TRANSFORMATION A FORTNIGHTLY E-ZINE PUBLISHED BY THE SATHYA SAI BABA CENTRAL COUNCIL OF MALAYSIA VOLUME 6
| 16 FEB - 2 MARCH 2011
FRIENDSHIP GROUP
INTER-CULTURAL YOUTH CAMP
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: TREKKING THE TRAIL / NATIONAL YOUTH CAMP / PARENTCARE
A fo r t n ig ht l y col um n by Prof. D r.Suresh Gov ind
Inner Transformation Outer Transmission
More than three (3) months have passed since the last convention at Port Dickson in September. Pledges and promises were made on stage and its time we reviewed these to see the status of the way forwards.
One important pledge was that the council promised to embark on national tour to meet all states and its respective centre leaders. Except for Johor and Perak, council have covered all other states in the nation. East Malaysia requires a separate visit and this we promise in March when we return from the Yatra trip to Puttaparthi in February. Our trip to Kuala Terengganu was cancelled due to �loods and this we need to postpone after the Yatra in February. The trips revisited many management issues including secretarial and funding matters. We had individual spiritual, service, education, wanita, youth and SCA workshops. We found from the feedback that our trip was educational and many fundamental elements of governance were placed back into the system. The culture of handing over of documents from the previous chairpersons to the newly elected ones was found to be glaringly missing in a few places and this accounted for the gap in information. We provided a checklist to ensure that systems and processes were in place for wings at centre levels. We were well received in all the states and special thanks must be made to all state coordinators for making the preparations in the respective states.
We hope that state coordinators will follow up with the decisions made and ensure that all centre leaders reach their expected mark of excellence. The agreement that all centres will have their monthly management meeting was a stupendous achievement and with the constant monitoring of the minutes of the centre management meeting at state level, there is an opportunity to intervene and in�luence management so that the quality of programmes deployed at centre wing level can be enhanced.
Culture setting is the bedrock of sustaining performance. If leaders seriously scrutinize the systems and process and institute a way of doing things we will move away from �ighting �ires and become the �ire of zeal to itself to do Swami’s work. This is the reason why regular meetings were enforced. Meeting is the DNA of a centre. By scanning through the minutes of the meeting one can capture the essence of what really is going on in a centre.
We need this culture to be deeply entrenched so that centres can sustain the blast of activities that will emerge in the coming months. In the past months saw the treasurer and his dedicated team painstakingly go through the accounts and have generated a system that facilitates easier understanding on cash �low movements. Banks have been changed. All procedures were checked and
Tre kki n g T h e Trai l ( cont ’d) our round the nation trip helped remind, coach and assist treasurers to adhere to the funding guidelines. The secretarial team divided their tasks among themselves and have closely captured the minutes and become very important coordinating body linking the aspirations of the Zonal leader, exco, council and devotees.
Education wing gathered a brainstorming session on how the entire SSE/EHV can be packaged taking the Rukun Negara principles into account for public schools. So far three meetings were called. A concept paper was evolved. Lesson plans were generated based on the concept plans. We plan to roll out in The National youth camp where 150 youth and two international speakers from India, Bro Vijay Menon and Bro Hari Subramaniam, March. The New Year began with a raised the level of acceptance of Swami’s teaching which has �irmer resolution to expand the SSE/EHV resulted in amazing and well thought of deliverables. classes. How Sri Muda centre grew from a pocket full of children to 650 should be and hope that after the Yatra trip they will impleemulated by all centres. We have 6500 children as ment these ideas. of today in the country. The demand for educational opportunities such as ours is phenomenal but we The Wanita wing got on the way, had their number must expand and that comes from increasing the of meetings and formulated the LIGHT programme, staf�ing. based on Swami’ teachings. Module writers were identi�ied and brainstorming led to a pilot train the We have carried out the National Parent care traintrainer session which re�ined the approach and ing programme under the National Parentcare team de�ined the outcomes better. They unleashed docuwith close to 50 trainers attending the workshop. mentation about LIGHT on Nov 19 last year and The reviews were incredibly inspiring. We hope inspired the central region ladies. The national train state coordinators will now follow up with those the trainer programme is on Feb 26th and 27th. trained and `demand’ such training opportunities to be given to your parents of SSE/EHV children, PTA Service wing sprang into action guiding the enthusiof schools and organise massive parenting seminars asm of the various co-ordinators under the wing. at state levels. State coordinators will realize that The Village Improvement programme team kept this programme