Catalyst House

Our visit with Mae Stella De Oxossi | Salvador, Brazil

Mae Stella De Oxossi

Mae Stella De Oxossi

10-Year Anniversary Brazil Gandhi Tour

June 24, 2012 – July 2, 2012  – Bahia, Brazil | Sao Paulo, Brazil

During our visit to Salvador Bahia June 2012, Arun and I went to the Municipal School of Eugenia Anna Santos, in Sao Gonçalo. This organization works on the grounds of Ile Axe Opo Afunja, led by Mother Stella Oxossi. The Minister of Education and Culture of Salvador, John Carlos Bacelar arranged a meeting and tour at the school which is in the center of the community and property of Mae Stella De Oxossi‘s home. 

Upon arrival we were greeted with drumming, and smiles as it began to lightly rain.  The property had the look and feeling of an Ashram school in India.

Accompanied by the Municipal Secretary of Education, John Carlos Bacelar, we were introduced to Candomblé and the history of the property led by Mother Stella Oxossi.  

It was explained to us that Brazil honors all forms of religious worship.  In Bahia more than 50% of the population’s roots are from Africa.  The largest African-Portuguese community lives in Salvador, the 3rd largest city of Brazil.  The old African indigenous religious practices are still carried out there till this day.

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Arun Gandhi and Brazil’s Filhos de Gandhy

When Appaji and I met with the President, Professor Agnaldo Silva, of the Filhos de Gandhy (Sons of Gandhi), Appaji asked him, “Why do you call yourselves the Sons of Gandhi and not the People of Gandhi?” The Professor replied, “We do have a movement called the Daughters of Gandhi that walk alongside the Sons of Gandhi during Carnival.” Appaji replied that Bapu did not discriminate between genders, he held them equal and empowered women. It would be more in line with Bapu’s philosophy to be all inclusive i.e., the People of Gandhi! The Professor turned to his colleague and said, “We have some work to do!”

As the conversation continued the Professor asked if Appaji would consider coming back next Opening of Carnival to join the Sons of Gandhi, it would be a big moment for them. This was the first time that a Gandhi had visited Salvador Bahia, Brazil. Appaji responded that if they would consider changing their name to the People of Gandhi, he would consider returning for the Salvador Bahia Carnival.

Also, in the course of the dialogue Arun explained to the professor that he is not a “peace builder” per’se, as some in Brazil had described – he emphasized that he is a “Peace Farmer”, planting his seeds around the world.

The photos with the Professor are at the end of the photo album.

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lynnea2 The BoardLynnea Bylund is managing director of Gandhi Legacy Tours, Director of Gandhi Worldwide Education Institute, founder of Catalyst House and has nearly three decades of experience in administration, marketing and business development. She was a nationally recognized spokeswoman for the emerging alternative video and information delivery industries. She has a degree in holistic health-nutrition from the legendary and controversial health educator and activist Dr. Kurt Donsbach, she is the founder of two not-for-profit small business-based wireless trade associations and has lobbied on Capitol Hill and at the FCC where she has spoken out strongly against the cable TV monopoly, illegal spectrum warehousing and ill-conceived congressional schemes to auction our nation’s precious airwaves to the highest bidder.

Ms. Bylund is a founder and former CEO of a Washington DC telecommunications consulting and management company with holdings in several operating and developmental wireless communications systems and companies. In 1995 Lynnea became the first female in the world to be awarded a Broadband PCS operating permit – she was one of only 18 winners, along with Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon in the biggest cash auction in world history, raising a whopping $7.7 billion. Lynnea also spear-headed the successful effort to launch the first cable TV network in the South Pacific islands.
> Follow Lynnea on:  LynneaBylund – Twitter – LinkedIn – FaceBook – Pinterest & YouTube

 

Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson visited Salvador Bahia and Sao Paolo Brazil

Rochester New York July 7, 2012 — Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson, Dr. Arun Gandhi, visited Brazil the last week of June 2012.  He spent his seven-day tour visiting Salvador Bahia and Sao Paulo as well as talking with leaders from the Salvador Ministry of Education, Culture and International Relations, the Center for Support of Children with Cerebral Palsy (NACPC) a project recognized by UNESCO and UNICEF,  Teodoro Sampaio (Bairro Santa Cruz), Sons of Gandhi (Filhos de Gandhy), Residents de Sao Miguel Paulista, Institute of Democracy and Sustainability, and Fundacao Tide Setubal.

salvadore bahia arun gandhiWhile in Brazil, Dr. Gandhi also enjoyed separate visits with Salvador Municipal Secretary of Education, Juan Carlos Bacelar and the leadership of Institute of Democracy and Sustainability and Fundacao Tide Setubal to discuss the current situation in Brazil and begin a dialogue on how Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophies of nonviolence and education can be implemented in the ongoing development work there.  Dr. Gandhi gave a 20 minute interview with the Redo Record de Televisiao News Network and held several press conferences.

