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Friday, 22 November 2024

Defining and Futurizing Integrity (Dec 2024-Jan 2025)

 International Anti-Corruption Day
9 December 2024
Uniting with Youth Against Corruption
Shaping Tomorrow's Integrity


Defining Integrity--How much do you have?
Futurizing Integrity--How will you embody it?


This Update provides resources for integrity and anti-corruption.
It also continues the call to confront the international NCI KB fraud,
and for verifiable disclosures from the people/organizations affected by it. 

"Integrity is moral wholeness—living consistently in moral wholeness.
Corruption is moral rottenness—the distortion, perversion,
and deterioration of moral goodness."

"The only thing necessary for corruption to flourish
is to do nothing about it—or to do some non-efficacious and non-resolute 'thing'
[often rationalizing our motives and actions as being 'noble and necessary']
and then move on, often with our consciences placated and our livelihoods protected."

Loving Truth and PeaceA Case Study (2013)

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Greetings as we continue into year 14 
of the PETRA People Network and our regular Updates
 

In the latest PPNet Update (Issue 85), we continue to share new and ongoing resources to support integrity and anti-corruption in your life, organizations, and spheres of influence. See the PPNet weblog for more information and links to these resources.


In Part One,  we feature this year's International Anti-Corruption Day with its theme, "Uniting with Youth Against Corruption--Shaping Tomorrow's Integrity" (Resource 1). We also feature three resources that probe into the nature of integrity and how much integrity you have now and into the future: a) definitions of integrity and corruption based on Global Integrity Day-9 June (Resource 2), b) an insightful podcast by Tim Keller on "Integrity" as he delves into Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Resource 3), c) and three compelling readings in Fearing the Lord, one of our podcasts from Into Integrity.

In Part Two, we continue to share the Summary and Summons. This is an essential review of the NCI corruption to understand what happened and what needs to be done. 

Our core messages in this Update are to a) learn more about and connect with International Anti-Corruption Day and b) consider how we define and assess how we are  acting and living in integrity. This message is also specifically addressed to all the leaders, organizations, and people  affected by the NCI KB fraud as described and documented below.

Don’t be intimidated. Eventually everything is going to be out in the open, and everyone will know how things really are. So don’t hesitate to go public now. Don’t be bluffed into silence by the threats of bullies. There’s nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands.” Jesus Christ, Matthew 10:26-28 The Message

Warm greetings,

Kelly and Michèle
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PART ONE
New and Ongoing Resources

Corruption is criminal, immoral and the ultimate betrayal of public trust.….We must hold leaders to account….A vibrant civic space and open access to information are essential. And we must protect the rights and recognize the courage of whistle-blowers who expose wrongdoing….As an age-old plague takes on new forms, let us combat it with new heights of resolve.” UN Secretary-General António GuterresStatement on corruption in the context of COVID-19 (15 October 2020)

New Resources

The theme this year is Uniting with Youth Against Corruption--Shaping Tomorrow's Integrity. This is the 22nd annual IAD which was initiated the same year as the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC, 2003). Have a look at the website to see the resources and activities that are happening around the time of this international day and into the coming year. Consider how you can connect and participate including how to involve young people in your spheres of influence. Note also the work of the UNCAC Civil Society Coalition which serves as a support and a watchdog for the extent to which UN member sates are fulfilling their commitments to the UNCAC.

IAD 2024 Overview. "Our world confronts numerous challenges, tragedies, inequalities and injustices, many of which are tied to corruption. With 1.8 billion young people in the world, fighting corruption is vital for the future of nearly a quarter of the global population. While young people are significantly affected by corruption, they also have the potential to become powerful agents of change in the fight for a future rooted in integrity....Therefore, the campaign for International Anti-Corruption Day 2024-2025 focuses on the role young guardians of integrity play as advocates, raising awareness about corruption and its impacts on their communities. They will actively participate in discussions, share their experiences and propose innovative solutions to combat corruption. The campaign will amplify voices of integrity leaders of tomorrow, allowing them to express their concerns and aspirations, with the hope that their appeals will be heard and acted upon. " (quote from the IAD website)

Note also the new edited book, We the People: The UN Whistleblowers--Whistleblowing and Retaliation in the United Nations, edited by Caroline Hunt-Matthes.



