South American Providence - New Hope Farm in Brazil

by Paul Carrie

On returning to Europe from New Hope Farm in Brazil, I came to realize that not so many members know much about the farm, or how it is developing and what we are doing in the surrounding area.

I joined the church as a full-time member in England in May 1994. From the very first day, I remember struggling not only with fundraising but with just about everything else concerning church life. As the first year was drawing to an end, I found myself reflecting on what had been my contribution toward the development of the church. My answer was, "Close to zero, or even less." I thought of becoming a part-time member again; but before doing so, I shared some of my thoughts with one Japanese sister, Akiko.

We set up a 40-day prayer condition between us. The two points of the prayer were: 1) to see things from God’s viewpoint, and 2) to meet True Parents. Halfway through this condition, my national leader (then Mark Brann) asked if I would like to go to South America to help with a new project Father had started.

I finally concluded the final day of that condition on my own at over 10,000 meters up in the sky. I remember looking out the window and seeing the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean, thinking what an incredible, beautiful world it is and how mankind had messed it up so much. I was wondering if we could ever put it right again.

I felt the first part of my prayer condition had been answered. It was as if God had literally put me up in the heavens to see the world from His viewpoint. I felt the joy of creation, the sadness of the mess the fall had brought about, and the hope that one day things will be restored back to what they should be. On arriving at the farm the following day, the second part of my prayer was answered (again literally): I met True Parents for the first time! I will share more about this later.

I think that many people imagine the New Hope Farm to be a place in the middle of the Brazilian outback with a handful of members from around the world. They think that we are all living in tents, plowing the fields by hand, using buckets and old paint pots to irrigate the crops with water taken from the river. If I can help your imagination along a little, maybe you can see a handful of us digging with pickaxes and shovels four or five meters into the ground looking for drinking water, or a number of us going to the forest area to drag out bamboo, stripping down and making bamboo houses to replace the tents and all this activity taking place while fighting with mosquitoes under the subtropical sun. If this is your imagination of the farm, it is not wrong-just 18 months out of date. We have come a long way since then. Moving out of crowded storm-battered tents into bamboo houses and the coming of hot showers were only the beginning.

I think a better name at present for the New Hope Farm would be "New Hope Construction Site." By the end of this year we will have enough houses completed to sleep 600 or more people comfortably, a hall which can hold over 3,000 people or more, a two-story restaurant, a university complex consisting of six buildings-each with six large classrooms. The university will be connected to the University of Bridgeport in North America. In addition to this, there has been extensive roadwork as well as the current construction of a new bridge, which will make the farm more accessible.

Alongside these projects, the landscaping on the farm is now beginning to take shape: the area put aside for a large sports-field is being leveled, a large lake which we are digging out with heavy machinery is close to being completed and a number of further lakes are planned. These lakes will not only be used for landscaping, but also for fish farming. In addition to this, there is a large-scale tree-planting project which is still in progress.

Living on the farm there are about 300 outside workers from the surrounding towns who are helping to realize this project. As each week passes, more and more of them are becoming members (pre-blessed couples). Who knows-by the end of the construction work it may be possible to say that all the work was done by members!

I found Brazilians I came to know both on the farm as well as in the local town of Jardim to be proud people, not rich (some very poor) but with generous hearts. The language difference was no barrier in making new friendships.

Father is not only investing on the farm itself but in the whole of the surrounding region (Matto Grosso do Sul). Father has already given one ambulance to each of the 33 towns in the area. A few of these towns did not accept the ambulance, and a few of those who had accepted took the Unification sign and Rev. Moon’s name off the ambulances. This backfired, because when the people see an ambulance, regardless of whether it has a Unification sign or not, they speak of it as being an ambulance given by Rev. Moon, knowing that the authorities had taken the Unification markings off. This actually leaves the impression that we have given more ambulances than we actually have.

The UTS students who graduated from Barrytown last year were sent to pioneer the 33 towns around the farm. Part of their mission is to acquire land to build schools within these towns, which will be connected to the university currently under construction on the farm. The local authorities have already donated much of the necessary land. As well as UTS graduates being involved in their own mission towns, they are also responsible, with the help of other members, to build one of the university buildings on the farm.

Just recently, Father has sent a medical team comprised of Koreans, Japanese and American members to give free treatment within these 33 towns. This team also spent two days on the farm treating members as well as the many outside workers.

Within the region surrounding the farm, an incredible amount of land is being bought. On top of this, Father is personally researching both the land and rivers in South America, trying to find ways to develop and bring prosperity to the South American countries as well as to find solutions to end world hunger.

All this is taking place under the eyes of the media. At the farm we have had a number of newspaper and TV crews visit. Not all their reports have been good, but as the farm is developing more and more it is becoming harder not only for the media, but also for those who have been opposing the project from the beginning, to speak against us. The rumors are losing ground as ordinary people come to perceive a different reality. The last TV crew that was on the farm gave very good coverage on national TV during peak-time viewing. They not only reported on the farm and the surrounding projects, but also showed Father speaking at conferences alongside former President Bush.

