FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: June 29, 2011
Contact: Myra Dumapias, Executive Director, TCKid at Manager@tckid.com, ExecDirector@tckid.com,
or Erin Sinogba, Executive Assistant, TCKid at Erinsinogba@tckid.com

TCKid Broadcasts Live Panel Discussion of First TCK Film Screenings

(International) – TCKid, a non-profit organization that serves as an active global community of third culture kid (TCK) adults and youth across geographical boundaries, will broadcast live on its community forum website the panel discussions for the First TCK Film Screenings. Coordinated by Alaine Handa’s Dance Company, the First TCK Film Screenings and Panel Discussion will be held at No One Writes to the Colonel, 460 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on Saturday, July 9, 2011 4:00-7:00pm Eastern Time. TCKid welcomes those who are not able to attend to view selected film segments of the three TCK films that will be shown as well as view and participate in the panel discussion with each film maker following each segment.

There are several TCK films that have been created in the last decade. The film screenings will share three films, including:

Alaine Handa’s “I am a TCK”, 30 min.
Rahul Gandotra’s “The Road Home”, 21 min.
Aga Magdolen’s “Les Passagers”, 8 min. trailer

TCKid invites its members to participate in the event and discussions by logging onto the http://my.tckid.com community forum website on Saturday July 9, 4:00pm Eastern Time. The live broadcast can also be accessed by clicking: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/tckid
Non-members are encouraged to register to become a TCKid member for free at http://my.tckid.com to participate in discussions about the films after the July 9th panel discussion and continue to interact with other TCK’s in various forum groups. The panel discussion after each segment will accept comments and questions from the live broadcast audience through a chat feature that will coincide the live broadcast.

Following the film screenings and panel discussion, TCKid welcomes continued dialogue about the films and topics covered during the panel discussion at its community forum on http://my.tckid.com, as well its facebook group, “TCKid: Third Culture Kids”

A.H. Dance Company is a multicultural modern dance company based in New York City and performs work that reflects the diversity of the cast and various collaborators. Founded in December 2007, A.H. Dance Company has performed in various theaters, studios, community centers, conferences, and festivals in the United States. A.H. Dance Company’s mission is to present and support independent contemporary artists and companies in New York and worldwide. Through collaborations with local dancers and artists of other mediums, A.H. Dance Company strives to share modern dance with communities that lack exposure to it. Through the work of Ms. Handa and the company members, A.H. Dance Company aims to present work that is engaging to a vast range of audiences. For more information visit www.ahdancecompany.com

TCKid’s mission is to increase and support the individual and general awareness of the TCK experience and unique gifts by facilitating connection and community engagement. In existence now for over four years, TCKid has grown to include local chapters around the world in addition to its central virtual community. We have been featured on the BBC, ABC News, The Telegraph, the U.S Department of Defense and Education Week.

TCKid encompasses its home page at http://tckid.com, its community forum http://my.tckid.com (for members registered on the home page), TCKid Counseling referral database, followers on Twitter (@tckid), and over 50 local chapters around the world. TCKid also has a joint venture with http://TCKAcademy.com to offer more resources that increase the understanding about the TCK experience. For more information, please contact Myra Dumapias at manager@tckid.com or see http://tckid.com.

Statement by TCKid on the Earthquake in Japan (March 2011)

On behalf of TCKid, I would like to express our support to those who are affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan on March 11, 2011 and other repercussions that are still unfolding. As a global nomad community, this disaster in Japan hits home to many of us, whether Japan was at one point or currently is home to us or our loved ones. Any displacement of a community somewhere in the world is as an upheaval to members of our TCKid family.

TCKid urges all its members to help credible local and global organizations bring necessary assistance to those who have been directly impacted by the March 11 Japan earthquake. TCKid will, as much as its current capacities and resources allow, assist with humanitarian relief efforts for Japan in some way.

Loss and grief know no nationality, it is with this Third Culture understanding that TCKid extends its warmest hopes, wishes and prayers for recovery to people in Japan and those who consider it part of your global home, where ever you may be.

Myra Dumapias
Executive Director
TCKid
March 12, 2011

[More information will be posted later.]

Can we say “Compassion” in 100 languages?

Watch below:

Everyday, Third Culture Kids are doing their part in globalizing compassion. Recently, we worked together to raise $1,285 for relief efforts in Haiti.

Doing our part doesn’t stop there. We can continue to do more to help others.

As part of our partnership with TED.com’s Charter for Compassion, we put together a video of fellow TCKids talking about compassion in different languages.

What about you? Can you talk about compassion in your own words?

Our goal is to talk about compassion in 100 languages and share our message to as many people as possible. With the help of our diverse TCKid community, we can surely reach our goal and get closer to globalizing compassion.

Do you have your own way of saying “Compassion”? Leave us a comment below.

Happy anniversary! 2009 is the 40th anniversary of the term ‘Third Culture Kid”.

