In Hollywood they refer to films having ‘a cast of thousands’. If you link each of the Gathering participants back to the people who they serve, then in this case it’s literally true. Some participants, like Pam Cayton and Dekyi-Lee Oldershaw, have been developing Universal Education for Compassion and Wisdom programmes for over twenty years.
Others are at the very beginning of working with children and young people, setting up family camps, and introducing Universal Education practices, contents and methodologies into hospices, prisons, the workplace and the home.
Below you can read a short description of some of the people portrayed in this film.
Connie is the person who actually interviewed Lama Yeshe about Universal Education in 1982 and who was first tasked with its development. She has remained a dedicated and enthusiastic participant and supporter ever since.
Pam Cayton has been active in Universal Education for over 20 years, and is the founder of Tara Redwood School in Santa Cruz, California. She is the author of the publication Compassion in Education and runs the international training institute Creating Compassionate Cultures.
Rasmus Hougaard first became involved with universal education as a volunteer in 2006, and then founded The Potential Project to take universal education to the corporate sector. The Potential Project now has trainers in 15 countries, and is the subject of various scientific studies. Clients include Sony, IF insurance and the Carlsberg Group.
Andy Wistreich is a UK educator with a long-term commitment to making the compassion and wisdom teachings of the Buddha accessible to a modern audience. He leads a meditation group in Bristol, UK; founded the Land of Joy project; and teaches in Buddhist centres worldwide.
Valentina Dolara is a professor at the University of the Arts, Florence who has led 16 Guidelines workshops in Australia, France, Italy and the UK, including a customised programme for prison staff in Tuscany. In 2012 she led a pilot programme on Transformative Mindfulness for migraine sufferers in Florence.
Dekyi-Lee Oldershaw has been developing a Universal Education programme called Transformative Mindfulness for over 20 years, including at the universities of Toronto and Florence. She is the co-author of 16 Guidelines: The Basics and has played a leading role in developing 16 Guidelines activities in Canada. She is also a Board member of FDCW.
Freeman Trebilcock got involved with universal education at the Australia Pacific launch conference in 2006. He is the founder of a multi-faith Australian youth network called InterAction, is one of 20 Global Fellows of the International Youth Foundation, and now heads up Loving Kindness Peaceful Youth, which works in partnership with FDCW.
Anna Colao has been an active supporter of universal education since the age of 22, introducing the 16 Guidelines programme to college students, care-leavers and young people who have experienced domestic abuse. She is the author of 16 To Live By which was launched at the UK Youth Parliament in 2010.
Belén Köhler is a clinical psychologist who made a heart-connection with universal education at its UK launch in 2005, and subsequently trained for 5 years at Tara Redwood School with Pam Cayton. She is now running summer camps and after-school programmes on Ibiza, Spain, and is in the process of setting up her own school.
David Machles and Karen Mastroianni have been working with the 16 Guidelines since 2008, both in their professional capacity at Dimensions, the occupational Health and Safety Company that they founded, and in their voluntary work at youth penitentiaries in North Carolina, USA. David is also an Assistant Professor at North Carolina State University.
Mariana Orozco is a professor at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. After attending FDCW’s inagural conference in 2005 she has been helping coordinate and develop Educación Universal in Spain.
Sofía Marban is a veterinary physician and horse riding teacher based in Spain. After attending the gathering she trained with Belén Köhler on the Seven Steps and is now incorporating Universal Education into her work. She is planning to start a project called 'Fundación Alma para la Equinoterapia infantil' combining her work as a teacher and horse specialist.
Severine Gondouin is a primary school teacher who has been bringing Universal Education into her work with children with special needs at a Foundation in Switzerland.
Rob Bloor is an artist who uses a mixture of fine arts, drama and circus skills to help people develop compassion and wisdom.
Carla Pearse is a practising therapist in Queensland where she works with people at risk of suicide and their family and friends using mindfulness and principles from the 16 Guidelines. She also leads 16 Guidelines workshops and is helping to develop further universal education activities in Australia.
Hilary McMichael has attended workshops in the 16 Guidelines, Creating Compassionate Cultures and Transformative Mindfulness, and is active as a translator and co-ordinator within the French group.
Francoise Normand is a French primary school teacher who has been inspired by universal education since the time of Lama Yeshe. She has played a leading role in helping it take root in France, organising and taking part in training programmes, translating 16 Guidelines The Basics into French, and now as the President of the French group.
Mikkel Bjelke is a Danish educator who has trained in both Creating Compassionate Cultures (via an internship at Tara Redwood School) and in the 16 Guidelines. He is a board member of the Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom.
Geeta Lachmandras is a businesswoman based in Kuala Lumpur who has been an active supporter of the 16 Guidelines in Organisations programme, particularly in making the introduction to its first corporate client.
Magali Lecuyer is a French management consultant who has trained in the 16 Guidelines, and is now helping to run family camps in Lavaur, France, and to develop a national programme of activities.
Wendy Ridley has led 16 Guidelines programmes in UK and India, both in schools and for the general public. She has been a board member of the Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom since it was established in 2005, and currently chairs the board.
Ven. Rita Riniker is a Buddhist teacher with a strong interest in universal education who has been supporting the plans for its first programme in Israel in November 2012.
Marian O'Dwyer is a businesswoman and educator who joined the universal education team as a volunteer in 2009, and is now working as its Training Manager. She has supported the development of 16 Guidelines activities in Argentina, France, Israel, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the USA.
Bruno Rizzi works in palliative care in Germany, and is designing a new programme that will combine the 16 Guidelines with end of life training. He is also a longstanding member of the team running bi-annual family camps in Pomaia, Italy.
Patrizia Gavoni has been inspired by universal education since the time of Lama Yeshe. She helps to organise camps for families and young people in Pomaia, Italy, and is developing her own project to promote mental and physical well-being.
Jon Berry is an award-winning youth worker in the UK, with a particular interest in bringing new technologies into 16 Guidelines work.
Marguy Krier attended a Seven Steps training in 2010 and since then has been incorporating universal education into her work as a teacher. She co-facilitated the first universal education family camp in Belgium in 2012.
Stany Paquet is a teacher who was inspired by the Gathering to organise the first universal education family camp in Belgium in 2012.
Baigalmaa Altangerel has been working in Ulan Bator since 2009 to develop and deliver a curiculum based on the 16 guidelines that reaches hundreds of children aged 4 to 16 as part of the Children’s Development Project of NGO Lamp of the Path.
Tania Mollart is a translator and teacher who encountered universal education through the afterschool programmes of Belen Kohler on Ibiza. She has also trained in Transformative Mindfulness with Dekyi-Lee Oldershaw and is supporting the development of TM programmes in Spanish.
Ana Aguirre is a UK-based science teacher who has offered many years of service as a volunteer in the London office. She was one of the main organisers of the Gathering.
Sabreena Andriesz is a professional coach and facilitator based in Singapore. In 2011, she helped to develop and deliver a pilot 16 Guidelines in Organisations programme for a leading retail company in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She has also broadcast on Singapore radio about the 16 Guidelines.
Nicolas Brun is a primary school teacher who got involved with universal education at the UK launch event in 2005, and is now helping to run family camps in Lavaur and other activities throughout France. His ambition is to set up a universal education school.
Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom
43 Renfrew Road
London, SE11 4NA
(0) 207 820 90 10
