L to R: Mashudi Sumohadiwidjojo, Rafael des Tombe, Burhan Maltezos
World Congress Reflections and Impressions
Rafael des Tombe, Gisborne
‘The 15th Subud World Congress in Freiburg, Germany was an immensely positive experience for me and since it was my very first Congress, it will always hold a special place of significance. I learnt many things about Subud and how it functioned in the world. It was also wonderful to catch up with old friends from Rungan Sari. Since it had been close to a decade since we all spent time with each other I was surprised at how much we had grown up. It was great to see some of us had taken on important roles in Subud, which left me wondering how I could be more engaged and how I could contribute. The congress inspired me and in many ways an eye-opener and a rejuvenating experience.’
L to R: Rosario and Matthew Moir, Rasjad and Ramzi Addison, Hussein Rawlings.
Ramzi Addison, Christchurch
Lots of courageous young parents with very small children, incredible heat - upper 30s. No official jobs. Our hard-working delegates.
Lots of talking and laughing with old and new friends. Lots of Latihan.
Disorganised German brothers and sisters - major breakthrough.
Camping in Black Forest with Rasjad and grandchildren and going for early morning walks. Not understanding any of Ibu's talk. Not worrying about that.
Amazingly wonderful performances by various musicians and artists.
Loving the whole thing but being full up when it finished.
Ten hour drive home to Holland with massive two hour donner und blitzen storm and heavy rain on the autobahn.
Hugh Lynn, Kejiwaan Councillor, Gisborne,
‘It’s quite amazing really the role that NZ plays in Subud in the world. We are such a small country. Yet, each four years, we continue to have Subud members, volunteer their time and energy continuing the Subud work out there in the world. Hammond Peek, Rosario Moir, Matthew Moir, Hussein Rawlings, Muchtar Rawlings
I would like to congratulate our delegate team who worked each day, sometimes under difficult circumstances, some days it was 37˚.
I also would like to thank Ralph Stuettgen & Judy Gibb for contributing a substantial
amount to assist Elvira (Murianti’s sister) to attend the Congress.
Elvira had just finished a five year term - working for Susila Dharma Indonesia, then went on to work as a staff member in the SICA Art exhibition at the Congress.
A life changing experience one could say.’
Muchtar Rawlings,
outgoing Committee Councillor, incoming Zone 1&2 Rep., Christchurch
‘As Committee Councillor I represented Subud New Zealand at all the delegates meetings along with the rest of the NZ delegation. I also attended some associated working parties. Overall my Congress consisted of attending the delegates meetings, working parties with very little time to do other things, though I enjoyed all of the meetings and with MSF.
The Zone 1 & 2 Meeting took place on the second day of Congress, and involved delegates from NZ, Australia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, India, Japan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. The result of the meeting was that I was selected as the next Zone 1 & 2 Rep. This meant my Congress eventually became busier as I attended meetings with other Zone Reps and the new WSA team.
The delegates meetings were interesting with many topics discussed and of course many opinions from different delegations. There was also discussion about the extent of trusting testing by International Helpers, as opposed to discussion, when appointing office holders and the location of the next World Congress.
I attended some working parties on finance, to gain a better understanding of what others think on this topic. A general impression was most participants considered it is important that both richer and poorer countries should contribute even if the amounts are small, that members of developing countries are not necessarily poor and can contribute, and that if unchecked richer donors may try to unduly influence matters.’
Hammond Peek, Christchurch
‘After already spending 10 weeks in Europe, mostly in Spain, I arrived at the Freiburg Subud World Congress in an incredibly relaxed, calm state. I tiki-toured through Germany to Freiburg from Hamburg with Osanna & Dylan Vaughn arriving 3 days before the Congress began, so I was already well settled in by the time the 2,500 excited Subud attendees arrived. What a hoot. I loved it. I enjoyed meeting old friends, many from 4 years ago, and meeting and getting to know new Subud friends. I was in a lovely space, really living in the moment I was in, and so was able to give each person I met my full attention, and in doing so I felt blessed by the always positive way each one reacted, willing to open up and share what was going on in their lives.’
