06 Apr Videos
These videos are for SESI registered users. Please log in to view them.
Some videos recorded at this event had inadequate sound quality or technical issues and have not been included.
Simon Guerrand‐Hermès, Business/Interfaith/Philanthropy, France/Morocco
“In life, in order to grow, in order to transform yourself and become the person you are meant to be, you have to go through ordeals. One of the major learning experiences in my life has been my relationship with my twin brother, Hubert. In learning to live together with him, we became incredibly close and shared everything and were always there for each other.
“Life is always hanging by a thread. We should value every moment because we never know what is going to happen next. I was in the army in Algeria and I was put with the most difficult group which had to go out at night into enemy territory and was often ambushed. When I returned from a mission, my group had already left. My group of 30 men was ambushed and all were killed.
“I experienced terrible pain, but it also gave me a feeling that we all have a purpose in life and that my role was to help others.”
David Anderson, Filmmaker/Entrepreneur, England
David, a filmmaker and entrepreneur, who passed away in 2015, wrote and directed short films and TV commercials. His first animated film, “Dreamland Express” won a British Academy Award. David had been involved in projects near Lewes where he lived, including the Lewes New School, the Pelham House Hotel and the St Anne’s project.
“I believe that people are successful when they are close to their real talent. I hated school. My brain felt too full and I couldn’t take any more in. At 16, the only thing I was good at was art and so I went to art school. After art school, I travelled to Indonesia and immersed myself in that rich culture, particularly its theatre, especially the theatre of shadow puppets. I was like a sponge absorbing everything. I also became interested in film and photography.
“I started doing shadow puppetry with my wife, Louise. The question became how could we make money doing this. Through a combination of testing and my own receiving, I went to the National Film School where I began to find my own voice. An animated film I made, “Dreamland Express” which drew on my love of the shadow puppetry, won the British Academy Award and opened up a career in film.
“But we have the potential for multiple careers and lately I have been moving into other areas such as the development of the Lewes New School and other projects. We have lived in Lewes for 18 years now and being settled has enabled these other things to develop. It has given us a sense of place and provided relationships which have been the foundations of these projects.”
Q&A Panel 1
EMILIA MARIANA GALARZA GARZON, SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR, ECUADOR
Emilia Mariana Galarza founded Asociación Vivir in 1989, which enables people to “create their own health.” She is now rebuilding Ecuador’s health system and empowering its citizens to take control over their health. The UN World Health Organization recognized Asociación Vivir’s work as a top model of health promotion in 2000. (translation Benajmin Garzon)
“I had an organization with some methodologies and some experience but we were up against big institutions like universities. I was really surprised when we were selected to be one of the fifteen models of health for the 21st century.
“We can call this a success, but then you have to get on with it, and right now I am working on a new model of health for each individual. We have become associated with the Ashoka Foundation in the United States who are social entrepreneurs.
“Now the government of Ecuador has asked us to apply this as a social policy across the whole nation. We have been able to change the lives of half a million children. We have reduced child anaemia. We have been able to change people’s attitudes about caring for children; for instance, by giving them better nutrition.
“But I don’t believe in helping only the economically poor. There are three kinds of poverty: economic poverty and also poverty of knowledge and poverty of values. I try to connect with the potential in people, not just with what they lack.”
Q&A PANEL 2
ISAAC GOFF, BUSINESS, USA
Isaac is an American entrepreneur and businessman with decades of Subud related business experience. In 1969 he opened Dharma Trading Co. in Berkeley that has grown to be one of the largest e‐commerce suppliers of Textile Craft Supplies in the USA. Over the last 15 years, Dharma Trading has initiated and supported a variety of Social Projects in Bolivia and elsewhere including Fair Trade Sewing Co‐ops, free Cataract Surgeries, a children’s Vision Testing & Eyeglass program and most significantly, this year, Dharma’s “Kid’s Heart Repair” program reached a milestone when the 100th children’s open heart surgery was made possible through Dharma’s financial support.
“Soon after I was opened, way back in the 1960s, Bapak came to California, and I had an epiphany. It was a sudden burst of understanding about the gifts and talents I had been born with. These had come to me with no effort on my part. I had done nothing to deserve it, but I saw I had business sense and organizational ability.
