Renewing Our Minds Notebook

Renewing Our Minds May 2011 Video Postcard

2011-05-24T20:37:00.000-07:00

Renewing Our Minds May 2011 Video Update from Tihomir Kukolja on Vimeo.
As the summer 2011 is approaching fast we would like you to take a few moments to watch this nine minute ROM video update, featuring a brief review of the history and impact of ROM and introducing the two key formational ROM gatherings in the summer of 2011 – Renewing Our Minds 2011 International Gathering in July, and 2011Economic Diplomacy Seminar in August – both in Fuzine, Croatia. Young leaders from over 20 countries have already been accepted. They are coming from the Balkan countries, former Soviet Union countries, African Continent, EU and USA. ROM is about investing in a new generation of leaders transformed by the person of Jesus, committed to peace building, reconciliation, dialogue, leadership with integrity, and building of serving and caring communities. For additional information and support write to rom@renewingom.com or tihomir07@msn.com.

Renewing Our Minds Key Programs in 2011

2011-03-31T20:06:00.000-07:00

Investing in a new generation of leaders with characters transformed by Jesus of Nazareth, committed to peace building, reconciliation, leadership of service and building of serving communities.

RENEWING OUR MINDS 2011

LEADERSHIP AND RECONCILATION GATHERING,

Fuzine, Croatia, July 16 – 31, 2011

About 60 prospective young leaders from twenty countries and diverse religious, ethnic and racial backgrounds are invited to a two-week conference. The areas of learning include peace building, reconciliation, friendship building, dialogue, serving and character development. ROM gathering is much more than a conference or a seminar. It is a relational journey that is about a genuine transformation of character and mind in the likeness of Jesus of Nazareth. Annual ROM gatherings are the heart of all other ROM activities throughout a year.

ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY SEMINAR 2011

Fuzine, Croatia, August 18 – 28, 2011.

About 40 young leaders, professionals and students, from 15 countries, are invited to a ten-day ROM seminar applied to business and economy. The EDS vision is to establish an economic community in Southeast Europe based on the principles of Jesus.

ROM 2011 REGIONAL LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP

Ohrid, Macedonia, October 2011

Planned as a four day cross-generational reunion for up to 100 ROM alumni, from 20 countries; and designed as a follow-up workshop of sharing, encouragement and further equipping for effective leadership modeled by the example of Jesus. In the previous years such reunion workshops were held in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Kosovo and USA.

Can a genuine, transforming and long lasting reconciliation take place around Jesus of Nazareth between young leaders from diverse, even opposing ethnic, racial and religious groups? The twelve years of ROM prove that it can.

More info rom@renewingom.com

Washington DC ROM Afternoon Follow-up

2011-02-10T09:08:00.000-08:00

Dear ROM Family,

It was a great joy and pleasure for me to meet all of you, individually and as a group, last week in Washington DC, in connection with the National Prayer Breakfast 2011.

Moments such as those last week are precious. They remind me always that we are indeed a genuine family of friends. With some of you I had an opportunity to meet for a longer time, while with some of you I met only for a moment. With some of you I desired to spent more time. But whatever it was, the feelings and convictions were always the same – that we are a genuine family of friends who care about each other and love each other, and whose friendship remains strong despite the distances and shortcomings in communication.

Let us continue keeping in touch. Keep on focusing on Jesus.

Love and blessings. Tihomir Kukolja, Renewing Our Minds, Director

A Letter from Albania

2011-02-09T09:09:00.000-08:00

The Albanian Media Ignores the Initiative of Peace

The situation in Egypt has taken almost completely all media attention away from the latest developments in Albania which witnessed too some large demonstrations at the end of last month, with a consequence of four demonstrators dead.

Arian Galdini, a friend and a representative of the Citizen's Delegation of Peacemakers in Albania, has been sending regular updates about his attempts and the attempts of a number of his friends, to be the instruments of peace and reconciliation in his country.

The is Arian’s most recent update:

My dear Friends,

I know I have been a burden to most of you with my messages that sometimes go too long due to my desire to express all my feelings. Please accept my apologies for that. Today, I will try to be short.

Yesterday, February 8, 2011 we made public our latest initiative. We expect hundreds, even thousands of citizens of Albania to sign our Petition for Peace. This is a citizen’s Petition for Peace calling for dialogue, trust and understanding between our key political leaders – Prime minister Sali Bersiha and the Socialist opposition leader Edi Rama. The signing campaign will go for two weeks.

However, we need your help and support very much.

Even though our peacemaking initiative is recognized by the President of Albania, our Albanian media is completely ignoring our initiative. We see their attitude as being very hypocritical since everybody knows about the initiative.

As I’ve already shared before our media is very much divided at this time. One half is controlled and influenced by the Government, while the other half by the Opposition. None of the side is willing to give a voice to our message of peace. Both sides have usurped the free media and turned them into an agitation and propaganda outlets for the leaders of the major parties.

The Albanian media grants abundant broadcasting time only to commissioned, paid and amplified voices of those who side with one or the other political camp. The language and messages that are heard nowadays in the Albanian media are only those of propaganda, division; hate speech, conflict, intrigues and political interests. It seems that the voices that pursue peace, reasons, common sense, dignity and freedom are not allowed in the Albanian media any more, or marginalized at best. And within such a context the voice of many academics, intellectuals, young people, religious leaders and students involved in the Citizens Delegation of Peacemakers’ initiative cannot be heard.

This is why I am asking for your help. Help us to have our message be heard. We in the Citizens Delegation of Peacemakers’ initiative cannot agree with the opinion of the Members of the European Parliament who suggest that there is no light at the end of the tunnel in Albania, or even worse – that there is no tunnel at all. There is hope here. All we need is help and support for our voice to be considered and heard. There are many Albanian citizens who are willing to put their signatures on our Petition, despite the ignoring of the Albanian media.

This is what is actually happening. The media in Albania would come to our events and witness what is going on. They would get the interviews, but would not publish or broadcast anything. Yesterday we were visited by at least 4 TV crews (Koha TV, Ora News, Vision+, and ABC News). We also sent our “Petition Initiative” to all Albanian newspapers. None of them wrote or said a word about this initiative for peace of the Albanian citizens. But we will not get tired. We will not get discouraged. We will not give up.

Sincerely Yours,

Arian Galdini

Representative of the Citizen's Delegation of Peacemakers

Video: Climbing the Ladder of Inference

2011-01-29T10:27:00.000-08:00

Randall Butler, the Institute for Sustainable Peace Executive Director from Houston TX, USA, speaks at the Renewing Our Minds 2010 Gathering in Fuzine, Croatia and explains the process of misguided assumptions and conclusions known as the Ladder of Inference. Randall Butler has been a regular speaker and mentor at all main ROM Gatherings since 2002. The entire session recorded in August 2010.

Have You Considered Giving to ROM for Christmas?

2010-12-21T18:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends of ROM,
Have you considered giving to ROM for Christmas?
At this time when numerous worthy causes are suffering the consequences of a widespread financial crisis ROM depends on your help.
If you would like to give a gift to ROM at this Christmas Season, send you check (ROM in memo) to our USA partners: The Institute for Sustainable Peace, 909 Texas Avenue, Ste 1712, Houston TX 77002. If you are not in the US contact tkukolja@gmail.com for more information.
Thank you very much. Love and blessings
Tihomir Kukolja
Renewing Our Minds, Director

The Political Youth Forums Encourage Inter-Political Dialogue in Albania

2010-12-21T13:46:00.000-08:00

We are always encouraged to receive exciting news from the members of our international ROM family. The most recent comes from Shaban Sulce, the Founder of the Centre for Dialogue and Promotion of European values, and editor-in chief of Integrimi (Integration) newspaper.

By Shaban Sulce

The political youth forums of the main parties in Albania are ready to launch the dialogue and political cooperation between them on issues that are related to the European processes of our country and other issues that relate to the needs of the youth in Albania.

This has been a conclusion reached at the meeting last Saturday by the Center for Dialogue and Promotion of European values led by Mr.Shaban Sulce, attended by the country political leaders; among them the secretary for foreign relations in FRPD Alqi Ballko; the general secretary of LRI Besjan Pesha and the vice President of LRI Ardit Cela; the G99 party chairman Ervin Mete and the president of the Forum “Active Youth” Dritan Broke; as well as the head of the FRESH Elisa Spiropali and the leaders of the Youth Forum of PDU. The meeting was attended also by representatives of the OSCE, one of them was Alenka Verbole, who welcomed the guests and encouraged the launching of cooperation between youth in politics. He also expressed his support to concrete initiatives in the framework of this cooperation.

At the meetings we discussed the ideas leading to the youth cooperation in politics, such as the signing of a pact of understanding between the political youth forums during the election campaign that is coming, in order to avoid defamations and personal attacks in the campaign. We discussed also the need for the higher level of women’s representation in politics.

This gathering took place with the support of the European Movement ECPM. The representative of this movement attending the meeting, Mr. Leo van Doesburg said in his statement given to a newspaper said: “ I want to express my congratulations, and the congratulations of the representatives of the Institute for Multiparty Democracy NIMD and ECPM, who are attending and encourage this process. The development of democracy and the political dialogue is very important for strengthening of the rule of law. This initiative is important not only for Albania but also for other countries of Eastern Europe. By developing this dialogue and cooperation, this will help build a constructive future of Albania and this is a good example for the region too. This cooperation of youth in politics will contribute positively in the local elections that are approaching in Albania”.

Why ROM After All?

2010-12-03T09:48:00.000-08:00

I have written a heartfelt and personal reflection on ROM and circumstances surrounding ROM and our future commitment to its ministry at this time, and I would appreciate if those friends who love ROM would take time to read it. Thank you. Love you.

Why ROM After All?

Two weeks ago, as we were driving back home from the church, my wife Christine asked me suddenly: “Why do you think the Renewing Our Minds project should go on? We know what a blessing ROM has been for many young people in the Balkans, but what if after twelve years God has something else in mind - for the region, for you, for us?”

Although my immediate response could have suggested otherwise, Christine’s question was not intended as an intimidation. Leading one of the most exciting international leadership and reconciliation movements for over eight years, with the impact reaching far beyond the boundaries of Southeast Europe, has been to both of us a source of great joy, blessing and learning; as well as of uncertainties, frustrations and times of loneliness despite being surrounded by many loving and carrying friends worldwide. Often we would feel like quitting and moving on into something safer and more reassuring; especially as people who, at our place in life, ought to be thinking more strategically about where we will be in ten to fifteen years from now, should the Lord grant us this period of time.

At this time the questions about the ROM’s future and our return to Croatia are closely related. The past eight years of my life have been graced by the presence and support of my loving, hard working and patient wife. At the time when many in the US are loosing their source of income and homes, she has a secure job as a physiotherapist, with frequent and tempting offers of a better-paid place of work. Planning of our comeback to the Balkans does not come to us out of necessity or as a choice made in desperate circumstances. As one of our Croatian neighbors in Fuzine commented last summer on hearing that we were planning to live in Croatia again: “I don’t know why on earth would anyone want to come back?” From a purely rational point of view building our family future in the US would be a responsible way to go. Besides, Australia would not be a bad choice either, and we could easily go there should this become necessary. But, there is something much more that ties me with Croatia and Southeast Europe. It comes out of my inner conviction, passion and sense of mission - in which over the years I’ve enjoyed Christine’s support, as well as of her family. In short, should ROM continue with its mission, we too I believe should be based in Croatia, at least for some time.

This inner conviction, however, gets shaken at times. There are moments when I feel that my passions, commitments and plans need revisiting. I owe it to my wife and my family to think accountably about where I am taking them in the future. Lately, as I take my daily walks, have my devotional times and when I am in bed, I would reflect, debate and pray along the questions: Is my commitment presumptuous or grounded in the genuine sense of calling? Am I dragging my family in a direction that is irresponsible or unnecessarily hazardous? What if I am not discerning enough to see that after almost nine years of leading ROM in the Balkans the Lord is now guiding me elsewhere? Should I take a break by pursuing additional studies for a while, or to find a place in another ministry that advances His Kingdom here in the US, or both? These questions would lead to other. Maybe the Lord’s planned mission for ROM has been completed by now? After all shouldn’t ROM be about Jesus of Nazareth and not about becoming a respectable self-serving brand? Isn’t being removed ten to fifteen years from the Balkan wars that brought ROM into existence weakening the reasons for its further continuation? And then comes probably the most probing question – Are we true to our claims that Jesus of Nazareth is in the center of ROM?

Over the past couple of weeks I had to think hard about the reasons that not only defend, but voice a clear call for the continuation of ROM? For someone who has been routinely promoting ROM for years I had to think beyond clichés that so easily accompany the promotion of a cherished project. I had to talk to myself intentionally and honestly as if upon the emerging answers depends all its future. And this is what has emerged out of my thinking.

From 1999 until now ROM has been a highly effective, motivational and life-defining ministry. Spending up to three weeks in an intentional learning community of people at a time, ethnically and religiously diverse, would always lead to the shaking of paradigms and assumptions; then to embracing of each other in our differences; and, finally to the transformation of characters and outlooks. The final outcome for many taking part in the journey would be arriving at a clearer sense of calling, purpose and direction for their lives, as well as to a commitment to become the agents of positive changes in their communities. It is not a coincidence that many, having experienced ROM, would soon be found there where their lives would become a witness of service to others - either through their choices of further education or profession, or active involvement in various political, governmental, social, humanitarian and religious services. “It is evident that people who attend ROM have gone to establish projects which bring about reconciliation in their communities, serve the poor, work with orphans, teach the disabled, and provide encouragement to those suffering from illness.” – recently wrote Brett McMichael, a psychologist, ROM participant and facilitator since 2004, in tune with the witness of many who have experienced ROM in the past years. The continuing strength of ROM has been - impacting people who would in turn impact others.

Moreover, embracing forgiveness, reconciliation, and empathy for those on the other side, have become attested and demonstrated realities for those who have experienced ROM. Whoever has tasted ROM gatherings in action will remember being moved to tears by the profound moments of love when forgiveness, empathy and reconciliation would burst between Croats, Serbs, Bosniaks and Kosovars; Macedonians and Albanians; Cypriot Turks and Armenians; Christians and Muslims. A moving testimony of Sanaa Rizek, Arab young lady from Israel, made soon after she returned home from attending ROM Gathering 2009, speaks for many who have experienced forgiveness at ROM gatherings: “Two days after I returned from ROM, I went with a Jewish friend to have a breakfast. I told her about ROM, and then out of the blue I had tears in my eyes and I told her – ‘You know, now I can say I sincerely love you’.

The experience of Mark Casey, Common Path Alliance Executive Director from USA and a speaker at ROM Gathering 2009 speaks powerfully too: “Here were three different ladies from three different parts of the world who were as different as they could be (Muslim, Christian and a Muslim who became a follower of Jesus), but at this moment in time as they shared their heartfelt stories they were relating to each other around the person of Jesus Christ. They did not all share the same views, but they were talking and loving each other despite their differences. What amazing Kingdom work God allowed me to be a part of in the beautiful country of Croatia.”

I am convinced that today more than ever before, when many are working hard to intensify the tensions between religious, racial and ethnic groups across the world, as well as to abuse every possible difference among the peoples to enhance fear and control, the world needs leaders who have themselves embraced forgiveness and reconciliation, in order to become the ambassadors of reconciliation in our divided communities and the world. A cause such as ROM, that nurtures leaders who would demonstrate forgiveness and reconciliation, has hardly reached its expiry date.

Furthermore, in the still divided Balkans and no less divided world, ROM has emphasized the importance of building benevolent and loving communities. Despite its own limitations ROM has been offering a model community where relationships matter, trivialities are discarded, dividing issues are dialogued, the truth is handled lovingly, and Jesus of Nazareth is upheld constantly and unashamedly. It was not a coincidence that the key ROM event – Renewing Our Minds Gathering, was designed as a three-week learning community on a journey, rather than a weekend or a weeklong conference, seminar or a workshop that provides only a brief academic and theoretical guidance. Only recently, having faced financial challenges, have we shorten it unwillingly to two, or two and a half weeks, and are now under the threat to reduce it even further – to a week long event.

From its very beginning the intention of ROM visionaries has been to see that a genuine family atmosphere, born afresh at each ROM Gathering , would continue to grow beyond events and across the entire Balkan region through lasting and resourceful friendships, and formation of small locally rooted groups of friends – networking, worshiping and serving in character. Although I believe that more ought to be done in the future, in the past years we have witnessed a development of both: a sense of bonding into a worldwide family of friends between those who have once tasted ROM, and the birth of a number of service and action focused groups of friends across the Balkans, and further.

Finally, encouraging everyone who attends ROM gatherings to consider following Jesus has always been the guiding objective of ROM. This has been achieved through: providing a receptive and loving environment and serving team of leaders and facilitators; offering the New Testament and the witness of Jesus’ followers throughout the centuries who have changed their environments through their service, to witness about Jesus; being opened to the moving of the Holy Spirit who often overrides the planned schedule with genuine highlighting moments; and, by assuring that the entire spectrum of learning at ROM gatherings is informed by the teachings of Jesus Christ and the values of His Kingdom.

Our desire has always been that the three weeks of this amazing journey would equip and empower all involved to serve the world in distress, after one had tasted a vision of a better world at ROM through the eyes of Jesus. “ROM Gathering represents a mountaintop experience, where Jesus’ presence is felt the love is all around you, but then Jesus call us to leave the mountain and share that love with others” – my wife Christine explained in one of her reports about ROM.

It would not be realistic to expect that everyone attending ROM events would accept the lordship of Jesus Christ. But some have. A young Muslim lady from Bosnia does not hesitate to testify that she could not ignore the claims of Jesus. Another young woman having attended ROM Gathering 2010 shared her experience with friends of having seen Jesus in a dream who told her to follow Him. There is no doubt however that at ROM gatherings many fall in love with the non-tribal Jesus of Nazareth, whose appeal goes beyond anyone’s religious claims or agenda. Consequently, Muslims attending ROM have grown to understand that Jesus has never been their enemy, even if Christians have. Nominal Christians and those not previously seeing beyond the claims of their religious traditions, often mixed with the appeals of ethnic identity, have encountered Jesus who cannot be bound by any tradition or owned by any ethno-religious system. Likewise, Christians of evangelical and protestant persuasions have learned that the Kingdom of God is not fenced by the boundaries of their many and often tiny self-absorbed denominations in the Balkans.

