Life Matters

A nine-day course for young adults conducted once or twice a year during university holidays.

The next Life Matters Course will be from 30 January - 8 February 2009

Download brochure in PDF format (1 MB)

Download application form

Aims:

• to help develop the skills and character strengths needed to contribute to positive change in today's world
• to expand ones world view and ability to respond to people and situations
• to help each person explore and discover their own distinctive purpose

Life Matters, January 2008

 This course gives a chance for participants to look at their lives and to develop new skills for living. The program is varied and interactive. It includes panel discussions, personal reflection, workshops, music, outdoor activities - and mixing with people from diverse walks of life and cultural backgrounds.

 Skills development in:

• Discerning the moral values needed in the task of creating a world that works
• Learning how an individual can make a difference
• Making conflict transformation and reconciliation practical
• Active listening - to other people, and to the 'inner voice' for meaning and direction
• Community building, teamwork and leadership
• Understanding the root of particular national and international issues
• Problem solving through personal change
• Spiritual empowerment for transforming people and society

These courses are based at Armagh, the Australia/Pacific Centre for Initiatives of Change in Melbourne. The most recent Course, in February 2008 had 17 participants from 8 countries and 15 ethnic backgrounds. A report and participants comments are available on request.

The next course will take place from January 30–8 February, 2009.

Requests for a Life Matters course brochure including information on costs and application form to:

The IofC Courses Coordinator 

Armagh 226 Kooyong Road,

Toorak, Victoria 3142 Australia

Tel:+61 3 98221218

Fax: +61 3 9822 6871

Email: lifematters@au.iofc.org

Mobile Training Programs

The Life Matters course can be adapted to be conducted outside of Melbourne. Any request to host a program in your area will be considered. Be in touch with your state contact or the Life Matters Coordinator. Courses in PNG and the Solomon Islands In 2005, following a request from the Winds of Change group of young people in the Solomon Islands a six day workshop was prepared based on the Life Matters Course. The subject matter was discussed with the local Solomon Islanders so as it fitted their requirements. In this case they were seeking a Training the Trainers Course which would equip them to prepare other groups in the Solomons for running a Clean Election Campaign. Some of the subjects covered included: Community Building, Conflict Resolution, Tackling Corruption, Facing the Facts of History, Facilitation, Leadership, Inner Reflection and Teambuilding. Three facilitators travelled to the Solomons to present the Workshop which was held with 18 fulltime participants. Almost all the participants went on to run workshops in different parts of the Solomons after this training time. In 2002, in Papua New Guinea a request was made to try a Life Matters style course in a village context, adapted to suit the local situation and to be culturally appropriate and sensitive. Two facilitators delivered a 9 day course to 16 participants. Several became trainers and have run a number of courses, the most recent being in June 2006. A manual of this course has been produced which the Papua New Guineans have called Developing Meaning for Life..