Signature Moments/Milestones for Partnerships For Change
1990 Partnerships For Change (PFC) and Founder Jacqueline Miller received an appointment from the Governor of Maryland to serve on a Self esteem task force to promote personal and social responsibility. Focus on productivity crime violence poverty and substance abuse alleviation and community empowerment.. Appointed liaison to the Center for strategic and international studies CSIS. In Washington D.C. Worked on the US economic reform to strengthen America co chaired by Senator Pete Domenici and Senator Sam Nunn.
1991 Partnerships For Change is retained by the Governor of California’s Alcohol and Drug Department to integrate self-esteem an d personal responsibility programs to improve the workplace. PFC designed and delivered, a program in Silicon Valley for 250 CEOs and business leaders exploring the relationship between self-esteem, productivity, creativity and innovation. PFC and founder Jacqueline Miller conceptualize the concept for Chicken Soup for the Soup series for which Jack Canfield reaps the credit
1992: Partnerships for Change privately sponsored a visit to the Earth Summit in Brazil where PFC showcased the efforts of the State of California and a movement to acknowledge the importance of self-worth in building healthy communities. PFC raised the funds, developed the programming, and made presentations at a series of forums: "Human Restoration: the Key to Sustainable Development." The purpose of the trip was to introduce a more inclusive approach for sustainable development. PFC emphasized that the environmental movement has, for the most part, excluded the worth of humans as part of a sustainable world.
1992 PFC is invited to development national legislation to promote self-esteem and personal and social responsibility. The proposal was presented at a United States Senate briefing in partnership with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Honorable Jack Kemp.
PFC’s leaders present to the White House, including Barbara Bush’s Chief of Staff and Domestic policy advisor for the President James Pinkerton, the importance of a national program to promote self-worth, self-esteem and personal responsibility as social vaccine and “conservative” approach to prevent problems in education, drug abuse, and violence before they occur. 1993: PFC selects a delegation of top self-esteem experts, including Jacqueline Miller, Andrew Michael, Roger Mills and Dr. Rashmi Mayur to address the International Ecological and Urban Planning Conference on Sustainability in Sao Paulo, Brazil. 1500 Mayors from the largest cities on Earth were present.
PFC sponsors an NBC broadcast called The Mystery of the Sphinx starring Charlton Heston. For the first time, a non-dramatic, non-violent documentary aired successfully on a commercial network in prime-time. PFC worked on awareness campaigns to prevent the socio pathic programming in television
1994: PFC organized a Community Summit to catalyze the efforts of the United Nations 50th Anniversary commemorative celebration. Partnerships for Change was selected along with Amnesty International, Greenpeace, and P.E.T.A. [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals] as a leader in innovative human development projects by the Cause Collection. PFC and founder Jacqueline Miller successfully sells book concept to Mc Graw Hill publisher for six digit advance. Book on the economics of emotional literacy becomes international best seller and published in 9 languages.
1996: Partnerships for Change was called to design, organize, and facilitate a National Summit for the communities that suffered during the Cold War in the United States and Russia. The National Summit brought together businesses, environmentalists, government agencies, and advocates who sought ways to clean up and re-use the closed military bases. Nobel laureates Mikhail Gorbachev and Oscar Arias keynoted the event. The event was organized in the Presidio in San Francisco, CA, during its transitioning from an Army base to a National Park. A 30-minute NBC primetime television special was aired and organized by PFC, in association with the National Summit, further emphasized the shift from swords to ploughshares. PFCs Andrew Michael secures significant grant from the San Francisco Foundation to develop the on line resource bank exchange
1997: Partnerships for Change was invited to make a presentation at the State of the World Forum on sustainable development and human restoration. Jacqueline Miller, founder of Partnerships For Change, author of Heart at Work, was profiled and spotlighted on CNN, CBS, NBC, ABC, Business Week, Nightly Business Report, PBS, The San Francisco Examiner, Orange County Register as well as numerous radio stations and newspapers. PFC was invited by the National Security Agency to consult present and review emotional literacy and empowerment work . Begins long association.
