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admitted might be the wrong word since it is not good business, I've not said is a better phrase, excuse me but English is not my mother toungue....

I've not admitted the windmill as being good business, I've said that the windmill is as effeciant more or less as other windmills and that it safes the enviroment thanks to the fact that it produces energy to Tvind school center, if the windmill not would've been there, the energy had to be bought from somewhere else, possibly oil or coal produced energy.

Tvind has never accused you or your family for using drugs, I remember an example used to trying to simplify an explanation a couple of posts back, a fictive example. Paranoid? I don't understand how you can come to the conclusion that Tvind doesn't take a fullhearted interest in humanitarian work based on that.

 

 

 

 

 

A. Cafarelli Minnesota,

I'm curious to know who the the person you are referring to. I also was at IICD and I have a guess (or actually hope) of who it might be since I liked them. If you don't want to post it here you can email me at baerman2001@hotmail.com

Thanks...

wrong adress in the mail bellow. It is frosig2001@yahoo.dk

Reply from Frosig Nowbody knows me real identiti, so the drug related accusations brought agianst me proves an important point: It is hard to belive that Tvind takes a fullhearted interest in humanitarian work.

Yes, I know www.fonden. org and has read the letter from chairman "Morten Knudsens", teknologisk institut. He writes that from the information given to him by Tvind it seems like good projects, but he also writes that the information has not been verifyed - meaning that he didn't investigate the projects himself, but had to relly on tvind sources. So his letter dosn't prove anything.

I find it very intresting, that you admit, that the windmill is good buisness, and paid for by the foundation.

Frosig@2001.dk

How interesting to come upon this site. A few years ago, I moved to the almost commune, and definitely cult-like atmosphere of IICD in Williamstown, Massachusetts. One night, one of the members of the "teacher's Group" who was obviously pissed at the directorfilled us in on Tvind and Humana, and admitted to us all that he had to hand over all of his assets before becoming a teacher. He was told that, someday he'd be able to retire in the Cayman Islands- worry free! My fellow "team members" and I thought, "What kind of development organisation is this"? We all started asking questions of the director- then Josefin Jonnsen. What a croc! After realizing that IICD was in fact a cult, most of us left. Unfortunately, 7 out of 12 of us left IICD AFTER fundraising all of our money to go to either Angola or Zimbabwe.

A. Cafarelli Minnesota

how many do you have now at your school? how many left lately because of fundraising???? I heard about KNEC were you there lately? those students now teacher director there were from your training right. I wish them well and hope that things clear up. A few years ago I met Ester she is a lovely girl.

My experience of the TG.

I have been in the TG for 4 years and am currently at IICD in Mass., after 2 years at EPF Caxito in Angola. I think both Tomas and Lars make some valid points. My experience in the TG has been (overall) positive. Tomas is correct when he says that the TG is made up of (sometimes fallible) people with many different experiences. Being fallible - these people can sometimes forget to pass on information, or could communicate better - not because they intentionally want to hide something but because they are human .. Communication both within the TG and with people outside needs to be much better .. and I have taken this up with a number of colleagues in the TG and will continue to do so .. I had an interesting conversation with the director of DNS in Denmark where she admitted that "sometimes the TG are trying to expand their operations so quickly, the quality of what they are doing sometimes suffers ..". I agree with this and have no intention of letting it happen at IICD. My experience of the TG is that within it individuals have the chance to develop (both projects and themselves) and have the support around them to enable them to succeed and do a good job wherever they are. (They dont always ask for or accept the support available, but then they are only human). And I certainly intend working both hard and constructively to ensure a very good preparation for the development instructors enrolling at IICD - because both they and the projects they will work for in Africa or Central America deserve that.

Mike

Hi Lars

It is in my opion not only "to work harder". Things constantly need to be reconsider, discussed, improved and changed if needed. Yes, you also need to work hard to change things to the better. I am sure that is happening a lot a KNEC as I am also sure a lot more need to be done. It is obvious that things should have been better at KNEC. Partly the progam and also the preparations of the European participants that left

What I am trying to say is that I am sure that it is possible to make things better and if you "stick" together is it much bigger possibility to achvive a good result.

Maybe we dissagree about what was not so good in Durban? I do not think it is very bad the the internet only is open for a short time everyday. Neither do I think it is unresponsible and terrible to ask for free accomondation.

Secondly I would like to say that TG is a group of very diverse people with many different ideas and opinions. So you cannot take my response as a TG response.

Tomas

To the person in the TG who says he wants to leave:

Please talk to the people you work with. Get it sorted out properly. There is a procedure for how you leave the TG in good order, and that is what you should do. There will be no hard feelings. Many people that have left the teachers' group are still working at the schools etc.

Anna

Hi Tomas,

You're reaction to the KNEC situation is interesting and I think is very reflective of the Teacher's Group response to problems. "We must simply work harder." The TG never asks the question, "Why has this situation emerged and how can we prevent it from happening again?"

The same issues of poor planning, lack of experience and skills, poor training and instruction, secrecy and mis-information, and lack of resources keep returing to the schools run by the Teacher's Group. You say that the people running KNEC "are young and enthusiastic people wanting to do a lot of good and have the best intentions." It is interesting that you don't mention whether they are actually able to set up and run this school and provide people who are participating with a meaningful and rewarding experience.

