period. The Change Team monitors results and keeps everyone on track.

The owner of the company and the administrative assistant both participated in an LVAYO (Living Values Activities for Young Offenders) workshop to gain an in-depth understanding of working with young people the Living Values Education way. Our goal is to provide the organization with the support they need to become a Living Values "Model Site" in the next six months.

Living our values, sharing respect and positive regard for one another in our working environment is more than just getting performance, it becomes a way of life. Without these qualities, we have little chance of helping people and growing our world from hopelessness and isolation to peace, belonging, and respectfulness. The Culture Change program has the potential to address all of this.

One final note: We are all short of funds for our Living Values programs. The Culture Change program will greatly increase employee work ethic, improve customer relations, and naturally impact positively on profitability. Companies expect to pay for this service so if you are seeking to gain income to support your other LVE activities consider this program.

Raj Miles, Co-Focal Point for LVE in Australia

Other Living Values Associates and Focal Points are invited to review the Culture Change program in-depth online at www.livingvalues.com.au.

 

April 2011 - Report on the first training for facilitators of Living Values Activities for Young Offenders, 1 - 6 April 2011 Gold Coast, Australia

"Hailing from throughout Australia and Bali, a committed group of educators, trainers, and directors from an organisation that works with young offenders, gathered at a beautiful venue on the Gold Coast.  Roger (Raj) Miles and Suzanne Stallard, the Focal Points for LVE for Australia certainly knew how to pick the right spot and the right group of people to participate in the training," wrote Trish Summerfield, the LVE Lead Trainer for the workshop. 

From the first day, the strength of the program was apparent and the participants gained clarity and personal understanding as they worked through key lessons in the Living Values Activities for Young Offenders (LVAYO) book.  The power of the lessons in supporting a positive healing process and the building of self-esteem not just for young offenders but also for adults, in general, was obvious to the participants.  The training also focused significantly on the importance of highly effective facilitation and listening skills to support youth as they go through the lessons. The trainers' main challenge during the training was that the LVAYO book contains so many wonderful lessons it was not easy to select which ones should be used in the training!  On day six the participants created plans for applying to the program in both Australia and Bali.

Some of the comments received from participants:

"Broadening my understanding of Living Values to a very different level."

"This training consolidated what I already knew about Living Values and reinforced the format and methods, it provided a huge leap in the creative ways in which it could be applied beyond the school situation."

"Every aspect has helped to revitalise my enthusiasm."

"The entire sessions were fantastic, I am so grateful for what I learned here. This training is so inspirational and maintains the values throughout."

Raj and Suzanne report: "As the Focal Point for Australia we can say that the workshop was a success from every point of view. We learned so much from witnessing the facilitation skills of a Lead Trainer and so much more about the opportunities that Living Values has as a potential for change in the world.  While a six-day workshop is a challenge for attendance to have the depth of the sessions, opportunity to engage in role-playing, group breakouts and really engage the material we do not see how it would be possible to do the workshop in less time and have the same full benefit as we experienced.  We would encourage all ALIVE Associates and focal points to consider this workshop, perhaps on a regional basis, for the rejuvenation of facilitators. 

There are so many applications where LVAYO could be applied and we would encourage a review of the name to widen the possibilities for it allows us to address 'real-life' challenges not just for Young Offenders but all areas where people are in crisis both young and old. This program takes Living Values Education to a completely new level where it truly becomes a dynamic tool for human development.

Raj and Susanne continued, "With the current state of the world, we are noticing that trauma and hopelessness are increasing. We feel that the willingness for us to move into living from our Values will be one of the ways we, as humanity can truly help each other.  Suzie and I would like to suggest that in LVAYO there already exists a solid framework for a Community Values manual that will help people everywhere. Is this where we should be putting out focus?"

2010

March 2010 - Two weekend workshops held

- Melbourne and Geelong, both in the State of Victoria.  A total of 18 participants attended with several following through for facilitator training. We held our first 'LVE Business' one day workshop for Living Now magazine with ten employees and management with a very successful outcome.

