[gha] Re: GHA Open Letter to the World's Communities of Interfaith Harmony about Di...

  • From: "Guy C. Stevenson" <gcsteven@xxxxxxx>
  • To: gha@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, MBWillard@xxxxxxx
  • Date: Fri, 17 May 2013 14:32:22 -0400 (EDT)

CESJ & The Just Third Way, an introduction (03:45 minutes You Tube)
http://youtu.be/TfJWbt-nJEI

"Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, that you may live and possess the 
land . . .  Deut. 16:20


Guy C. Stevenson
1-563-332-0333
gcsteven@xxxxxxx 
 
"To point out the meaning of Justice, 
 Contained in the Word of Our God."

~ Fulton J. Sheen, A Saint in Action (Poem).


-----Original Message-----
From: Kurt Johnson <kurtjohnsonisd@xxxxxxxxx>
To: gha <gha@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; MBWillard <MBWillard@xxxxxxx>
Cc: mnelson <mnelson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; stephen 
<stephen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; molly <molly@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; 
peace-from-harmony <peace-from-harmony@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; cookcomm 
<cookcomm@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Fri, May 17, 2013 12:57 pm
Subject: [gha] Re: GHA Open Letter to the World's Communities of Interfaith 
Harmony about Di...




To all:

As an officer of GHA-USA I certainly don't support this response and it's tone 
and, to my knowledge, I was not consulted about it (although I might have 
been-- and just too many emails etc.).  My schedule has been very hectic.

Monica's schedule has really been compromised by a number of situations over 
the last couple months so there is plenty of reason she may not have had time 
to respond or gather her committee to respond.  The entire UN community is in a 
lot of flux, not only with certain facilities not available because of 
renovations but the restructuring of a lot of infrastructure and loss of jobs 
in certain NGO support areas.  So, again, it seems to me that GHA should have 
investigated the "why" of lack of communication (from either direction) and 
especially since some of us are in New York we probably could have "ironed it 
out" easily through personal contact.  

Similarly I pretty much ignored the correspondence about whether the process of 
the prize judging etc had been fair.  All such activities are by nature insular 
and so there are always circumstances, reasons, and rationales about why 
decisions or procedures go the way they do.  And, it's easy for any group, at a 
distance, to have misunderstandings.

My own policy is always to "give the benefit of the doubt" and not be reactive 
about anything, especially when, across the international community, so many 
groups are just trying to get to know each other at this time.  Further, I 
usually feel that little "outbreaks of reactivity" like this one, from either 
side, are also rather readily soothed if we all just gather our wits and 
especially our compassion.  If we as interfaith leaders can't have a tone of 
collegiality and ease one wonders whether there is much hope for the world, 
etc.  And I say that with a tinge of humor, since I have seen this kind of  
"back for forth" over the years (it's just the way humans are right now, even 
the best of them!).

So, at least as a Vice President of GHA-USA, and admitting that I stepped into 
that position simply as a co-worker in global interfaith work and honestly 
don't personally know all the parties, I am just personally offering my own 
apologies on behalf of GHA's spirit, goals, and aspirations that some of these 
conversation appear to have gotten a bit reactive... which doesn't really serve 
anything constructively.

My feeling is that we can all do better (and I am sure we will!).  At least 
that's my hope.  I just remembered that in my entire working relationship with 
Wayne Teasdale, we never had a "fight", and I don't ever remember a "fight" 
with Thomas Keating, or Raimon Panikkar, or other great leaders of emerging 
movement.  So, we have a lot to aspire to and live up to.

much love to all from here. 

kurt
Rev. Dr. Kurt Johnson
New York, New York
co-author of The Coming Interspiritual Age (where again, we lay out the ideals 
we all aspire to!)









  
 
 
 
   From: Leo Semashko <leo.semashko@xxxxxxxxx>
 To: MBWillard@xxxxxxx 
Cc: gha@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; mnelson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; 
stephen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; molly@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; 
peace-from-harmony@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
 Sent: Friday, May 17, 2013 2:20 AM
 Subject: [gha] Re: GHA Open Letter to the World's Communities of Interfaith 
Harmony about Di...
  
 


 
Dear Monica,

With regret, after years of communication with you since 2006, we have to state 
the following.

Your mentor response, ignoring our constructive criticism in the interest of 
peace and harmony, non-cooperation with the dissidents (you ignored the GHA 
collective letter of March 14 on 2 pages with detailed proposals of 
cooperation), your closeness and intolerance to another view, forcing us to 
recognize that you established in Committee of Religious NGOs at the UN 
personal dictatorship. 

We have not seen a single collective decision of your Committee. You trample 
the basic norms of democracy and freedom of speech. 