My own experiences on the farm

In the time that I have spent on the farm, I have been involved in ploughing the fields, digging for water, building bamboo houses, working with cows, driving trucks, helping with the building of the university and creating a lake. I also had the chance to see the Little Angels performing while on their South American tour. But what I remember most are the times that True Parents have been on the farm. I remember standing alongside other members in the early hours of the morning holding a stick with a flame to give light as True parents crossed the river, and sitting at the feet of True Parents after Pledge Service or late in the evening. I remember spending time as a driver at Salobra Hotel, where True Parents have been fishing, working at night on the construction while Father walked around checking the progress, or the Holy Day spent with True Parents at their house in Salobra. I knew these moments to be precious and yet each time I was close to True Parents, I began to feel more and more that as our time comes to an end in this world, it will not be the time we spent with True Parents that counts, but what we did for them.

During the last two weeks of my time on the farm, my wife came to visit. I am not sure whether she came to see the farm or to bring me back to Europe (a little of both, I hoped). While showing her around, I felt this project to be in good hands (those of Pres. Yoon Sam Kim, to be exact). I trust that it will continue to grow and that one day in the not-too-distant future it will become too big to be called just a farm.

On flying back over the same Atlantic Ocean about two and a half years after I first flew to Brazil, some of my final thoughts focused on Thomas in the Bible. He could not believe in the resurrected Christ until he saw proof. A week later Jesus appeared to Thomas showing him the proof of who he was, saying to Thomas: "You believe because you have seen; blessed are those who believe and yet have not seen." I think I know something of what Thomas must have felt at these words.

My lasting impression of True Parents is that not only is it true that they sleep very little and work incredibly hard, but the longing the members have in wanting to meet and share with True Parents is surpassed by the longing that True Parents have to see and be with the members, particularly those they have not yet met.

RYS - Building Community Through Inter-Racial Harmony and Action

The Religious Youth Service
by David Earle

Last year’s 1997 RYS project in Birmingham, England, followed directly on from the 1996 project, "Building Racial Harmony."

During the late summer of 1996, 45 RYS participants had successfully completed three different environmental projects in the inner-city of Birmingham-creating a recycling center out of a disused bus garage, restoring an abandoned tree nursery and converting a derelict piece of land into a nature trail/picnic area. The last two of these projects were subsequently maintained and developed by local primary schools, working together with one of our partner organizations, Community Service Volunteers (CSV Environment), who do a tremendous amount of good work with school children in the inner-city.

Based on this outcome, in February 1997, David Earle, coordinator for the 1996 Birmingham project, was asked to consider RYS involvement in the undertaking of another environmental project, this time in the inner-city district of Small Heath, which is adjacent to the Saltley area where two of last year’s three sites were located. (Another of our project partners, Urban Renewal, part of Birmingham City Council, is responsible for providing the resources which are used to reclaim derelict land in Saltley and Small Heath. The finance for his came from a fund of money called the Single Regeneration Budget.)

After discussion with Marshall de Souza, national director of RYS in Britain, we decided to go ahead. Although we would again be undertaking an environmental project in Birmingham, it quickly became clear that the main ingredient for success this time would be the extent to which we could engage the local community directly in the various aspects of our work. In particular, this would apply to the young people, some of whom were responsible for the considerable amount of vandalism in the area. This social aspect gave a new and unique dimension to our efforts, and caused us to choose as our project theme "Building Community through Inter-Racial Harmony and Action."

The dates were set for the first two weeks of September, to coincide with children returning to school after their summer holidays. In July, just before the holidays, groups of children from two local primary and one secondary school had visited the site with Guy Dixon of CSV and Jason Harrison, a city architect. They shared their ideas as to how the piece of land might be developed. Jason had then drawn up his plans to transform the land into a park, incorporating as many of their ideas as possible. (A giant roller-coaster had to be rejected.) CSV, and another of our project partners, Focus Housing Association, who owned this particular site, also conducted two activities with local residents and children during the summer: a street clean-up with some garden improvements, and an afternoon about composting, to publicize the work which we planned to carry out together in September.

Finally, Aug. 31 arrived, and our RYS staff gathered together at St. Peter’s College in Saltley, which would be our home for the next two weeks. We spent two valuable days of preparation under the experienced guidance of Dr. Ron Burr and Dr. Sherry Hartman-Burr. On Sept. 2, we welcomed all our participants as they arrived. Twelve came from Birmingham and the remainder from a variety of 18 different countries. Our group was just over 40 strong, and most participants were able to stay for the entire duration of the project. We were especially pleased to have representatives from so many religious traditions: Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Unificationist and Zoroastrian.

The richness of this religious dimension was reflected in our early morning meditations, of which there were 11 different kinds during the 12 days. Tanya Jacobs taught us to sing a memorable Jewish melody, Anita Sethna introduced us to a beautiful Zoroastrian prayer, and Richard Burton taught us how to concentrate our minds and bodies in order to break one-inch boards of white pinewood with our bare hands!

The orientation sped quickly by as Ron and Sherry helped us to begin to establish individual friendships, and the strong group spirit necessary to carry us through the various challenges we faced during our RYS experience. It was so good to meet Suresh from Bhutan and Ariun from Birmingham, Kulvinder from Smethwick and Larissa from Slovenia. Shaleen came from Selly Oak and Ravi from Sri Lanka. Each participant brings with them their own unique flavor and casts it into the melting pot.

