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"The
Columbus Council on World Affairs provides opportunities for dialogue
on world issues, and Honda of America, Manufacturing is proud to be a
part of such an outstanding organization."
– Koki Hirashima,
President and CEO – Honda of America Manufacturing
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Past
Youth & Educator Programs
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Youth Leaders Walk the Walk at the June “Hop ”
Generating awareness about human trafficking at Gallery Hop
June 2010
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Human Trafficking 2010 Youth Campaign
December 2009 – June 2010
Council Fellows are a select group of teenagers from Columbus schools, who meet weekly with a CCWA staff advisor to develop their leadership skills around one thematic global issue. These topics have international AND local implications. This year, members are working to end human trafficking, applying their efforts in a three-part approach: 1. Influence current legislation, 2. Provide direct aid to local victims, and 3. Inform the larger community about the prevalence and devastation of human slavery in Columbus, the US, and the world.
At the outset of their campaign, our student leaders met with representatives of Polaris Project following a CCWA symposium. They've since made connections with several local stakeholders to ensure that they are directing their efforts towards actual community needs.
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Global Issues Retreat 2010 a Favorite Among Teens
April 2010 |
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Clearing brush from an Amish farm and learning anthropological frameworks for identifying cultural differences is not how most high school students spend a weekend. But that is what was in store for the special few who participated in CCWA's annual Global Issues Retreat. The Council added a second session this year, attracting a total of 36 student representing 14 countries.
Participants kept busy with a variety of fun globally-oriented learning activities. During a talent component, students showed off their dance and rap skills. Ciera Young (a Columbus Alternative High School student) demonstrated the art form of slam poetry. Her piece expressed frustration at Pat Robertson's religious commentary on Haiti (her mother's ancestral homeland) in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake.
"It was very nice ambiance there with a mix of having fun and doing serious and important stuff!" said one attendee in an anonymous survey following the program. |
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Special thanks are in order for several people who helped make the weekends a success, including:
- Local Rotary, FLEX, and PAX program coordinators for presenting the opportunity to their exchange students;
- Jesse Geiger and Luke Barbara for co-facilitating and chaperoning the Retreats;
- Cherylyn Rushton and Treye Plants of Invention Convention; and
- Patricia Felinger, CCWA's 2010 International Educator of the Year for her session on "Communicating Tolerance.
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Sustainability Through Ethical and Cultural Lens
Students Ponder Panda Predicament
November 2009
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Two recent youth forums and a classroom outreach endeavor introduced local students to the basics of ethics as a discipline and its relevance to their understanding of current issues in environmental sustainability.
The first forum complemented a lecture by symposium speaker Andy Savitz on the topic of corporate responsibility vis a vis environmental priorities. The instruction and activities provided prior to and following the hour lecture allowed students to learn background on ethical models and apply them to scenarios from the news.
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Later, students representing every Delaware county high school participated in a simulation activity. They were assigned roles of various stakeholders in China grappling with the dueling interests of health, economic development, and environmental protection.
Our youth programs staff also co-facilitated an online video conversation between students in China and students at Village Academy. The two groups discussed the fate of the panda in the context of an ethical framework. It was also an opportunity for the Chinese students to practice their English skills.
Special thanks to Jenny Spolnik for her collaboration.
