Connect Magazine 2018 ENG

EDITORIAL
CONNECT MAGAZINE 2018
Focus: it happened
in Greece...Again
Oliver Haitzmann
WSA Secretary Salamah (Dick) LeClaire spoke
with Oliver Haitzmann about his life and how he
became World Congress Coordinator – quite
unexpectedly.
Q.
What type of work
do you do?
A. I started my professional career as
an assistant professor at the Institute for
Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing at the
Technical University in Vienna. I moved to
Switzerland in 1983 to join Leica Geosystems,
a company specializing in surveying and
photogrammetric solutions. Since 1994 I have
been a freelance project manager for mapping
and geographical information systems (GIS) – a
software like the one used for Google Maps. I
have worked in international land tenure projects
with the aim to register and secure private land
ownership in a state registry. A type of work
that is needed by developing nations, in South
America, Africa and all ex-Soviet countries
which had no private property holdings. It has
been good for me. I have done a lot of traveling,
living in different cultures and lifestyles. Although
my heart will always be in Vienna, I have learned
to live wherever I am at the time.
Q.
How did you come to Subud?
A. Sophia, my wife, is a second generation
Subud member but for a long time, I felt that
it was not necessary for me to be opened in
Subud. But then while on vacation in Greece
one summer in 1989, it became clear that
indeed it was important for me to be opened. So
I was opened there. My wife sent for my name
and Ibu gave me the name Oliver which I truly
love.
Q.
How did you get involved in
Subud work?
A. Two weeks after my opening I became the
treasurer for Subud Switzerland and a year later
the chairperson, then after a while, I became
a helper. When we moved to Orgiva, Spain, I
became the chairperson there. In the year 2000,
the zone 4 representatives retired and so Osanna
Vaughn and I took over the zone representative
position. She did the WSA contact work and
I did the country contacts. After the 2001
Congress, I continued in the position for four
more years and really enjoyed it.
I really enjoyed working with the council and
being a part of the international team but I never
wanted to be a ‘professional’ Subud officer and
be part of those who “KNOW”. So I decided to
go back to my group in Orgiva and I kind of lost
touch with the bigger world of Subud at that
point.
Q.
So what brought you to
become part of the WCOT
team?
A. About a year ago, during the WSC
meeting in Salobreña, Anwar, a dear friend,
talked to me and in the end after some days
convinced me to become part of the working
team for the Congress. My job at that time was
to be Program Coordinator for the next World
Congress. I had always liked doing program
coordination when I was a zone representative
and I felt yes I can do that – it goes along well
with my professional life. I met with the former
Congress Coordinator, Romina Vianden-Prudent,
and we started working together.
Q.
When and how did your
position change from
Program Coordinator to
Congress Coordinator?
A. I went to the zone 4 meeting in Greece at
the end of June last year – the country where
I was opened. There were 200 people from
all over, so it had a good international feeling.
At that time many of the members involved
in the Congress - the WSA team and youth
representatives from zones 3 and 4 - were
there all very excited about Congress. We had
many meetings that were both interesting and
harmonious. At one point, due to personal
reasons and commitments, Romina decided that
she should step down as the coordinator.
I was asked if I would consider taking on the
position. The testing with the international
helpers was very positive. It felt strong and
wide open. Then the testing went further and
incorporated having both positions; that of
Program Coordinator and Congress Coordinator.
That testing was even more powerful and was
the final way for me to make the decision. So
yes now I wear both hats!
Q.
Where do you get your
support and how do you feel?
A. Well, my wife supports me. My Subud
group in Orgiva supports me, the international
helpers support me, the WSC supports me, and
Anwar and I have latihans and calls about three
times a week.
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