MUCH MORE THAN A CONFERENCE

Renewing Our Minds 2013 Gathering in Fuzine, Croatia finished a couple of days ago with the 2013 Southeast European summit of regional representatives. We now begin with the season of reporting on the powerful month of July in Fuzine, with the focus on the two-week long 2013 ROM Gathering of young leaders from 15 countries. This first report was released yesterday by Brett McMichael:                                       

We just finished an intensive two-week peace, reconciliation and leadership conference with young adults from all over the Balkan region.  The conference is called ROM for short or Renewing Our Minds.  We learned about conflict resolution and questioned aspects of our identities.  Looking beyond just our ethnic and national identities, we considered our unique identities as creations of God.  Indeed the principles of Jesus were at the center of all we learned about and did.  So when we dealt with difficult issues such as wars in the region and forgiving those who have harmed us, we saw Jesus as our example to follow.

We also addressed such challenging issues as human trafficking, poverty, racial and gender discrimination, and organized crime. Realizing that we are all equipped with gifts from God to serve others, we were called to action to prevent or at least alleviate the suffering caused by the issues mentioned above.  I spoke to the participants about the Biblical mandate to serve the hungry, sick, orphaned, imprisoned and refugees for example.  Jesus teaches that when we help “the least of these” we are serving Jesus himself. We had plenty of fun too, such as trips to the beach, team building games, hikes in the mountains and songs around the camp fire.  

In addition to peace building the ROM conference also focused on leadership development.  We want these young adults attending ROM Gathering 2013 to assume leadership positions in various fields (political, economic, educational, social etc.) in their respective countries. However it is not just enough to learn leadership skills without having the proper character. Thus being a leader of integrity who is transparent and trustworthy is just as important as having great communication skills.  Again we looked at Jesus as a role model, but also looked at the lives of Abraham Lincoln, Mother Theresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr and William Willberforce. The key is to be a servant leader - one who is humble, but not self-degrading.

Renewing Our Minds is much more than a conference.  Strong, often life-long friendships are forged that transcend national, ethnic, religious, class and other boundaries that divide us.  I am blessed by many friends I have made from previous ROMs and am happy to have gained even more from this year's ROM conference. Now I am relaxing for a couple of days before I serve at another event: a camp for orphans from Bosnia-Herzegovina.  Blessings to all of you.

Brett McMichael, Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation, Executive member

OUR FOCUS AT THIS TIME

Renewing our Minds (ROM) initiative is an international movement of young leaders, with the roots in Southeast Europe (Balkans), that teaches young leaders how to embrace each other and develop lasting friendships despite their religious, national and ethnic differences. For the past fourteen years ROM has been encouraging young Balkan leaders to adopt a new paradigm – one of forgiveness, reconciliation, peacemaking, humanity created in the image of God, loving one’s neighbor as oneself, and leadership of integrity

There are four areas of a continuing strength and vibrancy of the Renewing Our Minds initiative. ROM is foremost a mission that challenges paradigms and assumptions, and refines the characters of young leaders. Then, it is a place where forgiveness and reconciliation are demonstrated realities. Moreover, ROM is a community in progress where loving one’s neighbor and leadership of serving are taught and practiced. Furthermore, it is the environment where all teaching ingredients are anchored in the teachings, example and following of the person of Jesus. All of those together form the life defining impact of the ROM mission.

Our focus at this time is on the 2013 Renewing Our Minds Gathering, a two-week leadership and reconciliation seminar in Fuzine, Croatia, 13^th – 28^th July, 2013. A selected group of fifty young leaders, from 15 countries, representing diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds will attend. Objective: To teach young leaders about forgiveness, reconciliation, understanding of the current issues, and leadership of integrity and service by exposing them to the teachings of Jesus.

Will you partner with us by helping our mission today? Please donate by clicking on the “Donate Now” button. Fill out the form completely. IMPORTANT: On the form under “Please direct my donation to:” select “Project Support”, and under “Select project of your choice” select “Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation”. Thank You!

FORUM 2013 SPRING APPEAL

Dear Friends, 

One and a half years ago Renewing Our Minds (ROM) and Economic Diplomacy and Integrity Forum (EDI) formed a new organization, Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation (Forum). Formed in November 2011 in Seattle WA, Forum is now taking the Renewing Our Minds and Economic Diplomacy and Integrity Forum to a new level. 

