Celebrating World Refugee Day
Under the leadership of Board member Mimi Frankel, the Goldin Institute was pleased to help host the Chicago celebration of World Refugee Day on Sunday, June 18th. We were proud to join partners like the Chicago World Refugee Committee, ArtWorks Chicago and the Chicago Departmennt of Cultural Affiars (DCASE) in hosting the event at the Chicago Cultural Center.
The days events offered participants a chance to:
- Center Refugee voices and experiences in the city of Chicago,
- Connect social service organizations to the general population,
- Provide interactive educational experiences to all Chicago residents and visitors,
- Engage in cultural food sharing as a way of building community; and
- Provide a space to celebrate the diversity of cultures in the city.
Mimi Frankel, co-founder of the Frankel Family Foundation and Board member of the Goldin Institute, has long been a champion for refuggees worldwide. Mimi helped lead the organizing efforts for World Refugee day as an effort to honor and affirm the rich diversity of the Chicago community, comprised of displaced populations from around the world affected by conflict, natural disaster, and economic oppression. Formally created as a global memorialization and recognition of refugees in December 2000, by the United Nations General Assembly, the significance of World Refugee Day has tragically grown, as the condition of refugees become more precarious given increasingly stringent policies for their admission and resettlement throughout Europe and North America.
By the end of last year, over 65 million people were forcibly displaced from their homes and communities, either to other countries or within their own. It was an increase of 300,000 people from 2015, considered to be relative progress by authorities in the refugee settlement and assistance fields. Despite the fears of Western nations, the three countries taking in the highest number of refugees, globally, are Turkey, Lebanon and Pakistan. Uganda is expected to crack that list due to fighting and humanitarian conditions in neighboring South Sudan.
Download the full report of World Refugee Day Chicago 2017.
Ending Violence Against Children in Panama
Last month, the Goldin Institute was represented by team members and global associates at the #EndChildViolence global forum in Panama City, Panama from May 8 - 11, 2017. This event is the fifth global forum hosted by our partners at Arigatou International and the Global Network of Religions for Children.
Diane and Travis were joined by Community Learning Associate Jimmie Briggs and our global associates Lissette Mateus (Colombia), Geoffrey Omony and Janet Arach of YOLRED (Uganda) and Emeritus Associate Dorcas Kiplagat (Kenya). The Goldin Institute team shared insights and experiences on building grassroots partnerships and engaged in critical dialogue with faith-based leaders, advocates and youth ambassadors. The team had deep expertise in the themes of the conference, especially the focus on the challenges and opportunities of addressing violence against children and youth including corporal punishment in schools, domestic abuse, gang violence and organized crime, as well as the conscription of child combatants.
Exceeding organizer expectations, more than 500 people attended the event which saw the issue of “The Panama Declaration on Ending Violence Against Children” -- one of the first multi-faith statements of its kind.
[slide] [img path="images/slideshow1.jpg"]Dr. Mustafa Ali welcomes the participants of the Global Network of Religions for Children.[/img] [img path="images/slideshow2.jpg"]Global Associates Geoffrey Omony (Uganda) and Lissette Mateus Roa (Colombia) discuss plans for 2017.[/img] [img path="images/slideshow3.jpg"]Jimmie Briggs and Global Associate Geoffrey Omony discuss plans for YOLRED Uganda.[/img] [img path="images/slideshow4.jpg"]Closing Celebrations with dancers from Panama’s leading dance troupe.[/img] [img path="images/slideshow5.jpg"]Dr. Mustafa Ali presents the Alone and Frightened report on Child Soldiers co-published with the Goldin Institute.[/img] [img path="images/slideshow6.jpg"]The Goldin Institute team meets with Ms. Lorena Castillo, the First Lady of Panama.[/img] [img path="images/slideshow7.jpg"]The Goldin Institute team meets with Ms. Lorena Castillo, the First Lady of Panama.[/img] [img path="images/slideshow8.jpg"]Global Associate Geoffrey Omony and YOLRED participant from Uganda prepare for session on the impact of the LRA conflict on children.[/img] [img path="images/slideshow9.jpg"]Jimmie Briggs helps document planning for East African participants.[/img] [img path="images/slideshow10.jpg"]Geoffrey Omony, Global Associate for Uganda, presents on the work of the Youth Leaders for Restoration and Development (YOLRED).