Defining and Futurizing Integrity
How Much Do You Have?  How Will You Embody it?

Resource 2. Integrity and Corruption

"Shaping future integrity" is an emphasis of this year's IAD. Bravo! Yet what exactly are we trying to shape--what is "integrity"? And how is it actually being shaped--how do we develop and maintain "integrity"? And how do you and others know if you are acting with integrity--how do you evaluate "integrity"?  Our default is too assume and to affirm that we got it--but that is not always true. Integrity is is often "mixed"--true in some parts of our life but not all parts--and with mixed motives. All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the LORD. (Proverbs 16:2)

Defining Integrity and Corruption (adapted from Global Integrity Day-9 June)
Integrity is moral wholeness—living consistently in moral wholeness—with honesty, humility and all the virtues--and with an awareness of one’s potential to deceive and harm oneself and othersIntegrity needs external moral referents--standards of virtue with accountability--and not simply positive self-appraisals--in order to safeguard us all from both blind and willful hypocrisy. 

Global integrity is living consistently in moral wholeness at all levels--individual, interpersonal, institutional, and international; across sectors and settings; local through global; the systemic and structural.

Corruption is moral rottenness, the opposite of integrity--the distortion, perversion, and deterioration of moral goodness, resulting in the abuse and exploitation of people and the planet. It is integroty. 'If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, then how great is your darkness!" (Matthew 6:23)

Note that the above definitions of integrity and corruption open the door wide to the crucial discussion and clarification of "external moral referents" and "standards of virtue and accountability" as well as the process and accuracy of one's moral perceptions of self and others.

Note also that the theme for this year's Global Integrity Day (GID) is Fighting Human Trafficking with Solidarity, Skill, and Integrity. Fighting human trafficking is a crucial area to rally behind and involve youth! One of GID's four features is that it is "is a companion day to complement UN International Anti-Corruption Day, 9 December (and vice versa). Both Days are practical rallying points, six months apart, for fostering common ground, organizing events, sharing initiatives, affirming anti-corruption workers, and involving the public." (quote from GID website)


 Resource 3Integrity podcast--Matthew 5:33-37 by Tim Keller 

"We’re going through the Sermon on the Mount and we have Jesus Christ telling us how he wants us to live. He has dealt with the commandment on murder and adultery, and now he’s dealing with the commandment on lying. He’s going to talk to us about integrity, truth, and honesty. We have as big a problem in our culture with this. Therefore, let’s take a look and see what Jesus says about integrity. He gives us the principle behind integrity and tells us something about the practice of integrity. And finally, he hints at a problem we all have with integrity, and how to solve it.”


Image courtesy and © 2019 ENOD

Acknowledging and being aware of God's presence is key for practicing integrity consistently and courageously and to counter our own daily propensities for succumbing to the 'corruption that arises from the lusts of deceit' (Ephesians 4:22 and 2 Peter 1:4). Live in God's light always and everywhere!

Note: Tim died in May 2023. You can read reflections on his life and ministry in various places such as the 21 May 2023 article in Christianity Today. "In an increasingly divisive world, the pastor theologian’s legacy was walking the higher road—the one less traveled." Listen to more of his podcasts HERE.


Resource 4--Podcast from Into Integrity 
Fearing the Lord: Learning from the Ghosts of Corruption—Living in the Light of Integrity—Loving Truth, Peace, and People (Christmas Eve 2019).


Lessons from our podcast below
"Marley's Ghost" in Dicken's A Christmas Carol

 In this podcast we (Michele and Kelly) share three powerful readings--exhortations--that can inform our efforts to promote integrity and to live in integrity. It is long past time to see healing in the international Church Mission Community and in the specific organizations, leaders, and people affected by the international NCI fraud----including their spiritual and moral authority. This theme also serves to summarize the messages from all seven podcasts-blogposts done during FAST in December 2019. You can also read the blogpost about it HERE.