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Acculturation Through Journalism
Summer program helps kids succeed
July - August 2009
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For five weeks in July and August 2009, 25 youth (ages 14 to 18) were immersed in an exploration of the career of journalism. The Columbus Council on World Affairs provided daily instruction in the fundamentals of news reporting, plus some theoretical discussion of the role of a free press in a democracy. The program included field trips and guest speakers to keep things interesting for the young interns. Hearing the experiences and insights of many different professionals -- from what motivates them to what they like the least and most about their jobs -- broadened the students' understanding of work life in the US. |
Additionally, the format was a timely and relevant way to expose them to global content regarding environmental sustainability, workplace diversity, and much more. Through their work as journalism interns, the students had to interact with many different interviewees -- sharpening their communication skills, English enunciation, and building their confidence. They were also expected to perform daily tasks that resemble what they will be asked to do in an American workplace. |
Two student graduates from this program went on to cover CCWA's recent Head of State visit, featuring the President of Somalia (one is shown in the photo below, asking a question at the press conference). Thanks to a partnership with the Columbus Dispatch, their learning was extended to hundreds of kid readers who visited the NOW for kids website! You may email Stephanie Calondis Geiger to request a PDF of the student newspaper Aayo Ifis. Special thanks to our partner, Helping Africans in New Directions, and to Kiwanis of Columbus for its sponsorship of a mini-grant to be applied to this program. |
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Sustainability Project and Green Games
May 29, 2009
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Columbus Council on World Affairs youth ed staff facilitated a multi-school, multi-discipline educational project around the topic of environmental sustainability. This was accomplished by bringing together students from area schools and other local stakeholders for their mutual benefit. It involved the use of math, science, social studies, and art. It connected students labeled as having"special educational needs" and those enrolled in advance AP coursework. The project had positive outcomes for young leaders, their future employers, local non-profit organizations, and the planet! A reflective journal is in progress and you can learn more details about the whys and hows of the project. |
Council Fellows role
We began the project by advising our after-school group of high school leaders (we call them Council Fellows) that they would be the core leaders working to address a global issue of their choosing. They were told they would reach out to community partners and peers at area schools to assist them. Our youth programs staff helped Council Fellows members to brainstorm concepts, conduct research, decide on specific goals they would like to the project to achieve, imagine the steps and resources needed, become acquainted with new tools for accomplishing tasks, refine and adapt to circumstances and obstacles...and generally pointed them in the right direction so that they could eventually taste the fruits of their labor!
So, what was it exactly that they were trying to do? The mission of Council Fellows is to "solve global actions through local actions." In the past group's mission? Solve global issues through local actions. The issue? Global climate change is partly the result of wasteful, expensive, and thoughtless daily practices of Ohio citizens and consumers. The local solution? 1. Select a specific neighborhood in our Columbus community (in this case, the organziations comprosing the block known as "Jefferson Center for Learning and the Arts" or JCLA), 2. find out the current attitudes, habits, and concerns of people working in that neighborhood, 3. use their responses to calculate the impacts to the planet, and 4. suggest changes that these individuals, and the organizations they work for, can make to lessen that impact.
Council Fellows members worked diligently on the project for several months and also organized the culminating event of this project, The Green Games. Their main job was to gather information that their peer partners at area schools could use to complete their portions of the project, and to put all of the information they gathered into perspective.
Classroom outreach
Individual classroom teachers at these schools -- Linden-McKinley and Mifflin high schools, and Duxberry Elementary -- welcomed CCWA into their classrooms to co-facilitate math, science, art, and social studies components that would make the project a reality.
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Community partners
To get all of this done, we recruited help from individuals and organization representatives of all ilks! For example, COTA helped with the Mifflin portion, providing local public transportation data for use by the students for the project's math component. MORPC demonstrated energy inefficiencies as a Green Games exhibition. |
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| Chef's at Nationwide arena collected and helped load leftover produce into our cars, in order to allow LMHS students to experiement with compost, and local businesses donated prizes to incentivize "good behavior" among employees at the orgs on JCLA's campus. Honda of America, Mfg. provides financial support of our youth programs, without which hundreds of staff hours, field trip expenses, and supplies needed to making this project work would not have been available. We thank them and our general membership for their sponsorship of these education endeavors! |
Global Issues Retreat
April 24-26, 2009
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Twenty-three students met at the CCWA office and loaded a bus for Hocking Hills, where our annual Global Issues Retreat takes place. Exchange students from Azerbaijan to Uzbekistan mingled with US residents with roots in Somalia and Ghana, and with local teenagers who've never set foot outside US borders.
The goal of the weekend is to provide a nurturing environment where these young people can learn about the world's people, cultures, and issues (some common, some unique).
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Ultimately, the larger goal is simply for participants to make friends with "others," and then carry the positive memory of that experience with them into adulthood as they begin careers and start families.
We imagine this makes the world a little better place. But it is not possible to know if any of the messages and positive feelings live beyond the Retreat; the impact of it is not easily tracked beyond that one weekend, let alone relayed to CCWA supporters and members in a quantifiable way. |
Enter Facebook.
