Gordon C McCormick

What I have been up to in 2005

http://www.developingradiopartners.org/programsProjects/ipinSierraLeone.html

independent public information network:

Sierra Leone

Search for Common Ground (SRCG) has contracted DRP to play an active role in their vision to create an independent public information network in

Sierra Leone

. 

DRP will work with three primary entities [SFCG’s Talking Drum Studio, the Media Foundation for Peace and Development (MFPD), and the Independent Radio Network (IRN)], along with less formalized players, to build consensus around the vision and purpose of an independent public information network.  From these meetings, DRP will develop an action plan to establish the environment to achieve this network.      

In late fall 2005, DRP will travel to

Sierra Leone

to make an assessment of the radio stations, meet with stakeholders and, with station managers, develop an action plan that makes recommendations to the configuration for a public information network vis-à-vis:

• A collective vision by all stakeholders about the independent public information network

• Governance of this institution

• Strategy for capacity development – human and technical resources

• Sustainability issues of an independent public information network

This action plan will also inform the developing medium to long-term strategy of SFCG to support community radio in

Sierra Leone

for the purpose of fostering peace and democracy building.  It is likely that a model will be developed that can be replicated in other national programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa.

I was in

Sierra Leone

in February 2005 and helped develop this initiative with the three partners: SFCG, IRN & MPFD.  I helped raise the funds to pay for the study being done by Developing Radio Partners. See top of page for web link.  Gordon

Their

Mission

 

Developing Radio Partners (DRP) is dedicated to supporting independent radio stations in young democracies through professional development in journalism, programming, station management, and finance.

Broadcasting accurate and timely information helps listeners become more active citizens, increasing their self-determination. Sharing music, storytelling, and other forms of creative expression celebrates and preserves cultural traditions. The result is a trustworthy information service that gives voice to people to solve their problems, hold public officials accountable, and strengthen the democratic process. By engaging all sectors of a community, a radio station can promote cooperation for the common good

I am Chairman of the Board of Sarvodaya, USA which supports Sarvodaya in

Sri Lanka

described below:  Sarvodaya is an outstanding example of what people, when empowered, can do for themselves.  The extraordinarily broad scope of Sarvodaya’s activities have directly lead to a ceasefire (2002) in the 28 year old civil war in

Sri Lanka

.  I have been directly involved in funding and shaping the strategy to bring about peace here. We continue to work for a permanent peace.

About

The Lanka Jatika Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya (Sarvodaya) is Sri Lanka’s largest and most broadly embedded people’s organization, with a network covering 15,000 villages, 345 divisional units, 34 district offices, 10 specialist Development Education Institutes; over 100,000 youth mobilized for peace building under Shantisena; the country’s largest micro-credit organization with a cumulative loan portfolio of over LKR one billion (Sarvodaya Economic Enterprise Development Services, or SEEDS); a major welfare service organization serving over 1000 orphaned and destitute children, underage mothers, and elders (Sarvodaya Suwa Setha); and 4,335 pre-schools serving over 98,000 children; among others. The total budget of the Sarvodaya Group exceeds USD 5 million; the number of fulltime employees of Sarvodaya and affiliated entities is 1500. When combined with numerous volunteer workers this yields a full time equivalent of approximately 200,000, which places Sarvodaya on par with the entire plantation sector in Sri Lanka.

Sarvodaya is an organization developed around a set of coherent philosophical tenets drawn from Buddhism and Gandhian thought and has been operational for almost 50 years. It has been described as an international role model by international bodies. Its founder and charismatic leader, Dr A.T. Ariyaratne, whose visionary contributions have been recognized in multiple countries, continues to provide ideational leadership to the organization while its day-to-day operations are in the hands of a new generation that is receptive to modern forms of management that are compatible with the overall vision of this volunteer-based peoples’ organization.

History

The Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement started 47 years ago. Sarvodaya is Sanskrit for “Awakening of All”, and Shramadana means to donate effort. Beginning in just one village and extending the movement to a total of more than 15,000 has been a fascinating adventure. Initially it involved an education program aimed at enabling students and teachers to live and work with the most remote village communities in

Sri Lanka

to assist with their self help initiatives. Within nine years, however, the “service learning program” had expanded into a full-fledged development movement in hundreds of villages, with the goal of a comprehensive and nonviolent social transformation. During its first 15 years, Sarvodaya grew with hardly any foreign aid or state support.

