HELP US CREATE SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT TODAY FOR BAJAUR AGENCY, PAKISTAN -Sylvain Henry

Sustainable employment is employment that provides a household enough money to pay the bills, cover healthcare, and provide job advancement. To me it also means employment that does not harm a worker's environment or society. There are too few jobs like this in the world and especially in the Bajaur Agency of Pakistan.

So, a few weeks ago, I launched a global initiative I call the Prosperity Prayer that would help attract sustainable employment and also help create it. Simply put, it is a 6-word prayer that people, like myself, affected by this great recession of 2009, add to our blogs, tweets, profiles, and websites. If these six words have any power at all then you will soon see this prayer everywhere. I personally have full faith that this is a simple, safe and sure prayer is one that people of any faith can use.

Here is the prayer: "Help us create sustainable employment today."

Adding these words online had a magical effect: it has created global solidarity between like-minded people, beyond my expectations, and has enabled me to meet with four high commissioners, religious leaders, and several media professionals. I have also met with Arun Gandhi, fifth grandson of Mahatama Gandhi. These influential people had never heard of me before, nor heard of me, and yet they welcome me as they hear these six simple words spoken by an unemployed man. I imagine these words would have the same effect on whoever uses them in good faith.

Hundreds of people are now very actively participating in this initiative worldwide. The prayer attracted the attention of a special resident of the war-torn Bajaur Agency region, Mr. Muhammad Khurshid. He has inspired me to approach the high commission of Pakistan in Ottawa, Canada, and invite the high commissioner and his entourage to a sustainable employment career fair that I am planning in a few months. Also, Muhammad has inspired me to donate a giant Peace and Prosperity Banner to the youth of Bajaur Agency to motivate them to join Muhammad and myself to help create sustainable employment with the youth and to let them know that the world cares about them.

The presentation of the banner at the high commission was a momentous event. The Archbishop of the Anglican Spanish Speaking Church (Primate-Archbishop Leonardo Marin-Saavedra), two Ishayan Monks and a strong supporter (Nancy Loucks-McSloy) from London, Ontario, assisted me in my presentation of the banner to the high commission yesterday (July 2nd, 2009). I am most grateful for this collaboration.

I would like to take this opportunity to mention a unique incident that happened when we unrolled the 12 foot by 12 foot banner on the lawn before the high commission and the Archbishop. A big white bird, probably a seagull, flew over us and landed very near us, on a stone statue of a youth, and watched us and the banner at that precise moment we presented it to the high commission. Our huge banner has a big white bird on it similar in size and shape to the bird who flew to join us. The coincidence was noted by all, especially by the Archbishop. I prefer to believe it was a sign that peace and prosperity is soon attainable to the youth of the Bajaur Agency region.

The greatest injustice and cruelty to humans are poverty and war. Help us attract the opposite, namely prosperity and peace with one common prayer for prosperity. There can be no peace without prosperity for all.

http://facebook.com/satyagraha
sylvain.henry@ymail.com

Photos of this event will be made available tomorrow.