Through the summit and yearlong curriculum, we strive to give our delegates and staff two things, to quote Co-Director Sarah Freeman:

1. The skill sets necessary to implement their projects
2. The mindset to do it responsibly.

It may be technically feasible to design a new well for a rural village, for example, but may not be what the community needs. Imagine that several villages in the area currently share a well in the middle of their land. Creating a new water source closer to one village could unfairly shift the resource balance, causing conflict between the villages or tribes. While we may view this as making water more accessible, it could ultimately cause more harm than good. I dealt with this example during an internship the summer after my freshman year with MADRE, an international human rights non-profit. Because of the negative consequences of building a well, our partner in Kenya instead decided to provide load-carrying bicycles to female villagers, to minimize the time spent fetching water and avoid upsetting the balance between villages. GES, like Urban Prep, strives to build the character in our staff and delegates to ask similar tough questions – the ones that, perhaps, will destroy the very projects they’ve worked so hard to create.

I’ve had these conversation about “how to do good well” countless times during the months since I joined GES. I’ve worked on human rights projects both from the non-profit and government levels, and have yet to find a model without significant flaws. As we plan to move forward in this field, that reality can be quite daunting.

Tim King spoke to this struggle in his speech, once more channeling Dr. King’s words: We may not make the big changes, the ones that redefine our world, but we can implement the small changes that build up over time. Just as Dr. King passed on the benefits of his work to many he would never meet, we can pave the way for change-makers to come. We can, as Tim King said, change the minds that change the minds.

To me, the implications of this are terrifying. This means that social change is not a club you sign up for, or a cause you donate to, but a way of living each day. It is inherent in how you treat and give to every person you meet – and many you will never know. It is a lifestyle, a mantra, an impossible task.

What GES has taught me is that we try anyway. We embrace failure, and move forward. Right now, for example, I am working with a GES staffer Naomi Rosen and a team of GESers and non-staff students to create a short theatre piece for the summit. We’re basing our work on interviews with staff members, delegates, alumni, and Northwestern students who don’t know our GES acronym even exists. We’ve never attempted anything like this project and have yet to write/create a word, but it’s going to be performed in less than three months. I couldn’t be more excited to give the delegates another way to think about their work – and can’t wait to jump off this cliff, with the full knowledge that we may not reach the other side.

MLK day, as Professor Betsy Quinn told me last year, is a day on, not a day off. My goal for this quarter is to carry that mantra through every day, and make social change a livable, challenging lifestyle. I’d love for you to join me – or at least the conversation – in this effort.

-Alli Finn

After spending time studying abroad in Bolivia and making a documentary film, I decided at the end of last year that I would like to get more involved with a group on campus that could help me utilize what I learned during the most educational and best time of my college experience. I spent 15 weeks in an incredible foreign country, learning about a different culture, a new way of life. I was forced to push myself to my limits, to begin to see the world in a new way. You can’t come back from an experience like that, forget all about it, and go on with your life as it was before. You become more aware of the world, of the different cultures, and of the problems that plague humanity. Wow. As you can imagine, I was searching for a new outlet. GES seemed like the answer. So when I was approached over the summer about interviewing to be a part of GES, it was really a no-brainer.

That’s how I got here. A film major in her final year at Northwestern getting involved in something completely different and yet feeling that she has finally found a student group to be passionate about.

At this point you are probably wondering, “What exactly is GES?” Well. On the GES website (www.theges.org) it says:

The Global Engagement Summit (GES) is an empowerment platform for students to make the change they wish to see in the world. The mission of GES is to build the capacity of the next generation of global change leaders. By providing tangible skills training and connecting driven students with innovative thought leaders, GES strives to empower students to make the change they wish to see in the world, and produce responsible solutions to shared global problems.

Alright. That’s a description. But I have found it to be so much more than that. GES is a place where students who care come together to help other students who care do something about the problems they see in the world. It is not a bunch of people who sit back and watch the world go by; it is a group of students who want to make change and go out and do it. It is a network that spans the globe. The accomplishment of some of the GES alumni are incredible and the success that some of their projects have garnered is unparalleled. See? Pretty amazing.

I would like to welcome everyone to the new year of GES. It’s new for me as well. I’m still learning but so far the experience has been incredible. My co-chairs, Alli, Rose, and I, are striving to make this year as great as possible. We are all so excited to be a part of GES and look forward to the coming year.