By the late 1970s, the Sarvodaya Movement, with support from partner organizations in more prosperous countries, became capable of reaching nearly every part of

Sri Lanka

. The program of self-reliance, community participation, and a holistic approach to community “awakening” appealed not only to the people in poor communities, but also to donors. Thousands of young women and men learned how to motivate and organize people in their own villages to meet the ten basic human needs, ranging from a clean and adequate drinking-water supply to simple housing and sanitation, communications facilities, an energy supply, education, and ways of satisfying spiritual and cultural needs.

During its first three decades, the Sarvodaya Movement was able – initially without any assistance, and later within a framework of development cooperation with like-minded organizations – to become one of the largest participatory organizations in this region and in the world. Ironically, it was our philosophy of starting on a small scale that resulted in Sarvodaya’s tremendous growth. The appeal derived from our fundamental belief in the wisdom and abilities of the village population itself to decide its own fate – not global corporations, financial institutions or national political parties, but people who see each other every day and who depend on each other.

The momentum of the movement was such that by the early 1990s, in spite of harassment by the government and political violence, it had achieved an enormous outreach. The movement’s work included peace building, conflict resolution, appropriate technology, and programs for children at risk, elders and those with disabilities all the while focusing on a holistic approach to social mobilization through empowerment of people beyond mere economic development.

At around the same time, international priorities changed, switching to economic development strategies. Large projects and macro-interventions began to dominate the scene among donors, and Sarvodaya, which had originally attracted attention due to its broader based philosophy, became the victim of its own success. In 1991, when 85% of its external aid dried up, the movement was forced to go back to its roots. From then on, we relied on so-called pioneer villages to provide support for the surrounding communities still requiring development. In addition, we reduced the numbers of paid staff and counted on the commitment of Sarvodaya’s long-term supporters to keep the movement on course.

The Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement has now become stronger than ever before. A new administrative management at national level is supporting a motivated group of emerging leaders at the village and district levels. Although almost one-third of the districts supported by Sarvodaya is not financed by outside partners, they are nevertheless surviving in the knowledge that in the long term, progress for them will result from partnership rather than from charity. Our important role in peacemaking, community building, and securing a certain quality of life in Sri Lanka is undiminished, and our will to achieve innovation in the social, ethical, cultural, spiritual and economic fields is constantly nourished by partners who have the confidence that our 47 years of experience – including periods of hardship – have a certain value.

Fonkoze             http://www.fonkoze.org/

I am on the Boards of three related organizations in

Haiti

that provide Microcredit and other services to Haitian people. Fonkoze, SA the holding company for Fonkoze Financial Sercices and  Fonkoze,

USA

  I played a leading role in designing the business plan for Fonkoze Financial Sercices and raising the $2,000,000 of equity capital that plan required.  Reduction of extreme poverty will I believe lead to peace in

Haiti

.

Fonkoze is in the process of spinning off its financial services into a high-growth, full service bank with the mission of providing the rural population of

Haiti

with a full range of financial services designed to generate self-reliance and promote a democratic economy in

Haiti

. The name of this institution is Fonkoze Bank.

S.A.

A commercial banking license from the Central Bank is pending. In the interim, Fonkoze Financial Services was incorporated in 2004 and will undertake all of the operations of Bank Fonkoze until a commercial banking license is granted.

Fonkoze Financial Services currently provides the following services:

·         Solidarity group and individual loans that are used to start or expand a small business;

·         Savings products geared towards meeting the needs of the poor;

·         Currency exchange services that allow Haitians to change US dollars into Haitian gourdes at a preferential rate;

·         Money transfer services that allow Haitians living overseas the opportunity to transfer funds to

Haiti

at a very low cost; and

Fonkoze Financial Services is projected to serve 105,660 active borrowers with net income exceeding $1 million and assets exceeding $38 million within 6 years of the opening of the bank

Fonkoze, the Foundation, currently has four main programs: literacy, business development, branch incubation, and the development of innovations in rural microfinance delivery.

Fonkoze attacks illiteracy in

Haiti

through its pioneering educational program that combines basic literacy training with practical education in subjects such as: (1) business development, (2) sexual and reproductive health, and (3) effective use of financial services.

Click here to download a description of the program.

Fonkoze works to build viable businesses outside of

Port-au-Prince

by providing loans that create jobs or business owners or that help farmers export their products. Currently, Fonkoze provides loans to both individual business owners and agricultural cooperatives.

