In March of 2010, Ohio University hosted a conference for IFP Fellows studying in the U.S. Midwestern region. Thirty-eight Fellows from eight universities attended the conference, representing China, Indonesia, Nigeria, Egypt, the Philippines, Kenya, India, South Africa, Uganda and Vietnam. Fellows took part in a panel discussion with members of local non-profit organizations; breakout sessions on topics such as Poverty, Gender Equality, Health and Education; and the drafting of the “Ohio Declaration” for social justice change.
Click here to view IFP's photo gallery from the Ohio conference.
Below is a report from IFP India Fellow Syed Khalid Jamal on the meeting:
IFP conference at Ohio University: Leadership via Fellowship
For the Ford Foundation International Fellowship Program’s 3-day conference, “Cultivate Leadership for Social Change,” held March 25-28th, IFP fellows from eight American universities representing ten nationalities gathered at Ohio University.
Conversations among fellows and IFP staff from New York began right at the Columbus airport and continued at Salaam, a pan-Arabian restaurant where everyone gathered for the introductory dinner. This was the ice breaking session where everyone shared their history, work and culture. As we ate together, fellows from Uganda dressed in their traditional attire danced while the rest of us joined them in cheers with rhythmic clapping and humming. Ohio University IFP fellows came forward with a collective dance performance dedicated to all participants, followed by a Chinese fellow’s solo singing performance and a solo poem recitation by an Indonesian fellow.
For the second day of the conference we were welcomed by a video address from Joan Dassin, Executive Director of the International Fellowships Fund. This was followed by remarks from Krista McCallum, Director of Ohio University International Students and a keynote address by Dr. Judith Millesen, Associate Professor of Political Science. Her work and words on social justice leadership were inspiring and provided the fellows with the fresh perspective of an academician and a practitioner of social change.
This was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Haley Duschinski, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Anthropology. Panel members came from diverse backgrounds and brought the grassroots experiences required to translate methodologies into social change actions. Mara Giglio from the Appalachian Peace and Justice Network, Carol Kuhre from Rural Action and Leslie Schaller from ACEnet shared insights on working at a grassroots level to develop social change through basic human devices such as listening, participatory approaches and conflict resolution through peer mediation. This panel was uniquely successful in its presentation and fascinating in its discussions because it avoided all the abstract and academic notions of social change and emphasized on issues in very real terms.
The panel energized participants with new enthusiasm and urgency. This was clearly reflected in the next post-lunch session, in which fellows organized themselves in small groups to brainstorm and share their thoughts on topics such as poverty and health, education, gender and equality issues. It is from these discussions that the Ohio Declaration, a document of “actions to be taken by fellows” emerged in a very powerful way.
The day progressed with a new session called “Connecting to your IFP community,” which provided a chance for fellows to know how best they can network with each other. Blogs, video conferences, new media platforms like Facebook and other ways of communication such as telecommunication text messaging were explored. Remarks by IFP officials including Senior Program Officer Tammy Langan, Communication Officer Diana Whitten and Grant Administrator Barbara Wanasek further emphasized the crucial communications and protocol issues. This emphasis resulted in an immediate networking as fellows connected with each other though Facebook and emails after this face-to-face communication. In the future, new blogs and communication platforms using new media technologies will go a long way towards keeping fellows connected and building the social justice caravan.
The conference ended on a note of solidarity and camaraderie. As our bus moved back to the Columbus airport, we were no longer a bunch of fellows; we were a family members who were to meet again, bonded by the same desires and restlessness of social change.
IFP supports meetings of Fellows and Alumni as part of its commitment to community building and transnational interaction. Past activities included the 2008 Global Leadership for Justice Forum, held in Khon Kaen, Thailand, and the 2009 Asia/Russia Regional Alumni Meeting on Disability Issues and Policy, held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The meetings provide a global framework in which participants can explore ideas, network with colleagues and exchange expertise.