During the orientation, we were privileged to hear a talk by the provost of Birmingham Cathedral, Rev. Peter Berry, who managed to give us two hours of his most valuable time. He was under great pressure to make all the arrangements for a large, open-air, interfaith service of remembrance for Princess Diana, who had tied so tragically just a few days earlier. Rev. Berry has been one of the true pioneers of interfaith activity in Birmingham, and was able to speak eloquently, and with great passion and sincerity, about the value-and also the problems-of living in such a multi-cultural city. He stressed how we must nurture and protect the God-centered family, regardless of our religious tradition. It is the basic building block of a healthy society, if we are to have any hope of healing our increasingly fragmented and fractured world, and of aspiring towards the ideal of one family of humankind.

We began work in earnest on the morning of Friday, Sept. 5, having divided into four teams, and under the expert supervision of site manager Guy Dixon, who kept the whole work schedule on track. Our main task would be to excavate and lay a footpath, 10cm deep and 1.6m wide, around the perimeter of the site, and then across the middle of the site in both directions, dividing the site into four areas. This was no small task, given that the area was roughly the size of a soccer pitch. The four areas defined by the footpath will later be developed into a vegetable garden, a small playground, and two planted areas with logs, boulders and benches to sit on. School children will again be involved in much of the subsequent planting work.

We were joined in our task by a group of 12 children from nearby Waverley Secondary School, who came and worked with us every morning. They were a very good example for their peers, and impressed Mrs. Collett, their head-teacher, when she came to visit the project.

As we removed the many tons of excavated soil, a small group of professional workmen joined us to put in the timber edging for the footpath. Fifty tons of footpath material were delivered by lorry, and had to be distributed up and around the sloping site by wheelbarrow, raked flat and finally packed down by a hand-held machine with a vibrating plate on the bottom. The extensive use of wheelbarrows to remove the soil and replace it with the harder material was a sight to behold! The site was alive with activity and, as the material was relayed up and down the slope, wheelbarrows passed from Buddhist to Hindu to Muslim to Christian! Asian hands, American hands, African hands and European hands were united in the common purpose of humble service to the local community.

While the work continued each morning, our afternoons and evenings were filled with a series of educational seminars and visits. One seminar focused on "Community" and was conducted by Dr. David Clarke, who is responsible for Birmingham’s "Human City Initiative," a program attempting to bring a more compassionate, caring spirit into an often desolate urban landscape. Another seminar discussed "Inter-Racial Interaction," with contributions from Abdul Ghaffar of the Sparkhill Youth Project, and Rev. Carver Anderson, national director of youth education in the New Testament Church of God. Also, Mrs. Lola Khundakar came to give us a short presentation about the value of interfaith work.

Our visits included a talk with Bishop Joe Aldred of the Black and White Partnership in the Selly Oak Colleges. We visited Waterloo Road Sikh Gurudwara in Smethwick and the recently completed and spectacular Dar Ul-Uloom Al-Islamia Mosque in Small Heath. We were welcomed at the Buddhist Vihara where we were addressed by Dr. Rewata Dhamma of international repute. We attended Sunday morning worship at Selly Oak Methodist Church. Finally, we observed the Arti ceremony at Heathfield Road Hindu Temple. This was followed by a delightful meal.

Another helpful feature in working towards this goal was being given permission by Mrs. Collell to hold our Cultural Evening program in the hall of Waverley Secondary School. This made it much easier for local families to attend, and our audience numbered around 150. The varied program included Irish music, Japanese singing and a martial arts sketch among others. Certificates were presented by Mr. Roger Hale of Urban Renewal to all who had made the project successful, and it was especially gratifying to see recognition given to the students from Waverley who had worked so hard on the site every day. We concluded with a sizable part of the audience on stage, joining together in singing "We Are The World."

During our second week, we had been joined by Dr. Subhan Burton and Dr. Beheruz Sethna from the USA, and they gave an invaluable contribution as we began to approach the final stages of our time in Birmingham. We concluded our work on the site, having planted and watered many trees and shrubs, and hundreds of bulbs, on Friday, Sept. 12. The following morning, Subhan led us through a unique, purifying "Fire Ceremony," which comes from the Native American tradition, and which was a preparation for our time of reflection, such an important part of the RYS experience. It is often surprising to look back and see how far we have journeyed in such a relatively short space of time.

Our final day together was a time to enjoy a deeply-moving service of Universal Worship, celebrated with family and friends of our Birmingham participants. Eight different traditions were represented, and Marshall gave a profound message based on the life of Mother Teresa, who had passed away one week before. What an inspiring example and model for us in the RYS!

After the service, we had our closing banquet, with all the food generously donated by Sohal Bhaji, the head chef at the Hindu Temple we visited. Gifts and certificates were presented, after closing remarks by Dr. Sethna. Everyone seemed so happy and proud of their accomplishments as they came forward to receive graduation certificates.

Surely RYS is at the cutting edge of interfaith activity and service-based learning, planting seeds of goodness and hope everywhere it goes. Why not Northern Ireland in the near future? Perhaps that should be our goal for the Millennium in Western Europe, to try to bring RYS’ global resources to bear, and make a contribution towards a lasting peace.

