Transforming Togo
January 27th, 2012

Simon Pierre Gatera pioneered the ministry of Development Associates International (DAI) in Togo. He trains Christians to lead with a servant’s heart, like Jesus. These leaders are desperate for a different way.

Since independence from France in 1960, the Togolese have only known heavy-handed dictatorship masquerading as a Republic. The power-hungry government-military duo, coupled with prevalent dark Voodoo practices and the instability of poverty, have crippled the nation with fear.

This fear affects everything. In fear of losing your job and putting your family’s future well-being in jeopardy, will you bring to light your boss’ corruption and unjust behavior? In fear of death will you go toe to toe with the government’s abuse of power? Once you find some semblance of security in a job, will you pass your position of power along to emerging leaders?

Out of this darkness and fear comes a message of empowerment and hope from Simon Pierre; there is a better way and with Jesus you can achieve it.

After completing a DAI workshop, Jean-Marc, a leader of a Christian ministry said, “I cannot find the words to thank Mr. Gatera from whom I acquired all this knowledge. To thank him really, I shall put all these teachings in practice.” And he did.

Jean-Marc’s CEO asked him to fire their hard-working accountant because he listened to music every day.  In the CEO’s eyes, he was using too much electricity. Jean-Marc protected the accountant saying, “It’s better to manage conflict with patience, to restore relationships, than to throw out the people who cause problems. What if our accountant cannot find another job?” Defending the accountant’s job put his own job on the line.

Thankfully the CEO conceded. After a time of asking questions and listening to the accountant, Jean-Marc discovered that the accountant is a people-oriented person employed to work alone in a task-oriented position. He listens to music to fulfill his need for human interaction.

This epiphany allowed Jean-Marc to place the accountant in a different position that provided a lot of human interaction. The accountant’s habit of listening to music stopped. What looked like a loss became a win-win situation.

Jean-Marc’s story is one of many stories of transformation. As always, DAI is honored to walk alongside these leaders who are brave enough to say “no” to bad leadership even if it is their own.

Support the work of DAI Togo, by leaving an encouraging word for Simon Pierre.

About Togo: A long, skinny country in Western Africa best known for its cocoa, coffee and cotton. This nation of just under 7 million only employs 2.6 million. Their GDP just barely surpasses 3 billion USD. To put that in perspective: if you divide the GDP by the population of the country, the US brings in 104 times the amount of money per person than Togo. A comparison of $47,744 USD to only $457. That’s just barely over $1 per day per person when the US earns $132. Togo has a small economy, but also has great untapped potential.

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Travel Tips from DAI Staff
January 13th, 2012

In our efforts to bring DAI’s servant leadership training to places with least access to such resources we have spent countless hours riding on planes and trains and driving on congested and open roads. Our cumulative travel experience allows us to bring you this international travel advice.

 

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Confirm visa and vaccination requirements months ahead of time for both your destination and pass-through countries. Some countries require transit visas for travelers passing through their airports.

While you are purchasing your flight, add travel insurance and traveler’s health insurance to your bill. Usually nothing goes wrong, but there are certain things you cannot prepare for, like a volcano erupting in Iceland disrupting travel all around the world.

Print off multiple copies of your eTickets and Itineraries. You need them to even enter some airports.

Get to know the culture – especially dress code and social norms – and key phrases of the main language of your destination. The western hemisphere is predominately mono-linguistic which makes knowing the local language all the more important there. Online travel guides and increasing numbers of local online news publications allow you to peer ahead to your awaiting destination.

Check the voltage and plug adapters of the destination country. Keep in mind some countries use multiple types of adapters. Click here for a listing http://www.kropla.com/electric2.htm .

Notify your bank and credit card companies of upcoming travel plans, otherwise anti-fraud departments may deny your overseas transactions.

In case of an emergency, inform a friend or family member of your itinerary, contact information and the contact information of the nearest consulate for your home country.

