Mariela Narváez Marín from Manizales, CALDAS Colombia- 2/27/2010 at 9:09:48 AM.
My hero is: Dr. Frank David Cardelle, international psychologist, group leader and author.. We are Two Professors of Psychology at the University of Manizales located in the city of Manizales, Colombia, South America.... Dra. Mariela Narváez Marín and Dra. María del Rosario López Jaramillo. Mariela Since I met Dr. Frank Cardelle in 1988 my life began to change a lot. He gave me the support, taught me how to deal with my wounds and gave me tools for a fuller life. Adittionaly, I learned from him different ways to help people in my work and how to be a better teacher, person and human being. The other important thing that I have to thank Dr. Cardelle for is the courage to confront death. He taught me a lot about this issue. Two of my brothers, One an Economist and the other a Sociologist were victims of the violence so prevalent in our Country. My Economist brother was killed by a corrupt politician and my other brother by a common criminal. These losses were very hard for me to bare. Dr. Cardelle helped me to deal with this so that I could eventually heal from this tragic event in my life. Dr. Cardelle also helped many of my friends and some of my students with areas of diffuculty in their lives with family members and maritial partners.I organized many workshops for Dr. Cardelle introducing him to many of my friends, family and colleagues. They too are grateful for Dr. Cardelle´s skill and help with the emotional difficulties in their lives. Mostly, Dr. Cardelle has shown me how to know and respect my power as a woman and professional and model this for my students. He has also reminded me of how important it is to keep working and growing with these life experieces. Rosario I first met Dr. Cardelle in the spring of 1990. Then I was pregnant with my first child. Later Dr. Cardelle helped through the emotional pains and diffuculties of a divorce. Still, later he continued to assist me with other family matters so common in our very strong "catholic" country and culture. I attented many of his workshops and invited him to work with many of my students in Practicums and Therapy practice. Throughout the many years of knowing Dr. Cardelle we have become very close friends and finally colleagues. He always told me that he always learned a lot from me and that I had some special gifts to give in my work with people. It has taken me a long time to finally understand what he was talking about. I love and hold deep respect for Dr. Cardelle. He is a "one of a kind" of person and teacher and to this day I still continue to learn a lot from him about being a better person and professional. Mariela and Rosario Others throughout our Country in Bogota, Cali, Pereria, Meddilin, Cucuta and many other cities also benefited greatly from Dr. Cardelles work and activites with them over a 15 year period when he would return year after year while still traveling and doing the work that he has dedicated his life in service to throughout the world. Background and History For 25 years Dr. Cardelle traveled to over 68 countries doing his Psychological work in over 40 of these.( from the Eatern Artic, Russia and former Soviet Block countries,Western and Eastern Europe, South America, Asia, Africa, Australia and others.) In the beginning he even did work with United Nations staff. He wrote books, published in 11 languages and continues his work today, mostly in China where he has been devoting most of his time since 2004 offering the people in China a newer more "wholistic" approach to the practice of Psychology. Durung this time he went through several Health Crisis after being diagnosed with Cancer in 1996. He had treatment, two surgeries and was "cancer free" until a relapse two years ago. In October of 2009 he had another surgery but this only proved to offer temporary results. Currently, he is back in our country receiving more treaments, and beginning phazes of "pain mangement". While this goes on he still does his best to work with students and faculty of my University in more of a "mentor role" as he cannot perform in the more "dynamic way" that he is accustomed to and we are used to receiving when we are with him. For now, he has had to postpone and manybe even discontinue his further work in China and other countries where he has been doing work for short or longer perios of time. After learning about the "My Hero Project" from a colleagues young high school student son. We decided to select Dr. Cardelle as not only our Hero but the Hero for many Colombians. No, doubt, others in the world have felt the same. Since Dr. Cardelle is here now in our Country we arranged a meeting with him to tell him about what we were intending to do. He told us he was both "honored and touched" and would cooperate in anyway he could. He also said this would be a good way for his last book project to become more recognized. This project is about him GIVING AWAY his last book GLOBAL SOUL: A CALL TO CITIZENS OF THE EARTH. A book of six years work, a book that speaks to the issues of our day. i.e. war and peace, Globalization, Hunger, Poverty, Violence, Global Warming and more. A book that offers some guidelines for "citizen involvement", worlwide and one that has been born out of his many years of work around the world and a chance to "revive" again the spirit of true "giving and receiving", so lacking today in our overly "materailistic and consumerist culture". This book has been recognized by the world renowned, Scientist,Dr.Jane Goodall who has written the Co-foreword along with another International Voice, Chief Phil Lane Jr. A Nobel Laureate for Peace has also included an accolade along with others from 39 different countries around the world. Here in Colombia we are busy with the goal of having the book translated into Spanish and made avaialbe for Spainsh audiences. You can see more about this book on YOU TUBE....GLOBAL SOUL BOOK- GIVE AWAY..or go to Dr. Cardelle´s website: www.eaglescircle.org Our wish is to honor Dr. Cardelle for his tireless efforts and years of service to the world, our country and support his wish to see his last book get to the Global Family, as the gift that it has been intended. Wether Dr Cardelle´s time left is in months, weeks or years we want him to be given the recognition he deserves. Note: A Director of a school in Pereira, Colombia has expressed great interest in having her students create a website about the life and works of Dr. Cardelle.