 

April 2010 - Workshop and TTT

- With 13 participants at the workshop and 4 new facilitators attending the May TTT this made for a great five-day affair - more like a Retreat with many of the workshop participants staying over the extra days in support of the new facilitators. The new facilitators, Paula Bendel started Brisbane activities, Laura Re, Joanna Youssef started Melbourne and Nic Dacomb opened up LVEP in Byron Bay.

June 2010

- Living Values Education will be represented this year at the Brisbane Mind Body Spirit Festival by Nic Dacomb.

July 2010 - Workshop and TTT

- With 12 participants at the workshop and 4 new facilitators becoming accredited at the TTT by Carol Seymour will take LVEP into three more community groups.

NOW AVAILABLE AND COMING UP: Living Values Education through the recent accreditation of new facilitators is pleased to be offering introduction evenings and workshops in the following locations:

• Gold Coast, Qld - each alternate month (except Sept/Oct) at Paradise Kids Foundation premises, Arundel - plus Facilitator TTT three times a year.  Exploring Values - community weekly evenings
• Brisbane, Qld - Exploring Values - community weekly evenings.
• Toowoomba, Qld - Exploring Values - community weekly evenings.
• Byron Bay, NSW - Exploring Values - community weekly evenings. Weekend workshops for teens.
• Melbourne, VIC - monthly with free intro evenings, regular facilitator workshops commencing June.
• Annual Living Values Education Retreat - Byron Bay 19 - 29 November includes workshop and TTT and AGM.
• Desert Safari - Alice Springs to Uluru, Northern Territory. 21 - 28 May 2011

Further information on livingvalues.com.au or click here to email 

 

Individuals wishing to offer LVEP in their own communities throughout Australia may now request LVE accredited facilitator(s) to undertake the workshop for them locally.

Carol Seymour, who has applied to be the Focal Point for New Zealand manages the Australian TTT process and this led relationship has led to the realization that both Australia and New Zealand have very similar cultural and community needs and opportunities for LVEP.

With the objective to bring the Values to both the Australian and New Zealand public awareness and encourage those inspired to consider the Facilitator role a joint venture has occurred between the two countries. The first result being the creation of a new LVEP for the whole community. Now available on http://homestudy.livingvalues.com.au/

The twelve-week Home Study Living Values Education Course, using modules and activities from the Education series books is designed for use by the individual at home. In addition, the Course has also been adopted by facilitators as a Community weekly evening seminar series and now available in both countries.

Both countries are actively encouraging anyone who feels drawn to Living Values Education from all community sectors to give serious consideration to being a Facilitator. For New Zealand contact:  Australia Raj Miles admin at livingvalues.com.au

2009

2009 November

 

The October Gold Coast Living Values Education workshop included the TTT process and certification for two couples - four new facilitators who will be working together in SE Queensland.  Deb Drechsler and Eoin Bell from the Sunshine Coast are interested in assisting young adults, particularly those at risk in areas north of Brisbane.  David Webby and Vicky Boyle will be focusing on Relationships.  Both couples are planning workshops for early 2010.

David and Vicky are hosting their first 'RELATIONSHIP' Living Values workshop on weekend of 27 - 29 January 2010.

In early November the first Parent and Child 'playday' was held on the Gold Coast - this trial was to establish the benefit of a sharing day with Mums or Dads and children exploring Values  in the family. Using the 'Coat of Arms' activity the families were encouraged to explore what each family stood for and identify their values.  This was lots of fun and a great together time.

COMING UP: Recognising the need to take Living Values into the different States, at this stage Raj & Suzanne are offering introduction evenings and workshops in the following locations:

• Adelaide, South Australia, Thursday 28 January to Monday, 1 February.
• Melbourne, Victoria, early February.
• Alice Springs, Northern Territory. 13 - 16 May.

Further information on livingvalues.com.au or contact admin at livingvalues.com.au

Carol Seymour, who has applied to be the Focal Point for New Zealand managed the Australian October TTT process and this led to realization that both Australia and New Zealand have very similar cultural and community needs and opportunities for LVEP.  To this end a joint venture has occurred between the two countries for the purposes of creating new LVEP for the whole community.  A twelve week Home Study LV Course and a Community evening seminar series are being prepared and expected to be made available in both countries in early 2010.  The objective is to bring the core Values to the public awareness and to encourage those inspired to consider the Facilitator role.