I believe that everyone who has ever witnessed ROM in action could testify that we have always aimed at lifting up the name of Jesus as the One who transcends everything and everyone – our history, culture, religion, worldview, spiritual founders and gurus of any making. And to keep us on the right track we would often remind ourselves that ROM is not about ROM, but about Jesus. I firmly believe that if ROM is to continue serving with a difference, its legitimacy will be in its future leaders continuing to focus on the centrality of Jesus Christ and clarity of his message in the pursuit of the ROM mission.

In short, there are four areas of a continuing strength and vibrancy of the Renewing Our Minds ministry. ROM is foremost a mission that challenges paradigms and assumptions, and through which God refines the characters of young leaders and motivates a change, at personal and collective levels. 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 Jesus of Nazareth. All of those together have formed the life defining identity of the ROM mission. Although one is far from boasting that it is ROM that has turned so many of its past participants into great leaders and civil servants, it cannot be overlooked that at ROM gatherings a precious seed is sown repeatedly into the lives of young people, who – having taken the ownership of what they have experienced at ROM would nurture it into examples of inspiring and mature leaderships across the Balkans and beyond.

I have been reassured that the past years have not been wasted, and have regained a conviction that not only the Balkans, but the world too, are continuing to be very much in need of causes such as Renewing Our Minds. Likewise, I have been reminded that every time a ROM gathering is in progress, the Holy Spirit is in motion too - challenging, impacting and changing lives of everyone involved, including us who have repeatedly served in its leadership. Should ROM continue, after all? We believe that this is the only way to go.

Consequently, should Christine, Matthew and I continue to plan our comeback to Croatia in 2011 with a renewed commitment to four years, as our current plan stands? There is still much to be done to build a regional core group of leaders, who would at one point take the button and lead this amazing, but fragile, movement forward. There is yet much to be done to set a stage for further growth of ROM in the region, focusing decisively on the development of the characters of leaders in the image of Jesus of Nazareth, and on building an intentional and actively serving community of leaders, followers of Jesus. Likewise, there is still much to be done to add new contents that would enhance follow-up and continuing spiritual formation for those who desire to grow spiritually further. And for those who cannot be directly reached on a regular basis there is a need to develop strategic partnerships with organizations and entities in the region which could provide extended mentoring beyond ROM events. Twelve years later ROM ought to be delivered to a new level of service, and refreshed with new people in its leadership structure, and this work cannot be efficiently done from the US, despite all the blessings of virtual communication, such as Internet, Facebook, twitter or Skype. No doubt that despite its fragility the past twelve years we have witnessed ROM developing into a good educational and transformational tool – tested, proven, effective, and blessed by a sizable and resourceful international community of leaders and friends. These are some of the reasons for our renewed four-year commitment to serving in Southeast Europe.

The message seems to be clear – ROM should move on. But how?

My reflection would be incomplete if I would fail to mention that there are serious challenges that are facing the whole prospect of bringing ROM to a new level of service, chiefly manifest in the weakening of financial support. At the time of continuing global economical and financial crisis many leaders in the faith-based non-profit circles are only too familiar with the problem. I hear it in the forms of urgent appeals broadcast every day by many Christian radio and TV ministries, and received daily through a number of newsletters sent or mailed by many faith based ministries and action groups. ROM’s situation is not different, and this is why almost everyone on our mailing list has been repeatedly receiving our appeal letters over the past month – to the point of my personal embarrassment. I often remember a summer in Sweden many years ago when as a student I was earning my scholarship by selling books door to door. Although the reason was noble I felt like a beggar. In today’s situation the comfort comes from knowing that many ROM-like ministries share in the same fate. Only a few days ago I had a dinner with a friend, successful minister and manager, who is currently fundraising for a worthy cause, who said - “You won’t believe how hard I find it to convince myself to ask for money. “

For a movement that has until now always and entirely depended on donations and grants, and which continues to provide its services almost free of charge to all participants from the Balkans and other economically disadvantaged regions, decreasing financial support represents a serious threat to the nature of its future ministry. The hard times produce new questions that some of us, although reluctantly, have to consider now. Due to shrinking budgets should we shrink the length of the three-week ROM gathering to a few days only? If so, will the radically shortened ROM gatherings provide the climate leading to the same transformational and relational outcome? Should we keep its length but provide the ROM service only to those who can afford? Would the elitist nature of the future ROM change its originally intended nature as a movement seeking to recognize and serve prospective leaders irrespective of their socio-economic status? After all, to what extent would ROM have to change in the light of weakening of financial support?

What makes a difference in the levels of support generated by some affluent and noble service orientated organizations in the world, whose struggle with the current global financial crisis has been less painful, and ROM is in that ROM does not have a huge logistical structure able to invest into an ongoing and persuasive marketing, promotion, advertising, and soliciting strategies. Moreover, many donors of the day are responsive to the appeals that produce dramatic, and immediately visible and enumerated results only, mostly in the third-world countries. A photo of an undernourished parentless child in a distant country would attract a much more quicker response that the one of a future leader in Albania or Sudan. May I say that I love the work of the faith-based agencies, big and small, that are feeding the hungry, building shelters, vaccinating the sick, saving children. What I am saying though is that as a movement bent on the long term character formation of leaders, with results that are continually in progress and visible only later, and success that cannot be rightly recognized through enumerations, ROM does not have a popular appeal in the circles where immediacy and quantities are taken as the defining criteria for giving.

The bottom line is this. If the future of ROM depends solely on the skills of advertising, promotion and marketing, and the gamble of whether we can make enough for ROM to transit to a new level, we are in for a soon foreclosure. From a purely human point of view ROM at this moment does not have a chance to move beyond its twelfth year. We in the leadership team are reconciling ourselves with the thoughts that this might be so, and have made a decision that we will allow only another three months to make the final decision as to what is the right thing to do. Although I am not into a prosperity gospel and do not believe that a legitimacy of a God given vision and mission should be assessed through the quantities of material blessings, I am providing a space for a thought that the Lord might be saying something through the current crisis. Moreover, I am convinced that money should be a servant to a good vision and mission, and not the other way round. I would not like to see ROM developing into an organization with the vision dictated by money. And this is why I have been praying lately – “Lord, let your will be done, whatever it is.”

There is another voice that I am hearing lately too, however. It calls me to be patient, trusting and persistent. A song I love says – “He didn’t lead us so far to let us die”. From time to time I would hear the reassuring voices of friends - “Keep on moving, ROM is the Lord’s work. “ Deep in my heart I know, despite the times that are challenging, that there are funds around meant for ROM. Often I think of a sizable international family of friends, hundreds in number, that has been encircling ROM over the years. These are the people who love ROM. Many of them have witnessed ROM in action, or have been themselves blessed through its ministry. Others have seen its results in the lives of those who have shared enthusiastically with them what the Lord had done in their lives through ROM. The extraordinary commitment of a committed few – individuals, churches and organizations, who would often go an extra mile despite their own challenging circumstances, strengthens my faith that there must be more in the extended ROM family of friends willing to commit to sacrificial giving. If only they could awaken somehow to the urgency of the moment and realization what a difference their giving could make to the Renewing Our Minds ministry at this time. Also I am being reassured that there must be others too, willing to give and yet to be discovered, and I am in search for them too.

And so we march on across a desert of questions and uncertainties, planning and dreaming big dreams through prayer, hope and occasional despair; wrestling with the Lord occasionally, and waiting on God and people to surprise us; looking forward to crossing of the Jordan and committed to make it to the other side; eager to see the Kingdom of God advanced in the Balkans, and knowing that we cannot do it alone; believing that God is bigger than any challenge, and learning that sacrifice is not a sacrifice if it costs you nothing.

Renewing Our Minds 2010 Video Postcard

2010-11-25T17:45:00.000-08:00

Renewing Our Minds 2010 from Tihomir Kukolja on Vimeo.

Renewing Our Minds (ROM) 2010 Video Postcard. Over forty young adults from fourteen countries gathered in Fuzine, Croatia gathered this summer for a two-and-a-half-week journey of growing in friendship, reconciliation, and learning what it means to be the leaders of integrity and ready to serve. ROM is about investing in a new generation of leaders with characters transformed by Jesus of Nazareth, committed to leadership of service, reconciliation, and building of benevolent communities.

Women’s Voices Now

2010-11-18T10:07:00.000-08:00

Our friend (ROM 2009) Fatima Abushanab, from Washington DC, sends this message which we would like to share with you:

Dear Friend,

Please spare a few minutes of your time to share info about a dynamic project for women’s rights in the Muslim world. I recently joined Women’s Voices Now team, a non-profit organization with a mission to empower women and give voice to the struggle for civil, economic, and political rights. In our first year, WVN will be hosting Women’s Voices from the Muslim World: A Short-Film Festival. The Festival is focused on giving voice to women of all faiths living in Muslim-majority countries, as well as Muslim women living as minorities around the globe.

This project allows for and actively seeks short-film submissions from all the varying Muslim minorities as well as majorities, and the Kurds, Bahai, Hindu, Jewish, Christian, and other minorities throughout the half billion plus women that inhabit the Muslim World.

Watch, rate, share and discuss. 34 countries. 140 voices. 25,000 listeners. Your attention and support is truly appreciated.

Fatima Abushanab

Leaders Tuned to the Character of Jesus of Nazareth

2010-10-27T19:16:00.000-07:00

Interview with Tihomir Kukolja translated and adapted from Croatian and Serbian, published first by the Serbian web portal Vas zavicaj (Your Homeland) on October 18, 2010.

What Motivates You in Your Life?

Over the years I have increasingly become aware of the significance and power of the radical love of God embedded in the sacrificial life and suffering death of Jesus Christ. It is gradually shaping my understanding that as a follower of Jesus I am called to take a stand against all divisions that have tragically shaped the history of the Balkans; namely, against the paradigm that values people in Southeast Europe on the basis of their religion, ethnicity and national identity. Especially tragic are the consequences of such divisions in the hearts and minds of the generations of young people in the countries that have emerged after the breakup of former Yugoslavia. My desire is to be an active contributor to the processes that are developing reconciliation, forgiveness, friendship and cooperation between the divided groups. Unfortunately the years following the war conflicts in the nineties have been marked by a return to the age of ethnic, national and religious tribalism. I am rejecting such a paradigm by cherishing friendships and cooperation with people not only in Croatia, but in Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania too, and across the entire region as well. Moreover, via the Renewing Our Minds (ROM) initiative, I am trying to encourage the growth of cross regional activities and projects that are actively advancing forgiveness and reconciliation between the young people, future leaders in the Balkan countries. I believe that a key mission among the followers of Jesus in the region today is to be ambassadors of Jesus of Nazareth in peacemaking, and in becoming an example of how to raise above all racial, national, ethnic, religious and other similar tribal divides.

Why have you decided to bring faith, leadership, reconciliation and journalism closer together?

In 2002 I accepted the invitation to assume the key leadership role over the Renewing Our Minds initiative, a ministry of Life Center International in Croatia. Since then I’ve not had as much time for active journalism. I am intending to do much more in the future. However, since the early nineties I have firmly believed that the people of faith, who are engaged in social and public service, ought to be active witnesses of the values and principles of their faith across all segments of society – social, cultural, as well as political. For example, I believed that Christians, involved in journalism and media ought to speak publicly on the issues of the church and state separation, freedom of conscience, human rights and social justice. Even then I believed that their public mission ought to be informed by their understanding of the teachings of Jesus. At the time I personally touched vigorously some of those issues in my articles and in chairing a number of public forums, especially those related to freedom of religion and separation of church and state. Moreover, I loved leading seminars and classes for Christian journalists in which we tried to encourage them to go beyond writing for the church and denominational papers only. Today I believe that leaders who profess faith in Jesus Christ, a category that includes all people of influence in society including journalists and other media professionals, should go even further in their social activism by taking a lead in defending and standing up for the poor, minorities, economically exploited, and all other categories of people abused and oppressed along racial, ethnic, national, religious, political and economical lines. I do not believe in the social gospel, but I do firmly believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ has very serious social connotations.

How did the Renewing our Minds (ROM) Initiative start, and what are its objectives?

Renewing Our Minds (ROM) initiative originated in 1999. It was the fruit of a thorough planning and preparation process initiated by Life Center International (LCI), located in Rijeka and Fuzine, Croatia, under the leadership of Stevo Dereta, the LCI President. Its first and pioneering leaders were Vesna Tift (Vuletic) and Drazen Glavas. They were surrounded by a caring and committed group of international supporters, helpers and advisers. In 2002 I was invited by the LCI Board and the ROM's Advisory Group to take up the role of the ROM Director. From its early days ROM impressed me with its vision of a new generation of leaders, reconciled and committed to serve.

Originally ROM was designed as a three week gathering to which young leaders of the divided Balkans were invited to learn to embrace each other and develop lasting friendships despite their religious, national and ethnic differences. This was indeed very much a revolutionary concept at the time: more like a journey than a conference or a seminar, and very much relational in nature. For the past twelve 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 and service rather than one based on greed and self-serving interests.

Moreover, ROM was founded on the platform of the teachings and character of Jesus of Nazareth. A community of close to 500 young leaders from Southeast Europe (Balkans) and many other regions of the world have directly experienced ROM gatherings in Fuzine, Croatia. Former participants would often say that a three-week journey in a community of diverse people, often previously considered as enemies, was a life defining experience for them. Moreover, thanks to projects such as Economic Diplomacy Seminar, Wave and other, that have grown out of ROM, the number of people exposed to the teachings about a leadership of character, reconciliation and following of Jesus – has doubled or tripled at least. ROM has become a meeting place loved by Orthodox Christians, Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, agnostics and atheists. To date we have had participants attending ROM gatherings from over 40 countries – all Southeast European countries, many EU countries, USA, Australia, as well as from Armenia, Cyprus, Israel, Moldova, Turkey, Iraq, Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe and more. ROM is also well known in international leadership circles. It seems that Croatia, the home of ROM, knows the least about it. How appropriate are the words of Jesus who said that «no one is the prophet in its own land».

How much are the religious differences to blame for the war conflicts in former Yugoslavia?

The differences in religion were not the cause of the bitter war conflicts in the former Yugoslavian countries. Those were used to inflame the hate and passions that led to wars. We did not fight for the purity of faith. Our wars originated in a deliberate resurrection of and manipulation with the old ethnic and tribal fears, and for the economical and territorial gains. The so-called defense of “our spiritual heritage” was only an excuse needed to sanctify the unholy passions of war with a higher purpose. In any war it becomes easier to kill and be killed for some transcendental purpose, than in the name of territorial and economical greed, and thirst for power. It is sad that in our region, which continues to declare itself to be majority Christian, many of us became intoxicated by the atmosphere of nationalism and justification of the wars at the time. Djordje Balasevic, a well known musician and artist, loved by millions in all the countries of former Yugoslavia, was right when he sung almost twenty years ago: «We are to blame because we kept quiet». In the early nineties he was a rare prophetic voice who dared to defy the wars and question the integrity of the millions who allowed themselves to be morally paralyzed by the wars. We in Croatia and Serbia, where up to 90% people claim to be Christians, did not want to hear the voice of Jesus of Nazareth, who - had we paid more attention to His gospel – never justified our wars; even less the way they were carried out. God was not on our side. He was with those who were persecuted, whose houses were burned to the ground, refugees forced out of their homes on all sides of the conflict, and those tortured and murdered in the most horrifying circumstances just because they were Croats, Serbs, Albanians, Muslims.

I believe, however, that the number of people, who believe that the time has come for forgiveness and development of new neighborly relationships is growing today across the region. Foremost the process of reconciliation should be led by the people who profess to be the followers of Jesus Christ, because reconciliation and forgiveness are in the very heart of the Gospel. As He was embracing the whole world on the cross, Jesus Christ pronounced the most radical mission statement of anyone who declares to be his follower: «Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing». It is in this statement that Christians in Croatia and Serbia, and across the rest of the Balkans, should find the invitation, motivation and power to embrace each other. Religious circles that continue to excite divisions, or religious leaders who continue to preach hatred, are shaming the gospel of Christ.

How does ROM help raising the awareness about human rights in the region?

ROM's mission statement talks about the investment in a «new generation of leaders with characters transformed by Jesus of Nazareth, committed to reconciliation, peacemaking, friendship, leadership of service, healing social action, and building of benevolent communities.” The advancement of this vision would not be possible without a high respect for human rights, especially of those who are socially rejected and oppressed in various ways. Number of our friends, from Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro to Kosovo, Macedonia and Romania, who have experienced ROM, are actively involved in organizations and movements that stand for the protection and advancement of human rights. They passionately labor to protect the rights, and increase the quality of ethnic and other minorities, as well as to integrate them into society as its equal members.

Let me emphasize, however, that ROM is not foremost a movement for the protection of human rights. Our focus is on the development of the characters of leaders in tune with the character and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth. We believe that only the leaders with transformed characters are able to get into the public arena with integrity and credibility. Our region and the world as a whole do not need leaders who brag about human rights only when it is politically fashionable. Only leaders of character and virtue have moral courage to stand shoulder to shoulder with the oppressed, abused and marginalized, with a commitment to serve them. This is the paradigm of leadership that is in the service to people and community, modeled after Jesus of Nazareth and taught at ROM gatherings.

What are the differences between the political and social scene of USA and the Balkans, and what are the similarities?

Occasionally, as a joke I would say that the entire world, including the USA, is an extended Balkan. USA suffers from some of the same diseases known to us living in the Balkans. Some of them are political divisions, demonization of enemies, use of negative political advertising, self-righteous attitude of religious circles that desire to dominate over the political and social space in the US, very much present class divisions that do not favor the poor, and increasing nostalgia for the past with mythological overtones. Moreover, as it continues to be the case in the regions of former Yugoslavia, where national, ethnic and religious differences continue to be the sources of fear and prejudice, America too has its own share of fears and prejudices. The US has not been as divided for a very long time as it is today. Fear and lack of trust continues to divide, even ghettoize, the American society along groups such as those who are of Islamic background, white, black, Hispanic immigrants, Republicans, Democrats, Evangelicals. All human right watch groups have witnessed the worrying increase in the number of hate and racially motivated groups in the past two years. However, as the hate groups increase in number so do the groups, organizations and movements, including churches and faith based groups, that are very successfully building bridges of friendship and reconciliation across political, social and religious divides. I know personally several that are very successfully bringing closer together Christians and Muslims.

