Compassion Response Network,
Australian Company Number 103 240 071
By David Keane,23/March/2007
PO Box 582, Gosnells WA 6110, Australia
Email address: keane@nw.com.au
Website address: http://www.compassion-response.net/

Developing a Vision for a People’s Movement

Prelude

During 2005, we (Compassion Response Network) were conducting a trial in Africa of pure colloidal silver + oxyrich, an alternative treatment for HIV/AIDS, on a shoestring budget collected through charitable donations from the public.

In February 2006, we had just shared with our three HIV/AIDS patients in Kinshasa (in Democratic Republic of Congo) receiving the pure colloidal silver + oxyrich treatment, that the HIV count was still high after 4 months of treatment. This meant that once the treatment would stop after 6 months they were faced with the prospect of renewed outbreak of AIDS. And at that time the prospects for further funding of more trials was low, as Compassion Response Network was no longer receiving adequate donations to continue our work.

However, at the February/06 monthly meeting in Kinshasa, the attitude of the patients amazed us. Rather than begrudge their own seeming poor fortune, the group of patients together affirmed their intention to

"organize a solidarity with the other AIDS African patients, and to make emerge a People's Movement of Africa."

For during the treatment, their health and vitality were much restored, and they were greatly touched by the continuing love and sacrifices made for them. They had received, and wanted to express their gratitude by giving in return.

We took their affirmation to heart and accepted it as our own. To manifest such a great goal, we need to proceed in small manageable steps. And so we asked how many of their family and friends have HIV/AIDS? They replied, about 50. And so we asked them to find out the immediate desire of the heart of these 50, and together we would invoke manifestation of their desire through petition to the Christ and using the rules for manifestation as provided by Findhorn.

In April, after speaking with their family and friends, they came up with the idea that we sponsor a day gathering of all 50, paying each for travel expenses and food and drinks for the day. The 50 then wanted to communicate their situation and dreams of the heart to us through a film to be taken at the gathering. The idea struck us as brilliant, and so we agreed to sponsor the gathering of 50, to be held in May 2006

At the gathering, we hired an interpreter to translate the message of the people living with HIV into English. Copies of the film of their testimonies are available from Compassion Response Network upon request. I do not think that it has ever happened this way before, that a gathering of people with HIV, so strongly expressed the thoughts of their hearts, and appealed with such hope for help.

The priority urgent need expressed by the people with HIV was acute hunger. Most are unemployed, not so much through lack of health as from being shunned by family and society. They need to find income generating activities so that they will in future be able to eat. We replied that donations to Compassion Response Network had dropped to nearly zero, not enough to feed one person let alone 50. And there is so much hunger in Africa, that an appeal for food money would not be received sympathetically. Nevertheless we joined them in deep prayer that through our faith an answer would be found, that we would together through God’s grace be able to solve this problem, and manifest a response from God’s abundance.

An Impossible Dream Starts to Manifest

What happened next was so astonishing, and arose completely from the initiative of the African people living with HIV. They said they do not want charity. They wanted only to be able to borrow money so to kick-start employment for themselves. They proposed we establish a community fund for micro-credit loans to be paid back in monthly installments once each had a job. We worked out that if we could establish a community fund of US$9,000, then that would be sufficient to enable the community in time to find employment. In the meantime, the earliest ones getting jobs would help feed those who must wait a while to receive their loan.

And so we together agreed to first seek sponsorship for 5 vegetable growing jobs, as these were the cheapest jobs to start, and they provided the most abundant financial return. It was clear that the African group were being guided by the Spirit, and were beginning to apply the art of manifestation in their own lives. They still needed however support through love and prayer and sacrifices from friends in affluent countries.

Thanks mainly to generosity of those attending the Gosnells (in Perth, Australia) Catholic Charismatics Prayer Group, where I share weekly fellowship, sufficient funds were received to kick-start the project for income generating activities for 50 people living with HIV in Kinshasa. US$1,500 = AUD$1,980 was sent on 1/November/06, US$1,046.40 = AUD$1,360 on 11/December/06. We have set a target of sending at least AUD$500 = about US$380 each month during 2007 and 2008. We have just managed to raise enough in January and February. Donations so far received are now enough to kick-start four vege growing points (and largely fund a fifth point), together with part of the money set aside for food support during the difficult three months before the vegetables start to produce, and part wages for two project facilitators.