Religious Freedom and the New Millennium

by Alex Colvin-Washington, DC

Form April 17 to April 19, 142 religious leaders, scholars, human rights activists, and government officials gathered at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington DC to engage in penetrating dialogue and discussion on the theme "Religious Freedom and the New Millennium." The conference, hosted by the International Coalition for Religious Freedom and cosponsored by The Washington Times Foundation, afforded participants from 45 nations in Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and North America an opportunity to review the state of religious freedom in the world, examine common concerns, and formulate strategies to for achieving religious freedom throughout the globe in the 21st century.

The conference began on Friday evening with a reception. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation as guests relaxed and exchanged greetings. Some had traveled form as far as Japan, Uzbekistan, the CIS, and the Philippines. Perhaps even more significantly, the group represented a wide variety of religious traditions, ranging from Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christianity, to Islam, to Buddhism and Shintoism. Some participants came from religious organizations with millennial histories, while others were members of new religious movements. The gathering was truly a microcosm of our planet’s global culture, yet from the start, these individuals, grounded in faith and united in a common commitment to freedom, related to one another in a spirit of friendliness and openness.

The reception was followed by a welcoming banquet. Mr. Dan Fefferman, ICRF Executive Director, acted as the emcee for the conference. After dinner, Dr. Joseph Paige, the former President of Shaw Divinity School greeted the participants with welcoming remarks. Dr. Paige encouraged the participants to explore the issues and engage in healthy dialogue. Following Dr. Paige’s address, the audience was treated to a stirring address by Dr. Franklin Littell from Temple University in which he stated his concern about developments in Western Europe and encouraged participants to strive to establish the absolute right of religious freedom, not merely to accept tolerance on the part of the state.

The Opening Plenary Session set before the participants several themes which set the tone for the discussions which were to follow. Mr. Dong Moon Joo, the President of The Washington Times Foundation espoused the goal of a world in which every nation enjoys religious freedom, a world in which people are free to follow and express the dictates of their conscience in pursuing religious truth. His remarks were followed by a profound discussion of the need for "deep dialogue" between people of different religious and cultural views by Dr. Leonard Swidler, the founder of the Journal of Ecumenical Studies. The keynote speaker for the plenary session was Nobel Laureate President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica. Dr. Arias discussed the relationship between religious freedom and other human rights and examined some of the serious problems facing the world today.

Following the opening plenary session a panel addressed the conference on the "Present State of Religious Freedom." Dr. Charles Brunner from the University of Graz in Austria noted the trend in a number of Western European countries discriminating against smaller religious groups labeled "sects," and gave a brief analysis of a recently passed Austrian law on religions. Peter Juviler, a professor at Bard College, examined the state of religious freedom in the CIS, the states of the former Soviet Union. Brad Dacus from the Pacific Justice Institute covered North America and the Caribbean. Nina Shea discussed the situation in the Middle East, with particular emphasis on the situation in the Sudan, where Christians are being sold in slave markets. Mark Sigmon, from the Christian Mission network talked about religious freedom in Africa. Religious freedom in Asia, and particularly China, was presented by Michael Young from Columbia University. Religious freedom in Latin America was discussed by Rev. Julio Millan from the Interdenominational Evangelical Federation in Venezuela.

In this overview, several areas of concern emerged which were to be discussed throughout the conference. Attention was focused on the Sudan, where the Christian minority in the south is experiencing horrendous persecution in an attempt by the northern dominated government to Islamicize the country. Likewise, China was a focus of concern. Here the government has implemented a policy seeking to control religious activity so that it does not conflict with government policy. People are free to participate in government recognized religions while unauthorized religionists are harassed and, in some cases imprisoned. A third theme which aroused considerable concern is the trend in many countries to declare certain religious groups to be "sects" or "cults," to deny their religious authenticity, and to deprive them of their constitutional rights. This has been particularly strong in the German and French speaking countries of Western Europe, but has also emerged in certain Latin American countries - especially Venezuela - and even in the United States. It was registered with concern that just days before this conference convened, the Maryland legislature passed a resolution calling for a task force to study "cult" activities on university campuses.

After this general overview, the conference broke up into three committees for a more focused look at specific religious freedom issues and cases. In each committee, a series of papers were heard and discussed providing participants with a broad range of views and an opportunity to ask questions and share ideas. Over the next two days each committee met for three sessions discussing (1) Religious Freedom: Past, Present and Future; (2) the Character of Religious Freedom, and (3) the Battle for Religious Freedom.

These meetings constituted the meat of the conference. In all, 8 committee meetings were held and 24 papers presented. The presenters came from a variety of backgrounds: scholars, reporters, columnists, activists, ministers, lawyers, psychologists, etc. The sessions covered theoretical issues such as the relationship between religious freedom and democracy, practical cases such as the restrictive Law on Religions in Russia, and current legislative initiatives including the Freedom from Religious Persecution Act now before the US Congress and the movement for parental choice in education. The schedule was intense but every session was well attended as participants took advantage of the opportunity to share and learn from each other.

Saturday’s luncheon speaker was Rev. Don Argue from the National Association of Evangelicals. Rev. Argue was one of three American religious leaders who recently visited China to examine the state of religious freedom. He was accompanied in his journey by a prominent Jewish leader and a Roman Catholic. They were invited to China by the Chinese government. Before accepting, the delegation wanted to be sure that they would not be presented with only a series of "Potemkin Villages." They did their best to inform themselves before traveling to China and to raise tough issues and questions with Chinese officials. They also managed to communicate with a number of "unauthorized believers." While, naturally, one short visit to such a vast country could not provide definitive or conclusive answers, the trip provided clear evidence that China is sensitive to the issue of religious freedom.

