Global Links Initiative News

GLI launches a new website at www.glinet.org
Global Links Initiative's BIG news is the launch of our new website! We very much hope you enjoy the new format.

Site Structure - this is what you will find where: -
Home - the main home page of each of the different language sites Chinese, English and Japanese
News - GLI News, global social sector News, Networkers' News, GLI News Mail
Get Involved - the place to Register as a GLI Networker and where to find details of people and projects who have registered as GLI Networkers
Inspire - this is the heart of the GLI site - it is where you will find the inspiring, real life, 'learning by doing' stories from people all around the world who have decided to make a difference in the communities in which they live and/or work
Share - information and 'knowledge bank' material. This is where you will find Food for Thought, Links to other interesting websites, a Library, Just for Fun!, and sections on Globalisation, Leadership, Legislation and Statistics and Working with Corporates.
About Us - all about GLI - aims, objectives, personnel, history
Site Map - for a quick over view of the site content

GLI visit to India in April 2006
Chairman and Founder of GLI, Robin Rowland, is visiting India this month with Martin Blakebrough, Chief Executive of Kaleidoscope and GLI Advisory Board Member, to visit social entrepreneurs in Delhi and Mumbai, They will also lead a seminar, including GLI Networkers, in Pudukottai which GLI Networker Rengaraj Ramaswamy of ISSI -see last months News Mail - is kindly organising.

GLI New Offices in Tokyo and Shanghai
The GLI office in Tokyo moved on March 28th, 2006 to: -
150-0013 13F, Ebisu Business Tower, 1-19-19 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan Tel: +81.3.4360.3956 Fax: 81.3.4360.3957
Contact Person: Fangfang LIAO
and our new office in Shanghai opened in April 2006 at: -
201103 C-104, Rome Garden, 8, Ronghua East Road, Gubei District, Shanghai, China Tel: +86.21.6278.5846
Contact Person: Fan LI

What's New - Inspire Section
Be Inspired!
The Inspire section of the new website is where we publish the inspiring 'learning by doing' stories from around the world - here are a few of the stories from the website which we hope will inspire you. On the new site, you can now search for stories by category of activity or service or by country.

TAMWED - A Sustainable Post-Tsunami Project
The coastal region of Tamil Nadu was badly affected by the tsunami with great loss of life, property and infrastructure. People in West Devon, who had links with communities and organisations in the area through local charity Westden and its international programme, wanted to do more than send funds for immediate relief. They set up Tamwed (Tamil Nadu - West Devon) to work with a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) in India in a long term recovery programme. Through Westden International's Indian project manager, Jothi Ramalingam, a community and an NGO were identified that were missing out on the financial support available to groups in some areas. Read more...

Running the Race Together - Interfaith Initiative
How the harmony and prosperity of a community is linked to its ability to celebrate diversity by Rev. David Gray, Monastery of St. Francis & Gorton Trust. May I begin by telling you a little about my childhood? Growing up in Cheetham Hill in the 1950s was an amazing adventure! Poles, Jews, West Indians, Christians, Sikhs, Muslims, Chinese - people from all imaginable backgrounds - contributed to the tastes, smells, sights, sounds and textures of my childhood world ...there was mutual empathy between peoples of all backgrounds; they respected difference and rejoiced in variety. Read more....

What's New - Share Section
Good to Share!
The Share area of the new site is where we publish good ideas, Food for Thought, articles on legislation, tips and hints, library items etc. Here are a couple of things we hope you'll find interesting and useful.

5 Tips for Self-Leadership
'Allow me (Bryan Howard, South Africa) to share some of the better observations and recommendations I found in 'The Leader of the Future' (The Drucker Foundation, NY). All change is self-change. That requires dealing with emotions. You don't need a degree in Psychology to help people help themselves. It takes leadership art with people, so that they feel heard. And that requires the 'soft stuff' - your heart. The word 'heart' is made up of two words: 'hear' and 'art.' The core of any change process is the art of hearing; so listening intently is absolutely essential to change.' Read more...