1998: Invited address to the State of the World Forum for the second time, PFC’s presentation on sustainable development and human restoration was well received and highly acclaimed.
1999: PFC sponsors and executive produces PBS series called Healthy Living hosted by Jane Seymour. PFC organized a humanitarian relief effort to Kosovo, bringing joy to young refugees through the arrival of 35 clown doctors including the infamous Patch Adams. Along with the clown doctors, over $500,000 in medical supplies and services were flown in to the refugees. Encouraged to paint pictures of what a peaceful future could look like, the children were provided an alternate view of the future rather than continuing the cycle of violence in the Balkans.
2000 Healing efforts provided through the development of cancer support groups and reviewed healing methodologies from around the globe including - spiritual healing, energy healing, hands-on healing. Thought leaders in health were brought in to the Presidio of San Francisco to share healing knowledge.. Three nights a week healing programs were designed and delivered for over a year for those dealing with a range of health challenges
2001 PFC made it first humanitarian mission to Burma in September 2001. PFC provided funds via direct action to renovate and build schools, or phages, monasteries and bridges in and outside of Yangon, and Chaitio, On this occasion Jacqueline Miller engaged directly with the military of the Union of Myanmar after interactions and phone calls calls with the US Embassy and the United Nations Office in Yangon and the publication the New Light of Myanmar interactions were misinterpreted.
Money was given to refurbish the Ananda Temple in Pagan(Bhagan) Hosted, organized and led trip for 12 individuals, five Americans become monks in Burma. Developed and produced weekly television shows on humanitarian actions in Burma to raise awareness and funds in support of Monasteries, orphanages, and school upgrades.
Raised money from weekly television shows, sales of photographs, and personal healing sessions with renowned monks to fund humanitarian aid programs and direct action efforts in Burma. Jacqueline Miller spoke to numerous groups in Asia and the US regarding the situation in Burma in an effort to garner support and increase awarenss.
Gave weekly assistance to cancer support and recovery groups in the Presidio of San Francisco, providing teachers, peer support and counseling.
2002 Initiated the "Monk Mobilization" project to engage Burmese monks in the overall betterment of the society beyond the walls of the monastery. Raised funds for the completion of monastery in Pagan.
Assisted in the rebuilding of a Sisters of Charity home for mentally and physically disabled in Inle Lake region.
Delivered and distributed 52 tons of rice throughout Burma to underserved communities. Supported two monasteries in Yangon (Rangoon) for the Theravada Buddhists monks, U Sandima and U Senica, leaders of this order in Yangon.
Visited monastery in Zen Chai in southern Myanmar and gave funds to village schools ,monastery Organized and sponsored a trip with His Holiness, Cealo to Japan, Burma, Thailand and Cambodia. Introduced Cealo to the royal family in Cambodia.
Produced a musical CD of sacred and healing musicians from Japan, recording was conducted live in cave in Sedona, Arizona.
Produce healing concert for the souls impacted by September 11, 2001 in New York at a donated Cathedral.
Introduced Japanese Burmese Monk to the Esalen Institute and coordinated extremely effective change program
Edited book by the monk on healing and finding the true nature of a human being
Edited and contributed to best selling book by Chinese MD on power healing techniques with publisher Harper Collins.
Program venues designed and delivered in San Francisco, Berkeley Mt Shasta, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ojai California, Sedona The Grand Canyon, Phoenix and Tucson Arizona Boulder Denver Colorado, Chicago Illinois Washington DC Baltimore Maryland New York New York
Fall of 2002 organized and led trip of 30 Americans and 65 Japanese on a direct action and humanitarian mission to Burma
Designed, developed and delivered a sustainable development plan to the President of the Senate in Cambodia, and to the Vice President of Cambodia for the Environment and member of the royal family. The Ecological Trade System to Alleviate Waste (ETSAW - waste reversed) would generate a sustainable village with commercial products derived from sustainably harvested trees and foods grown in between the trees.
