At the request of the UU-UNO and the Unitarian Universalist Partner Church Council, Professor Richard Ford, a member of All Souls, traveled to Negros Island in the Philippines to assist in alleviating poverty there. He successfully introduced a methodology he has used in many African countries, Asia, the Caucasus, Israel and the South Pacific. He was able to institute his plan despite a two-day typhoon in the 150-household community.

Dr. Ford, who was chair of the History Department at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts and taught there for thirty-four years of a forty-year career in teaching, founded the Center for Community Based Development, which he chairs. He gave a report of his recent sojourn on April 25 in the All Souls Chapel. His theory is that impoverished and underdeveloped countries will best solve their own problems on the community level rather than the national level. This applies to all aspects of life including agriculture, resource management, health, education, etc. Ford said it is his job to give the community the tools to organize. He also recommends creating a partnership with agencies not directly related to government such as the World Bank, the UU-UNO, and US-AID to help educate in areas such as resource management for example. The process involves data collection and analysis, determination of available resources and labor, conflict mediation, a plan of action, partnerships and implementation.