Ongoing Resources: 
Nordic Capital Investment KB et al.
We are resolute in continuing the collaborative efforts (since 2007) in calling specific people and organizations for assistance and disclosures in confronting the international Nordic Capital Investments KB et al. fraud (NCI) and the related dismissals. Three ongoing efforts are  the Professional Review, the Integrity Petition, and the NCI Summary and Summons (Part Two below). Here is a summary.

1. The Professional Review (2008) by  Rand Guebert. "This review [investigates] several overlapping matters that have affected the mission, member care, and church community...[and] aspires to promote transparency, accountability, good practice, and healthy relationships." (p. 112). [It]has been organized to draw together the various events that have led to the dismissal of Drs. Kelly and Michele O’Donnell from YWAM [and other organizations/networks] and to the potential loss of millions of dollars by investors in Nordic Capital Investments (NCI) and Stichting Dutch Investments (SDI).  Many of these events are related and overlap, and this review attempts to place them in context." (p.1)


Header image from the  Loving Truth and Peace website
Sunrise on the Bay of Bengal in in Mahabalipuram
, TN India

Courtesy and © 2012 JMLOD

The Professional Review is featured on the weblog, Loving Truth and Peace. This weblog's purpose, like that of the Professional Review, is to "review and  learn, support good practice, and restore relationships. Click HERE to access this weblog and Professional Review. For a quick overview of the latter, see the Integrated Executive Summary. "One question arises over and over in this review--where is the ethical and accountable corporate governance?" (Integrated Executive Summary, page 1).

2. The Integrity Petition Shine the Light--Together! An ongoing, international petition calling for integrity and action to confront corruption in the Church-Mission Community and in particular the international NCI et al. fraud. More information via the link above and in Part Two below.

3. The NCI Summary and Summons. See Part Two below. This entry also includes verbatim the major section in the last several entries (Healing the Body: Living in Integrity--Loving Truth and Peace). They summarize many of the efforts by the People Network (PP Net) and summon the assistance of the people and the organizations affected by the Nordic Capital Investment KB fraud (NCI).

Those “affected” refers to the specific investors-victims, organizations-ministries, staff-leaders, and any others who received/lost money in this scheme or were somehow impacted. It also refers to the thousands of people who are or were part of these organizations-ministries (including Board members and supporters) and who have a moral responsibility to call leaders and others to account: to disclose, conduct independent reviews, and where there are “net positive” gains, to return money to victims.

“Your task is to be true, not popular.
Your true being brims over into true words and deeds.”
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How you can help--Being a person of integrity!
The informed, resolute responses to NCI by those in the church-mission community (CMC) can help bring healing to many people and the reputation of the CMC. The NCI fraud, like all corruption, will not simply go away on its own, over time, by ignoring it, or by keeping silent. Remember, the only thing necessary for corruption to flourish is to do nothing about it--or to do some non-resolute "thing" and move on, feeling self-justified, with our consciences placated and our livelihoods protected. What can you do?

1. Get accurately informed. Read the materials, court documents, and exchanges with specific CMC leaders calling for disclosures and good practice. Take the time to carefully review the Summary and Summons below.

2. Join with others and hold your organizations and leaders accountable to good practice standards (see the list of organizations and leaders in the Summary and Summons below).

3. Read, sign, and share the Integrity Petition. There is an ongoing call for signatures. See below and in Part Two.

4. Beware of the deceptive tendency to rationalize wrong behaviors and to distort our true and mixed motives. Hypocrisy. The heart is more deceitful above all else, and desperately sick; who can understand it (Jeremiah 17:9). Living in integrity and staying morally engaged involve scrupulously considering how we might be hurting people and the planet--unintentionally or even intentionally--and changing our ways.
#CMCtoo -- #HealUsToo -- #MyOrganizationToo

 --Some rationalizations: "It's not my responsibility. Our leaders are good people and know what they are doing. This is all too complicated. This took place a long time ago. The courts either should have or have already dealt with this. Sometimes there's just tough choices to make for the sake of the greater good. People are stupid for getting ripped off. The victims have a persecution complex and a skewed story. The victims need to just let it go."  I'm not good at confrontation. I do enough good in the world to compensate for not doing anything now. And many more.

