Lunch and Conversation with John Prendergast

Credit for this blog post goes to first year Global Scholar Catalina Calachan! Thanks Catalina!

On December 3^rd, 2013, twenty Global Scholars had the opportunity to meet with author and human rights activist, John Prendergast, to discuss his experiences and ask him questions.  I was lucky enough to have acquired a seat at the lunch, and hope to share some of the highlights.

Prendergast’s accomplishments are varied and many.  It would be impossible to talk about all of his achievements in a single post, but I will mention some of them.  Prendergast played a pivotal role in negotiating the treaty that ended the deadliest war at the time, the conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia, and participated in other peace processes within Africa.  In recent years, he co-founded the Enough Project, a project within the Center for American Progress dedicated to the stop of genocide and crimes against humanity.  Today, he collaborates with people like George Clooney and Ryan Gosling to generate political will and raise awareness of important issues pertaining to human rights and international development.  From working at the White House during the Clinton Administration to working with the Department of State to working with nonprofit organizations and non-governmental organizations to working with A-list celebrities, Prendergast has had an illustrious career thus far.  However, despite the acclamation, fame, and weekend getaways with Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes, Prendergast has not lost sight of his vocation; he is energized about what he does, and humble about what he has done.

Prendergast walked into Battelle Atrium with a big smile on his face, and the desire to get to know all of us, as he made sure to kick-off the event with our personal introductions and a “fun fact.”  My fun fact was that LeBron James threw me his wristband at an NBA game, and when Prendergast poked fun at my favorite basketball player, I knew that his charm and candor would make for an enjoyable lunch.  Prendergast recounted how he got started working in the human rights field.  His story began with an impulsivity and audaciousness that reminded me of another man who recently spoke at American, CNN’s Anderson Cooper.  Prendergast and Cooper, both leaders in their respective fields, each hopped on a plane to a foreign land armed with a spirit of inquiry and youthful ambition; and there has proved to be great power in their risk-taking, as those daring adventures largely influenced both of their separate paths to success.  Prendergast, for example, reflected on his young, perhaps naïve, self, saying that he had seen an advertisement about starving children in Africa and was deeply affected by what he saw, so he decided to fly to the continent and see what was going on in person.  As he elaborated on his first visit to Africa, it was easy to imagine a young Prendergast embarking on that incredible journey, for the enthusiasm and optimism that fueled his early travels continue to shine through today.  We were all captivated by his boldness, and pleasured with his humor and down-to-earth demeanor. 

Humbly determined not to talk about himself the entire time, Prendergast was eager to engage us, and opened the floor up for our questions after he finished speaking about his life-changing trip to Africa and the work that he has been doing since.  The question and answer session was light-hearted, informative, and inspiring.  When asked about whether or not he was scared before getting on a plane all those years ago and flying to an unfamiliar place, with little knowledge of what he would encounter upon arrival and not much of a plan, Prendergast laughingly remarked on how he did not really know what to be afraid of, so he kind of just went with curiosity.  Looking back on it, he said that he probably should have been more prepared, but he was thankful for the generosity and good luck that helped him survive throughout his spur-of-the-moment trip.  Another interesting question pertained to the role that sports can play in international relations.  Being a lover of sports, and having strict loyalties to his teams, Prendergast was entertained and intrigued by the question, as he responded with funny anecdotes and insightful ideas.  He talked about the numerous times that the topic of sports has come up while at home and abroad, and joked at one point about the Yankee-Red Sox division of Congress.  His stories highlighted the way in which sports can be a uniting force that transcends national, cultural, and ideological borders, and also just a fun diversion from work (like when he had a meeting with Obama and was scheduled to play basketball as a break).  This question brought out Prendergast’s humor and easygoing personality, while providing a glimpse into his diverse and influential network of colleagues. All in all, the event was a highly inspirational experience, and one that benefited all of us.   

After the lunch, it took days to shake off the adrenaline rush that came from meeting John Prendergast.  His passion about the plethora of issues he works on is infectious, and it was truly uplifting to see that his excitement has not faded after all of these years.  I am sincerely grateful for opportunities like this one, and hopeful for more of them; they are part of what makes the Global Scholars Program so valuable.