You can learn about the origin of “Third Culture Kids” from the sociologist who coined the term, Dr. Ruth Hill Useem:
http://www.tckworld.com/useem/home.html (Credit: Ann Baker Cottrell)

“The Useems returned to India a second time in 1958, …. to study overseas Americans in India; they took their boys with them to live abroad on both visits. It was these experiences which led to John and Ruth Useem’s coining of the term “Third Culture” and, by extrapolation, “Third Culture Kids.” Dr. Ruth Hill Useem began publishing on Third Culture Kids in the 1960s. She is widely regarded as the founder of TCK research.”

It’s hard to believe it has been 40 years. It has been estimated that there are 4 million TCKs worldwide (1998, Eakin) but that number will continue to increase as the world becomes more globalized. Today, we have over 23,000 third culture kids and cross cultural people online with over 50 local groups worldwide.

It has been a great privilege to serve this community and to be part of it.

Happy anniversary to you!

Joyeux anniversaire,
Brice Royer

P.S: Would you like to celebrate the anniversary? Please repost this link on your Facebook or blog.

I would like to give a special thanks to Dave Pollock, Ruth Van Reken, Norma McCaig, Josh Sandoz, Margie Ulsh, Robin Pascoe, Donna Musil, Ann Baker Cottrell, Rebecca Anderson Powell, FIGT & Interaction International and everyone for their service to this community. Thank you!

Would you like to thank someone not on the list? Please leave a comment!

After 4 wonderful years of starting and heading up TCKid.com, Brice Royer turns it over to an advisory board to head up and introduces a new Executive Director for its future direction as a non-profit organization.

Click “Play” To Watch the video below to learn more.

Before leaving, here are the gifts Brice mentioned in the video:

We have exclusive news about an upcoming TCK Film for TV (yes, the rumors are true!), useful videos & resources from Ruth Van Reken, and other surprises to help you and your family.

Just click on the link below to get them:
Click Here to Get Your Free Gifts (And Exclusives News on the First TCK Film!)

P.S: Want to get in touch with Brice or the advisory board? Leave us a comment on the blog post below and we’ll respond to you. You can leave Brice your farewell comment below. Thanks!

Download the Press Release

(Trailer from Charter of Compassion. Share your ideas and win prizes! (Competition is over.) Winners of the best idea has been announced! Scroll below to see the finalists.)

What does it mean for you and Third Culture Kids?

• Unique opportunity to have your creative ideas featured and reach massive media coverage.
• Making a difference by showing stories of compassion and forgiveness from around the globe.
• Prize: Ruth Van Reken will offer 3 autographed copies of the Third Culture Kid book to the winner(s) and finalists!

Compassion doesn’t mean feeling sorry for people. It doesn’t mean pity. It means putting yourself in the position of the other, learning about the other. Learning what’s motivating the other, learning about their grievances. – Karen Armstrong.

What to do next?

• VOTE FOR THESE SUGGESTIONS: (Share your ideas).

[poll id="3"]

Thank you,

Judging Committee:

Dr. Paulette Bethel, Ruth Van Reken, Kimberly Van Cleave Michaels of FIGT and Erin Sinogba.

WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

Dear Contestants – thank you for participating, for sharing your ideas with the community.

We are happy to announce to you that we have the 3 winners of the books donated by Ruth E. Van Reken’s, NEW REVISED EDITION: Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds, Revised Edition by David C. Pollack and Ruth E. Van Reken.

The judging committee has been busy the past month reading and selecting finalists, from among 84 excellent ideas we had to choose from to select the 4 books winners. Their submissions will be become part of the finalists ideas that were originally provided and voted upon.

THE WINNERS OF THE BOOKS AND FINALISTS ENTRIES OF THE TCKID CHARTER OF COMPASSION COMPETITION 2009 ARE:

1. Compassion in 100 Languages. A Video presentation of Global Nomads speak the Golden Rule: “Do to others what you would have them do to you.”

Winner: Takako

2. A Day in Your Shoes: Ask someone in your life, or a stranger if appropriate (or go to an agency or organization or nursing home or somewhere) if you can spend some time with them as they live with something difficult.

Winner: Kathryn Cole

3. A “Day of Awesomeness”. We spend most of our time looking at other people’s faults, criticizing them either because we disagree with them or because it helps them improve themselves or what they do, and that can be painful. Take a day to look at everyone you know and strangers you encounter, think about what makes them awesome and affirm them.

Winner: John Chuidian

4. “Idea of the day for Globalizing Compassion”. Select from all the contributions you get for this initiative the 365/366 most creative and diverse ideas, prepare with those a daily “E-idea of the day for Globalizing Compassion”

Winner: joining hands

We will release the overall competition winning idea in the very near future. Again, thank you everyone for your energy, creativity and sharing of ideas with the TCKID community and the TCKID Charter of Compassion Competition!