The Teacher's Group consistently takes the position that with a little hard work we can do anything we set are minds to. But at what cost? What happens to the volunteers who come in with the best of intentions and want to do a lot of good but discover that their goodwill has been exploited, either unintentionally through poor planning and lack of skills or more chillingly intentionally, by those who run the programs.

In Lazlo's complaint he lists a number of cases in which things that were promised by the school were not delivered. (1) The computer lab and Internet access turned into one computer that was usable two hours a day and the Interent access was turned off because KNEC didn't pay its phone bill. (2) They were told by the director of the school that they had proper permits to fund-raise and only later found out they did not which resulted in their expulsion from a city-owned facility which they had been using to sleep in. (3) People who were going to Mozambique did not received training in Portuguese. (4) Medical insurance was to be provided but was not set up by KNEC.

Whenever I think about my experience at at Teacher's Group school my actions remind me of the horse character in Orwell's Animal Farm that kept on working hard in response to problems. "If only I work harder then things will improve." The horse in Animal Farm ended up being sent to the knacker when he could no longer work and I ended up being asked to leave after I had been in the program for 10 months because I refused to stop asking questions.

Lars

 

Dear Lars

Regarding the situation in South Africa. People at CCTG are prepared to sleep in madrasses, finding place to stay during fundraising, work a lot (construction), that they are part of creating the program, that it is hard, that it is not always working well, that the computers and network might not be up running and if it is not they have to be part of fixing it, that at times it will be terrible, that there will be conflicts and dissagreements, that there at times will be no money, that the teachers, even though selldom, have a times when they do different activities eg. relaxing, holding a meeting, climbing a mountain, that they might need to hitch hike, that it will be a lot of pressure and many problems to solve. That s the life and reality of starting up a new institute.

I know the ones running KNEC. They are young and enthusiastic people wanting to do a lot of good and have the best intentions.

KNEC is new and many things are needed to be improved. Instead of trying to say that the people at Knec are "criminals" would I have stood their shoulder by shoulder with them trying to make everything to improve. That is what we are doing here at CCTG! I have certainly also paid for it , much more then the "quitting participants" at KNEC has done.

That is what I am calling doing development work. But for sure, I am not Lazlo

Tomas

Dear Lars

Regarding the situation in South Africa. People at CCTG are prepared to sleep in madrasses, finding place to stay during fundraising, work a lot (construction), that they are part of creating the program, that it is hard, that it is not always working well, that the computers and network might not be up running and if it is not they have to be part of fixing it, that at times it will be terrible, that there will be conflicts and dissagreements, that there at times will be no money, that the teachers, even though selldom, have a times when they do different activities eg. relaxing, holding a meeting, climbing a mountain, that they might need to hitch hike, that it will be a lot of pressure and many problems to solve. That s the life and reality of starting up a new institute.

I know the ones running KNEC. They are young and enthusiastic people wanting to do a lot of good and have the best intentions.

KNEC is new and many things are needed to be improved. Instead of trying to say that the people at Knec are "criminals" would I have stood their shoulder by shoulder with them trying to make everything to improve. That is what we are doing here at CCTG! I have certainly also paid for it , much more then the "quitting participants" at KNEC has done.

That is what I am calling doing development work. But for sure, I am not Lazlo

Tomas

Bonnie, I did not find it "too hard" and quit. Rather I stay much longer than I should have and finished the project i had come to do although i don't think we do much good. bad planning by humana.

Your comments are like manipulation by the Teacher's Group to convince people to stay. the leaders keep saying me that if only eveyone work hard than it would be good but this is not truth. My mind is not small and this website tells the stories the teacher's group do not tell you.

Hi everyone, my name is Bonnie, im from NZ & am a participant at CCTG. im very saddened to read that some people feel they had a bad experience at these schools or projects, but it makes me wonder is this just your way of not feeling as though you have just given up ,to write these awful stories ,is it a way to make yourself feel better about quitting something that you found too hard, it is so easy to blame someone else. I have been involved in training & voluntering at CCTG for the last 5 months now & not only have i Had a good time, i have worked hard (as promised before you arrive) & I have met wonderful people who really want to make a difference in this world! I have seen people come & then leave as they decided it is not for them (all have left on good terms & still keep in contact) & i have seen a team train & leave for mozambique, well prepared & happy. We get reports of how they are doing every couple of weeks, they are certainly making a difference & having a nice time. I hope that anyone who reads this site does not let it put them off, if you are concerned phone one of the schools,ask what questions you need to, talk to the participants,ask for me if you want, this is a wonderful place full of caring & intelligent people from all around the world of all different ages, it is an experience of a life time!!!!, dont let small minded slander put you off!!!

Hi Tomas, Welcome to Tvind Alert. Forget about brain-washing. How about Tvind providing little meaningful training or support to its volunteers. Just check out the latest story posted by someone from a Tvind school. http://www.tvindalert.org.uk/stories/laszlo's%20story.htm

Forget the issue of fraud but please explain away the miserable experience of these volunteers.