Forum builds on the fourteen years of ROM experience, as well as on the experience of Life Center International (LCI), the umbrella organization based in Fuzine, Croatia that supervised the work of ROM since 1999. The vision of Forum is, “Developing Leaders Transformed by the Person of Jesus in a Divided World”. Its mission is about advancing the Kingdom of God by nurturing international leaders of noble, forgiving, reconciled and serving hearts, and in harmony with the character of Jesus Christ. Forum pursues its mission through transformative, holistic and relational education, training and mentorship; as well as the advancement of caring and serving communities. 

Over the years the transformative impact of ROM, the heart of the Forum mission, has reached far beyond Southeast Europe (Balkans), where everything started in 1999 in response to the Balkan conflicts engulfing all former Yugoslavian countries at the time; and has since reached the Middle East, the African continent, the former Soviet Union countries, the EU, USA. For 600 young lives, from 50 countries have been directly impacted by ROM programs over the years, the experience was life defining and directing. Many ROM alumni have since emerged as leaders of substance, and are today making a difference in the political, social, humanitarian and religious arenas of their countries. 

In 2013 the Forum Board of Directors is focused on setting a firm and sustainable foundation for future growth of ROM and EDI by finalizing its organizational and serving structure and by setting realistic objectives that will lead us forward in our service. These are our primary program objectives for the current year: 

1. ROM Leadership and Reconciliation Gathering 2013: A two-week reconciliation and leadership seminar, known as ROM Gathering, in Fuzine, Croatia, July 13 – 29, 2013. A selected group of fifty young leaders, from 15 countries, representing diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds will attend. Objective: To teach young leaders about forgiveness, reconciliation and leadership of integrity and service by exposing them to the teachings of Jesus. 

2. FLR Regional Leadership Summit: A two-day Southeast European Leadership Summit,      July 30 – 31, 2013, in Fuzine, Croatia. A selected group of mature and trusted leaders from the Balkans will meet for a two day planning session leading to the establishment of a team of coordinators who will throughout a year coordinate the spiritual and vocational growth of ROM alumni through coaching and mentoring. 

3. EDI Forum in Romania: Economic Diplomacy and Integrity Forum is planned for September in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.  A group of 30 young leaders form Romania will learn about Jesus principles applied to business, economics, and politics.  

4. ROM Middle-East Project: A start-up ROM Middle-East weekend seminar is planned for December 2013. With a group of ROM alumni from the Middle East, and in partnership with a local organization that focuses on reconciliation, Forum is planning to set a ground work for future ROM projects in the countries of the Middle East. 

All our programs focus on building a new generation of leaders, reconciled and transformed by the person of Jesus. Forum is a new organization, with almost 15 years of experience, and proven programs and projects (ROM, EDI). At this time when the potential for international conflicts escalates by day, and when the leadership informed by the character of Jesus is very much a lacking ingredient in today’s society, we consider our work to be of primary importance. 

The work of Forum depends on the support of churches, foundations, organizations and friends like you who appreciate the value of investing the values of Jesus’ life into the lives of the young leaders of today.  Your generous donation will help meet our objectives for 2013. 

Please, direct your donation to our partners: The Antioch Partners. 

If you are sending your donation by check write ROM or Forum on the memo line and send to:            

The Antioch Partners

7132 Portland Avenue, Suite 138

Richfield, MN   55423.

If you would like to donate online, click on DONATE NOW and fill out the form completely. IMPORTANT: On the form under "Please direct your donation to:" select "Project Support", and under "Select project of your choice" select "Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation".

We will gladly answer all your questions. Thank you for your generous donation.  You are making a difference in the world we live in. For more info write to forumforleadership@gmail.com  

We are looking forward to hearing from you soon. 

Love and blessings. 

Martha S. Weiss, Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation, Chairwoman

Tihomir Kukolja, Renewing Our Minds, Director

Forum – Transforming Leaders in a Divided World

One and a half years ago Renewing Our Minds (ROM) and Economic Diplomacy and Integrity Forum (EDI) formed a new organization, Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation (Forum).  Forum is now taking the Renewing Our Minds and Economic Diplomacy and Integrity Forum to a new level. It builds on the fourteen years of ROM experience. Martha S. Weiss, Chairwoman of Forum talks about her experience with ROM and some of the reasons Forum came into existence to support the future growth of ROM and EDI. Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation is about developing leaders transformed by the person of Jesus in a divided world. 

Meet the FLR Team – Neil and Linda Quist

Neil and Linda Quist from Seattle WA have over the years developed a sincere and profound friendship with the Balkan countries. Neil Quist, who is a board member of the Board of Directors for Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation (FLR), and Linda Quist, Balkan Task Force and Executive Team member of Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation, Seattle WA, explain the reasons for their ongoing and lasting involvement with and commitment to the vision and mission of the Renewing Our Minds (ROM) initiative and the new organization Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation (FLR). Listen also to the webcast Dare to Be the Difference featuring Neil and Linda Quist, Ambassadors of Peace in a Divide World. 