Fonkoze “incubates” new branches that reach even more rural locations and even poorer populations. Once the foundation has nurtured a branch to profitability, Bank Fonkoze will purchase the branch from the foundation so it can continue to open more branches

The foundation also develops and tests innovative financial products that fit the needs of rural Haitians. These products might be as diverse as microinsurance, shelter financing, or mini-loans to get the poorest started in business

About The Shape of The Future http://www.theshapeofthefuture.tv/

I was able to view the filmimg of this documentary and help fund it with some much bigger partners (see below)

The Shape of the Future is a four part documentary series that portrays what an eventual Palestinian-Israeli peace settlement would look like. Produced by Common Ground Productions, the emphasis is prospective which, in itself, makes this a unique documentary effort. The core idea is to examine, in an even-handed way, the aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians and to show that agreements are possible that do not threaten the national existence of either party.

During the last four years, as violence has escalated, increasing numbers of Israelis and Palestinians have become convinced that negotiated solutions cannot be achieved. Nevertheless, numerous observers – Palestinian, Israeli, and international – still believe that peace agreements are achievable. A frequently heard aphorism is that both sides can see the light at the end of the tunnel; they simply cannot find the tunnel.

The documentary series demonstrates that, while not inevitable, peace is possible and that agreement can be reached on the key issues. The series explores the background, the various positions, and the options for settlement in each of the disputed final status issues. The programs look at the following three main issues:

Jerusalem

, Settlements and Palestinian Refugees. It also explores security, normal life and borders.

The series was produced in both Hebrew and Arabic-language versions for broadcast in

Israel

and the Palestinian territories. Editorial content is the same in each version. The series focuses on issues of central importance to both Israelis and Palestinians. It is anticipated that broadcast in

Israel

and the Palestinian territories will be major broadcast events that will be accompanied by considerable media attention and talk show discussions.

·                                 Funding provided by:

·                                 Canadian International Development Agency

·                                 Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

·                                 Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs

·                                 The European Commission

·                                 Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

·                                 German Ministry of Foreign Affairs

·                                 Swedish International Development Agency

·                                 Sagner Family Foundation

·                                 Mr. Gordon McCormick

·                                 Mr. Ravinder Singh

Uncle Ben

For all of my 63 years I have been very lucky to have an Uncle Ben.  Ben was always interested in whatever I was trying to accomplish - when I was 3 or 33 or 53.  He was really sincerly interested and he remembered what you told him you were up to.  Wether you got it accomplished or not Ben though you probably would.  At his funeral on Tuesday I found out that I was not the only one who was treated this way for decades.  There were many many more.  His 4 children, 10 grandchildren, other relatives and countless friends will miss him more than we can say.

Philip Benham “Ben” Case, 83, died at his home in Marietta on July 14. He was predeceased by the love of his life and wife of 56 years Jane Hathaway. He was born on July 24, 1921 in Niagara Falls, New York son of Philip Sidney and Edith Benham Case and was preceded in death by his sister Natalie Case Miner and brother Edson Gardner Case. He graduated from LaSalle High School in 1938 and earned his BS degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1942.

He served in the U. S. Navy in the Pacific Theater from 1942 to 1946. After a thirty-year career at Union Carbide Corporation, he retired in 1976 to pursue interests in oil and gas properties, farming and community service.  He remained active until his death in many local activities.  He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Marietta and served on various boards including the Montgomery National Bank, Marietta Memorial Hospital, Ewing School and the Putnam Community Water Corporation. 

He was a member of the Elks Club, The Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and a former member of the Rotary Club. 

He is survived by four children, Philip B. Jr., Nat Case and wife Anne Boucher, Shelly Case and her husband Gerry Giess, and Cathy Arnold and ten grandchildren, Eric, Natalie, Jane, Gerry, and Philip Case; Ben, Mary Ellen, and Paul Giess, Jason Denson and Kevonna Hill.

Visitation will be at the First Presbyterian Church of Marietta on Tuesday, July 19 at 12:00 pm followed by a funeral service at the church at 2:00 pm.  A private family burial will follow at the Putnam Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be sent to the Marietta Memorial Health Foundation 401 Matthew St. Marietta, Ohio 45750 or the Marietta Community Foundation 215 Putnam St. Marietta Ohio 45750.

Direct Relief International report on Sarvodaya Sri Lanka

It has been a pleasure to serve as Chairman of the Board of Sarvodaya, USA.  I recieved a report of a visit by Direct Relief International which gives a good introduction to their work http://www.directrelief.org/sections/our_work/asia_story_sri_lanka3.html.

Sarvodays web site is: http://www.sarvodaya.org/  This one is great but may tell you more than you want for an introduction. 

June 26th was exactly six months after the Tsunami.  There is a full report of what has been accomplished since then. 

Sarvoday, USA has been able to send $1,490,000 to Sarvodaya Sri Lanka by June 30 for Tsunami relief due to the extraordinary generosity of more than 4,000 individual contributions.