Lars, baerman2001@hotmail.com

I have been in Zimbabwe. The HQ staff are from all over the world, also Zimbabwe. When I was there did the staff organize an event for the nearby villages. So they certainly had quite some time witth people there. It showed something like 1500 people up. Humana have some land in Zimbabwe.It was in Zimbabwe that the Comuna to Comercial farmer project started and where the HQ are was it also a Eucalyptus farm.

If you will go and volunteer with Lindersvold should you prepared for a lot of hard work.

I happened to come accross your site because I wanted more info on the travelling folk high schools. Then I am interested in Zimababwe but heard or read somewhere here that HUMANA headoffice staff do not have any contact with the local people they are like colonial masters driving in their facny vehicle in the bush, what about the land issue they are helping to resettle farmers but they as white also own lots of land in Zimbabwe I heard. If there is anyone who was in Zimbabwe and experience this please let me know I don't want to go volunteer with slave masters in modern days. Interested Volunteer for Lindersvold.

Tomas at CCTG, you brought all the Norway thinking with you here in California but it will not work, did you see what people write about you before. You guys enrole people without telling them what they need exactly things are left up in the air until they get there. This is USA not Norway and the INS/IRS do not let things go easily please ensure your acts are clean and accounting correct.

You that talk about brainwashing. Examples please. You that are about leaving the TG. Wish you the best. Sorry that it did not work out as you wished

Regards Tomas CCTG

In life one wonder why so many bad things befall them, have any of the ex TG members shared the same experience as me. I am about to leave in a few days and yes I told them but guess what as soon as you say that you are leaving you are branded, omitted from all the meetings and thought of as a total numb skull not to say I became one here for all these years. I feel the pressure as if they want me out before time, I am told oh you are not focus!blahhhh. Is there a ex TG tranission camp, how do you guys fit back into society? PLease help me lost soul!!

i agree that the majority of volunteers with Humana have life changind experience but brainwash is not a good change.

Hello I am an, ex solidarity worker and ex teacher group member. I am afraid to leave my name here because I think that your homepage, and tvindalert are exploiting peoples good work. Humana help a lot of people. The majority of volunteers who go to Humana have life changing experiences which in turn help people. I read your articles about fundraising, "what is wrong with giving money less fortunate than ourselves", and what is wrong with being positive, listen folks you only have one life.

Hi. I agree that many of the people involved with IICD have good intentions but unfortunately the organization is structured in such a way that results in a multitude of problems ranging from the exploitation of volunteer's good intentions to ineffective (and at times harmful) development projects.

Its not slander to state my opinion (shared by many others) based on my experience with them. And in terms of one-sided, you won't find many organizations less hospitable to different opinions than IICD and the other Tvind organizations. For example, this site is one of the only places where information on Tvind that doesn't come straight from their groupthink PR program. Plus people with pro-Tvind opinions regularly post here and their comments are not removed. Unlike the shutting down of guestbooks on Tvindsites when differing opinions were posted.

I chose to study and travel with IICD on my year off from college and while I did have some problems with the program I believe that their intentions are of the highest good. I have had nothing to do with them since I left because my life has taken another course, not because I think they are a cult. As an organization grows, there are always bad seeds and corruption, but this is an organization that wants to help oppressed nations and people everywhere. Please try and see the big picture here. Of course an organization like this will attract people who are looking for an identity, of course it will attract lost people. But there are many involved with this group that have made a very informed and sound decision to dedicate their lives to helping others. If you had a bad experience there, or if you disagree with their methods, please just decide to live your life how you want to live, but don't slander them. They are doing much more good than harm. I think it is fine to have an open dialog about what the best way to run an organization that intends to create a world where there is less poverty and a better distribution of wealth etc.... it isn't an easy task. But your website only focuses on one side of the story and doesn't look at the whole picture. Please- in the name of democracy present both sides fairly.

Reply to the TG who's afraid to leave -

Take whatever you can, mail whatever you can, and run. Britta was right, there really are good people out here. If you want to reach me, I'm going to give you my alias email address here: dancerman5678@hotmail.com I'm available to help you in whatever way I can, locations are a factor, but please don't hesitate to contact me.

I wish you all the courage and positive energy you have deep inside. Don't be afraid. Do what your conscience dictates.

A former "development instructor" - October 9

To all of yious out there, some of the projects in Africa are working very well and I'm proud of have been part of helping these people to achive an opening and understanding of many deasises that they had no knowledge of. DON'T FORGET ABOUT THIS PEOPLE. Of course I'm sceptic to this organisation but I have done the whole programme and belive me that I'm not brainwashed at all. I do want answers to my questions and I just wanted ti say that Amid is probably dead and someone else is working as the leader. Finally there is a man called Thomas, swedish, who has a girlfriend. Stay away from them, they are both very false. former student

I cheecked out the english tvindsite at http://www.drhbogense.dk3.com/. Suprise - there is only a guestbook in the danish part of the site. Why is that? I wrote and asked, but did not get an answer.

