In 1966, Rajmohan Gandhi, a grandson of Mahatma Gandhi spoke at a conference in Canberra. It fired David's imagination to hear Gandhi outline his vision for Australia, blessed with so much and surely destined to to care for and and demonstrate a new quality to its Asian neighbours. Gandhi extended an invitation to 50 young Australians and New Zealanders to come to India to help with his work of building a strong, clean and united India. He asked them to bring their musical production 'to serve India - to give what you know and learn what you don't know'. They responded with alacrity.
David found it a thrilling experience to see the emergence over those years of the MRA training centre at Panchgani in the Western Ghats 200 kms south-east of Mumbai. For the past 60 years people have been coming there from all over India and from other parts of the world, questing for a quality of life relevant to the age we live in, and finding there encouragement to carry out their own practical initiatives.
Following that experience, David spent two years in Britain and Europe. He returned to India where he had the unique experience of helping to produce a stage production called Song of Asia with people from 14 nations of Asia, Australia and the Pacific. It was created out of sketches from the real life experiences of those taking part. Many of them had suffered and found an answer to bitterness and hurt and the result was a powerful message of reconciliation and healing. Its theme was that Asia should be known 'not for the blast of bombs or the cry of suffering but for the still small voice that speaks in every heart'. All in this group had the privilege to visit the war-torn countries of Laos and Vietnam, where they were officially invited by the the governments of both countries in 1974.
David spent many years back in Australia with visits to India and also many visits to Caux in Switzerland where he helped in the finance office.
Betty and David have a grown son and daughter (born in India).
David worked 17 years from 2003, as a support worker for five profoundly disabled men in a group home.
David is a self-taught artist and he composes pieces for the piano.