Meet the Team – Justin Kagin

Justin Kagin, a young American Jew, believes that Jesus Christ does not belong to Christians alone, but that Jesus is for the Jews, Muslims and others too. Justin believes that Jesus is above any organization, institution, movement, concept, ideology and religion. Justin Kagin is an executive member of Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation (FLR) and the executive and program director of Economic Diplomacy and Integrity Forum (EDI). In this video Justin shares his story of how he became a follower of Jesus. Audio version.

Introducing the ROM Team – Minela Pervanovic

Minela Pervanovic is a senior student of International Law and Diplomacy at the American University in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Her desire is to stay in her country, Bosnia-Herzegovina and to be involved in the political and social processes that would improve economic and social life of the citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Minela attended Renewing Our Minds Gathering (ROM) for the first time when she was 20 years old. She was recommended by Asja Powys-Smith (ROM generation 2001), a young lady from Bosnia-Herzegovina who now lives, studies and works in Oxford, UK.

Experiencing ROM for the first time in the summer of 2009 was a deep and precious experience for Minela. She says: “ROM represented Jesus to me in a new way. God used ROM to reopen my eyes to see that He desires to use me to serve my people in Bosnia. I was reassured that I can be a good example of Jesus’ character to my nation; as well as to be His instrument for reconciliation and peace building between the peoples of Bosnia-Herzegovina.”

It was while at ROM that I had a vision of a conference aimed at the political and business leaders of my country based on the character of Jesus and His values. The conference “Moral Values in Business and Politics”, which took place not long ago at a prestigious venue in Sarajevo, targeted political leaders, businessmen and other people of influence in the Bosnian capital. Our message was that Bosnia-Herzegovina needed the kind of leaders who are foremost the people of integrity and strong values. The two key speakers were Drazen Glavas, Trainer and Consultant with ETIK in Croatia; and Leo van Doesburg, External Affairs Manager with European Christian Movement from The Netherlands. The conference was a great success.

Minela Pervanovic currently serves as the ROM Core Team Member for Southeast Europe, and ROM Coordinator for Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Ambassadors of Peace in a Divided World

Become a part of an amazing story of Renewing Our Minds (ROM) and Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation (FLR) ministry born in the Balkans and on a mission to develop leaders transformed by the person of Jesus in a divided world.

Hear the stories of transformed lives and life of service of hundreds of young leaders across the Balkan Region and the world. See what happens when young leaders, divided by ethnic and religious nationalism, are invited to meet together around the person of Jesus.

The story of ROM and FLR will be shared by Jeremiah Collins, MDPC High School Outreach Director; Matthew Rejmaniak, MDPC and ROM team member from Houston; and Tihomir Kukolja, MDPC and The Antioch Partners missionary partner, and Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation Executive Director. Special music will be provided by Matt and Cameron Hammon, music and worship directors at Olivette Music and Missions ministry and Ecclesia Church, Houston TX.

The program will start at 6.30 pm on Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013; Parlor, Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, 11612 Memorial Drive, TX 77024.

Welcome. Invite your friends. Your timely RSVP will help us plan better. Let us know ASAP if you are planning to attend. Looking forward to seeing you at the evening of sharing “Ambassadors of Peace in a Divided World”.

Tihomir Kukolja

Renewing Our Minds, Director

Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation, Executive Director

ROM 2012 FESTIVAL OF FRIENDS

Close to one hundred young adults, leaders from over ten countries, gathered together for several days in Ohrid, Macedonia to talk about leadership of service and integrity, peacemaking, reconciliation, and building of serving communities – and all of those from the perspective of following the person of Jesus. Watch this video postcard featuring moments captured at the ROM Regathering 2012 in Ohrid, Macedonia, Sep 26 - Oct 1, 2012. Photos included by Jeremiah Collins, Donald Grabovari, Zeljko Rajkov and Tihomir Kukolja.

TRAIL OF FRIENDSHIP VISITS ROMANIA

The ROM Trail of Friendship 2012 Southeast Europe in July was an amazing adventure pursued 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. We visited nine countries and met with 200 friends, mostly ROM and EDS/EDI alumni, their families and friends. We ate with them, talked with them, asked many questions, visited their places of work, service, worship, and stayed in the homes of some of them. This video postcard features the five days we spent in Romania at the beginning of July, visiting Timisoara, Sigishoara, Cluj-Napoca and Bucharest. We are hoping to come with the video highlights featuring other eight countries we visited soon.