One of the greatest concerns in sustainability is the exponential growth in global population. Even more concerning is the higher occurrence of this population growth in poor countries with the least resources. Continuing to discuss levels of analysis, panelists discussed the importance of total participation of community members in order to produce real sustainable change and, in addition, the necessity to align one’s own desire for sustainable achievement with a society’s desires. As a result, it can be difficult to find solutions for a problem that people aren’t even familiar with—but in contrast to popular opinion, environmental concern is not at all related to the level of development of the country or community. This led us to ask more general questions about international development from the American perspective—should a country or community’s success be measured in terms of its resemblance to U.S.? Is the U.S. leading by example or imposing ideas onto under-developed countries?

Saul Garlick explained his experiences with Think Impact and what he has learned about development in rural communities through this work. The most important lesson is to not judge, and to assume that you know nothing. There must be a prolonged time of exposure before you can hope to have impact and you must let the people take the credit for their own future. Also, in order to truly understand a community you must come to understand the cultural norms that run deeply, such as food, language, occupation, gender and entertainment. Furthermore, political hierarchies greatly affect the running of a community and you cannot hope to enact any kind of social change unless you gain the support and permission of the levels of government within the community.

In Hodka the social structure has a long history of subjugation of women and alternating supremacy by Hindu and Muslim factions.  Can this project be successful when the primary beneficiaries are those already in power?  While eventually the project created engagement throughout the community, it also created corruption, didn’t change the gender norms (women still sequestered, have no ownership/ leadership of the resort), and generally stayed under the power of the town council.  Yet this ETP is one of the most financially successful of the UNDP and is used as a model for replicable projects in the state of Gujarat.  How do we evaluate that success?  Could there have been better models of helping this village economically develop?  You can follow all the right ABCD tools, but still not necessarily the right steps in this particular village because of cultural issues and structural issues that interfered with the goals of the UNDP partnership and forced uncomfortable compromises.

This workshop focused on communication and dissemination of your message. It aimed to help delegates figure out what is the best way to convey the message of their project. Rachel, the facilitator, began with an exercise asking delegates to compare the way that they introduce themselves to each other. Next, she showed participants two different types of campaigns. The first was a global social marketing campaign, which aimed to spread awareness on the communicable disease, avian flu. This campaign used images and words on a one-page flyer in order to educate a mass community. The second was a project that focused on drama for conflict transformation, using techniques that allowed individuals to create a play based on a conflict situation they have experienced. This method focused on a smaller group of people, and was more specialized and interactive. Each method is successful for its relative goal. What Rachel tried to emphasize was for delegates to really evaluate what their ultimate goal is with their project and what is the best way to communicate this goal. There are four considerations in designing the methodology of message communication. These include: culturally appropriate message and approach (like a multiplier effect where individuals are engaging with others in their own community), a continuum of participation (who can you reach with your resources, and how), method of dissemination and continuity, and available resources.

As leaders of the world gather in Washington, D.C. to discuss the future of nuclear weapons and the need for aggressive action to ensure that nuclear materials don’t fall into the hands of terrorists, young leaders from across the globe will gather in Chicago, and later in Miami, to address the pressing issues of poverty and the future of youth leadership.

The Chicago conference, called the Global Engagement Summit hosted at Northwestern University is a five-day training conference for students committed to global change. Delegates come together to understand the challenges of and opportunities for their engagement; to hone the skills and mindsets that will enable them to better plan, execute, and participate in change-based projects; and to connect with like-minded peers from around the world.

The Miami Conference is Clinton Global Initiative University (CGIU); there, participants will discuss how student activists can make a difference around the world. Over the three-day meeting, attendees will participate in forums and working sessions to brainstorm ways to make a difference.

I have a background in American foreign policy and I now work to make global impact through a social enterprise that depends on the ingenuity of young leaders, so having these three events land in the same week is sends a powerful message: these are the issues of our time. We must expect that the leaders in our community of nations reduce nuclear weapons while we must facilitate extensive, constructive dialogue among youth to ensure that the world moves forward at this critical time.

I want to highlight the power of the Global Engagement Summit (GES) because it has been a significant contributor to ThinkImpact’s work for years. In 2007, GES hosted a young woman named Emily Karechio from Nairobi, Kenya. It was her first time on American soil, and while she was at the conference representing her nascent nonprofit, the Muthaa Community Development Foundation, she met a chapter leader from ThinkImpact (then known as Student Movement for Real Change). Emily connected with me and before long, a multi-year partnership developed. Today, ThinkImpact’s health trainings for hundreds of people in Kayafungo, Kenya have been successfully implemented due to in large part to her hard work. Her partner on that initiative, Abdallah Mohamed, is now even an employee of ThinkImpact’s!

At GES this year, over 60 delegates from 14 countries will gather from April 14-18 at Northwestern University. This year’s GES includes opening keynote speaker Brian Bordainick, founder of the 9th Ward Field of Dreams, and closing keynote speaker Leila Chirayath Janah, founder and CEO of Samasource. Workshops will be presented on topics including Community Organizing, Social Media Marketing, and Bottom of the Pyramid Business Models. Keynotes and selected workshops will be streamed live on the GES website throughout the weekend. For more information, visit www.theges.org.

As President Obama said during the campaign: “This is our moment, this is our time!”

To the Northwestern Community:

On January 12, 2010, the world watched as a massive earthquake struck the island nation of Haiti, resulting in unimaginable destruction. As a community of Northwestern students, we felt an urgent duty to respond.

Drawn together by this sense of responsibility, representatives from over forty student groups met and organized a school-wide campaign to support the relief efforts. NU STANDS WITH HAITI was formed, with a modest goal of $8,000 — $1 for each undergraduate student.

Performing arts groups and professors, students and social action groups, religious groups and residence halls united, planning fundraisers overnight and dedicating their annual events to the cause. The result was staggering: over $18,500 were raised, more than twice our initial goal.

Our efforts were greatly strengthened together by the Evanston community. With the Evanston-based Haitian Congress, students arranged to send more than twenty boxes of supplies; our partnership with them continues. In recognition of this partnership, the Lewis-Sebring Family Foundation generously pledged their support for NU STANDS WITH HAITI by providing a matching grant of $10,000 toward our fundraising efforts, bringing the present total to $28,500.

We are pleased to direct these funds to Partners In Health and the American Red Cross — two reputable organizations who were among the first to respond in Port-au-Prince and have continued to provide vital services. This campaign could not have been successful without the students, faculty, and staff who organized and participated in the many events, and we thank them greatly.

While Northwestern’s contribution is remarkable, we hope that this is the beginning of an ongoing conversation about the conditions that preceded this catastrophe and on the long, arduous rebuilding ahead. It is up to us as a community to sustain our energy and passion to ensure that we continue to stand with Haiti.

In solidarity,

NU STANDS WITH HAITI

A few months ago, we told you about the Unreasonable Institute, which will bring 25 social entrepreneurs from around the world for a 10-week summer institute where they’ll receive the training, mentorship, and seed capital they need to get their ventures off the ground.

Now, our friends are one step closer to choosing their first crop of social entrepreneurs. 34 finalists are in a race to raise $6,500. The first 25 to cross the finish line will attend the Unreasonable Institute. And the outcome of this race is up to you.

Head to Unreasonable’s online Finalist Marketplace and vote with your dollars for an entrepreneur you believe will change the course of history. The fate of our finalists, and of the lives they will affect, rests in your hands.