Deming and Peace

["Tore Lende" <tore@lende.no>]

Dear Friends
I have just come home from from a week seminar in Pskov, Russia =20

  INTERNATIONAL YOUTH WINTER UNIVERSITY
  "THE BALTIC SEA REGION: CONFLICT PREVENTION AND CONFLICT
  TRANSFORMATION BY PEACEFUL MEANS. THE TRANSCEND APPROACH"
  30 January - 4 February, 2000
  Pskov
  International Youth Winter University is organized
  by the Centre for Development and Peace Studies FORUM in
  cooperation with the Olof Palme International Center, Pskov
  Volny University, TRANSCEND.
  IYWU is funded by the Olof Palme International Center.
  Participants: students from Russia, Estonia.
  Working language: English=20

The professors who took part in the same seminar last year, did not want =
to do so this year mainly because  "student were so despondent, without =
hope and fatalisic - victims of hopeless circumstances.  Professor Vidar =
Vambheim (Tromsoe, Norway) and I took the challenge.  I was teaching on =
what I called Peace Psychology. I basically  used the principles of Dr. =
William Glasser, Dr. Deming  and others.   They had of course heard of =
none of these.

We had a fantastic week with 25 wonderful graduate - and post-graduate =
students.   The student were victimized by circumstances.  But they left =
very hopeful. We felt we had "the week of our life" =20

I kept thinking:  How can we help them with books and relevant =
literature?   Buying "Out of Crisis" for example is an investment far =
beyond any thing possible. (A professors salary is 50 US dollars per. =
month.)   What about a student - I don't know?

I wish I could do something to help, but have not recourses to do =
anything.  Does any of you have a suggenstion?

This is the kind of thinking, moral and ethics that is needed in Russia =
today.

I mailed a request  in august about Deming and his teaching with =
relevance to peace.  I got 3 responses.  But I had a computer crash and =
cannot find the responses. So if you responed and still have the mail, =
please, resend it.

I enclose a little report after the seminar  - which was typical for =
most of them:

  From Valentina Lyulyukina

  "This school helped me a lot. You made me optimistic and hopeful. And =
I'm thinking in a way I never did before, like ways of alternatives of =
solving problems between people and even within myself.

  It made me also sure that I really can do something about peacemaking. =
Through sharing of opinions in such small groups we can learn a lot.. I =
don't need to be a president or a "big shot" I can just be the person I =
am and just talk to others and make them feel better.

  The lectures given by Tore helped me to understand my own personal =
thoughts which might prevent me in making "life mistakes" These lectures =
really made me feel stronger.."

Friendly and peaceful regards

Tore Lende
J. Schanche Olsens gt 9
N.4307 Sandnes
Norway
Tel: +47 51 66 78  11
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