 

PACK LIGHT

Checking weather ahead of time allows you to pack more appropriately. Keep in mind that seasons are opposite between northern and southern hemispheres. If you are making that transition, be sure you have clothes for both seasons readily available on the plane ride.

Save space in your suitcase by rolling your clothes rather than folding them. And leave extra space so you can return home with souvenirs and gifts.

Be sure to bring gifts of appreciation for your hosts.

Pack a washcloth, shammy (quick-drying) towel, package of facial tissue, pillow case and plastic grocery bag. These five things fulfill a myriad of needs – from creating a pillow out of a jacket on a long train ride to keeping dirty shoes separated from clean clothes in your cramped suitcase.

Polo t-shirts are a fashion trend that has spread all around the world. Shorts on the other hand have not. Exchange the shorts and t-shirts for trousers and polos. Unfortunately, women’s clothing is not as uniform which makes looking up the appropriate dress code all the more important.

 

COMBATING JET LAG

We suggest drinking plenty of water and exercising in the sunlight. On the flights try adjusting your body to the destination time zone. Set your watch to that time and eat and sleep accordingly.

 

STAYING HEALTHY

Contrary to popular belief, the air on planes is not circulating germs. The air coming from your personal air valve is partially outside air mixed in with HEPA-filtered cabin air. But that does not mean your seat neighbor is not circulating their germs. A couple days before traveling; boost your body’s immune system with vitamins like Echinacea, vitamin C and zinc.

Traveling with your ‘go to’ medications prevents the hassle of hunting through foreign pharmacies in a time of need.

When you are in developing countries, drink bottled water or a soda instead of tap water. If that is not available, then kindly request boiling water.

 

FOR YOUR COMFORT

Enjoying a cup of afternoon tea is more common than a mug of coffee with breakfast. If coffee is part of your morning routine, we suggest packing either instant coffee or ground coffee and a coffee plunger/press travel mug.

Opt for 100% cotton clothing when traveling to hot dry climates allowing your body to “breath” so to speak. But switch to cotton-synthetic blends when traveling to wet climates allowing you to quickly dry after being caught in the afternoon monsoon rain.

Decreased oxygen in high elevations increases muscle fatigue. Drinking plenty of water and pacing yourself will go a long way in feeling your best.

 

WHILE IN COUNTRY

Money exchange in airports tends to be the most expensive no matter where you are. Exchange what you need for a day, then use the hotel or local bank’s exchange service for the remainder.

In countries with frequent strikes or protests, like India and Nepal, stay alert for public strike announcements. If a strike is scheduled for the day of your departure flight adjust the location of where you are staying so that you are within a walking or rickshaw distance of the airport.

When buying souvenirs, ask your tour guide or host for advice. They know what fair prices are.

Use a pre-paid taxi service whenever possible, otherwise set the price of the trip before the taxi ride.

An adventurous and laid-back attitude decreases stress when our plans do not work out according to our liking.

Finally, do not be afraid to ask questions.

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New Video for a New Year
January 6th, 2012

We live in uncommon times marred by chaos that was ushered in by bad leadership. Fortunately there is a group of servant leaders working in and through the chaos to pass on the unconventional leadership modeled by Jesus Christ. Through them the world is changing for the better. Learn more about why leadership development matters by watching the video below.

 

 

Join us on Facebook.

 

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Insider’s View into DAI
December 30th, 2011

DAI Senior Consultant Paul Borthwick was interviewed by supporters of Development Associates International (DAI) giving them an insider’s view into the world of Senior Consultants. Each of the 12 DAI Senior Consultants, from 6 different countries, spend much of their time traveling around the world to provide Christ-like leadership training and consulting to Christians in least resourced parts of the world. Try on the shoes of a Senior Consultant.

Personal.

Do you ever feel afraid in some of the difficult areas you travel to?