One of the highlights of the conference was an open forum on Saturday evening. Members of a numerous faiths gave testimony of violations of religious freedom which their members were facing in various parts of the world. Individuals representing Evangelicals, the Mormons, the Seventh Day Adventists, Scientologists, Pentecostals, the Unification Church, and others shared first hand testimony with the gathered delegates.

On Sunday, Rev. Punter from Antigua led an ecumenical worship service. Those gathered sang traditional American hymns. Rev. Punter read from the Bible and shared a brief homily on the unity of believers. He noted that while many of us experience harassment or discrimination for our belief, and we should be vigilant to maintain and preserve our liberty, we should also remember, pray for, and do what we can to assist those who are in situations where they are being imprisoned, tortured, or killed because of their faith. The congregation watched a video on the sufferings of persecuted groups and Rev. Punter led the worshippers in a moving prayer for those who are suffering extreme persecution.

After a final session of the individual committees, delegates regathered for the closing plenary session. A rapporteur for each committee provided a summary of each committee’s presentations and discussions for the general session. ICRF President, Bruce Casino, concluded the formal conference proceedings with closing remarks.

The events of the weekend ended with a Farewell Banquet providing participants with an opportunity to continue their discussions. Addresses, phone numbers, and email were exchanged as people determined to maintain contact with new found friends. As the meal ended, groups spilled over into the hotel lobby. For hours delegates continued to seek each other out for last minute conversations before parting. Nobody seemed to want to leave. A real bond had been formed.

The first ICRF conference provided a good start in assessing the problems and clarifying the goals of religious freedom throughout the world. It has also laid the groundwork for a united network of concerned champions for religious freedom. Throughout the conference, participants expressed their gratitude to ICRF as well as their desire to work together and participate in future events. For those interested in exploring the contents of presented papers, ICRF is planning to publish the conference proceedings. More information on ICRF, religious freedom issues, and on this conference can be obtained on ICRF’s website at http://www.religiousfreedom.com. 

Project New Hope in Brazil

by Pres. Yoon Sang Kim

Project New Hope originated from the ideals and vision of Rev. Sun Myung Moon. Its goal is to construct a model center of progress, well-being and happiness for Latin America and the world.

The interior region of Mato Grosso do Sul is characterized by an economy based on extensive cattle ranching, which requires little work and vast areas for pasture. Today this region finds itself impoverished, devastated of its natural forest, it's rivers ruined, and with a flora and fauna being compromised daily in the process of clearing the jungle for the purpose of ranching.

With an illiterate population of about 65% in a state with almost 2 million inhabitants, the area is in need of serious change. In spite of their good will, the people are unprepared for progress. A high level of unemployment creates a certain collective pessimism; to do anything new seems difficult and complicated.

The big cities are far away and uninterested in rural affairs. There's no money. The schools are poor. High interests discourage new enterprises. Transportation is expensive and slow. Many ranches in this area are swampy or become flooded. And even the largest ranches employ less than two hundred men.

Mato Grosso do Sul shares borders with Paraguay and Bolivia, and the region of Jardim is geographically located in the central area of the South American continent. It is just a two hours flight from the big cities of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Buenos Aires, La Paz, Montevideo, etc..

It is in this region, centered in Jardim, Mato Grosso do Sul, including an area of 33 cities with in a radius of approximately 200 kms that this project is working on its first stage.

Project New Hope has the ambition of becoming, within 7 or 8 years an example of progress, beauty and happiness for the whole world and then to collaborate and encourage development in all Latin America and the world. Project New Hope will act on ten fronts or focal areas that will be developed in different stages according to pre-established goals, that will depend on financial resources as well as the response of the people and the local authorities.

Ideology

The Bible tell us that Adam and Eve were kicked out of Paradise, losing contact with God their Father, and came to live a life of selfishness centered on Satan. Religion arose as a means to bring man and God together. God wants to dwell in man directly as he should have dwelt in Adam and Eve, if they hadn't separated from God.

In order for this to happen it is essential that man become a being of True Love. Now it is up to us to take up the original path of God's will so that everything can return to it's proper place and order.

As such, the first stage of this focal area of ideology could be summarized as calling for a change in the way man faces life and interacts with his fellow human beings; changing from satanic selfishness to unselfishness, centered on God.

This first stage will be carried out by an education which motivates man and shows him the advantages of changing his individualistic attitude of sacrificing others for his own sake, to a way of life in which, like God, he is serving and loving others, sacrificing the smaller purpose for the larger.

All the aspects and various projects developed at Fazenda New Hope have this spiritual and moral education as their ultimate goal.

Center of Advanced Research

In order to successfully form a progressive and happy society we need to find the technological and scientific means which are adequate to benefit everyone. We will therefore bring to the Project New Hope researchers and scientists of the highest level and we will build laboratories and first rate centers so that researchers can develop appropriate techniques in the fields of fish farming, agriculture, forestry, agro-industry and others. Our goal is to develop technology for use here and in other places with similar conditions which can compete with or surpass other advanced centers of production.

