May 2006

A regular e-zine from the British Institute of Sathya Sai Education  www.ssehv.org.uk

Welcome to the May 2006 issue of our bi-monthly email newsletter.

This month:

• Volunteer at a Values Alive Event this summer
  
• Human Values Half Term in Brent
  
• India, Africa and British Days celebrated at Leicester's Good Values Club
• Story & activity- The picture of peace
• Training Update

If you have any feedback, or would like to share your experiences of SSEHV, please write to us.

Kind Regards,
The Editor

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Volunteer at a Values Alive Event this summer

Joyce Power is organising a five day Values Alive Event (summer school) at a school in Wembley, West London on 24th-28th July. This is the fourth holiday school that Joyce has organised in the Borough of Brent, and SSEHV activities there are building up a real head of steam. A report on the last camp follows below.

Joyce is currently recruiting volunteers for the July camp. People who have completed an SSEHV Foundation course can help to run classes and assemblies. Untrained volunteers can also get involved and experience the peace and joy of an SSEHV camp as there are many other activities to help with, such as registration, catering, first aid, etc. All volunteers must be police checked - this is a very simple process that can be done for you free of charge. If you would like to find out more, please contact Joyce.

Values Alive Events are also taking place in other parts of the country this summer, including Rochester, Burnley, Oldham and Leicester. If you would like to find out more about any of these events, please contact the newsletter editor.

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Human Values Half Term in Brent

Around 60 children from two local schools attended a five day Values Alive Event organised by Joyce Power in North West London during half term week from February 13th to 17th 2006. Although around one third of the children had attended previous SSEHV camps organised by Joyce in the region, for most of them it was a new experience.

Throughout the week the children were encouraged to be quiet and calm in order to be more focused in their activities, and therefore derive more enjoyment and feel happy and peaceful. The five days were a journey of discovery through which they learnt that you don't have to make a lot of noise to have a lot of fun.

As with all SSEHV events, each activity began with a short silent sitting exercise which set a calm and relaxed tone for the ensuing endeavours. At lunch time, packed lunches were eaten in silence. Volunteers and teachers also took care to speak as little and as quietly as possible so that the children were encouraged to be less boisterous in order to hear them properly.

Veena Nagiah, one of the volunteers teachers at the camp, observed, "My class, in particular, enjoyed the silent sitting and parents reported that the children were doing silent sitting at home before they went to bed. Also, they were made aware of the 'attitude of gratitude', especially during lunch. The children practised eating in silence, appreciating the food that they ate. Many found they enjoyed their food better as a result and some carried on this activity even at home."

Each day began with an assembly for all the children and volunteers, lead by a different teacher and focusing on a different value, with the value theme resonating throughout all that day's activities. As well as SSEHV classes, the children experienced human values in action through a variety of very enjoyable activities including: sports with an emphasis on co-operation and teamwork; the martial art Choi-Kwang Do which nurtures self-discipline, and respect and improves concentration; drama which encourages self-expression, creativity and self-confidence, and group singing which channels excess energy in a positive and uplifting way, and gives a feeling of happiness and well-being. This was the last activity of each day, so that the children always went home on a high note, with a values-based song to sing on their journey home.

Feedback from parents and pupils about the week was very positive. One parent described it as a "different and extraordinarily worthwhile camp," commenting, "Our daughter has thoroughly enjoyed herself. Although on school half-term, she has looked forward to going each morning, has made new friends and seems to have 'changed' a lot. She is a lot more patient with her younger sibling and has talked a great deal about the values she's learned throughout the week…"

One of the children said, "I enjoyed everything I did at the camp. I had lots of fun. I wish it would never end. I hope I can come again sometime."

For the volunteers it was also a very worthwhile experience. One volunteer commented, "It was very heartening to see all the volunteers living the values and being excellent examples themselves." Another described the week as "a wonderful experience" which she and her daughter had thoroughly enjoyed.

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India, Africa and British Days celebrated at Leicester's Good Values Club

The Good Values Club for children aged five to 14 in Leicester, which meets every Saturday and has nearly 150 attendees, has been studying and celebrating different global cultures. Weeks of lessons and activities culminate in a presentation day to which parents and members of the local community are invited.

Following the success in January of 'India Day', much preparation surrounded 'Africa Day' which took place in April. Prior to the Day itself, the children had been learning the values of truth, love, peace and non-violence as practiced by Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu and other famous African people. A musical variety programme included African singing and dancing, which the younger children had studied for several weeks with Ji Hoji J Ngola and his team, who also accompanied their performance. A play on the life of Nelson Mandela was produced and directed by the older children of the club. The younger children also performed a short play called The Beautiful Bananas.

The club members are now beginning preparations for 'British Day' which is taking place on 18th November. As part of their preparations for the Day, the children will be visiting the Houses of Parliament in London on 17th June, with the support of their local Member of Parliament. The purpose of this visit is to raise awareness and stimulate discussion among the children about what it means to be British. British Day activities will also celebrate the multicultural aspects of British society.

If you would like more information about 'British Day' or the Good Values Club itself, please contact Dipak Fakey.

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STORY & ACTIVITY
The Picture of Peace

There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The King looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror, with peaceful towering mountains were all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky from which rain fell and in which lightening played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the King looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest... in perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize?

The King chose the second picture. Do you know why?

Because, as he explained: "Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace."

Questions
Which picture won the prize?
Why did the king choose that picture?
Which picture would you have chosen and why?
If you were to draw a picture of peace, what would it look like? (Pupils could draw their picture as an activity)
How did you feel when you heard this story?
Are there times when you feel peaceful and times when you find it difficult to be peaceful?
What things can we do to help ourselves feel peaceful?

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Training Update: 2006

All SSEHV courses are free to attend, although a refundable deposit of £10 may be required at registration (this is to cover photocopying costs of the extensive handouts provided at the course for you to keep). Details of all our training courses, together with contact information and dates can be found on our website at www.ssehv.org.uk, in the Training section.

A participant on a Foundation Course that took place in London in March commented, "The course is buzzing with positivity and I have never spent a Saturday doing a course that has been this fun, intellectually enlightening and practical, ever before."

Forthcoming SSEHV courses are:

Leicester - Intensive Foundation Course - Contact: Michele White
23 - 26 July and 30 July -1st August

Pinner, Middlesex - Intensive Foundation Course - Contact: Pamela Nash
30 July - 6 August

Cynwyl, Carmarthen - Intensive Foundation Course - Contact: Pamela Nash
21st - 26 August

Coventry - Intensive Foundation Training - Contact: Michele White
1st - 3rd, 8th - 10th and 29th October

If there is no course scheduled in your area but you would like there to be one, this can be organised, as long as there are a minimum of ten people who would like to attend. Please contact the editor for more information.

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