The International Helper Dewan* met together 14 June – 26 June 2022. During our gathering we received the latihan together and explored aspects of our kedjiwaan practice and developments within Subud. One of our focuses was looking toward the World Congress in Kalimantan. Through God’s guidance we were able to understand various needs and benefits for our Subud family which we wish to share with you:
● The content of the Congress is the opportunity to worship Almighty God as one.
● We felt the general Latihan should take place every other day, simultaneously if possible. If not, women should do Latihan first, followed by men. This is because of the special character of the place. It seems that every activity will have a deep feeling of worship.
● Bapak talk to be scheduled as a main part of the Congress programme, not as a separate activity.
● Saturdays and Sundays to be set aside for kedjiwaan and wings activities. There is the opportunity to feel the essence of God in every activity we undertake during Congress. Not only in the Latihan.
● The aim of Congress activities is for convergence, not separate and competing options. It is very important that we have one Congress and not many.
● Kalimantan is truly a special place. It is land selected by Bapak for the purpose of developing Subud activities and enterprises guided by God. It is correct that through the hosting of the World Congress, the attention of our organisation has a focus there at this time. There is an element of necessary *prihatin in the implementation of the Congress.
With love The Dewan of International Helpers
*Dewan – An Indonesian word meaning “council” – a word used when we are talking about a group: a group of helpers (the regional helper dewan) or the group of helpers and committee members (the national dewan)
*Prihatin – An intentional, worshipful practice of reducing a pleasure such as eating or sleeping; the Ramadan and Lenten fasts are examples
Notes from the Subud World Congress, 2018
by Sylvia des Tombe, Secretary, Subud California at Palo Alto
For a local Kejiwaan Day in Palo Alto, I transcribed some of my notes from the World Congress in order to share special aspects of the Congress as I experienced them.
The highlights of the Congress were the presence of Ibu Rahayu and the talk she gave us. Ibu’s talk ended with her saying: “The purpose of the latihan is to worship God together.” Please stay tuned for the official translation: among other things, she talked about helpers and what we should do.
I passed a great deal of time watching interviews collected under the title of “Memories of Bapak.” Twenty-eight interviews were offered for viewing, and I managed to witness at least parts of sixteen. Here are a few quotes:
Emmanuel Aronie said: “At first, I was reluctant to meet Bapak. But in Seattle, I met and shook Bapak’s hand. It was the nicest experience I’d ever had: my hand was in a warm clasp that felt like Bapak completely knew me. I was “blissed out.”
Halimah Brugger said: “I felt Bapak could lift a person from their sins. Bapak told us to ask for forgiveness from our sins. Then he ordered us to cry. ‘Cry! Cry!’ Then he said, ‘Your sins have been forgiven.’ No one else could say that.”
Sofyan Brugger: Sofyan, suffering from hepatitis and diabetes, had just returned to Cilandak from eleven days in Singapore. Bapak asked Sofyan to standup and do latihan in front of the group. He was singing as though he was reading from the Koran. People were crying. A deep voice came out. Bapak said, “That latihan is your medicine. You should do it once a day.”
Husein Rofé: Quoting Bapak: “The purpose of being is to transcend the human level and get to the higher.”. . . “In Heaven, everyone is visiting each other. In Hell, everyone is fighting each other.”
Mashud McGee: “The latihan is the most precious thing we have. We must cherish it and share it. We must live from it and follow it. . . It is the foundation of my life.”
(With endless thanks to Kristiana Kalab for looking lovingly after all the originals of these interviews — a few of 240 total—and ensuring that many of them were available to listen to and watch at the Congress!)
Cultural activities abounded. We were treated to classical music performances and an evening of music with the extended Ward/Brugger family. There were opportunities to buy objects from many lands and to purchase books, sometimes from the authorsthemselves (such as Rachman Mitchell’s “Moments of Truth” and my humble book ofinterviews called “Seven Plus One: Pioneers in Subud in Russia and Ukraine”).
On a personal level, one very sweet aspect was that, to my reckoning, there were members of at least twenty-five families who had lived in Cilandak, Jakarta, Indonesia, over the years my family and I had lived there. It was a special joy to see them, some after many years (I left Cilandak in 2002, having moved there in September of 1971).
After living in Wisma Subud, I moved to Moscow, Russia, where the Subud group was exceptionally welcoming. Many members from Russia were in Freiburg, plus many Ukrainians, among whom were occasional visitors to the Moscow group, especially when Zone 4Congresses were held in the environs. The Ukrainians’ musical performance was a delight. Ibu Rahayu commented on all the hugging and kissing among Subud members; it was impossible NOT to warmly greet our brothers and sisters from far away!