--Some mixed and hidden motives: "I don't want to take risks. I/we might have my reputation and revenue negatively impacted. This would inconvenience me."  And many more.

Header image from the Into Integrity website
Sunset along the California coastline--courtesy and © 2019 ENOD

--Going further: Listen to our podcasts, done to advocate for truth, repentance, and healing in the past and ongoing NCI et al. corruption and related dismissals (Into Integrity podcasts, June and December 2019). For example, "Principles for Confronting Corruption in our Midst" (2019) "begins by exploring some reasons and rationalizations for NOT dealing with corruption in our midst. Sadly, it can be all too easy to excuse the complacency and complicity and indeed the cover ups and cowardice that prop up not just corrupt acts, but a whole culture of corruption. We then share some principles for fighting corruption based primarily on Rachel Denhollander’s recent interviews with MinistryWatch and Christianity Today as well as our own experiences confronting corruption." Two additional examples of the 14 podcasts are "Awaken the Good--A Personal Exhortation to Specific Leaders" and "Principles for Confronting Corruption in our Midst." See also the Into Integrity weblog.

It is always a good time to do what is right. 

Protective factors against corruption:
Beware of the leaven of hypocrisy.
Beware of every form of greed.
Do not be anxious for your life.
Fear God and not people.
Be ready for My return.
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Perspectives on Our Global Malaise
Major problems bring out people's best selves or their worse selves--our selfless qualities and our selfish qualities. The reality of the uncertainties and anxieties of life, and indeed survival--existential risk--is heavy upon the world. Positively, the ongoing major problems certainly provide plenty of opportunities for us all--individually and collectively--to reflect on the types of people we want to be, the types of societies we need to build, and the types of changes we have to make. We hope the resources in this new weblog entry will support such reflections and positive actions for overcoming evil with good, living in integrity always and everywhere.

Kelly and Michèle

"Integrity is moral wholeness—living consistently in moral wholeness. Corruption is moral rottenness—the distortion, perversion, and deterioration of moral goodness. It abuses and exploits people and is the opposite of integrity. Global integrity is living consistently in moral wholeness at all levels: individual, interpersonal, institutional, and international; across sectors and settings; local through global; the systemic and structural." Global Integrity Day (9 June)
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PART TWO
Summary and Summons
The essential review of NCI et al
to understand what happened and what needs to be done.

Important Note December 2021
Many of the links to the documents referenced below (Summary and Summons--Essential Review) had to be redone because of changes in the google website platforms that hosted the documentsThese changes are included now in the PETRA People Weblog (December 2021) and future WeblogsThe previous Weblogs with this information (near verbatim) from August 2017-October 2021 still contain the broken links and thus you need to go to the December 2021 Weblog (Part Two) or future Weblogs in order to access the new links.

The documentation is substantial and compelling to support the long-standing, 
serious and specific calls for integrity and healing,  assistance and repentance. 


Topics in this Review
1.     A Core Message and the Integrity Petition
2.     NCI Background
3.     Summary Issues and Requests for Assistance: PETRA Statement 2012
4.     Requesting Assistance from Specific Organizational Leaders
5.     Calling YWAM to Integrity and Action


Healing the Broken Body
Living in Integrity—Loving Truth and Peace
detail, painting by Antonello da Messina, 15th century

Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,
but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

Proverbs 28:13

“NCI and related matters have brought serious confusion, disruption, and distrust into the international [Church Mission Community (CMC]). Healing in the international CMC will happen only as we walk fully in the light with both God and humans as witnesses: to establish the facts, admit any errors and wrongdoing, share perspectives, and help return/recover money for investors. Our transparency and accountability now will also help prevent similar situations within the international CMC from happening in the future.” PETRA Statement 2011

