August 1995

World CARP and Artists Association for World Peace Sponsor the New City Symphony Chamber Ensemble's Spring Tour.

by David Eaton-NYC

As reported in the May issue of the Unification News, True Parents founded the Artists Association for World Peace in Brazil on True Parents Day. At that time Father instructed David Eaton, artistic director of the New York City Symphony, Gloria Criscioni, the famous singer from Paraguay, and soprano ___ to begin a concert tour in order to network with other artists and to begin the process of "creating a moral revolution in the arts."

In order to initiate the activities of AAWP, World CARP has been sponsoring an inaugural concert tour of the New York City Symphony Chamber Ensemble on university campuses. The tour began on May 16 in California with two concerts at Cal State L.A., two concerts at the University of California at Berkeley and a concert at Cal State Hayward.

Subsequent concerts have taken place in Chicago and New York City and the tour will conclude with performances in Washington, DC and the University of Bridgeport.

The NYC Symphony Chamber Ensemble, in its current form consists of soprano ___, violinist Makiko Morimoto, pianist Rikako Asanuma and guitarist Isamu Nakashio. A main premise of this tour is to present a wide variety of music representing many cultures and many hearts. The ensemble has been offering a variety of compositions including works by Tchaikovsky, Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, Franz Schubert, the English Renaissance composer John Dowland, Franz Lehar, Fritz Kreisler, Ludwig van Beethoven and many others.

In addition, the group has been performing art songs from Japan, Korea, China, Russia, Italy, and the United States. At The New York City performance the NYCSCE was joined by the Judeo-Spanish folk music ensemble Alhambra. It just so happened that Gloria Criscioni from Paraguay was in New York and she made a guest appearance and sang O Solo Mio to a standing ovation.

A Moral Vision for the Arts

During the course of each concert, David Eaton is giving a short presentation on the goals, vision and future activities of AAWP. One hope of this new organization is to create a worldwide network of artists who will be willing to utilize their talents in a responsible fashion.

Alluding to the situation in Nazi Germany in the 1930s, Mr. Eaton told of the plight of the twentieth century German composer Paul Hindemith. When Adolph Hitler was rising to power, Hindemith was considered Germany's most talented composer. He refused to join the Nazi Party at a time when many of his colleagues were using Nazi influence to further their careers.

As a result of rejecting the Nazi ideology, Hindemith soon found his music in official disfavor which led to his fleeing to Switzerland. He eventually settled in the United State where he continued to compose, write and teach.

For Hindemith, music had "moral and ethical power," and thus composers needed to use that power with what he called "...the severest sense of moral responsibility." He correctly recognized (as did Hitler) that art had a tremendous ability to influence those who came in contact with it and therefore creative artists must exercise a degree of personal responsibility when creating. In many ways, AAWP espouses Hindemith's view of art and artists.

Another premise of the tour is to begin a talent search in order to provide young artists an opportunity to perform and document their performance. Future tours will include an audio/video team that can provide talented performers the opportunity to further their careers by offering to record their performances.

In all likelihood, the tour will resume in the autumn as students return for fall semester. Based on the response of the inaugural tour the NYCSCE, World CARP and AAWP seem to be a powerful trinity that has displayed great potential towards accomplishing God's will in the arts.

World CARP Academy Begins!

by Robert Kittel-NYC

Over 150 young, enthusiastic members and friends of World CARP gathered in King City, California, from June 12 16, for a five-day - orientation program which marked the launching of the first-ever World CARP Academy.

Last year Special Task Force teams, comprised of CARP members, Russians students and second-generation UC members, went out to campuses across the United States to share with college students the hope, the vision and the need to become men and women of high moral character. They held special presentations, stimulating weekend workshops and exciting international cultural evenings. But it didn't end with words. In addition, CARP members, along with their new friends, served their local communities in such programs as feeding the homeless, city beautification programs, mentoring inner-city children and special ocean challenge outings.

The collective efforts over the past 9 months of World CARP members across America bore fruit in King City at the kick-off for the Academy. There was with a special focus on social service, the first of four components of the Academy. At the welcome ceremony on the first day Academy President Howard Self reminded the young men and women present of the World CARP motto, "Win the Future!" He emphasized that the future of the world is not pre-determined, their actionor inactionwill decide the fate of this nation and the world.