Met with the United Nations' representative in Cambodia
Raised funds, bought and delivered baby bottles and formula to an orphanage and nursery for HIV infected babies outside of Pnom Penn
Supported the development of a school outside of Pnom Penn and a vocational school run by the Palm Tree Foundation providing computers and resources to learn the English language, and help build an expansion for the orphanage and school.
Organized special meditation at the United Nations' headquarters in New York and hosted luncheon in the delegates’ dining room to provide funding and support for on-going projects in Burma and Cambodia.
Partnerships for Change provided food, medical supplies, and educational materials to orphans in Cambodia and Myanmar (Burma). Our missions in partnership with Cealo provided 24 tons of rice, clothing, blankets and vitamins.
Partnerships For Change co-founder, Andrew Michael, help establish a triple-bottom line $170 million Bay Area Family of Funds for the San Francisco Bay Area as a member of the Bay Area Council and leader of the Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Development.
Partnerships For Change launches "Kyoto For The People" in Kyoto, Japan to spur expanded public support, especially in the United States, for the Kyoto Protocol to help address and reduce climate change worldwide.
PFC’s Andrew Michael honored by PFC board member Conrad Hilton III for being the most creative social entrepreneur of our times PFC is awarded an unsolicited and significant multi year grant from Arie Kurtzig Memorial Fund through the Community Foundation of Silicon Valley. Arie Kurtzig was the co founder of ASK computer and inventor of the touch screen computer. Arie Kurtzig, an avid environmentalist who made many extraordinary contributions to improve ecological awareness and promote innovative solutions to environmental problems. He was a founding board member of Sustainable North Bay and supported many early organic farming techniques before he passed away on September 21st, 2001. Arie Kurtzig was a : physicist with a background in Silicon Valley start-ups. He strongly agreed with PFC that psycho-social issues are pre-eminent in field of sustainability.
2003 Partnerships For Change supported the development of local (San Francisco Bay Area) educational projects and the development of corporate social responsibility with the United Nations' Global Compact.
Partnerships For Change partners with the Bay Area Council to land a U.S. Department of Commerce grant of $3 million to increase the work skills of U.S. residents. In preparation for the grant, PFC produced a report on the disparate technology skills of the Bay Area residents that could be improved with a grant being offered from the U.S. Department of Commerce to counter the increasing need for H1-B visas.
2004 Partnerships For Change was invited to visit India and created partnerships through its travels from northern to southern India. Humanitarian projects occurred in Rishikesh, India where hundreds of Saht gurus(Holy Men) were fed by PFC and those on the mission trip at the mouth of the Ganges River. PFC acknowledged the efforts of entrepreneur, spiritual leader, Father Raj Lawrence and Barbara Urban for their work in reviving and renovating the St. Thom Basilica in Chennai, India. While there, PFC noted the deplorable condition of the school, which sat in the shadows of the newly renovated St.Thom Basilica.
PFC’s first hand experience during the Tsunami 2004 deeply affected it’s desire to support those people impacted in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia as well as the western coast of Africa. Partnerships For Change’s decision to form a partnership with Father Raj and St. Thom Basilica resulted in building a "Free School" for many of the children that were devastated by the Tsunami. To celebrate the UN’s 60th anniversary as well as advancing the globe toward meeting the Millennium Development goals, PFC created “World Voice” with the approval of the United Nations. PFC lined up a world-class concert producer, the United Nations Foundation, Burson Marsteller, the premier advertising agency in New York, and an office located at UN Plaza to elevate the work. Political issues beyond our control prevented the event from occurring.
2005 In early 2005 formed a partnership with celebrity Hilary Duff and young Disney stars to raise fund for victims of the Tsunami to provide educational and humanitarian aid. Numerous concerts were held and enough funds were raised to complete the building of the new "Free School" in front of St. Thom Basilica, Chennai India.
PFC provided new clothing for 100 female students at the Bon Secours primary school. These girls had been orphaned by the Tsunami. This was the first time the girls had received clothing that had been individually tailored for them rather than second hand clothes.