Africa Expo - December 2nd, 2013

Today in the SIS Atrium from 11AM-3PM, several different organizations came together to talk about career opportunities in Africa, particularly in the human rights field. The Africa Expo is held in honor of AU graduate and human rights activist John Prendergast, who is meeting with several Global Scholars students on Tuesday, December 3rd for lunch and conversation. Some of the organizations involved in the expo include:

Enough Project!
Peace Corps
Development Executive Group (Devex)
Abt Associates
CSIS
Textbooks Africa
Society for International Development
Global Witness
Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach
Advancing Girls Education in Africa (AGE)
Young Professionals in Foreign Policy

One of our Global Scholars, Alex Young, represented the Textbooks Africa organization in the expo.

A 2014 summer abroad opportunity offered in South Africa

100k Strong Foundation Inaugural Conference

The 100,000 Strong Foundation Inaugural Conference was held on Thursday, November 21st in honor of the US-China Consultation on People-to-People Exchange and in celebration of the fourth Anniversary of the Launch of 100,000 Strong.  Unfortunately, Secretary of State John Kerry was scheduled to be at the conference to commemorate the launch as well, but was not able to come because he was in situation room with President Obama.At 9:30, President of American University Neil Kerwin and President of the the 100,000 Strong Foundation launched the conference with their welcome speeches.  

 The first conference had a theme of “Building a Globally-Fluent Workforce.” James Goldgeier, the Dean of SIS at AU, was the chair. Dean Goldgeier along with the Principal of Dewey Square Group Maria Cardona, President of Xavier University of Louisiana Norman Francis, and President of Wanxiang North American Pin Ni discussed the importance of educational exchange between the United States and China. Drawn from their past experiences, they all emphasized that educational exchange was crucial for enhancement of language ability and culture awareness. The first conference was followed by performance by students from Yu Ying Chinese Immersion Public Charter School. 

After a welcome message by Jim Hall, the CEO of WorldStrides, guests were having traditional Chinese food as lunch. A group of American students who used to study abroad in China and Chinese students who study in the US now then had a student testimonials session. The president of Ford Foundation Darren Walker was the chair for this conference. Students shared their personal experiences from their educational exchange. Many shared anecdotes they encountered due to misunderstanding of foreign culture, inaccurate usage of language, and being judged by stereotypes. For example, Charles Chen, an undergraduate student from American University said many Americans asked him “Can you hack into our computers?” and “Do you like eating doggies?” when his answers for both questions were always an absolute “No.”  However, both young people from America and China said that they were optimistic about the future of US-China relations. 

After student testimonials, Mona Locke, the interim executive director of Susan G. Komen Puget Sound chaired the US-China Strategic Relations and People-to-People ties conference.  Former Special representative for Global Intergovernmental Affairs of State Department Reta Jo Lewis, Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel, and CEO of Blackstone Group Stephen Schwarzman share their personal understanding about the topic. Daniel Russel highlighted that Americans need to understand how the world works and the US need people who understand Asia in culture, business, politics, and other arenas. He stressed that people-to-people tie is not something “feel good to do,” but is something crucial for US long term national security. When there are ties between Chinese and American people, Americans can  understand China’s political actions and intentions; hence, people-to-people ties with China is strategically important for US.   

Finally, Vice Premier of China Liu Yandong gave her keynote address as the concluding of the conference. In her speech, Vice Premier Liu recalled the story that President Xi’s friendship with his American friends when he visited the US 28 years ago endures when he came back and visit his old friends after he became new President of China.  She said that from President Xi’s story, it is obvious that communication among young people can influence relationships among countries. After China and US changed their leadership last year, her visit this time marks the first round of high level humanity exchange between the US and China. After China’s Reform and Open Policy, there were 3000000 Chinese young people that studied overseas, and 50% of them studied in the US. Vice Premier Liu said that “Investing in US-China relations, One Student at a Time,” which was the theme of today’s conference, speaks to the essence of such educational investment. To invest in youth is to invest in future. Vice Premier Liu concluded that the foundation of US-China relations is people, and the hope for US-China relations is young people from both countries.

