Alex Braden of ENCOMPASS, The Daniel Braden Reconciliation Trust

Alex was the Chairman and CEO of Yachting Partners International, a yacht builder, broker, charter, crew supply and management company based originally in Brighton, UK with offices in Antibes, France and Monaco for over 37 years. In 2002, Alex lost his son, Daniel, in the terrorist attack on a nightclub in Bali, Indonesia. Daniel was a Chinese speaker and working in Taiwan. He was in Bali for an amateur Rugby tournament and five of his team from Taiwan were killed while celebrating after a successful day’s play. Alex and his family decided that the only way to help prevent tragedies like this one from happening again was to create a way to bring youths of different cultures and very much opposed faiths and politics, together to open their minds to understanding and to give value to the ‘other’ and basically give a human face to the ‘other’. A battle against stereotypes.

So in 2003, Encompass – The Daniel Braden Reconciliation Trust was set up. Their first flagship projects were called “Voyages of Understanding” and took place on tall ships. In 2005, the interest in this project by various organizations became too large for the few able to participate so they moved from land to sea by setting up the “Journey of Understanding”. Since its inception, Encompass has now brought together over 1000 young people from different cultures and has developed its expertise in allowing israelis, Palestinians, Indonesians, Americans and and very ethnically eclectic British participants to meet together and to discuss their differences and similar needs. Alex has had enormous influence in the international yachting industry, particularly as an early member and President of the Mediterranean Yacht Brokers Association whose mission, among others, is to establish and maintain a high standard of professional ethics, professional rules and skills in charter, sales, and yacht management industries.

How has your nominee’s efforts made a difference for the better?

Since its inception, Encompass has brought together over 1000 young people from different cultures confronting stereotypes and changing perspectives.

How will being recognized as a YachtWorld Hero further your nominee’s cause?

YachtWorld.com’s international exposure to their YachtWorld Hero program will bring attention to “Encompass – The Daniel Braden Reconciliation Trust”, whose mission is to bring together young people from different cultures and backgrounds, supporting them to become more understanding and tolerant of each other while giving them the skills and confidence to promote intercultural understanding in their communities. Each one of their alumni is now an ambassador for this understanding – thus affecting a much greater number of people, young and old, beyond the immediate Journeys.

Please share any website or online articles about your nominee’s activities.

http://www.encompasstrust.org
http://www.encompasstrust.org/index.php?q=origins
http://www.encompasstrust.org/index.php?q=history-sea-land

Alex Braden was nominated by Ann Vernon, Executive Director of the Florida Yacht Brokers Association, and former Executive Director of the Mediterranean Yacht Brokers Association.

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ST. TROPEZ, FRANCE, February 20, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ YACHTWORLD EXCLUSISVE – FOR HIS SERVICES TO CHARITY ALEXANDER K. BRADEN, CO-FOUNDER, FORMER CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF WORLD LEADING YACHT MANAGEMENT AND BROKERAGE HOUSE, YACHTING PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL (YPI), IS NAMED ‘YACHTWORLD HERO’ BY THE YACHTWORLD FOUNDATION — Awarded in recognition of Alex’s outstanding work through his charity, ENCOMPASS, in helping bring together young people from varied and conflicting cultures and faiths through demanding physical programmes and facilitated, sometimes confrontational, discussions. ENCOMPASS was founded in 2003 following the death of Alex’s son, Daniel, in the Bali Bombing in 2002 which killed 202 people.Read more …..