Why don't tvindschools open up - start with the guestbooks

I think you all sound a bit sad

To TG member I am a member of the former-Tg-members group and we are a group getting larger every year - Amdi has always claimed that once you leave TG you are all by yourself - alone - with no true friends - as a lot of other things he has said through the years this is not true - we have been together a weekend a year for the last 4-5 years and it is truly good again to meet old friends. As another former TG member told me: I decided to give to myself the rest of my life and I have never regretted. We are a lot of people who will like to talk to you and meet with you if you decide to leave. Be brave and get out - it is really up to you. And there are a whole lot of nice people out here. Britta

To the TG member, It is very easy and quick to set up a hotmail account. Go to http://www.hotmail.com/ The email address is completely anonymous.

http://www.drhbogense.dk3.com An english tvind site for the travelling highschool, with a guestbook that works.

To the TG member.

You can get in touch with Tvind Alert in complete confidence, we don't give away any secrets. We already had at least 20 or so ex-TG members that we know about get in touch. Now they are able to describe their feelings, talk to each other, direct by email or in a special email forum. We can put you in contact with some of them and you can stay anonymous. Of course we would like to hear more from you - you can email me directly on feedback@tvindalert.org.uk. The emails are confidential.

Michael, Tvind Alert

I am a member of TG. I am afraid to leave or to say that I want to leave. I am even afraid to post my email address here. After spending years of work I realized that I am left with nothing, only frustration.

There has been spirited debate about Tvind Alert on the guest book at Campus Claifornia TG web site, thanks to 'Lars', whoever he is. (www.cctg.org) This is one Tvind site where the guest book has not recently been cleaned up, in fact Tvind Alert posted a message pointing this out - it is still there.

This was not the case a year ago when Tvind Alert first posted to the CCTG guest book, the message was swiftly deleted. Welcome to the democratic, multi-dimensional, pluralistic world, Tomas and Ruth!!

Yes that is just another exampel. I have been looking for guestbooks at danish tvind sites, but most of them has been shut down. I only found to that has a working guestbook: http://www.oekologisk-hus.dk/gaestbog.htm http://www.haand-design.lindersvold.dk/gaestebog.htm

I'am looking for more.. So far I cheecked 15

Yet another example of Tvind's unwillingness to accept any critique or opinion that does not fit its wroldview. On the One World homepage http://www.oneworldvolunteers.org/ the guestbook that had recently had some warnings about Tvind posted to it has now been shutdown. So much for free discourse at a Tvind sponsered school.

Does anybody know what names Tvind uses in Japan for collecting clothes, and for recruiting volunteers? Anything in the Japanese language?

What a bad excuse for not sueing MD, considering what accusations that has been directed agianst this site and tvind critics like Frosig.

What a bad excuse for not sueing MD, considering what accusations that has been directed agianst this site and tvind critics like Frosig.

Even though this site does not contain much of reality I wouldn't even dream about trying to shutt Tvindalert down. To much waste of time. Better work and try to make something good

What makes you think that some one is paying MD to maintain this website? Are you saying, as a member of the tvind organisation, that no one will do anything for others, unless they can earn some cash. I will not blame you, knowing that you are member of an organisation, that has the habit of turning aid projects into buisness projects.

Read the articles on this site, and if you have any complains you can sue us, but you haven't done that yet. Why is that. Maybee its because the informations on this site is correct. Please try to shut us down. You can proberly erford a good layer.

 

Are the Arabs terrorists? Are Tvind an evil empire? Are the earth still flat???

Who is paying Michael Durham to maintain this website?

 

Interesting collection of artikles in Danish http://www.torshammer.dk/enmandsavisen/

hi there....just surfed in. Check out the Amdi Petersens Arm 7" when you get the chance. fast danish punkrock order from kicknpunch@wildmail.com

The fundraising was done for project at schools in the US. My complaint is exactly that there were no other jobs besides fundraising. I was told before that Fund-raising would happen but no one said that they would only do canvassing. The issue is not about efficiency, its about misleading people about what the fund-rasing is for.

Feel free to address my points 3 and 4 as well.

canvassing is also the most effeciant way of fundraising, and if it's done effective you don't have to use extra time on fundraising.

The fundraising goes to cover the rest of the rest of the expenses in the programme, food, electricity etc....

As far as I know, the only school that actually fundraises partly for the projects are one in Norway, in the rest of the schools, all the fundraising is done to the school. Everything is explained as it is, where the fundraising goes, how it's done etc. But logically, if there are no other jobs, you can only do canvassing, ok?

 

To Jimmy:

My complaints

(1) Before joining I was led to believe that fundraising could take many different forms but when I arrived the only choice was canvassing.

(2) We were told that the money that was being raised would go 100 percent to our project and then we found out that the school was taking 50 percent or some percentage. thye never actauly told us how mcuh.

(3) I asked for an explanation for how the school finances worked and was told that it was not my concern. When I continued to ask I was given an explanation that made no sense. I don't know if the person was ignorant or hiding things. When I asked for more details I was told that it was "secret" because "outsiders" were looking for ways to make trouble.

(4) The instruction that we were offered had nothing to do with what we planning to go do. It was also very disorgniized. when we asked for more help or time to study we were told that we couldn't becuase we had to meet the otehr priorities like fund-raising.

Is that enough?

 

I believe that Denmark is the country in the world that have most of its energy produced by wind energy.

It was not like that in the 70-tiew when the "worlds biggest windmill" at Tvind were built

The windmill is as effeciant as other windmills, not much more and not much less.