Both countries are encouraging anyone who feels drawn to Living Values to give serious consideration to being a Facilitator.  For New Zealand contact: Carol Seymour carol.seymour at livingvalues.org.nz and Australia Raj Miles admin at livingvalues.com.au

2009 May - Queensland Workshop

Facilitators Anna Aranci and Raj Miles reported that a LVE Workshop was held on Saturday, 23rd May, Saturday and Sunday, 3Oth and 31st May at Paradise Kids Foundation complex on Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

This workshop was extremely successful in that all participants came to the awareness of the Values in themselves that were easily attained and recognized those that were hidden or appeared to be less prominent in their day to day lives. 

All components were met with full enthusiasm by participants several of whom were already working in the field of therapy and personal development.  All indicated a desire to continue the workshops leading up to Train the Trainer.

Raj found an overwhelming sense of love throughout the experience, opening doorways within him.  He feels the Living Values Education to be like points of light that on connection to those inside illuminate a pathway clearing and cleansing.

Anna noticed a palpable difference in the participants from the first Saturday to the second with the week in between having provided time for embodiment and awareness.  Core values had been well established for their immersing into how to create a Values based atmosphere.

Both facilitators discovered a depth of vulnerability offered by participants which opened for a deeper level of healing to be available than the facilitators expected on the following two days.

In herself Anna noticed a great ease and joy with no hesitation or anxiety arising at the prospect of facilitating the Program, quite different from other activities and workshops she has facilitated in the past.
"We both noticed how beautiful and effortless it was to allow the structure of Living Values Education to cradle us all - facilitators and participants as we explored, rested, played and enquired into the Living Values program."

May 2009 Queensland Workshop Testimonials

January 2009

 

The Way of the Heart organization invited Indonesia's Taka Gani, an experienced LVE Trainer and a leader with Living Values Education in her country, to lead a three-day Living Values Education Workshop in Bryon Bay, Australia on 5 - 7 January 2009.  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.

 

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 Living Values Education 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.

2003 Activities

Since it commenced in Australia in September 1999, Living Values: An Educational Program (LVEP) has been implemented in four states: New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland. Approximately 120 teachers and educators have attended six training sessions held since July 2001. Many of these teachers have implemented parts of the LVEP informally and formally into their classroom.

A national retreat bringing together those teachers who have done the training and are using LVEP in their schools was held in October 2002 in Frankston, Victoria.

Formed to further the development of LVEP in Australia, the Living Values Education Association of Australia (LVEAA) had their first meeting in June 2003. The Board Members of LVEAA include: Stephen Berkeley, LVEP Coordinator for Australia and LVEP Trainer; Joy Deleo, Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs for South Australia and APNIEVE representative (the Asia-Pacific Network of International Education and Values Education); Proffessor Terrence Lovat, Dean of Faculty of Education and Arts for the University of Newcastle; Paulo Totaro, member of the New South Wales Department of Education and Training (NSWDET), Board of Vocational Education and Training and the Vocational Training and Accreditation Board.

The University of Newcastle has conducted a research project involving nine schools in NSW and Victoria to evaluate LVEP. It involved testing student attitudes prior to implementation of LVEP and after using LVEP for two school terms. Results of this study are forthcoming.

The Commonwealth Department of Education Training and Science commissioned 71 research projects on values education. Two of these were on LVEP. One was Maree Williams at Glendale East Primary School in NSW who has been suing the program since 1999 and Jacqueline Stein from a Private Secondary College in Melbourne. The final report was released in August 2003 and an executive summary of the report and full report are available (please see above).

Since July 2002, there have been three parent retreats, one of which was for parents and children. The first Parent LVEP training was held in June 2002 in the Blue Mountains. The program led parents on an exploration of their own values and introduced skills to create a values-based environment in the home.