I have also joined the Board of Directors of ForesTrade, Inc http://www.forestrade.com/  ForesTrade is a leading international supplier of organic and sustainably produced tropical spices, vanilla, essential oils, and Fair Trade coffee. We directly source our products from over 5,000 small-scale, indigenous farmers in Indonesia and Guatemala. In total, our production partners harvest an estimated 92,000 hectares of sustainably managed land, much of which lays within the buffer zones of 9 biologically rich National Parks and Preserves.

ForestTrade Tsunami Relief Efforts in Aceh, Sumatra: Learn about relief efforts underway and how you can contribute to immediate humanitarian needs in Aceh, Province. Learn more

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip.

You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point.





1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest.

4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor an d actress.

6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.





How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.

These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields.

But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten.

Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.





Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:



1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.


Easier?


The lesson:

The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with themost credentials, the most money, or the most awards.

They are the ones that care.


Pass this on to those people who have made a difference in your life.

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today.

It's already tomorrow in Australia."

(Charles Schultz)

Massive Change

I think you might find Massive Change by Bruce Mau of the Institute Without Boundaries http://www.institutewithoutboundaries.com/  very interesting.  It is about designing a future that works for all of us. 

"It is our view that design -- the human capacity to plan and produce desired outcomes -- has placed us at the beginning of a new, unprecedented period of human possibility, where all systems and economies are becoming global, relational, and interconnected.* We need to evolve a global society* that has the capacity to direct and control the emerging forces in order to achieve the most positive outcome. We must ask ourselves, now that we can do anything, what will we do?"

Mau uses 32 extraordinary experts to put the whole picture together.  Its Buckminster Fullerish.

Gordon McCormick from

Barcelona

Istanbul

Istanbul - 8:00 AM Thursday, May 5Th

It took me about 10 years to learn how to use my American Express credits to buy a free airline ticket.  When I did we got two first class tickets on Delta non stop to Istanbul.  Kimberly and I left on Sunday afternoon.  We were able eat well and sleep on the plane which arrived in Turkey at 10:30 AM local time.  With a 7 hour time difference it was 3:30 AM EDT on arrival.  We checked into the Erguvan Hotel (a small establishment located near the Blue Mosque)  We went out to see the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome and then went to the spectacular "Grand Market" which has literally thousands of shops - 400 jewelers alone.  I found a used "Zeno Watch -  Basel" with a black-face which is about 200% larger than a normal watch - i.e. BIG!  I love it because it has all 12 numbers very clearly, its BIG and it is named after my grandson Eric ZENO McCormick.  I am going to suggest that Eric sell these watches on his website http://zenoproductions.com/.  Eric is offering some very cool stuff on his web site - check it out.  He is an author of considerable skill.

Just before we left Kimberly and I got pedometers about the size of a quarter.  They measure the number of steps one walks.  On Wednesday we walked 13,752 steps.  Normal is 4,000, the target "gold standard" is 10,000.  Most of these steps were spent during a six hour visit to Topkapi (the sultans place and Harem) where we saw extraordinary collections of Chinese porcelain, jewels and Itzak Tiles.  Many of the 400 year old buildings and their decorations have been carefully restored since my last visit. We had lunch on a terrace in Topkapi where two rivers, the Mediterranean, Europe and Asia all meet. This took my breath away. 

All of the flowering trees are in bloom here.  On a trip up the Bosporus on Tuesday afternoon we could see 100's of these light purple flowering trees flowing up the hillsides behind the mansions along the river.  The temperature is about 65 with a light breeze.

We visited the extraordinary Haghia Sophia, "the church of holy wisdom" which was built over two earlier churches by the Emperor Justinian in 537. It is absolutely enormous.  So much so it tests credulity - was the architectural skill available at this early date to build it?  It must have been an extraordinarily intimidating sight (as intended) during its first 1300 years.  Signs of its conversion to a mosque in the 15Th century remain.  It is now a "historical monument."

To ease Kimberly's transition to a Islamic culture we have been having breakfast at the Four Season's hotel each morning (Egg's Benedict) with French Press coffee and fresh orange juice. 

I have a sense of total freedom here. I am find fascinating very old beautiful stuff around every corner.  I am enjoying being with and talking to Kimberly 12 hours a day.