This discussions starts to be useless, I say somehing, you attack it, I defend etc... shall we try change the conversation topic to something that really matters, the saving of life through development projects?

Since you in many replys are talking about saving lifes etc...

Do you think our projects are bad? I don't say we're foolproof, noone is, but I'd say that in total, we've done much much more good than bad.

If you prefer talking about the windmill, sure, we continue with that instead and I can go and get some more facts about it, so the discussion can be good.

Jimmy

Hello Anyone

After reading a few entry's in this guest book,and feeling like it's a conversation among family members and not really for the first timer's who really want to find out about Tvind ,and must at this time be quite confused. I'll be happy to tell the (virtually) unbiast story of My (almost 3 years) experience ,in three continents with Humana,Tvind,Dapp and Uff. The good , bad ,right and wrong , wonderfull opportunities and awfull reality of this unusual organisation or lack of organisition as I like to call it and give contact details of some 40 other individuals I met along the way.

Sa daggabeans@hotmail.com

Reply from frsig

You write that the electricity to the schools in Tvind, should have been produced from oil ore possible coal if the windmill sponsered by the humanitarian foundation was not there. It makes me wonder - is the windnmill in tvind the only one in Denmark? I have seen plenty, maybee I'am just halusinating.

And for the record: producing electricity from windmills is very good bussniess in Denmark, and a fast growing industry in Denmark. If the windmill in Tvind is not effective i wounder why the humanitarian foundation sponsered it - maybe because it is an important symbol for the organisation, that is considered more important then the lifes of others.

frosig2001@yahoo.dk

admitted might be the wrong word since it is not good business, I've not said is a better phrase, excuse me but English is not my mother toungue....

I've not admitted the windmill as being good business, I've said that the windmill is as effeciant more or less as other windmills and that it safes the enviroment thanks to the fact that it produces energy to Tvind school center, if the windmill not would've been there, the energy had to be bought from somewhere else, possibly oil or coal produced energy.

Tvind has never accused you or your family for using drugs, I remember an example used to trying to simplify an explanation a couple of posts back, a fictive example. Paranoid? I don't understand how you can come to the conclusion that Tvind doesn't take a fullhearted interest in humanitarian work based on that.

 

 

 

 

 

A. Cafarelli Minnesota,

I'm curious to know who the the person you are referring to. I also was at IICD and I have a guess (or actually hope) of who it might be since I liked them. If you don't want to post it here you can email me at baerman2001@hotmail.com

Thanks...

wrong adress in the mail bellow. It is frosig2001@yahoo.dk

Reply from Frosig Nowbody knows me real identiti, so the drug related accusations brought agianst me proves an important point: It is hard to belive that Tvind takes a fullhearted interest in humanitarian work.

Yes, I know www.fonden. org and has read the letter from chairman "Morten Knudsens", teknologisk institut. He writes that from the information given to him by Tvind it seems like good projects, but he also writes that the information has not been verifyed - meaning that he didn't investigate the projects himself, but had to relly on tvind sources. So his letter dosn't prove anything.

I find it very intresting, that you admit, that the windmill is good buisness, and paid for by the foundation.

Frosig@2001.dk

How interesting to come upon this site. A few years ago, I moved to the almost commune, and definitely cult-like atmosphere of IICD in Williamstown, Massachusetts. One night, one of the members of the "teacher's Group" who was obviously pissed at the directorfilled us in on Tvind and Humana, and admitted to us all that he had to hand over all of his assets before becoming a teacher. He was told that, someday he'd be able to retire in the Cayman Islands- worry free! My fellow "team members" and I thought, "What kind of development organisation is this"? We all started asking questions of the director- then Josefin Jonnsen. What a croc! After realizing that IICD was in fact a cult, most of us left. Unfortunately, 7 out of 12 of us left IICD AFTER fundraising all of our money to go to either Angola or Zimbabwe.

A. Cafarelli Minnesota

I have been in the TG for 4 years and am currently at IICD in Mass., after 2 years at EPF Caxito in Angola. I think both Tomas and Lars make some valid points. My experience in the TG has been (overall) positive. Tomas is correct when he says that the TG is made up of (sometimes fallible) people with many different experiences. Being fallible - these people can sometimes forget to pass on information, or could communicate better - not because they intentionally want to hide something but because they are human .. Communication both within the TG and with people outside needs to be much better .. and I have taken this up with a number of colleagues in the TG and will continue to do so .. I had an interesting conversation with the director of DNS in Denmark where she admitted that "sometimes the TG are trying to expand their operations so quickly, the quality of what they are doing sometimes suffers ..". I agree with this and have no intention of letting it happen at IICD. My experience of the TG is that within it individuals have the chance to develop (both projects and themselves) and have the support around them to enable them to succeed and do a good job wherever they are. (They dont always ask for or accept the support available, but then they are only human). And I certainly intend working both hard and constructively to ensure a very good preparation for the development instructors enrolling at IICD - because both they and the projects they will work for in Africa or Central America deserve that.