“The sad and serious events described in this professional review have their genesis in poor or inadequate corporate governance, which has led to: authoritarian and dysfunctional management practices; disregard for truth and justice; ineffective employee/staff safeguards; destructive conflicts of interest; covert financial management practices; and in the end even suspected criminality. YWAM has experienced all of these consequences, while other organizations such as the WEA-MC, EEMA, Le Rucher and various churches have been affected to varying degrees. One question arises over and over in this review--where is the ethical and accountable corporate governance?” Rand Guebert, Professional Review: Integrated Executive Summary (page 9)
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1. A Core Message and the Integrity Petition
NCI, and the lack of response to it by those in the CMC, have seriously damaged many peoples’ lives. It has also seriously compromised the reputation and witness of the CMC. It is essential to get accurately informed, call for ethical action, and conduct independent reviews for learning and healing. The resulting verifiable information could shed crucial light on what was happening with this fraud and by whom, and likely go a long way to preventing similar things though the lessons learned and bring healing.

We thus encourage everyone to act beyond reproach not just for their own or organization's sake but also for the sake of the CMC and the general public. Corruption such as the NCI KB fraud does not simply go away on its own, over time, by ignoring it, or by keeping silent. All of us in the CMC can and must act with integrity--the consistent, highest level of moral wholeness. And we can and must hold our organizations and leaders accountable to do the same. Love truth and peace. Heal the broken Body. Live in integrity.

The Integrity Petition Shine the Light--Together!


An ongoing, international petition
calling for integrity and action to confront corruption
in the church-mission community and in the international NCI et al. fraud.

You can make a difference.
Join with others around the world.
Read, sign, and share this petition.
.
 2. NCI Background
--NCI began in 1994 and functioned secretively as a ponzi scheme until it was publicly confronted in 2007. Several victims contacted governments about NCI in July that year (FBI in the USA, Serious Fraud Office in the UK, Fraud Police in The Netherlands, and Economic Crimes Bureau in Sweden). See also the initial 10 point overview about NCI at the top of the PETRA People website (this website also contains several documents from the Swedish court case, analyses, anti-corruption resources, etc.).

--An initial investigative review was done by a business consultant, Rand Guebert (2008). It is 120 pages and focuses on the serious problems in organizations affected by NCI including poor organizational governance and the discrediting and wrongful dismissals which Kelly and Michèle O’Donnell experienced in the CMC. Its findings related to NCI (based on the known evidence/documents at the time) are supported by the Swedish court documents that were released later in 2010 and 2011. This review has been shared with government investigative bodies although it has not yet been shared publicly. [note/update: it was shared on this weblog October 2018]

--The Swedish government (Economic Crimes Bureau--EBM) was the principle government that eventually took the lead to investigate (2008-2011). It prosecuted only one person, Kristian Westergard, the founder of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Sweden. The Swedish EBM determined that NCI was a long-term, gross fraud and sentenced Mr. Westergard to prison where he served a term for just over two years. Mr. Westergard was required to repay several of the victims listed in the case. But since he had very few traceable assets, very little money has been ever repaid to the 20+ plaintiffs. Other people who were affected by the fraud (net-positives) were not required to return money (by the governments or by their respective CMC organizations-ministries). Nor were there any prosecutions for other persons involved with Westergard/NCI (some perhaps innocently). Millions of dollars/Euros are still missing.

--The Shine the Light-Together petition  (2012-current, with over 200 signatures, including reaffirmations) and the PETRA People Network weblog (2011-current, with [50+] entries) were set up to help the CMC and the public understand corruption in general and the NCI case specifically. They have been emphasizing that different Christian organizations were and are “affected” by the fraud—specifically, that leaders and staff invested, benefited/lost money, ministry projects received money etc. The reluctance of these leaders and organizations to disclose and to submit to independent investigation has also been highlighted. Their information could shed crucial light on what was happening with this fraud and by whom, and likely go a long way to preventing similar things though the lessons learned and bring healing.