My three grandchildren had a wonderful time playing for hours in the copious sand and water provided for them, plus on the small vehicles. My seven-year-old grandson summed up the feelings of many of uswhen he asked: “You mean I won’t see my new best friend again for FOUR YEARS?
I’ll close with a few more memories that left a big impression on me:
Guillaume Sanchez, in his remarkable film, The Warrior Within, said the lesson he learned from dancing with the Dayaks in Kalimantan was. . . “Focus: be present in what you are doing. Put energy into what you are doing now. Don’t be distracted.”
Simone Feldman remembers one test with Bapak: “How would the ‘jiwa’ of a person feel if he/she died and stood in front of God and the saints?’ She got tears in her eyes. And then Bapak said: “Just keep doing your latihan regularly.”
Just for Fun at World Congress
Sometimes, in the middle of a busy Congress, it is delightful to just find something to relax and enjoy. Here are a few such items:
See part of the amazing Lantern Puppet performance done outside in front of the conference center the night of August 7th
Admire the beautiful handmade, life-sized chessboard in the Subud Village.
Chuckle over the Subud Monopoly game, designed by Emmaline McKingley from a concept suggested by Susanah Rosenthal.
Testing for the next World Congress
This article from the Subud Center in Central London’s newsletter, “A Good Reed” is about testing for the next World Congress in 2022:
So we sat in our seats, members behind the delegates watching the presentations from Colombia, Melbourne (Australia), and Kalimantan (Indonesia). The Colombian presentation showed Colombian culture, films of cities and wonderful scenery, it ended with a lively demonstration of music and dancing. That made us feel lovely and excited.
But, along comes the Australian offer, tempting us with a $1million input from the Australian government to meet at an amazing Conference Centre with all modern amenities. Who could resist that?
Finally, a young Indonesian stands up and speaks honestly about Kalimantan. Well, there would be 3 big halls for latihan, one in Palangkaraya, one already built, Rungan Sari, and one to be built in the Phase 2 Project. Well, it is Bapak’s dream after all. It will be handled by the new generation who showed their abilities at the Basara Youth Camp in December 2016, when Subud youth congregated from all over the Subud world. It seemed like Kalimantan felt a little lame with what they had to offer, after the very confident Australian presentation.
The International Helpers tested in front of us. They then left to discuss their receivings. The result was inconclusive. It was then decided that the IH’s should test which location would advance the growth of Subud most.
Many people were thinking the Australian offer is obviously what we should go for. Did anyone wonder why Subud would not choose a place where there was a Subud centre already, plus un-built plots owned by Subud members instead of enriching the Australian government?
The man in the next seat, one Lucas Reese, was more worried about the decision-making system. He stood up and questioned whether the decision was being made by the delegates or by the international helpers. What system are they using he asked? It was explained that it was up to the delegates to accept the advice of the International Helpers. It did have a feeling of relevance – a question which should be brought up at every World Congress to make everyone aware of the delicacy of the system being used which in bad times could be manipulated. There should always be someone present who can ask such a question.
The IHs then tested which area being offered in the presentations would promote the growth of Subud best. So, of course, Kalimantan which requires all in Subud to really put our shoulders to the wheel (and probably, nose to the grindstone), and get themselves and Subud off the ground, was found to be the best for the 16th World Subud Congress 2022.
Latifah Taormina and Isaac Goff honored at World Congress
Two members of Subud California were recognized for their contributions to Subud at the World Congress:
SICA honors Latifah Taormina
Latifah Taormina
The SICA Board honored Latifah Taormina with its lifetime achievement award. Latifah’s many contributions to Subud and the arts include her role as SICA President, 2010-2014, ongoing participation on the SICA Board, and launching SICA’s Poems for Peace® initiative that spread to 14 countries. After residing many years in Austin, TX, Latifah moved to Orange County, CA in recent years.
SESI honors Isaac Goff
Awards recognizing the commitment of entrepreneurs to supporting Subud’s social and human work were presented at the 2018 World Congress by Hadrian Fraval, outgoing chairman of SESI.
Isaac (center) with sons Sampson (left) and David (right)
Isaac Goff, the founder of Dharma Trading, which has supported social projects for many years. Through the proceeds of their business, Isaac and Renee Goff have helped thousands of children achieve a better life, through access to needed healthcare and education.
Isaac and Renee are longtime members of Subud CA at Marin. As they were unable to attend the Congress, Isaac sent a video message, which you can enjoy here.
Two California Initiatives win SESI awards!
Subud members from around the world competed for a share of a $100,000 award pot offered by SESI at the World Congress. There were forty-eight presentations about Subud-led enterprises and projects, made over a three day period. Each participant made a challenging “Shark Tank” style three-minute presentation before an audience and a panel of three judges. The judges then selected 20 finalists.