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Three video interviews of Arun Gandhi in Brazil

What a whirlwind trip this was! Whew!

Arun Gandhi Keynote at the Teatro Castro Alves theater in Bahia, Brazil

Arun Gandhi on the Cycle of Poverty in India

Arun Gandhi Interview in Sao Paulo, Brazil June 2012

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lynnea2 The BoardLynnea Bylund is managing director of Gandhi Legacy Tours, Director of Gandhi Worldwide Education Institute, founder of Catalyst House and has nearly three decades of experience in administration, marketing and business development. She was a nationally recognized spokeswoman for the emerging alternative video and information delivery industries. She has a degree in holistic health-nutrition from the legendary and controversial health educator and activist Dr. Kurt Donsbach, she is the founder of two not-for-profit small business-based wireless trade associations and has lobbied on Capitol Hill and at the FCC where she has spoken out strongly against the cable TV monopoly, illegal spectrum warehousing and ill-conceived congressional schemes to auction our nation’s precious airwaves to the highest bidder.

Ms. Bylund is a founder and former CEO of a Washington DC telecommunications consulting and management company with holdings in several operating and developmental wireless communications systems and companies. In 1995 Lynnea became the first female in the world to be awarded a Broadband PCS operating permit – she was one of only 18 winners, along with Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon in the biggest cash auction in world history, raising a whopping $7.7 billion. Lynnea also spear-headed the successful effort to launch the first cable TV network in the South Pacific islands.
> Follow Lynnea on:  LynneaBylund – Twitter – LinkedIn – FaceBook – Pinterest & YouTube

Brazil Highlights: Salvadore Bahia Day One

Highlights from Brazil trip, arrival in Salvadore Bahia, Monday June 25th

salvadore bahia arun gandhiAppaji (Arun Gandhi) was welcomed at the Airport upon arrival with a big greeting from the ‘Filhos de Gandhy’, or  Sons of Gandhi , a non-violent activist group that began 3 decades ago as striking dockworkers and who are most famous for their Carnival street dancing and parades and striking blue and white attire.

As we got off the plane, we were greeted by our translators, they had a team, who went and gathered our luggage for us as the Sons of Gandhi approached with celebratory music and cheers for the Arrival of Appaji!  

Sons of Gandhi welcome arun Gandhi to salvadore bahiaWe were immediately ushered into a room at the airport for a press conference, and Appa began by acknowledging the Sons of Gandhi as family. What a moving moment for the whole room.

Salvador Bahia, one of the oldest cities in all of the Americas, was settled in 1534. It is known as Brazil’s capital of joy and happiness. Salvador is declared a world heritage site by UNESCO.

The architectural landscape, culture, traditions and activities make the city a great tourist destination.  The Carnival in Salvador is the most popular festival of the world (bigger than Rio’s) joining nearly three million people.

That evening we dined Alfredo’s di Roma, arguably Salvadore’s best Italian restaurant, with Emilia Queiroga, executive director of Education in the First Place Forum and Bahia’s Secretary of Education & Culture João Barcelar

Arun Gandhi Dinner at Alfredo's Salvadore Bahia

Alfredo’s has been around since the 1920s. Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks honeymooned in Bahia and dined there.  Many photos grace Alfredo’s wall of famous Brazilian and international celebrities, including Pele, JFK, Frank Sinatra, Sophia Loren, etc.   They wanted Appaji’s photo too, so they brought out a faux plate of pasta for the wall photo… So now his photo will be in this historical restaurant.

… more to come!

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lynnea2 The BoardLynnea Bylund is managing director of Gandhi Legacy Tours, Director of Gandhi Worldwide Education Institute, founder of Catalyst House and has nearly three decades of experience in administration, marketing and business development. She was a nationally recognized spokeswoman for the emerging alternative video and information delivery industries. She has a degree in holistic health-nutrition from the legendary and controversial health educator and activist Dr. Kurt Donsbach, she is the founder of two not-for-profit small business-based wireless trade associations and has lobbied on Capitol Hill and at the FCC where she has spoken out strongly against the cable TV monopoly, illegal spectrum warehousing and ill-conceived congressional schemes to auction our nation’s precious airwaves to the highest bidder.

