Heading to Stanford…

Name: Shannon Eddy

Nationality: American

GYV Staff/ Participant during: 2007-2009

Education: Scarborough High School Graduate & rising freshman at Stanford University

Occupation: None yet!

Most Interesting Country Visited: Peru

Favorite GYV Memory: More than anything I remember the personal relationships that GYV created- the whispered conversations about life at home way past lights out in the cabins, swapped language lessons over a picnic table, teaching new friends to swim, talking about a dialogue session long after it was over, and most of all the certainty that you’ve made a bunch friends for life that you can count on for anything within a couple of weeks. Pickup games and dialogue sessions were highlights of my day. Being able to see everyone’s culture and talents shine through at sharing night was always fun, and the food and conversations at the dining tables was incredible- I even smile when I remember walking up “The Hill” to get there! And despite how sad it was, the last night spent trading hugs after the moving candle ceremony always had a huge impact on me when I realized how close we had all become.

Volunteer/Civic Engagement Activities since Global Youth Village:  Throughout high school I volunteered with a law office that helped low-income refugees and immigrants. So the lawyers would have a basic outline of the cases, I interviewed people who needed help with issues like deportation, applying for a green card, bringing family to the US from war zones or refugee camps, and discrimination. My training at GYV absolutely helped me communicate with all of the people from different cultures, especially when I had to get detailed accounts of sensitive problems and histories. After I graduated, my friend and I took a year off before college to volunteer around the world. In Costa Rica, we taught at an elementary school for three months. In Peru, we participated in hands-on conservation and research in the jungle.

Biography: I have lived all 19 years of my life at the same house in costal Maine. I work in the summers at a tiny market that sells everything you would expect if you’d heard any stereotypes about Maine, including lobsters, clams, blueberries, and whoopie pies. Growing up in Maine was great, but in high school I realized that I wanted to learn more about the world and the people in it- something particularly difficult to do in what is in many ways the least diverse state in the nation. I found GYV and attended the regular program and I loved it so much that the same year, a week after the program ended, I flew back for the first Iraqi-American exchange program. I became very involved in learning about the Middle East and studied Arabic and attended the Iraqi program for three years, making incredible friends and learning new things every single time. During high school I was very involved in refugee advocacy and environmental volunteering, and I spent a lot of time writing. After I graduated, I took a gap year that included three months living with a family and volunteering in Costa Rica; one month in Peru with a conservation program; and a month in Ireland working on an organic farm. From language blunders to sneaking into ancient ruins and learning traditional Irish songs by heart, some of the most incredible I’ve experiences I’ve had have been on my gap year (and I encourage all high school students to consider taking one!) However, nothing will ever compare to the memories and friends I made during my summers at GYV. I’ll be at home until September, when I leave for Stanford University where I hope to study international relations, environmental sciences, and writing.

Catching up with Roger Falcon

Name: Roger Falcon

Nationality:  American/French

GYV Staff/ Participant during:  84-87

Education: Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy, the Fletcher School, Tufts University, Certificat d’etudes politiques, IEP Paris, BA, Oberlin College

Occupation: Chief of Staff, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Most Interesting Country Visited: Going to a Mayan village in the middle of the Mexican rainforest and meeting the chief who is trying to hold onto tradition as the world changes rapidly around him was unforgettable.

Favorite GYV Memory: Gathering in a circle at the end of each summer, holding a candle and singing “Let There Be Peace on Earth” as we committed to keep the Legacy spirit inside of us.

Volunteer/Civic Engagement Activities since Global Youth Village:

• Founding board member, Sovereign Arts, a non-profit dedicated to Native American rights and culture.
• Founding board member, A3D, a non-profit promoting exchange with Senegal and multi-cultural awareness on Boston’s north shore.
• Launched a Boston chapter of Nonviolent Peaceforce, which sends trained peacekeepers into zones of conflict such as Sri Lanka.
• Was active in the “Maison pour un developpement solidaire” in Paris, which promotes diversity and international exchange.
• Have sung in various choral ensembles and played handbells.

Biography:

My current position at Law Enforcement Against Prohibition is very exciting. LEAP is an organization of current and former members of law enforcement, as well as civilian supporters, who are calling for an end to the drug war and the racial discrimination, violence and corruption it causes across the globe. Putting in place a system of legalized regulation would allow for better control and for more resources to be made available to treat addiction.

After graduate school, I lead the creation of ArtCorps, which sends volunteer artists from around the world to Central America to spread environmental, public health and human rights messages. The best part was getting to know the artists and spending time in Guatemala, an amazingly diverse country (62 indigenous languages currently spoken!), where I met fabulously warm people.

I also co-taught a course on human rights and worked for the Reebok Human Rights Award, which until a couple of years ago honored four activists age 30 and under each year for their cutting edge work.