-Rebecca

The conference is themed Human Rights in Transit: Issues of Forced Migration and also includes a closing keynote speech, “Cessation: Uganda Style” by Dr. Barbara Harrell-Bond of Oxford University.

According to the Cultural Orientation Resource Center the United States had a refugee admissions ceiling of 80,000 in 2010 and as of 9/30/10 the largest refugee group (18,016) came from Iraq.  While illegal immigration issues abound in the media, the question of asylum seekers and refugees also lies under debate.

For more information on NUCHR visit http://www.nuchr.net/ – hope to see you at the conference!

GES is proud to announce a Fast Track Partnership with Echoing Green. As a Fast Track Partner, GES now has the opportunity to name 1-2 promising social entrepreneurs from the GES community to proceed directly to the second round of the Echoing Green Fellowship application.

Since 1987, Echoing Green has provided seed funding and support to nearly 500 social entrepreneurs – including the founders of Teach For America, City Year, College Summit, SKS Microfinance, and Genocide Intervention Network. In Spring 2011 Echoing Green will award between 12 and 20 fellowships to early-stage social entrepreneurs. Fellows receive up to $90,000 in seed funding over two years, operational and technical support, and access to a powerful global community of fellows and alumni. The online application is open, and all GES delegates can apply here!

Social entrepreneurs like Jason Aramburu and Josh Nesbit are powerful examples of Echoing Green Fellows that are also part of the GES community.

All past GES delegates are heavily encouraged to apply for the Echoing Green fellowship by November 12th. Please send an email to directors@theges.org if you apply or have applied. On November 15th, the GES Directors will notify the two delegates who are selected as our two official nominees for Echoing Green who will then proceed directly to the second round of interviews.

APPLY NOW!

Turn your dream for social change into a reality.

Anything is Possible from The Canary Collective on Vimeo.

There are no words to describe how thrilled we are: Brian Bordainick will be the opening keynote to GES. He will speak at the opening banquet, in front of GES staff, delegates and everyone who has collaborated with the realization of the Summit, including Northwestern’s President Morton Schapiro.

Why Brian?

The opening keynote should give delegates a taste of what GES is about, what they should expect from the Summit and above all, it should give them a clear sense of WHY they are here. They are here to form a learning community of individuals that care to see beyond the end of their nose, and dare to act upon what they see.

Brian is one of us. When he graduated, he went with Teach for America to New Orleans. He found a community devastated by hurricane Katrina. Right now, kids at George Washington Carver High School receive classes in prefabricated trailers and of course there is no proper sports infrastructure.

New Orleans’ 9^th Ward suffers from many illnesses related to lack of infrastructure and places for the community to gather and enjoy. The aspect of a place can affect a community in very bad ways.  Brian saw that obvious connection between low graduation rates, high crime and drug use with the fact that students were not motivated by their surroundings.

Due to these harsh realities and after being promoted to Athletic Director after only 3 months in Teach for America, Brian founded the 9^th Ward Field of Dreams, a non profit organization that has already raised more than a million dollars for a project that will bring a football field, track, lighting system, and stadium seating to New Orleans. This will not only benefit Carver High School, but also the rest of New Orleans.

This project builds community by creating a space for young people to practice sports and for the whole community to enjoy themselves, get to know each other and this way realize all the potential they have to further improve their surroundings. When they accomplish their goal, the 9^th Ward will be completely conscious of the inherent ability all communities have to come together and fight for the same cause.

The lesson:

After hearing Brian’s story, delegates will realize that it is never too early to take upon projects that seem “too big” for young people like us. At GES, delegates will make life long connections and learn skills that will enable them to take over projects that improve communities in the same way – and through a million different methods-that Brian is doing with New Orlean’s 9^th Ward. He inspired us, we hope he inspires you too!!

There’s still time to apply!

International Delegates Application Deadline: DECEMBER 15, 2009

American Delegates Application Deadline: DECEMBER 30, 2009

The GES Outcomes Team recently brainstormed over 80 different organizations that we’re interested in working with this year and did extensive research on all of them to determine which ones would be a perfect fit for GES. It was exciting and inspiring to see the awesome work that other organizations are doing in the field of international development. I can’t wait to start working with some of them!

At the end of the meeting we decided it would be great for the GES Outcomes team to have a slogan this year. Some of the ideas we came up with included, “the next ascent,” “more than a summit,” “taking you to the next level,” “the descent,” and “to the summit and beyond!”

