Archive for the ‘Alumni Action’ Category

“Make a career of humanity – and you will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

This quote by Dr. King sums up Global Leadership Adventures’ mission. Beyond taking high school students on community service programs around the world, we simply want all students around the world to consider their role in the world and their responsibility to fellow human beings, regardless of nationality or culture.

Although 2009 was a difficult year due to the economic crisis, the events in Haiti have caused many people to reflect on how fortunate and blessed they are regardless of the tough economic times. Haiti has caused people to rally around a cause and donate even during tough times.

This reminds me of another quote, by Anne Frank: “No one has ever become poor by giving.”

This Monday, on MLK Day of Service, we urge all students to consider their role in the world and their commitment to community service – not just on MLK Day – but throughout the year. Whether service is international or domestic or in your local neighborhood, there’s no better way to honor Dr. King’s legacy than joining hands in service to others.

Answer “life’s most persistent and urgent question,” as Dr. King called it, “What are you doing for others?” Make this Martin Luther King Day of Service a day on, not a day off.

The devastation in Haiti continues to astound the world. People such as David Brooks wrote in the New York Times that the devastation came from the poverty in Haiti, not just the natural disaster. A similar earthquake hit California and nobody died.

GLA students who participated in our program in the Dominican Republic will remember all the Haitian people who escaped to the DR in search of a better life.  Many students were shocked by the poverty in the Dominican Republic and were shocked that anyone would think it would provide a better life.  But it does.  Haiti has suffered chronic poverty and is one of the poorest countries in the hemisphere.

While GLA is not equipped to send high school students to Haiti, we encourage students to get involved.  Personally, I have been a huge fan of Partners In Health – they’ve been working in Haiti for over 20 years.  You can be assured that a donation to Partners in Health will reach the earthquake victims.

P.S. We’ve been following National Geographic’s images of the tragedy in Haiti.

Continuing on the thread of being a global citizen during the year (and not just on an international summer program)…  there are a few great organizations that offer high school students a structured program to make a difference on key global issues.  In most cases, the organization supports student clubs with materials, training, trips and resources to help raise awareness and funds to support international causes.

New Global Citizens has been a partner of Global Leadership Adventures for a few years.  They are a great organization that helps students set up clubs in their school and even sends a representative to your school to help train the team.  Each club picks an international NGO that they’ll support over the course of the year.

Global Citizen Corps is a project of Mercy Corps.  They also have resources for high school clubs.  But what’s really cool is their year-long Leadership program that includes a Leadership Summit with a select group of teens to New York and sets up meetings at the UN, with NGOs and teleconferences with other global leaders.  This articles tells more.

Amnesty International is probably the best known human rights organization.  There are thousands of Amnesty groups on college and high school campuses that engage in letter writing campaigns and petitions to governments to release political prisoners or improve human rights around the world.  Register your school group online and you will receive a toolkit to get started.  Or, if you’re a 1-person movement, use their great online activist toolkit and get started today.

Previously, I’ve talked about how its hard to know what a student will reap from a GLA experience, but my hope is that they become “activated” about anything – language, culture, social issues, etc…

Here is a great example of alumni being activated by their Global Leadership Adventures experience – Building Bright Future is a web site created by our students to help fund the construction of an orphanage in Ghana where they volunteered.

If other alumni have stayed engaged in something related to their GLA program, let me know and I’ll promote it here on the blog.

Volunteering at Bright Future Orphanage