Your Dollars Can Help Create New Communities in Japan!

Bob Stilger

Your Dollars Can Help Create New Communities in Japan!

June 30, 2011

July has been a quiet month for me. I’ve been back home in Spokane biking, reflecting, thinking and writing. I’ll return to Japan in a few weeks. If you missed my earlier notes from Japan, you can see them all at www.resilientjapan.org

A number of you generously responded to my request in June for contributions to support work in Japan. Thank you!

For those of you who were unable to respond then — there’s still time! Your help is still urgently needed. Whether it is a $10 contribution, or $100, or $10,000 — all is needed.

Some ask why? Isn’t Japan a wealthy country? It is a wealthy country, this is a huge disaster AND support from the outside is needed to create new possibilities, NOW

Where will your dollars go? They will support a range of on-the-ground efforts supporting local people in rebuilding the devastated region of Japan:

>> Workshops bringing together people of all ages from the Tohoku region together with others from around Japan to develop and support youth leadership. The energy, strength and insights of youth are vital.

>> Creating a network of “laboratories of grace” in the Tohoku: Future Centers in local communities where people can work through grief and confusion and move on to vision and action to build new community, now.

>> Finding ways to use what communities already have available with Asset Based Community Development approaches and use of time-dollar systems to surface local resources.

>> Strengthening the capacities of people in the region who have stepped forward to create the all important volunteer centers which are critical for emergency services now and a source of strength for the future.

Most of this is volunteer work — including most of my time. But funds are needed which are flexible, quick, and adaptable to support new experimental efforts which just are not understandable to government or most of the major international nonprofit organizations. We’re working on leverage points where a few dollars can have high impact to help people in Japan build a new future.

Please consider a contribution today.

Japan has dropped from the global spotlight, but the needs and opportunities are great. Please join me in supporting this work in one of the ways listed below:

You can make a tax-deductible contribution to The Berkana Institute in two ways. You can visit our webpage: (http://bit.ly/berkanadonate) and donate via credit card. Or you can mail a check to The Berkana Institute, 308 W. 1st Ave., Ste. 207, Spokane, WA 99201. In either case please state your donor preference that this be directed toward the Japan Initiative
If you prefer you can also make a tax-deductible contribution to New Stories. You can mail a check to New Stories, 6591 Deer Foot Lane, Freeland, WA 98249

Thanks so very much for considering this request.

Blessings.

Bob

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Bob Stilger

Bob Stilger is the Founder and now one of the Illuminators at New Stories, a nonprofit that uses the power of story to help people regenerate community. After leading a local community development corporation in Spokane, Washington for 25 years, Bob’s work has stretched to many parts of the world including Japan, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Brazil, Australia. Co-President of The Berkana Institute from 2005-2009, Bob has a PhD in Learning and Change in Human Systems from the California Institute of Integral Studies. Since 2010 he has done extensive work in Japan, introducing collaborative spaces called “Future Sessions” as well as many participatory leadership processes. Eiji Press of Tokyo published "AfterNow: When We Cannot See the Future, Where Do We Begin" in June, 2015. New Stories published the English Edition in 2017. The current focus of Bob's work is helping communities regenerate after disaster strikes.

Bob Stilger