Each morning began with a guided meditation by Myra Stanecki, author of the high school moral education book, "My World & I." With soothing background music she guided people into their "inner sanctuary," the place in their original minds where peace, tranquillity and comfort could always be found.

John Williams from the World CARP education department touched young hearts and minds with his presentations on The Principles of Love, and Spiritual and Physical Life. One Unificationist commented that his lectures were presented in such a broad manner that anyone would be interested, want to hear them, and could gain much from them regardless of their spiritual background, or lack of it.

On the second day veteran Unificationist Sandra Lowen (who holds a masters degree in social work) held her audience spellbound with a beautifully articulated presentation on The Cause & Resolution of Human Conflict. With a myriad of real-life examples Sandra helped us to understand the consequences of and the need to use love in a principled way. The day concluded with a barbecue on the beach which for many was the first time they had seen or swam in the Pacific ocean.

Day three was devoted to presentations on the Academy itself. Academic Dean Robert Kittel outlined the tragedy of modern education. Quoting from numerous magazine and newspaper articles, he pointed out the fact that although college graduates may be well outfitted with knowledge and technical skills, they are often ill equipped for real life. They frequently lack such important characteristics as communication skills, social graces and competency for creating harmonious inter- personal relationships.

Academy faculty member, Dr. Michael Mickler, laid out an outline for a "21st Century Educational Experience." The Academic studies program will provide an opportunity to review and expand on practical lessons learned during the period of service and fund-raising. Based on the education philosophy derived from a Unificationist understanding of the 3 Great Blessings (Gen. 1:28), the WCA curriculum will be divided into 3 main subject areas.

The first area will be personal development. This is related to fulfilling the 1st Blessing, to be fruitful, or in other words to become a self-realized person. Development of interpersonal relationships, connected to the 2nd Blessing, will be the next area of the curriculum. Students will learn models and methods of building harmonious families and larger social-political communities. Finally, technical mastery, connected to the 3rd Blessing of having dominion, will equip students for success in life. Students will learn how to generate and manage resources without having their own financial self- interest as the sole motivating force for success.

Next, Dr. Kathy Winings, director of the WCA social service programs as well as the director of the International Relief and Friendship Foundation, explained about the value of social service. "Service is the practice of true love in order to build communities where compassion and empathy are the norms," she said. Living for others, she added, is not a vocation specifically unique to volunteer agencies, it is an attitude needed for success in life itself.

During the months of June and July, WCA students will be working in 6 cities as volunteers in 20 different professional volunteer agencies. The various projects include constructing trails and related environmental work in state parks, tutoring inner-city children, conducting sports programs in summer camps, remodeling boats used for disaster relief, youth intervention programs, and organizing and designing volunteer programs.

In serving those who serve, Academy students are learning by action not wordsthe value of the fundamental World CARP principle, "Living for Others."

Following social service, Academy students will spend the month of August combining city beautification with team fund-raising. Come September, they will begin intensive, modular-type education which will last till mid-November.

The other two areas of the Academy program will be fundraising, during the Christmas season, and Internships, which are planned for next year. The internships will bring together all the resources of the Unification Movement, business, media, arts, education, inter- religious work, as well as academic and cultural, in order to give students valuable on-the-job training.

This maiden voyage of the Academy is literally a dream come true for Jin Hun Moon, the President of World CARP. Last winter he envisioned a program which could provide urgently needed moral education for college students. Himself a graduate of Columbia University, he knew first-hand the problems facing this so-called lost generation. As President of CARP he wanted not simply to criticize, but to offer a positive solution. The World CARP Academy is designed to supplement, not replace, the existing education "system," by providing students with knowledge, experience and fellowship that will last a lifetime.

UTS Graduates

Candidates for Graduation Master of Religious Education Degrees

Beat Bauer, Switzerland
Ki-Yong Choi, S. Korea
Jin Hwa Chung, S. Korea
Hideaki Fujiwara, Japan
Paul Greene, U.S.A.
Edward Heinz, U.S.A.
Yukinobu Horimoto, Japan
Yoshitaka Hoshino, Japan
Takuya Ishii, Japan
Noritaka Izumi, Japan
Young Sik Jung, S. Korea
Byung Wooh Kim, S. Korea
Jin Choon Kim, S. Korea
Jin-Goon Kim, S. Korea
James W. Kovic, U.S.A.
Ki Yeal Lee, S. Korea
Atsuko Narita, Japan
Jun Orikasa, Japan
Jin Hwan Park, S. Korea
Milton Tooru Sakurai, Japan
Chika Takakura, Japan
Celso C. Talaba, Philippines
Yoshitaka Tokuda, Japan
Andrew Tribe, U.K.
Yoshiaki Tsubota, Japan
Kevin R. Vallee, Canada
Wonho David Woo, S. Korea
Stephen Wright, U.S.A.