One of the 20 finalists was given a private grant and, to their surprise, the remaining19 finalists had to give their presentations again. Osanna Vaughn, who organized the event, was clear that their committee wanted the Subud community to witness what members inspired by the Latihan were doing all over the world. And it was inspiring — the projects were as unique as we are as members.
The expectation was that the second presentation would again winnow us down to even fewer in number. But two days later, when it came time to name the final finalists, Osanna announced that all 19 would receive grants! What a gift! What a recognition for all these very fine projects.
We are delighted that two projects presented by members from Subud California were among those receiving awards:
Emmanuel Williams
Emmanuel Williams (Subud CA at San Joaquin Valley), being unable to make the trip to Germany, made his very effective pitch via a video recording. He asked for funding to produce and distribute via social media 20 short video stories to help teenage girls cope with a range of life challenges, from bullying to overuse of screen time. This creative project received an award of $2500.
Henrietta accepts grant in Freiburg
Henrietta Haines (Subud CA at Walnut Creek) requested funding to enable the Venezuela Food Connection to expand beyond sending food shipments to Caracas to also deliver seeds and Spanish language educational material and “how to” books for urban gardening.
The Venezuela Food Connection received $3000. Thank you to the SESI donor and to the Judges who worked so hard for more than a week to make this possible. And, thank you to all the other donors who have made it possible to send food to Venezuela for more than a year. In the photo below, Henrietta (far right) enjoys a celebratory a moment with Subud members involved with food relief activities from India, the United Kingdom, and Venezuela. Next to Henrietta are the President of Subud Venezuela, her mother (behind her), and Sandra Diez.
A complete list of SESI winners and awards is available here.
The Subud Village Project: Building a Global Virtual Community
One of the most exciting things presented at 2018 World Congress was the plan to build a unified information technology (IT) platform for Subud.
WSA has created an Office for Information Technology, led by Sebastian Medina. Sebastian presented this compelling view of IT plans and recommendations to the delegates at the World Congress. This plan, includes support for a new, secure platform for the Subud Library.
The Subud CA App, under development by Ethan Harris (project manager) and Matthew Cooke (creative director), is aligned with this unified IT plan. It uses code consistent with WSA standards and will be hosted on the WSA server, ensuring security and integration with other Subud apps.
What is most critical now is to secure dedicated funding to build the unified IT environment. To this end, an ad-hoc group met in a corner of the Subud Village during Congress. They made a commitment to develop and roll out a global campaign to raise $200,000 for this mission. Inspired by the surroundings, they named it the Subud Village Project, because this integrated IT environment will truly be a virtual version of the wonderful space created at World Congress.
In a 24 hour frenzy of work, Matthew Cooke, Suzanna Dayne, Mardiyah Miller, Sahlan McKingley and Audrey Waclik developed the project website and created a brief video to launch the fundraising effort. The video was shown at the beginning of the SESI awards program and at the closing session to kick off the campaign. You can see it here.
The global fundraising campaign will be rolled out soon. However, you can start it off by making a donation now to help bring the Subud Village into being.
The team needs additional software developers as well as content, design, and communications support. If you would like to learn more about being part of the project, send a message to it@subud.org.
The ad hoc team currently includes:
From France: Sebastian Medina
From Indonesia: Suzanna Dayne, Sahlan McKingley, Mardiyah Miller, Audrey Waclik
From California: Matthew Cooke, Robert Mertens, Dennis Oliver, Elizabeth Trudell
From Argentina: Ethan Harris
How things Happen at World Congress: Synchronicity and Politics
A letter from Robert Mertens, Chair, Subud California
Hello California Brothers and Sisters,
Helena and I just returned from our Subud World Congress. I can summarize my experience in Freiburg as “2 weeks with a larger part of the rest of me”… a simmering, nutritious, human soup where my flavor mixed with 2,500 others in a unique kitchen.
Vivid Personal Experiences
My experiences at Congress were many. As one small but significant example: I wanted to meet up with Matthew Cooke, one of the many milling around in the huge conference center, and he walked right up to me in the next instant. Then, the two of us wanted to see Ethan Harris about connecting our California APP team to the larger world effort, and Ethan walked right up!
The next day, our meeting convened with Sebastian Medina (the WSA IT coordinator) started out with a small group at a table out of the way of the main traffic, but others who were to become part of an ad hoc team kept showing up spontaneously and sitting down.
Pledges of funds to support the global IT plan were immediately undertaken at the table, raising $1,800 to prime the pump for further cooperative effort. Within 24 hours, a logo, introductory video, and website for a global fundraising initiative were developed and then presented at the SESI awards ceremony (see related article).