is a boon to expand numbers and their zeal and continued to trek into uncharted reach out to wider section of the public as this innoareas of the nation to touch the deprived souls. Envivative programme can match any professional ronment team released a new programme based on parenting programme in the world. cleaning the environment by a simple act of picking rubbish. The programme though in its infancy stage National youth team jumped started after the PD possesses a potential to raise the levels of convention. They rolled their sleeves and got their consciousness. A seminar for caring for the elders act together by �irst organising a National youth have been organised in March and this we hope camp. 150 youth and two international speakers contributes to the H.O.P.E agenda (Honouring our from India, Bro Vijay Menon and Bro Hari SubramaParents Everyday). The plan to sign a MOU with the niam, raised the level of acceptance of Swami’s blood bank in the next few weeks is yet another teaching which has resulted in amazing and well milestone for the organization. thought of deliverables. The promise of making SHAKTI programme for transforming negative The basis of all these is spirituality. In this short gangsterism type of youth into sterling characters, period it is heartening to know that Self Transforto be more pervasive was inspiring. National youth mation Programme (STP) has been conducted in leadership team has on their own managed to go various places. Many states have had their train the one more round to all states to assess feedback and trainer sessions. Centres that are carrying out these institute youth programmes. We congratulate them
Tre kkin g T h e Trai l ( cont ’d) sessions have reported positive feedback and the earnestness of the council to ensure that we don’t lose ourselves in activities but discover our true nature through them is assured through STP.
SCA is now busy with the Chinese New Year celebrations at Parthi. A play has been planned and SCA has assured that they will return after Yatra to translate the aspirations more pervasively.
In all these din and roar of activities, a team represented Malaysia for the world conference at Parthi during Swami’s birthday celebrations. In response to Dr Goldstein’s discussion paper for the conference we produced a 30-page document titled `Transforming Sai Organizations’ capturing the essence of our 25 years of work especially in management and governance of Sai centres. We distributed this to all leaders in our zone. On return we circulated an e-copy to all leaders in our country and it is hoped that this document helps to navigate centres forward. Our editor for Transformation has released �ive (5) copies of the newsletter in the last three months. We congratulate him for the quality and consistency. Inspired by Transformation, a new magazine to capture the hearts of SSE/EHV children, parents and teachers is being planned. The Young Transformers is the name of this new magazine. With these frequent magazines being released we can now harmonize our expectations and all devotees can know what is happening around the country.
First ever Inter-Religious Youth Leadership Camp organized by the Fiendship Group
Criss-crossing across the nation, attending meetings, evolving concept papers and navigating discussions to better deploy programmes for Swami demands time. In this rushed period the FGIS implemented the 1st ever inter-religious youth leadership camp, supported by the Government and coor-
dinated by members of our organization. We worked with other religious leaders and collectively delivered a beautiful, harmonious and an incredibly visionary camp. The 140 who came from all religious groups gave resounding thumbs up. The next way forward has been planned and we are hoping to open another FGIS chapter in Penang and Perak. A concept paper has been drawn to address teenage pregnancy, code name RISE for VIP (Reaching for Inner Strength and Empowerment for Values, Innocence and Purity). The �irst school to be selected for this trial will be in Malacca and will be conducted after our return from the Yatra. A concept paper on Values for the Nation has been presented to the Government for the inter school drama festival on �ilial piety to be carried out in the nation.
We congratulate Johor for their innovative EXPO where they managed to invite 30 NGOs who highlighted their service programmes and in the process they too learned about ours. The consolidation paves a way for future collaborative work especially to sustain long term service projects. They went on from walk for Values to essay writing competition involving hundreds of children and managed to now evolve the initiative to adopting poor schools to implement STAR. The approach should be emulated as it demonstrates consistency.
The outlining of these activities before the Yatra trip is critical as it positions us and makes us think of what would lie ahead. The cooperation and love by all leaders had led to the present homogenous deployment of so many diverse programmes. The most exciting of all is Swami’s permission to allow Malaysia to stage a presentation on the 10th of February, one day after the Chinese New Year. The last minute instruction, when it came a few days back, generated an enthusiasm that has motivated more to come for the trip. A play has been written. We can only pray. Let’s return after the Yatra and be ready to be better instruments for our beloved Swami.