Ms. Bylund is a founder and former CEO of a Washington DC telecommunications consulting and management company with holdings in several operating and developmental wireless communications systems and companies. In 1995 Lynnea became the first female in the world to be awarded a Broadband PCS operating permit – she was one of only 18 winners, along with Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon in the biggest cash auction in world history, raising a whopping $7.7 billion. Lynnea also spear-headed the successful effort to launch the first cable TV network in the South Pacific islands.
> Follow Lynnea on:  +LynneaBylund – Twitter – LinkedIn – FaceBook – Pinterest & YouTube

Arun Gandhi to provide Keynote for Brazilian Education Conference

Mahatma Gandhi Grandson to provide Keynote Address at Brazilian Education Conference

Arun Gandhi to speak at Salvador Bahia Annual Forum: Education in the First Place 

Arun Gandhi Peace Speaker in Brazil

Dr. Arun Gandhi

Dr. Arun Gandhi, noted peace and human rights activist and president of the Gandhi Worldwide Education Institute (‘GWEI’) has accepted an invitation introduced by Catalyst House, to provide keynote address from the Brazilian City of Salvador Bahia (Salvador da Bahia) at the City’s annual Education in the First Place Forum, it was announced today by Emilia Queiroga Barros its Executive Director.  Dr. Gandhi’s keynote opening entitled: ‘Education, a Legacy of Love will be given on June 26, 2012 at the Teatro Castro Alves complex.

Arun Gandhi, the fifth grandson of Indian leader Mohandas K. Gandhi, aka Mahatma Gandhi, is an advocate for nonviolence and has been a Washington Post columnist, has worked for 30 years as a journalist for The Times of India, and is the author of several books, including “A Patch of White” (1949) and Legacy of Love (2002). In 2011 Dr. Gandhi provided the keynote address to a gathering of 30,000 attendees at Dali Lama’s birthday event in Washington DC.

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Catalyst House Historical Overview

With the release of the Catalyst House SBIU eNewsletter, CAT turned 11 years old.  July 16,1999 was the official launch of Catalyst House, when a small eclectic (and eccentric) group of visionaries and innovators decided to engage in a new business model that emphasized philanthropic entrepreneurship, social justice, and a bit of radical chic.

The name Catalyst House was bestowed upon it by that marvelous name-smith and CAT Advisor Fred Lehrman

In nostalgia of the day, the very first newsletter issue of Catalyst eNews can be found here – 

Volume-1 Issue-1 September 1999 may be found here.

Lynnea Bylund initially started Catalyst House, Inc., summer of 1999, while she lived in Cambridge, Mass. shortly after she returned from Brazil, working on a very special project with the First Lady of Brazil and her senior staff.
Lynnea received a call from a White House laiaison as a result of my wireless trade association background, and the PCS license win, and relationship I created with her, to put together a Hi-Tech business delegation for a Presidential Trade Mission between the Asia/Pacific region.
When she got the Trade Mission she was told that she needed to be a US based company in order to be on the Trade Mission. So Catalyst House was born.
The vision broadened as the idea formed to assist small and medium sized companies towards entering into the global market place and assist them in the process of accessing capital.
11 Year Highlights of Catalyst

We initially started Catalyst House, Inc., summer of 1999, while I lived in Cambridge, Mass. shortly after I returned from Brazil, working on a very special project with officials of that country and the founder of AOL Clive Smith.

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Peter Bennett (1935-2013)

Pete Bennett with Cristavum Buraque, Governor of Brasilia

Pete Bennett with Cristovam Buarque photo by Lynnea Bylund

Entertainment & Media

Designated “the number one promotions man in the world” by Performance Magazine, and “The world’s most powerful man in the entertainment industry” by Billboard, Peter has been the Promotions Director of Apple Records Company, he was the Promotional Manager for the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Who, as well as Personal Manager and Promoter for the individual careers of John Lennon, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney. He also enhanced the careers of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Peter has devoted his life to promoting and producing celebrities, the late George Burns, Nat King Cole, Elvis Presley, and John Wayne. Also included were such stars as Elizabeth Taylor, Brooke Shields, Steve Tyler, Eric Clapton, Michael Bolton, Vince Gil, Tony Bennett, and Bob Hope, to name but a few of the scores of big name artists that Peter has worked with. 

Pete Bennett

Wikipedia for Peter Bennett

NEW DEAL ARTICLE (in Portuguese) – Amapa, Brazil September 16, 1998 Jornal Do Dia’s Informatica – Prodap e NIC Se Juntam Para Globalizar A Informatica No Amapa.  Lynnea Bylund featured during her trip to the Amazon and gave presentation to the Information Lab.

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