Master of Divinity Degrees

Anthony C. V. Adamson, U.K., Thesis: The Evolution of Russian Messianism

Dirk Anthonis, Belgium, Thesis: Six Habits of Healthy Families

Jerry Chesnut, U.S.A., Thesis: Life of Jesus

Jeong Phyo Hong, S. Korea, Thesis: Han Thought-From Tangun to True Parents

Katsumi Kambashi, Japan, Thesis: Life of Heart

Michael Hughes Kiely, U.S.A., Thesis: Issues in Unification Education

Raymond H. Presky, U.K., Thesis: The Messianic Self-Understanding of Reverend Sun Myung Moon

Josef Schinwald, Austria, Thesis: Lost Paradise, Zen and the Four Great Realms of Heart

Ken Sudo, Japan, Thesis: Explaining the Completed Testament Providence

Shunsuke Uotani, Japan, Thesis: Tension and Synthesis-Christianity and the Japanese Mind in Kanzo Uchimura

Unification Theological Seminary Graduates 38

by Sarah Witt-Barrytown, NY

On Sunday, June 25, 1995 the Unification Theological Seminary held its Nineteenth Annual Commencement Exercises at 11am in scenic Barrytown, NY. Thirty eight graduates received their degrees. Ten men received the Master of Divinity degree, and 25 men and two women the degree of Master of Religious Education.

Founded by the Reverend Sun Myung Moon, the Seminary admitted the first class of fifty students in autumn 1975. This autumn, UTS will celebrate its 20th anniversary.

The commencement ceremony was officiated by Mr. W. Farley Jones, chairman of the UTS Board of Trustees and a 1977 graduate. Dr. Richard Arthur, assistant professor of New Testament, offered the invocation.

After the degrees were given out by the Seminary president, Dr. Theodore Shimmyo, the president gave congratulatory remarks. This was followed by the graduate responses of Messrs. Jerry Chesnut and Jin Hwa Chung. The UTS Choir performed a rendition of "Spirit, Now Live in Me." The graduation ceremony was concluded with the reading of the Founder's Address and benediction by Pres. Shimmyo. Rev. Moon was not able to attend due to a 12-nation speaking tour in Latin America.

Rev. Moon's message was simple, but quite profound. The graduates were urged to "strengthen the power of your conscience to possess the true love of God." Rev. Moon declared that possessing the true love of God was not a selfish act, but an unselfish and sacrificial one:

"The reason is that the true love of God is, by nature, unselfish and sacrificial. When God created the world, he...completely invested and sacrificed himself out of true love, hoping that Adam and Eve, His objects of true love, would also assume the same sacrificial nature of true love to build His joyful kingdom. Unfortunately, this hope of God was completely shattered by the fall of the first human ancestors who acted selfishly."

Rev. Moon stated that the fall of man caused a fierce battle within the individual between the conscience and the physical body. He went on to say that "this battle within the individual is even fiercer than major wars in human history, because those historical wars usually ended within a few years, but the individual war between the conscience and the physical body seems to be unending, not only within the entire life of a person, but also for generation after generation."

Finally, Rev. Moon called on the graduates of the heavenly academy, called the Unification Theological Seminary, to join in the final battle during the next five years, until the year 2000 A.D., a very critical period in human history.

"But before winning this battle, equip yourselves with the unbreakable power of the conscience to possess the true love of God."

In Dr. Shimmyo's speech, "Bear the Cross," he exhorted the graduates to go out to the sinful world where "egotism, war, immorality, free sex, homosexuality, crime, etc., are rampant."

"Given this situation of the world, why don't we courageously go out there to bear the cross on behalf of God and humanity. This seems to be the most important mission of UTS graduates who are privileged to have been trained here as heavenly soldiers for two years or more.

"To bear the cross means to accept all the problems in the world as if they were your own and solve them out of your genuine love towards your fellow humans whose problems you are dealing with. To do that means to liberate not only humanity but also God from all pain and suffering, because the liberation of humanity means the fulfillment of God's own dream."