The short answer: YES. There are definitely times we feel afraid – whether we’re together or apart. In September, on the drive from Lagos to Ibadan (Nigeria) for a DAI MA training week, the car transporting Paul had a flat tire – in the dark – in a very remote section of a notoriously dangerous road (known for robberies). I (Paul) felt afraid so I texted Christie so that she would pray – “Flat tire; please pray” – thus making her afraid.

 How do you see God meet you in those times?

Obviously we prayed, but God met us by reminding us of all the people who told us that they were praying for this trip. Paul prayed through his favorite verse – Isaiah 41:10 – and remembered God’s promised presence. Christie drew on Philippians 4:6-7 – ‘don’t be anxious; pray about everything.’

The driver changed the flat tire without incident and we arrived in Ibadan safely. A week after Paul got home, he got a message from one of our prayer team partners telling us that she had felt special compulsion to pray for our safety. When we compared timing, she sensed the urgency to pray at exactly the same time we had the flat tire!

Ministry Impact.  

What motivates you both to keep training/ministering with DAI? 

By far it’s the amazing privilege of working with leaders who will accomplish things for the Kingdom of Christ that we could never do. We think of our colleagues training Christian leaders in the Middle East. Or we celebrate the Nepali leaders touching dozens of cultures in the Himalayan region.

 How has seeing leader’s lives transformed shaped your ministry at DAI? 

First, we realize that God has called us alongside our colleagues as partners and friends. We’ve grown together with friends like DAI colleagues Reuben & Bosede Ezemadu who we first met in 1987. Or IFES colleagues Femi and Affy Adeleye who we met in 1991. Through our many DAI contacts, we’ve had the privilege of praying with other global colleagues through national conflicts in Cote d’Ivoire and personal conflicts in their families. The people we work with come from highly relational cultures, and we’ve learned that walking together, eating together, and spending time together is the foundation of everything we do in DAI.

A second observation about seeing leader’s lives transformed that has shaped our ministry is the realization that God has given us the ability to be “transformation catalysts.” We don’t always know the direct impact of the seeds that we plant, but we realize that through teaching, spiritual direction, training and facilitating, God has used us to introduce ideas that bear fruit later. When we get James’ newsletter regarding his mission outreach to Tibetans, or we hear about Jack taking one of the most significant leadership positions in Palestine, or we get Joel and Karen’s newsletter from Burkina Faso, we celebrate. James was our student in Manila 10 years ago. Jack took a class with Paul in 1998, became a classmate in 2002, and hosted a DAI training in Palestine/Israel in 2005. And Joel and Karen were in mission classes when they studied at Gordon College. We celebrate not because we are so significant in these leaders’ lives but because perhaps we were used by God as catalysts for His transforming vision in their lives.

 Global Perspective. 

Given all of your diverse travels, if you could change one thing about how the Church views/engages in missions, what would you change? 

We want to encourage the church in North America to discover where God is moving and go there – whether it’s with James the Filipino going to the Tibetan people or Fred the Nigerian serving in Cote d’Ivoire or with traditional Western missionaries teaching in Burkina Faso. And where is God going? The mass migrations of people and the globalization of the mission force means that there are many new streams of witness in the world. Ministry in New Zealand in November or Ghana in December is not just an investment in these young leaders and those countries. It’s for the places these students will go in the world – like Laos or China or North Africa.

 

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Merry Christmas from DAI!
December 22nd, 2011

As we enter into a season of joyfully reflecting on the miracle of Jesus Christ’s life among us, we want to share how God has worked in and through the ministry of DAI.

In the hearts of our donors – economic hardships and political strife negatively impacted many of our donors around the world and yet they continue to generously support the ministries of DAI.

In the hearts of the leaders we serve – every servant-leadership training we do, we ask God to show up. And to our amazement, He does! He speaks to the situation of each leader, encourages them, heals them.