Revlimid great New Drug for Multiple Myeloma

"Multiple myeloma is an illness with a discouraging outcome, but, today, with advances such as REVLIMID(R), there is a prospect for myeloma to become a chronic illness for the majority of patients worldwide," explained Meletios Dimopoulos, M.D., Professor of Therapeutics at The University of Athens School of Medicine, Greece. Revlimid(R) (Lenalidomide) Clinical Data From Interim Analysis of Pivotal Phase III Special Protocol Assessment Trials in Previously Treated Myeloma Presented at the 10th International Multiple Myeloma Workshop

Decrease the font size.

Celgene Corporation (Nasdaq: CELG) announced initial clinical results from its Pivotal Phase III Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) trials using REVLIMID (lenalidomide) as a new approach in the treatment of heavily pretreated patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The studies reported an overwhelming statistically significant difference (p is less-than 0.00001) in time-to-progression (TTP) rate -- the primary endpoint of the two trials -- had not yet been reached for the combination therapy arms. At the time of the interim analysis, the median TTP for the U.S. trial (MM-009) was at least fifteen months (MM-009) and for the international trial (MM-010) more than eleven months. This is in contrast to the TTP for the dexamethasone only treated arms of both trials in which the median TTP was five months. These clinical data were presented at the 10th International Multiple Myeloma Workshop, one of the largest blood cancer meetings in the world, in Sydney, Australia, April 10-14, 2005.

Multiple myeloma is the second most common cancer of the blood, representing approximately one percent of all cancers and two percent of all cancer deaths with a worldwide prevalence of approximately 200,000 cases. In the year 2004, there were an estimated 74,000 new cases of multiple myeloma worldwide. The estimated number of deaths from multiple myeloma in 2005 was about 60,000 worldwide.

"The North American and International Multiple Myeloma Phase III trials confirm a significant clinical benefit for patients treated with REVLIMID plus dexamethasone. In multiple myeloma patients with resistant disease, REVLIMID plus dexamethasone more than doubled the response rate compared with dexamethasone alone confirming that REVLIMID has the potential to be an important new agent for multiple myeloma," explained Donna Weber, M.D., Associate Professor, Lymphoma/Myeloma of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Dr. Weber led the U.S. Phase III trial (MM-009), a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, using REVLIMID plus dexamethasone, versus dexamethasone alone in heavily pretreated relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma patients. This study enrolled 354 patients from 47 clinical sites throughout the U.S. with data available from 170 patients randomized to REVLIMID plus dexamethasone and 170 patients randomized to dexamethasone alone. The median patient age was 63 years. An Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC) reviewed the planned interim analysis and determined that the U.S. Phase III trial overwhelmingly exceeded the pre-established efficacy stopping rule of p is less-than 0.0015 for the primary endpoint, time-to- disease progression. The response data in MM-009 were available on 340 of the 354 eligible patients that confirmed the findings of the interim analysis, with responses occurring in 51.3% of patients treated with REVLIMID plus dexamethasone, compared to 22.9% of patients treated with dexamethasone alone (p is equal-to 0.001; one-sided Fisher's exact test).

Recipients of 2005 Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship

Recipients of 2005 Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship

This is a list of an extraordinary group of small and medium size organizations which make an profound difference in the lives of the people the serve.  If you want to read about human designs that are working - read all about it at http://www.skollfoundation.org/grantees/socialentrepreneurship/index.asp

I want to be a Social Entrepreneur when I grow up

Notes From The Road With Sen. Frist In Sri Lanka

by Senior Frist Aide, Bob Stevenson
posted January 6, 2005

“They then went to Sarvodaya – a charitable organization with some 80 centers throughout Sri Lanka where they care for orphans, provide relief, food and clothing, and other community services. They met with Dr A.T. Ariyaratne, founder and head of Sarvodaya.

At Sarvodaya they presented cases of Pedialyte, which helps prevent dehydration while suppling needed nutrients and electrolytes in infants and young people. The Pedialyte was donated by Abbott Laboratories it was shipped to Sri Lanka free of charge by Fed Ex. Both senators thanked the companies involved and said it was a perfect example of government, the private sector, and non-government organizations working together.

At Sarvodaya, Frist announced that his charitable organization “World of Hope” pledged $25,000 to the organization.”

It is very nice to see that the man handing out billions of US Taxpayer dollars knows that where to put his own money so that it will really make a difference

Go to http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_60692.asp

Getting a clear sense of the enormity of the tsunami

This web site is a series of 14 pairs of sattelite close up photos of areas where the Tsunami struck.  It is designed so that you can togle from one to the other to see the impact on urban and rural environments.

See:

http://homepage.mac.com/demark/tsunami/9.html

Post a comment here or send me an email if you thought this was interesting.

If you want to contribute to the solution click

http://www.sarvodaya.org/