There have been five teacher training retreats since July 2002. One of these was for an entire school, including parents, the school nurse, social and youth workers.

Currently, we participated in a joint submission with a Montessori School for a grant under the Commonwealth Harmony and Unity Grants. This submission is still in process.

2002 Activities

Living Values: An Educational Program has been implemented fully in four schools in the States of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Some 120 teachers and educators have attended 6 training sessions held since July 2001. Many of these teachers have implemented parts of the LVEP informally and formally into their classroom. A national retreat bringing together those teachers who have done the training and are using LVEP in their schools will be held in October 2002 in Frankston Victoria.

The University of Newcastle is currently conducting a research project involving 9 schools in NSW and Victoria to evaluate LVEP. It involves testing of student attitudes prior to implementation of LVEP and after using LVEP for two school terms. The final report will be written in December 2002.

The first Parent LVEP training was held in June 2002 in the Blue Mountains. The program lead parents on an exploration of their own values and introduced skills to create a values- based environment in the home. The program was well received and the second weekend training program will be held in November 2002.

The LVEP coordinating office is in Newcastle and continues to send newsletters and updates to LVEP trained teachers. LVEP commenced in Australia in September 1999.

2001 Activities

July 2001 saw a lot of LVEP training occurring with LVEP Trainer Ruth Liddle from South Korea visiting the country to conduct a number of training programmes and give presentations. Ruth's trip was sponsored by APNIEVE (the Asia-Pacific Network of International Education and Values Education) and its main event was the four-day training in Adelaide, South Australia, from 17th to 20th July for approximately 50 educators, 28 of whom came from Singapore. She also conducted a two day training at Leura, in the Blue Mountains near Sydney, from 2nd to 3rd July, with 16 educators attending from the Blacktown District. Presentations on LVEP were also made in Albury and Newcastle NSW.

From the 29th to 31st March 2001, Adelaide was host to the "Values Expo". UNESCO/APNIEVE initiated the event, which was officially launched in conjunction with the "Forum for Values in a Multicultural Community in a Globalized World". The Forum was addressed by Dr Lourdes Quisumbing (President of APNIEVE and former Education Minister of the Philippines), Professor Mary Ann Bin Sallik, Dean of the College of Indigenous Education, and Mr Geoff Spring, CEO, Department for Education, Training and Employment and Deputy Chair, Australian National Commission for UNESCO. The Expo was packed with dozens of values-based organizations, schools and teachers, all sharing their wisdom and experience to assist in the development of a culture based on positive human values.

Number of Sites Using Living Values Education
Total number of sites 16

Impact

Now in its second full year of implementation, teachers at Glendale East Primary School designed a two-year lesson plan which spreads the lessons over a two-year period, with Peace, Respect and Responsibility being covered each year and with no lesson being repeated in that two year period. The lesson plan is flexible and if teachers feel they need to cover a particular lesson outside the plan they can do so.

The combined feedback from teachers at the end of the year included:

• Kindergarten: The Programme is like a spiral, we are all in the first circle; I need to modify lessons to suit my class; I am looking forward to teaching the whole thing again next year

• Year One: The children enjoy the activities - they are so nice and positive; we have to continually work on the lessons of Respect.

• Year Two: The questioning aspects of the Programme are a real strength. The children are really responding and thinking well.

• Year Three and Four: Activity lessons are very good and take a great deal of time; the children really respond to the gentle music; some children say there are no times in their family that are peaceful - their lives are so busy. The children love to be able to reflect and be peaceful - of all the lessons, these are the most positive with the children. They have an excellent release and are able to express what is inside of them. The visualisations are great. The activities and skills are so peaceful; we use the peer mediation skill very often.

• Years five and six: I use the Programme on Mondays - that is the hardest day, after the weekend. The Programme helps the children to focus away from their busy lives; the Programme was very difficult at the beginning but has been easier to implement as the children start to move into a different mindset. The Programme should be used and built on year after year. It is like a spiral.

• The teachers said they wanted to build upon this year to keep working with the Programme but to sequence the units into a two-year cycle.