Gary Goldman is a Minister in the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness (MSIA). He shares this story about his work.

Against the backdrop of the events of September 11, 2001, if our nation is going to survive this challenge and to continue to provide positive influence on world affairs, we must teach our children about a different world and to appreciate the importance of their own role of leadership on the world stage. So, not only can such an environment be created, it must be created…now more than ever.

We have an opportunity to harness the energies, hearts and minds of an entire generation of youth. As a nation we must embrace our young people to address the issues that concern them in their lives, their communities and the world around them by joining with others in positive action to create change. It’s time for us as to hasten our efforts and empower every young person in America to make significant contributions

In 1923 Kahlil Gibran wrote:

“Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you, not from you, and though they are with you, they belong not to you. You may give them your Love, but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies, but not their souls, for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, even in your dreams.”

As a 20 year student and minister of MSIA, I’ve dedicated my life to the education, empowerment, and development of the whole child. With the assistance of my colleagues, my non-profit International Quality Leadership Institute is spearheading several monumental projects that will further this work. One of them is the Youth Empowerment Society (YES). It is my belief that the challenge of preparing and equipping an enlightened next generation of leaders is at the center of the world’s long term health, safety and well-being.

YES proposes a virtual society, utilizing three key components: one, the power of the World Wide Web’s virtual architecture; second, a proven, common sense approach to community building, centered in youth involvement and collaborative problem-solving (Youth-Centered Community Collaboratives); and third, the final component — the often untapped human resource (i.e. knowledge, leadership, skills, and energy) of America’s youth. More specifically, the goal of the Youth-Centered Community Collaboratives (YC3), as an integral part of YES, is to build stronger relationships between youth and youth, and youth and adults. It utilizes resources within the school and community to create a positive environment that results in increased youth social and academic success, and healthier and safer communities for all. Special emphasis is placed on seeing all our youth as learners, resources, and problem solvers.

YES is intended to give kids the power and a vehicle to nurture the new paradigms and solutions necessary for sustaining the world’s future growth. Young people are our future and they inherit the world. YES will help young people to lead projects and establish their own mark in society. It is truly an opportunity for kids to lead kids with adults acting as facilitators and guides along the way. Through our ongoing “high-tech” and “high-touch” integrative approach, YES offers them the environment to flourish and build important relationships with the adults in their lives. The beauty of this program is that ALL children are eligible to “play”. Every child from any walk of life has the opportunity to achieve and succeed! This initiative is for all kids, from the underprivileged to the so-called ‘at-risk’ to the high achieving.”

As part of our development of YES, youth participants were interviewed during a town meeting. Several said, “If I had the power to change the world I would”. Other youth suggested they would initiate various forms of civic engagement. Some of their contributions include: reading books to younger students, creating activities for other youth in their community, beautifying their schools through painting or cleaning the area, meeting with law enforcement or their city government to discuss their ideas on improving the communities. Once again, youth demonstrate their interest in civic and community leadership. YES will assist these youth and others in achieving their goals for a powerful contribution.

I’ve found MSIA’s teachings to be very important in my work with youth and communities. It fits perfectly as I allow the Spirit within me to resonate with young people in order to move them toward intrinsic change and thus real success. This goes far beyond a mental approach. It is a work of the heart.

Utilizing unconditional loving in my work is at the core for manifesting the work of the Spirit and the Traveler. We need to involve youth as our chief resource, problem-solvers and partners. It’s time to open up and listen to our children. They have fresh ideas and open views that can help build a bridge of trust among all people, thus being a catalyst for healing our world.

In designing the YES, we compared the difference between the senior citizens before and after the advent of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). Prior to someone figuring out how to refocus the needs of the discontents, energy and resources of our senior population, most of their concerns fell on deaf ears. Once they were organized, however, their opinions and desires became some of the most influential in our nation’s system of government. We want to do a similar thing with our young people. Organize them into a united and powerful group that will take a stand for our communities and planet.

We see ourselves as a vital partner with established youth-focused organizations and programs, and are committed in creating a Spirit-led collaboration with these youth advocates. If we can effectively re-orient our thinking to be inspired by the collective ideas of our youth, we can significantly enhance the effectiveness of each of these organizations in the communities in which they serve. Imagine the synergistic effect of such a movement!

It is time to reconnect to the common humanity and spirit of all people. This IS an immense wake-up call for this nation and the world TO TAKE ACTION. We cannot return to “business as usual”. Our young people, are the future, and must be included in this vision. Let our children be the peace ambassadors for healing the world. For they have the innocence, unconditional loving, and openness of Spirit. This is my prayer for all of us.

I am inviting the MSIA community to hold this vision with a clear intention of creating a collaborative and heartfelt youth initiative in order to bring our planet into wholeness and a place of peace for all. We must include our future, our young generation in this quest. I invite you to share with me your thoughts or resources on making this vision a reality.

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Gary Goldman, a nationally-recognized leader in education reform and youth empowerment, has a B.A. in Psychology and a M.A. in Organization Development. He is President and Founder of Quality Improvement Associates (QIA), a for-profit, and the International Quality Leadership Institute (IQLI), a non-profit organization. Gary has a gift for touching and reaching the minds, hearts, and spirit of our young people. IQLI’s is dedicated to engaging our young people as partners in positive action in making a difference in our communities and the world.

Goldman is co-author of, “Empowering Students to Transform Schools,” Corwin Press, CA. “This is a book of revelation. It reveals the power of our youth. They are ready, willing and able to help schools and communities change from institutions into dynamic, living organisms……. education with a heart.” (Goldman/Newman)

Gary was a Chicago representative for Insight Seminars, Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness (MSIA), and Peace Theological Seminary (PTS) for many years and served several terms on the Chicago MSIA Ministerial Board. He received the MSIA Minister of the Year Award in 1988.

For more information about the International Quality Leadership Institute and its programs contact:

International Quality Leadership Institute

2149 W. Touhy Ave.

Chicago, Illinois 60645

(773)-761-2698

Fax (773) 761-1012

Or you can email Gary at gargoldman@aol.com.
Visit us on the web at www.falcolog.com/qia