Although the Renewing Our Minds Initiative targets predominantly the Balkan region, over the years ROM has also given its modest contribution to the building of bridges of understanding applicable to the American society. In the twelve years of ROM’s current history many Americans have taken a part in ROM events in Croatia and surrounding countries, either as speakers, mentors, volunteers or participants. Initially many would come to experience ROM from a case study perspective, only to realize that the problems defining the Balkans define the American society too. Good things have come out of this. For example, there exists a peacemaking organization in the US today inspired by the vision of ROM that addresses the issues of reconciliation, peacemaking and leadership development with the American challenges in mind. The Institute for Sustainable Peace was founded by Randall Butler, a Houston based lawyer and a regular ROM speaker and mentor since 2002, whose inspiration to develop a home based peacemaking organization grew out of his commitment to ROM.

Having said all of this, the US still remains a country that inspires the world with its commitment to democracy and stable democratic institutions that will guide America sucessfuly through its current crisis.

What are your plans for the future?

For the past three years my wife Christine and I have lived in Houston TX. Every summer we would spend three months in Croatia focusing on leading ROM gatherings in a picturesque mountain town of Fuzine, close to the Adriatic Sea. My wife is actually from Houston. A few years ago we decided to adopt a child, and this is what brought us to USA at the end of 2007. Today we are blessed by a two and a half year old son Matthew, who is a true joy and inspiration to us. I also have three wonderful grown-up children from my first marriage – Kristina, Tamara and Andrew, all of them living in Australia. At this time Christine, Matthew and I are planning our to return to Croatia in order to further the development of the Renewing Our Minds initiative. God willing, over the next four years our plan is to develop in the Balkans a team of young leaders of good quality, character and comittment to service, who will provide the future leadership of ROM. Leading of the Renewing Our Minds initiative has significantly shaped my life over the past nine years. It radicalized my understanding of the Gospel of Jesus. Looking back I can trace my own journey from a follower of a religion to becoming a follower of the Person – Jesus of Nazareth. There is the whole world of difference between the two, and I am still on the journey learning to love my God with all my heart and my neighbors as myself, whether they are Croats, Serbs, Albanians, Bosniaks, Americans, Australians, Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox, Jews, Muslims, agnostics or atheists.

Jewish Palestinian Reconciliation

2010-10-22T18:21:00.000-07:00

Shadia Qubti (Palestinian) and Dan Sered (Jewish Israeli) discuss Jewish-Palestinian reconciliation at The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization – Cape Town 2010 in South Africa. Shadia Qubti, a Palestinian Arab in Israel, serves as a reconciliation leader working for Musalaha, a non-profit organization that seeks to promote reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians as demonstrated in the life and teaching of Jesus. Shadia also attended ROM Gathering in 2002, and served in the summer ROM leadership team a couple of times since then. October 22, 2010.

Djordje Balasevic je bio u pravu ...

2010-10-18T17:44:00.000-07:00

Web portal "Vas zavicaj" objavio je intervju kojega je Gorici Nikolic dao Tihomir Kukolja. Ovdje izdvajamo jedna ulomak, a cijeli intervju potrazite na portalu Vas zavicaj:

Osobno vjerujem da religijska različitost na prostorima bivše Jugoslavije nije bila uzrok sukoba, već da su različitosti bile vrlo dobro iskorištene u svrhu poticanja ratničkih strasti. Tijekom devedesetih mi se nismo borili za obranu čistoće vjere. Naši su ratni sukobi ponikli na namjernom uskrišavanju drevnih etničkih i plemenskih strahova, a zbog ekonomske i teritorijalne pohlepe. Takozvana obrana religijskih baština i vrednota samo je bila izgovor kako bi se što više nadražile ratničke strasti uime posvećenih ciljeva, te kako bi naše sukobe mogli proglastiti pravednima i svetima s moralnog polazišta. Naime, u svijesti ratnika lakše se gine u ime obrane takozvanih transcendentalnih i moralnih vrijednosti, nego zbog teritorijalne i ekonomske pohlepe, i želje za vlašću. Žalosno je da su se na ovim prostorima, koje se još uvijek deklariraju većinski kršćanskima, mnogi od nas dali u to vrijeme zavesti pijanstvom nacionalizma i opravdavanjem ratova. Đorđe Balašević je bio u pravu kad je kao jedan od rijetkih proročkih glasova u to vrijeme pjevao: „Krivi smo mi jer smo ćutali“. U zemljama kao što su Hrvatska i Srbija, gdje se ogromna većina izjašnjava za kršćane, nismo imali sluha za Isusov glas koji nikada ne bi opravdao ratove, a još manje načine na koji su ti ratovi vođeni. Bog nije bio ni na čijoj strani u tim ratovima. On je bio uz sve one koji su bili proganjani, pobijeni, zlostavljani na sve moguće načine bez obzira na nacionalnu ili vjersku pripadnost. No želim vjerovati da danas – od Hrvatske do Srbije, pa preko Bosne i Hercegovine, Crne Gore, Kosova i Makedonije – raste broj ljudi dobre volje koji preopoznaju da je potrebno izgrađivati međunacionalno prijateljstvo i dobrosusjedske odnose. Ponajprije ovaj proces trebaju predvoditi oni koji se smatraju sljebenicima Isusa Krista, jer su oprost i pomirba središnje poruke Evanđelja. Naime, Isus Krist koji je na križu prigrlio cijeli svijet i u smrtnom zagrljaju izgovorio najsnažnije riječi oprosta: „Oprosti im, Oče, jer ne znaju što čine“, poziva nas koji se nazivamno kršćanima da pružimo ruke oprosta i pomirbe jedni prema drugima, preko svih granica podjela koje nas još uvijek nepotrebno otuđuju na krvlju natopljenim zemljama Balkana. Religijski krugovi iz kojih se još uvijek čuju pozivi na produbljivanje podjela, ili propovijedi koje još uvijek odišu govorom mržnje i ratničkim poklicima, sramote Kristovo Evanđelje...

Saving Witch Children in Nigeria

2010-10-17T19:19:00.000-07:00

Saving Witch Children in Nigeria from Tihomir Kukolja on Vimeo.

To raise the awareness among our friends about the Dare to Make a Difference On-line TV broadcast we are sharing this 13 min highlight from the latest broadcast, that featured a 60 min interview with Leonardo Rocha dos Santos from UK, a volunteer with CRARN and Stepping Stones Nigeria, a co-founder of the Brazilian NGO Ways to the Nations. Leo talks about his work and the work of his friends in Nigeria involved in saving children falsely accused of witchcraft. Photos are provided by Leonardo Lepsch. In Nigeria innocent and beautiful children, as young as two years of age, are being abused, tortured, abandoned and killed - all of it in the name of Jesus. Self-styled evangelical pastors, prophets and prophetesses, thirsty for cash in a land stricken by poverty and superstition have over the past several years denounced thousands of children as witches and wizards. Denounced children are subjected to brainwashing and costly deliverance séances, with the outcomes that require more cash, and which most of the time lead to physical and emotional crippling of the children, their abandonment, and frequent violent death induced by parents, relatives or neighbors. These children, stigmatized as witches and wizards, are blamed for all troubles visiting their families, villages and country - from sickness, death, joblessness, financial misfortunes and poverty in the family, to bad harvests and disastrous fishing seasons due to pollution and merciless exploitation of natural resources. For the entire interview visit ustream.tv/ recorded/ 10187414

Dare to Make a Difference October Update

2010-10-04T19:59:00.000-07:00

Photo: John Masuku, VOP Director, Zimbabwe

Dear Friends,

Now that we have started modestly but successfully with our web TV program "Dare to Make a Difference", we would like to recommend it to you and your friends.

Dare to Make a Difference is planned as a 45 to 60 minute weekly live web TV broadcast of stories, accounts, reviews and interviews featuring people and organizations, that are making a difference in the world divided by ethnic, national, racial, religious and political divides. At this moment our live broadcast can be watched on http://www.ustream.tv/channel/renewing-our-minds-challenge every Wednesday at 9.00 pm CST (Central Summer Time, Houston time..). We are still looking for the most optimal time for the live broadcast, and will let you know on time should the schedule change.

Our first broadcast two weeks ago featured Brett McMichael, an American psychologist, who invested fifteen years of his professional and personal life in helping children with special needs in Croatia, Romania and Honduras, and Adina Cristea, a founder and the Business Development Manager of the first YouthBank in Romania.

The second one, broadcast one week ago featured Samuil Petrovski, the Director of Alliance of Evangelical Students in Serbia and Monte Negro (EUS - Evandjeosko udruzenje studenata), which is the Serbian national branch of International Federation of Evangelical Students.

Our next live broadcast this Wednesday, 9.00 pm CST will feature a 30 minute interview with John Masuku, Zimbabwe. John Masuku is an internationally known radio producer, broadcaster and journalist, and the Director of Voice of the People (VOP) Radio. Radio VOP has been commended for its resilience despite hardships, bombing of its production facilities, imprisonment of its Director, and continued broadcasting of diverse views in difficult circumstances. In 2006 VOP was the winner of the 2006 BBC Sponsored One World Media Special Award For Media Development. In the coming interview John Masuku will provide an assessment of the current political and social situation in Zimbabwe, reflect on the ten years of VOP's service, and share his hopes and dreams for the future of Zimbabwe.

Dare to Make a Difference reflects the vision and mission of the Renewing Our Minds Initiative, namely a vision of a new generation of leaders with characters transformed by Jesus of Nazareth, committed to reconciliation, peacemaking, friendship, leadership of service, healing social action, and building of benevolent communities.

Join us this Wednesday at 9.00 pm CDT at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/renewing-our-minds-challenge. For the follow-up rebroadcast times, archived programs and additional materials related to DTMD broadcasts visit http://www.facebook.com/tkukolja#!/pages/Dare-to-Make-a-Difference/148577901845733?ref=ts .

Let's get together and invite your friends.
Tihomir Kukolja
Dare to Make a Difference Producer/Presenter
Renewing Our Minds, Director

Ladder of Inference

2010-09-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

Randall Butler, the Institute for Sustainable Peace Executive Director, speaks at Renewing Our Minds 2010 Gathering in Fuzine, Croatia and explains the process of often misguided assumptions and conclusions, known as the Ladder of Inference. Fuzine, Croatia, July 2010.

ROM 2010 Fuzine - Ladder of Inference from Tihomir Kukolja on Vimeo.

Zlocesti su na drugoj strani

2010-09-06T07:54:00.000-07:00

Intervju, Tihomir Kukolja, direktor projekta Renewing Our Minds / ROM, Novi list, subota 4. rujna 2010. godine. Intervju vodio Marinko Krmpotic

1. Mirotvorstvo, oprost, pomirba i poticanje plemenitog liderstva i nadalje će biti temelj našeg rada, ali uz Fužine i Hrvatsku svakako ćemo seminar pokušati širiti i na druge dijelove svijeta, oblikujući postojeće i nove ROM projekte na taj način da privuku organizirane skupine mladih lidera iz brojnih dijelova svijeta koji čeznu za novim naraštajem lidera, moralnih i izmirenih

2 .Pojam Renewing Our Minds (Obnova uma) dolazi iz Svetog pisma, iz misli Svetog Pavla i vezan je uz nužnost potrebe da se, želi li se slijediti Isusov nauk, nužno mora stvoriti drukčiji sustav vrijednosti od onog koji ima većina ljudi. ROM je proizvod našeg podneblja kao odgovor na podijeljenosti nastale na prostoru Jugoistočne Europe, ali je u radu obogaćen s brojnim suradnicima iz cijeloga svijeta.

3. Prvi skup ROM-a održan je 1999. godine, a stalno mjesto održavanja trotjednih seminara je tzv. Fužinarska kuća u Fužinama. Krovna i utemeljiteljska organizacija ROM-a je Međunarodni centar za život sa sjedištem u Rijeci, a idejni tvorac ROM projekta je Stevo Dereta, utemeljitelj i sadašnji predsjednik MCZ-a.

Krajem prošlog mjeseca u Fužinskoj kući Hope Centra uspješno je završen već dvanaesti po redu trotjedni seminar Renewing Our Minds (Obnova uma), vrlo ugledan međunarodni projekt koji je u proteklih dvanaest godina stekao status institucije koja na području Jugoistočne Europe, ali i znatno šire, daje značajan doprinos ideji mirotvorstva, pomirbe, nenasilnog rješavanja sukoba i razvoja tzv. plemenitog liderstva. Već devet godina čelni čovjek ovog projekta je Tihomir Kukolja s kojim smo porazgovarali o prošlosti i budućnosti ROM-a:

Kao zaseban i originalan projekt ROM je nastao krajem devedesetih godina prošlog stoljeća u okviru rada Međunarodnog centra za život iz Rijeke. Tijekom ratnih i poratnih godina taj se Centar bavio izbjeglicama i načinima na kojima im se moglo pomoći i tu su negdje začeci ideje ROM-a. Naime, suočeni s brojnim problemima tog poratnog razdoblja u Međunarodnom centru za život počeli su razmišljati o tome na koji način dati svoj doprinos prevladavanju tog stanja. Skupina mladih suradnika centra prepoznala je potrebu ulaganja u živote mladih ljudi. Točnije, odlučili su baviti se ponajprije onom vrstom mladih ljudi koja će u bliskoj budućnosti imati ulogu lidera, vođe na najrazličitijim područjima društvene, političke, privredne ili neke druge vrsta životnih djelatnosti. S njima je potrebno raditi, njih je potrebno podučavati jednom novom načinu razmišljanja u okviru kojeg će u prvom planu umjesto mržnje, neprijateljstva, sukoba, nacionalnih i inih podjela, i svega ono što je i dovelo do tragedije, biti dogovor, razgovor, razumijevanje i uvažavanje. Također željeli smo u polaznika potaknuti potrebu za temeljitom duhovnom i karakternom obnovom samoga sebe, kako bi iz njih stasali lideri od integriteta, spremni nesebično služiti svojoj zajednici i narodu. Kao najidealniji uzor za ovakvu promjenu svijesti i prihvaćanje ovakvog pogleda na svijet, izabran je život, djelo i ideje Isusa iz Nazareta.

Nije li to djelovalo demotivirajuće? Naime, već sam spomen Isusa vuče konotacije uz religiju, a upravo mržnje utemeljene na religijskim razlikama bile su vrlo česti povodi sukobima na ovom području?

Bili smo svijesni opasnosti takvih tumačenja, ali upornošću smo ih nadvladali. Naime, duhovna i filozofska platforma ROM-a ne temelji se na religiji, već na učenjima Isusa iz Nazareta. Mi prepoznajemo razliku između Isusovog nauka i stremljenja religija koje poglavito teže k svojatanju Boga, te manipulaciji Bogom u svrhu kontrole nad sljedbenicima. Dok religija poglavito dijeli ljude na naše i one druge, Isus iz Nazareta privlači i potiče ljepotom svog karaktera.

U Isusu iz Nazareta prepoznajemo Boga kojeg mi nemamo pravo kontrolirati i učlanjivati u naše religijske klubove, već Boga koji je svojim utjelovljenjem u Kristu, svojom žrtvom i uskrsnućem obgrlio cijeli svijet u njegovoj različitosti. Isus nije utemeljitelj kršćanstva, već Božji govor svima – kršćanima, muslimanima, budistima, agnosticima, ateistima... On je iznad svih religijskih sustava svijeta i nije im podređen. Upravo stoga kad predsta vljamo Isusa mi obvezno kažemo Isus iz Nazareta, naglašavajući time njegovo početno, temeljno učenje koje je daleko jače od onoga u što se religija znala i zna pretvoriti. Sve to kroz trotjedni rad shvaćaju i prepoznaju polaznici ROM-a i nije prejako reći da se mahom zaljubljuju u Isusa iz Nazareta koji nije stjegonoša bile čije religijske baštine, već pripada svima. Također, iako u početku u to malo tko vjeruje, uskoro gotovo svi polaznici ROM-a prihvaćaju i Isusovu radikalnu poruku izraženu pozivom »Ljubite svoje neprijatelje« jer shvaćaju da je upravo to temeljni preduvjet učinkovite pomirbe, mirotvorstva i oprosta.«

Koliku je pažnju u ovih 12 godina privukao ROM?

Od 1999. godine ROM susrete pohodilo je više od 500 mladih lidera iz više od 40 zemalja. Programe ROM-a obogatilo je tijekom svih ovih godina 50 predavača i mentora iz svijeta i regije, a među njima je bio i niz svjetski uglednih intelektualaca, stručnjaka i mirotvoraca. ROM su pohađali polaznici iz svih zemalja Jugoistočne Europe, te zemalja poput Izraela, Cipra, Iraka, Ugande, Zimbabvea, Ruande, SAD-a, brojnih zapadnoeuropskih zemalja, Australije...

Brojke su vrijedne pažnje. No, kakvi su rezultati?

ROM je također poslužio kao poticaju u stvaranju niza vrijednih inicijativa i projekata s društvenim angažmanom u regiji i svijetu pa tako već nekoliko godina u Fužinama ljeti traje Economic Diplomacy Seminar (Seminar za razvoj ekonomske diplomacije), u SAD-u je pokrenut The Institute for Sustainable Peace, a u Keniji i Ugandi su naši polaznici osnovali sve ugledniji African Leadership Forum. To je samo dio opusa društveno korisnih inicijativa pokrenutih od strane polaznika ROM-a.

Također, kroz proteklih 12 godina veliki broj polaznika ROM-a pronašli su svoj osobni životni poziv tijekom sudjelovanja na ROM-u. Bez obzira o kojem je pozivu riječ njih sve povezuje želja da se služi bližnjemu. Bivše polaznike ROM-a danas ćete poglavito pronaći tamo gdje treba zaštititi manjine i unaprijediti njihov standard života; tamo gdje još uvijek treba prevladati etničke i vjerske podjele; tamo gdje treba zaštiti dostojanstvo čovjeka… kao promicatelje svjetonazora društvene pravednosti, oprosta, suradnje, razumijevanja... Nešto se u tim ljudima dogodilo što je promijenilo njihov život, i sada i oni nastoje promijeniti živote drugih i raditi na promjeni svijeta na bolje. Niz takvih mladih ljudi u Albaniji, Rumunjskoj, Bugarskoj, Kosovu, Makedoniji… već su i na značajnim političkim položajima, a jedan od najboljih domaćih primjera svakako je Vukovarac Srđan Antić koji je pohađajući ROM još davne 2000. godine doživio presudni poticaj koji ga je preobrazio u uglednog i značajnog sudionika u radu nevladinih organizacija u Hrvatskoj.«

Budući da je jedna od temeljnih ideja rada ROM-a pomirba, kakva su tu iskustva, pogotovo ona vezana uz područje bivše države čiji su se narodi zaratili?

