WHAT CAN I DO?! Making a Global Difference Right Where You Are

Guest post by David Livermore: Great leader and researcher. Great friend with a great challenge!

My newest book, What Can I Do: Making a Global Difference Right Where You Are just released. I wrote this primarily for Christian readers who want to make a difference globally but aren’t convinced that a two-week trip overseas or an occasional donation is enough.

I rarely meet someone who doesn’t give a rip about HIV-AIDS, freedom in the Middle East, poverty and disease, human trafficking, or any number of other global challenges facing our generation. But all too often, we’re shamed with another series of statistics about how sweet our lives are compared to most people around the world.

I’m all about seeing our lives in perspective. And I start the book out in that very place—seeing ourselves in light of our global neighbors. But all too often, global types like me stop there. We rant and rave with a global chip on our shoulder trying to get people to care about poverty, disease, and war and we don’t offer people practical steps for what they can actually do about it.

Having sometimes seen those tendencies in myself (apologies to those of you who have been subjected to my personal and public rants), I embarked on this project a few years ago. The book stems from research across many different disciplines and professions.

The main section covers dozens of stories and practical ways we can all make a difference globally—in our families, through our jobs (with chapters devoted to how individuals are doing so through business, art, education, science, health care, etc.), at school, in our communities, etc. It was deeply inspiring to work on this project because I learned so much personally from the many people I interviewed and the stories I encountered.

A more complete review of the book will be available on this website soon.For now, you can download the introduction and a couple sample chapters here: What Can I Do Sample. Feel free to share them with others or use them however you wish. And I’d love to hear your own stories of ways you’re learning to play your part in our global village. The book is available at Amazon and bookstores everywhere.

Global PartnerLink hires Wayne Johnson as new President and CEO

Former Head of Opportunity International Joins Forces with Global PartnerLink
Calgary, Alberta - March 5, 2011

Global PartnerLink announced the hiring of Wayne Johnson as the new President and CEO. Johnson brings over 25 years of sales, marketing, fundraising and international development leadership experience to Global PartnerLink from both private industry and the non-profit community. 

“We are thrilled to have Wayne join the Global PartnerLink team. His proven leadership, creative and innovative style, and international program experience will help us grow to the next level as an organization”, says Ned Benner, Chairmain of the Board, Global PartnerLink.

Johnson previously served as the founding CEO of Opportunity International Canada, Executive Director of a large Christian children’s camp in a major turnaround role, and as the Director of a niche marketing consulting organization, which served over 50 non-profits across Canada, Asia, Latin America and Africa.

“Bible translation is foundational to effective evangelism, church planting and discipleship. It is the missing key for many people groups who are marginalized and often the poorest of the poor. Literacy skills are also crucial, leading to improved education, health, job training, and cultural stability”, adds Johnson.

Keith Pickerill, Executive Director, Seamless Link, of the Christian and Missionary Alliance of Canada sees growth at Global PartnerLink, “…Two years ago Global PartnerLink was launched as a spin off from Wycliffe Bible translators. The objective was to dramatically accelerate the rate of scripture translation by working alongside organizations led and staffed by nationals, not westerners. There are still over 2000 languages around the world that still do not have the scriptures in their own mother tongue, or heart language,” explains Pickerill. “Wayne will help us as Canadians do our part in ensuring that people from every people, tribe and nation will be able to worship God in their own heart language… ”

Global PartnerLink works in 13 of the world’s poorest countries with 16 nationally led and staffed Bible translation and literacy organizations. They fund and facilitate 60 translation and literacy projects involving 80 indigenous languages spoken by over 3,000,000 people. Within 8 years Global PartnerLink plans on being involved in an additional 140 unreached languages and people groups.

www.globalpartnerlink.ca

Congratulations Wayne ... you will do a great job!

Hope in Forgiveness

I came across this quote from Miroslav Volf recently, and its challenged me to think and act! Read it slowly or perhaps a few times as I did.

"Forgiveness is the boundary between exclusion and embrace. It heals the wounds that the power-acts of exclusion have inflicted and breaks down the dividing wall of hostility. Yet it leaves a distance between people, an empty space of neutrality, that allows them either to go their separate ways in what is sometimes called 'peace' or to fall into each other's arms and restore broken communion.

Much more than just the absence of hostility sustained by the absence of contact, peace is communion between former enemies. Beyond offering forgiveness, Christ's passion aims at restoring such communion--even with the enemies who persistently refuse to be reconciled."

The truth is, this forgiveness thing has been on my mind for some time. If I'm honest, I have to admit that I've got a lot of work to do in this department! So I've built a daily habit of "forgive - release - bless". Simply put, I reflect and pray about people, situations, conflicts, etc., and then ask for insight on who I need to fully forgive, then release them and ask God to bless them.

Note that in all these cases, the presenting issues or conflict are over. Where needed, I've asked for forgiveness and in some cases, I've been asked to extend it. What I'm working on now is finishing the job ... doing the remedial work in my own soul so that I can truly "release and bless".

As I've practiced this simple ritual since December 2010, I've been surprised by:

1. The number of people I've needed to "release and bless"
2. The cumulation of negative stuff that needs active attention to dismiss
3. The freedom and "more positive" outlook in my own soul

Recently I was prompted to add one more feature to this soul work. That is, in the case of a very old wound, I needed to call a trusted friend and tell him that I had forgiven, released and blessed someone we both knew. It felt good to bless and be blessed by my friend ... by healing the old wound, not reopening it! 

I wish I could say, "follow these three simple steps and you'll be fixed for life", but I can't. Somehow God cherishes us in our journey away from brokenness, so I imagine that people like you and me still have a lot of work to do in this soul area.

However, I can say that in each situation (or person) that I've released and blessed ... I feel much less blame or self-justification and ton more compassion. I've begun to feel that 'neutral space between', that is peace. This is a huge reward in my own soul.

So join me in changing the world, by finding hope in forgiveness. Try the ritual of "forgive - release - bless" for a week and see what happens in your own soul.