ONA News November 2007

 

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ONA 2008 Members: Call for Nominations to Oikosnet Global Program in Thailand

Here is an excellent opportunity for which we will have some North American funding. Oikosnet Global is offering a Courses for Leadership in Lay Training (CLLT) in Chiang Mai, Thailand, October 5–24, 2008. The program and application details are contained in the message from Wolfgang Lenz below. Please make your application directly to or fax 519.442.3444, sending the information requested below.

Applications must be received by May 8th. Our annual conference is from May 12th to the 15th at which time we will determine funding allocation.

Invitation for Oikosnet Global CLLT "Other Worlds Are Possible" in Chiang Mai/Thailand

Dear Oikosnet colleagues around the world!

A trademark of Oikosnet programmes since a long time are global Courses for Leadership in Lay Training (CLLT). CLLTs serve the purpose to equip participants with crucial knowledge and practical skills in a global learning community, thus also offering a prime opportunity to develop links and relationships far beyond the course itself. Oikosnet—as the global network of Christian lay centres, academies and movements of social concern—has made a commitment to offer a global CLLT ever other year.

I am very excited to announce and invite for the upcoming global CLLT 2008:

Theme: “OTHER WORLDS ARE POSSIBLE”
Date: October 5th to 24th, 2008
Venue: Crystal Spring House, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Course fee: $1,800 US Dollars (plus travel costs)
Language: English
Maximum number of participants: 24 (plus up to six resource persons)

Main theme and programme elements

The main theme “Other Worlds Are Possible” gives the direction: We are all working for a different, a better world than the dominant world model that we live in today. The main theme plays with the well known motto of the World Social Forum “ Another world is possible”, only that its puts “world” in plural in order to underline that the future always holds a plurality of options, never just one. “Future” is indeed the second important catch word for the course. How can we prepare in a methodological and systematic way for the future in our own context? What can know? So we are talking about change, change towards a better future. And “change” is the third important notion for the course. How can we foster change in a peaceful and constructive way? How can we facilitate communication and collaboration in situations of conflict, dispute, and diversity? The global CLLT will offer practical advice and training around these key concepts. As people of faith, we will use some of our time together also for theological reflection and sharing our different approaches. All this will happen in a truly global community of colleagues from around the world. This in itself will create a unique opportunity for learning, for sharing and for future collaboration. Last not least we will immerse in the challenging realities of Thailand’s present situation and get a chance to meet people from a wide variety of contexts.

The global CLLT will have four main programme elements

• A one week “Dialogue for Peaceful Change” (DPC) facilitators training programme. DPC is a very practical, skills-oriented methodology for dealing more effectively with conflict/dispute/diversity management. It is a very intensive approach, based on experiential learning in small groups. This part of the programme will be run by qualified members of the global DPC trainer team under the leadership Colin Craig (DPC chief coach, Corrymeela/Northern Ireland). The DPC facilitator training will equip participants with practical tools and crucial skills to better deal with situations of tension and conflict in their work situation back home. More information about DPC under http://www.dialogueforpeacefulchange.net
• A one week training programme in scenario development. Scenario building is a methodology that helps assessing future challenges and preparing necessary changes in a systematic way. Participants will develop scenarios for their own situation back home as well as common scenarios with their fellow participants from around the world. Also this part of the programme is geared towards practical application of the methodology as a crucial tool for leadership and change management. This part of the programme will be lead by Wolfgang Lenz (General Secretary, Oikosnet Europe who has a long standing working experience with developing and applying scenarios in national and international contexts).
• Between the afore mentioned major elements of the global CLLT, small groups will embark for some days on Visiting Community programmes in Thailand, studying present challenges of the situation in Thailand, meeting with people affected by these challenges as well as visiting projects addressing them. Among the planned themes are: The situation of minorities (hill tribes in Northern Thailand), HIV Aids, women’s projects, ecological projects, and more. The Visiting Community groups will be lead by experienced Thai colleagues. This part of the programme will be coordinated by Surakit Kamonrat (Christian Student Centre, Bankok; treasurer of Oikosnet Asia/ACISCA).
• A theological workshop reflecting on the main theme and the other elements of the course as well as involving the experience that participants bring with them to Chiang Mai. This part of the programme will be lead by Rev. Prof. German Zijlstra (Coordinator of Oikosnet Latin America/Conosur and Oikosnet global, coordinator of the reformed churches in Latin America).

Participants will receive a certificate of participation for the CLLT as a whole as well as a separate certificate for the DPC facilitator training part. The latter is valid if some of the participants wish to continue DPC training in order to become a certified DPC trainer.

Venue of the course

In a beautiful, natural green setting, Payap University has created the Crystal Spring House which serves as a training centre for students majoring in Hotel and Tourism Management and International Hospitality Management. This facility has 28 rooms in two buildings. All rooms have a private bath and air-conditioning. Crystal Spring House is about 10 minutes away from the downtown area of Chiang Mai by car. Chiang Mai is a 90 minute flight North of Bangkok, offering a mild and dry climate in a gorgeous natural environment. As a university city, as the seat of the Christian Conference for Asia (CCA) and many other organizations is has a rich intellectual scene as well as a vibrant cultural life. Air travel in most cases will have to go via Bangkok.

Profile of Participants

Participants for the course should fulfill the following criteria:

• Good to very good command of the English language (there will be no translation
• Working as senior programme staff in a situation that
• Will allow them to implement and apply learnings from the global CLLT back home.
• Preference will be given to younger participants and women. As you can see from these criteria, we are looking for the type of future or emerging leaders in whose personal development Oikosnet will invest by exposing them to a global experience and offering them crucial tools and skills for their present and future work. Some parts of the course (including preparation and follow-up) will involve working with computers and electronic communication; so respective skills and access to the Internet back home are desirable as well. Participants will need to apply for taking part in the course at the secretariat of their respective Oikosnet region (for addresses see below) and will need to have a recommendation letter of their employer.

Finance

The course fee is $1,800 USD and covers board & lodging, programme costs, excursions and Visiting Community trips, as well as transfer from and to the airport in Chiang Mai. Travel costs to and from Thailand are not included. Participants can apply for financial assistance to the secretariats of their respective Oikosnet regions (conditions may vary from region to region). But we do also expect participants to make their own efforts to raise funds for their participation in the course.

Procedure

Send an email to or fax 519.442.3444 including this information:

Given name(s):
Family name(s):
Gender:
Age:
Street address:
City, postal code:
Country:
Phone:
Fax:
Email address:
Nationality:
Passport number:
Issued by, in:
Valid until:
Do you have international coverage in your health insurance:
Organisation you work for:
Working there since when:
Your task in that organization:
Training, professional education:
Name and contact details of reference person:

Please include or attach a one-page description of who you are, where you are presently working, what your professional training/background is and how you envision to apply the learnings of the course in the future. Your message should also contain the name and contact details (including email and/or phone number) of a senior person in your context who can give a reference statement for supporting your participation.

The Oikosnet coordinator in collaboration with the Oikosnet regions will select the participants and notify them by mid-June. For registered participants there will be access to a special website whith further information, preparation material, communication among the participants and with the course leaders, etc.

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Oikosnet global coordinator German Zijlstra or me.

Best regards,
Wolfgang Lenz
General Secretary, Oikosnet Europe
Chair of the board, Oikosnet Global

German Zijlstra, Oikosnet Global Coordinator, at or fax +54 2223 444 673