‘Just before Congress, Osanna asked me to be part of a jury for the SESI (Subud Enterprise Services International) *$100,000 Project Fund, to help decide which of about 50 Subud Projects would get funding from this $100k pool, made possibly via a kind bequest from a Subud member. “It won’t involve much time” Osanna promised...
World Congress Reflections and Impressions continued …………
and I foolishly believed her! So I spent a lot of my Congress poring over business, arts and social project proposals, listening to these 50 presentations being given at Congress to a Subud audience, meeting many times with my 4 fellow jury members to whittle the 50 down to just 20 finalists, and ultimately giving out the funds to 19 project recipients at an exciting, moving awards ceremony attended by hundreds of appreciative, supportive Subud folk.
‘Over the 10 days I regularly met up with some of my fellow kiwis. But because of this jury work I spent very little time in the many lengthy delegates’ sessions.’
‘I arrived at congress with the strong feeling that I would walk away with a Subud ‘hat’ on... but I didn’t know yet what that hat might be. Until quite late in the Congress I felt very clearly to put my hand up for the SESI chair job. And so it transpired that myself and Gaye Thavisin (who lives in Rungan Sari and runs ‘Wow Borneo - Kalimantan Tour Destinations’ www.wowborneo.com) have now been selected as the new SESI Co-Chairs.’
‘Highlights for me also included doing latihan with 1,000 other guys, and Ibu Rahayu’s amazing ‘goodbye’ talk.’
‘So my World Congress was a wonderful, enjoyable, exciting, relaxing, calm, chatty, connecting time... I feel truly blessed that I was able to attend.’
(*see http://www.subudworldnews.com/news.html#Article on 19 August for more information)
Home from Congress - our National Chair writes
……………..
Dear National Council,
We had a wonderful congress. We had meetings everyday (except one day off) and on the whole they were very productive.
We managed to get through all the proposed resolutions with many of them passed and some to be developed further with specific working groups over the next 4 years.
I will send through the full minutes once we have received them.
Congratulations on four notable New Zealand appointments:
• Muchtar Rawlings as our new Zone 1&2 Rep. Muchtar has been carrying out most of the communication admirably for the zone for the past 4 years so he is already familiar with the requirements of the role. His appointment was resoundingly supported by the candidates as he has shown to be a calm clear communicator and capable of the responsibility needed.
• Hussein Rawlings has been selected as International Helper for the next four years.
• Rosario Moir is the new WSA vice chair (Nahum Harlap, Perth, W Australia is the new WSA Chair).
• Hammond Peek is co-chair of SESI with Gaye Thavisin.
The location for the next World Congress in 2020 is Kalimantan.
Love Veronica
PS. Welcome Mauraka , new Chair for Dunedin and thank you Munirah for keeping on going for several years!
PPS. Date for your diary: Subud New Zealand AGM 10 & 11th November, Christchurch – more info later!
Note from the Editor
A bumper edition this time round intended to give a flavour of the World Congress Experience. Thanks, brothers and sisters for all the pictures and words – it has been hard to choose which ones to include in this issue.
Go to: subudworldnews.com for lots more news about goings on all around our Subud world. Subud Voice is always a good read too.
The next edition is due out in December / January so please send news and pictures and stories to me at: silvanacaradocevans@gmail.com.
Advice & Guidance for Bapak’s Helpers
Matthew Moir, outgoing International Helper, writes
In early 2015, Ibu Rahayu asked the International Helper dewan to compile a new edition of the handbook for helpers, which was later given the title Advice and Guidance for Bapak’s Helpers. Her request followed a study she had commissioned of the 1988 edition and the 2005 publication ’On the Subud Way’. This had been conducted by Ibu’s Office, and the results were presented when we met with Ibu in Cilandak.
Essentially, this study made it clear that many of the excerpts from Bapak’s talks in the 1988 edition contained inconsistencies and inaccuracies of translation as they were commonly not based on direct transcriptions from original audio recordings. This was not surprising, given that the first volume of Bapak Talks was not published until 1996 – the translations in this and all subsequent volumes have all been based on direct transcriptions from original audio recordings. In addition, there were common errors in referencing and the original documentary source of a number of the excerpts from letters and other writings could not be identified.