[/img] [img path="images/slideshow11.jpg"]Founder Diane Goldin and Global Associate for Uganda, Geoffrey Omony.[/img] [img path="images/slideshow12.jpg"]Sharing best practices across the world.[/img] [img path="images/slideshow13.jpg"]Youth delegation from across the globe shares insights on how violence impacts children.[/img] [img path="images/slideshow14.jpg"]Reverend Keishi Miyamoto, the President of Arigatou International, shares his wisdom in a plenary address. [/img] [img path="images/slideshow15.jpg"]Youth leaders prepare for plenary presentation on the impacts of violence against children.[/img] [img path="images/slideshow16.jpg"]Pre-forum workshop for youth leaders. [/img] [img path="images/slideshow17.jpg"]Panama’s President Juan Carlos Varela is welcomed by Reverend Keishi Miyamoto and Dr. Mustafa Ali of Arigatou International.[/img] [img path="images/slideshow18.jpg"]Sharing ideas for stopping violence against children around the world.[/img] [/slide]
[quote]The GNCR Fifth Forum created an opportunity for the Goldin Institute Representatives to interact with partners, Global Associates, and project beneficiaries from around the world. -- Dr. Dorcas Kiplagat, Kenya Global Associate (Emeritus)[/quote]
It was a special occasion to see former Global Associate Dorcas Kiplagat who is based in Nairobi, Kenya serving as Network and Programs Coordinator with Arigatou International, the primary host of the conference. The conference was also hosted in partnership with the Goldin Institute alongside the Interreligious Committee in Panama, World Vision, Plan International, UNICEF, Norwegian Church Aid, COEPA and The Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children.
For Ugandan delegates Omony and Arach, it was the first time either of them had left the African continent. Both were viscerally transformed and inspired by the experience of being in fellowship with peers from around the world. Janet evoked deep emotions through public testimony of her journey from active combatant to ex-child soldier on the second day of the event during a thematic panel entitled Protecting Children from Violent Extremism, Gang Violence and Organized Crime: The Role of Faith in Communities. Her partner at YOLRED, Geoffrey, spoke eloquently of his journey to Panama and its lasting meaning:
[quote]Being in Panama marked an historical point in my life. Leaving Africa, traveling to another continent, I was just so happy to be a part of the forum and represent the voices of former child soldiers in Uganda. It was very impressive. -- Geoffrey Omony, YOLRED[/quote]
In addition to the panel format in which Janet spoke, the three days included parallel sessions on commercial exploitation and abuse of children, addressing traditional or ritual forms of violence and the role of spirituality in child rearing. Plenary sessions preceded those with remarks by a broad array of figures including Arigatou International president Reverend Keishi Miyamoto, H.R.H. Prince El Hassan bin Talal from Jordan, Rabbi Diana Gerson who is the Program Director of the New York Board of Rabbis and Dr. Mustafa Y. Ali, the Secretary Genderal of GNRC and Director of Arigatou International in Nairobi.
[quote]The Forum was a moment to reflect upon the work, that the Goldin Institute-Arigatou International GNRC partnership has continued to promote over the last seven years. The partnership has led to the transformation of many people’s lives in the greater horn of Africa, particularly in highly conflicted areas. My meeting with other associates like Lissette Mateus from Colombia reminded and re-affirmed in me our common humanity, that as much as we live in different continents, our challenges are similar. -- Dorcas Kiplagat, Global Associate (Emeritus)[/quote]
Marking her third trip to Panama, the Institute’s Global Associate Lissette Mateus left most affected by a plenary session on healthy parenting, perhaps as she herself is the new mother of an infant daughter.
[quote]The discussion by Susan Bissell, executive director of the Global Partnership and Fund to End Violence Against Women was most impressive. I think healthy parenting is the most important factor in dealing with violence against children. I was also a part of the Latin America regional meeting. Most of the participants were focused on sexual abuse in the community, but I explained that 80% of the violence against children happens in the home. It’s a cultural phenomenon that you see something happening to a child on the street but no one says anything. We must stop this type of abuse by changing cultural views.[/quote]
Congratulations to our partner Dr. Mustafa Ali and the team at Arigatou on hosting a meaningful and productive event. We look forward to the sixth forum!