What's New - News
Dear Robin, Libby and GLI friends - Thought you might enjoy reading about our latest launch. Following developmental work over the past year, Chicken Shed is launching Piter Shed, a new inclusive theatre company for young people in St Petersburg. Many of the young people in orphanages or residential children's homes, are there because they have been excluded from mainstream society and education on the grounds of 'difference'. Chicken Shed uses drama, dance and music to bring together individuals on equal terms, respecting whatever each of them can bring to the creative process. The results are life-changing and now, after 19 such projects across the UK in the past 5 years, we are branching out to one of the greatest cultural cities in Europe, to share our method and our philosophy. Please pass this on to GLI members, particularly those interested in the arts as a catalyst for social change within developing/fast changing societies such as the former Soviet Union. From Suzi Clark Britton Read more...

GLI Networker Who's Who
People with energy, compassion and creativity can make the world a better place to live in. If you are one of them, we would like to invite you to become a Networker and share your visions, stories and interests with more people through our website. You would be one of over 160 others who have so far joined us from 26 countries. See who they are and read about them in the Get Involved area under Networkers on the website.

Here is what some of our new Networkers say about themselves:

CuCu Saidah - I am working in two places. I have now established in Bandung, Indonesia, the organisation BILiC. We will first provide training in peer counselling for people with disabilities. They will be trained as peer supporter/counsellors in their community so they can then help other people with disabilities in their communities. Every Month we will also be outbound to raise awareness on disability and accessibility issues in the wider community. Our organisation also plans, with the help of a national funding resource, to provide an accessible transport service. We hope this can start later in 2006. We are also networking with other social issue groups in Bandung. Meantime I am also working with the World Bank office in Jakarta as part of their team working on Inclusive Education for Children. I have been around to several provinces and talked with a number of people. This is great because it gives me the opportunity to spread awareness of people with disabilities and the need for inclusion. I hope to be an active member of Global Links Initiative.

Aghogho Careca Akarue, a native of Ovu Village, Delta State, Nigeria, is the Founder of Liberty 4 Africa (L4A), an International Non-Government Organization. He founded the organization after becoming aware of the plight of African child abuse victims and the ravages of HIV/AIDS on that continent. He attended his primary, secondary and higher education in Nigeria and used those skills in an Architects office until introducing his organization with its vision to restore human dignity. His role as CEO and Founder of an NGO ensures that he is heavily involved in building support links with government bodies and international agencies. Finally my first public declaration and life's mission statement... What is the fate of Africa in the 21st century, when war, AIDS, poverty and malnutrition continue to drive African dreams to an early grave? When will my people be liberated? My mission is that Africans gain liberty from poverty, health hazards and a productive future. My dream is to realize an innovation that will unite Africa as one and bring peace to my motherland.

Hi there, my name is Kevin Bao and I'm a senior at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada. I'm passionate about the field of Social Entrepreneurship, and connecting my generation to this fascinating field. To this end, I'm actively building Eonfire, a student driven network for future social entrepreneurs. It'll be modelled after Net Impact, but focused on Social Innovation, and open to undergrads. Eonfire is significant for a few reasons: 1) It develops the next generation of social leaders and entrepreneurs, 2) It directly strengthens the social sector by connecting students with needs and opportunities in the field, and 3) it allows grassroots buy in, and thus, facilitates the social sector's tipping point. Just like how Net Impact is the student-driven network that champions Corporate Social Responsibility, I believe eonfire can do the same for the emerging field of Social Entrepreneurship. If you would like to be involved, please contact Kevin.

Get Involved!
Find out how to get in touch with our Networkers or be a networker yourself by clicking on 'Get Involved' to find out more or on 'Register' to sign up as a Networker. It is free to all. Also please contribute to our website - send an email to Libby Brayshaw.

Volunteers
If you are bilingual or trilingual in English, Japanese, and/or Chinese, and are interested in volunteering for GLI, please contact Fan LI

You are receiving this e-newsletter from GLI in response to your interest in our organisation. Your address is kept absolutely confidential and can be accessed only by GLI staff unless you have registered as a Networker and have agreed to share your details in the list of Networkers on the website.

If you would like to unsubscribe to this newsletter, please send an email to Libby Brayshaw.

Global Links Initiative is an independent charitable organisation with no political, religious or government affiliations or agendas.