Another seeming coincidence occurred in the “Bazaar” where members from around the world showed arts and crafts along the main hallway. Crafts from Venezuela were being shown by Venezuelan Subud members on the same table as my art, so I got a chance to meet with them personally and receive their gratitude for the food that Subud California has been sending them.
They told me that the first shipment of food arrived at their darkest moment and I was able to pass this information on to Henrietta Haines (who initiated and has been managing this effort during the last couple of years (see related article).
These are just two of a great many meaningful personal experiences that happened to me at Congress.
Witnessing the selection of the next chair of the World Subud Association
Now I’d like to focus on one event that seems to me to be especially meaningful from the perspective of Subud’s role in the future of the world.
We left a political scene in America where our government representatives are mostly picking sides to fight with each other daily, with one side and then the other temporarily ascendant. What I witnessed at our Congress was in marked contrast.
There were a dozen or so candidates from all over the world for the post of WSA chair. As is our custom, the women candidates were tested first with the women International Helpers receiving with them, while the men remained seated and witnessed. The situation was then reversed with the men.
Only one question was tested for each candidate, a general question: Show through your latihan, if xxx is able to perform the duties of WSA chair for the coming term”.
After we members and delegates from 50 countries witnessed the testing, the helpers huddled and emerged with a clear recommendation to the delegates that Nahum Harlap of Subud Perth in Australia (originally from Israel) be the next chair.
It was now time for the delegates from the 50 countries to decide whether to affirm the choice or not, with a vote. So Elias Dumit, the current chair, asked the delegates if they were ready to vote. A large majority were ready, but a significant and vocal minority were not.
It seemed that some of the delegates were questioning whether more testing should take place around various aspects of the job and each individual’s fit to what is needed in our next administration. Some delegates spoke up and said, “Let’s trust the helpers’ receiving.” Others said, “ It’s not a question of trusting the receiving, but fulfilling a duty to make the best choice.”
It was then asked if it was received that there were 2 or more candidates that were close to each other in their ability to do the job. The helpers replied that was not the case, Nahum was the clear choice.
There were still significant voices among the delegates who indicated that they were not yet ready to vote and a second question was tested before the assembly: For the growth and development of Subud is Nahum the correct person to serve as WSA chair.
The answer was clearly yes.
Nahum Harlap, WSA Chair
The delegates were asked again if they were ready to vote and they affirmed that they were. This time the vote was nearly unanimous to accept the helpers’ recommendation to approve Nahum as the new WSA chair and it was done.
There is still a significant belief that the process of choosing our officers is a work in progress. The helpers had decided to test only the “ability” of each candidate, agreeing among themselves that the word ability was meant to embrace all aspects of each individual’s “fit” for the job and meant to include not only practical skills but, for example, health, family situation and ability to harmonize with the new team, as well.
There was some difficulty among the helpers and delegates around the word “ability” because, when that word is translated into each language and culture, it can have very different meanings. For example; ability can mean just skill(s) and the outer aspects, while not addressing the inner feeling dimensions.
I spoke last week with a delegate and an international helper, who were witnessing and doing the testing respectively, to help clarify for me what I observed, and I learned a few interesting things.
There was some concern among the delegates that since Nahum had been active as an international helper, the helpers’ familiarity with him might have unconsciously skewed their testing in his favor.
In fact, the Greek delegation had entered a proposal (which they subsequently withdrew) that the international helpers receiving the test should not interpret their test for the delegates. Rather, the delegates should witness the testing and make their choice onlyfrom what they witnessed. The delegate that told me this noted that Greek culture was a foundation for our western tradition of democracy and found it interesting that Greece proposed this change.
I got some further clarification on the testing process from one of the international helpers. Each of the helpers doing testing had a clipboard to record their testing for each candidate. They decided, in advance, that each helper would record only “yes” or “no” in their receiving, and then they would tally only those results for each test.
At any rate, it seems clear to me that we have before us the continuing task of balancing and harmonizing our understandings of inner and outer reality across many world cultures.
Personally, I was elated from observing that the “outer” and “inner” both had voices in our electoral process, with the “outer” (delegate part) being more than just a rubber stamp for the “inner” (helper receiving part). Here is full list of the new WSA officers who will lead us for the next four years.
Hopefully, our process may be a harbinger of the next phase in world politics as well as in Subud.
Helena often has an eye for what we can do better when I am somewhat over the top in my generally optimistic view of what happened. She suggests that in the national pretesting, the helpers explore with the applicants, individually, their strengths and areas where each needs support.
