IN ORDER TO DO MORE

Released by:

Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation, Board of Directors, Seattle WA

Dear Friends,

The Forum for Leadership and Development (FLR) Board met last week in Seattle at its 2012 Spring planning session to evaluate the FLR work so far, revisit the program plans for this summer and the remaining months of the year. Our Board has been meeting in Seattle, WA on a regular basis for three days every second month. This has been our fourth season of meetings since November 2011.

Our frequent meetings at this time demonstrate the attitude of commitment to see that the Renewing Our Minds (ROM) and Economic Diplomacy and Integrity (EDI) initiatives serve the international community well, equipped and broader than in the past. Our primary mission at this time is to provide sustainable home and effective governance that will lead and guard ROM and EDI initiatives in the future. We have become a registered non-profit corporation, have our bylaws in place, and are now completing the final stage of registration needed to become fully equipped for our service.

Fundraising however is the area of our work that requires additional patience and diligence on our part at this time. We believe that we need to adjust our plans for the current year in a way that would put the available funds to their maximum use. The FLR Board prayerfully sought a way by which we could do more for less in the coming months; always respecting the principle that the funds allocated to ROM ought to be used to advance the mission of ROM in 2012. It was also the desire of the FLR Board to be good stewards of the entrusted funds.

This is what we believe would make the effective use of available funds in the coming months:

1. BRINGING ROM TO THE BALKAN ROM COMMUNITY. Instead of having a costly two week ROM Gathering, our team will undertake a three week long regional journey of visits to ROM community across the Balkans in July. Our objective is to have a series of smaller meetings and gatherings with the ROM alumni in their countries and towns. The purpose of “Bringing ROM to the ROM Community” is to affirm, strengthen, and spiritually refresh and mentor ROM community in the Balkans; as well as for the travelling team to listen, learn and gain invaluable information that will help the FLR in providing an effective service to young leaders in the Balkans and elsewhere in the future.

2. ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY AND INTEGRITY FORUM will take place in Fuzine, Croatia as planned; between July 31 and August 11, 2012. We are planning to limit the attendance at EDI 2012 to 30 participants, including team members.

3. ROM REGATHERING 2012, a five day ROM gathering at the end of September in Ohrid, Macedonia (September 26 – October 1, 2012), will take the central place in the ROM 2012 calendar. We are expecting about one hundred participants, ROM alumni, from twenty countries to attend. The purpose of the ROM Regathering will be to strengthen, affirm, and spiritually refresh. The ROM Core team will use the Regathering opportunity to assess the short and long term impact of the ROM experience on the ROM participants in the past twelve years.

4. FACTS FINDING AND DEVELOPMENT TASK MISSION TO A NEW TERRITORY in November 2012. An international organization has already designated the needed funds for a team of two or three to visit a country with the most likely possibility to see a new ROM emerging in the next couple of years.

In summary, the FLR board believes that the funds available for or committed to the ROM Gathering this year, though not sufficient for the implementation of the full ROM-Gathering event, will be adequate for projects that aim at consolidating and strengthening the existing ROM community in the Balkans, and for setting a stage for the further growth of ROM in the Balkans and the new territories. The FLR is pressing forward with confidence. The momentary challenges with funds we see as an opportunity, rather than as a weakness. We would like to reassure you friends that we are ready and eager to move forward with a big picture of ROM and EDI, in the Balkans, new regions in the world and in the USA, as soon as the Lord leads us in expanding our donors’ base.  With this in mind we continue with fundraising.

Thank you for your understanding of the situation. If you have a good advice or guidance that might help us as we press on looking for new donors feel free to share it with us.

Thank you for your understanding. Trusting in the Lord’s guidance we stay sincerely yours.

Love and blessings. For the FLR Board of Directors

Tihomir Kukolja, Executive Director

Martha S. Weiss, Chairwoman

Ana Elfers, Education and Leadership

Tom Garren, Development and Resources

Neil Quist, Finances and Secretary