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Current Status -
June 2002
The Netherlands Antilles became the 67th country involved in
Living Values: An Educational Programme (LVEP). LVEP's coordinator for the
Netherlands Antilles, Devki Ramsahai, and the LVEP core team have started the
effort with much success and have many plans to help build a strong foundation
for values-education in the country.
The effort began with an LVEP Educator Training in late August, 2001, hosted by
the Ministry of Education and the Brahma Kumaris. 66 participants gathered from
the islands of Curacao and Bon Aire in the Caribbean. The opening speech of the
training was given by the minister of education, Mr. Stanley Lamp, who was
inspired to put aside his prepared speech and speak from the heart. His speech
was preceded by song and skit from children and youth.
Diane Tillman, LVEP's International Coordinator of Content and Training, was
present to lead the training. She was delighted to find such a wide variety of
participants with sincere interest and expertise. Educators, teacher trainers,
social workers, boy and girl guide leaders, youth group leaders, policemen and
women, and business people joined in with much enthusiasm that continued to the
end when the commissioner of education, Mrs Emily de Jongh-Elhage and the
minister joined for the closing. Two additional days of training were conducted
for those who wished to be teacher trainers.
With the support of the minister of education, the LVEP team has been working
with a group of 30 gifted youths who participated in a programme to continue
higher education in Holland. The youths themselves decided on the five values
with which they would to work. The programme was launched in May of 2002 and run
for five weeks, a total of 10 sessions. The responses from the youth at these
sessions were very good. The facilitators provided excellent presentations, many
of which had a profound impact on the children.
Those that attended the trainings continue to meet at two levels: a general
monthly meeting for three hours and monthly small group meetings. In both
meetings time is spent reviewing the training step-by-step so that capabilities
are developed to conduct the training. All sessions are done in the local
language, Papaimento. They are now ready to conduct two trainings in September
of 2002 in Bonaire.
Bonaire, another island of the Netherlands Antilles, has joined the Living
Values global family. The trainings to be held there will be for teachers and
educators, sponsored by the Ministry of Education. The other will be organised
by the local body of Living Values on the island. It will serve participants
from a variety of professional backgrounds.
Number of Sites Using Living Values Education
Total number of sites
4
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