Mike

Hi Lars

It is in my opion not only "to work harder". Things constantly need to be reconsider, discussed, improved and changed if needed. Yes, you also need to work hard to change things to the better. I am sure that is happening a lot a KNEC as I am also sure a lot more need to be done. It is obvious that things should have been better at KNEC. Partly the progam and also the preparations of the European participants that left

What I am trying to say is that I am sure that it is possible to make things better and if you "stick" together is it much bigger possibility to achvive a good result.

Maybe we dissagree about what was not so good in Durban? I do not think it is very bad the the internet only is open for a short time everyday. Neither do I think it is unresponsible and terrible to ask for free accomondation.

Secondly I would like to say that TG is a group of very diverse people with many different ideas and opinions. So you cannot take my response as a TG response.

Tomas

To the person in the TG who says he wants to leave:

Please talk to the people you work with. Get it sorted out properly. There is a procedure for how you leave the TG in good order, and that is what you should do. There will be no hard feelings. Many people that have left the teachers' group are still working at the schools etc.

Anna

Hi Tomas,

You're reaction to the KNEC situation is interesting and I think is very reflective of the Teacher's Group response to problems. "We must simply work harder." The TG never asks the question, "Why has this situation emerged and how can we prevent it from happening again?"

The same issues of poor planning, lack of experience and skills, poor training and instruction, secrecy and mis-information, and lack of resources keep returing to the schools run by the Teacher's Group. You say that the people running KNEC "are young and enthusiastic people wanting to do a lot of good and have the best intentions." It is interesting that you don't mention whether they are actually able to set up and run this school and provide people who are participating with a meaningful and rewarding experience.

The Teacher's Group consistently takes the position that with a little hard work we can do anything we set are minds to. But at what cost? What happens to the volunteers who come in with the best of intentions and want to do a lot of good but discover that their goodwill has been exploited, either unintentionally through poor planning and lack of skills or more chillingly intentionally, by those who run the programs.

In Lazlo's complaint he lists a number of cases in which things that were promised by the school were not delivered. (1) The computer lab and Internet access turned into one computer that was usable two hours a day and the Interent access was turned off because KNEC didn't pay its phone bill. (2) They were told by the director of the school that they had proper permits to fund-raise and only later found out they did not which resulted in their expulsion from a city-owned facility which they had been using to sleep in. (3) People who were going to Mozambique did not received training in Portuguese. (4) Medical insurance was to be provided but was not set up by KNEC.

Whenever I think about my experience at at Teacher's Group school my actions remind me of the horse character in Orwell's Animal Farm that kept on working hard in response to problems. "If only I work harder then things will improve." The horse in Animal Farm ended up being sent to the knacker when he could no longer work and I ended up being asked to leave after I had been in the program for 10 months because I refused to stop asking questions.

Lars

 

Dear Lars

Regarding the situation in South Africa. People at CCTG are prepared to sleep in madrasses, finding place to stay during fundraising, work a lot (construction), that they are part of creating the program, that it is hard, that it is not always working well, that the computers and network might not be up running and if it is not they have to be part of fixing it, that at times it will be terrible, that there will be conflicts and dissagreements, that there at times will be no money, that the teachers, even though selldom, have a times when they do different activities eg. relaxing, holding a meeting, climbing a mountain, that they might need to hitch hike, that it will be a lot of pressure and many problems to solve. That s the life and reality of starting up a new institute.

I know the ones running KNEC. They are young and enthusiastic people wanting to do a lot of good and have the best intentions.

KNEC is new and many things are needed to be improved. Instead of trying to say that the people at Knec are "criminals" would I have stood their shoulder by shoulder with them trying to make everything to improve. That is what we are doing here at CCTG! I have certainly also paid for it , much more then the "quitting participants" at KNEC has done.

That is what I am calling doing development work. But for sure, I am not Lazlo

Tomas

Dear Lars

Regarding the situation in South Africa. People at CCTG are prepared to sleep in madrasses, finding place to stay during fundraising, work a lot (construction), that they are part of creating the program, that it is hard, that it is not always working well, that the computers and network might not be up running and if it is not they have to be part of fixing it, that at times it will be terrible, that there will be conflicts and dissagreements, that there at times will be no money, that the teachers, even though selldom, have a times when they do different activities eg. relaxing, holding a meeting, climbing a mountain, that they might need to hitch hike, that it will be a lot of pressure and many problems to solve. That s the life and reality of starting up a new institute.

I know the ones running KNEC. They are young and enthusiastic people wanting to do a lot of good and have the best intentions.

KNEC is new and many things are needed to be improved. Instead of trying to say that the people at Knec are "criminals" would I have stood their shoulder by shoulder with them trying to make everything to improve. That is what we are doing here at CCTG! I have certainly also paid for it , much more then the "quitting participants" at KNEC has done.

That is what I am calling doing development work. But for sure, I am not Lazlo

Tomas

Bonnie, I did not find it "too hard" and quit. Rather I stay much longer than I should have and finished the project i had come to do although i don't think we do much good. bad planning by humana.

Your comments are like manipulation by the Teacher's Group to convince people to stay. the leaders keep saying me that if only eveyone work hard than it would be good but this is not truth. My mind is not small and this website tells the stories the teacher's group do not tell you.