"Who will stop evil fully? I believe UTS graduates should boldly go out there to serve and bear the cross in order to testify to the power of God to overcome evil."

"The point I am making here comes from the teaching of Rev. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon, who tirelessly and sacrificially spent 50 years after WWII to bear the cross for God and humanity. Because of their absolute commitment out of love, the way of complete salvation has been victoriously opened."

He then went on to say that we have to inherit the best tradition of Rev. and Mrs. Moon and work even harder than before until every corner of the world is covered by the love of God.

The ceremony ended with the recessional and was followed by the photo- taking sessions.

In his Divinity graduate response, Jerry Chesnut challenged us all with his questions: "Ladies and gentlemen, the question that is burning in the hearts of each graduate here today is, How much love and goodness can I squeeze out of myself before I die? How much can I overcome that terrifying tendency that I have to ignore the hidden and sometimes unbearable sorrow that lies behind God and each person that has lived for a time on this earth?"

And so, another annual commencement at UTS came to an end with inspiring messages, a gourmet graduation banquet, and fine entertainment, as well 38 more trained Seminarians to go out to the world and help Rev. and Mrs. Moon build a substantial kingdom of God on earth, to bring joy to our Heavenly Father and all humanity.

UC and African Churches: "What a Fellowship!"

by Tyler Hendricks and Dan Fefferman

Unification Church Continental Leader Rev. Joong Hyun Pak and American UC President Dr. Tyler Hendricks discussed ecumenical Christian development in North America with leaders of other churches in Toronto, Canada, on their visit there, June 29-July 2. The discussions were part of an unprecedented ecumenical outreach by the UC to foster inter-church cooperation in order to strengthen and renew the institution of the family.

One most special meeting was with Pastor Alexander A. Bada, worldwide leader of the Celestial Church of Christ, and his global missions leader, Superior Evangelist P. H. Ajose. Rev. Pak also conferred with Reverend Trelleven, of the Church of God, and Bishop Wright, leader of Toronto's Healing Temple.

In New York, Reverend Pak has held discussions with Reverend Gabriel Fakeye, world leader of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement, and Bishop and Mrs. James C. Ellerbe, International Field Bishop of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star.

According to Rev. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon, the basis for ecumenical development toward world peace is true love within the family. "It begins from husband and wife, centering on God, and expands to the children, extended family and entire church and community," Rev. Pak explained. "The church is the bride of Christ, and the culmination of God's providence is given in terms of a marriage (Revelation 22). On the basis of ideal families, Christians of all denominations can unite in the Holy Spirit to meet the serious challenges of the present day with love and truth."

Rev. Pak's message has been well received by the African-based churches, especially the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) and the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement (C&S) both of which began in Nigeria. In that country, their members and Unification Church members are cooperating to mobilize massive participation in the upcoming Blessing `95 celebration August 24-25.

Blessing `95 will be a truly ecumenical event, with participation coming in substantial numbers from outside the Unification Church. It will also feature large numbers of previously married couples who will renew their vows through the Blessing, in addition to thousands of newlyweds whose marriages were arranged directly by Rev. and Mrs. Moon.

In the US special workshops have been held across the nation to introduce the Blessing to CCC and C&S leadership. Introductory programs have also been held for US leaders of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star (BCS).

"An amazing thing has been happening," stated Wesley Samuel, an elder Unification Member who is heading up a special ecumenical task force in the Church's national headquarters. "We are finding true fellowship everywhere with our African brothers and sisters. When we get together, it is as if God had secretly prepared a surprise family reunion for us all."

Both the CCC and C & S churches have congregations in several US cities, especially those with sizable Nigerian populations. Workshops have been held in New York, Washington DC, Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities.

"God is creating a miracle," stated Dr. Hendricks. "Africans and Americans are uniting in a true fellowship of love beyond racial and cultural barriers. We are witnessing a real movement of the Holy Spirit. All I can say is `Thank God!' This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Toward True Intimacy And Hope

Victoria Clevenger

Corinne McLaughlin and Gordon Davidson recently came through the Portland/Vancouver area to promote their new book, Spiritual Politics, Changing the World from the Inside Out. I spoke with them and read their book. The following includes insights from both the interview and the book and some of my thoughts.