--In August 2014, four of the organizations included in the Shine the Light-Together petition and several of their leaders were formally presented with the petition, asking for their assistance and that they inform other leaders in their organizations. Leaders in Youth With A Mission, Mercy Ships, Youth For Christ [see update below, June 2019], and Crossroads Church (Ferney-Voltaire, France) received separate email-letters regarding the petition with the names and comments of the people who signed it.  The letters were then posted on the PETRA People weblog in September 2014 along with subsequent correspondence (Click here to see the paper trail: (August 2014--current). Note that specific names of leaders were listed again in the February 2017 weblog entry along with links to other organizational leaders and Board members who have a moral responsibility to assist and hold themselves and fellow leaders accountable.

--In December 2016 there was a renewed effort for people to read, sign, and share the petition. “This petition is a call to many organizations and people, especially in the church and mission community (CMC), to assist by transparently and verifiably disclosing how they have been affected by Nordic Capital Investment KB fraud (NCI). In addition, members of these organizations (past and present), donors, and the public are asked to help by respectfully and resolutely calling for the assistance of those affected by NCI.”

--YWAM was especially affected—staff, leaders, and ministries—including Mercy Ships while it was still part of YWAM and afterwards. According to the Swedish court documents, Erik Spruyt (a major/former YWAM leader), Mercy Ministries organizations in four countries and Le Rucher in France (originally all part of YWAM), and two personal/family foundations set up by Mr. Spruyt with bank accounts in Lichtenstein (GF, NGF) were some of the entities that received hundreds of thousands of dollars/Euros of NCI money. Mr. Spruyt maintains that he is innocent and that he was a victim. In January 2017 there was a civil court decision in France which did not find Mr. Spruyt or Mercy Ministries France (defendants) responsible for the financial damages experienced by six NCI victims (plaintiffs in the case). Although all plaintiffs totally disagreed with the court ruling, they decided to not appeal. Nonetheless the public and moral call for assistance will continue so that those affected by NCI will follow good practice standards via verifiable disclosures, independent reviews, transparency, accountability, and integrity. 

3. Summary Issues and Requests for Assistance: PETRA Statement 2012 (excerpts)
In light of the Swedish court documents, we are publicly calling for the following organizations to provide assistance by reviewing and disclosing how NCI has affected them. We are also asking them to review how they have responded to the NCI matter thus far. Authorizing independent and internal reviews is strongly encouraged. It is not helpful to simply try to “move on” and leaders and members are urged now to hold their organizations accountable. There is much to learn and many ways to help. We urge organizations affected by NCI to emulate the organizations in the “United Response” to the New Era Scandal: be transparent, accountable and cooperate to return money.

Individuals and organisations committed to integrity
 should welcome the opportunity to help
 
via open investigations and verifiable disclosures.

1. Mercy Ministry Associations (MM). MM International, with related associations in France, Holland, and Switzerland (set up in 1994, 1995) are related directly to Le Rucher in France. They received  hundreds of thousands of NCI-related euros/dollars over nearly 10 years. Where is this money? How will past and current board members and staff help? Docs: Money Flows Confirmed by EBM * Examples of NCI Money Flows * Suggestions (see point six in this link) 

2. New Generation Foundation (NGF, GF). A foundation/account was set up in 1997 at a Liechtenstein bank by a major YWAM and Le Rucher leader. Over time it received hundreds of thousands of NCI euros/dollars. Where is this money? Doc: Examples of NCI Money Flows

3. Youth With A Mission International (YWAM). NCI is an affinity-based fraud and YWAM is the main organization affected. It is seriously affected. In July 1995 Mr. Westergard presented NCI at YWAM Le Rucher during an international YWAM conference. Major YWAM leaders invested since at least 1996 and YWAM projects received NCI-related money. Senior leaders have consistently stated that senior/international leaders were not aware of NCI and that one of the major YWAM leaders actively involved in NCI (administering contracts, receiving NCI funds, etc) and YWAM Le Rucher in France were not properly part of YWAM. Hence, it is argued, YWAM has no responsibility. These assertions are hard to understand in view of the court and other documents. YWAM leaders (e.g., IFMLT, GLF, MMI), YWAM members, and YWAM donors internationally are urged to get informed and together call for an internal and an independent review of how YWAM has been affected and how it has responded, and to persevere until such reviews are done. Will they do this? DocsRequest to YWAM Leaders for Assistance 5 June 2011, with links to investors, projects, previous requests; see also this partial list of YWAM-related investors, based on EBM documents.

