Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation: EDS

Saturday, 25 August 2012

ROM Southeast Europe Trail of Friendship 2012 Slideshow

The 2012 ROM Trail of Friendship across Southeast Europe, throughout the month of July, was the most amazing trip undertaken by the Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation (FLR) and Renewing Our Minds (ROM) team consisting of Martha S. Weiss, Brett McMichael, Minela Pervanovic, Mihaela Kovacs, Bojan Ruvarac, Marko Stupar and Tihomir Kukolja. The purpose of the journey was to meet the ROM and EDS (Economic Diplomacy Seminar) alumni, and their families and friends, as well as to meet new friends; and to be a source of encouragement to all of them. Likewise, our intention was to receive a valuable input from former ROM and EDS participants about the impact ROM and EDS (Economic Diplomacy Seminar) still has on their lives. All the travelling team members felt that the trip was actually a ROM Gathering taking place in a different way. We called the trip – “Brining ROM to our friends where they are”. The 25 days of travelling were crowded with amazing experiences, joy, excitement and good surprises. We met 200 friends, eat with them, talked with them, asked them many questions, visited them at their places of work and service, and stayed in the homes of some of them. We were warmly received by everyone we had visited, and enjoyed great acts of hospitality where we went. Plus, we would occasionally have some unexpected experiences and encounters that spiced our journey with humor and surprise. This album features a photo essay covering our journey across the Southeast Europe in 25 days, between Sunday July 1 and Monday July 9, during which time we visited Zagreb and Osijek in Croatia; Novi Sad and Belgrade in Serbia; and Timisoara, Sigishoara, Cluj-Napoca and Bucharest and Romania; Sofia in Bulgaria; Leskovac in Serba; Sarajevo and Tuzla in Bosnia-Herzegovina; Pristina, Mitrovica and Prizren in Kosovo; Skopje, Tetovo and Ohrid in Macedonia; Tirana in Albania; Orahovac, Kotor, Niksic and Podgorica in Montenegro; and finally Fuzine in Croatia.

Thursday, 23 February 2012

ROM and EDI Go To a New Level in 2012

ROM and EDI Go to a New Level in 2012

Dear Friend of Renewing Our Minds (ROM),

Can a genuine, transforming and long lasting reconciliation take place around the person of Jesus between young leaders from diverse, even opposing ethnic, racial and religious groups? After thirteen years, the Renewing Our Minds ministry has proved that it definitely can.

It All Started in the Balkans in 1999

It all started in 1999 in the picturesque township of Fuzine, in the mountains of Gorski Kotar, at a time when the wounds inflicted by a decade of conflict in the region of former Yugoslavia were still fresh and hurting. A group of young adults involved in the humanitarian and healing ministry of Life Center International (LCI), a faith-based non-governmental organization in Croatia started the international Renewing Our Minds (ROM) initiative.

Over the years the transformative impact of ROM has gone beyond Southeast Europe, and has reached the Middle East, the African continent, the former Soviet Union, the EU, the USA and beyond. Through ROM hundreds of young lives, from over fifty countries, have been directly impacted. Many ROM alumni have emerged as leaders and are today making a difference in the political, social, humanitarian and religious arenas of their countries.

A number of projects have resulted from ROM, as attendees who have been inspired by its vision, have given it a fresh meaning and application through their own initiatives. One such project is the Economic Diplomacy Seminar (EDS), an annual conference that applies the principles of Jesus to the fields of business, economics and politics. EDS is in its sixth year and has impacted the world of business in the Balkan region and beyond.

ROM and EDS Go To a New Level in 2012

ROM and EDS together formed a new umbrella organization, the Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation (FLR). Formed in November 2011 in the US, FRL is now poised to take the Renewing Our Minds (ROM) and Economic Diplomacy Seminar EDS, now called Economic Diplomacy and Integrity (EDI) to a new level.

FLR builds on the vision of ROM and EDI, to advance the Kingdom of God by nurturing international leaders of noble, forgiving, reconciled and serving hearts, in tune with the person of Jesus. FLR will pursue this mission through holistic, transformative and relational education, training and mentorship; as well as the advancement of caring and serving communities. We believe that God, who has embraced the entire human family in Jesus Christ on the cross, is likewise commissioning his followers to embrace their fellow men and women, friends and enemies across ethnic, national, racial, geographical, cultural, religious and political divides.

This year, the FLR Board of Directors and Executive Team are focused on establishing a firm and sustainable foundation for future growth, and on three key international events that would bring together up to 200 young leaders from 20 countries in the Balkans and around the world. These events are Renewing Our Minds Gathering 2012 in Fuzine, Croatia, July 13 – 29; Economic Diplomacy and Integrity Forum 2012 in Fuzine, Croatia, August 5 – 19; and the ROM/EDI 2012 Reunion in Macedonia, September 27 – October 1, 2012.

Would You Consider Making a Financial Investment

We have everything in place to succeed in 2012. The Forum for Leadership and Development revitalized the ministry of ROM and EDI, through a committed and engaged Board of Directors and Executive Team, an experienced regional task team, discerning advisors and the prayers of many friends. Equally important is the financial support of friends who believe in this work. Remember that most of the young leaders attending and serving in the FLR programs are from countries and regions with little or no financial means to cover the cost of their participation.

Would you consider making a financial investment to help raise needed funds to support these programs?

Thank you for your consideration and partnering with us in this important international initiative of leadership and reconciliation.

Love and Blessings.

Tihomir Kukolja

Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation, Executive Director

Renewing Our Minds, Director

PO Box 423

Bothell, WA 98041, USA

+1-281-515-3707, leadershipforum@learecforum.org

All donations for ROM and EDI should be sent to –

The Antioch Partners,

7132 Portland Ave, Suite 136,

Richfield, MN 55423.

Phones 713-490-9571

www.theantiochpartners.org

Video Feature

Meet the Renewing Our Minds Core Group Leaders: Heather Staff is a director for the youth leadership board of Christians in Politics UK. She is a legal associate with a conflict resolution think tank and a consultant with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy. She works on Conflict resolution, human rights, political engagement and rule of law programs. Heather is a regular speaker at events around the UK and Europe and a panelist for national and international media. She is often on Christian media channels UCB, TWR, TBN. Most importantly she is a committed follower of Jesus. Heather Staff serves also in the Renewing Our Minds Core Leadership team. She was also one of the key speakers at the 2017 ROM Gathering in Fuzine, Croatia, and at other ROM events in the past few years. This is what she said about the ROM Gathering 2017.