Hi everyone, my name is Bonnie, im from NZ & am a participant at CCTG. im very saddened to read that some people feel they had a bad experience at these schools or projects, but it makes me wonder is this just your way of not feeling as though you have just given up ,to write these awful stories ,is it a way to make yourself feel better about quitting something that you found too hard, it is so easy to blame someone else. I have been involved in training & voluntering at CCTG for the last 5 months now & not only have i Had a good time, i have worked hard (as promised before you arrive) & I have met wonderful people who really want to make a difference in this world! I have seen people come & then leave as they decided it is not for them (all have left on good terms & still keep in contact) & i have seen a team train & leave for mozambique, well prepared & happy. We get reports of how they are doing every couple of weeks, they are certainly making a difference & having a nice time. I hope that anyone who reads this site does not let it put them off, if you are concerned phone one of the schools,ask what questions you need to, talk to the participants,ask for me if you want, this is a wonderful place full of caring & intelligent people from all around the world of all different ages, it is an experience of a life time!!!!, dont let small minded slander put you off!!!

Hi Tomas, Welcome to Tvind Alert. Forget about brain-washing. How about Tvind providing little meaningful training or support to its volunteers. Just check out the latest story posted by someone from a Tvind school. http://www.tvindalert.org.uk/stories/laszlo's%20story.htm

Forget the issue of fraud but please explain away the miserable experience of these volunteers.

Lars, baerman2001@hotmail.com

I have been in Zimbabwe. The HQ staff are from all over the world, also Zimbabwe. When I was there did the staff organize an event for the nearby villages. So they certainly had quite some time witth people there. It showed something like 1500 people up. Humana have some land in Zimbabwe.It was in Zimbabwe that the Comuna to Comercial farmer project started and where the HQ are was it also a Eucalyptus farm.

If you will go and volunteer with Lindersvold should you prepared for a lot of hard work.

I happened to come accross your site because I wanted more info on the travelling folk high schools. Then I am interested in Zimababwe but heard or read somewhere here that HUMANA headoffice staff do not have any contact with the local people they are like colonial masters driving in their facny vehicle in the bush, what about the land issue they are helping to resettle farmers but they as white also own lots of land in Zimbabwe I heard. If there is anyone who was in Zimbabwe and experience this please let me know I don't want to go volunteer with slave masters in modern days. Interested Volunteer for Lindersvold.

Tomas at CCTG, you brought all the Norway thinking with you here in California but it will not work, did you see what people write about you before. You guys enrole people without telling them what they need exactly things are left up in the air until they get there. This is USA not Norway and the INS/IRS do not let things go easily please ensure your acts are clean and accounting correct.

You that talk about brainwashing. Examples please. You that are about leaving the TG. Wish you the best. Sorry that it did not work out as you wished

Regards Tomas CCTG

In life one wonder why so many bad things befall them, have any of the ex TG members shared the same experience as me. I am about to leave in a few days and yes I told them but guess what as soon as you say that you are leaving you are branded, omitted from all the meetings and thought of as a total numb skull not to say I became one here for all these years. I feel the pressure as if they want me out before time, I am told oh you are not focus!blahhhh. Is there a ex TG tranission camp, how do you guys fit back into society? PLease help me lost soul!!

i agree that the majority of volunteers with Humana have life changind experience but brainwash is not a good change.

Hello I am an, ex solidarity worker and ex teacher group member. I am afraid to leave my name here because I think that your homepage, and tvindalert are exploiting peoples good work. Humana help a lot of people. The majority of volunteers who go to Humana have life changing experiences which in turn help people. I read your articles about fundraising, "what is wrong with giving money less fortunate than ourselves", and what is wrong with being positive, listen folks you only have one life.

Hi. I agree that many of the people involved with IICD have good intentions but unfortunately the organization is structured in such a way that results in a multitude of problems ranging from the exploitation of volunteer's good intentions to ineffective (and at times harmful) development projects.

Its not slander to state my opinion (shared by many others) based on my experience with them. And in terms of one-sided, you won't find many organizations less hospitable to different opinions than IICD and the other Tvind organizations. For example, this site is one of the only places where information on Tvind that doesn't come straight from their groupthink PR program. Plus people with pro-Tvind opinions regularly post here and their comments are not removed. Unlike the shutting down of guestbooks on Tvindsites when differing opinions were posted.

I chose to study and travel with IICD on my year off from college and while I did have some problems with the program I believe that their intentions are of the highest good. I have had nothing to do with them since I left because my life has taken another course, not because I think they are a cult. As an organization grows, there are always bad seeds and corruption, but this is an organization that wants to help oppressed nations and people everywhere. Please try and see the big picture here. Of course an organization like this will attract people who are looking for an identity, of course it will attract lost people. But there are many involved with this group that have made a very informed and sound decision to dedicate their lives to helping others. If you had a bad experience there, or if you disagree with their methods, please just decide to live your life how you want to live, but don't slander them. They are doing much more good than harm. I think it is fine to have an open dialog about what the best way to run an organization that intends to create a world where there is less poverty and a better distribution of wealth etc.... it isn't an easy task. But your website only focuses on one side of the story and doesn't look at the whole picture. Please- in the name of democracy present both sides fairly.

