IIE in the Czech Republic
The Proton Foundation and the Pacific Institute are about one thing. Our ultimate goal is to create the environment for individuals and corporations to envision projects in their local communities and cities that will make a difference.
We are about community rebirth, we are seeking a world where individuals thrive and innovate. We want to see the unemployed, working; we want to reduce crime rates and increase a locales productivity and attractiveness. We want to establish support and relevant assistances to the elderly, the disadvantaged, the vulnerable. We promote and believe in the development of entrepreneurial skills, projects and thinking. For those who have ideas but no capacity, belief or resource, we desire to help them achieve their goals. Our goal is to enable change in the mindsets and rationale of local people, we want them to aspire to be better, bigger, to be achievers individually and collectively. It is to these aims that we have taken the Investment in Excellence course to Chumotov in the Czech Republic which has been mainly attended by local teachers and support staff from local schools with a few pastors, church leaders and business persons.
Having now run two IIE courses in Chumotov, we faced the challenge of running a hybrid version of IIE in which the course materials are in Czech, yet the DVD teaching is in English. Most of the teaching has been done through an interpreter and we think we now have a model that will allow us to work bilingually. We know that the local schools may themselves wish to progress their own initiatives using the IIE/Steps model we have developed, the Head of Education in Chumotov is interested in the use of the PI materials as is some school inspectors who attended one of the programmes.
However the task before us is to get a coalition of interested parties in Chumotov together from the schools, local businesses and church groups to run a project that will have measurable benefits to one or more sectors of society. We have developed a process called ‘turning the curve’ which is designed to get things started by getting buy in from key influencers who want to make a difference in their communities. Jim Dunn, as PI Project Consultant is advising Proton on ways forward and helping to support local leaders and pastors, getting something started is within our grasp. The issue at hand is not how, but when.
‘All meaningful and lasting change starts on the inside and works it’s way outwards’
The potentially life-changing Investment in Excellence programme offered through the Pacific Institute was held at ‘No Boundaries Church’ in Chomutov on 23-24 September with twelve delegates attending. This is the second time the special Czech version of the programme has been run in Chomutov and to date five local Pastors and Church leaders, one local businessman and twenty one Chomutov Town Council employees have experienced the materials.
The programmes delivered by Jim Dunn, Project Manager from the Pacific Institute with the help of a translator were well received by these widely differing groups of people. One Schools Inspector who attended confirmed the need to spread the programme further in schools and colleges. Others volunteered that they will be reporting back positive messages to their superiors and pressing for projects based on the techniques and concepts taught on the programme. Church leaders and business colleagues feel that the key messages of the programme are highly relevant to Czech society where there is a continuing need to boost morale and develop a constructive mindset towards the challenges faced at every level.
Jim Dunn is currently working with Proton as a project consultant and will be visiting the area again with a view to establishing projects in appropriate areas involving church leaders and other key influencers that are designed to make a positive difference.