During graduate school, I spent a year in an intensive program called Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship, studying corruption and the different ways it impedes political development. My thesis compared challenges and potential strategies in Mexico, China, Russia and the US.

After college, I spent three years in Prague. I lived with a Czech family, sang in several choirs, went to many concerts, and immersed myself in the country, still coming out of the fear of the Cold War. At first, I taught ESL at a university. I then had the inspiring, amazing opportunity to intern for President Václav Havel. Havel would not want to be considered a hero, but he is certainly one of mine. He brings together the arts and activism in a way that I have aspired to ever since.

Prior to graduate school, I spent a year and a half in Paris studying and, most importantly, meeting my wife, Helene, who is an artist, a polarity therapist and an art therapist working with kids. We live happily in Medford, near Boston, Massachusetts.

I would love to hear from friends – and friends-to-be – from Legacy. Please write!

Continuing the GYV Legacy in Brazil

Name: Marcello Rizzo

Nationality: Brazilian

GYV Participant during: 1985

Education: BA & MBA University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Occupation: Strategic Planning Manager

Most Interesting Country Visited: Chile

Favorite GYV Memory: It was all a lot of fun and I still vividly remember those days. I got in touch with and shared experiences with people from different parts of the world. Hanging out in the bubble and watching cultural presentations with everyone still brings me good memories.

Volunteer/Civic Engagement Activities since Global Youth Village: I’ve taught business entrepreneurship to low-income kids and cooperated with the Red Cross to relieve people both in the flooded areas and arid places.

Biography:

I was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and during my teenager years I’ve spent lots of time practicing sports such as basketball, judo, gymnastics, track & field, water polo, and rugby. In 1998 I finished my BA degree in business with a major in Market Research. Two MBAs at University of Sao Paulo came later: Project Administration, Knowledge, Technology and Innovation. I’m interested in geopolitical studies, international relations and pan-American history. Currently, I’m in charge of a Business Intelligence Department of a multinational risk consulting company. My son Alexandre (2.5 years old) and my wife Andrea are the loves of my life.  My experience at GYV allowed me to know other cultures and for sure changed for the better the way I face situations and gave me the ability to help people. If anyone is interested in contacting me for exchanging experiences or just get in touch to remember the time spent together, please write to Marcello Rizzo.

Children’s Bilingual Theater

Name: Jordan Schwartz

Nationality: American

GYV Staff/ Participant during: 2006

Education: High School Junior at the Atlanta Girls’ School

Occupation: founder and artistic producer of the Children’s Bilingual Theater

Most Interesting Country Visited: Ecuador

Favorite GYV Memory: preforming with sock puppets for Cabin Idol

Biography: Jordan Schwartz began in theatre in 2nd grade. When her school offered Spanish in the after-school program she had an idea to put theatre and language together. At 10 in 2003, she founded The Children’s Bilingual Theater and premiered a show in 2004. Jordan started with raising $3,000 in donations and getting schools to host the shows, then 17 kids 2nd grade to college age staged a bilingual play at 4 schools in Cobb County. The Children’s Bilingual Theater not only brought students together, but brought community volunteers to help them make the show a reality. Jordan’s project helps the Spanish first language speakers to improve their English and Spanish second language speakers to improve their Spanish and all benefit from theatre, learn about public speaking and work with a diverse group while exploring Hispanic language, culture and history.
CBT has staged 3 musicals and cast and crew volunteer as literacy advocates with Sheltering Arms, Park Street School and HeadStart programs in Metro Atlanta. CBT has worked with over 100 volunteers, performing to over 3000 audience members and many school audiences. Jordan won a $10,000 DoSomething award  for production costs and received over $20,000 in production grants and scholarships to help sustain the theatre company. In 2007 “Cinderella Eats Rice and Beans” a salsa hip-hop bilingual musical was filmed by a Wisconsin Public Television crew for a segment in “Democracy it is!”, an educational documentary series reaching school audiences all over Wisconsin.

In 2008 in an unprecedented move in selecting a 14 year old, the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities Organizing Institute chose Jordan as one of six participants to be trained in organizing skills to return to her community to promote systems change around issues that affect people with disabilities. Jordan wrote a bilingual play. “Mr. Ooba’s T.E.A.M.” addresses the issue of bullying of developmentally disabled and medically fragile children and diversity in our classrooms. Jordan’s work with The Children’s Bilingual Theater is an effort to encourage her community to bridge the language and cultural gap through theatre arts and to exemplify and teach tolerance.

Michael Ogunnusi

Nationality: British

GYV Participant: 1996 (staff)

Education: PhD research student at the Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK. The research aims to get a fresh look at the mind of State governance and deepen the moral debate about the provision of targeted and support services for young people in the UK.

Most Interesting Countries Visited: Japan, Basque Country and the US.