Overall, Compassion Response Network has committed to raising US$9,000 to inject into the Kinshasa community fund. Members of the 50 people living with HIV may borrow from the fund in order to kick-start income generating activities. They will then repay the loan by monthly repayments. Once the 50 people living with HIV have organised themselves into a formal organisation, CRN will negotiate with the directors of that organisation to hand over control of the community fund to the people living with HIV.

We are also sending US$1,000 to provide food support for the 50 people living with HIV, especially in the first difficult three months, and US$2,760 to pay part wages for five project facilitators. By the end of Feb/07, we have succeeded in sending a quarter of our total target amount. If we continue sending our monthly target amount of AUD$500 = about US$380 each month, then it will take a further two years to fully fund the project for 50 people living with HIV. Then they will have jobs for 30 of their number, and a community fund of US$9,000 to use creatively for the welfare of the community.

The first two vege growing points were planted by late November/06, and the third vege growing point by early January/07. Now in March, the people living with HIV who began the first 2 veges points are proceeding with the harvest and the sale of crops. So thus they can soon begin monthly repayments to the community fund, and help support the hungry among the 50 with some food.

The original intention was that money for one vege growing point would provide income for one person with HIV. Yet at each of the vege growing points, once a week a group of many people from the HIV community come to work together. After a full morning’s work they share a common meal. There is as yet no shelter or amenities on these small plots of land and the last six months have been the monsoon (heavy rain) season. Yet the African people are used to these conditions. Rather than complain, they expressed gratitude for the opportunity to become independent. They said it frees them from idleness and a preoccupation of health matters and gives them back their dignity. They are developing a real sense of community, shared activity and of sharing food with those who have none.

An Amazing Transformation

Let us ponder for a moment to see how extraordinary these events really are. We randomly invited anyone with HIV/AIDS to participate in our comparative assessment trials for various alternative treatments for HIV/AIDS. Most people with HIV/AIDS are unemployed, marginalised and shunned. They are more likely to die from starvation than through AIDS. They enter into a mood of hopelessness and despair. Trying to find a means of survival, often outcast on the street, scrounging for food, becomes their focus for attention. They cannot think beyond the pain in their stomach for not having enough to eat. Their need is so great, that they cannot understand how they can help other people. They are naturally cautious and wary of offers for help.

Yet we accepted them as closer than family, and supported them through their many needs, and the needs of their families. Slowly, they responded to the love and support given, and they learned to trust us. We shared with them at monthly meetings how all problems can be solved if there are enough people uniting together and living the spiritual principles of goodwill and unity, and establishing right relations. We talked about our own faith in the art of manifesting the dreams of our heart.

Then they started to ask how they could manifest the dreams of their own heart. We then shared with them, that much of our inspiration comes from reading the inspirational books of Findhorn. Thus in the latter months of 2005, we developed a practice of reading to them through Albert, our coworker in Kinshasa, at the monthly meetings, a half-page extract from the Findhorn book, God Spoke To Me by Eileen Caddy. These readings touched them deeply, and empowered them. They were I think a principal reason why they took the extraordinary step of playing their part in the formation of a People’s Movement for people living with HIV.

We identified totally and unconditionally with their affirmation to help form a People’s Movement. We thus shared with them how to understand and apply the art of manifestation, as taught in the Findhorn books. Their first challenge was to help manifest the dreams of 50 of their closest family and friends with HIV. So we invited the 50 with HIV to a day gathering and provided a meal for them, and they opened their hearts to us about their needs and dreams on tape. This is the first step in manifestation, to identify the dream. That dream was for all of the 50 to find income generating activities so that they could eat. When we told them that we are attracting too few donations to feed one person, they discussed with themselves and came up with the idea of taking out loans from a community fund, and repaying by monthly installments. This project was within our means to support them, and gradually the donations started to come in to kick-start their project about six months after the gathering of May/06.

From a point of utter hopelessness and despair, these Africans with HIV, have not only understood about the art of manifestation, but they have applied it in their own lives. This transformation can be explained by one thing only. These people living with HIV, are collectively being guided by the Spirit! We do not teach them through religious talks, for they would not be interested. Their physical and emotional needs are too urgent and all embracing. Yet they eagerly listen to the inspirational extracts from Eileen Caddy each month. These teachings have gone straight to their hearts, and they are eager for more, and they wish to apply the teachings they receive.