PFC provided scholarships to advance the skills of teachers at the Bon Secours primary schools for girls.
October 2005 Chennai India-delivered financial support over $100,000 to complete construction of the building of a new school for December 2004 Tsunami survivors as well as distributing book bags, new desks and supplies. PFC hosted twenty people from the United States, including several young Disney stars who learned philanthropy by visiting and providing clothing and other resources to schools, orphanages, and senior centers in the Chennai area.
Partnerships For Change establishes partnership with the Bon Secours Convent-Franciscan Nuns to promote and build a Women's Empowerment Center in the village of Sendivakkam. PFC took several trips to visit the place identified for building of the Women's Empowerment Center and visit the villagers. Fundraising begins to support the building of the Women's Empowerment Center that included a water well, new sewing, embroidery machines, and facilities for classes and services.
October 2005 Partnerships For Change opens new office in Varanasi, India dedicated to sustainable development programs, humanitarian aid, and direct action.
June 3rd 2005 World Environment Day San Francisco. Partnerships For Change with Bay Area Council sponsors reception for mayors from around the world, business leaders and consular generals and the UN Global Compact Symposium on Corporate Social Responsibility. PFC secures Chairman of Mitsubishi from Japan to join us as keynote speaker and former Secretary General for the for the United Nations Earth Summit Maurice Strong to speak as well.PFC partners with the Haas Business School at Berkeley. PFC Board of directors and Heidi Alber and Linda Alber are in attendance.
2006 In January 2006, Hilary Duff, singer and actress, and her management team invited Partnerships For Change to attend concert series in Vancouver, Canada to review Direct Action Support including concert representation and the role of Joel Madden and Good Charlotte. PFC’s India projects were included on big-screen behind Duff’s concert performances.
February 8th 2006, NYC United Nations meeting facilitated by Partnerships For Change co-founder Jacqueline Miller with Under-secretary Shashi Tharoor and current leading contender for next Secretary General, Hilary Duff and Susan Duff as well as key division heads from Department for Public Information(DPI) Duff received an honorary invitation to be a good will ambassador. April 28th 2006 at the New York Stock Exchange, Partnerships For Change co-founders were invited to attend the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, as he rang the opening bell and dedicated the commitment of 4 trillion dollars of investment funds to be assigned to the principles of responsible investing. PRI is an Historic highly innovative and groundbreaking initiative.(Principles for Responsible Investing)
Partnerships For Change organizes and leads a return group mission to India during late 2005 and New Year 2006. This mission provided clothing and scholarships for the orphans housed at the Bon Secours Convent.
The foundation stones for the Women's Empowerment Center were placed in the ground in the Sendivakkam village as the large community water well was being completed. PFC fundraising efforts had already resulted in the building of the water well, a protective fence, and 13 sewing and embroidery machines that were being used to train women. The Women's Empowerment Center as described by Sister Antoniammal of Bon Secours Convent was launched to achieve its aims of reducing poverty, preventing prostitution, human trafficking, slavery, crime, violence, drug abuse and the spread of water borne illness.
May 2006 Partnerships For Change (PFC) is introduced to D.R. Mehta in Jaipur, India in the state of Rahjistan .D.R. Mehta runs the Jaipur Foot, the largest provider of prosthetics devices in the world. PFC learns of their mobility and empowerment project. In one year, Jaipur Foot provided prosthetics and mobility devices to over 19,000 people in India. PFC has promoted the work of Jaipur Foot, introducing D.R. Mehta and the Jaipur Foot to leaders at the United Nations, to the Silicon Valley Social Entrepreneurs Award for which D.R. Mehta would become a recipient in 2007. PFC brought together the funders and filmmakers for a documentary on the Jaipur Foot, which was completed in 2007.
May 2006–Partnerships For Change secured wheelchairs from the Wheel Chair Foundation founded by Kenneth E Behring and delivered them to the elderly and young underserved people in Chennai, India. PFC personally identified a Tsunami victim along Marina Beach in Chennai who had lost her wheelchair due to damage from the Tsunami and provided a workable wheelchair to her on the same day in partnership with the Bon Secours nuns.