Update on the Global LGBTQ Rights Movement
On the first leg of a multi-city journey across the United States and Canada, Goldin Institute senior advisor Frank Mugisha came to Chicago for a public event hosted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs on April 27, 2017. “The Global LGBTQ Rights Movement” featured Mugisha in an hour-long conversation with Project& director Jane M. Saks before an audience upwards of 60 people in Chicago and hundreds online.
Advisory board member Akif Irfan made opening remarks and introduced the panel. Given the primary topic of the evening, Irfan noted the one year anniversary of the murder of our friend and collaborator Xulhaz Mannan death at the hands of anti-gay extremists in Bangladesh.
[quote]While stunning victories are being won for gay rights in the US and around the world, we today remember the one year anniversary of the death of our friend and colleague in Bangladesh, Xulhaz Mannan, who was brutally murdered by a hate group for his public role as an LGBT advocate. Akif Irfan, Board of Advisors[/quote]
Over the course of an hour, Mugisha and Saks covered a spectrum of compelling, often gasp-inducing stories and reflections on Mugisha’s journey as an openly gay activist in Uganda. As recently as last August, he and a handful of colleagues at “SMUG” (the Sexual Minorities of Uganda), the organization which he leads, were arrested and jailed by local police at a Pride Uganda event. While he escaped physical abuse, he was grossly mistreated and his colleagues were physically assaulted, repeatedly. Recognized as one of Fortune Magazine’s “50 World’s Greatest Leaders,” Mugisha is a past Nobel Peace Prize nominee and a recipient of the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Award.
[quote]Through the advocacy we do, we can create political capital around ourselves. It's given some bit of safety. We also think that if we have our own physical space it will give us security as well. Frank Mugisha, SMUG Uganda[/quote]
Frank Mugisha shared the latest news from his groundbreaking lawsuit against American pastor Scott Lively for “crimes against humanity” for his vitriolic hate speech against LGBTQ Ugandans, and advocacy against their safe, equal citizenship.
Thanks to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the conversation was filmed and archived and is now available to watch:
Frank Mugisha made many insightful comments during the conversation:
[quote]When you are on the battlefield, when you have backup, you can continue moving forward. The friends I have around the world keep me going. In the most troubling time in Uganda, when there was the anti-gay law, we were able to win thanks to our partners.[/quote]
[quote]The young people in Uganda call me or reach out on Facebook, saying 'we feel you speaking out for us here'.[/quote]
[quote]At SMUG, we've had to set up a program where we are managing crises as well as programming.[/quote]
[quote]When my colleagues and I came out of jail, I realized we had to work hard because the ignorance about LGBT people is so great.[/quote]
[quote]Homophobia was imported to Africa through religion. Religion has been embraced so much.[/quote]
[quote]The churches in Uganda have impunity. They can do anything they want and walk away.[/quote]
A special thank you to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs for hosting and live streaming the event. Amidst a wonderful team there, we wish to acknowledge Jon Macha, Tria Raimundo and Dzena Berbic for their thoughtful, gracious and professional partnership.
Visiting Partners in Haiti: a photographic update
We are pleased to share this opportunity to follow along with Diane and Travis as they visit partners in Haiti in the photo journal below.
The photos are from a visit in April 2017 to see our partners at KOFAVIV and IJDH as well as learning more about the work of Fr. Joseph Philippe and his visionary work in Fondwa.
DePaul University Partners for Strategic Storytelling
Throughout a ten-week period in the first months of this year, the Goldin Institute has been engaged with students in Professor Lisa Dush’s “Writing Digital Content” course at DePaul University, in a service-learning partnership. A senior advisor to the organization for the GATHER platform, Professor Dush invited the institute to engage with a team of four graduate students--Hannah Colwill, Rachel Landgraf, Delasha Long, and Adam Obringer--for the eventual development of a “Content Strategy Report” following in-person and virtual consultations with staff members.
[quote]Working with real organizations not only gives my students a way to apply concepts they’re learning, it also gives them ownership of an important project over the duration of the term. Organizations like the Goldin Institute exposes my students to all the great work being done by Chicago-area nonprofits.[/quote]
In this partnership, the emphasis is on documenting the important aspects of an organization’s content strategy that have not yet been documented: for example: Who are the organization’s key audiences? What are its key messages? What platforms is the organization posting on, and how often? What engagement are they getting, and how does that compare with peer organizations?
The Content Strategy report produced by the DePaul graduate students on behalf of the Goldin Institute included half a dozen major recommendations, as well as the development of “personas” to assist in identifying core audiences for the institute’s digital content, as well as a review of social media and website material, and a recommended calendar for dissemination of information via the organization’s multiple outlets.