Developing a Vision for a People’s Movement

When in October/November/December 2006, we first spoke to the public about the project to support the 50 people living with HIV, we received very generous donations. Such is often the case when launching a public information campaign. There is a big wave of support at the beginning, and then the amount of support tapers off and starts to dwindle. This effect was particularly strong because in the first three months of the project, the people living with HIV were extremely hungry with no means of support. Now, since March, produce from the vege growing points is partly used to help feed the 50. So the fear of starvation is no longer acute.

Since the beginning of January, the regular monthly donations has developed a pattern of about AUD$200 a month. We were able to make our AUD$500 target in January and February, only because two donations made in November and December had delays in being forwarded. Looking forward, we can therefore expect a clear funding crisis. If no expansion of fundraising occurs, we will in future be able to send only AUD$200 each month for the project to support 50 people living with HIV.

A crisis of another sort is being experienced in Kinshasa. Many of the people with HIV are being approached by other people with HIV yet outside of the community of 50. They are wanting to join the community so that their own lives can be transformed. They are starving and have many other needs. We in Compassion Response Network have discussed the situation with the people with HIV.

We agree that the best way to expand the community to 100 people living with HIV, is to hold another one-day gathering of people with HIV, this time for 100. From the time of the gathering, the new 50 will be accepted into the community. At that gathering they will discuss together what needs to be done to develop a vision for a People’s Movement for people living with HIV. That vision needs to be very practical, and develop special projects for the coming year.

Following on from this discussion, a small group of the people living with HIV who met in Kinshasa on 14/March/07, agreed to the urgent need to arrange a gathering for 100 people living with HIV. They further shared;

"This opportunity is unique. We must establish a vision for the People's Movement for people living with HIV, and we must find out views of all 100 people with HIV coming to the gathering.

In our life living with HIV, every day we face many difficulties, psychological and moral worries, harassment to our life, we have urgent needs for medical cares, lodging, activities generating some returns, care of our children, and many other emergencies. It so touches us when every day we attend the death of our colleagues.

We must develop projects that provide income generating activities for a further 50 people living with HIV. We must solve the problem of feeding all community members so that none go hungry.

The Community Fund could be used to provide services to improve the quality of life in the community, as well as services such as the health treatment for thousands of people living with HIV who are outside of the community. We could use part of the Community Fund to initiate activities whose profits pay for the wages of the project facilitators. And the people living with HIV must develop a constitution as a first step in establishing a charitable organisation to serve people living with HIV."

How can such a vision be developed in practice? A People’s Movement cannot emerge simply from the inspired leadership of a few. The ideas of the leading group need to be shared with the entire community in a way that everyone has a sense of participation in helping to develop the group understanding of the vision that the community wants to adopt. In Africa with the extreme poverty, and with the 100 living in quite separate parts of the large city Kinshasa, there is no way to do this other than through sponsoring a day gathering of the 100 people living with HIV.

At the gathering, we need to ask the 50 newly admitted members to the community to share their thoughts, needs and dreams. There is need to develop a strategy through which the food resources of the community can be used so that none of the 100 people with HIV go without food in the interim period before they all receive loans to commence employment. They will consider a proposal about the possibilities and challenges involved if CRN chooses to seek funding for purchase of a 3 to 4 hectare property of land for agriculture, as a pathway to provide income generating opportunities for a further 50 people living with HIV.

They will collectively consider how various soul qualities help to develop a People’s Movement, such soul qualities as love, goodwill, unity, sharing, joy, gratitude and reconnection with the sacred. They will ponder what lessons have been learnt by applying the art of manifestation over the past year, and how the art of manifestation can be developed so that it is more easily understood by the many, and how the art of manifestation can be used to manifest the goals being defined at this gathering? They will discuss the nature of the relationship to be cultivated between the 100 people with HIV in the community, and the nature of the relationship between those already in the community of 100, and the many people with HIV not living in the community of 100, yet crying out and in great need? How can the community expand still further in the future?

They will discuss what practical measures can be taken to ensure regular monthly repayments of loans, following on from the splendid example of the Grameen Bank. They will discuss how the Community Fund can be used in future to enable realisation of group projects such as polyclinic, pharmacy, schools for children? They will discuss how community resources can be used in future to fund wages for project facilitators and goodwill workers providing healing treatments free to the community? And they will discuss what steps need to be taken to establish a registered charitable organisation independent from CRN and representing the community of people living with HIV, and with its own bank account?