In support of the refurbishment of an Elderly Home and an orphanage in Chennai, PFC visited the re-painted home and assisted to finance the repair of the roof; months earlier, PFC provided the funding which donated new clothes and bedding for the elderly. July 26th 2006 Partnerships For Change Hosted a party welcoming the United Nations Global Compact dignitary and PFC board member, Gavin Power, to San Francisco, where he was to set up an office in San Francisco. Partnerships For Change secured the opening of the United Nations’ Global Compact office in San Francisco in coordination with the creation of the Business Council on Climate Change with the city of San Francisco, the Bay Area Council and the United Nations Global Compact. PFC board of director Linda Alber was in attendance.
In November, PFC sponsored and organized a musical concert at the United Nations Headquarters in honor of the International Day of Non-Violence with Inner Voice, featuring performers from the group Menudo. A hosted lunch in the delegate dining room thanked corporate sponsors and included PFC Board member Diane Patton Federico. Funds were raised for the Women’s Empowerment Center in Sendivakkam, India and for continued support of Jaipur Foot.
2007 Partnerships For Change organizes and sponsors a service mission for seven individuals including the initiation of the Student For Change Project by Kathy Shade and then student Garrett Hooper. Services included funding, supplies, clothing, were provided to schools, orphanages, and the further development of the Women’s Empowerment Center in Sendivakkam, India. En route to India, Andrew Michael, co-founder of PFC, and Kathy and Garrett Hooper of Students for Change meet in Dubai, United Arab Emirates with the leading recycling and environmental organization to discuss future opportunities for collaboration.
A four-year partnership with Lama Tenzin Choegal, founder of the C.E.D. Institute, a children educational home for Tibetan children rescued from the Himalayas, led to the partnership with the Medium of the Oracle of Tibet, Kuten La. PFC Board Member Lama Tenzin was inducted into the prestigious Humanitarian Hall of Fame for his extreme rescues of children stranded in the most remote areas of the Himalayas. Other inductees include His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa. Since 2005 PFC sponsored fundraising and support events for the C.E.D. Institute in California that provide financial sponsors for the children and their education.
In 2007, PFC expanded this support to both coasts of the United States identifying new key benefactors in Miami, Florida, Washington, D.C. and also in New York, NY. PFC Board members Andrew Michael, Jacqueline Miller, Richard Diefenbach, Dr. Mary Thomas Weiss and Lama Tenzin met with Kuten La, the Deputy Minister of the Tibetan Government in Exile and the Medium of the Oracle of Tibet in Goa, India and travel with him to the site of the proposed monastery in Mundgod, India. Animal rescue became a PFC project in the first quarter of 2007. Following visits to Animal Aid, a hospital and support center for injured animals in Udaipur, PFC Board member, Diane Federico, and Jacqueline Miller contributed financial aid to further the efforts already begun. Diane and Jacqueline identified and rescued an injured street dog in Udaipur requiring complicated and unavailable surgery India.PFC board members Jacqueline and Diane successfully carried the injured dog home the United States from India. Happily the dog successfully healed and thrives to this day. For his first public trip to the US in March 2007 the Medium of the Oracle of Tibet, Kuten La, invited Partnerships For Change to host him and his spiritual entourage, which included the chant master, spiritual attendant, personal secretary and the Rinpoche leading the Mundgod Monstery project.The purpose of his trip was to raise awareness of the Tibetan culture and to seek financial support for the completion of the new monastery in Mundgod, India. The monastery serves a Tibetan refugee population of 15,000 in southern India. PFC raised the funds to sponsor Kuten La’s trip as well as the subsequent 16+city summer tour, including the organization of public venues, concert and media. The trip highlighted Kuten La and the Tibetan perspective on global warming and its impact. Kuten La was able to meet and greet with over 20,000 people. The kickoff tour began in June 2007 at City Hall, San Francisco with a reception at the grand rotunda of City Hall. In conjunction with the San Francisco Department of the Environment and Library, Jared Blumenfeld, Director of the Department of the Environment hosted an evening of stimulating discussions with the Medium of the Oracle