To wrap up this brief letter, I’d like to share feelings and summarize meaning I brought back from Freiburg with a song, “Be Ready to Sail” by Claire Lynch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCAlD3oWfRA
and with a picture: Aurora (Angel at Dawn)
Love and Blessings to each of you,
Robert
The World of Subud, Zone by Zone
The main hub for participants at the World Congress in Freiburg was the Subud Village. At its entrance was the Piazza, with a busy coffee bar serving great espresso drinks, and tables and chairs always filled with people chatting, working, and hanging out. Surrounding this seating area were areas devoted to the activities of Subud in the world, as detailed in the map of the Subud Village, at right.
Curving along the one entire side of the Piazza was a mammoth display of infographics more than 120 feet long and 8 feet high, which offered information about the presence of Subud across the world. The photo below, taken from a vantage point located high above the coffee bar, shows the scale of this “Zone wall.”
At the left end of the display, a huge world map showed the Subud populations across the globe. You could see at a glance the number of active members in each country and see what countries were in each zone. It beautifully captured the full scope of Subud as a global organization.
Moving along to the right, one encountered a more detailed display for each of the nine Subud Zones. These infographics offered greetings in each zone’s local languages, a brief history about how Subud got started in those countries, where and when the zone had hosted past World Congresses, and when Bapak had visited. These displays were beautifully produced, with many photos and informative details. Even after multiple viewings, there was always something new to absorb.
These displays were was created by Suzanna Dayne and Mardiyah Miller, who collected information and photos from all the countries and distilled it so meaningfully. What a gift this was! It would be wonderful to find additional venues for this to be displayed in its entirety, to be seen by Subud members, so that many more can gain this perspective on our global community.
For more details on the concept and creation of the Subud Village as the core meeting space for the World Congress, go here
The Culture Compass
Wandering around the Subud Village at the 2018 World Congress in Freiburg provided something new to discover and enjoy at every turn. One of my favorite things to ponder each time I passed was a set of related displays about the “Subud Compass,” which came in several formats. The first component of this was a series of posters prominently placed along the main walkway, which highlighted this Bapak quote about the four stages Zat, Sifat, Asma and Af’al which together comprise “a sort of compass” for life.
However, if one wandered over to the adjacent section of the Subud Village devoted to activities of SICA, these four stages were presented in a different format which used the acronym IDEA, short for the four stages of Intention, Direction, Effort, and Achievement:
The view of the four key elements was then further expanded and specifically identified as a CULTURE COMPASS, as below. What I found to be most intriguing (and indeed illuminating) about this version is that this compass incorporates the Subud Wings and shows a way of thinking of them as integral parts of a whole:
This view of the compass suggested that by first knowing and appreciating your intention, then identifying your direction of service, using that direction to establish your creative effort or work, and achieving outcomes and results, each of us can attain well-being and balance in the world.
To me, this was a profound expression that the purposes of all four Subud wings can be manifested by each of us in a meaningful, essential and personal way. Creativity is found in every area of endeavor and culture is expressed through all kinds of work.
Sadly, I missed a presentation about the Culture Compass by SICA Chair Sebastian Flynn. I hope to read a summary or notes about his session to learn more about this view of the world and of Subud.
— Elizabeth Trudell
Booking Flights to the World Congress
As you know, the Subud World Congress is happening July 28- August 8, 2018, in Freiburg, Germany. If you are thinking of attending, it is time to start your travel planning now. Summer is a very busy time in Europe!
Through Mhd. Isman Kanafsky, we have become aware of a travel agency that specializes in booking international flights for members of a church or humanitarian group who are traveling on behalf of their organization. Subud members traveling to the 2018 World Congress in Freiburg qualify for this missionary airfare.
The following information may help you determine if you wish to use this travel service:
Your travel itinerary must include the World Congress, but can also include other destinations. Members could plan to spend time before or after the event in other countries, and fly to or from another country.
In most cases, the missionary tickets once purchased are changeable or refundable, although specific terms vary across airlines.
In case the airline requests to see it, the Subud member must have a letter from Subud confirming that the trip is for religious reasons (see below).
Children or family members traveling with a Subud member can be booked to the same itinerary and terms as the member.
A group of up to 100 wishing to travel on the same itinerary can be booked together.
Additional information is available on the agency’s website here.