It is an enormous challenge to build a group vision embracing all of these complex considerations. And yet the community in Kinshasa of those living with HIV, earnestly want to proceed to build the vision, with full discussion and consultation with all their 100 membership. The only way to do this is through sponsoring a community gathering for 100 people living with HIV.

The Challenge of Sponsorship

The people in Kinshasa living with HIV are emerging from the depths of extreme poverty. Their personal resources need to be focussed upon their own and their community welfare. The art of manifestation they need to apply to the urgent needs for the community. If the gathering in Kinshasa of 100 with HIV is to be held, it can only be through sponsorship from friends in affluent countries.

The inner planning circle of Compassion Response Network has considered a budget for the holding of a gathering for 100 people, and estimates the cost will be US$1,970 = AUD$2,500. This comprises;

hiring a room for the day = US$250
Provision of a meal for 100 = US$500
Provision of soft drinks for 100 = US$150
Return public transport for 100 = US$650
Transport and phone for contacts = US$150
Translator hire = US$150
Cameramen hire = US$50
Copying CD = US$35
Sending CD by post = US$35

Total = US$1,970

A total of US$1,970 = AUD$2,500 may seem a lot, but it is roughly US$20 = about AUD$25 per participant. That is similar to the cost of holding a cheap conference in affluent nations such as in Australia, America or Europe. Yet the level of wages in the Congo is shockingly low. Without our help the holding of the conference would be impossible.

Holding conferences was critical during 2006. In that year two conferences of 50 people were held in Kinshasa. The first was in May/06, when the 50 opened their hearts to share about their situation and dreams. The second was in November/06 and was important to share with the members of community, our plans for manifesting the project to provide income generating activities for 30 living with HIV.

Each of these 2006 gatherings of 50 cost about US$1,000. The cost must be doubled for holding a gathering with 100 participants. CRN at that time was receiving few donations from the public. And so as secretary of CRN, I personally paid the full cost for these two gatherings during 2006. I used up the last of my savings for this purpose, as I strongly believed in the importance of the gatherings. But now my savings have gone. From my disability pension, I donate each month AUD$100 to CRN, and this just balances the organisation’s annual administration fees, the main one being an annual audit of CRN accounts. Thus the gathering in Kinshasa of 100 proposed for early May/07, must be sponsored through public donations if it is to be held at all.

If no such sponsorship is received, then our work must struggle to conclude our present project with the present donation rate of AUD$200 a month. Expansion of the work in Africa will be most difficult, because a group supported vision will not be able to be established. But if the gathering is held, then the group of 100 people living with HIV, will have every opportunity to develop a group vision for building a People’s Movement to support people with HIV. We can then take the people’s vision to the media in affluent countries, and the work can expand.

Though grateful for those who have donated to CRN in the past, the present level of monthly donations is inadequate to allow expansion of our work. Perhaps then the pathway to inspire the public in affluent countries, can be similar to the way we helped inspire the people in Africa with HIV to manifest their dreams; through sharing passages from Findhorn inspirational writings.

I therefore conclude with sharing an inspirational passage from the Findhorn book, God Spoke To Me, by Eileen Caddy (p116).

"I withhold nothing from him who earnestly desires to find the truth. I cannot impress this upon you strongly enough. When you truly understand and accept this, you hold the answer to all there is within you. You understand the limitless of My Love, of My supply of all things. You see the best and manifest the best. Never place a limit or restriction on anything. You find your consciousness expanding, seeing everything that is beautiful, everything that is perfect, and by so doing you draw it to you.

This is the art of manifestation. You will learn to do this more and more in the days to come and so bring about My law of limitless supply. Raise your thinking, know the source of your supply, and your whole attitude will change in the twinkling of an eye. Remember this in the days ahead and let your faith be rocklike and unshakable."

If the work of compassion for those suffering from HIV/AIDS is to expand, an increasing number of people need to make sacrifices of love. If your heart is moved by the plight of the millions with HIV/AIDS in Africa, know that you can make a difference. We invite you to embrace the art of manifestation as shared in the previous inspirational passage, and apply that art of manifestation until the gathering in Africa manifests, and the people living with HIV develop a vision statement for building a People’s Movement to respond to the needs of the many with HIV. Once you truly understand the art of manifestation, and apply it for the dreams of your heart, then your whole life will be transformed.

Yours in love and light,
David Keane,
Secretary, Compassion Response Network