of Tibet and Deputy Minister of the Tibetan Government in Exile. The tour included Portland, OR, Berkeley, CA, Sausalito, CA, Los Angeles, CA, Aspen, CO, Boulder, CO, Denver, CO, Minneapolis, MN, Chicago, IL, Louisville, KY, Baltimore, MD, Washington, D.C., New York, NY, Miami, FL, Mt. Shasta, CA and ended in San Francisco, CA in August 2008. PFC was successful in raising awareness and the necessary funds to complete the building of the monastery to be opened by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in January 2008. PFC’s longstanding relations with the media netted successful media placements resulting in coverage in the Chicago Tribune, CBS Evening News, Miami Herald, Miami’s CBS and NBC affiliates, radio broadcast from the Voice of America and various Buddhist publications. The producer of An Inconvenient Truth, Lawrence Bender, personally showed and reviewed his film with Kuten La in Los Angeles. The Honorable Diane Feinstein, US Senator, and her husband Richard Blum hosted PFC and Kuten La at their home in Aspen, CO-creating a beautiful luncheon and reception in his honor. PFC organized a rare sacred ceremony led by Kuten La on the beautiful Aspen Mountain top. Landmark meetings were held with Kuten La and the Office of the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Kucinich, and other dignitaries. Concluding Kuten La’s multi city tour, a special concert and chant was organized for Washington dignitaries and the public. A final tribute was paid by each of the mayors whom Kuten La had visited during his 16+city tour. Each mayor presented the key to city as well as a proclamation. The event was held at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C
In fall of 2007, a project later to be called “Technology in Service to Humanity” was launched to improve the health and well being of people in Sendivakkam, India. A strategy was employed to create a product with low frequency magnetic waves, which could be included in toys to protect children from the effects of a harmful environment. The underserved communities including those involved in the Women’s Empowerment Center would produce the toys. A business plan draft and structure was developed to raise capital for the venture. PFC participated in an Energy Medicine Conference in Washington, D.C. and invited the creators of several devices to explore miniaturizing them to be part of the “Technology in Service to Humanity Project”.
PFC sponsored a feature film documentary on the crisis of the sexual molestation of boys called Boyhood Shadows-I Swore I’d Never Tell. The premier for the film occurred in November 2007. PFC has continued to publicize the film to expand its distribution throughout the United States and abroad at film festivals and other outlets.
PFC sponsored a feature film documentary on Women and Power, which was later titled Misrepresentation. The film was co-executive produced by Regina Kulik Scully and Jennifer Seibel Newsom, first lady of San Francisco.
PFC’s Jacqueline Miller was invited to be an Associate Producer, along with Sir Richard Branson as the Executive Producer, on film on Global Warming, which explored the impact of global warming on the indigenous people around the world. The film premiered in December 2009 in Copenhagen at the COP15.
2008 PFC designed, developed, coordinated and lead a service trip for 16 individuals to India in January 2008 to inspect the results of past donations. The trip included visits to schools, orphanages, Women’s Empowerment Centers, basilicas, churches, and monasteries in the cities of New Delhi, Agra, Varanasi, Dehradun, Rishikish, Hardwar, Hubli, Mundgod, Chennai and Sendivakkam. The delegation was able to see first hand how their donations had impacted many underserved communities. * PFC members and supporters were special guests of the Kuten La and Medium of the Oracle of Tibet at a two day gathering with His Holiness the Dalai Lama for the opening of the Dreyang Depang Monastery. The funds raised during the visit and tour by Kuten La and sponsored by PFC in 2007 were used to complete the monastery for its opening. PFC also provided funds to support the newly arrived children of the monastery and equipment upon which the children could play. Computer communications facilities also were provided to the monastery by funders introduced by PFC. In January 2008, the completion of the Franciscan Women’s Empowerment Center in Sendivakkam, India was celebrated with PFC and the Bon Secours Convent. Funds raised by PFC over a 2-year period enabled the buildings to be completed and the equipment of sewing and embroidery machines to be installed. Trainers and counselors are now able to teach life altering skills to 50 women every 6 months.