If you wish to pursue this option, please follow these steps:
1. Send an email to Mona Mazeed, the contact for Economy Travel at mona@economytravel.com. This email should include the following information for all travelers:
Church affiliation (Subud)
Main travel contact phone number and email
Traveler(s) name (as appearing on passport)
Traveler(s) Date of birth
Desired departure and arrival cities going to Europe
Desired departure and arrival cities returning from Europe
Preferred dates of travel (also note if travel dates are flexible)
Additional questions or special requirements, if any
2. Mona will reply back, usually within one business day (office hours are 9-6pm EST Monday-Friday), to confirm details and present options for the itinerary
3. Once a suitable itinerary is identified, the Subud member must confirm the reservation via email
4. Most reservations can be held without payment for a few weeks.
5. After registering and paying for the World Congress, members will receive an email confirmation of registration from the World Congress Committee. This will serve as proof that their travel is for the purpose of attending the Congress in Freiburg.
6. The Subud member should print and carry a copy of this confirmation while flying.
Important Notes:
This information is provided to make the option of missionary travel known to Subud members. Subud CA has no relationship with this agency and is not acting as an intermediary, agent or representative for them. Please direct any questions you may have to Mona Mazeed at mona@economytravel.com.
This agency does not book lodgings. You can find some information about lodging options here.
You will probably want to travel on July 27 (or earlier) to be there in time for the Congress opening.
Whether you choose to use this agency or to book your own travel, start planning soon to ensure you have the best airfare possible. Flights are likely to go up in price or become more limited over time.
Special thanks go to Mhd. Isman Kanfsky for bringing this forward on behalf of Subud members.
In Fellowship,
The Subud Regional Committee
2018 World Congress: Lodging and Local Transportation
The latest issue of the World Congress Newsletter offered these tips about finding lodging and using transportation around Freiburg:
You can also check Use www.airbnb.de and homeaway.com to find private rental apartments in and around Freiburg.
Ms Kerstin Schultheis at the Freiburg Tourism Office is the point of contact for all accommodation enquiries for the World Congress. She can offer information about all types of hotels, bed and breakfast arrangements, holiday apartments and apartments in general in Freiburg and the immediate surroundings. Reach her at Kerstin Schultheis, Freiburg Tourism Office, Tel.: +4976138811444, kerstin.schultheis@fwtm.de.
The World Congress begins on Saturday 28th of July 2018 and continues until Wednesday 8th of August 2018. Arrival date is 27 July 2018 and departure date is 9 August 2018.
The location of the World Congress is the “Freiburg Trade Fair” located at Europaplatz 1, 79108 Freiburg, Germany. http://www.messe.freiburg.de
Check for availability of public transport to the “Messe Freiburg” Trade Fair grounds with the hotel or apartment managers. Nearby communities around Freiburg are well connected and often offer affordable accommodation. There will be reasonably priced local transport tickets available for Congress participants. We are working on an overview of all available accommodation offers, especially with respect to backpacking travellers and campers.
Excitement Builds for 2018 World Congress
Submitted by Kenneth Clark
“It’s going to be a magical Congress,” declared a member of the Subud World Congress organizing team, speaking to a crowded room in a hotel in the south of Greece, on the edge of the Mediterranean. And, as other members of the team spoke, perhaps some early Congress magic wafted into the meeting. Excitement and anticipation were certainly present, too.
On July 6 – 11, Subud Zone 4 held a zonal meeting at a stunning resort in Halkidiki, Greece. More than 150 members from at least 20 countries attended, with delegates from about 12 countries present. The World Congress organizing team attended in force using this time to continue Congress planning, to liaise with delegates, and to report on their progress. The team is comprised of volunteers, most with day jobs, and they have been working hard for many months now.
The World Congress will be held in Freiburg, Germany from July 28 – August 8, 2018. Freiburg is a beautiful town in Southwest Germany, with a medieval old town and a wealth of cultural activities. It is surrounded by beautiful hiking country, with excellent transportation links to the local area, to Europe, and to the rest of the world. Congress organizers have arranged transportation passes for Congress attendees that will permit travel within a 20 kilometer area, at a cost of 1 Euro a day.
Organizers anticipate that more than 3,000 Subud members will attend. The registration site will be on-line in a few months. A very wide variety of hotels and other accommodations will be available, which attendees will be responsible for booking directly. The City of Freiburg is making available to Subud a former refugee center that will house 400 persons at a very nominal cost.
Congress events will be held at a large exhibition center in the middle of Freiburg, called “Messe Freiburg.” The latihan halls are huge and will be available 24/7 for kejiwaan activities. Outdoor spaces close to the halls also will be open around the clock.
The theme of the Congress will be “one Subud.” Consistent with this theme, the venue for children’s activities and care will centrally located in the Congress site. Teenagers will be integrated and embraced, with some great program offerings and outings in the planning stages. Of course, aside from latihans and Subud work, many activities and outings will be offered.