It was through this online social network that our staff observed the participants' personal reflections on the program's impact -- those that happened organically with no prompting from survey questions! We learned that they had organized a small reunion before the exchange students departed from their home countries. The young man who hosted this party served a cake with the inscription "Friends Without Borders." |
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Council
Fellows organize
"Green Games"
Feburary - May 2009

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Members of our youth group Council
Fellows current project addresses global warming and promotes
environmental sustainability at the local level. After
conducting audits of the current energy use, purchasing and consumption
habits at local non-profit organizations (those on the campus of The
Jefferson Center for Learning and the Arts), these high school students
will consult with staffers to help them set achievable goals and change
policies that lead to an overall improvement. |
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will track progress at
these
organizations, work on complementary activities with peers at area
schools, and plan a fun field day type event that lets everyone in on
the fun of going green! These
"Green Games" will include
challenges,
relay races, exhibitions and more. Jefferson Center also plans to break
ground on a community garden on the same day. |
Youth
learn partnership is key to effecting real change
Council Fellows thank Governor Strickland and peers at Statehouse
November 26, 2008
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Governor Strickland signed an executive
order that sets into motion a
new procurement policy for Ohio.
What does that mean? Ohio tax dollars will no longer be used to support
sweatshops and unfair working conditions in the apparel industry.
Council Fellows' work over the last two plus years helped influence
this important success! On November 26, three of our Council Fellows
representatives attended a press conference at the Ohio
Statehouse. |
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Munira
Mire, Zam Zam Mire, and Dana Vanderkolk all played an important role.
Much of the attention at this event was focused on a Hilliard girls field
hockey team which opted to
purchase Fair Trade
tee shirts as "spirit wear." CCWA applauds their decision. With the
groundwork laid by Council Fellows, Global Gallery, The Ohio Conference
on Fair Trade, SweatFree Communities, and others, this coalition of
reformers can enjoy a well-deserved success! News of the
event was featured on the radio(WCBE), tv (NBC4), and in Gongwer news
service. To date, Council Fellows efforts on this issue have been
extensive.
Teachers,
please use the free newly-developed Fair
Trade Curriculum
compiled by Global
Exchange!
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Local
"pumpkins" enjoy a Fair Trade Halloween
October 28, 2008
| Five-year-olds
scanned the horizon for red cocoa pods, "climbed" trees to get to the
fruit, wiggled their fingers to imitate the sun's rays drying beans.
Cassie Jones, a student at Columbus Alternative High School, implored
them to shovel the imaginary fragrant berries into bags to be loaded
onto trucks. It was quite a workout, led by our youth group Council
Fellows. These student leaders were doing educational outreach in
October at two area recreation centers in celebration of Fair Trade
month and Halloween. |
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Their
activities, adapted from a Chocolate Explorers unit authored by
TransFair, were designed to introduce many concepts to young children.
They included: where chocolate comes from, how it gets from Africa and
Latin America to their trick or treat bags, the effort involved in
being a farmer, inequities in pay for many farmers in the developing
world, the difference between "wants and needs," and the realization
that not everyone gets their basic needs met despite their own hard
work.
The
unit ended with a positive message that there are solutions to this
unfair reality with the help of community leaders of all ages
everywhere in the world. One funny highlight of the day was when
Council Fellows challenged the kids to reach into our box of Halloween
attire to create their version of a farmer costume! While this didn't
go exactly as planned (think feathers, beads, and fringe all over!) it
was a funny way to end the visit. Council Fellows left the kids with
images of farmers worldwide, which contrasted with their association of
a Midwest US-style grower in overalls, John Deere hats, and Carhartt
vests.
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Putting
a face to the Iraq war
October 23, 2008
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Salam Talib, an Iraqi national
currently studying at the University of California Berkely, came to
Columbus to talk about the impact of war on human beings. He is a
representative of the organization Wheels of Justice, which lists
"adherence to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights" as item #1 of
their platform. Salam has seen friends killed in war. He has witnessed
the disintegration of a country devastated by U.S. military engagement
and the resulting insurgency.
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Yet as a true pacifist, Salam explained
that he advocates for peace on behalf of all people, and not just as a
representative of Iraq. Working as a translator for the military, he
recalls the effects of violence on U.S. soldiers, many of whom suffer
from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, strained relationships,
debilitating injuries and more.
During
a visit to Central Crossing High School, Salam shared this knowledge
with students. His personal accounts were intended to add layers of
understanding to what war means, getting beyond politics. Considered
alongside other sources -- news accounts, classroom instruction,
military recruitment campaigns, and parental opinion -- students were
able to take in Salam's views as part of a full spectrum of information
from which they can formulate a better understanding of complex global
issues.
At
this event, students asked MANY questions. Some had an antagonistic
tone, others were born from pure curiosity. Of the information that
Salam shared, the item that garnered the most audible response was "How
much does gasoline cost in Iraq?" Salam explained that even though Iraq
is rich with oil, citizens pay a far higher price than Americans and
that gasoline is rationed. People are assigned days when they are
permitted to pump the fuel and usually they stand in line for hours or
days to get their share.
