Exemplifying Leadership through Social Justice at the Global Leaders Conference
By Maria Luevano, External Relations Assistant
The Social Justice Track at GGLC 2016 was an incredibly diverse and fun group! They arrived Monday with smiles on their faces and tons of excitement about the week ahead.
Tuesday began bright and early with a volunteer service event! The Social Justice Tracks volunteered with Seabury Resources for Aging, an organization that provides assistance and housing for seniors living in DC Wards 5 and 6. All morning we did yard work and gardening for two seniors in the area, braving some serious sun and DC humidity. The homeowners were so grateful and came out to thank all of us volunteers when the work was finished. Seeing how happy they were made it very rewarding work!
Tuesday afternoon was really a highlight of the week. The Social Justice Track attended a panel discussion from professionals in the field. The panelists were: Chioma Iwuoha, a Black Lives Matter activist and speaker; Jenny Ottenhoff, the Policy Director of Global Health at the ONE Campaign; and Lindsay McDaniel Mapp, the National Project Manager at the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault/PreventionConnect. The panelists were all very motivated and informative; they gave our track members a lot of inspiration and encouragement to continue to explore whatever areas of social justice that mattered to us.
On Wednesday the Social Justice Track headed to the Holocaust Museum. We spent hours exploring the incredible museum and everyone learned a lot about this important piece of history. After lunch we headed to an organization called, Little Friends for Peace. After the heavy morning, LFFP help to uplift and reenergize all of us. We played games that required all of us to work together, sang peace songs that came with fun dances, and talked about what peace could mean for us and our home countries. LFFP were so kind and welcoming, it was a great end to the day!
Thursday was truly the capstone of the week, where all attendees and facilitators of GGLC headed to the Department of State. There, attendees gave presentations about their tracks and their current projects or areas of interest. One outbound and one inbound attendee spoke from each t rack, the Social Justice Track is so proud of Brian and Sarah for representing us well! After the Department of State visit, all of us enjoyed a guided tour of the national mall and that evening we saw a hilarious hypnotist show at the DC Improv Club. Friday morning was definitely bittersweet as we all said goodbye, but it was easy to be hopeful and optimistic with so many amazing people around that are committed to making a difference!