In the heart of our curriculum – “transformative,” have frequently been used to describe the curriculum we offer. Jesus’ way of leading is transformative and that’s what we teach. Like an earthquake, His presence rocks what we used to think was a firm foundation. What was once viewed as stable, now crumbles. We start to question the unhealthy norms – big-boss leadership, abuse of power, corruption, fear of delegation, etc..

To all of our advocates, donors, trainers, translators, staff and leaders we serve; Merry Christmas! May the joy of the Lord’s presence in your life permeate this Christmas!

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Nash’s Story
December 9th, 2011

From DAI student to Pastor of a conflict-ridden church in 3 years!

 “I can go on and on about the impact of DAI and its ready application to my life and ministry without stopping because the course content, which is highly flexible in delivery, is amazingly and relevantly appropriate for day to day life and ministry applications in the setting and ministry context in Nigeria.” ~ Nash

When Nash Azaki started the DAI MA Course in Organisational Leadership in Nigeria in March 2008, he had no idea of the journey it would take him on. At that time he was a student worker with the ECWA Student Ministry in Nigeria, and was feeling in need of training to sharpen his leadership skills. Two years into the three-year course, he was asked to take over as pastor of a 500 strong congregation in Abuja. So how has the course helped him as a leader, both with students and more recently with a large congregation?

“As I progressed in the programme, each semester had something new and rich for me to learn and apply in my life and ministry.” Pressed to be more specific, he said that the Teaching and Learning for Impact course had helped him understand his students as learners and that now in his new role as a Church leader he is using what he learned about facilitating when leading Bible study groups and discipleship classes, helping people engage better with what they are learning.

Nash’s view was that the Conflict Resolution and Management course was “God-sent”! The church* he took over had become sharply divided between the supporters of the former pastor, who left because of financial misappropriation, and the supporters of the elders. “Assuming pastoral responsibility in this conflict situation was the biggest challenge I have ever experienced. Using the course skills and further empowered by the Holy Spirit, peace and spirituality has been restored. Then as I identified ethnic issues to be at the root of the problem we had the course on Culture, Ethnicity and Diversity which directly addressed the situation in my church.”

Nash has a passion for mission and evangelism: “I want to encourage our church to be a missionary sending and mission supporting church. As one of the exercises on the Partnership course I had to explore a possible partnership. I had a vision for strengthening the church in Burkina Faso, and using the methods and skills we learned we have now successfully partnered with the Eglise Evangelique in Burkina Faso and with other ministries in Nigeria to support the church in Burkina Faso. Although this began as an academic exercise, we now have a very real partnership and we are doing significant ministry in another country in West Africa.”

The last words belong to Nash: “I am totally overwhelmed by the fact that a simple commitment to an academic exercise can translate into such a huge, monumental, eternal impact as represented by a partnership which has been brokered and that resulted in us sending two missionaries to Burkina Faso. Thanks so much for placing the resources of this course on partnership at my disposal.”

What others have said about Nash:

“Pastor Nash has vision, wisdom, executive ability, humility, develops friendships and has tact and diplomacy. These are the characteristics we look for in leaders and Pastor Nash is an inspirational leader.”
~ Dr. Mrs. Numbwa Medugu

“Pastor Nash is a visionary leader, a leader of high integrity and a good planner.”
~ Solomon Labafilo

John Rogers, DAI Senior Consultant for Non-Formal Training and Adult Education, wrote Nash’s story after teaching Nash and his classmates about forming and maintaining partnerships which led Nash to send out missionaries from his congregation.

*The photo is of a worship service in Nigeria, but not from Nash’s church.

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Everyday Witness
December 8th, 2011

Sowing Seeds of the Gospel

I boarded the plane for a cross-country flight, secretly hoping that the seat next to me would be empty. A stimulating conference had left me tired and ready for some down time. I looked forward to reading, watching the movie or napping. I sat down in seat 12A and thanked God that 12B was empty—until a man named Jim joined me.

Everyday Witness

We exchanged cordial greetings, and I returned to my reading. Within minutes Jim let it be known that he wanted to talk. I just didn’t feel up to a long, cross-country conversation.

