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 Exciting
news! In keeping with our mission of creating “more
happy faces around the world,” CDS has formed a partnership
with Mr. Yaping Li of Shanghai, China to establish the China
Center for Dependable Strengths (CCDS). The agreement between
CDS and Yaping was signed on March 11, 2006 at a meeting at
Dr. Jerald Forster’s house in Seattle.
Prior to the signing, the CDS Executive Committee and Yaping
Li had a lengthy, in-depth discussion about DS in China and
the operation of the new CCDS. Yaping outlined some of the
steps he has in mind for implementing the new satellite organization:
- He will begin by targeting university students and social
service professionals as most likely to become DS Instructors.
Other potential clients include business professionals,
volunteer populations, unemployed older and younger workers.
- He will create a foundation of quality, and, early on,
will focus on branding to develop the DS image and minimize
copyright issues.
- He noted DS may become a part of required training for
career counselors. He has already met with the regional
Department of Education and there is interest in incorporating
DS into K-12 education.
- He has done significant volunteer work with the China
Youth Development Foundation, “Project Hope,”
which works to improve the quality of primary education
in rural areas of China. He can train rural teachers to
train rural students in DS and there is good financial support
for this enterprise.
Yaping also informed us the words “Dependable Strengths”
have many characters and meanings in the Chinese language.
The term which corresponds most closely to it in Chinese is,
“Core Strengths,” which happens to be terminology
presently being used by the Chinese President—a happy
coincidence!
Yaping arrived in Seattle on March 4, and co-facilitated
the 5-Day DS training at the University of Washington the
week prior to signing the agreement. He demonstrated his knowledge
of DS as well as his commitment to its principles and spirit.
During the week many discussions were held about use of DS
in China and the value it could bring there. CDS is fortunate
to have a person of the high caliber of Yaping Li to lead
DS in China. He has spent his life working for the benefit
of others as seen in his bio:
Mr. Yaping Li
is a senior executive with special leadership skills
and expertise in career development, success motivation skills
training, community organizing, and policy and resource development.
He is the former National General Secretary of the YMCA of
China, the China Director of Junior Achievement International
(China), and the current President and CEO of US-China Youth
Charity and the President of Confidence Business Consulting
(Shanghai) Co., Ltd. Yaping has Master’s degrees in
Management for Not-for-Profit Organizations from The University
of Kent in England, and in International Public Policies from
the SAIS of Johns Hopkins in the United States. With a wealth
of global experience, he has spent most of his lifetime serving
children and youth in China and many other places in the world.
He believes that, “Under the circumstance of rapid social
transformation, it will be impossible to foster a healthy
new generation if the young people today do not have clear
life goals and action plans. It is our responsibility, as
adults, to guide young people in the direction of self-esteem
and self-actualization.”
We welcome Yaping Li of the China Center for Dependable Strengths
as a valued colleague to the international family of Dependable
Strengths practitioners and look forward to hearing of developments
as his work moves forward!
CDS Executive Committee
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