4. Mercy Ships International (based in Texas USA and including Mercy Ships in the UK, Switzerland, and France). An Austrian court document from 2001 and other Swedish documents indicate that Mercy Ships (part of YWAM until 2003) was to benefit from NCI funds related to a three million US dollar transaction that was frozen by the Austrian government in November 2001. How does this transaction and other NCI-related money flows relate to this respected organization and especially the refitting of the African Mercy hospital ship, including a $10 million USD matching grant (matched between 2002-2004)? Docs: See the “NCI Documents” section on the PETRA People web site, and then open up the “Austria case” folder in the attachments.

5. Youth For Christ (YFC) in Coppet, Switzerland. The name “YFC” and its physical address in Switzerland were used for a substantial amount of NCI-related correspondence (by a person actively involved in NCI but not part of YFC). Why? YFC is a respected organization yet it has not fully investigated and verifiably disclosed what their relationship was with NCI and any possible benefits. Will they do this? Docs: Two Swiss addresses used for correspondence (Note that there was overlap between Board members of YFC Coppet Switzerland, Board members of Mercy Ministries related to Le Rucher, and the Elders Board of Crossroads Church in Ferney-Voltaire, France by Geneva).

[YFC update June 2019: There have been exchanges with one leader in YFC over the past few months about the concerns above and the concerns shared in the paper trail August 2014-current. Although not willing to request an independent review, this leader nonetheless pulled together previous YFC responses and his current responses to the concerns. We see it as a helpful step in the right direction. We also believe it would be helpful for YFC to summarize and publicly share these  responses in one document. Other organizations would do well to follow the example of YFC.]

6. Churches in Holland and France. One example of a church that can really help is Crossroads church in Ferney-Voltaire, France. Members of and people attending Crossroads church were aware of NCI and many of them have invested over the years. The former pastor for example helped by sharing how he was approached to invest in 1995. Will this church do a review, inform their past and current members/attendees about NCI, and seek information from them to help? Several church leaders in the Geneva/Lausanne area were updated in 2010, 2011. Docs: Letters to church leaders 

7. Individuals, families, ministries, projects, charities, foundations, and other organizations. Those that have been involved with and/or benefited from NCI—that have or may have received NCI-related funds—have key roles to play in sharing information and helping to locate missing money. Some of these entities have had three or more contracts with NCI (e.g., contracts related to other investors’ contracts, contracts for ministries and receiving NCI-money related to the people they have brought into NCI.) The Swedish court documents included an extensive albeit partial list of investors. Many are part of/associated with YWAM. Many are American, British, Dutch, and Swedish investors. Will these people and entities help? Docs: NCI Investors (primary list from Swedish EBM

4. Requesting Assistance from Specific Organizational Leaders
The letters requesting assistance were sent to specific leaders in August 2014 with the additional request that they inform other leaders in their organizations. The letters were then posted on the PETRA People weblog 28 September 2014. Below are the names of the leaders contacted and links for additional leaders/Board Members, etc. (Click here to see the paper trail: (August 2014--current). Below are the names of the leaders contacted and links for additional leaders/Board Members, etc. 

--Youth With A Mission:  Loren Cunningham, Darlene Cunningham, Lynn Green, Jim Stier, Tom Hallas, Iain Muir, and YWAM leaders/staff around the world. “We would be grateful if you (YWAM leaders/staff around the world) would carefully review the petition and Statement with links to core documents.” Click here to view the list of international offices from the organization’s website, many which link to specific leaders.

--Mercy Ships:
 Donovan and Mae Palmer. “We would be grateful if you could please review the petition and its links to core documents and share it with members of the international Mercy Ships Executive Committee and others Board members (e.g., Don Stephens as President, Myron Ullman as Chair, Rosa Whitaker, Francoise Andre, Ian McColl, and Peter Schulze as Vice-Chairs, etc.). Click here to view the list of International Board Members and the Executive Committee from the organization’s website. 