But then a phrase from the book “Divine Appointments” by author Bob Jack came to mind: 24/7 availability, meaning always available and willing to be a witness for Christ 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Convicted, I prayed: “Lord, strengthen me now to listen to Jim, to draw him out, to be your witness.”

When the Apostle Paul exhorted Timothy to be prepared always to “preach the Word … in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2), he was calling Timothy (and us) to 24/7 availability, no matter what the circumstances. As Paul wrote these words, he was facing much greater challenges than feeling too tired to face a chatty co-traveler on a cross-country flight.

Paul penned this letter to Timothy from a Roman prison while facing imminent death. In perhaps the toughest season of his life and ministry, Paul was lonely, had been deserted by co-workers and was suffering physically. But Paul practiced what he preached. Church tradition records the names of multiple prisoners and prison guards whom Paul led to faith in Christ before he was executed. Scholars believe Paul and the Apostle Peter both spent their last days before execution in the Mamertine Prison in Rome. If you go to this historical attraction today, you’ll see a plaque with dozens of names on it—the prisoners and prison guards whom church tradition says were led to Christ by Paul and Peter while they were prisoners.

How can we cultivate this same attitude so that we are always ready and alert to be witnesses to the hope that we have in Jesus? Here are a few suggestions.

Open Our Eyes

Matthew records Jesus encountering a crowd and seeing them as “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). In a similar encounter, the disciples urged Jesus to send the people away (Matthew 14:15). The difference is vision. Jesus saw people through eyes of compassion, while the disciples saw them as an inconvenience. We need to change the way we view people.

My attitude toward Jim on the airplane—or my neighbors, my co-workers or the international fellow who serves me at the supermarket—changes when I ask God to help me see them with eyes of compassion. That man sitting next to me is an eternal soul, with an eternal destiny. God also loves the people I encounter throughout the week, but they might not know it. When I see others through the eyes of Jesus, I realize that it’s my privilege to be God’s 24/7 available witness.

Open Our Schedule

In a context similar to Paul’s letters to Timothy, Peter wrote to suffering, persecuted Christians exhorting them always to be prepared (in spite of their circumstances) to give a response to others—explaining the “reason for the hope that they have” (Cf. 1 Peter 3:15).

When I boarded that plane, I had my own agenda, but God’s agenda for me included Jim. I turned my attention toward Jim, and he talked. Most people are deeply attracted to someone who will listen to them. Being available means being willing to focus my attention on the person or people God has placed right in front of me.

A study of Philip’s ministry (Acts 6:1-7, 8:4-13, 26-40) provides a great picture of the open-scheduled, available witness. Wherever Phillip went, he looked for opportunities to serve, to preach and to affect others for Jesus’ sake. As a deacon, he served the immediate needs before him. As an everyday witness, he preached to Samaritans, launched into an unexpected encounter with an exotic foreigner—the Ethiopian eunuch—and resumed preaching when he found himself “beamed over” to Azotus. Philip exemplified a believer in search of divine appointments. Rather than looking at interruptions and unexpected human encounters as inconveniences, he responded to them as opportunities sovereignly created by God.

In a day and age when time may be our most valued resource, opening our schedules to others can be tough. For many of us, “in season and out of season” might be translated “when it’s convenient and when it’s not” or “when it fits our schedule and when it interrupts our plans.” Making time to listen to a co-worker, an aged neighbor or an interrupting child might be the availability challenge we face.

Open Our Prayers

My wife sets the tone for “in season/out of season” witness by arriving early to the medical laboratory where she works and praying over the various work stations and the people who will soon be there. An attitude of prayer gives us the anticipation that God is going to work.

Dr. J. Christy Wilson, former missionary in Afghanistan, taught us to breathe prayers on behalf of the people we pass on the streets because we “might be praying for someone who has never been prayed for before in Jesus’ name.” God works through our prayers to prepare us, but He also uses prayer to prepare those who will receive the Gospel.