Dush, an Assistant Professor in DePaul’s Department of Writing, Rhetoric and Discourse undertakes research on new media storytelling and organizational processes. Previously, she founded and led a Boston-based company called “Storybuilders.” Dr. Dush has worked with the Goldin Institute for several years as a Senior Advisor on the Gather platform and has led a "Digital Storytelling" workshop in Port au Prince for our partners in Haiti.
[quote]Partnering with organizations like the Goldin helps my students to understand the challenges of executing a content strategy in a real organizational setting,” explains Dush. “There is nothing like getting to know a particular organization like the Goldin—including its mission, its priorities, and its constraints—to make real the theory we read and the ideas we learn."[/quote]
Reflections on Women's History Month from a Colombian Jail
[quote]Being in a Colombian jail working with women and girls who are serving time after being child soldiers is an interesting place from which to reflect on the last day of Women's History Month. The unique challenges and insights of women and girls who were child soldiers are often lost in the conversations about demobilizaiton in Colombia and around the world.[/quote]
I can't stop thinking about the story of María Mónica Sánchez Jaramillo who was conscripted at age 15 to fight with the guerilla. She was only one of the tens of thousands who have fought during this generations-long conflict here in Colombia. In the eight years she fought before leaving combat, Maria endured constant sexual abuse and a rape that resulted in a child. Today, she sits in prison serving the remaining time of a ten year sentence for fighting in the war.
Through Serendipity, the organization I co-founded, I have been working with many women and girls in Colombia as they go through the official reintegration process which for many means serving time in jail. I think hearing and learning from the stories of these former combatants is critical as the peace deal between the government and FARC comes to fruition and thousands prepare to turn in their guns and start a new wave of returnees entering the reintegration process.
[quote]Child soldiers, many of whom began as young girls, are coming home in Colombia and while their families are celebrating, not all of society is. [/quote]
Colombia’s FARC rebels released the first child soldiers of 2017, and while exact numbers are not known, a recent UNICEF report noted that over 6,000 children are still serving in armed groups but will hopefully soon be demobilized. Of those who have already demobilized in Colombia, 13% are women, and it is estimated that 40% of those waiting to disarm and return to civil society are female. Despite the numbers, there is still no specialized reintegration program for demobilized women. These women will face the same burdens as other demobilizing soldiers as well as unique difficulties in accessing opportunities in education, housing and the workforce after returning to their home communities.
In war, women and girls face distinct risks as compared to their male counterparts, starting with the by the breakdown of their traditional social and cultural roles as defined by society. Colombia is still in many ways a "Macho" society with patriarchal views of purity, care-giving, frailty and dependance. Further, demobilized women report high rates of sexual assualt, forced abortions, psychological and physical traumas, as well as community stigma. In Colombia, it is startling that women who suffered sexual and gender-based violence during combat have an estimated 74% risk of being victimized again in civilian life.
Organizations like ours, Serendipity, believe it is necessary to have community centers where group and individual activities canould be facilitated held based on a cross-curricular gender and restorative approach. While we work in many different ways to support peace, Serendipity is one of the few non-governmental organizations in Colombia -- or anywhere -- that have such a focus and expertise on the care and support of female ex-combatants. From our experiences with imprisoned former soldiers such as Maria, we understand that strengthening and developing the socio-emotional, academic and civic skills of these women and girls is the only way to a peaceful and just future.
Board Spotlight: Akif Irfan
Ten years ago, advisory board member Akif Irfan first became engaged with the Goldin Institute while studying economics and international studies at Northwestern University. He first heard about the organization having an internship opportunity through Northwestern and was immediately intrigued by the historic connection between the Goldin Institute and the Parliament of the World's Religions. Knowing something of the Parliament’s work and curious about the grassroots approach of the Goldin Institute, he applied and was accepted for a summer internship.
Asked about his first impressions of joining the Goldin Institute team, Akif shared:
[quote]I was very impressed by both Travis and the Goldin Institute's network. I felt that they were an incredibly smart, talented, and well-networked organization. Within my first two weeks, a Swiss mathematician, partners working with former child soldiers from Colombia, a clean water expert and delegates from the World Parliament of Religions all stopped by the office.[/quote]
During his initial summer experience, Akif worked on a wide range of projects including clean water projects with associates in the Philippines, child soldier reintegration efforts in northern Uganda, and was involved with the improving microfinance initiative in Bangladesh.