Harmony is incompatible with dictatorship, anti-democracy and the suppression 
of freedom of speech. 

Therefore, we stop contact with you and exclude you from the GHA mailing list. 
But we keep hope for your self-critical understanding with help of God. 

With love, best wishes to your inner harmony, without which peace can not 
prevail on Earth, 

Leo

Dr Leo Semashko:
State  Councillor  of  St.  Petersburg,
Philosopher, Sociologist and Peacemaker from Harmony;
Director:  Tetrasociology Public Institute, Russia;
Founding President, Global Harmony Association (GHA);
Director, GHA Website "Peace from Harmony": www.peacefromharmony.org
World Interfaith Harmony Project on the ABC of Harmony Base:
www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=541;
GHA Program Book, The ABC of Harmony:
www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=478;
P/Web page: www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=253;
Address: 7/4-42 Ho-Shi-Min Street, St. Petersburg 194356, Russia
Phone: 7 (812) 597-65-71; Skype: leo.semahko
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/leo.semashko?ref=tn_tnmn

PS. Your letter and our response to it are published together with the GHA Open 
Letter: 
www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=576. It is our freedom of speech, 
openness and transparency. Everyone can see our arguments, our facts and our 
conclusions from them.

----- Original Message -----
  From: MBWillard@xxxxxxx, MBWillard@xxxxxxx
  To: leo.semashko@xxxxxxxxx
  Sent: 16 мая 2013 г., 17:53:56
  Subject: GHA Open Letter to the World's Communities of Interfaith Harmony 
about Di...

Dear Leo,
 
I am not pleased with this correspondence and want no association with it.  I 
strongly object to even being listed as a recipient of this bitter 
correspondence.   I am surprised and disappointed that you raced to 
confrontation as you are working to create harmony and cooperation.  Please do 
not ever use my name, title or email on correspondence like this to email 
lists, newspapers and to especially to Missions and Governments.      
 
You are accusing "Discrimination, lack of transparency and closeness of the 
Competition for prizes of the UN World Interfaith Harmony Week. " From my 
perspective, you submitted an unsolicited project idea that you expected the 
King of Jordan to support.  The process for developing and presenting any 
proposal needs to meet the objectives of both or all parties. 
 
From my experience, it is rare that any group to just accepts a proposal from 
another group that they do not know.  First, Although you mention some problems 
with ongoing projects and international organizations not having access to 
listing projects.  This can be addressed in other ways.  An attacking headline 
does not build cooperation or even open a door to invite conversation.  Did it 
ever cross your mind to have the various GHA projects lists activities from all 
the countries you say are promoting WIHW?  This could have given GHA even more 
publicity on the website and possibly caught the interest of the organizers to 
get to know the organization.   
 
Building harmony begins with looking at ourselves and seeing how we can be 
better partners and listeners.  It doesn't start with imposing ideas, projects 
and expectations on others.  From my perspective, 
you need to build a working relationship before you ask for the other to take 
your idea and pay for a conference!  I think no response was a kind way of 
dealing with your proposal.     
 
 
 
May Peace Prevail on Earth,
Monica  

__________
Monica Willard
631-697-7972 

United Religions Initiative 
United Nations NGO Representative

Committee of Religious NGOs 
at the United Nations, President

International Day of Peace (Sept 21)
NGO Committee ,Co-Chair


 
In a message dated 5/15/2013 7:38:37 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, 
leo.semashko@xxxxxxxxx writes:
Dear interfaith harmony friends,

Please, find in attachment the GHA Open Letter to the World's Communities of 
Interfaith Harmony about Discrimination, lack of transparency and closeness of 
the Competition for prizes of the UN World Interfaith Harmony Week.

Please, feel yourself free to send this letter to any newspaper, TV and social 
networks as it is in the GHA interests protesting against GHA and others NGO 
discrimination. Thank you.

With love, best harmony wishes,

Dr Leo Semashko: 
State  Councillor  of  St.  Petersburg,
Philosopher, Sociologist and Peacemaker from Harmony;
Director:  Tetrasociology Public Institute, Russia;
Founding President, Global Harmony Association (GHA);
Director, GHA Website "Peace from Harmony": www.peacefromharmony.org
World Interfaith Harmony Project on the ABC of Harmony Base:
www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=541;
GHA Program Book, The ABC of Harmony:
www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=478;
P/Web page: www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=253;
Address: 7/4-42 Ho-Shi-Min Street, St. Petersburg 194356, Russia
Phone: 7 (812) 597-65-71; Skype: leo.semahko
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/leo.semashko?ref=tn_tnmn



 
 
  




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