Open Our Hands

For many of us, our neighbors are the people before whom our witness is most visible. Practical service is a bridge to the Gospel in almost any culture, a way to demonstrate our faith by our deeds. Help in the yard, run an errand, assist with a physical labor project. People might respond to the actions of our hands and feet long before they listen to our words.

Open Our Newspaper

Look for “hooks.” What are people already interested in that you can then connect to the Gospel? One of the best biblical examples of this is Paul in Acts 17. He walked around and observed the spiritual condition of Athens, then used the spiritual interests of the Athenians as a bridge to introducing them to Jesus.

In the past year, I’ve engaged in conversations with people around a host of topics: the economy, historical events in the Middle East, major league baseball—and more. But as one who desires to have 24/7 availability as a witness, I look and pray for ways to direct these conversations into spiritual discussions.

Interactions about the economy prompted a conversation on “What are we trusting as we face the future?” Historical events in the Middle East led to discussions on the difference between the Christian faith and other religions. Even banter around baseball, and the sports slogan “I live for this,” evolved into the question, “What are we living for?”

Which brings me back to my cross-country seatmate Jim. Though my emotions were definitely in the “out-of-season” mode, I started asking questions. I discovered that Jim is a professional gourmet chef, so we talked about some of the reality TV shows depicting life in the kitchen for gourmet chefs. That led to discussing some of the tensions in Jim’s life, which transitioned to a conversation about family. Then we talked about faith, prayer, church and life direction.

Jim and I talked for more than three hours. When we went our separate ways, Jim left thinking of the questions I had raised and the invitation I had given him to begin a relationship with Jesus. I left praying for Jim, that our conversation might be a seed of the Gospel planted in his life. And I continue to pray and trust that he will one day commit his life to Christ.

Written for BGEA Decision Magazine by Paul Borthwick, Development Associates International (DAI) Senior Consultant.  Original article can be found at: BGEA. 

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Six Traits of Unleaders
November 18th, 2011

Faith & Leadership, a publication of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity, interviewed Jane Overstreet, DAI president/CEO about her book Unleader. Read the article below to see what they discovered.

Editor’s note: Jane Overstreet, the president and CEO of Development Associates International, became so fascinated at the leadership differences she discovered between Saul and David when preparing for a conference presentation that she expanded her study into a book, Unleader.

“I was surprised by what I found, because in a way, it’s terribly simple,” Overstreet said. “They’re old biblical stories, but they’re traits that you see today. Human nature hasn’t changed much during these years.”

She offers up six traits that distinguish the Davids — the “unleaders” — from the Sauls.

1) Fear God more than you fear people

What helps you make decisions as a leader? There are always things driving you. In Saul’s context, oftentimes it was fear of what people thought. For David, it was always about what God thought.

2) Enable the people under you

I find that leaders very consistently either use people or enable them. Saul used people and spit them out; in fact, he almost killed his own son at one stage because he hadn’t obeyed. David, on the other hand, took a band of discontented losers and turned them into mighty men that stuck with him for more than 40 years.

3) Put God’s interest above your own

Most Christian leaders start out wanting to do something for God, but somewhere along the way, their success becomes their god. You see this so clearly with Saul and David.

4) Lead with integrity

Integrity is being the same person whether you are on a platform, in the office or at home. As for Saul, though he started out with a heart for God, his desperation drove him to seek out answers from a witch. David, on the other hand, always lived by his principles. He had some mega failures, by the way, which is sad — but nice in the sense that we can all relate to that. He was just quick to turn and ask forgiveness and clean it up when he saw it.

5) Let people get close enough to love you as a leader

This surprised me when I saw it, because in Saul’s life you can’t find a story about someone close to him. In fact, even his family members distanced themselves from him eventually. And David’s story is just full of good friends. There were people who loved him deeply and would do anything for him.