Basic Education

Brazil has close to 65 million illiterate of semi-literate people. Our schools require little from the students- only 20 hours a week of scholastic activities, whereas advanced nations have up to 70 or 72 hours a week. We will introduce a new educational system subdivided in various areas:

Formal Education for elementary, junior high and high school levels with a daily schedule and curriculum which are comparable with the most advanced education offered in the first world countries.

Supplementary Education for those who never received minimum sufficient education, so that in two or three years at most they can become self- sufficient

Technological Education so that our fellow citizens can work with machines, modern tools that can achieve the productivity and quality of the first world.

Education for Life with the goal of improving general culture and lifestyle, so that our people can deal confidently with the modern world without any gap of knowledge or understanding which might impede culture, social or technological development.

Exhibition Hall for High Technology

Project New Hope will build a convention center of approximately 66,000 square meters with the purpose of displaying the most advanced technology of the world with the goal of fostering interest in practical models for study and analysis.

Just talking about or describing progress is not enough, it is necessary to test, "in loco" the concrete details of design that will help us develop our own technology.

Agricultural or Primary Industry

Extensive cattle ranching as it has been practiced, is quickly draining the natural resources of this region. By looking at satellite photos of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, one can easily perceive the consequences of mindless clearing in the erosion of the soil and pollution of the rivers. Plants are the source of life for the ecosystem in swampy areas. Destroying the plants and trees in order to make pastures also destroys the flora and fauna, the sources of food for fish, birds and insects.

It is evident that we can learn something from the oriental way of life, especially in how they use the soil. Brazil has about 300 times more area of cultivable land than Korea, but where Korea feeds close to 45 million inhabitants with surplus, Brazil has close to 70 million people suffering from lack of food.

Project New Hope will encourage the replanting of all kinds of trees in this region, along with the raising of smaller animals, fish and birds, all kinds of foodstuffs and flowers, in harmony with the existing forests, in hopes of bringing financial benefits to everyone and incalculable gains in the aspects of the climate, air quality, fertilization of the soil and usefulness of the rivers.

A secondary industry, using raw materials from the primary industry, in the patterns of today's economy, needs a high level of production at low cost in order to be viable and competitive on the international level. Transportation of fresh native goods raises the price of the final product, takes time and means the fresh produce loses its quality. These items are essential to the market economy of the Twenty-first century. Therefore, we need agricultural production to be close to industrialization in order to avoid as much as possible losses due to transportation.

Secondary industry based on fresh native goods needs an area of at least 20,000 cultivable hectares in order to be viable. However at this time we don't have any areas cultivating specific agricultural products to that proportion in our region.

Each city of these thirty three cities should choose one type of tree, one kind of fish, one kind of bird or animal, one kind of fruit, food stuff, or flower to produce in a massive concentrated way with cooperation from surrounding farmers, in order to make possible prosperity and development in their area.

We insist that this kind of production should be carried out in a cooperative scientific way, supported by high level technology, if not, we can't be competitive in the international market

The development of fish farming can bring profits within two or three years. Flowers or small animals in three or four years, wood products take a little longer, so we could harvest fruits from other species, while we wait for the maturation of slower trees.

Imagine thirty three towns, each with a production of one fish and one animal- 5,000 ponds producing Pacu, together with wild ducks. Wouldn't this attract fishermen and hunters from the whole world? Especially those who appreciate food that hasn't been contaminated with toxic chemicals.

Secondary Industry

The process of production was already described in item no. 5 Oil from Capivara, leather from Pacu, flour from Piruputanga, oil from Peroba, etc., etc. we can't forget that everything should be produced with high level technology (described in Item no. 2) for an international market with the aim to bring benefit and prosperity to all.

Civil Construction

All the infrastructure, i.e., airports, river ports and sea ports, transportation and warehouses, hotels and hospitality, as well as the development of energy and communications which are needed for this project to function well.

Hobby Industry

Each city should develop a leisure activity to attract tourists, both local and foreign, using appropriate means in line with the chosen species for production in item no. 5. for example, a fishing tournament of Jau in Porto Mortinho, a party for roasted Pintado in Aquiduana, a festival of wild orchids in Dois Irmaos do Buriti, alligators roasted on a spit in Dourados, etc.

As these species will be raised in captivity, they could also be used for hunting as a possible hobby.

Integration with the World

This project aims at creating an environment of happiness, progress, wealth and beauty, not only for us, but for the whole human family.

This project has to give of itself for the sake of the world and help other people and cultures- not only sharing knowledge and technology, but also God's love. Therefore we will need to bring people who can receive the benefit of the education here and take this knowledge and the example of Project New Hope back to their native countries and begin similar projects there.

Micro-World

There are 185 countries represented in the United Nations. Our plan is to create within the Project New Hope area micro-regions with the culture, art and sports of each of these countries. Micro- Germany, micro-Hungary, micro-Italy, etc.

When we talk about Project Jardim, we are thinking about a great worldwide garden, like the garden of Eden God dreamed of when he blessed his beloved children with all the good and beautiful things he created for them.

There are two new web sites of the Brazil Unification Movement: New Hope Farm Project: www.new-hope-farm.com.br and the Family Fed. World Peace (Brazil): www.familias.org.br

PLA News

by Mike Balcomb-New York, NY

Here is some news from the Pure Love Alliance.

1) The new Pure Love Alliance Newsletter is available as a PDF file on the PLA Homepage at http://www.purelove.org/.