Pomirba je riječ od koje još uvijek mnogi na našim prostorima zaziru. Izgleda da su zločesti uvijek na onoj drugoj strani, što nas od Hrvatske do Srbije, pa preko Bosne i Hercegovine, Kosova i Makedonije uvijek navodi na zaključak da se ispričati i pokajati treba netko drugi ali ne ja i moj narod. ROM potiče svoje polaznike da u traženju krivaca valja početi od propitivanja samoga sebe i naroda koje predstavljaju, te da pritom valja prepoznati ljudskost, stradanja i žrtve onih na drugoj strani. Tek sada poneki odvažni državnici i politički lideri u regiji nastupaju s isprikama za počinjena nedjela tijekom ratova u devedesetima. No tijekom susreta ROM-a to se događa svake godine. Mnogi polaznici ROM-a dolaze s izrazitim nacionalnim nabojem, ali s ROM-a odlaze izmireni, kao prijatelji, braća i sestre, oslobođeni predrasuda jednih prema drugima.

Allen Belton Reports from Croatia

2010-08-31T13:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Saints,

Thank you for praying for me and my time of ministry here in Eastern Europe. I am ending a month long trip of traveling to Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and Bulgaria.

My Balkan journey began at the ROM (Renewing Our Minds) Gathering 2010 in the hills of Fuzine, Croatia. Two significant things about ROM this year were: 1. it was a smaller group of participants which allowed each person to go deeper in their relationships with one another and have more time to reflect on the powerful messages and information they received. The smaller number of participants allowed me to spend more one-on-one time with each of them which blessed me and I hope I was a blessing to them. 2. After ROM we had a very crucial meeting which was called a Summit. This Summit lasted two days and it critically examined the past, present and future of ROM. As the results of the work are summarized I will share more about the progression and development of ROM.

When ROM ended I was able to travel to Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and Bulgaria. During that time I had the privilege to be a roommate with Brett McMichael. Many of you have prayed for Brett as he battled through and had a successful kidney transplant. He has been a real blessing for me because of his knowledge and experience as a missionary for 11 years in Croatia. He is fluent in the language which has been a true blessing, as you know my struggles with foreign languages. He has been a tremendous help with his caliber and competency in the language and culture.

Currently I am at a camp called Cinta on the Island of Ugljan off the coast of Croatia. The organizers of this camp are Momir Blazek from Croatia and Samuilo Petrovski from Serbia. Momir is the leader of STEP (Students Evangelical Movement) and Samuilo is the leader of EUS (Evangelical University Students). Both of them are quite active leaders in their respective countries. This camp is about the coming together of Serbians and Croatians. Due to the war here in this region in the early to mid 1990s there is a tremendous need for reconciliation and friendship building across ethnic and national divides. This camp allows reconciliation and friendship building to happen between college age students. There are also good representations from different Christian denominations. This allows those from different Christian backgrounds a chance to exchange ideas and see that we all believe in Christ, we just worship Him in different ways. This year's theme is "No Man is An Island" and the text that is in focus is about the Good Samaritan. I was privileged to be the opening speaker of the evening lectures. Each night we have different speakers. One night the speaker was Miroslav Wolf, he is a well known theologian from Croatia and a professor at Yale University.

At this camp I have been speaking, leading workshops and conducting a gospel choir of 20 voices, which we called Voices of Praise. Another workshop I had been asked to do was one about finding a good life-mate. It was well attended by 16 men and 14 women. Another workshop was held by Vanja Miljevic on Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Literacy. She did a masterful job on unfolding the whole topic of emotional intelligence, feelings, communication and relations in this Eastern European culture and society. Some of you may remember Vanja as a staff member for nine months at University Presbyterian Church in Seattle in the University Ministries ministry. We all have a great deal of respect and admiration for this leader.

Each day we wake up at 7:30am and have a staff meeting with prayer at 8:00am. Breakfast is at 8:30am followed by morning speakers and some free time until lunch which is at 1:00pm. We again have free time and meet once more from 5:00pm - 7:00pm for some workshops. Dinner is at 7:00pm and at 8:00pm there is time for worship followed by a lecture. The evening program usually ends at 9:30pm. The camp is the emergence of young leaders and among them is 21 year old Ela, who is pursuing a Master's Degree in Theology. I'm certain God is going to use her and that we are going to hear about her and other people like her.

I have also had an extremely heavy schedule both at ROM and Cinta with one-on-one sessions of coaching and mentoring leaders and participants. I am convinced that this is where God is leading me and giving me strength, wisdom and grace.

Thank you again for making this trip possible through your prayers and your support to be instrumental in the development and encouragement of leaders in this region of the world.

"Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. For you have heard my vows, O God; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name." Psalm 61:1-5 Christ is all.

From your partner in ministry, Grace and Peace!

Allen A. Belton
Senior Partner Reconciliation Ministries
www.breakthroughpartners.org
abelton@breakthroughpartners.org

Brett McMichael's Update

2010-08-29T12:35:00.000-07:00

We find the following report written by Brett McMichael, a member of the ROM Gathering 2010 Summer Team, very warm and informative. It is our pleasure to share it with you:

Dear Friends,

Since I last wrote to you at the conclusion of the children's cancer camp nearly two months ago, a lot has happened! That is why I have not been in regular contact with you. After the camp I was part of the leadership team for a gathering of young adults from all over the Balkan region called Renewing Our Minds, or ROM for short. This gathering is designed with the purpose of building friendships across ethnic and religious divides. These differences have for far too long been a source of mistrust, fear and even hatred. This in turn has led to wars in this region.

This year's ROM gathering (the twelfth since 1999) was again successful at helping these young adults see beyond ethnic stereotypes and forge new, strong relationships built on trust and a common vision of wanting to make this region a better place for all. ROM is based on the principles of love, peace, reconciliation and forgiveness as taught and demonstrated by Jesus. In addition to receiving sound teaching based on the Bible, these young adults also heard from well known speakers from diverse fields of expertise including, psychology, political science, history, economics, etc. Workshops were also offered to help develop practical skills in such areas as conflict resolution, project development, personal stewardship of finances, and understanding personality differences and how they affect choice of vocation and relationships. I also taught a workshop on understanding and coping with loss, which is a huge factor influencing the psychological well being of the Balkan region.

Besides encouraging reconciliation ROM tries to instill in these young people the belief that they are significant, God cares about them and what happens to them. At ROM we emphasize that each of their lives has a unique purpose and that purpose comes from God. Thus it is important to carefully consider what it is God wants us to do with our lives since ultimately our lives our a gift from Him.

The young people who attend ROM have been identified by previous participants, mentors and other community leaders as having strong leadership potential. Therefore we also try to teach both principles and practices of successful leaders. Leadership with integrity and leaders who serve are the two main themes that are emphasized. While we look at such inspiring leaders as Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa and Martin Luther King Jr, Jesus serves as our chief role model. Thus we remind the participants that if they want to be great they should think about ways they can empower others who are oppressed rather than exalting themselves.

It is evidence that people who attend ROM take this advice to heart since many former participants have gone on to establish projects which bring about reconciliation in their communities, serve the poor, work with orphans, teach the disabled and provide encouragement to those suffering from illness.

After ROM I traveled with a small group friends (Samuil Petrovski, Allen Belton, Martha S. Weiss, Bojan Ruvarac, Aleks and Jessica Jarcev...) around the Balkan region to visit and encourage former ROM participants. From the northwest of Croatia I traveled east to Belgrade, Serbia, which is the capital city. We spent a few days meeting with young adults, carefully listening to them and their concerns, then sharing scripture and praying with them. Common prayer needs were for help with staying focused on their university studies (if they were still students) while those out of school needed lots of prayer for help finding work. The economy is not too strong here so unemployment is high, but it is especially high for young adults.

From Belgrade we traveled south stopping for a brief visit to Leskovac, a small city in southern Serbia. The phrase, Sto juznije, sto tuznije, or in other words, the farther south you go the sadder things get, became much too apparent as we entered that place. Here poverty was even more pronounced. But even amidst economic difficulty we found joy, the joy that comes from knowing Christ in a real way. We were blessed by the hospitality of a local pastor and his family. We sang and prayed together, encouraging them in their ministry.

From Leskovac we traveled farther south to Skopje, the capital city of Macedonia. Again we met with former ROM participants and caught up on their lives - marriages, births, deaths, new jobs, new apartments, etc. We heard about their struggles as well as their triumphs. Reading God's Holy Word and lifting up all their concerns in prayer we all felt God's presence among us. One day we took a brief side trip to Thessaloniki, Greece to see some of the sights. We saw an old Turkish fortress, a huge Orthodox Church and the old market. It was a very interesting and pretty city but I must admit it was hard to enjoy it fully since it was so very hot (upper 90s).

Our last stop on our Tour of Encouragement was Sofia, Bulgaria, which is also a capital city. Sofia had some scenic parks and beautiful churches, but our main reason to visit there was to spend time with more young adults. Similar stories we heard before we told, difficulty finding jobs and affording apartments, challenges to keeping the faith when surrounded by materialism, promiscuity, cynicism, and misuse of religion for personal gain or political manipulation. Through our fellowship together though the Holy Spirit moved among us and brought not only words of hope to our lips but a real sense of confidence that God is indeed working even in such seemingly desperate situations as these. Again we were blessed by the hospitality of the family with whom we stayed. Though they were of very modest means, this family feed us such wonderful food. The mother had suffered a stroke and lost the use of one of her hands yet still insisted on getting up and making us all crepe style pancakes for breakfast!

Returning to Belgrade we all rested for a couple of days. We were all exhausted! I must admit I began feeling like the apostle Paul a bit, but I had much nicer transport and accommodations! I had a cold since the end of ROM, but didn't treat it since I thought it was a virus and just hoped it would go away on its own. Finally in Belgrade I went to a doctor and got a throat culture done to determine if I had a bacterial infection. I indeed did, so she started me on some antibiotics. Within a couple of days I was already feeling much better.

On August 17th we left Belgrade, Serbia on a 12 hour, overnight, bus ride to the Island of Ugljan, which is off of the coast of Croatia. Here we had a Christian camp for around 70 university students from Croatia and Serbia. This camp was organized by two student evangelical organizations, STEP from Croatia and EUS from Serbia. They are affiliated with IFES (International Federation of Evangelical Students). In the USA, Intervarsity would be the equivalent organization.

Each morning we had a speaker who presented the topic of emotional intelligence as it relates to understanding ourselves and getting along with those around us at work, church, school, and in society in general. It was very well prepared and had lots of practical applications. In the afternoons there were plenty of interesting optional workshops including such activities as gospel singing, art, salsa dancing, and the game Go. I enjoyed learning to play Go, which is a Chinese stragy game. It's easy to start playing, but it takes a long time to master advanced strategy.

In the evenings we had absolutely wonderful worship provided by the students and staff. There were so many talented musicians - everything from blues guitar playing to classical harp! The singing was fantastic too! The theme of the camp was, No Man is an Island. The main Biblical text was the story of the Good Samaritan. Students were confronted daily with the questions, Who is my neighbor? And, To whom will I be a neighbor? Great preaching was heard each night from various pastors as well as a couple of students studying theology.

In between speakers, workshops and worship there was plenty of free time for swimming in the beautiful, crystal clear Adriatic sea. The water was perfect, cool and refreshing! The beaches there are quite rocky, but this doesn't bother me nor most of the people who attended. The sea is quite healthy as we could see a lot of marine life including schools of fish, sea cucumbers, sea urchins and many types of sea plant life.

The students truly enjoyed themselves and were deeply inspired by the messages preached each evening. A few non-believers decided to accept Christ as their savior at the camp. As is typical with any student camp there were many late nights and long conversations. This presented me with great opportunities to disciple believers and witness to non-believers. My ministry over the years has been with children and teens and I love it, but I must say I found working with these students very enjoyable and rewarding too.

The camp ended on the 25th and I left the students and staff to travel onto Osijek, Croatia, where I am currently writing this letter. I used to live here from 1996 to 2004 so I have quite a few friends to visit. I will see the Evangelical Theological Seminary where I used to teach and the hospital where I started the psychosocial support program. On Thursday the 2nd of September I will return to Zagreb for nearly a week where I will spend some time with friends and visit former projects before coming home to the US on the 8th.

I look forward to hearing from each of you and hopefully over the course of these coming months seeing many of you in person! You are all in my prayers. May the Lord grant you blessings of health and happy times with family and friends.

Your friend and brother in Jesus Christ,

Brett McMichael

Meet the Speakers – Nate Ussery

2010-08-25T05:20:00.000-07:00

Meet the Speakers - Nate Ussery from Tihomir Kukolja on Vimeo.

Nate Ussery has been involved with ROM since 1999, and his wife Ali were members of the team that developed the initiative. They lived in Fuzine and surrounding area for two and a half years before moving to the UK. Nate is originally from Los Angeles, California, USA. He, his wife Ali and their three children currently live in North Wales, UK. Nate spends much of his time travelling and supporting young people and leaders in Europe, as well as being involved with local political leaders. Nate’s gifts lie in the areas of mentoring and encouraging individuals to explore faith and Biblical principles that can be used to positively influence relationships within families, communities and countries.

Meet the Speakers – Leo van Doesburg

2010-08-24T12:54:00.000-07:00

Meet the Speakers - Leo van Doesburg from Tihomir Kukolja on Vimeo.

Leo van Doesburg from the Netherlands, is the representative for East Europe for the European Christian Political Movement (ECPM), which has as its main aim to promote the values of Jesus in all levels of Politics in Europe. He trains politicians from many countries in Eastern Europe and organizes conferences about protecting family values, religious freedom and multi party democracy. Leo travels extensively throughout East Europe and beyond, and currently lives in Timisoara, Romania. Leo spoke on the themes such as “Rebuilding the Walls” and “From Vision to Action”.

Meet the Speakers – Mihaela Kovacs

2010-08-17T14:36:00.000-07:00

One of the ROM 2010 speakers was Mihaela Kovacs from Sighisoara, Romania. Mihaela graduated from the Faculty of Sociology and Social Work in 2006. She is the founder and Director of Fundatia Beraca Sighisoara, a non-profit organization against family violence and abuse. She has worked in the field of social work since 1997, dedicating her time, skills and energy to serving underprivileged families and those oppressed by discrimination due to their ethnic or minority status. Michaela has been actively involved in the leadership activities of ROM since 2006. She spoke this summer on the theme – Abusive Power of Discrimination.

Interview with Allen Belton

2010-08-15T13:20:00.000-07:00

Novi list, a well known Croatian daily newspaper, published yesterday (Saturday 14^th August 2010) a two page interview with Allen Belton, speaker and mentor at ROM Gathering 2010 (and all previous ROM Gatherings since 2001), under the title “Without Forgiveness There is No Future”. In the coming weeks we will try to provide an English translation of the interview. Croatian text here....

ROM Gathering - Mission and Action

2010-08-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

Mission and Action represent the closing stage of the ROM Gathering (Monday 2/8 – Wednesday 4/8/2010). Participants are encouraged to reflect on what they have gained in the previous two weeks. They are encouraged to look towards transforming their visions into action in their countries and communities. During the Mission and Vision stage workshops providing some useful tools play a very important role in encouraging ROM participants to serve their communities. Some of the workshops this summer were: Developing Healthy Interpersonal Relationships (Mihaela Kovacs); Stability with the Focus on Personal Finances (Zeljko Puja); How People Learn (Scott Boldt); Understanding Yourself and Your Neighbor (Martha S. Weiss); Let’s Talk about Forgiveness (Allen Belton); Dealing with Loss (Brett McMichael); Making Your Personal Plan (Leo van Doesburg); and Developing Mentoring and Internship Programs (Samuil Petrovski).

Meet the Speakers – Mihal Kreko

2010-08-09T11:27:00.000-07:00

Mihal Kreko is presently working on developing a community center in Zagreb, Croatia, that envisions integrating a government for civic initiatives, local community needs and the mission of the association and the church that Mihal founded and leads. He is a pastor and publisher; last year for the 500th anniversary of the birth of Jean Calvin, he published in Croatian Calvin’s work “De Vita Hominis Christiani” (1550), the Life and of the Christian Man. He is the father of five children.

Meet the Speakers – Mihal Kreko from Tihomir Kukolja on Vimeo.

Meet the Speakers – Meic Pearse

2010-08-08T13:55:00.000-07:00

Meet the Speakers – Meic Pearse from Tihomir Kukolja on Vimeo.

Meic Pearse is a Brit who currently lives in Croatia and the US, where he is Professor of History at Houghton College, New York. He did his M.Phil. and D.Phil. at the University of Oxford, UK. He is the author of seven books, most notably Why the Rest Hates the West. In Houghton he leads the “East Meets West” Honors Program, which introduces students to the study of three major world civilizations: the Catholic/Protestant West, Eastern Orthodoxy and Islam. He has been also a lecturer of Church History at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek, Croatia since 1995.

Brett Speaks at ROM Banquet 2010

2010-08-07T05:49:00.000-07:00

Brett Speaks at ROM Banquet 2010 from Tihomir Kukolja on Vimeo.

Brett McMichael speaks encouraging words at the ROM Banquet 2010 about the friends he met at ROM Gathering 2010 in Fuzine, Croatia.

ROM 2010: A Journey of Openness

2010-08-04T07:41:00.000-07:00

By Randall Butler

As you read this, thirty-five courageous men and women are on a journey in Croatia. Their physical location will not change (except for an occasional field trip to the coast) for they are not touring to see the ancient villages and beautiful islands of the Dalmatian Coast. Theirs is a journey of transformation and discovery, which is why I call them courageous.

They are purposely crossing boundaries that most of us are not brave enough to get near or even consider venturing across. They are finding openings in the walls that separate enemies and walking through them not to attack each other but to build relationships. Serbs, Bosnians, Kosovars, Albanians, Croats, Macedonians joined by some Northern Irish, Americans, Romanians and Dutch – they are challenging the mental models, the ethnic stereotypes and misunderstandings that would keep them divided.

Along the way they are also speaking the truth about the atrocities each side has committed against the other. They speak the truth not in order to whip up their hatred of the other but to acknowledge the suffering of all and the need for a new collective future. Together they are learning the power of forgiveness to remove the shackles of bitterness, spite, and hatred.... Randall Butler, The Institute for Sustainable Peace.... Read all HERE.