Editors Note:
This issue of Transformation was supposed to be published on the 1st of February 2011. However due to preprations for the recent Yatra, we were only able to release it this week. Our Humble apologies.
by Si s . R . Ze en eeshr i
Parentcare: Train the Trainer 2011
GROWING up with an extended family has many perks. Not only do you have constant attention and support, you are also exposed to many things a smaller family isn’t. I grew up with my grandparent, uncles and aunties living under one roof. And as my uncles and aunties got married, the family grew bigger, accommodating the very many cousins that came thereafter.
To date, I have over 20 cousins on my maternal grandparent’s side. Out of which, I remember changing the diapers of 15 of them. As I grew from child to adolescent, I was already involved in the upbringing of most of them, as babysitter, tuition teacher and playmate. Now, I’m 5-months into the pregnancy of my �irst child, and both my husband and I are freaking out. Although I (would like to think) have experience handling newborns and toddlers, parenting is a whole different ball game. From the amount of books in libraries and bookstores telling you one way from another, there are as many elders generously pouring tips and information on what should and should not be done. But it wasn’t until the both of us attended the Sathya Sai Parentcare Train the Trainer workshop last month that we truly got a grip on what to expect.
During the session we were introduced to the various stages of parenting. From Perception Revisited to the �ive domains (Health, Energy, Conscious, Creative and Intuitive), we were taken through a whirlwind of information that revolved around the
�ive koshas and its pathways.
Before we knew it, we were exposed to the “love and law” method that promotes soundless disciplining through gentle ways. The 40 of us participating from all over the country were also involved in the activities that are introduced in the lesson plans and modules of the programme. We put on our masks to depict “real-life” situations at home, and were guided by our �ive trainers (Sis Sitpah, Sis Vijaya, Sis Tara, Bro Rajoo and Bro Reddy) to practical and palatable solutions.
The sessions, intriguing and enlightening, were held over two days on Jan 15 and 16. As Swami has often reminded us that the primary role of parents is to mould the character of children, parents should be able to ful�il this role. Thus, Parentcare was conceptualised some eight years ago. Swami says, “Your children are not your children, they are God’s children.” And so we are only renting them from Swami. He also adds, “Parent means PAY RENT!”
So, parents must �irst of all be able to mould themselves and take care of themselves, in order to take care of God’s property. Through the sessions, parents will develop a clearer picture towards their own personalities and perspectives. This unique programme covers six weekly sessions. More than 500 parents have bene�ited from this programme.
Fri en d s h i p G ro up
Inter-Cultural Youth Camp
The future and prosperity of Malaysia lies in the UNITY of its diverse races. All our nations hard earned economic wealth, prosperity, stability can be wiped off if there is no unity amongst the various races and religious groups.
these sessions, participants became sensitive towards the needs of all races and religions in Malaysia. The Learning sessions explored the works of management experts.
Team Building activities were also organized. EveryThe challenge that faces our nation today is to foster one faces a dip in motivation at times and the IYLC unity amongst the youth groups from every religion coached participants on how to maintain the motito take a pro-active role in fostering Nation Building. vation to continue to focus on nation building. This The Friendship Group for Inter-religious Service was achieved through teambuilding activities. (FGIS) together with the Jabatan Perpaduan dan These activities stimulated the participants and Integrasi Negara (National Unity and Integration provided experiential learning. Each activity was Department) organized the �irst ever Inter-cultural focused on an objective. Instead of merely engaging Youth Leadership Camp (IYLC) for the singular aim in activities, the facilitators set up the perimeters of promoting nation building through national unity for learning before the start, and engaged in extenin Malaysia. This IYLC was intended to form the sive debrief sessions at the end of each activity. foundation from where all future growth in national unity amongst the various races in Malaysia can More camps such as this are being planned to kick take place. The camp was held from the 15th - 17th start for a new revolution besides opening an opportunity for social integration and to build up October 2010 respect and understanding among races Participants from the contributing religious groups were brought together to comprehend the need to work as one for Malaysia’s common vision and shared goals. About 100 youth from the various Click on this link: http://bit.ly/hJ7nV6 religious groups (Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia, Christian Group, Buddhist Mahavira , Sikh Group & Malaysia Hindu Sangam) participated in this camp. The FGIS believes that “learning” is the essential way to get the participants to function as a uni�ied team that supports Malaysia’s ideals for national unity. The programme facilitators engaged participants in interactive discussions about their roles and responsibilities. These sessions also addressed management and self-awareness concepts. Through
Video Highlights
I N T E R - C U LT U R A L YO U T H L E A D E R S H I P C A M P
by Nati o n al Yo uth Tea m
National Youth Camp: Youth Inspire Youth
The National Youth Wing organized a National Youth Camp – A Journey on SAI Force One from the 17th – 19th December 2010. The camp was themed ‘Youth Inspire Youth’ and created an amazing transformation in the heart.