2) Also there you will find information about the Pure Love Tour. It is now pretty solid that the dates will be August 1-20. The application form can be downloaded from the Internet, where you also can find the tour schedule. I hope you can announce the tour to anyone who may be interested.

Pure Love ’98 Tour of Japan and Korea

The Pure Love Alliance is happy to announce Pure Love ’98! Follow the tremendous success of the Pure Love ’97 Absolute Sex National Tour through 26 US cities last year, we have been invited to take the Pure Love message international with a tour to the Far East. We will visit seven cities in Japan and Korea.

This tour promises to be even more memorable than last year. We expect to be joined by hundreds of volunteers on tour and thousands of supporters at every city along the way. Unforgettable outings are planned to Mt. Fuji, Kyoto, Pusan and Seoul. And we finish up with a special 3-day "Lake Resort" workshop.

The provisional schedule is:

July 27 - 29: Harriman State Park, NY [possible separate program in LA] PLA Tour Orientation; rally in NY

July 30/31: New York and Los Angeles

Leave for Japan / Arrive. [participants from other nations should arrive July 31 in Tokyo]

August 1 - 3: Orientation & practice together with Japanese tour volunteers

August 4 -11: Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka: 5 city Tour of Japan

August 12: Travel to Korea

August 13 -16: Pusan, Seoul: 2 city Tour of Korea

August 17 - 19: Lake Resort: Special 3 days workshop

August 20: New York and Los Angeles: Return to the USA

We are looking for a maximum of 120 Western tour volunteers. However, spaces are being reserved for European and Russian students, and so participation is very limited. We invite you to fill in and return the application as soon as possible. The fee is $1,000, and a $100 deposit is needed to hold your space. All fees must be paid by July 15, 1998. The age limit is restricted to students in 11th grade or above, as of Sept. 1998. For more information, call PLA at (212)382-1634 ext. 209.

Philippine Unification Church Hosts Victory Celebration

by Lloyd & Donna Howell-Manila, Philippines

April 25th, the Philippine Unification Church celebrated Victory for Religious Freedom-the recent clearing of its name when the Philippine Government declared that there was no basis for the charges leveled at the church as a result of its Blessing activities. The dropping of the case, which had been pending for over two years, brought a sigh of relief in the Unification community and resulted in hosting a gala event called "Thanksgiving Celebration for Religious Freedom" at the Manila Polo Club.

The program, attended by 300 people, included testimony, remarks and messages from Unification officials and friends, both national and international and video footage of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon and his life's work. Gracing the affair was Rev. Chung Hwan Kwak, President of the Unification Church International & the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification who spoke as the Guest of Honor after being introduced by Dr. Felipe Cachola, Pres. of the FFWPU in the Philippines. Rev. Kwak soberly reminded all attending that behind the celebration was the sacrificial suffering and worldwide victory of the Rev. Moon's ministry without which the Philippine victory would not have been possible.

Also among the Unification notaries attending were the Rev. Byung Wooh Kim, Continental Director of the Unification Movement in Asia who was able to enter the Philippines after having been blocked for two years by the pending charges.

Also present was Neil Albert Salonen, Secretary General of the World Culture and Sports Festival International who gave congratulatory remarks. Also, the church's legal counsel and former Senator Rene Saguisag noted how he had been amazed that anyone could, in the first place, try to make a case out of "something that was nothing"; referring to the government's misinterpretation of the church's practicing of its religious rites being misconstrued as "illegal recruitment" (of overseas workers) and violating the mail order bride law (by conducting international matchings).

Gen. Honesto Bumanglag, President of the Ideal Community Foundation, gave a moving testimony of how he had confronted the powers that be as the government and its various arms cracked down on the movement. He talked of the easy slander and discrediting of his name and reputation and of his front-line fight to blunt the government's bludgeoning of the church.

Interlaced among the speeches was professional entertainment provided by two Filipino singers.

Highlighting the program was the unannounced awarding of numerous bouquets of flowers to Mrs. Julia Kim, Co-Continental Director of the Unification Movement of Asia, for her two-year fight to find and rally allies of all kinds in a gallant effort to turn the tide.

Most notable among those efforts was her achievement in getting the Philippine media establishment to re-evaluate and honestly investigate the nature of the case. This effort resulted in the media pressuring the government to confront the foolishness and baselessness of the charges.

Mrs. Kim's husband, Rev. B. W. Kim, praised the government and the Philippine people for their great respect for religious freedom and announced that a new day of blessing was coming toward the Philippines.

All in all it was a festive occasion marked by impromptu singing by the church's regional leaders and spontaneous photo sessions - so loved by the Filipino people. Also attending the event were various national leaders and national messiahs from the neighboring nations of Taiwan, Singapore, Cambodia and Thailand.

My Friend, Heavenly Father

by Josh Morrison-Seattle, WA

Ever wondered what your children think about God? Last month in Seattle, Washington, an essay competition took place where middle and high school Second Generation wrote about their relationships with God. So many great essays were submitted that the judges ended up choosing two first places!