The Congress team is working on the Congress website, which will be widely publicized when it is put on-line. Registrations fees and other details will be announced later this year. Please register as soon as you can when the site goes live – registration by as many as possible, as soon as possible will really help the Congress team with cash flow and planning. Along with early registration, the Congress team, in their presentation at the zonal meeting in Greece, also requested our continuing love, support, and prayers to help them do the best job possible.
2018 World Congress Team (WCOT) Seeks Volunteers
The WCOTeam is seeking volunteers for the following tasks:
Accommodation: this person is our connection to the tourist office and fundamentally mediates hotels and takes pleasure in finding private accommodation. Experience in the hotel field is desired.
Personnel management: this person is the contact partner for the individual task areas when experts are needed. He or she also supports the individual task areas in respect of the management of volunteers. Strong nerves, the power of persuasion and humor are required.
Translations in Spanish: we seek people who can above all help us now in the preparation phase with translations in Spanish from the English or German. Moreover, mostly at short notice!
Subud World Congress 2018 Registration: We expect to welcome around 2,500 to 3,000 people from all over the world to the next Congress, many of whom may not know either German or English, so we would like to find people who also speak Spanish, French or Russian, etc.We would also love to hear from anyone who would like to be part of the Registration Team before the Congress, as well as during the Congress. If you would like to be part of the team, please contact me by:
SICA invites you to enjoy this beautiful film about the World Congress called Mountains and Rivers. It is a little over an hour in length so watch it at a time when you can fully enjoy it! Note that you will need to enter a password to play the film – be sure to use the capitalization as noted.
Reflections on World Congress
by Aminah Ulmer
Loud, full, meaningful, slight, jarring, happy, cosmic, yummy, exhausting, challenging, funny, loving, happy, insane, chaotic! Everyday, with moments of quiet and peace.
Sharing meals, conversations, languages, glances, hugs, kisses, tears, laughter, colores muchas…Tables full of Indians, English, Mexicanos, Germans, Aussies, French, Africans, and those undiscovered as of yet.
Latihan, latihan, latihan, testing relationships, Mozart and Brahms, Hungarian folk music, salsa dancing, laughter yoga, birthday parties on the patio, workshops on service, communication, susila dharma, health, successful businesses, subud books, gift shops full of this and that.
Asking for forgiveness, grateful for much, finding my voice, courage, affection, humor, a light touch, confusion of great proportions, prayers for help, seen obstacles and unrecognized gifts. Self-acceptance and appreciation for all that is, for those I am made to see, for help unseen but solidly there.. Multi-sensory experiences graced by God.
by Athena Solbeck Robel
My husband, Raymond and I had planned the trip to Puebla but he died on 12/22/13 after being diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis in May 2013. My first reaction was that it would be too sad to go alone. I had a nagging feeling, however, that Raymond would want me to go.
After wildly positive testing at the L.A. helpers weekend, I knew I had to go, but I felt overwhelmed with making all the arrangements. Within a short time, everything fell into place for travel and lodging. and I received some unexpected money from Raymond’s saving account which covered the cost.
When I first got to the Congress, I felt quite sad and moody. After four days, I had my “sobbing latihan” in which I really let go. I felt better. Then I went on a tour to the pyramids and managed to climb the Pyramid of the Moon. The energy at the top was strong and the guide who had helped me up directed me in a healing ceremony. I felt lighter.
The experience that had the most impact was my connection and testing with three other recent widows, where I received to be grateful for my loving husband. While testing the question: how should Athena be in her new role?, I was standing tall and grounded while moving my arms around. It was almost as if I had a wand and was moving forward in life playing with life’s energy in a spirit of lightness and fun. The sense of love and support from my sisters going through similar transitions was profound.
My overall Puebla experience was so uplifting and following my receiving, I am traveling this fall to Japan and then meeting two Subud sisters to travel to Indonesia. Raymond is smiling.
Puebla Convention Center balcony at sunset
Entrance to Puebla Subud Center, leading to courtyard
The Subud Conversation
The Subud Conversation project continues a tradition of many origins. The format is a discussion panel that follows simple but essential principles of communication. The aim is to provide opportunities for people in Subud to have an open discussion about matters of deeper concern, touching on the nature and evolution of Subud, without fear of judgment. The hope is that it may inspire and further strengthen a culture of open conversation in Subud. This project is currently being managed by Matthew Clark (USA) and Bjorn Vaughn (Indonesia).
There are currently two documented conversations and the intention is to create many more. The first conversation took place during the 2014 Subud World Congress and was well attended by individuals long in Subud. It included a range of topics, revolving mostly around our language and what it means to be and do Subud in the world today. It was organized spontaneously and included around 30 people of different age groups, many nationalities and diverse points of view.