“Along with this understanding came the knowledge that it was my obligation to use those talents for the benefit of all mankind as well as for the benefit of myself and my family. So that is how I became a businessman. It was a very effective Bapak visit.
“At school we did a science experiment. You put a bunch of iron filings on a sheet of paper and then underneath you place a magnet. As if by magic, the iron filings align themselves with the lines of the magnetic patterns. I feel it is the same thing if you know what your talents are. Everything in your life lines up and the guidance of God can move through without obstruction.
“That was 45 years ago. Now I have a successful business with 70 employees and we ship 12,000 orders a month. I have also been involved over the years in many other businesses and Subud projects.
“About ten years ago I set up sewing co-operatives in Bolivia. That’s what presented itself to me at the time and it has led on to the other projects there, including the medical projects with vision and heart surgery.
“Success is an individual thing. I have my truth based on my experience and understanding. Your truth will be based on your experience and understanding.
“Success cannot just be measured in terms of money. The newspapers are full of stories of people who made a lot of money by ripping off other people. Financial success must have an ethical basis.
“The other night we listened to a concert by some great musicians. They have spent decades developing their gifts. They may not always make a lot of money, but these guys are successful.
“The other day I talked to Livingston Armytage about governance to improve justice systems. What could be more successful than that?”
URAIDAH HASSANI, SOCIAL WELFARE, USA
Uraidah Hassani envisions a global community of women and girls who believe in their self‐worth, are smart decision‐makers, and are motivated to be leaders. In 2011, Uraidah founded The Women Worldwide Initiative (TWWI). She is Executive Director of this not‐for‐profit organization, which works to empower women and girls from marginalized communities.
“For me, success is a journey with no end point. There will be setbacks but you just keep going.
“I was studying in journalism when I agreed to monitor some girls in Brooklyn. But then I saw that what I wanted to do was not just tell their stories but impact their lives in a positive way.
“Mostly I work with Latino and Afro-American girls aged 12-14. Many of them have seen the harsh side of life…sex, alcohol and violence, including gang violence.
“I started a non-profit organization with support from SICA. Online communication does not replace personal contact. You have to be on the ground. You have to be involved in a community participatory way. The good news is that it doesn’t take a lot to make a difference.
“Women bear the brunt of violence. Before someone can reach their full potential they have to be able to love and respect themselves. I started to develop a program to empower girls by building up their self-confidence to realize their potential. I was often working with girls who had been raped or assaulted. I was also working on developing their leadership skills.
“I saw a need and felt I had to do something about it. I felt a deep responsibility. I let the work teach me. I didn’t do that much planning. I wanted to empower marginalized women and girls to strengthen their own capacity as decision-makers. To enable them to feel that they had the power to make the changes they needed to make.
“I felt I had been directed from within to do this. The next step falls in place as I go along. Whenever I have doubts, the community would inspire me to keep going. The program is a sisterhood. I feel joy at seeing these girls overcome their circumstances.
“My advice? When the spirit moves you, you had better move. Follow your passion, follow what excites you. Don’t wait until you have enough knowledge or power. Just start. That’s the first step. With hard work and the right intention good things will follow.”
IWAN SYAMSUDIN, BUSINESS/PHILANTHROPY, INDONESIA
Iwan is a successful Indonesian businessman specialising in investment and property development. In addition he has been actively encouraging business development, and social development projects in Indonesia. His philanthropic work largely focuses on supporting the individual’s spiritual growth, especially the growth and development of young people.
A successful Indonesia businessman, Iwan defines success: “Success is when we are able to live according to the Will of God by following our receiving. Our receiving shows what we should, and what we should not, do. When our receiving is clear, it will bring success in this world and the next.”
He attributes the foundation of his success to prayer. As a young man, he prayed he would meet someone successful who could help him and this came about.
He mentions the value of prihatin (fasting on Mondays and Thursdays) which had a positive effect for him when things were not going well.
He believes it is important to control your emotions because “not everything you feel comes from God.
“I always follow guidance. I promise God I will help Subud. You can become anything, As long as you have the courage, God will give you the way. If you never give, you will never get. Bapak’s talks have inspired my life. They will help you find a better life. The latihan is a tool for change for the better in your life. Let your jiwa be your guide.”