--Youth For Christ: Geordon Rendle and John Duncan (and with Larry Williams in 2015).  “We also believe it would be very important to share the petition with other board members/officers at Youth for Christ and the previous staff at YFC in Coppet, Switzerland.” Click here to view the list of International Board Members from the organization’s website. [See update above, June 2019]

--Crossroads Church (Ferney-Voltaire, France):  Larry Lloyd and Ian Rutter. "We would be grateful if you could please review the petition and its links to core documents and then share the petition with other current/former elders and officers at Crossroads and current/former members and attendees at Crossroads.” Click here to view the list of elders, officers, and pastors from the organization’s website.

Update August 2017: We are not aware of any further action undertaken by organizations to investigate and disclose how they may have been affected by NCI KB in line with the specific concerns in the petition. A few individuals over the past months have sent personal emails, but nothing official and nothing related to taking any action. Click here to see the paper trail: (August 2014--current). We thus continue the resolute, public call a) for assistance from all those affected in various ways by the NCI fraud; and b) for verifiable disclosures/independent reviews (transparency and accountability) by four of the organizations listed in the petition. It would also be in keeping with good practice for transparency, accountability, and organizational health that these organizations thoroughly review how they have and/or have not actually dealt with the requests for assistance over the years.

5. Calling Youth With A Mission to Integrity and Action
(PP Net Update Aug-Sept 2012, excerpts-introduction)
In view of the Shine the Light-Together petition and the PETRA People Statement 2012, this Update reaffirms the call for YWAM members, leaders and all those associated with YWAM to set up professional Internal and independent reviews regarding how it has been affected by NCI. It is not just the millions of dollars/euros in stolen money that has devastated victims and brought reproach on the Christian community but also the lack of response to it including the unwillingness to disclose and help. Will YWAM members, leaders, and those associated with YWAM now take action and demonstrate the values that YWAM publicly states guide its work: “openness, honesty, integrity, transparency, and accountability” (The Good Name Pledge)? Who will hold the leaders and organisation accountable?

This Update also builds upon the many letters asking YWAM leaders for assistance and investigation regarding NCI, including the letter sent to over 100 international YWAM leaders on 5 June 2011. The materials below provide an enormous amount of well-researched information and government documentation that simply cannot be ignored or dismissed. Many of these materials are now on the PETRA People website. The materials are organised into five sections and also includes comments by YWAM senior leaders and others about NCI/YWAM.

[Note: See the PP Net Update Aug-Sept 2012 entry for the extensive treatment and document links for these five topics].

1. Additional public requests to YWAM for transparency/accountability
2. NCI investors and YWAM
3. Connections between Le Rucher/Mercy Ministries and YWAM
4. NCI money flows and YWAM
5. Organisational integrity and responsibility 
(a link to excerpts and quotes for good practice, to support YWAM leaders) What can all those associated with YWAM do? Here are four suggestions to keep in mind as you review and respond to these materials:

--Get accurately informed. Prioritise time to review the information in this Update carefully and also on the PETRA People website, especially the NCI Summary Information and Suggestions: Going Forward.

--Consider your moral and Biblical response. Pray and discuss with others, especially with independent and informed people. Courage is needed to really consider/act on one’s ethical responsibility and to not simply go along with some persons' explanations.

--Call for and set up an independent review with others. Look closely at the PETRA Statement 2012: An International Call for Integrity and Action.

--Share this Update with colleagues and ask for prayers and support. Remember you are not alone—many other organisations have also had to deal with various types of corruption, mistakes, and serious leadership matters.


PETRA People Network was set up in 2010. We are committed to promoting peace, transparency, and accountability in all sectors of society and especially in the international Christian community. Our general focus is on preventing and confronting corruption and on promoting personal and organizational integrity. Our specific focus is on the Nordic Capital Investments KB fraud (NCI).

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