Making China Beautiful!

On Friday 8th of August, whilst nervous authorities shut down public celebrations across China, in the Earthquake zone of Sichuan Province, local authorities allowed a Fusion International team, including many UK and Europeans alongside with local Chinese volunteers, to bring hope to a local community through an Open Crowd Festival.

Over the last eighteen months since the first workers arrived in China, Fusion has conducted specialised training in Open Crowd Festivals for in excess of 1,000 local people.  Whilst 180 Fusion International Educational Exchange team from Fusion centres across the world came in to strengthen the exercise at this time, increasingly Chinese Nationals have been taking the initiative and leading Open Crowd Festivals as the Games unfold.

Whilst the deployment of three million security personnel have made these Open Crowd Festivals not possible in Beijing during the Games, from the opening night on, throughout the country, a strategy has unfolded that has so far seen many thousands at Open Crowd Festivals spread across various locations in four Provinces of China.

The Bible says man devises his ways but God directs his steps and we can report the action of an invisible hand, turning difficulties into opportunities and curses into blessings.  In fact we can see now how the resistance has helped us – it moved core supporters to stiffen their resolve to support us in reaching out with hope.

Fusion International is committed to building and establishing lasting connections and networks (Social Capital) that will help humanise and transform local communities and build a harmonious and inclusive society, so that others can find their place in a higher local and global purpose.

The real impact we are seeing is in lives changed –the joy of the Open Crowd Festival contrasts with the lives of despair in an increasingly materialistic society.

Earthquake Zone

We were invited to run Open Crowd Festivals in 2 areas where the devastating earthquake of 12th May hit the Sichuan Province.  In these regions, most of the children have been traumatised by what they have experienced.  In some places a whole generation of children have been lost.

One Festival team was based in a community where a school collapsed and 96 children and 14 teachers died.  The Festival took place on rubble 300 metres from where   the school used to be.  After 2 nights of Festivals a community leader said, “Your timing is remarkable.  So many children have lost many of their friends.  You have brought joy to our town.  We will not forget it.”  In his location, until now, very few foreigners have ever been seen.

The Principal wrote a thank you letter that in part read “… In our most vulnerable time friends from Fusion came and arranged various activities for our students, teachers, parents and people in the community.  We are thankful for the joy you brought us as well as your care and hard work.  We invite you back again.”

A TV crew arrived to film one evening of the Festivals.  The Producer asked, “Why isn’t the whole world hearing about this?”  As they interviewed the team one of the reporters had tears in her eyes – moved both by what she saw and our motivation for doing it.

Profoundly moved, were parents who had lost their children watching other children having fun and smiling.  The story that seemed to sum up best the impact of our time in this region was when a small boy caught up in the joy of the centre games at the Festival came to one of our workers and enquired “Where are you from?  Are you from heaven?”

At one Festival, someone watching the Open Crowd Festival commented to a Chinese team member “We have heard a lot of people talking about Christianity but this is the first time we have seen it!” and another said, “I feel like I have tasted peace.”

Across the Country

In the lead up to the Games we were running “preparation” Festivals across the country.  In one community, before this period, we had run 5 Festivals since May.  One of the local leaders said, “This place is different now; people are talking to each other, people are not angry with each other like before.  There is a noticeable move in the level of community in the complex.”

A parent added, “Our children can’t get to sleep they are so excited!”  One teenage boy who has had trouble making friends now has new friends much to the delight of his parents.  The Resident Committee are now active supporters as they see what has been happening.  Communist Party Officials too are supportive of the Festivals.  One of the new team commented, “Every single person needs to go to the Festival – it will change their lives.  You plant seeds in children’s hearts and it grows bigger and bigger.”

As a result there are now more than 50 people in this community who are part of the Festival team.  As they were leaving, the Chief of Police in the area said, “I hope I can see you again.  We will be very happy to welcome you back for National Day Festivals.”