We also want to create a name for all the cool organizations we partner up with for the Global Engagement Summit. In the past these have included orgs like Global Giving, Fast Forward Fund, Mission Measurement, All Day Buffet, and Pivot Non-Profit Consulting. In the future we will add stellar organizations including the Unreasonable Institute, Sparkseed, and Starting Bloc. But we don’t have a good way to describe our partnerships with these organizations. We were inspired by the fact that the Unreasonable Institute names their partners “pipeline partners,” so we want to work off of that. Unfortunately… all we could come up with was “aqueduct partners” and “opportunity catipultors.” Not so great.

We’re not quite sure what works best for us, so we’re opening it up to you for suggestions! Leave your suggestions for us in the comments area, and one lucky reader will get to choose the 2009-2010 Outcomes team slogan and partnership name. As a reward for your creativity and for helping us out we will arrange for you to have an all-expenses paid dinner at the globally engaged restaurant of your choice. So start suggesting away!

The first observance of this holiday was in 1988. It is dedicates to raising awareness of HIV and AIDS and it is recognized by holding memorials to honor people who have died from this infection. It is also common for government and health officials to give speeches or forums. To recognize today, Former-president and creator of William J. Clinton Foundation, Bill Clinton spoke in a panel discussion hosted by the foundation and the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment, at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. A webcast of the discussion can be at: http://www.clintonfoundation.org/worldaidsday

In other news, The International AIDS Society announced Sunday, that Washington, DC is the site of the International AIDS conference in 2012. It will have been 22 years since the conference was last held in the United States. permittance of this conference is the result of President Obama’s announcement in October. He announced the United States will end its entry restrictions on people with HIV. This change in legislation will begin in January 2010. The International AIDS Society (IAS) is the premier independent association of HIV professionals and works diligently to find a cure, treatments, as well as, changes in policy regarding the epidemic. This convention is held each year in a different location with next years in Vienna, Austria, with the purpose of gathering all of the leading minds in the HIV field, including policy makers, people living with HIV and other concerned individuals.

Please join us on Friday, November 20, 8pm at the Portage Theatre for the Chicago Premiere of ’Rebuilding Hope‘ a documentary about the Sudanese ‘Lost Boys’ and their quest to find surviving family-members and rediscover and contribute to their homeland; it also sheds light on what the future holds for South Sudan in its precarious struggle for peace, development and stability.

GES’s Sarah Freeman, a sophomore at Northwestern University and Co-Chair of the Media and Marketing team for the Summit, worked as a student producer on the film.  Freeman spoke to GES about the film.  Excepts:

How did you get involved with the film?

My involvement with the film initially stemmed from my genocide activist work, as a way to experiment with new media as a tool for education and advocacy for students. I attended a screening of Jen Marlowe’s prior film, Darfur Diaries, and after hearing her speak about her work abroad and her goals as a filmmaker I wanted to see how I could get more involved in the process of raising awareness through film.

What was your role on the film?

I served as a student producer for the documentary.  I transcribed some of her raw footage from Sudan, raised money for the film, helped organize its content, and am now trying to spread the word about the premiere as widely as possible.

How does the film relate to your studies and other interests?

The film aligns nicely with my study of the genocide in Darfur, a topic that I have researched independently for many years. What I love about the film, though, is that it focuses on the North-South Peace Conflict in Sudan; most people don’t realize that this conflict is completely separate from Darfur, so I’m glad it’s being brought to people’s attention.

How is film more effective over other mediums?

Film is one of the most effective ways to convey a message, especially to an audience that is not necessarily well versed in the lofty lingo associated with activism and social change. As an activist of sorts, I personally feel as though awareness and advocacy are the necessary first steps in any social change initiative; if you want people to care, they need to know there is a problem.

Why is awareness so important to you?

Working on this project solidified the importance of awareness, and is a constant reminder of why I am involved in so many social change organizations on this campus, especially GES. We all want to raise awareness, become aware ourselves, and do so in the most effective way possible. This film is just one (very good) example of that process at work. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do.

APPLY TODAY

If you are an international citizen and are currently enrolled in, recently (within 1 year) graduated from, or will soon (within 1 year) be enrolled in an international university, please apply to be an International Delegate.

Contact international@theges.org or american@theges.org with any questions.