ROM 2010 - Inspiration from Romania

2010-08-04T02:34:00.000-07:00

Inspiration from Romania from Tihomir Kukolja on Vimeo.

Adina Cristea, Romania, shares a story about amazing progress of Youth Bank in Romania, at the Evening of Inspiration moderated by Allen Belton, at ROM Gathering 2010 in Fuzine, Croatia (August 2010).

ROM 2010 in Progress - Challenge and Purpose

2010-08-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

We have by now passed stage two and three on the journey called ROM Gathering 2010. Challenge (stage 2) has been always the most challenging stage of the ROM Gathering (Friday 23/7 – Wednesday 28/7). It is designed to lead participants to assess the painful realities of individual and societal hurts of the communities we are all coming from. The targeted issues are wars, ethnic and religious nationalism, racism, poverty, dysfunctional environments and personal hurts. The objective of this stage of ROM Gathering 2010 is to lead the participants to emotional and spiritual healing and restoration. As a part of the process participants are encouraged to share their own hurts, and to develop a attitude of empathy towards the hurts of others, especially those on the other side of ethnic, racial or religious divide. The tag lines for the Reconciliation and Healing stage are – conflict resolution, identity, forgiveness, reconciliation, healing, peace and social justice.

PURPOSE is the name for the third stage of the ROM Gathering 2010 (Thursday 29/7 – Sunday 1/8), when ROM participants are encouraged to discover their purpose, calling and vision for service in their countries and communities. The emphasis is on leadership of integrity, sacrificial service and the features of leadership modeled by the example of Jesus of Nazareth. The tag lines for the New Paradigm for Leadership stage are – purpose, calling, vision, integrity and leadership of service.

Meet the Speakers – Allen Belton

2010-07-31T14:56:00.000-07:00

Allen Belton from Seattle WA, USA is passionate about reconciliation. He has been serving as a ROM speaker and mentor every year since 2001. Allen has also led reconciliation workshops at University Presbyterian Church in Seattle, WA, USA where he served as Senior Associate Director fro Urban and Global Mission. In addition to the Balkans, Allen has also served as a group leader on short mission trips to Israel, Kenya, Ethiopia, Namibia and USA. He has recently joined Breakthrough Partners, a ministry committed to reconciliation in the national as well as international arena. He currently lives in Seattle with his wife Margaret. He is the father of four children and the grandfather of eleven grandchildren.

Meet the Speakers – Allen Belton from Tihomir Kukolja on Vimeo.

Meet the speakers - Leonardo Rocha dos Santos

2010-07-30T06:06:00.000-07:00

Leonardo Rocha dos Santos, from Brazil, currently lives and works in St. Albans, England. By profession he is a metallurgical technician with a passion for social activism. Over the years he served as a volunteer in Brazil, Mozambique, Nigeria and UK. He is also a co-founder of the Way to the Nations NGO, an international arm of the Brazilian Christian movement named Caminho da Graca (Way of Grace). Currently Leo is involved in the voluntary activism that focuse on saving the Nigerian children labeled as witches by self-styled minister and prophets.

Meet the Speakers - Botrus Mansour

2010-07-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

Botrus Mansour, an Arab lawyer from Nazareth, Israel serves today as a general director of Nazareth Baptist School, a k-12 school with close to 1000 Arab students (both Muslim and Christian), considered to be among the top educational institutions in Israel. He is a member of the Musalaha Advisory Board, a reconciliation organization, and has recently co-founded the IEF (Israel Educational Forum) that brings together Arab Evangelical and Messianic Jewish ministries in the divided land of Israel. Botrus lives in Nazareth with his wife Abir and three children.

Meet the Speakers - Burnett Thompson

2010-07-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

Burnett Thompson, Washington DC, has had careers in business and politics. He has come to Fuzine for the twelfth time as a speaker and mentor. His wife Ramona and Burnett celebrate this summer their 60th wedding anniversary. By now all of his six grandchildren have attended ROM. Generations of ROM participants have found Burnett to be a loved and excellent mentor and counselor.

Meet the Speakers - Scott Boldt

2010-07-24T14:24:00.000-07:00

Scott Boldt has been the Director of the Edgehill Theological College Reconciliation Programme in Belfast since 2006. He is currently chairperson of the All-Ireland Churches' Consultative Meeting on Racism, as well as of EMBRACE, a voluntary group of Christians from across denominations, serving churches to make Northern Ireland a more welcoming community. Most of his working career has focused on education: teaching, setting up initiatives, researching and writing books. With his wife Hillary they have two young children - Christopher and Sophie.

Transition to Peace from Tihomir Kukolja on Vimeo.

Meet the Speakers - Randall Butler

2010-07-24T03:12:00.000-07:00

Randall Butler demonstrates Miroslav Volf's Metaphor of Embrace at the Renewing Our Minds 2010 Gathering in Fuzine, Croatia, July 2010. Randall Butler is the founding director of The Institute for Sustainable Peace, Houston TX. His passion for resolving conflict and peacemaking has taken him to ROM in Fuzine, Croatia each summer since 2002 where he serves as a speaker and mentor teaching Generative Dialogue and conflict resolution skills.

Embrace from Tihomir Kukolja on Vimeo.

ROM Gathering 2010 in Fuzine

2010-07-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

Renewing Our Minds, or ROM for short, a Southeast European initiative of change with the vision of transformed leadership, inspired by the character and teachings of Jesus Christ, has by now completed its first stage - Embrace.

ROM's mission is to develop leaders of integrity, committed to reconciliation, peace-building and healing social action; leaders who, renewed in their minds, characters, attitudes and actions in the likeness of Jesus, are steadily transforming their constituencies, communities and countries. In short, ROM is about a community of Jesus’ followers building for the Kingdom of God through reconciliation, leadership of service and friendship. ROM Gathering implements tools such as lecture and presentation sessions, preferably interactive (we encourage creative use of drama, music, video clips, power-point presentations, handouts, illustrative exercises and other forms of interactions between speakers and participants during the sessions); café dialogues, forums and workshops; exercises and games with a purpose; small groups; drama, acting, music, movie nights and entertainment events; community service; and inspirational events.

During the EMBRACE stage of the gathering the entire leadership team and all facilitators, by their actions of loving service, have demonstrated to the new participants that they are loved, accepted and safe in the new environment regardless of their national, ethnic, racial or religious backgrounds. These are also the days when Jesus of Nazareth and his message of love for God and fellow neighbor are introduced. By the end of the Embrace stage the participants have gained a glimpse of what an inclusive and loving community looks like when gathered around the person of Jesus. By now, together we have built a community of people ready to hear each other stories with respect and a spirit of empathy, and are ready to move on into the second stage of our journey, known as Challenge.

Meet the ROM Gathering 2010 Team

2010-07-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

Meet the ROM Gathering 2010 Team...

ROM 2010 Team Shares from Tihomir Kukolja on Vimeo.

ROM 2010 - Meet the Team

2010-07-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

Brett McMichael, who previously served ten years in Croatia helping to develop programs and projects for children with special needs, is now back to Croatia to join the teams serving at the Krijesnica Camp and the core ROM Summer 2010 Team in Fuzine.

Brett McMichael - Another Great Camp

2010-07-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

This is not about ROM but it is great nevertheless. While the ROM Core Summer Team 2010 is working on the final details to have everything ready for the ROM Gathering 2010 to start in a week, another amazing project has been taking place in Hope House and Fuzine over the past week. Brett McMichael, who is a member of ROM Summer 2010 Core Team has bee also serving in the team putting together the Krijesnica Camp 2010. He now shares what a great success this camp has been:

It was a huge success!!! The camp was sponsored and organized by the Croatian Children's Cancer Society called Krijesnica (or lightening bug). This was the first international camp we had. We had children from Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia and Bosnia. There were nearly 40 children and teens from 6 to 18 years of age. The camp started on Wed. June 30th and ended on Wed. July 7th. With the exception of one day in which rain spoiled our plans to walk on a beautiful nature path in the mountains, all other days were gorgeous - sunny with a few clouds, highs in the mid to upper 70s F (low to mid 20s C) and nights were typically cool for our mountain location - in the 50s F (low teens C). We are at an elevation of around 2,550 feet above sea level (850 meters).

We kept the children busy with workshops in music, art, sports and social games every day. We had outtings to 2 caves and a nature preserve which featured unique rock formations and a thick, lush pine forest. Our children also enjoyed walking around the lake here in the town of Fuzine. The town has built a wonderful walkway which is nice and clean and safe.

With only minor illnesses and injuries we are glad to report that all children were in good condition and in great spirits!

On Saturday July 3rd we had a special workshop to deal with topics related to the psycho-social aspects of illness and hospitalization. First a 25 minute animated film called Peter and the Dragon was shown which is about a boy who battles cancer. The film was made in Holland but since it has no dialog, only images and music it was clearly understood by the audience. Cancer was depicted as a mean hungry dragon and Peter the night who battled him. He got help from chemotherapy which was depicted as bubbles which shrink the dragon, but some of the chemo was depicted as a bit crazy as it ate both good and bad stuff � explaining the reason chemo helps but also does some harm. All of the children LOVED the film and said it captured the true essence of battling illness. Many an eye was wet by the time the film ended � both those of the children as well as the adults. Krijesnice bought the authors rights so they can distribute the film to all the children in this Balkan region.

The children were then assigned to small groups. Each group answered specific questions designed to elicit their responses to how they coped with medical procedures, peer reactions to their illness, relationships with medical staff and parents, etc. The goal was to make posters with children's recommendations for new pediatric patients diagnosed with cancer. This way these "veterans" of cancer could help those just embarking on the difficulty journey of adapting to illness.

During this workshop a national TV crew came out and filmed the children and some of the staff (including myself) about the purpose of the workshop and camp in general. I think the info collected will help a great deal in raising public awareness about the difficulties these children face and how they are able to overcome them.

On Monday July 5th we spent an entire day with the folks from the "Adventure Academy" learning how to get along and trust one another through team building exercises. The children as well as the staff participated. We also overcame challenges such as rock climbing up a steep cliff, walking across a rope suspension bridge, zooming down a zip line and balancing on an elastic line suspended in the air. These obstacles were designed to encourage the children to overcome challenges and by so doing - build self confidence.

We had the usual camp activities such as singing around a campfire. Luckily we were GEATLY blessed with musical talent by both staff AND children. One Croatian teen, 15 years old played the guitar - pop and rock songs from both Croatia AND the west. Another camper, a 9 year old girl from Macedonia sang beautiful folk songs as well as any gifted adult could.

The artistic creations made were equally impressive - ceramic sculptures, scrap books, beaded jewelry, crepe paper flowers, etc., etc. The children were quite serious about their creations but had a fun time making them.

Sports were of course always popular throughout the camp. Most boys and a few girls wanted to play soccer (here known as football) everyday. The kids were impressed that the local soccer field had a carpet to imitate artificial grass. In front of our accommodations (which is like a mountain lodge) there is a volleyball net. That kept almost all the kids entertained during free times with games continually going as shifts of kids getting tired would be replaced by "fresh" players.

Our staff was made up of dedicated volunteers from students of 20 years of age to those who are professionals well into the middle age. We had a doctor and a nurse on duty 24 hours a day to ensure camper health and safety. All activities were led by specialists in their areas of expertise - art, music, sports, social games etc.

The camp served its purpose - it provided a pleasant escape from the medical environment and all the negative aspects associated with illness and treatment. Kids were surrounded by natural beauty and the social support of peers and staff. Fun, creative and challenging activities kept their minds and bodies busy. The children felt normal and were treated as such. One can not underestimate the power of being in a place where those who have been seriously ill are surrounded by peers who went through the same experience. All throughout the camp children shared with each other their memories, fears, hopes, anger, and joys through informal conversation. Some which lasted well into the wee hours of the morning despite our petitions for them to get to sleep!

All of the campers loved the camp and ALL want to come back next year! Their only regret was that it had to end! Many tears were shed as it was so hard to say goodbye to so many new, strongly forged friendships. Emails, phone numbers and even facebook accounts were shared in hopes that long distances would not prevent the friendships from continuing. Even a few romances blossomed among the teens. These kids felt so safe here since there was nothing to hide - all had their various scars so nobody needed to feel self conscious. Although this area has been marred by ethnic strife, I am very pleased to report that there were absolutely no ethnic tensions or teasing of any kind at the camp. It seems surviving cancer is such a strong bond they share that ethnic differences are a minor concern in comparison.

During the camp this year we had a representative from the Serbian Children's Cancer Foundation. He was there with his daughter who herself is a cancer survivor. This father is planning camps in Serbia for children with cancer and wanted to see how we organized our camp and what kinds of activities we did with the children. So our goal of multiplying our efforts in this region is already at work! The dream of Krijesnice is to one day build our own facility so that we can host camps throughout the year and expand to incluade family camps for young children with cancer and camps for young adults. Already we have interested folks from Poland who want to participate in next year's international camp!

Brett McMichael

Fuzine: We Have a Great Team

2010-06-24T13:56:00.000-07:00

Photo: ROM 2010 Summer Core Team - Tea Deak, Jessica Jarcev, Christine Kukolja, Tihomir Kukolja, Brett McMicahel, Phyllis Harries and Aleks Jarcev. Photo by Aleks Jarcev.

For us in the ROM 2010 Summer Core Team this is the most exciting season in the year. By now our entire core team has gathered in Fuzine, Croatia for the final planning weeks leading to the twelfth ROM Reconciliation and Leadership Development Gathering, or ROM Gathering 2010 in short.

Many of you know them. But for those among our friends who are new to ROM these are the members of the summer team - Tea Deak (Croatia), Phyllis Harries (UK), Brett McMichael (USA). Aleks and Jessica Jarcev (Macedonia), and Christine and Tihomir Kukolja. All of them are experienced ROM leaders, and it is a pleasure to be surrounded by each one of them. Now the final stage of the planning is moving rapidly forward. We in the team are especially trilled to have Brett with us again after three years of his absence from Croatia due to the kidney problems. Now with a new kidney he is back serving in the ROM 2010 summer team and the team launching a special camp for children with special needs next week.

We are confident of another great ROM season, and a new generation of young people from fifteen countries at least emerging this summer with a clear vision and commitment to serve their countries in the spirit of Jesus of Nazareth. The ever busier times are ahead of us in the coming weeks. Another group of about ten people will join our team a couple of days before the gathering for the most final step of preparation. Then on Sunday 18 July ROM Gathering 2010 will commence. But despite the busy schedule ahead of us, we will try to keep you informed and updated. We would like you to share as much as it is possible in our joy and excitement.

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers and thoughts. Keep on remembering us in your prayers every days this summer. Follow this blogg for more information and updates in the coming days and weeks. Follow us on twitter and Facebook too.

Tihomir Kukolja
Renewing Our Minds Project Director Fuzine, Croatia

My Macedonian Kitchen Goes to Croatia

2010-06-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

Fuzine, Croatia

Photo by Jessica Jarcev

Jessica Jarcev, a ROM Summer 2010 core team member, writes: "Fuzine, Croatia. It will always have a special place in our hearts. Actually, Fuzine is the reason my kitchen went from being an average American kitchen to my Macedonian Kitchen... it's the place where Aleks and I met. Every summer since 2006 (except for one, when we were in America) we have been coming to Fuzine to help with a reconciliation conference. So, here we are again and let me tell you after the last few weeks we've had in Skopje (remember all of the bus sweating...?) Fuzine is a dream. It is cool, green, clean and the air is so fresh! We just arrived, so we haven't been cooking, but I thought I'd share a little taste of this quiet village with you." Read more and see some amazing photos -

Bosnia-Herzegovina: Wave 2010 Spring Semester Finishes

2010-06-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

The first Wave follow up semester in 2010 is finishing two days ago. The last several weeks were great and I'm sure that it will be good to repeat similar program every year. During the summer Wave will have some activities in Tuzla and a group of Wave participants will attend ROM gathering in Fuzine. From September 20th we will start full program in Tuzla again. During the summer months Wave team members will have activities in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Poland, Bulgaria and England. So, it'll be a busy and a good summer.

The trip to Zvornik (border of Bosnia and Serbia) was a great experience. We had rain the whole day, so after the trip to Zvornik we continued our program in Tuzla. This year we had only participants from level 4 and 2 persons who were at Wave Program for the first time. In the future, it'll be good to have all 4 levels at this trip. Of course, we'll have to organize transportation by bus.

The lecture that prof. Meic Pearse held in Tuzla as a part of the Wave Program was excellent! He was speaking about differences, negative and positive sides of education systems in the East and the West. We are so encouraged with feedback from our participants that we realized that in the future we'll invite more speakers and organize regular lectures as part of our program. The most guests and our participants attending the last lecture were university students and it is encouraging for us to continue working with the university students in Tuzla. In Serbia we already have a developedcooperation with EUS (IFES) in Subotica, so we'll try to organize similar program in Serbia too. The time after class was very good and we had a long discussion with a group of students. We are planning to have prof. Pearse as part of our program in November again when we're planning also to invite the Tuzla mayor to attend the lecture.

Tea Deak, Wave, Director reporting from Bosnia-Herzegovina

Wave Follow-Up Programs in Bosnia-Herzegovina

2010-06-02T06:25:00.000-07:00

The Wave Spring Follow Up program in Tuzla 2010 is coming to its the last 3 weeks. We'll have very intensive program that starts with trip to Bosnian-Serbian border on Saturday. We are sure that it'll be very emotional time for all Wave participants who will go to that trip and we are very careful in planning program for that day. On our way to Zvornik we will pass several places that will bring back some hard memories from the recent war. On that trip we'll also have guests from Sarajevo and Srebrenica (the place of the big massacre in 1995) from Bosnia and we hope to have guests from Serbia too. Unfortunately the last several days in Bosnia rain has not not stopping and we hope that weather will serve us better during the coming weekend.

On Saturday 12th June we will have a guest teacher. Prof. Meic Pearse who teaches in Houghton College, N.Y. will give a lesson to Wave participants who are studying in University in Tuzla. The lesson will be: "Studying in the East and Studying in the West". During the session we will have a Skype conference with students from Canada, USA, UK, Poland, Romania and Macedonia. Meic Pearse will come in November again to give a lesson in a local church, when we'll also try to organize, as part of Wave program, his presentation of the book "Why the Rest Hates the West?" which he also presented in front of the president of the USA. He will also be one of the speakers at ROM Gathering 2010 in Fuzine, Croatia.