At one location, as we were seeking permission, the Policeman in charge was making it difficult.  He then said, “Do you really want to do this?”  The team responded, “Yes, we really want to do it.”  His response was, “Then you can do it!”  No longer was lots of paperwork required and we did exactly what the authorities asked us to do so we can continue to build trust with them.

We were being watched constantly, not just by Police but,  by older people trained in each Apartment complex across the country to keep an eye on what is going on in their community.  At one Festival there were people sitting around the edge and not becoming involved so one of the team asked the Chinese National who was acting as the Master of Ceremonies to invite them in, she responded, “They are the secret police watching us!”  These police would then follow us as we left communities after the Open Crowd Festival.

Impact of the Open Crowd Festivals

The whole program worked at so many different levels, it is hard to convey all the subtleties.  The relationship of the authorities that could change frequently; the growing sense of trust as mothers and grandmothers brought small children along to give to team members to give them a hug; or young children running to team members to be picked up and hugged.  This is not normal in China, but when they see such a clear expression of Trinitarian theology, people receive a glimpse of the way life was meant to be.

The whole experience could be summed up when a small child came up to one of our workers and said “I am hungry!”  The team member went and got some food.  But when she approached with some food, the child said “No, not that.”  It was evident that it was food for the soul and the spirit that they were hungry for.  They just wanted a hug.

On another occasion at a restaurant there was obvious affection and bonding taking place amongst the team.  The restaurant staff were watching and one of these staff members greeted one of our workers and was trying to say something important – this woman wanted a hug too!  Our team member looked up, shocked to see,  a line was forming of other waiters and waitresses waiting and wanting a hug as well! 

Next Steps

Before Fusion’s leaders left Beijing they were in dialogue with people working with the Vancouver Winter Olympics 2010, the South African Football World Cup 2010, and the 2012 London Olympics, each of whom are fascinated by this significant transformational approach. Plans are already underway for Fusion’s involvement with local communities in Vancouver, South Africa and the UK. One big story with different settings!

We are so thankful for how far we have come in such a short period of time.  We seek to continue to build and establish lasting connections and networks that will help humanise and transform local communities and build a harmonious and inclusive society in communities all over China.  A key aspect of our strategy involves three Festivals a year in a community, over three years.  Currently during China’s National Day holiday, around October 1st, there are more than fourteen communities planning Festivals, with these mostly being run by local people of goodwill, who love their community and have now been trained by our Fusion International team, in this special and unique approach.

As the Pilgrimage concluded, Fusion welcomed our first 2 mainland Chinese workers into our movement.  There are also many more local Mandarin speaking people reviewing their future as they and our team of 180 celebrate what clearly was the beginnings of what we believe is a special awakening.

One of our team was given a Chinese name “Mei Man” which means “fully beautiful” because as the Chinese lady explained, “This is what you have been doing – you have come to ‘Make China Beautiful’!”

At the Festivals in the Sichuan Earthquake zone one of the leaders said, “When you came here everything changed.  The children began to laugh for the first time.  They became themselves – they are children again.  You may have come from afar but you are here at the right time.”

Something is building.  Attitudes are changing.  Hope is rising.

It is written in Ecclesiastes that ‘Everything is beautiful in its time’

– this is the time for China.

Beyond China

Here in the UK we are already networking across the country to see how the 2012 Olympics could provide a catalytic, strategic opportunity for local community transformation in our country. Networks are already in place and developing in South Africa in preparation for 2010, when many could be part of a similar story bringing hope and community transformation to communities across South Africa. What will our part in the story be?

For further comment or interview, please contact:

• Claire Bankole UK Training and National Development on
• +44 (0)1844 299329, claire.bankole@fusion.org.au
• Martin Woods, EUropean and International Director at The Fusion Academy Iserlohn Germany  on+49 2371351090,  Marty.woods@fusion.org.au
• Rohan Prowse, Fusion International Educational Exchange China Team Leader, on
• +86 135 22 54 57 54 or rohan.prowse@fusion.org.au
• Mal Garvin, Fusion International Educational Exchange Founding President, via his secretary, Rosa Koster, on +61 400 940 622 or rosakoster@fusion.org.au