Reply to the TG who's afraid to leave -

Take whatever you can, mail whatever you can, and run. Britta was right, there really are good people out here. If you want to reach me, I'm going to give you my alias email address here: dancerman5678@hotmail.com I'm available to help you in whatever way I can, locations are a factor, but please don't hesitate to contact me.

I wish you all the courage and positive energy you have deep inside. Don't be afraid. Do what your conscience dictates.

A former "development instructor" - October 9

To all of yious out there, some of the projects in Africa are working very well and I'm proud of have been part of helping these people to achive an opening and understanding of many deasises that they had no knowledge of. DON'T FORGET ABOUT THIS PEOPLE. Of course I'm sceptic to this organisation but I have done the whole programme and belive me that I'm not brainwashed at all. I do want answers to my questions and I just wanted ti say that Amid is probably dead and someone else is working as the leader. Finally there is a man called Thomas, swedish, who has a girlfriend. Stay away from them, they are both very false. former student

I cheecked out the english tvindsite at http://www.drhbogense.dk3.com/. Suprise - there is only a guestbook in the danish part of the site. Why is that? I wrote and asked, but did not get an answer.

Why don't tvindschools open up - start with the guestbooks

I think you all sound a bit sad

To TG member I am a member of the former-Tg-members group and we are a group getting larger every year - Amdi has always claimed that once you leave TG you are all by yourself - alone - with no true friends - as a lot of other things he has said through the years this is not true - we have been together a weekend a year for the last 4-5 years and it is truly good again to meet old friends. As another former TG member told me: I decided to give to myself the rest of my life and I have never regretted. We are a lot of people who will like to talk to you and meet with you if you decide to leave. Be brave and get out - it is really up to you. And there are a whole lot of nice people out here. Britta

To the TG member, It is very easy and quick to set up a hotmail account. Go to http://www.hotmail.com/ The email address is completely anonymous.

http://www.drhbogense.dk3.com An english tvind site for the travelling highschool, with a guestbook that works.

To the TG member.

You can get in touch with Tvind Alert in complete confidence, we don't give away any secrets. We already had at least 20 or so ex-TG members that we know about get in touch. Now they are able to describe their feelings, talk to each other, direct by email or in a special email forum. We can put you in contact with some of them and you can stay anonymous. Of course we would like to hear more from you - you can email me directly on feedback@tvindalert.org.uk. The emails are confidential.

Michael, Tvind Alert

I am a member of TG. I am afraid to leave or to say that I want to leave. I am even afraid to post my email address here. After spending years of work I realized that I am left with nothing, only frustration.

There has been spirited debate about Tvind Alert on the guest book at Campus Claifornia TG web site, thanks to 'Lars', whoever he is. (www.cctg.org) This is one Tvind site where the guest book has not recently been cleaned up, in fact Tvind Alert posted a message pointing this out - it is still there.

This was not the case a year ago when Tvind Alert first posted to the CCTG guest book, the message was swiftly deleted. Welcome to the democratic, multi-dimensional, pluralistic world, Tomas and Ruth!!

Yes that is just another exampel. I have been looking for guestbooks at danish tvind sites, but most of them has been shut down. I only found to that has a working guestbook: http://www.oekologisk-hus.dk/gaestbog.htm http://www.haand-design.lindersvold.dk/gaestebog.htm

I'am looking for more.. So far I cheecked 15

Yet another example of Tvind's unwillingness to accept any critique or opinion that does not fit its wroldview. On the One World homepage http://www.oneworldvolunteers.org/ the guestbook that had recently had some warnings about Tvind posted to it has now been shutdown. So much for free discourse at a Tvind sponsered school.

Does anybody know what names Tvind uses in Japan for collecting clothes, and for recruiting volunteers? Anything in the Japanese language?

What a bad excuse for not sueing MD, considering what accusations that has been directed agianst this site and tvind critics like Frosig.

What a bad excuse for not sueing MD, considering what accusations that has been directed agianst this site and tvind critics like Frosig.

Even though this site does not contain much of reality I wouldn't even dream about trying to shutt Tvindalert down. To much waste of time. Better work and try to make something good

What makes you think that some one is paying MD to maintain this website? Are you saying, as a member of the tvind organisation, that no one will do anything for others, unless they can earn some cash. I will not blame you, knowing that you are member of an organisation, that has the habit of turning aid projects into buisness projects.

Read the articles on this site, and if you have any complains you can sue us, but you haven't done that yet. Why is that. Maybee its because the informations on this site is correct. Please try to shut us down. You can proberly erford a good layer.

 

Are the Arabs terrorists? Are Tvind an evil empire? Are the earth still flat???

Who is paying Michael Durham to maintain this website?

 

Interesting collection of artikles in Danish http://www.torshammer.dk/enmandsavisen/

hi there....just surfed in. Check out the Amdi Petersens Arm 7" when you get the chance. fast danish punkrock order from kicknpunch@wildmail.com

The fundraising was done for project at schools in the US. My complaint is exactly that there were no other jobs besides fundraising. I was told before that Fund-raising would happen but no one said that they would only do canvassing. The issue is not about efficiency, its about misleading people about what the fund-rasing is for.

Feel free to address my points 3 and 4 as well.

canvassing is also the most effeciant way of fundraising, and if it's done effective you don't have to use extra time on fundraising.

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