Favorite GYV Memory: My memories of GYV include cultural sharing nights, (very) early morning Ti Chi, playing football in the hot sun, reciting poetry, slap stick comedy with custard pies, drumming, and the wonders of tofu (before and after consumption!) GYV introduced me to a type of education that values individual worth and builds inclusive relationships rather than generate resistance or rejection. My experiences at GYV still influence my passion for youth work as I remember the stories that the young people brought with them and the optimism and joy of the potential futures they took away – transcending culture, language, opportunity, and the even the politics of war. It left my spirit with a global footprint and the knowledge that changing beliefs can change behaviour.

Biography: My background includes youth work, social work, research, civil rights & police monitoring. I remain particularly interested in helping young people in times of challenge, often based in settings that are characterised by conflict. From the Caen Peace Museum to integenerational projects in Funibashi my work has taken me to the Netherlands, Basque Country, Japan and France to meet with cabinet ministers, colleagues, and young people.

In 2006 I published an article entitled ‘Keep It Together, Keep It Safe: Violence, Peace and Young People’ (Development Education Journal, October 2006) and the following year I set up ‘Peace Techniques’ a self-founded company that offers training and projects to promote youth perspectives and actively challenge the acceptance of aggression and violence.

I now also lecture part-time at De Montfort University at the Faculty of Health & Life Sciences and the Youth affairs Unit, where I am studying for my PhD. This year I am really excited about the potential of a new project called ‘XL’ that plans to create safe communal spaces as part of an international network to holistically integrate age, culture and ability.

For all my friends of 1996 Alumni, please get in touch and send me pics and your memories at my email mikeo_2007@yahoo.co.uk.   Peace.

Shayn McCallum

Nationality: Australian (permanent resident of Turkey)
Attended GYV: as a Global Issues Workshop Instructor in 2003 and as a prep cook in 2006.

Education: MA in European Studies (Bogazici Univ, Istanbul), BA (hons) in Political Science & International Relations (Univ. of Tasmania, Australia)

Current Work & Volunteer Projects: Instructor in Academic English at Bogazici Univ. and freelance academic proofreader/translator.  I’m marginally involved in civil society projects on democratization, ethnic conflicts, environmentalism/agriculture and workers’ rights in Turkey but I’m not as active as I’d like to be! (I’m busy raising my baby daughter at the moment!)

Biography: I was born in 1972 in Tasmania, Australia and spent the first 20 years of my life there.  From my earliest years, I was aware that there was a much larger world and endlessly dreamed of travelling.  As soon as I graduated, I moved to Israel where I lived for several years as a yeshivah (rabbinical school) student, then a Kibbutznik in the Golan Heights & near the Judean desert.  I was active in the Israeli peace movement and was deeply affected by my witnessing, as a naive Australian Jew, of the Palestinian experience.   Although I left Israel in 1995, my time there has profoundly shaped my attitudes to issues of identity, nationalism, peace and basic love for humanity.

After leaving Israel, I decided to become an English teacher.  After two wonderful years in Prague and Gyor, Hungary, I made the fateful decision in 2000, to come to Turkey where I met my wife Ebru and, subsequently, have ended up an ‘honorary Turk’.  Turkey is a rich, dynamic society with many echoes of the issues I faced in Israel.   I love living at the nexus of European, Asian and Middle-Eastern culture.   Living in Turkey also helped me to consolidate my long engagement with Islam.  I finally took the step of embracing Islam, allowing me to explore the profundities and inner dimensions of this extraordinary religion as a participant rather than sympathetic observer.  Since then, the teachings of Sufic Islam have subtly but profoundly reshaped my understanding of life and the world.

In 2008, on December 14, the greatest happiness I have ever known came into my life in the form of my little daughter Ela Nur, and I have since discovered the indescribable joys (and trials) of being a Dad.   Between my work on Bogazici University’s breathtakingly gorgeous campus and my much-treasured ‘Daddy-Daughter Time’, I try to follow and engage with the struggles of life in this amazing, chaotic, beautiful city in this breath-taking, mad, delirious country.

My Memories of GYV: My wife first took me to GYV, having previously been a cabin counselor, and convinced me I would find the place inspiring.  Actually, ‘inspirational’ seems a weak word for what seems to transpire, each time in its own unique way, as people from impossibly different backgrounds become drawn into such powerful, lasting friendships.  It is astonishing to me to see how, even now, years after the GYV experience, so many people remain in close contact with each other.  The life-changing power of GYV cannot be overestimated.  I have been actively involved in GYV only twice, yet, whether we have an active position or not, my wife and I come back to visit almost every summer.  GYV above all, inspires so deeply, because it shows us, in microcosm, a living example of how the whole world should and could be, if only we collectively dared to dream it.  GYV is living proof that diverse people can live together in more than just tolerance, but mutual love, respect and friendship.  At its best, GYV opens a window in the heart to what it is to be truly human in the sense of embracing the best of the potential in all of us.  As an experience, it is unforgettable and transformational.

« Previous Page — Next Page »