Graduating from Northwestern University in 2009, Akif took a position at Goldman Sachs where he’s now a Vice-President in the company’s investment management division. Even with his demanding schedule, he remains actively engaged with the Goldin Institute.
Akif has reprensented the Goldin Institute at international events such as the 2014 Forgiveness and Reconciliation conference in Mexico City which convened practitioners of the "ESPERE" methodology. At this conference, he helped coordinate the Goldin institute's representation with colleagues from Colombia and Uganda. Akif also represents us closer to home in events like the “Gender Equity: Engaging Young People’s Conference” in the winter of 2015 in New York.
Akif became the youngest member of the Goldin Institute’s advisory board in late 2014. In reflecting on his experience as Board member:
[quote]Until I became involved with the Goldin Institute, I didn't appreciate the value of a grassroots approach to addressing global issues. Through working with the Institute I have come to realize the negative consequences of well-intentioned, but ill-constructed, efforts. You have to work in partnership with local organizations at a grassroots level to make real change that lasts. These partnerships are an important part of a successful philanthropy process and the cornerstone of the Institute's success.[/quote]
He's currently leading the effort to develop a business plan to leverage the Goldin Institute's GATHER platform to help foundations and philathropic groups give more wisely. When asked about how the skills and expertise of the Board helps inform the work, Akif suggests:
[quote]With almost eight years of experience working in the finance sector, I hope to offer an additional perspective to the Goldin Institute and its global grassroots network. I think that this can be particularly helpful when considering business development and the economics of successful projects.[/quote]
We are thrilled to have Akif on our Advisory Board as he brings his passion and experience with all aspects of the Goldin Institute's work; from an internship to governance and from the board room to the field.
YOLRED: Now Open for Business
On behalf of my team here at YOLRED, I am proud to announce that we have opened our first official office in Gulu, Northern Uganda.
This is the latest exciting step in our journey and the achievement of a dream after the successful launch of the Youth Leaders for Restoration and Development (YOLRED) last fall. Our organization is the first organization in northern Uganda that is designed and run by former combatants and dedicated to serving and reintegrating our peers.
Before having our own space, we were previously limited to working at an array of restaurants around the Gulu community until the appropriate location could be found and secured. We now have a four room office located on a parcel of land 50x26 meters large. Although YOLRED is renting the property for now, rent is secured over the next seven months, through September of this year. Including a reception area, the YOLRED office accommodates our accounting, human resources and administration teams, as well as one large office space allotted for program team and community meetings.
Having our own office space is really a big accomplishment to both YOLRED and the community we serve. Now we have the security of having a space where we can plan, monitor, organize and meet. Other former combatants who are looking for support will now have a central and known place to come for help. My colleague Charles Okello put it best when he said:
"Now we are not seen as just a 'briefcase' organization that travels around to meet people where they are but also as an organization that is a safe space to visit. Its now easier for us to be visible to the national and international organizations that need to hear the perspective of former combatants".
Furthermore, having our own space will make it easier for us to operate efficiently and at a lower overall cost. Above all, having our own office is creating a great deal of good will with the community around us who can see a tangible display that we have a level of leadership, professionalism and support that many thought was impossible for former combatants.
Thank you to everyone who has helped us so far and we hope to welcome you in our new reception room if you travel to Gulu.
Youth Leaders from East Africa Tackle Violent Extremist Recruitment
East African communities have been struggling to respond to the rise in the recruitment of children into armed conflict by a range of violent extremist groups. In Kenya, the September 2013 attack on the Westgate mall by Al-Shabaab left over 67 dead and 175 injured echoed the terror of the bombing of the U.S. Embassy on Nairobi by Al-Qaeda-aligned terrorists in 1998. Between 2012-2014, Kenyan National Police tallied 312 people killed and 779 wounded in terrorist attacks according to Human Rights Watch. Extremist violence has increasingly become a security priority for the Kenya goverment and a deepening concern in Kenya’s civil society, especially as extremist groups are actively recruiting vulnerable youth for missions inside East Africa, in conflicts like Syria and even further abroad.