The second conversation was held at the California Regional Congress at the invitation of the congress organizers. It was attended by 30-40 people and was well received. This project is a work in progress and a labor of love. The hope is that the content may be relevant to each of us, that we may create many more conversations at future Subud gatherings and that they may make a positive contribution to our Subud community.
The video of this first conversation (link below) was then shown a few weeks later at the California Regional Congress. As BPI filmmaker, Bjorn Vaughn, explained, “This film served a purpose in California. It stimulated the next conversation that was very positive <and> it touched a number of people who were not present at the conversation. This film represents the continuation of an idea that people can pick up on… being open and courageous. We can continue this practice in our lives and with our groups and replicate magical experiences, or not. For technical and other reasons, the films do not show the conversations in their entirety, but rather give a taste of what is happening… to show what is possible and to inspire others to do the same.”
To view the video, click here. If you’d like to find out more, please contact Matthew at mmclark@ofcounselink.com or Bjorn at bevaughn@gmail.com.
Success and the Subud Experience
In this engaging series of panel presentations at World Congress, speakers shared how their Subud experience has informed and supported their life in the world– across business, professional, artistic and social welfare arenas. The genesis of the program was the 2014 Australian Congress, where Rahman Connelly organized a program of members telling their work-life stories. The talks provided concrete information on such matters as starting enterprises, how guidance can be important in work, and keys to succeeding in business and other professions.
The Australian program had such a favorable response that a small team comprised of Rahman Connelly, Livingston Armytage, Steven Bryson-Haynes, Kenneth Clark and Rosanna Hille formed to bring it to the World Congress. The organizing team had a range of objectives – to encourage enterprises, provide insights for those starting out, and convey how our guidance can positively can affect our working lives and ability to achieve success in many different endeavors.
The panels featured a multinational array of speakers who had done interesting and recognized work in their fields. These sessions were among the most widely attended events at the World Congress, with 150-200 attendees each day. Audiences came from around the world, reflecting the diversity of the panels. Attendees asked very interesting questions, and the answers were equally provocative and engaging. Many themes emerged: overcoming difficulties, being steadfast, being attentive to guidance, treating people well, and the like, and the stories were both informative and inspiring, as indicated by these audience comments:
“What I found most valuable from the panels was everyone’s personal struggle when establishing their yet to be successful enterprise and the role Subud had in the process.”
“These people explained to us what happened to them in their lives in an open and connected way…I always left the talks with the all-pervasive feeling that I was given something very valuable by somebody who loves me.”
There were six panels with a total of twenty-two speakers.Their biographies can be found here: SubudSuccess for those who would like to learn more about the range of roles and experience represented (note: this PDF file may take up to a minute to load). It is hoped that videos of some of the sessions will be made available and also that local and regional groups will be moved to organize and support similar events to extend the reach of this program.
Thanks to Kenneth Clark and Rahman Connelly for providing content for this article
Check out Congress TV!
If you weren’t able to attend the World Congress and would like to get a sense of the many events and activities check out Congress TV at this Youtube channel.
Subud Members Share Perspectives on LGBTQ Experiences
Adapted from a report by Paul Nelson, Subud Greater Seattle
A notable event at the Subud World Congress in Puebla, Mexico was a meeting focused on the perceptions of gender roles and relations in the Subud community.
The discussion was led by Leonore Tjia, a 24 year old second generation member who works as the business manager for a company that offers adult sex education and sexual empowerment coaching for women and couples. Dissatisfied with the lack of discussion around LGBTQ issues in Subud, she proposed this workshop to engender a new dialogue.
Attendees shared their experiences of attitudes toward gender and LGBTQ issues as they have seen or experienced them in the Subud community:
Attitudes and norms mentioned:
Separation in testing and advice
Men being higher spiritually than women
Women need permission to be opened
Men can open women; women can’t open men
Helpers shouldn’t be gay
Doing latihan can make gay people straight (and that is desirable)
Pressure on women to achieve “femininity”
Assumption of heterosexuality
Don’t discuss being LGBTQ
Despite less-than-welcoming feeling experienced by LGBTQ members in many Subud communities around the world, there was none of the self-righteousness of “progressive” groups common in academic and some activist settings. The people present in the room expressed faith in Subud to challenge and overturn these attitudes and keep the organization growing and evolving.
It was pointed out that anyone attempting to quote Bapak for their own agenda would be trumped by his guidance that we should test everything for ourselves. Subud, and the latihan kejiwaan spiritual practice it is based on, are instruments for allowing members to become true human beings.
This meeting was a huge step in addressing issues that have been smoldering for a long time and preventing the organization from being as vibrant and as noble as it can be. The event was videotaped by Andrew Hall and should be available soon for those who could not attend.