Years ago in a San Francisco park, I began talking with a man in his late 20's who, like me, was enjoying the lovely spring day. I found out that he had a law degree and was about to also become a doctor. Impressed, I asked what was most important in his life. He thought for a moment, and then replied seriously, "Sex." His response totally surprised me, but I saw it was sincere--and not a come-on. "Why?" I asked. I've never forgotten his answer. He said soberly, "It keeps despair pushed back."

Yes, the temporary "intimacy" of a physical union can "push back despair," at least for that moment. But we hunger for much more--for closeness between husband and wife, parent and child, values and actions, and perhaps ultimately, between our ideals and our reality.

Can we bring these together?

Corinne McLaughlin and Gordon Davidson have spent their adult lives seeking ways to change the world and can convincingly answer YES. In their new book, Spiritual Politics, they generously share the wide- ranging insight and perspectives they've gained regarding the application of spiritual wisdom to political action to aid in both individual and planetary transformation. A handsome and distinguished- looking couple, they spent six years writing this book, which reflects much of their own journey.

After burning out as political activists in the 60's, they shifted their efforts to internal change.

Corinne: "To really be an effective change agent, you have to change yourself, and I found I couldn't just keep pointing fingers at government or business, people who were being greedy or power- tripping. I had to clean up my own act."

They first met at the Findhorn community in Scotland, and their experience there taught them the importance of connecting with one's own inner divinity and showed them that international people can live together cooperatively. In 1978 they felt guided to form their own ecological spiritual community in Massachusetts, called Sirius, where they still live, though they also spend time working and teaching in Washington, DC.

Why did they write the book?

Gordon: "Political activists and spiritual growth seekers both need the other. Those concerned with personal growth are kidding themselves about going farther if they don't offer some kind of service in the world, and political activists can benefit greatly by learning the deeper causes behind events. We outline many different groups and activities that don't get reported in the media but which are finding new ways to operate. We think the core of the problem is that we are locked into an adversarial win-lose process in our political life. . . . There's no real listening going on, so it's a politics of confrontation, or trying to destroy your opponent rather than working out creative solutions."

The Ageless Wisdom they bring to the political process refers to the fundamental inner truths connecting all the major world religions, like the interconnected-ness of all life, compassion, karma, and seeing events as offering a lesson to be learned. They practice what they teach. Right before their national book tour, an arsonist burned down their home.

Corinne: "You get a major lesson about the impermanence of the physical world when everything goes up in smoke in 15 minutes. We've gone through every emotion--mourning, anger, fear--to learning to let go and trusting we'll receive what we need."

Their book is rich with insight and practical example. Here are a few glimpses:

Gordon, on current cosmic changes:

"At this time there's a shift in astrological energy from Pisces Sixth Ray to Aquarius, the Seventh Ray energy, which helps create new forms for civilization. One way it shows itself is in people experiencing their own inner divinity."

Corinne, on forces of darkness:

"The forces of evil try to keep us from embodying more light, love, and unity. They push us toward materialism and the divide-and-conquer mentality and move people to feel anger, resentment, or jealousy to cause distance and separation between them. Native American warriors say it is not the enemy that destroyed them, but their own inner weakness. Our own weakness gets magnified by these forces as we move out to do more major work." Gordon: "The principle of free will is sacred, so you can identify as evil any forces that try to interfere with people's freedom, to manipulate or oppress them, whether the pressure comes from a government or from a religion. Most people get affected by a generalized stupor, the hypnosis of materialism or television consciousness which encourages you to buy and consume and procreate madly. Once you become more conscious, you choose to act for the highest good of the whole and recognize opposing forces more clearly."

Gordon, on the impact of thoughts and feelings:

"Our collective thinking affects both other people and the natural world. For example, when the United States was trying to get the Filipino people to keep Clark Air Force Base, the Mount Pinatubo volcano, perhaps affected by the smouldering resentment of the Filipinos, erupted and completely destroyed the base."

Corinne, on the souls and personalities of nations:

"Nations, like individuals, can also be self-centered. According to research on how nations voted at the United Nations--for self-interest or for the good of all--the United States didn't score well. As more nations align their personality with their soul and true spiritual destiny, a compassionate and just new world order will emerge.