There were similar findings regarding On the Subud Way, although this publication had the advantage of drawing on authorised translations from the early published volumes of Bapak Talks. However, by 2005 only the first 13 volumes had been published, covering the years 1957-1965, and excerpts from talks after that date had the same limitations.
The decision to produce a new edition has substantial precedents. Prior to 1988 there were previous editions of Bapak’s Advice and Guidance for Helpers in 1967, 1971, and 1981, each reflecting the new talks and letters as these became available. We anticipate that the 2018 edition will not be the last, because the talks in the most recently published Volume 32 of Bapak Talks are from 1970 – a total of 13 years of talks published as authorised translations to date, only 17 years to go!
We have drawn on later talks of Bapak, as explained below, but the task of selecting and making excerpts from these available will be greatly eased when the published volumes are completed. We have drawn quite extensively on talks and letters of Ibu Rahayu from years since 1988, but Ibu continues to give talks and write letters, and these will also be valuable resources for future editions.
Our task then, was to compile a revised edition from authorised or new transcriptions and translations and from known original recordings or documents, with accurate referencing. Ibu charged us with keeping the new book simple and we have endeavoured to do this through our selection of excerpts with intrinsic clarity and through organising the content to have a natural flow. The 1988 edition served as a frame of reference, but we did not seek to duplicate this in an updated form. We sought suggestions from helpers worldwide about topics or talks to be included, and we added topics and emphases of our own.
Our dewan felt it best for a small number of us to form a core group to work on the book, and six were intensely involved throughout, while the other International Helpers offered their support and suggestions, with comments about the sections and chapters as they were compiled. We worked closely throughout with Ibu’s office and with the translation teams of Muti and Raymond Lee, and Tuti and Sharif Horthy. Wherever a topic could be addressed from existing authorised translations these were given preference, but on many occasions we requested new translations, and these were always provided with grace and efficiency. The new edition could not have been completed in its final state and form without their involvement, for which we are deeply grateful.
We also had active ongoing collaboration and support from SPI and the WSA-Executive, and the quality of the book and its presentation reflects their care and expertise. It was also gratifying that there was translation of our selections into other languages proceeding in parallel with our work, resulting in the availability of the English and Spanish editions at the Freiburg Congress, with a Bahasa Indonesian edition soon to follow, along with other languages. While this book is especially directed toward helpers, we feel it will be of interest and value for all members.
REST IN PEACE
Renata Peek remembers Laurentia Kuiper who died suddenly at home on 27 July, not far off from her 71st birthday.
‘Hammond and I first met Gordon and Laurentia when they arrived in Auckland with son Peter in 1980. They had come to NZ for Gordon to take over Lambert Mount’s homeopathic practice, Laurentia had son Emiel, (now Christian), and at some point Gordon changed job completely to become an orchardist and the family moved to Kati Kati, then back to Howick in Auckland, where there was quite a sizable Subud group. Daughter Caroline was born and the family spent some years in Pukekohe south of Auckland where Gordon managed an orchard, then they moved to Australia living in Perth, helping to build the Hilltop farm property and then moving to Melbourne and later the Gold Coast before returning to NZ to settle in Christchurch in the Heathcote valley.
Laurentia served the Christchurch group for many years as a dedicated, caring and responsible helper, she was devoted to the Latihan and made a habit of reading Bapak‘s and Ibu’s talks. Often at the Subud house before Latihan she would arrive early so that she could listen to a talk on tape.
In later years she moved to Brighton to a homely, sunny upstairs flat with a view and in sound and walking distance of the surf.
Laurentia became the archivist for the group and spent many hours at the Subud house going through all the many documents, books, and magazines. Laurentia created a calm orderly place: her desk with Bapak’s picture, her cup placed neatly on a folded tissue and a page with Bapak’s daughter, M’Bahju Rochnawati’s advice to helpers, front and centre, served as a reminder to all who cared to see, what she held to be most important, which was the devoted worship of God Almighty through the Latihan.’
Laurentia is buried with Gordon in the lawn cemetery in Bromley. May God bless her soul.’
Also, sending best wishes and condolences to Rashida Cooper (outgoing International Helper) whose husband Kerry died soon after she arrived home from World Congress in August.
