Chapter 1: AIDS Competence should spread faster than the virus. 

In 1997-1998, Jean-Louis spent 18 months in Phayao, a province in northern Thailand. In a few short sentences, here is what he learned.

“It is necessary to provide services to prevent AIDS, to care for it, and to reduce its impact, but these services are not sufficient. The key resides in the actions of individuals, of families, and of communities in responding to the scourge. AIDS Competence means communities…

Learning from ‘What makes us human?’

From the Introduction to ‘What makes us human?’

“(Appreciation means) that we finally stop putting people into categories and enjoy the discovery of each other’s strengths: city and slum dwellers, saints and sinners, straights and all the others, the protected and the vulnerable, natives and…

As a way of introducing people to Jean-Louis’ book ‘What makes us human?’ people are being recorded talking about their experience of SALT in their lives. For good or ill, Anu Sieberk recorded my contribution this morning. In it, I talk about how the idea of ‘Appreciation’ has altered my life. You can see it at…

Jean-Louis’ book is now out in English. The title of the book is ‘What makes us human?’ We have used this challenging question for a long time in the Constellation and it is, indeed, a fine title for the book. I don’t know if I should say this, but what I like even more is the sub-title for the book, ‘The story of a shared dream’.

The Constellation is truly the story of a shared dream. I suspect that for each of us there was a time when we saw that what the Constellation was…