Two of our Global Scholars, Yuyang Zhang and Shuyu Shen, were invited to the 100k Strong Foundation Inaugural Conference. Credit for this blogpost and pictures goes to Yuyang Zhang. Thanks Yuyang! 

Global Scholars November Community Meeting

Credit for this blog post goes to Class of 2015 Global Scholar Ronah Baha. Thanks Ronah! 

Many Global Scholars are passionate about the field of International Development, but not everyday do they have the opportunity to hear the experiences and insights of development practitioners. During our November Community Meeting, the Global Scholars heard from representatives of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) in a discussion of development aid and education in Africa. Dr. Montague Demment, the Acting Vice President for International Development, and Anne-Claire Hervy, Associate Vice President for International Development and Programs at APLU discussed the vital role of education in furthering African development.

According to Demment, the World Bank has funded many development projects under the premise that primary education is a better investment with better – or at least, more immediate – economic returns than higher education. Many development agencies operate this way, focusing on short term, measurable goals that enable evidence-based decision making. But, as Hervy pointed out, increasing the aggregate knowledge in a society by emphasizing higher education has actually proven to bring much greater returns. Demment and Hervy explained that  these returns are not sheerly economic – rather, higher education equips people with the information and skills necessary to help advance and rebuild their countries.

Indeed, when Global Scholars co-director Professor Simon Nicholson asked Demment and Hervy what development issues are most pervasive and important today, neither indicated that education is the end goal of development. Instead, it is an important tool that will be crucial in addressing the climate change and food supply issues that Demment stated will bear a tremendous impact on the entire world, and especially the world’s poor.

Demment and Hervy emphasized the importance of the higher education we are receiving as students at American University – it is an opportunity that must be afforded to people around the world if there is to be real development. For those of us seeking careers in the field of development, they concluded with words of advice: first, to have an area of expertise, and second, to spend time overseas. Finally, they reminded us of something practitioners often forget when working toward the development of other societies – we cannot be the heroes of the stories of others; we can only help.

Demment left us with this: “It’s an Ethiopian who’s smart who’s going to change Ethiopia – it’s not an American. That’s why higher education is so important. That’s why it’s so important to invest in people.”

Study Abroad Experiences: Glace Flaherty

 Class of 2014 Global Scholar Grace Flaherty is spending her Fall 2013 semester in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. In this video, she recounts her experiences studying abroad and how her time in Tajikistan has been so far. She also gives some advice to the new 2016 class of Global Scholars about studying abroad.

Credit for this video goes to Grace Flaherty, who volunteered her time in Dushanbe to make this video. Thanks Grace!

The Global Scholars October Community Meeting

Credit for this blog post goes to Class of 2016 Global Scholar Alex Braun. Thanks Alex! 

Professor Thomas Nassif

October’s Global Scholars meeting commenced with an insightful and informative mental health presentation from Professor Nassif. Professor Nassif spoke of the importance of sleep, exercise, and a proper diet on the maintenance of strong mental health in college students and people in general.

Professor Nassif recommends seven hours of sleep or more per night and that we avoid napping at all costs. Personally, that demand may be a little too large of a step right now, as most of my days include at least a half hour nap. As far as exercise goes, Professor Nassif stressed that as little as three hours of exercise per week may lessen our stress levels and promote longevity in our lives. Just a little rigorous cardio every day could go a long way, and the more we exercise, the easier it will become. Finally, Professor Nassif talked about the importance of a well-rounded diet including many fruits and vegetables. To combat aging, feel better, and look better, we should all try to address these three important aspects of our lives.

After the presentation, we all indulged ourselves with delicious empanadas from Julia’s Empanadas—I highly recommend them. At this point, the Global Scholars split off by year, the first years going to a course planning session and the second and third years meeting with Deloitte, a large consulting firm. The first years explored the complex system of course requirements and

options, had questions answered, and eased some of their doubts and worries. Deloitte, on the other hand, energized the upperclassmen by discussing life after college and opportunities within their firm.

The entire evening was well organized and very informative. I know that I learned a lot about cool sleep monitoring apps and mental health, in addition to the necessary stress abatement that came with the course-planning segment. An interesting and helpful evening, our Global Scholars meeting provided quite a service to everyone involved; I look forward to next time.