In the next 3 weeks we'll also have several lessons for smaller groups, special programs for each group and an Open Program for all levels together. We are also planning big BBQ for the end of the semester in Tuzla. During this time we will have meeting with Wave participants and volunteers who will attend ROM Gathering this year. Besides all those things we will have several smaller workshops.

Then on 20th June Wave will have the first project in Croatia. It'll be in cooperation with one of the churches in Zagreb. We will help project there by sending several volunteers and core team members. It's good to see that Wave is making steps to one more country.

Situation in Bosnia is very difficult due to ran that has been lasting for several days. Many towns are flooded, and many villagers close to Tuzla have stayed without homes. I'm thinking about ideas how Wave can help to people from those areas. Today and on Friday I'll meet with our team from Tuzla and we'll also discuss this challenge.

Tea Deak, Wave Director, Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina

ROM Weekend in Houston

2010-05-29T12:50:00.000-07:00

Can a genuine, transforming and long lasting reconciliation take place around Jesus of Nazareth between young leaders from diverse, even opposing, ethnic, racial, political and religious groups? The twelve years of Renewing Our Minds experience in the Balkans and hundreds of transformed lives across the world prove that it can. ROM Weekend in Houston TX, May 20 - 22, 2010, took place to celebrate the work of the reconciliation and leadership ministry known as ROM, or Renewing Our Minds. Get a glimpse of the spirit prevailing at the ROM Weekend in Houston as you watch this ROM video postcard. Among the speakers were Allen Belton, Randall Butler, Tihomir Kukolja and Don Teague. Inspiring and equally entertaining music was provided by Robert and Zachary Schmidt, Derrick Black, and Allen Belton.

In His Presence

2010-05-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

A moment of inspiration at Houston ROM Weekend Gathering, May 22, 2010. Allen Belton sings "In His Presence". Piano - Derrick Black.

Houston ROM Weekend Challenge Update

2010-05-24T15:29:00.000-07:00

Those attending Houston ROM Weekend Challenge in the Summit Conference Room of Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church last weekend came from Denver CO, Seattle WA, Silverthorne CO, Washington DC and Houston TX Houston ROM Weekend Challenge.

Tihomir Kukolja shared the history of ROM, and its vision and mission. Randy Butler shared an outline for the process that leads to empathy, reconciliation and acceptance of those who are different. He talked also about his recent peace visit to Sudan. Allen Belton shared his Balkan experiences since 2001, and provided an account of his recent visit to Israel. He also spoke on the theme - Healing Hurting America. A special treat was the time we had with Don Teague, CBS News Correspondent and the co-author of the recently published book "Saved by Her Enemy". He shared how he, his family and a number of his friends saved the life of Rafraf Barrak, a young Iraqi translator working for NBC in 2003 and 2004.

The whole program was richly spiced by inputs of other participants attending the gathering, conversations shared around during the lunch breaks and dinner times; and by excellent music provided by Robert and Zachary Schmidt, and by Derrick Black, a gospel music artist from Houston TX.

Watch: Moments of joy, inspiration and improvisation at Houston ROM Weekend Challenge last weekend. Allen Belton, Robert and Zack Schmidt sing He's Got the Whole World in His Hands; Allen Belton sings In His Presence, accompanied by Derrick Black; and then again Robert and Zack.

Houston ROM Gathering - One More Time Before the Event

2010-05-18T06:06:00.000-07:00

Photo: ROM Gathering 2010 in Croatia

Dear Friends,

This is the invitation and information summary about Houston ROM Weekend Challenge, Summit Room, Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, 11612 Memorial Drive, Houston TX 77024, Thursday May 20 - Saturday May 22, 2010. For more information visit - http://2009rom.blogspot.com/

On-line Registration available until Tuesday Midnight
You may still register until Tuesday midnight May 18, 2010. Registration link - https://public.serviceu.com/registration/default.asp?OrgID=1568&EventID=4633008&OccID=164584396
Registration fee $ 65 for the entire event (covers all meals Thursday night - Saturday night, except breakfast). HRWC starts on Thursday May 20 at 5 pm with registration, followed by dinner at 6 pm and the opening session at 7 pm. Both, on Friday and Saturday programs run throughout the day, commencing at 9.30 am and finishing by 9.00 pm. Details - http://2009rom.blogspot.com/2010/05/houston-rom-weekend-challenge-who-is-my.html and http://2009rom.blogspot.com/2010/05/houston-rom-weekend-challenge-register.html

If You are Not able to Attend All
Evening programs on Friday and Saturday are designed to highlight the main feature of each day, with those people in mind whoa re not able to attend the entire event. Both evening programs start at 7.00 pm. If you are not able to join us for the entire event, we would like you to join us for the evening sessions on Friday and Saturday. Both evenings will be inspiring and informative. Although registration is not needed if you are attending only the evening programs, we would like you to RSVP soon so that we may plan snacks and a number of seats. More information - http://2009rom.blogspot.com/2010/05/houston-rom-gathering-if-you-are-not.html

We are looking forward to hearing from you soon, and God willing, seeing you at Houston ROM Weekend Challenge.
Love and blessings

Tihomir Kukolja
ROM - Renewing Our Minds Director
renewingourminds2010 @gmail.com, tihomir07@msn.com

Houston ROM Gathering - If You Are Not Able to Attend All

2010-05-16T18:02:00.000-07:00

Photo: ROM Gathering 2009, Fuzine, Croatia

Dear Friends,

Some of you have told me that it would be impossible for you to attend the entire event - Houston ROM Weekend Challenge, asking if it would be ok to attend some sessions only. Our programs on Friday and Saturday nights, 7.00 to 9.00 PM, May 21st and 22st, have been planned with the idea to feature the main highlights of the weekend in such a way so that those who cannot attend the entire program will still benefit from joining us for a limited time.

The program on Friday night will be an evening of inspiration, sharing, slide and video presentation, and celebration, thanksgiving, and praise for the Lord's leadership of ROM over the past ten years. Our key speakers and other ROM participants will each share some of their experiences with the Renewing Our Minds ministry in the Balkans. The program on Saturday night will focus on the vision and mission of ROM leading the Renewing Our Minds ministry into the future. Good music, challenging messages and committing ROM to the Lord in prayer will be the features of the Saturday night program.

Attending the night programs on Friday and Saturday is free. We would like you to encourage your family members and friends to come too. Although official registration is not needed, we would like you to RSVP soon if you are planning to attend. We would like you to have the most enjoyable evenings with us, and would like to have enough seats and refreshments available.

Remember, Renewing Our Minds (ROM) Houston Weekend Challenge will take place at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, Summit Room, 11612 Memorial Drive, Houston TX 77024

We are looking forward to seeing you soon. Blessings

Tihomir Kukolja ROM - Renewing Our Minds Director 281-515-3707 renewingourminds2010@gmail.com, tihomir07@msn.com
http://2009rom.blogspot.com/

Houston ROM Weekend Challenge - Who is My Neighbor?

2010-05-13T18:50:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

You can still register to attend Renewing Our Minds (ROM) Houston Weekend Challenge, an amazing gathering of sharing, inspiration, celebration and learning, at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, Summit Room, 11612 Memorial Drive, Houston TX 77024, Thursday May 20 - Saturday May 22.

Who Will Speak at Houston ROM Weekend Challenge?

Allen A. Belton, Seattle WA, Senior Partner, Reconciliation Ministries for Breakthrough Partners. Regular ROM speaker and mentor in the Balkans since 2001, and a member of International ROM Development Council. Recently returned from a peace mission to Israel. Themes: Jesus at the Checkpoint; and, Healing Hurting America.

Randall Butler, Houston TX, The Institute for Sustainable Peace Executive Director. Regular ROM speaker and mentor in the Balkans since 2002, and a member of International ROM Development Council. Recently returned from a peace mission to Sudan. Themes: Renewing Our Minds, Heart and Will; and, From Fuzine to Khartoum.

Kristin Huffman, Associate Pastor, Outreach Ministries at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in Houston TX. Served in the team of speakers at ROM Gathering 2009 in Fuzine, Croatia.

Tihomir Kukolja, Renewing Our Minds (ROM) Executive Director from Croatia. Lived and served in Australia, UK, USA and Croatia. ROM Director since 2002. Theme: Balkan Relational and Transformational Reconciliation and Leadership Experiment.

Don Teague, Dallas TX, CBS News Correspondent, an Emmy Award winning journalist, and author of the recently published book - Saved by Her Enemy. As a CBS News Correspondent Don worked internationally, including in Iraq, and covered hurricane Katrina, and the seizure of children from a polygamist ranch in Texas. Theme: Saved by Her Enemy. A story of a friendship that saved the life of Rafraf Barrak, young Iraqi translator for NBC.

We are inviting you to this unforgettable gathering of friends. Register now and invite your friends and family members to register too - http://public.serviceu.com/registration/default.asp?OrgID=1568&EventID=4633008&OccID=164584396

ROM Houston Weekend Challenge starts with registration on Thursday, May 20 at 5.00 PM, followed by dinner at 6.00 PM and the Opening Session at 7.00 PM. Friday and Saturday: Morning sessions begin at 9.30, lunch at 12.30, afternoon sessions at 2.00 PM, dinner at 6.00 PM, and evening sessions at 7.00 PM. Registration fee $ 65 only covers all meals throughout the event, except breakfast on Friday and Saturday.

Looking forward to seeing you at the gathering. Love and blessings

Tihomir Kukolja
ROM - Renewing Our Minds Director
281-515-3707
renewingourminds2010@gmail.com
http://2009rom.blogspot.com/
Houston TX, May 14, 2010

Houston ROM Weekend Challenge - REGISTER NOW

2010-05-11T14:32:00.000-07:00

Photo: ROM Gathering 2009, Fuzine, Croatia

Dear Friends,

One more encourager to register your attendance at Houston ROM Weekend Challenge, Summit Room, Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, 11612 Memorial Drive, Houston TX 77024, Thursday May 20 - Saturday May 22.

Can a genuine, transforming and long lasting reconciliation take place around Jesus of Nazareth between young leaders from diverse, even opposing, ethnic, racial, political and religious groups? The twelve years of Renewing Our Minds experience in the Balkans and hundreds of transformed lives across the world prove that it can.

Come and take part in the gathering of learning and celebration put together for you by a group of American speakers, mentors and facilitators who have, together with the ROM Director, invested years in developing and leading the ROM reconciliation and leadership movement in the Balkans. One of the questions featured at the gathering will be - USA is a big and sophisticated country, but can it learn to heal its hurts from the ROM Balkan experience?

ROM Houston Weekend Challenge will start with registration on Thursday, May 20 at 5.00 pm, followed by dinner at 6.00 pm and the Opening Session at 7.00 pm. Daily program outline for Friday and Saturday: Morning sessions begin at 9.30, lunch at 12.30, afternoon sessions at 3.00 pm, dinner at 6.00 pm, and evening sessions at 7.00 pm. Registration fee of $ 65 only for the entire event cover all meals throughout the event, except breakfasts on Friday and Saturday.

Register and make the registration fee payment by May 13. Online registration.

We would be honored to see you at the Houston ROM Weekend Challenge. Encourage your friends and family members to register too. For more information read the attached invitation letter.

Looking forward to seeing you soon. Blessings

Tihomir Kukolja
ROM - Renewing Our Minds Director

Talking Tolerance

2010-05-07T12:40:00.000-07:00

Prayer in Vukovar, Croatia

Jill Carroll, religion scholar and author, writes about her trip to Croatia and Macedonia, a trip sponsored by the Houston organization TRUTH, Travels revealing Understanding Trust and Hope. She says in her blogs published by Houston Belief: "I am with 10 other people, most of whom have worked for or demonstrated a tangible commitment to interfaith dialogue and peaceful coexistence. We will spend 8 days in Croatia and Macedonia meeting with representatives from various communities of people to hear their stories of reconciliation and peacemaking in the wake of the years of war in the 1990's." Read much more here.

Randall Butler, the Institute for Sustainable Peace Executive Director and ROM speaker/mentor has been one of the leaders of this trip to the Balkans. Read his reflections here.

My Macedonian Kitchen

2010-05-07T09:26:00.000-07:00

Aleks and Jessica Jarcev are members of the ROM summer 2010 Core Team.

Jessica and Aleks Jarcev have launched a new blog, one you have to visit - My Macedonian Kitchen. Jessica says: "Going to the market is never boring! As seasons change, the produce changes. I love to see the small juicy strawberries in the spring (I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of Macedonian strawberries in the next few weeks) and taste the tart pomegranates in the winter (have you ever had pomegranate juice?). No matter what the season, my favorite market days are the ones when I find something new." Read more as you visit - http://www.mymacedoniankitchen.com/

RENEWING OUR MINDS HOUSTON ROM WEEKEND CHALLENGE

2010-03-29T08:52:00.000-07:00

Photo: Houston TX, spring 2010

Invitation to Houston Renewing Our Minds - ROM Challenge Weekend, Houston TX, May 20 - 22, 2010, Summit Conference Room,11612 Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77024. Registration and Online Payments Deadline - May 5, 2010.

Dear Friends,

Can a genuine, transforming and long lasting reconciliation take place around Jesus of Nazareth between young leaders from diverse, even opposing, ethnic, racial, political and religious groups? The twelve years of Renewing Our Minds experience and hundreds of transformed lives prove that it can.

This is why it is our pleasure to invite you to the second US ROM Reunion, or Houston ROM Weekend Challenge, May 20 to 22, 2010, in the Summit Conference Room, Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, 11612 Memorial Drive, Houston, TX77024. The gathering theme: Who is My Neighbor?

Renewing Our Minds, or ROM for short, is an international initiative for reconciliation and leadership development with the Southeast European roots, with the vision of a transformed leadership, inspired by the character and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Its mission is to develop leaders of integrity, committed to reconciliation, peace-building and healing social action; leaders who, renewed in their minds, characters, attitudes and actions in the likeness of Jesus, are steadily transforming their constituencies, communities and countries.

Come, meet old and new friends, and enjoy sharing in the twelve years of the international ROM - Renewing Our Minds Reconciliation and Leadership Development ministry in the Balkans. Meet and hear the speakers, mentors and participants who have over the years invested their time, skills and love in the peace building initiative that is making a difference and impacting hundreds and thousands of young lives across the Balkan countries and around the world. Hear moving and empowering stories and testimonies about forgiveness and genuine changes made by transformed young leaders in their communities. See if there are principles applied by ROM that may help transforming American society too. And if you have not experienced ROM from the first hand before, get a taste of this amazing reconciliation and leadership development movement founded on the teachings and character of Jesus of Nazareth.

Among the speakers, mentors and facilitators who have over the years made ROM into an impacting international ministry we will hear Allen Belton, until recently the Senior Associate Director for Urban and Global Missions at University Presbyterian Church in Seattle WA, USA; Randall Butler, the Executive Director of the Houston based Institute for Sustainable Peace who has recently returned from a peace mission to Sudan; Kristin Huffman, Associate Pastor and Outreach Ministries Director of Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, Houston TX; Brett McMichael, a member of the ROM Executive Group and for ten years organizer of camps and retreats for children recovering from serious health conditions in Croatia; and Burnett Thompson, former businessman from Washington DC and committed mentor to many Balkan leaders.

The inspiring and entertaining music will be provided by a family of excellent musicians - Robert Schmidt, Heidi Schmidt and Zacharia Schmidt.

Event Information:

Houston ROM Weekend Challenge will commence with on-site registration on Thursday, May 20, 2010 at 5 PM, dinner at 6.00 PM, and the Welcome Session at 7.00 PM. The gathering will close on Saturday, May 22, 2010 at 9.00 PM. As a part of the program we are planning an afternoon excursion toHouston either on Friday or Saturday. Those staying in Houston on Sunday following the gathering are invited to join the church service at 9.45 AM at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church.

The Houston ROM Weekend Challenge will take place at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, Summit Conference Room,11612 Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77024. Online information about the location and directions HERE.

Registration Information:

Registration fee of $ 65 per person includes all meals during the gathering. We recommend the on-line registration and payment with the deadline May 5, 2010. Late registration fees are $ 75. To register go HERE.

Hotel Information:

Guests needing hotel accommodation should register and pay online with the Courtyard Houston Westchase Marriot Hotel,9975 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77042, by May 5, 2010 the latest. Double-bed rooms, breakfasts included, are available at a discounted rate of $ 99 plus tax. To make the use of those rooms even more effective we suggest that you share your room with another ROM participant in case you are attending alone. To register and make the room payment, and receive other hotel information visit HERE or HERE.

The ROM code is already entered in the appropriate field. You may also complete your hotel room registration by calling 877-208-6450 and requesting Houston ROM room rate.

Early registrations will help the planning process. Recommend your friends and family members. Be a part of a strategic ROM gathering that will announce plans for the international growth of ROM in the coming years into new regions such as the Middle East, countries of the former Soviet Union, African Continent and further.

For any questions feel free to contact us by e-mail which you should send to renewingourminds2010@gmail.com or calling us at 281-515-3707 or 281-838-8360. Also, when you register, we would appreciate if you could send us a short e-mail confirming your registration, so that we may send you timely updates about all the necessary information related to the ROM Houston Weekend Challenge gathering as we come closer to the event.

We are looking forward to receiving your registration and seeing you in Houston soon. Love and Blessings

Tihomir Kukolja
ROM - Renewing Our Minds, Director
281-515-3707, 281-830-8360
renewingourminds2010@gmail.com, tihomir07@msn.com
http://2009rom.blogspot.com/
Houston TX, March 29, 2010

Iva Beranek Publishes Her MA Dissertation

2010-03-27T21:33:00.000-07:00

Iva Beranek from Croatia, who has been studying in Dublin, Ireland for the past four years, has published her MA dissertation, which is now available via Amazon.com. The title of the book is - Belfast, a City with a Wounded Heart; Hope of Redemption: On Incarnational Spirituality of Reconciliation Grounded in the Experience of Church Leaders in North Ireland. Congratulations are in place. Iva Beranek attended ROM in 2006, and served in the ROM 2007 Summer Leadership Team. The focus of her study over the past four years has been on the spirituality of reconciliation.

Allen Belton and His Team attend Christ at the Checkpoint Conference in Israel

2010-03-21T17:31:00.000-07:00

Martha Weiss from Seattle WA sends an update about Allen Belton's current visit to Israel where he attended the Christ at the Check Point Conference:

The conference is now over and it was a powerful and uplifting time. On the last day someone from the USA attending the "Christ at the Checkpoint" conference let a conference official know about Allen and the team and at the last session Allen was asked to lead worship and give the benediction. Three hundred people sang a cappella We Shall Overcome, and Allen gave the benediction and prayed for the Prime Minister of Palestine Salam Fayyad. Prime Minister Salam Fayyad attended and spoke for over an hour at the conference. He is a Muslim and said the Christian church has made a difference in Palestine.