Q&A PANEL 3
RAHMAN CONNELLY, BUSINESS, AUSTRALIA/INDONESIA
In 1983 Rahman and Bradford Temple founded the pension management business Connelly Temple. They grew that business to be one of the leading providers in Australia, known for its innovative products. His latest venture is Medical Innovation Partners. He has been CEO of Kalimantan Gold and has been involved in many other Subud projects.
Rahman Connelly was one of the organisers of the event. At the end of his talk he listed what seem to him to be some of the most significant principles of success.
There has to be something inside the person that has the potential for success.
Relationships are extremely important. Bradford and I weren’t brilliant but we had a strong relationship.
Plan Backwards. I always know where I want to go and I work backwards from there.
Timing is crucial. Rahman compares himself to a tiger that “stalks” his opportunity and then at the vital moment leaps.
And from an interview with him…
“I have always had the feeling that when I leave this world, I will have had an impact, a fundamental impact. It’s not a particular project; it’s more like changing the way people think. What’s the most powerful form of change? It’s thought, isn’t it? Philosophical change precedes political and economic change.
“When I was at school and university, studying history, philosophy and political science, I was fascinated by the relationship between the development of ideas and the development of society. The power of a nation has always been preceded by the power of an idea.
“In the Middle Ages only certain people got educated and society was restricted because its full potential was not realised. Then, someone had the radical idea that everyone should be educated, and society was transformed in every way, politically, economically, religiously, scientifically.
“Look at India. For many centuries, it was a society that stagnated because of a fatalistic view of life and a caste system that restricts potential. On the other hand, what is the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world today for good or ill? America.
“Fundamental to American society is a quest for freedom. The people who founded that society were fleeing persecution, seeking freedom. So you see the power that has been unleashed by democratic ideas. Correspondingly, the once powerful nations of the old world, Spain, Portugal, Holland, have declined.
“I compare this situation with Kalimantan. This is a new land. If you want to do something new, you have to go to a new land. Maybe there people can find new opportunities and new ways of thinking.
“I have no doubt that Bapak was a messenger of God and that the latihan is intended for all mankind, not just the little group of people we are today.
“I am convinced this will come about and I believe that Kalimantan will be the way this will come about. It’s there we can create a model, and develop that model, and prove it, not just for ourselves but for other people too. Once that model is established, we can duplicate it in other parts of the world so that people will find it natural to want to join Subud.”
ANDREW HOLLOWAY, BUSINESS/CARPENTRY, UNITED KINGDOM
In 1990, Andrew set up The Green Oak Carpentry Company, which designs and manufactures timber structures. The company has completed structures for The National Trust, English Heritage, Historic Royal Palaces, and Local Authorities, among many others. A number of projects completed by Green Oak have received notable recognition, including twice being runner up for the Stirling Prize (the architectural award in Britain).
In his talk, Andrew tells how a visionary experience with Bapak was a crucial part of his journey to success.
“I started off as a potter and tried to set up a pottery studio, but four years after I was opened, I realised I was no longer happy doing pottery, and if I continued, I would probably lose my health.
“I had a strange experience. I was in a room and Bapak was there and I asked Bapak what I should do. Bapak asked me to plane three identical pieces of wood. The first I planed in the ordinary way. The second I planed with passion. The third I planed with a feeling of love. There was no separation between me and the material.
“I took them back to show Bapak. He put the first one aside. He picked up the second piece in his hand and then put it down. Then he picked up the third piece and looked me in the eye and said, ‘This is what you do.’ I woke up feeling very awake and alive.
“Sometime later I tested with the group helpers. I needed to understand what the experience meant. We tested how it was for me to work with various materials such as clay, glass, metal and wood. The other materials were not good for me, but when we tested wood, my heart leapt for joy.
“I realised that my working life as a potter was not a prison sentence. It was possible to change.
“A year later I was on holiday with some friends. On the last evening, my heart sank at the thought of going back to work at pottery. But then we did latihan and I was working with wood.
“When I got home, I did one last firing, then sold up everything and began a carpentry course.”