I think a lot of times, leaders, even in our culture, are so busy and so success-driven that they alienate themselves from families, friends and everybody else. Eventually, that will get you. You will fail over that.

6) Let God love you

We all know we’re supposed to love God, but I’ve come to the conclusion that we have it a bit backwards. We need to make space to let God love us so that we automatically love him in return. It’s a relationship; it’s not a sort of to-do list that you can check off.

Faith & Leadership, a publication of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity, participates in the cultivation of thriving communities that are signs, foretastes and instruments of the reign of God. They believe, “thriving communities need vibrant Christian institutions, and both need excellent Christ-shaped leadership” and DAI agrees.

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Culture, Ethnicity and Diversity – Who are you?
November 11th, 2011

Who are you? The concept of identity and its relationship to self, group, organization and culture is one of the most powerful forces leaders confront today. We see ourselves and are seen by others in a range of dynamic identities: age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, class, nationality, etc. Identity can change over historical periods, across cultures, and through a life cycle. Identities take on “currency” that either empowers or excludes. Managing the tensions between identity and identification is a complex and often unconscious negotiation that leaders must embrace to succeed in multicultural settings and the global environment. An adept leader in today’s world needs knowledge, experience and skills to facilitate work. But a world-class leader understands the unconscious forces that impede work and deploys strategies to transform them. DAI’s Culture, Ethnicity and Diversity course, written by Dr. Paul Borthwick, helps leaders understand these dynamics and offers ways to build understanding and cooperation across cultural or other boundaries.

Culture, Ethnicity and Diversity was added to the curriculum of Development Associates International (DAI) because of a visible need seen around the world. Today, this curriculum still transforms leaders’ understandings, leadership styles and ministries. Below some of the leaders in the Master’s of Arts in Organizational Leadership program in Uganda reflect on the impact and implications of the Culture, Ethnicity and Diversity course:

“I must say this particular course opened my eyes a lot about issues of ethnicity and areas of diversity unlike before; there are some negative sentiments which I held before and had never really paid much attention to the effect they were having on my attitude and behavior towards some people of a different ethnicity. Studying this course has helped me to deal this kind of attitude and to ask the Lord’s forgiveness; and many other positive developments.”
Dinah

“This [study] will enable me to live more fruitfully in a complex society with diverse perspective of understanding of racism. The anchor is having Christ at the center of my life. This gives me the opportunity to respond to racism in a more proactive manner. We understand that in every culture there is some good as well as flaws that need redemption.”
Joseph

“I had started to despise culture because of the way the people in my context would attribute it to ancestors. The names of those ancestors would be used in worshiping local gods or those who do not believe in some cultures would be segregated. I was surprised to learn that culture has ‘God’s fingerprint.’ What I am required to beware of is that ‘for culture to be truly transformed there must be a strategic change of allegiance – from a cultural identity to a first allegiance under the Lordship of Christ.’ I now know that in every culture there is something good since it is God designed. It is therefore our duty as Christian leaders to bring such awareness to those in the communities in which we live by not despising it but to ensure that we do not condone the evil in it for the sake of pleasing others.”
Sarah

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Post-apartheid Leadership
November 4th, 2011

Four years after Nelson Mandela was elected president of post-apartheid South Africa, Greg Smerdon met Fino Dlamini during conflict resolution talks held inside Fino’s home township. Greg being labeled as colored and Fino as black, both endured oppression under apartheid dictatorial leadership. Both stepping up into leadership roles knew there had to be another way to lead, a way that aligned with their Biblical values.

Listen to Greg, now a member of DAI-South Africa, tell the story of how he discovered the way of servant leadership taught by Development Associates International (DAI) and how he shared his understanding with Fino. The ripple effect of leadership at it’s finest.

 

 

For over ten years DAI’s staff have walked alongside Greg and Fino nurturing their leadership abilities.  We will continue walking alongside them, because we see leadership development as a movement and life-long fellowship rather than a workshop.

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