The speakers at the conference were outstanding. Allen recommends listening to Lynn Hybels especially. On the website you can find highlights on the five day conference as well as the speakers messages. The conference made the local news in Bethlehem as well as Allen (so he was told).

Allen and the team have had eight incredible days and they are now in Jerusalem. The first day was spent with a Palestinian son who lost his father and an Israeli father who lost his son in the violence. The two of them have become true friends that love each other and have founded the Bereaved Parents Circle where they talk and live out forgiveness and reconciliation. The team also met with the Rabbis for Peace and Combatant for Peace organizations. Both organizations are trying to educate toward reconciliation and non-violent solutions.

Today (Friday, March 19) was to be filled with more meetings and people. Allen is also planning to visit with the friends who have previously attended ROM Gatherings in Croatia. Continue to pray for Allen and his team visiting Israel.

Allen Bellton via Martha Weiss

Allen Belton has been a regular speaker and mentor at all annual ROM Gatherings since 2001.

ROM Video Postcards Together 2006 - 2009

2010-03-12T09:46:00.000-08:00

One more glance at the highlights from previous ROM gatherings, reunions, events and travels, as we now focus on planning and preparing for Houston ROM Weekend Challenge 2010 in May and ROM Gathering 2010 in July, Fuzine, Croatia. ROM - Renewing Our Minds Video Postcards 2006 - 2009, recorded in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria and USA. To warm the hearts of hundreds of friends involved in the activities and projects of ROM over the years. Apologies for the low quality of the picture reproduction. The originals are much clearer. Still learning how to maintain the visual quality while making them accessible for public viewing. If you have some spare time sit down, relax and watch. Time: 1:31:10.

ROMCAST: Interview with Brett McMichael

2010-03-05T07:14:00.000-08:00

Picnic with Brett as he was about to leave Croatia in 2007.

Interview with Brett McMichael about his recovery following the kidney transplant, his humanitarian and educational work in Croatia in previous years, and plans to travel to Croatia again this summer to help with a camp for children recovering from cancer and to join the ROM 2010 Team. Listen....

Wave Continues with Weekly Projects in Tuzla

2010-02-09T17:17:00.000-08:00

Wave project "English Course Tuzla 2010" is over by now. It was the most attended and the best Wave project so far. I'm especially encouraged that the biggest number of participants were university students who were very open for discussions. Many of them decided that they want to continue attending weekly English classes and open discussion groups. It means that we are continuing with our activities and that more excitements are ahead of us.

Some of our participants already asked if they can join the team and I decided that once a week we'll have Wave Tuzla team meetings. It looks like our permanent team in Tuzla will have between 10 and 15 persons. That team will be responsible for organizing lessons, choosing subjects, helping participants in their problems and helping as teachers and assistants in lower levels of English course. We are already planning team visits and short programs to our participants who are studying in Tuzla, but live in other parts of Bosnia and neighboring countries. Usually they go back home over the summer periods and most of them are looking forward to seeing various short Wave programs in their hometowns over the summer.

Some of participants are active in different NGOs and they offer cooperation to Wave. Some participants and team members are active in politics as youth representatives. I feel that we have huge potential to make a real difference in Bosnia through our work.

In the coming months our Wave executive team will be very busy. We are continuing working on our "Standards Document" that will help us when we organize Wave Courses in other countries. We are planning visit to Subotica, Serbia and visit of our Serbian team to Tuzla, Bosnia. Two of our executives will also make trips to Macedonia. I'm continuing process of my registration in Bosnia. Until now I had to collect more than 40 different documents, copies, forms. Right now it looks that I'm close to the end and I hope that this process will be finished in the next 2 weeks.

There are two more churches from Croatia interesting in hosting Wave course. Please keep me and the Wave team in your prayers. I am having cold and a lot of problems with coughing. I feel that one or two days of rest would be a great blessing for me.

Tea Deak, Wave Director

Wave is Touching Every Corner in Bosnia

2010-02-07T16:57:00.000-08:00

It looks that our days are becoming busier and busier day by day. My days are starting early in the morning and finishing late after midnight. I have practically no chance to have more than a few minutes on the Internet. So, I use every chance to write news. As soon as Wave in Tuzla finishes, I'll write more.

We are having a great time with our participants. More important, we are having more and more discussions about questions of faith, social problems, nationalism, reconciliation... Our team is functioning as a family. We are having especially good time with the Level 4 participants. They are students and they all speak excellent English. Their group is engaged in some serious discussion every time they meet, and they often continue discussing after the classes are over.

Next week we are starting with the follow up classes and it means that every week we will have 4 Wave Groups gathering for weekly Wave programs. Having in mind that many of our participants are coming from other places in Bosnia, it looks that we will have to organize trips to visit some of them in the future. It would be great to encourage them to start projects in different parts of Bosnia. It looks that Wave in Bosnia is touching every "corner" of Bosnia soon. We are making a difference and I am thankful to God for it. Continue supporting us with your prayers.

Tea Deak, Wave Director

MORE PHOTOS

More on Wave in Tuzla

2010-01-29T11:15:00.000-08:00

Wave English Language Course 2010, Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina is the best Wave Project until now. Every day we start program early in the morning and we come back home late in the evening. We have a lot of chances to have very good conversations with our participants. We have people who speak about personal problems, God, problems in society. Yesterday we had special program dedicated to reconciliation, faith and serving. Response was beautiful. Now we can see that in the coming months we will have several Wave groups gathering regularly. Many participants are from other parts of Bosnia and I can say that through them Wave is becoming organization which is touching all parts of country. Most of our team members are ROM friends from several countries. We are thankful to God and we are happy that one more beautiful week of Wave English course is ahead of us. Thank you for being with us in prayer! Tea Deak, Wave Director

120 People Attend Wave in Tuzla

2010-01-25T16:27:00.000-08:00

Wave Tuzla 2010 started and we already have a lot of great news. This Wave project is the biggest so far. Saturday was the first day and we had more than 120 people who came to for initial testing. From the first day we started to have very good relation with participants. We also had very good questions and conversations. Please continue to keep us in prayer. Our days are starting very early and we are going to sleep after midnight. Every day we also have program and team building time in Wave Center. We are happy that we started to use our center. We hope that problems with neighborhood are behind us. From today we are starting with lectures and all team members (we have the biggest team until now) are excited. Wave is becoming bigger and it is touching more and more people. More updates will follow. Tea Deak, Wave Director

Wave Seminar in Tuzla Starts this Weekend

2010-01-22T17:08:00.000-08:00

Photo: Wave Subotica, Serbia, 2009

Over the past several days I had a chance to see the importance of projects such as Wave in the Balkans. Going through process of registration and renting place for Wave Center I had a chance to see all kinds of opposition to projects of reconciliation. For some people the main problem was the fact that focus of Wave is on Jesus, to some the main problem was that we speak about national tolerance and reconciliation. However, I'm happy that I can say that those oppositions did not stop us and did not even slow us down. Today the most of team members will already be in Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Our team will have 24 members from Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, UK and USA. We have 114 participants who applied for Wave Tuzla 2010. Most of them are university students. Tomorrow in the morning we'll have the team briefing and orientation, and after that we'll start with initial testing. The first day is very important and we're very excited. The next two weeks will be very exciting. We thank God for His guidance. Thank you for being with us in your prayers. Tea Deak, Wave Director

One of the Best Summers of My Life

2010-01-15T01:49:00.000-08:00

ROM. What is ROM? Who is ROM? If you Google "ROM" on the computer some of the selections are: "Read-Only Matter" or "random oracle model", ROM is an abbreviated word for Roma people. You could find; Rom, Germany, Rom, Afghanistan or ROM an acronym for the Republic of Macedonia but if you've ever been to a Balkan Task Force meeting at University Presbyterian Church you would know that the ROM they talk about is none of the above.

ROM, Renewing Our Minds, is an exciting ministry with the mission "to develop leaders of integrity, committed to reconciliation and peace-building in Southeast Europe and beyond; who, renewed in their minds, characters, attitudes and actions in the likeness of Jesus are steadily transforming their constituencies, communities and countries... ROM is about a community of Jesus' followers building for the Kingdom of God through reconciliation, leadership of service and friendship." - Director Tihomir Kukolja

ROM is where I spent my summer vacation. I was invited to be part of the ROM staff and experience ROM for myself. In August I found myself in the lush, beautiful hills of Fuzine, Croatia that would be my home for the two week Gathering. I was able to arrive a few days early to adjust from jetlag, participate in staff training and prepare for the 30 participants of the ROM Gathering 2009. But let me tell you my early arrival to be rested, trained and prepared didn't get me ready for what was going to happen.

I was rested and good thing I was. When the participants, aka ROMmates arrived, they brought with them tireless energy and enthusiasm. It was hard to keep up with them but I did my best. I wanted to get to know these ROMmates; where they were from, what did they do outside of ROM, why were they here, how was their future going to be different. I wanted to meet them all.

I was trained as a Small Group Leader. I love small groups. I love the dynamics they provide, the intimacy and ability to be transparent and honest. Small groups are the heart of ROM. They allowed us to stay focused on the lectures and workshops, to dig deeper into the messages of our speakers and to dig deeper into ourselves. They helped us understand and encourage one another. Sometimes the topic was difficult or controversial but ROM is about accepting others, embracing diversity and friendship.

I was prepared. Prepared to learn new things, to work and serve, to meet new people and make new friends. I was ready for long days, fun nights but I really did not anticipate what was going to happen. The way ROM works in connecting people was astonishing. The planning, the intentional design to allow people to build trust and acceptance, to look into themselves and difficult life situations and identify the need to forgive and reconcile was inspiring. Focusing on the person of Jesus, on a life of integrity and sacrificial leadership gave way to look into the future with purpose and a mission. ROM gave us tools to go back home with a vision to make a difference, to live intentionally and with integrity. ROM enriched my life, it gave me friends across the world and reminded me that... "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation." 2 Corinthians 5:18. It just happened to be one of the best summers of my life.

Martha S. Weiss, Seattle WA, US
Summer 2009 ROM Team Member
Source: Balkan Task Force News, Seattle WA, US, November 2009, 10/2.

Martha Weiss has created a photo book about ROM Gathering 2009 in Fuzine, Croatia. Enjoy viewing the book.

Audio Archive: Grace is More Powerful than Injustice

2010-01-10T13:51:00.000-08:00

Dr. John Perkins speaks at the first US ROM Reunion in Seattle WA, on Sunday March 30, 2008. Moderated by Allen Belton and Randy Butler. John Perkins has ministered among the poor for over 60 years. He is an international speaker, teacher on the issues of racial reconciliation, and author of a number of books, such as "With Justice for All" and "Let Justice Roll Down".

Wave Report from Tea Deak

2010-01-04T11:21:00.000-08:00

I've just returned from Subotica, Serbia. We had a really blessed and beautiful time there! During our stay in Subotica we helped our Subotica coordinators with organizing Subotica Wave reunion where we've met with participants that attended Wave in October 2009. During our visit to Subotica two of our Wave volunteers organized a youth camp in the local church. We took with us couple of youth from Tuzla, Bosnia and they also attended the camp. They were thrilled with the program and making new friendships. I was especially happy to see that 8 of our Wave teenage participants also attended the camp! I'm thankful to God to be able to see how He is working in lives in some of our participants through other means and ways.

During our visit to Subotica we also had a meeting with local pastor who will visit us during Wave in Tuzla along with our Subotica coordinators. In only few days so many things were happening and it was a huge blessing for me.

Now that I'm back to Tuzla I have a really busy time since we are looking for a place where we will open Wave Center. Besides that we are also working on preparations for Wave in Tuzla from 23rd of January to 6th of February. We are planning four Wave projects in 2010: in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Romania and Macedonia.

Tea Deak, Wave Director

Blessings at the End of 2009

2009-12-28T17:29:00.000-08:00

Dear ROM Family and Friends,

I love meaningful mottos such as "Investing in a New Generation of Leaders", "The Change Begins with Me" and alike. Probably due to the current stage in my life's journey, having been spoiled by ROM for the past several years, one that I like and reflect on very much lately is - "Pursuing God's Purpose in Our Generation".

Somehow, it matters to me more and more to strive to live a life that is directional, focused, and purposed by the giving example of Jesus of Nazareth. I am one of those who believes in the finished work of salvation in Jesus on behalf of everyone of us. But I know also that His finished work for us is only a beginning of a life long process of Him working within us to "love our neighbors as ourselves." (Mark 12:28-31.) The logic behind it is very simple and effective: God who has unconditionally embraced us in Jesus has become such a force of motivation, inspiration and empowerment that leads us to embrace each other without hesitation.

This means in practice that followers of Jesus, moved by the compassion and empathy of Jesus, will be the first to unmask and stand up against any form of injustice, dehumanization, abuse, violence, enslavement, exploitation, terrorism, racism, human rights abuse, ethnic and religious nationalism, and poverty - all of them increasingly giving a tragic direction to the 21st century. At the beginning of the year 2010 I would like to invite myself and each one of you to pray the prayer suggested by Richard Stearns, the World Vision US President, in his recent book The Hole in Our Gospel - "Open the eyes of my heart, Lord, to see the world as You see it. Let my heart be broken by the things that break Your heart. Give me the ability to see through our culture and to lead with Your vision, instead of the world's." There are worthy examples in our and recent times to in spire us along the way, such as Bono, Desmond Tutu, Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Teresa.

In essence this is what ROM is all about. This is what following of Jesus of Nazareth is all about too. Or in His own words - "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:40.) I hope, regardless whether we attended ROM in the earlier or more recent times, that each one of us will strive in the coming year to serve God's purpose in our generation by becoming more of a leader who is an ambassador of compassion, love, justice, peacemaking, reconciliation.., and advocate for the poor. Let us help each other in the pursuit of God's purpose in the months and years to come.

We think of you, love you and pray for you often, and desire to see you all again soon.
May the Lord give you a New Year filled with hope, many blessings and determination to serve Him and love people well.

On behalf of the ROM Executive Team with love and appreciation

Tihomir and Christine Kukolja
Renewing Our Minds Initiative, Director
byndimed@gmal.com
http://2009rom.blogspot.com/, http://2009rom.blogspot.com/, http://twitter.com/romchallenge

Watch our Christmas and New Year Video Card

ROMCAST: Lisa Sharon Harper, Shalom Talks

2009-12-14T19:15:00.000-08:00

Lisa Sharon Harper presents Shalom Talks at ROM Gathering 2009 in Fuzine, Croatia in August 2009. Lisa is a freelance writer, award-winning playwright, poet, public speaker and consultant who specializes in ethnic reconciliation and human rights. Currently She serves as the Executive Director of New York Faith and Justice, a growing movement of churches, organizations and people committed to following Jesus Christ and ending poverty in New York through spiritual formation, education and advocacy.

Africa Youth Leadership Forum

2009-12-08T18:03:00.000-08:00

When in summer of 2006 Phillip Ojok from Uganda attended ROM Gathering in Fuzine, Croatia he made a firm commitment to implement the newly gained experience on his African continent. As a consequence African Youth Leadership Forum (AYLF) was born, with a mission to further a new brand of African Leaders - through prayer breakfast movement, weekly dialogue meetings, education and internships. At the heart of AYLF is the dream that the future African leaders would know how to reconcile relationships, speak the truth, see people without labels, and ultimately love each other and those whom they lead. AYLF is a movement of friends based on the principles and leadership qualities of Jesus of Nazareth. Among the AYLF's objectives are - to foster reconciliation, solidarity and unity among young African leaders across all racial, religious and tribal divides, as well as to promote and support a servant leadership model for African leaders. More information about AYLF.

Photo: AYLF leaders attending European Gathering last weekend in Hoddesdon, England - Gabriel Odhiambo Achay (Kenya), Muhamed Varvany (Kenya), Phillip Ojok (Uganda)

ROMCAST: Allen Belton, A Designer Original

2009-11-30T19:32:00.000-08:00

Allen Belton speaks at ROM Gathering 2009 about God's Purpose in Our Lives. Allen Belton until recently served as the Senior Associate Director for Urban and Global Missions at University Presbyterian Church in Seattle WA, USA. He has recently joined with Breakthrough Partners, a ministry dedicated to reconciliation in the US national as well as the global arena. Allen Belton has served as a speaker and mentor ROM Gatherings since 2001.

ROMCAST: Scott Boldt, Irish Perspective

2009-11-22T19:21:00.000-08:00

Scott Bold's final thoughts and responses to questions on his topic "Irish Perspective" shared at ROM Gathering 2009 in Fuzine, Croatia (August 2009). Scott Bold is hte Director of the Edgehill Theological College Reconciliation Programme in Belfast, Northern Ireland since 2006. He currently serves as a chairperson of the All-Ireland Churches' Consultative Meeting on Racism and Embrace, a voluntary group of Christians from across the denominations, serving the Christian Church to make Northern Ireland a more welcoming community.

They Said about ROM Gathering 2009

2009-11-18T19:50:00.000-08:00

I was a little hesitant about attending ROM this summer since I did not know anyone and, because of the fact that Croatia is a foreign country to me with its culture and language. However, at my arrival I knew that I had made the right decision to be there. The conversations, talks, and lectures were remarkable. I never knew I could connect with so many wonderful people that come from different countries, religions, traditions, and cultural backgrounds, and have so much in common. I am so grateful to God that he has given me the opportunity to be with all of you. I believe that our friendship with one another is a great blessing from Him. Fatima Abushanab, Turkey

What makes ROM unique is the fact that it brings many different perspectives to one place and makes it possible for all involved to share their experiences, successes and failures. The inclusiveness of ROM and its diversities do not move us away from the center of our lives - our Lord Jesus Christ. ROM is relevant because it encourages brainstorming, challenging of beliefs and sharing of new ideas. Tanas Alqassis, Palestine

Two days after I returned from ROM, I went with a Jewish friend to have a breakfast. I told her about ROM, and then out of the blue I had tears in my eyes and I told her - "You know, now I can say I sincerely love you", and instead of getting insulted, she stood up and hugged me. This is what ROM is all about. Why not be a dreamer and think - "I want to overcome my enemies by turning them into friends"? Why not aspire to be the change I want to see in the world? Sanaa Rizek, Israel

Having spent several days in Fuzine changed my life and the lives of others in many ways. Every future leader who wants to make an impact or bring about positive changes in the world has to have a good perspective of world issues, feelings and views of others, respect for other cultures and religions, and most of all a family of friends to rely on. ROM is one of the few gatherings and journeys that can offer such qualities. ROM will grow to be one of the most important skills that a person can ever get. The teachings of Jesus have opened a new path, a path of reconciliation, peace, and a path for the future for this World. All the people that I met were special, and I hope that I will have long-lasting relationship with them. The leadership of ROM has been doing this for ten years, and I am blessed that I had the opportunity to become a part of its Family. The ROM mission will not only remain relevant to young leaders, but it will become a direction for the future leaders. Filip Jolevski, Macedonia

View ROM Photo Book 1999 - 2008

2009-11-16T18:27:00.000-08:00

A representative photobook dedicated to the first ten years of ROM can be viewed and/or purchased on-line. One hundred pages and 300 photos feature the years 1999 to 2008. To view the book follow the following steps:

1. Go to - http://www.mypublisher.com/
2. Go to - Mybookshelf
3. Go to - Do you want to view a friend's PhotoBook?
4. Enter the Book ID: M1075911
5. Enter Password: 1519561

Enjoy viewing the book.