From the book:

"Those individuals who change crisis into opportunities for transformation and achievement are the hope for the world. Hope acts like a spiritual magnet which draws inspiration from high sources. Hope is not an emotional attitude, but a clear intuitive knowing that recognizes good can triumph when charged with courage and unshakable determination."

"There are three distinct groups in each nation: most widespread is the conservative element that resists change but provides stability; second are the creative innovators and problem solvers who are inclusive in their consciousness; the third includes people who feel lost and bewildered, many who destroy themselves through drugs or other addictions or who are hopeless and despairing, including the vast masses of poor around the world."

"It behooves us all to work together to create a climate of consciousness in which violence and horror in films and television become repulsive to most people because of the refinement of their heart qualities."

Corinne, on what each person can do:

"We encourage people to adopt a leader, write letters, and send them a lot of love and light in prayer and meditation to help them align themselves with their higher self and the good of all. We also include 15 things to do to aid planetary evolution."

They outline groups working behind the scenes, some laying the groundwork for the incredible developments in South Africa, the Middle East, and Northern Ireland.

They also include several meditations for helping on the national and world levels, and ten "Principles for Public Life --'May the Best Person Serve'" that could be a code of conduct for public officials.

What do we do with all this?

One thing is certain: As they write,

"If we begin where we are to improve the lives of those around us, we can help create 'heaven on Earth.' . . . It is up to each of us to develop right relationships with others if we are to truly heal our world."

A primary vehicle for both spiritual growth and world healing can be our own family and its "politics". Creating close, joyful "right relationships" within this unit demands the best of ourselves and trains us to relate well to the global family of man. Much of the call for "family values" may come not so much from a nostalgia for some past experience--real or imagined--but may indeed originate from the inner voice of our Soul urging us to finally realize the innate blueprint in our hearts.

We disregard this voice at a price. Stress and anxiety have many causes, but perhaps fundamental is the tension between what is and what could be in ourselves. True intimacy on every level becomes more possible when we are intimate with our highest self and bring that to others. Hope shines as we understand this journey is everyone's destiny--joy to the world.

Spiritual Politics: Changing the World from the Inside Out (Ballantine Books, New York, 1994) would make a great gift for those who wish their lives to be a gift to the world.

I also wanted to share an experience I had when I decided to pray for our nation's leaders. I started with President Clinton, and then prayed that he, Newt Gingrich and Bob Dole could somehow unite closely together, centered on a sincere faith in God, and thus come up with some wonderful new direction for our country. As soon as I had the thought to pray for their unity, I felt such an internal surge of tears and emotion, as if Someone really wanted to encourage and thank me for praying that way. --VC

Shared Hopes vs. Hidden Agendas

Contributed by Don Maruska, 895 Napa Avenue, Suite A-5, Morro Bay, CA 93442. 805 772-4667. In the printed HeartWing, with permission I publish the full address of contributors so that others can contact if desired. I've eliminated most of the addresses here, but am leaving this one in case you want to contact Don about his book Inviting Healthy Decisions: A Guide for Work, Home and Community --VC)

How do you tell if someone or some organization is good at making decisions? Ideally, the decisions result in the hoped for benefit for all involved, a "happy ending." How is humankind doing? The unfulfilled hopes of so many people for a safe, abundant, and happy life, both throughout history and today, indicate we still have a lot to learn.

Decision-making is often not a fun or win-win process. However, Don Maruska and Art Stevens offer a way to make group decisions that is both "fruitful and fun." I spoke with Don about his method, and was impressed by its depth, comprehensiveness, and applicability to all kinds of situations. I also like that this process can help us identify what our real hopes are, feel safe to share them, and be open to receive that vulnerable part of another. I think it aids in accessing the common-sense Dr. Pransky describes [see "Learning to be Close," p. 3] as well.

Don has an MBA and JD and has been CEO of three Silicon Valley companies and an advisor to legislators and multinational corporations. Art has a Ph.D. in political science and now is also an Episcopal priest and counselor.

The following is excerpted from some remarks Don made to the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce.

Don writes, "I'd welcome reactions from you and your readers." --VC

How we reach decisions is the most important factor in group performance. How we decide, much more than any individual decision, tells 1) who we are, 2) the quality of our relationships, and 3) our potential for continued growth and development together.

Unfortunately, typical decision processes undermine effective action and reflect a widespread addiction to conflict and control. Underlying most decision processes are fears and expectations which create a feeling of scarcity that drives us into win-lose confrontations with one another.