To address the issue of countering violent extremism and minimizing the risk of youth being radicalized, the “Regional Youth Forum on Countering Violent Extremism: Deepening Cooperation in Combatting Violent Extremism” (CVE) occurred from August 29-31, in Nairobi, Kenya. The training was part of a five-year “Regional Peace Programme” to foster unity and collaboration with regional youth and a wide variety of youth-focused organizations. Along with Arigatou International, the Goldin Institute hosted the gathering with Norwegian Church Aid, the Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC), the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Somali Family Services, icco Cooperation, and BRAVE in mobilizing young people to engage in a shared dialogue toward finding concrete steps to achieve lasting solutions.
[slide]
[img path="images/000CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/001CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/002CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/003CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/004CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/005CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/006CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/007CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/008CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/009CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/010CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/011CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/012CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/013CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/014CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/015CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/016CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/017CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/018CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/019CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/020CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/021CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/022CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/023CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/024CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/025CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[img path="images/026CRAVE2016.jpg"][/img]
[/slide]
It is widely understood, and recognized, that generally young people comprise the population most vulnerable to extremist recruitment due to factors such as unemployment, housing instability and insecurity, hunger, low educational opportunities, social disconnection, as well as individualized, internal factors including trauma. Consequently, the primary drivers of the forum were fifty young people from Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Ethiopia supported by members of regional and international NGOs (non-governmental organizations) who attended.
“One of the take-aways from the youth participants was that women and children are quite involved in the radicalization,” notes Dr. Dorcas Kiplagat, Network and Programs Manager for GNRC and former Goldin Institute Global Associate. “The understanding of violent extremism needs to be deepened with more people actually knowing about the process of radicalization. The Kenyan government is doing much, but people are complaining that the government isn't doing enough. There needs to be organization and education on what’s happening. The partnerships between government and civil stakeholders needs to be deepened, as well.”
A worry for Dr. Kiplagat is that too often conversations about countering violent extremism don’t occur strategically, nor with regularity. For the most part, they’re high-level conversations which rarely engage the grassroots community which isn’t given the opportunity share thee on-the-ground perspective. This meeting in September was an important step in embedding these conversations within a credible, regional strategy.
“There needs to be greater opportunity for dialogue,” she notes. ‘We identify those involved in the extremist campaigns, but many times we don't empower them with knowledge and skills to resist. There is no one answer. It is the marginalized regions that are behind in terms of economic development. Young people in those situations feel excluded, and vulnerable. We can say religion is a main drive, but it's not. Christians have been attacked here in Kenya, but then we see Muslims coming to the defense of Christians, so it can't be blamed on that.”
By the forum’s end, youth participants and host organizations developed solid commitments and concrete plans of action for work in their home communities throughout East Africa. These included, among others: consistent engagement with youth; keeping a gender-lens on the radicalization of young people; identifying and working with the appropriate government section(s) addressing violent extremism; increasing employment opportunities and sustainability for individuals at-risk of recruitment; and, interfaith dialogue and mobilization being activated on the programmatic level.
ICCO Interchurch Organization for Development Cooperation) representative Angeline Nguedjeu made the closing remarks on the final day of the forum, recognizing that its realization was for indeed a “vision,” but that short and long-term goals to achieve were important to establish as soon as possible.
This Week in GI History: Manresa, Spain
This week we mark the anniversary of one of the Institute's defining events: the 2003 Building Social Cohesion in the Midst of Diversity and Migration conference held in Manresa, Spain.
At that Event, community leaders from over 20 cities gathered to explore best practices from their practical experiences building social cohesion. The Conference came together over the central questions of:
- How do we promote a positive view of difference and build a sense of social cohesion in the midst of diversity?
- Where have people been effective at building relationships of trust, understanding and cooperation between diverse communities?
- How can we best learn from those communities that have successfully built trust amongst their diverse communities?
The collaborative learning, strategies and conversations at the Event provided tools for participants to bring solutions back to their respective cities. To find out more on how this was accomplished, view the full report on our findings of the conference. here.
Thirteen years have passed since the Manresa Event, but the issue of how communities in sizable cities overcome the division and tensions often caused by their diverse populations, remains as relevant as it was in 2003. In many ways, we were fortunate to make the connections with a group of talented and committed leaders willing to address the issue head-on, as it has proven to be prescient and set the tone for future project work.
[slide][img path="images/2003___17.jpg"] Goldin Institute co-founder Diane Goldin with participants at the 2003 Maresa, Spain Event. [/img] [/slide]