ROMCAST: Drazen Glavas, Surprised by Hope

2009-11-14T17:34:00.000-08:00

Drazen Glavas speaks at the Economic Diplomacy Seminar 2009 in Fuzine, Croatia (July 2009). Drazen Glavas, who lives in Zagreb, Croatia with his wife Jodi and 3 children, is a professor at a private Business College in Zagreb where he teaches Business Ethics and Leadership. He started his own company ETIK - Education, Training and Kommunication, and works as a trainer and executive coach throughout Croatia and in the region.

ROMCAST: A Jew Who Decided to Follow Jesus

2009-11-07T19:20:00.000-08:00

Justin Kagin, a co-director of Economic Diplomacy Seminar (EDS), and his wife Ivona share their story about how they decided to follow Jesus. They shared their story at the ROM Gathering 2009 in Fuzine, Croatia, in August 2009.

Randay Butler Reports on His Visit to Sudan

2009-11-04T20:33:00.000-08:00

Watch and listen to Randy Butler's report on his recent peace mission to Sudan. Close to 50 people attended the evening gathering tonight in a Houston home to hear Randy, the executive director of the Institute for Sustainable Peace, share about his trip to Sudan. At the invitation of Akol Kordit, Chairman of the SPLM Youth League, Randy Butler visited Sudan in October 2009. During visits to Khartoum and Juba, he met with leaders of four major political parties, heads of various Ministries and NGOs, and media representatives. Everyone he met stressed a urgent need for initiatives in conflict transformation before the upcoming elections and referendum. As a result of this trip, The Institute plans to conduct series of workshops in the first quarter of 2010 in Juba, Khartoum and El Fasher, Sudan. The Institute will also carry out two trainer of trainer workshops thereby enabling more workshops to be conducted in a short period of time with an aim of sowing the seeds of peaceful conflict resolution with the country decision and opinion makers in the lead up to elections in April 2010 and the expiration of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2011.... From the recent ISP update.

ROMCAST: Tihomir Kukolja, Journey Has Only Begun

2009-10-30T17:44:00.000-07:00

Journey Has Only Begun. Tihomir Kukolja speaks at the ROM Gathering 2009 in Fuzine, Croatia, August 2009, on the theme of growing in the knowledge of Jesus. Tihomir Kukolja has served as the Renewing Our Minds - ROM director since 2002.

Wave Director Reflects on the Wave Seminar in Subotica

2009-10-27T17:20:00.000-07:00

Photo:
One of the English classes at Wave Subotica 2009 Course

Wave Community School of English in Subotica, 10th of October to 24th of October, was a great suscess. Our two main goals were to help our participants to improve their English and to challenge their thinking about important themes such as reconciliation and leadership of service, from the perspective of Jesus' followers.

More than one hundred people participated, and we had a team of 18 volunteers from 7 countries, most of the selected from among ROM and EDS participants. The overall program was rich and diverse. The most of participants were young people and students, so we also organized some presentations in cooperation with IFES (EUS) Subotica, Serbia. Number of our participants made big life changing decisions. The Wave program was designed as a practical way of showing love through serving.

Our team members were performing all kinds of tasks, from teaching to cleaning. As a team we were an example of unity and togetherness. Our work made a profound impact on many participants who were showing interest to join us in the future projects. The program was well balanced between fun, entertainment and teaching. As a result deep friendships and several initiatives emerged among the participants. One of them is a Bible Study Group and a group that wants to continue practicing conversational English. Some participants are planning to attend the next ROM and EDS gatherings. The churches in Subotica that hosted the Subotica Wave project were re-energized by the course too. They were so excited about Wave that they invited people from neighboring countries to come and see our program.

The following day after the completion of the Subotica Wave Course the team travelled to Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina to for a day-long reunion with the Tuzla Wave participants in 2008 and 2009. Forty people joined us in the reunion.

As result of the last two weeks, all team members feel encouraged and motivated to move on with new Wave projects in 2010 in Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Romania. With a very small budget we managed to work with big team and big number of participants. Over the past couple of days I received many messages from our team members and participants who have "post-Wave syndrome". One of them said that the last two weeks were like a fairy tale, and that she feels that it is hard to go now back to "normal life". My goal and goal of Wave is that this fairy tale of serving and loving each other spreads and becomes a reality for many people in our region.

I hope that every Wave project will be a new step in showing that following Jesus and becoming a leaders willing to serve can be something practical and not just something we only speak about.

Tea Deak, Wave Director

Arian Galdini, Chairman of a new political party in Albania

2009-10-26T17:10:00.000-07:00

Photo:
Nate Ussery and John Harries visiting Arian Galdini and other friends in Albania several months ago

Arian Galdini reports from Albania about the birth of a new party, LDE - Party for Liberty, Democracy and Ethics. According to Arian LDE will be a party that stands for change and ethical renewal of the Albanian society. Arian Galdini has been appointed to be the first president of this new political party in Albania. On the Albanian political scene this year two other members of ROM community have assumed senior political offices. Following the recent elections in Albania Dorian Ducka was invited to become the Senior Advisor to Dritan Prifti, Minister of Economy, Energy and Trade; while Gerti Bogdani became a Member of Parliament.

ROMCAST:Kristin Huffman, The Bless Challenge

2009-10-24T19:44:00.000-07:00

At ROM Gathering 2009 in Fuzine, Croatia, August 2009, Kristin Hufman presented The Bless Challenge - how to live a meaningful life as a believer in Jesus. Kristin Huffman serves as an associate pastor at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in Houston TX, USA.

Wave Subotica a Great Success

2009-10-23T16:23:00.000-07:00

The Examination day of Wave Course is over. We had beautiful two weeks in Subotica. The Open Program on 2nd Wednesday was amazing! Participants were more relaxed and it was a great chance to present ROM and EDS. We had a beautiful time speaking about the principles of Jesus and we were encouraged by a number of people who would like to come to join us in the Gatherings next year. We also had time to present the Association of Evangelical Students in Serbia - IFES (EUS). On Thursday after we finished with all Wave groups we had a lecture for EUS students and Wave participants. It was the first time that Wave and EUS organized something together. Title of the lecture was "Healthy Self-esteem and Stability" and it was delivered by PhD Zeljko Puja. Zeljko is a speaker at ROM and EDS. It was great to see that a big number of Wave participants attended that lecture. We are happy and encouraged that Wave participant's show interest in attending other EUS lectures.

Tomorrow (Saturday) we will have a ceremony where we'll give certificates to all participants. It'll also be a chance to have some program and presentations. After that the Wave core team is leaving for Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina and on Sunday we'll have a reunion with participants of Wave course in Tuzla, February 2009 and 2008. Right now we already know that the number of people who will attend that reunion will be bigger than 60. We are excited about it and we are happy that His blessings are beyond all of our expectations. More news are coming soon. Thank you for being with us!

Tea Deak, Wave Director

Randall Butler Reports from Dubai

2009-10-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

Salaam Alaikum (Arabic for peace to you) and Greetings from Dubai! This is my last stop for meetings before returning to Houston TX Sunday/Monday on my way back from Sudan.

My last day in Sudan was a whirlwind of activity that started with breakfast at the hotel watching Aljazeera's in depth report on the new US Policy Toward Sudan. Felt a bit eerie to be the only American in the hotel, seated at the table right in front of the TV, with my back to everyone else, while John Norris, CEO of the Enough Project commented on the policy.

Then, as I was checking out, I experienced more synchronicity in Sudan. A very distinguished older gentleman walked up and asked if we had not met sometime before in Houston. There standing before me was Dr. Aggrev Majok, head of the John Garang Institute in Bor, Jonglei State, South Sudan. Turns out we could not have met in Bor, anyway, because he was in Khartoum.

Dr. Aggrev was at the top of my list of people to meet with in Sudan. But because the road was closed between Bor and Juba due to the violent conflict between the Mondari and the Dinka, I thought I would not be able to visit with him. Yet, there he was speaking to me at the front desk of the Palace Hotel.

We were not able to meet long because he was shortly to give a lecture in epidemiology at the University of Khartoum. But we were able to talk long enough for him to tell me about the center for conflict resolution that he wants to establish at the John Garang Institute and for him to invite ISP to partner on that project.

From there I went to the home of Al Sadiq Al Mahdi, the last democratically elected Prime Minister of Sudan. He is now head of the Umma Party, one of the largest opposition parties in Sudan. We had a deep and stimulating conversation in which he offered his perspective on the perception of America in that part of the world and an analysis of why our conflict transformation project is needed. We spoke for an hour and I do believe he would have talked to me for another hour if I had not been required to leave to deliver a lecture at the Khatim Adlan Center. Before I left he gave me copies of two of the 15 books he has authored. One is in Arabic so I will need a translation. The other in English is titled "Is Uncle Sam Listening or Is He Deaf." That should be challenging!

Then we went to the Khatim Adlan Center for Enlightenment & Human Development where I spoke to about 50 intellectuals and activists on the subject of "Leading to Sustainable Peace." I think I stirred them up really well. After my talk several of them grabbed the microphone to respond to my remarks. One told me outright that I was wrong about transcendent identity. He said that all vestiges of tribalism must be erased and a new national identity created. In effect, he was arguing for total assimilation into one identity for all, which I believe to be impossible. It is not working for France. Instead Muslims there feel dominated and marginalized. What I called for is a transcendent identity that does not require giving up my own culture and ethnicity. Transcendent identity is an enlarged identity that permits me to continue to be a member of my tribe or clan, a citizen of my village or city, a citizen of my state and nation, and a citizen of the world. It is about recognizing my common humanity with all other persons on the planet and therefore including them instead of excluding them from the common good.

The Khatim Center is one potential partner for a project in Khartoum. Other potential partners include Majoub Mohammed Salig's NGO, connected to his independent newspaper and Justice Africa. Of course we much due diligence to do.

From the lecture we fought our way through traffic to the offices of USAID where I met with Ken Spear of the Office of Transitional Initiatives. Ken is very knowledgeable of the complexities of the situation in Sudan. He also knows all the players. He gave me the names of several individuals that he thought could help us as we prepare our project.

From there I went to the airport, where, after checking in, I had the opportunity to visit with a gentleman from Khartoum who had seen me on TV. As a result, he knew all about my purpose in coming. We had a long conversation about life in Khartoum. He stated several times that the work I had come to Sudan to do was good work and much needed. He was extremely friendly and supportive.

And now I am in Dubai, trying to rest up and recover from working all day and traveling most of the night. As I recover I will spend at least part of this day in reflection on what I learned. I will remember all the many warm hearted people of good will who took time to visit with me sharing their hopes for the future of Sudan and their understanding of the needs of the people of Sudan. One thing I do know, the people of Sudan are like people in countless towns and cities all across America. They want food to feed their families and themselves, education for their children, and opportunities for themselves and their children to do good work, spend time with family and friends. In short they seek life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Randall Butler, The Institute for Sustainable Peace, Executive Director

Wave Update from Subotica

2009-10-19T17:47:00.000-07:00

Photo: Wave Subotica 2009 Team visits Palic Lake

Tea Deak sends one more update from Subotica, Serbia about the progress of 2009 Wave Subotica Seminar: It is still so busy in Subotica. Everything is going well and we hope that we'll have enough strength to finish the course in this rhythm. On Saturday we had a day focused on team building and we had a really great time! We had a short trip to Palic Lake and a time of fun and building friendships. Saturday was also a day for meetings and discussion about Wave Course in Subotica 2010 when we plan to invite several local politicians to participate in an Open Program. We also had a meeting with our Romanian coordinator about Wave course in Timisoara in 2010. On Sunday we had a chance to present Wave Course in 2 other churches in Subotica that will join us in 2010. Weekend was also time for some changes in the team since several of our team members could stay with us only for a week.We also had several guests from Croatia and today (Monday) we are continuing with classes. Everything is going well! Continue keeping us in your prayers! By the end of Wave Subotica I will share a more complete update. Blessings, Tea Deak.

ROMCAST: Andrew Nedelchev, Basics for Christian Understanding of Business Ethics

2009-10-16T17:36:00.000-07:00

ROMCAST continues to feature audio highlights from Renewing Our Minds Gathering 2009 and Economic Diplomacy Seminar 2009 in Fuzine, Croatia, summer 2009. This time we feature Andrew Nedelchev and his EDS 2009 presentation "Basics for Christian Understanding of Business Ethics". Andrew Nedelchev from Sofia, Bulgaria serves as the European Program Director for Crown Financial Ministries.

ROM 2009 Video Postcard

2009-10-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

Catch a glimpse of the atmosphere of friendship and joy that surrounded ROM Gathering 2009 in Fuzine, Croatia in August 2009.

Wave Subotica is Going Well

2009-10-15T16:51:00.000-07:00

Subotica, Serbia - Excitement is growing in Subotica. Wednesday Open Program was great. We had fun, learning, singing and presenting some important topics. All team was participating in program. The course is going on, we are building relations and friendships with participants, we are working on program for weekend and for the next week, we have a lot of time for conversations, counseling and discussions with participants. Over one hundred participants attend Wave in Subotica. Wave is going well. More elaborate updates will follow shortly. Tea Deak, Wave Director

Keeping the ROM 2009 Memories Fresh

2009-10-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

A moment of inspiration at the ROM Gathering 2009 in Fuzine, Croatia, August 2009. Lisa Harper and Allen Belton sing "Wade in the Water", accompanied by Robert and Zac Schmidt.

ROMCAST: Zeljko Puja, Power of Symbols

2009-10-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

Zeljko Puja speaks at ROM Gathering 2009 on the theme - Power of Symbols. Zeljko challenges the use of various ethnic and religious symbols within the Balkan context. Zeljko, his wife Lela and daughter Martina live in Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina. He is a psychologist and a Baptist minister. He teaches at several universities in England and Poland. He is also active in several organizations and schools in Bosnia-Herzegovina working as psychologist for children.

Wave Subotica Started Today

2009-10-10T14:05:00.000-07:00

Subotica, Serbia - Tea Deak: The Wave project Subotica 2009 started today. It was extremely busy day with a lot of work and a lot of blessings. Our team for the first week is complete. Our 16 team members, most of them representing ROM/EDS Community, are coming from Croatia, Bosnia, Romania, USA, UK and the Netherlands. Initial testing of participants was going very well. We already had a short presentation of our project, principles of Jesus, serving and reconciliation. After the testing (initial testing was in 4 groups) we already had some good discussions. We are happy to see that we are having very big number of students and we are sure that there will be many candidates for ROM/EDS next year. Tomorrow (on Sunday) we will have a chance to present Wave in church that is hosting our curse. One of our team leaders will preach and several of our team members will participate in church service. Wave is bringing a lot of love, encouragements and excitements. We will keep you informed about the progress of Wave in Subotica. Thank you for being with us!

News: Randall Butler Goes to Sudan

2009-10-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

Randall Butler, Executive Director of the Institute for Sustainable Peace (ISP) from Houston TX, travels tomorrow to Sudan. ISP has been invited to conduct a leadership development and peace gathering workshop in Sudan, and this trip mark the initial planning phase of that project. While in Sudan, Randy will meet with high-ranking officials, leaders form Sudanese universities, and nonprofit organizations in both the North and South. He will spend two weeks in Sudan.. - reports Liz Palmer, Chief Operating Officer for ISP. ISP partners with ROM, and Randall Butler has been a regular speaker and mentor at ROM Gatherings since 2002.

Wave in Subotica Only a Few Days Away

2009-10-05T19:03:00.000-07:00

Photo Archive:
Wave in Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina in February 2009

In a few days we will have gathering of the Wave core team in Tuzla, Bosnia. On Friday morning we are going to Subotica where we will have a day of meetings and technical preparation. On Friday evening we'll have the opening session for the Wave Subotica team. On Saturday we'll have the first initial testing's for participants. Preparation work is going well and we are thankful to God for it. In Subotica, some of our team members are already working with registrations and technical preparations. THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS IS ALREADY OVER 100. Having in mind that our Subotica team will include 15-20 persons, we can say that it'll be the biggest ROM/EDS/Wave event ever. I pray and hope that God will give me wisdom and strength to go through the next two weeks boldly. Expect more updates soon.

Tea Deak, Wave Director

ROMCAST: Interview with Srdjan Antic, Croatian Human Right Activist

2009-10-03T12:45:00.000-07:00

Srdjan Antic, a well know Croatian human right and social activist, shares about the impact of ROM in his own life and introduces his latest TV documentary "Untold Sories", in which several stories are shared between the people across the enemy lines who helped save lives across the enemy lines in the war years 1991 - 1995 years in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Srdjan Antic, a Croatian Serb, attended the ROM Gathering in 2000. Inspired by what he experienced at ROM Gathering 2000, together with another two 2000 ROM participants from Croatia, he founded ROM Junior, a week long seminar "Inclusion and Embrace", that focuses on teaching reconciliation and peacemaking the Croatian and Serbian teenagers from Croatia. ROM Junior started in 2001 and has been taking place at the end of each summer in Fuzine, Croatia until now. His latest TV Documentary "Untold Stories" is worthwhile seeing, and once it becomes available on-line we will direct you to the appropriate link. Srdjan Antic has bees serving for a number of years as the director of the Osijek based Nansen Dialogue Center in Croatia. This interview was recorded at ROM Gathering 2009 in Fuzine, Croatia.