ISMANA HARYONO, EDUCATION, INDONESIA
Ibu Ismana founded the ‘Cita Buana School’, which opened in 1995. Today it has nearly 400 students and is housed in a brand new purpose built school. Cita Buana means “ideal world” embracing the hope that students will go on to contribute to the betterment of mankind. It was the first school in Jakarta to implement a program of education for special needs children.
Sekolah Cita Buana began with nine pupils in Bapak’s former bedroom in his house in Wisma Subud, mostly catering to the children of Subud members living in the compound. Today it is a flourishing National Plus school ranging from preschool to the final year of high school, and with special attention to children with special needs.
Ibu Ismana, President Director of the school, says, “I wanted a school which could meet both international standards and Indonesian requirements. I also wanted children to be able to learn about their own Indonesian culture. And from the beginning, our aim was that it should be a school which could really help children, not just be a moneymaking venture.”
The school’s name, given by Ibu Rahayu, can also be understood to mean “global education” and the school’s motto is “excellence and equality” and “bringing cultures together in bilingual harmony”.
Three years ago the school was able to obtain a large piece of land about 9 km from Wisma Subud. On this land it has built excellent facilities for both primary and secondary children in modern custom-built multi-storey buildings, one for the secondary school, and another for the primary school, and a building for children with special needs. There are also sporting facilities including a swimming pool.
The school prides itself on integrating the Australian-based curriculum, with the Indonesian national curriculum, providing students with an innovative and dynamic experience.
The teachers and students at the school come from all over the world and bring a richness of cultural diversity to the campus. This diversity brings richness of ideas, respect for others and ultimately develops a deeper appreciation of unity in diversity.
The school’s Special Education department accept students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and learning difficulties. Dedicated and skilful teaching staff educate students to achieve independence and to make a meaningful contribution to the community.
“I feel that the school is one big family,” says Ibu Ismana. “The principal of the school is a Subud member and we have a couple of other Subud teachers. But Subud is now becoming so normal in life and everyone, Subud and non-Subud, works together well. At the same time, of course, we are guided by God.
“We seem to have some quality that attracts and holds people. One of the non-Subud teachers said to me, ‘I don’t know why, but I just can’t leave this school.’ Knowledge of the school spreads by word-of-mouth. The parents are also very involved and supportive. For instance, contributions from the parents have enabled us to build a library.
“Twice a year we send our teachers to Australia for further training. Our students have been extremely successful in getting into universities, not only in Indonesia, but also in Australia and the United States.
“I am especially proud of the attention we give to special education. We are generally recognized as having the best special education program in Jakarta. Often still in Indonesia there is a stigma against these children and it is especially pleasing that in our school there is real care for them. The other children accept them fully and often volunteer to help them. Respect and tolerance grow naturally amongst both mainstream students and those with special needs. They learn, play, laugh, care and hug each other like brothers and sisters.”
MAXWELL FRAVAL, OSTEOPATH, AUSTRALIA
Having started out his working life as a lawyer, today Maxwell has played a role in the development of the osteopathic profession in Australia. He is also known internationally, as he has lectured in Europe and Russia, presenting a new approach to osteopathic treatment. He is both a practitioner and educator and is currently in private practice in Canberra where he operates two clinics in a newly opened medical centre, with a focus on wellbeing and health optimisation.
“In 1972 Bapak visited the U.K. as part of the process of progressing the Sinar Kentjana Mulia (S.K.M.) Bank. I followed Bapak when he went from London to Edinburgh. It was at one of his talks there that I was very forcefully struck by Bapak’s advice that we should be able to feel the action of the latihan in our work; that this latihan was a latihan of life and that all our actions should be moved and educated by the ‘life within our life”.
“At that time I was in the final stages of completing my training as a lawyer and I knew with absolute certainty that I would never be able to follow Bapak’s advice if I continued to work as a lawyer.
“But what was my real work?
“Off I went to the helpers’ group and several sessions of testing later (about every conceivable spin-off from a legal qualification) I was no closer to what my talent was. At this point I decided that if Bapak said we should be able to feel what our true talent was that he certainly meant it. So I decided to fast on Mondays and Thursdays as a prayer that I would be able to receive guidance about my talent: how to recognise it and then to develop it.