An alternative approach that we have found to be dramatically effective is based upon shared hopes rather than fears. Whereas fears feed our anxious egos, shared hopes draw us beyond ourselves and empower us to be our best and most creative selves with a cooperative spirit.

Shared hopes express why we are together. A business might hope to create products to fulfill specific needs; a family business may also want to build a company to share with the next generation.

To engage our hopes and realize fruitful results, we need a decision process that translates shared hopes into action. The method we have found effective is built around the following key principles:

1) fully involve everyone who has a stake in the decision

2) concretely connect with your shared hopes

3) really hear one another's feelings to get at the true issue vs. the presenting issue

4) engage each person in stating negatives and positives about each option, without too much or too little ownership of any one option, and

5) call upon each participant to choose the best option to fulfill the shared hopes.

Applying these principles in easy to follow steps, groups achieve impressive results: 1) newly formed teams gain focus and momentum, 2) organizations with long-standing conflicts find common ground, and 3) bickering families rediscover the joy of being together.

In comparison with other approaches, this decision process is 1) frequently faster, 2) more open to new solutions, 3) better at building a quality decision, 4) more effective in gaining successful implementation, and 5) more flexible to respond to changes. For businesses, these benefits can translate into improved performance and a better bottom line.

What is especially appealing to me is how I can use the same basic method in my work, with my wife and daughter, and in my community activities. As a result, I feel a deep sense of integration in my life with each area supporting the others. And, since it is relatively easy and fun to use the process, I feel encouraged to apply it in all of my decisions, large and small. I have learned that I can let go of my own desire to control, and I can trust this process to guide us to more fulfilling results than I would have imagined.

The Spirit of Martial Arts at UTS

by Stephen Grundy-Barrytown, NY

Do you want to win the fight against evil forces, and gain a healthy spirit and body? Some of the students at the Unification Theological Seminary (UTS) are trying to do this. They are not only focusing on intellectual activities, but they are also trying to learn self- defense, develop mind/body unity and a fighting spirit through practicing martial arts.

Several times a week UTS students have the opportunity to practice Tongil Moo Do (TMD), a style of martial arts that was developed by Dr. Joon Ho Seuk.

TMD combines harmony of movement and self-defense techniques based upon fundamental aspects of the Divine Principle. This style is also practiced at several other schools both in America and in other nations.

Many of the members of the TMD club at UTS are international students, so it is challenging for them to keep up with the academic work. However, they try to make time in their busy schedule to practice martial arts two or three times a week. At the end of each term there is a promotion test where students get an opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.

On June 7, students from the UTS and Belvedere TMD schools came together for a promotion test at Belvedere. There were 50 participants ranging in age from five to about thirty five years.

Young and not so young all performed enthusiastically, hoping to be awarded a higher belt or an additional stripe on their belt. Many of the Belvedere TMD students are second-generation. It is stimulating and challenging for UTS students to see children and teenagers practicing the same fighting techniques. Many of the second generation skillfully performed complicated combinations of kicks, strikes, blocks and punches. Even the little children, the black-belts of the future, fought hard to gain a precious yellow stripe, which is the first grade for a beginner.

It was also inspiring to see one of Rev. Moon's grandchildren participating in the promotion test. This is a great blessing for the TMD movement.

After the promotion test the participants enjoyed food and fellowship together at a barbecue dinner in the grounds of Belvedere.

Martial arts is an asset to spiritual life. Rev. Moon has commented that for a healthy spirit and body, few things are better than martial arts. Also, Rev. Moon encourages seminary students to practice martial arts as part of their education. He said, "Most seminaries don't teach any martial arts...but our seminary teaches martial arts so that our students are not only prepared intellectually, but also spiritually and physically" (God's Will and the Ocean, p. 98).

Practicing TMD teaches individuals how to defend themselves against an attacker. Also, it helps to create mind/body unity, promotes self- confidence, and develops aspects of character such as a fighting spirit.

Last February at UTS the Tongil Moo Do classes were extended to include not only students but also the children of staff and students. This means that students can help to teach the children many valuable things which will help them in the future. Also, the children provide a challenge for the UTS students because the children are very flexible and quick to learn new things.

Martial arts has been practiced at UTS since 1979. The students have often displayed their abilities through entertaining demonstrations at the annual UTS Spring Family Festival.