Josh Morrison, 11 years old, is currently in fifth grade and enjoys doing art, collecting legos and playing basketball. Amaris Morrison is 13 years old and is attending seventh grade. She enjoys singing, ballet, art and acting. This is Josh’s entry-Joni Choi

Heavenly Father isn't my Master or Lord, he's my friend. When I talk to him I don't say stuff like "I will obey you and do what you want me to do," because if I was God, that wouldn't be too comforting to me. So I say something like "Hi, how are you doing? Anything I can help you out with?" When I talk to him, I talk to him in my mind, because I know he's in my heart. And when I end talking with him, I don't act like I'm reading a script, but I say what's on my mind. I might say, "See you later," or "Bye, I have to go now." I talk to him the same way I talk to a friend, because he is my friend. God isn't always serious with me, he likes to have fun too. The better relationship I have with him the easier it is to talk to him. He's really helped me a lot.

In the beginning it wasn't so easy. I wasn't sure if God was there. I wasn't sure if I could talk to him. My mom said you could talk to him at any time. I thought that you had to pray to him, but I didn't know you could talk to him. Every night I would talk to him in my mind. At one point I was not sure who I was talking to. I was worried that I might talk to some spirit and not to God, so I made a password when I was talking to God. The password was "zigzag." Then I talked to him a lot and now we have developed a good relationship, and it's easy to find him anytime. I know if I look in my heart I can always find him, and that only God can be in my heart.

Another way that God speaks to me is he helps me make decisions. When I'm playing basketball he guides me around the court. Anyone can talk to him, whether or not they've been good, and he'll answer. Any time I talk to him, I think he's always waiting to be talked to, and he wants to talk to anyone, because he's always lonely in your heart. If you are not happy, he's not happy. When you're lonely, he's lonely, because he is in your heart. If you talk to him, it's better for you and it's better for God. At least, that is the way I think.

Like any parent, God wants you to know him and to know how much he loves you. Like when a parent raises a child, he doesn't want to rule his child's life and command him to become a duplicate of himself. A dad wants to make a difference in his son's life by loving and caring for him, and giving him all the advice and knowledge that he can. Parents dedicate their lives to their children and that is what God wants to do. Like any parent, I think God's goal is to raise me so that when I look back at my life, I think about how much effort he put into my life, how much he loves me and cared for me.

One time when God really helped me I was on the way back from a camping trip last summer and I got left by mistake far away from home. My dad stopped the car to visit the restroom and then he took a quick swim in a lake. Darrick and I were asleep in the back of the car, and I woke up while my dad was swimming and I went into the bathroom. He came back to the car and thought he saw both of us asleep and took off to drive the four hours back home. I came out of the restroom and the car was gone! I looked everywhere and they were nowhere. I was alone. I sat down and cried and cried.

I asked God, why did this happen to me? And what should I do? I looked in my mind for God to give me the answer. He told me to call home, but I did not know how, and I did not have a quarter. Eventually I went to find someone and asked for a quarter. I went to the phone and tried to remember all my parents had taught me about calling long distance. I tried all the numbers I knew but the recording said I needed $2.40. I tried to make a collect call but it didn't work. I gave up and tried to go to sleep on the grass, hoping when I woke up all would be better. God put me through a hard time, but then he helped me out. I woke up and decided I would try one more time to call, and I prayed for my dad to notice I was gone. I remembered 425 and then it worked. I got through to my mom when she was just walking out the door of our house. It took me a while to explain to her what had happened, but a wave of relief came over me just to talk to her. She asked me where I was and I had no idea.

Then God sent some people to help me. A van pulled up right where I was and a man talked to my mom and told her where I was. The man's whole family stayed with me and helped me, bought me a coke, and then my mom had the police come and pick me up. Just as I was leaving in a patrol car, my dad and Darrick came back to pick me up. For me this experience helped me to learn the difference between looking in my head and my heart. God gave me a test to see if I could handle this situation. When I listened to my heart, God was there and helped me through.

Now that I've developed a relationship with God, it has made my life a lot more special. Having a friend like God is wonderful because he's always there for you, loving you. Even when I'm by myself I know I'm never alone, because God is always in my heart.

Mike the Flower man

This appeared in the May issue of the Montana Tavern Times. Can you guess who it might be?

"If he wasn’t known as ‘Mike the Flower Man,’ he might instead be referred to as ‘Mike the Mystery Man,’ for his last name seems to be unknown.

"However, in a fast-paced world, Mike takes time to bring a little bit of happiness to all those he touches.

"A loving father and attentive husband, Mike and his wife have five children ranging in age from two to eight years old. Yet despite his family obligations, Mike still finds time to aid troubled and needy people on the Southside of Billings.

And, when he walks through our doors with his bucket of flowers, he brings a bit of cheer into everyone’s lives. He always flashes a bright smile and sports an ebullient manner, even when the fellows try to hammer down his prices.

When he leaves, the women are all smiles as they each have a flower to remind them of this special person.

Mike’s workdays are not subject to any union guidelines as he is glimpsed going about his duties at all hours, seven days a week.

The Flower Man’s efforts were especially appreciated at the recent Carbon/Stillwater Tavern Association Dinner. In addition to brightening up the occasion by his sheer force of personality, Mike provided all the corsages and centerpieces for the event and then treated all the assembled guests to a glass of wine.

Mike brings a sparkle to many eyes and contentment to the heart. All the people he touches are gratified to know the world is still inhabited by special people like Mike.

"Keep up the good work!"

Did you guess? It’s Michael Yakawich, Montana State Family Church leader!