“After nine months of fasting I felt that I had done enough and that “what will be will be”. Two months later, the senior partner whom I was assisting at Lovell White & King (a big law firm in the Strand, London) became ill, so that I had to take over a matter which involved obtaining advice from a Queen’s Counsel for the Register of Osteopaths in the U.K.
“I remember meeting with Cmdr. Morris (a real character) who was the Register’s Secretary at the time, and off we went to counsel’s chambers. We sat there in chambers discussing a fairly arcane aspect of the law and Cmdr. Morris really waded in, allowing me to be the observer.
“As I sat there, suddenly I felt the latihan so powerfully that my thinking completely stopped – very unusual! As the latihan continued, from within I was told “Osteopathy is the right work for you: follow it”. It seemed like the latihan went on for a long time but it probably didn’t last more than a minute.
“As my ability to think returned, I got back into the legal business that I was supposed to be focussed on. Later on, after leaving Cmdr. Morris, I started to reflect on the experience back there in chambers — was this some joke…an osteopath…there must be some mistake! I dismissed the whole thing as a momentary aberration. To my amazement the next group latihan the whole crazy notion returned.
“Thereafter for several months I kept getting indications that this really was the right thing to do; from within I was told “your wife will respect you (I was not married then, but it turned out that my wife Asmaniah has needed regular osteopathic treatments and was very appreciative of having an osteopath for a husband); you will be involved in teaching; you will be able to find new ways of working as an osteopath” and so on.
“Still I hesitated. Was this guidance really from God or was it just my imagination. I remember the moment of decision came when there was a regional latihan down in the West Country. I knew that Pak Haryono was going to be there. I thought, ‘If Bapak’s son is there in the latihan then surely if this crazy notion is an illusion then it will be made clear during the latihan’.
“Well during the latihan I received, ‘If you do not follow this guidance then you might as well not continue to follow this latihan’. At that moment I felt very weak and, from within, as I accepted the guidance, I felt ‘I will follow this, but I cannot do it on my own; please God help me each and every step along the way’.
“So I started upon this wonderful adventure called Osteopathy in 1973…”
Q&A PANEL 4
HAMMOND PEEK, SOUND RECORDIST/PRODUCTION SOUND MIXER, NEW ZEALAND
With no formal training, Hammond learnt his profession on the job, which led to him being nominated for four Academy Awards for Best Sound Mixing. He has won two, for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and for King Kong. In the Subud context, he has held many Subud positions including Treasurer of the World Subud Association.
“Take action now. Just begin. The perfect is the enemy of the good. Learn what you need to know as you go along. If you wait until everything is perfect, you become paralysed.
“Have confidence. Everyone has doubts. Just keep pushing ahead with a positive attitude. God will guide you. You just need to fine tune your gifts and feelings in order to be able to recognise the guidance. Guidance doesn’t usually come like a sledgehammer. It comes in subtle little things.
“Never give up. Success doesn’t come at the outset. Keep trying. Be dedicated in front of all obstacles.
“Be appreciative of the people around you in your team. People thrive on appreciation. Do that to yourself too. Appreciate yourself. Don’t constantly beat yourself up. To encourage yourself, celebrate your achievements, and take time to mark the moments of success.
“Thank God for everything in your life. For the good and the painful. Because pain is often the best way to learn really fast.
“And lastly, good luck!”
IMMANUEL BRYSON HAYNES, ENTREPRENEUR/TECHNOLOGIST/FILMMAKER
Immanuel’s talk was one of the most interesting of all, but difficult to summarise. Like some other speakers, Immanuel had a difficult childhood,
“My young life was a troubled existence. I didn’t fit in at school. I was dyslexic. I fell drastically behind in writing and reading. The teachers thought I was handicapped. These were my humble beginnings.
“I got bullied and was never interested in conforming to the rules. I would often ask teachers “why?’ and I found teachers didn’t like that.
“Mentors have been a big part of my growing understanding of the world. My first and most influential mentor was my father who taught me about the work ethic.
Immanuel goes on to describe a life which has seen a lot of change and vivid ups and downs. He is still only in his thirties but has been an entrepreneur with his own software company, a racing car driver and a film producer.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.