In January 2008, PFC identified funders to install a water purification system at a residential facility and school for 150 girls orphaned by the Tsunami in 2004. In partnership with the Bon Secours Convent, which operates the school, the funds were finally delivered and water system upgraded later in 2008.
January 2008, PFC attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. A partnership was formed with The Dilenschneider Group a leading PR and strategic development group to further the work of PFC.
January 2008, PFC visited Assisi, Italy and the Porziuncola built by St. Francis. This leads to involvement with the Nuova Porziuncola built in San Francisco and the formation of the Knights of Saint Francis. at the National Shrine of Saint Francis in San Francisco.
PFC's Jacqueline Miller and Andrew Michael officially become Knights Of St Francis and are honored at City Hall by the board of supervisiors ST Francis is the patron saint of the city of San Francisco and protector of animals and the environment. A leader of social change and peace and justice.
February 2008, PFC Board member, Diane Patton Federico, and CEO, Jacqueline Miller, visited Egypt on a humanitarian and animal rescue mission. PFC provided support to the Brooke Animal Hospital and an impoverished family in Luxor, Egypt.
April 2008, co-founder of Partnerships For Change, Andrew Michael, was honored to carry the Olympic Torch for the 2008 Beijing Olympics during the torch relay in San Francisco, CA. Andrew Michael was featured on the homepage of AOL, front-page of London Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Marin Independent Journal, and several international television broadcasts.
May 2008, Cyclone “Nardis” devastated the country of Burma (Myanmar). Despite the resistance of the Myanmar military generals to accept aid from outside their country, PFC’s previously established relationship of 2001 with the monastery, allowed quick funding to be dispatched to the monk in charge thus enabling repairs to be made to the damaged facility in addition to the dispersion of food, rice, and money.
September 2008, PFC was invited to celebrate the 150th anniversary jubilee of the founding of the Franciscan order of nuns in India known as the Bon Secours Convent. The visit to India provided an opportunity to explore partnerships between the Tibetans in India and the Bon Secours Convent and to forward the “Technology in Service to Humanity Project”.
September 2008, PFC sponsored an innovative holistic water filtration system company to provide clean water to settlements Headquarted in New Jersey these systems are provided world wide.
April 2009, PFC sponsored a feasibility study for a concert to raise awareness for Burma with the city of San Francisco and AT&T Park. PFC invited potential sponsors interested in Burma along with artists and other musical producers, academics and advocates to form the basics for the concert.
The PFC Board of Advisors welcomed to the Partnerships For Change board Angela Alioto, Esq. and founder of the Knights Of Saint Francis and the Nuova Porziuncola a Holy site in San Francisco and one of five Holy sites declared Holy by the Vatican and U Kovida, a tehravedic Buddhist monk monk and leader of the Saffron Revolution in Burma.
PFC supports financially The Compassion Project TCP–founded by Tibetan monk The Venerable Phagyab Rinpoche and survivor of Chinese prison The Compassion Project seeks to support Tibetan refugees and offer vocation training and cultural assimilation in the Indian Communities. We are exploring projects and programs together. TCP was founded to bring the wisdom of Tibet’s Buddhist mind-sciences to the West to promote conflict resolution, non-violent communication, self-healing and universal compassion. Founded in 2008 under the spiritual direction of Phagyab Rinpoche, a ranking Buddhist lama-scholar from Tibet, TCP teaches techniques for developing mindfulness, stress-reduction, non-violent conflict resolution, compassion and mindbody well-being. TCP offers programs to teach mindfulness, emotional regulation, anger management and tools for developing compassion and empathy to incarcerated individuals. These techniques are taught in an ecumenical fashion to interested inmates
PFC supports the Universal Yoga Center in the San Francisco California and the Dig Darshan School in Patna in state of Bihar India Both were founded by Sri Swami Satya Brahamananda.