The main objective of the camp was to unify youth from all over Malaysia in thought, word and deed in practicing and promoting Bhagawan’s message. The inspirations to live up to the message was shared by many youths from all over as the camp was tailored in a manner that created an opportunity for all to be actively involved as facilitators. All sessions were also planned and conducted by different youths and almost all States had their inspirations to share. The camp was blessed with two inspirational messenger, Brother Hari Subramaniamm (a student from the Sathya Sai Institute in India) and Brother Vijay Menon (Kerala Youth Coordinator)
The camp started at sharp 2pm with Vedic chants, followed by lighting of the lamp and bhajans. The vibrations were electrifying from the very start itself as the united love from all the hearts brought tears to many. Approximately 200 youths came from
all over the country. We also had 6 youths joining the camp from the Lion land, Singapore.
The �irst session by Brother Hari anchored faith deeply in all our hearts through his melodious bhajans with an explanation of the essence of the teaching in the song in relation to his own personal experiences with Bhagawan. The momentum got stronger, session after session and at the end of the second day, we were also blessed by the presence of the senior members who were roaring youth’s years ago. It was an interesting panel session creating a Sai Benchmark for the youths to emulate. This unique session created a platform for all of us to hear the advice and experiences of how they practiced and promoted human values during their youth ‘era’ by constantly being engaged in Sel�less Service and the promotion of Human Values. It was a conviction for many of us who are aspiring to be an ideal youth as we saw living examples with testimonies of a promising future having walked through the Sai Path as a youth. Melodious bhajans sessions by the National Bhajan team at intervals throughout the camp gave an
Nati o n al Yo u t h Ca m p: Youth Inspi re Yout h (cont ’d) opportunity to all the youths from different States to sing their hearts out. The inspiration reached the heights on the last day of the camp with the presence of Brother Vijay Menon. A true “Karma Yogi” as he is, he shared with us the different types of service activities that he is conducting in the State of Kerala, India. He is a successful Youth himself professionally, academically and socially. It is beyond doubt that Bhagawan sent him to the camp to share with us that if we aspire to be an Ideal Sai Youth and serve humanity; we will become ideal examples in all aspects too. As Bhagawan says “You do my work, and I will do your work”.
The implementation of the inspirations to reach out and serve humanity through various activities were shared by all the State leaders. The session chaired by the SSBCM President, Professor Dr Suresh G o v i n d together with Bro Hari Subramaniam and Bro Vijay Menon was a major gear shift that took place for all of as we realized that we have to move from “Being Involved to b e i n g Evolved”.
become a “MISSION DRIVER” rather than an event manager.
With Bhagawan’s blessings, we the youths of Malaysia have boarded Sai Force One, to manifest unity and solidarity in achieving the Sai Vision. We saw tears of joy in our own hearts as the spiritual insight was reaf�irmed in our own hearts and a new drive to serve society blossomed. It was all a re�lection of the Love for Swami we have in our hearts. All of these were only possible by the grace of our Lord Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba with the guidance and support of the elders in our organization. Every youth has now taken the challenge to manifest Bhagawan’s vision and mission of transformation of mankind as their individual vision and mission as Bhagawan has said …only “A YOUTH CAN TRANSFORM A YOUTH” .
The main objective of the camp was to unify youth from all over Malaysia in thought, word and deed in practicing and promoting Bhagawan’s message.
The the State Youth Leaders pledged to carry out more service activities in their own center and state. The state leader have also shared their positive views on the camp and how it has inspired the youth in the state to get more involved. As mentioned by Brother Suresh in the camp, it is time for all of the youth to