Several
individual students approached the speaker after the assembly to
connect with him on a more personal level. One young man exchanged chit
chat in Arabic, another red haired boy gave a hearty handshake and said
" I really respect what you are doing." Two girls of Somali heritage
asked him how he is being received in the United States. They explained
that because they are Muslim and have "foreign" names, they sometimes
experience hostility. They said it gave them hope to see Salam being
welcomed to a school to share his experiences.
We
thank Central Ohioans for Peace and Salam Talib for their contributions
to student learning!
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S'more
Council Fellows needed to take local action on global issues!
October
17, 2008
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Local
high school students gathered
at the home of our youth programs director for a fall meeting and
party. They are shown here planning October activities for outreach
with young children, and enjoying s'mores made with Fair Trade
Certified chocolate. They also viewed a film about economic hardship in
the coffee-growing regions of the world and went on a neighborhood
scavenger hunt to locate retail items that are considered "socially
responsible." |
| Council Fellows membership is
limited to those who are able to commit to one meeting per week and
willing to do the hard work that leads to a long-term reward. "The
group is all about leadership development," says youth programs
director Stephanie Calondis Geiger. "One challenge I face as the
adviser is getting students to realize that sometimes community
organizing is only fun toward the end when your hard work leads to the
achievement of a goal. It takes patience and commitment. If students
show up expecting me to entertain them, they will be disappointed! I am
here to guide them along, demonstrate strategies, give them an
organizing framework, and connect them with resources." If you are up
for the challenge, and are a Central Ohio high school student during
the 2008-2009 school year, please email our youth chair, Radhika
Tampi (a student at Pickerington
North high school) to get involved. |
Online
Discussion of Georgia/Russia Conflict
September
2008
Council
Fellows Interview Linda Gradstein
September 18, 2008
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“Is
it hard as a woman to be a journalist in the Middle East?”
asked Munira Mire of Linda Gradstein.
Munira
is a high school student, a member of our youth group Council
Fellows. Most people upon meeting her are able to assess that
she is Muslim (because of her attire). And, logic leads them
to the understanding that she is likely Somali, and probably a refugee.
These are fundamental (if not comprehensive) parts of her identity that
she embraces.
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So,
it is telling that the first question she asked during her interview
with Gradstein (a broadcast journalist of NPR fame), had nothing to do
with faith relations or regional stability. It had to do with
how she, as a female, makes her way in the world.
“As
a reporter, it is an advantage to be a woman,” said
Gradstein, even on the border of Israel and Palestine where Gradstein
lives and works. She explained that she officially has access
to men’s society because of her press credentials, but she
may also sit and relate with the women, a privilege not extended to men
Islamic culture. “Women all over the world can have this
instant connection that doesn’t always happen with
men.”
This
meeting between members of Council Fellows and Ms. Gradstein helped the
students cement some concepts they were introduced to this summer in
the Aayo Ifis summer journalism institute. It also rallied
them around their collective goal of empowering women through
“local actions to address global issues,” the
group’s motto. She made them feel at ease, explaining that
she is a mom of kids their age and that she could relate to their
nervousness as cub reporters interviewing a public figure.
Gradstein was in
Columbus to address
the Columbus Jewish Federation (one of our partner organizations) and
to mingle with CCWA’s young professionals network during an
evening event at BoMA. It was very generous of her
to allocate a portion of her time to meet with our students.
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Visit
to Main Street Free Press Museum
September 4, 2008
| Just as immigrants add
flavor to the
great "salad bowl" of US society, so too do other micro cultures. Five
female graduates of CCWA's summer journalism program for mostly Somali
high school students got a taste of small town life recently when they
visited Fredericktown Ohio's Main Street Free Press Museum. Their
evening started with a presentation by Marjorie McMahon, a reporter for
the Knox County Citizen newspaper in the 1930s. The students were
excited to meet a female role model in journalism. Ms. McMahon's
recollections prompted our aspiring reporters to think about the
question "what is news?" in the context of a small town (answer: a lot
of personals and announcements!) and in an earlier era. |
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Traditional
Somali culture encourages reverence for elders. From the girls'
interaction with the speaker, it is clear that value has been
transferred to the next generation, even as the diaspora struggles to
balance old and new expectations in their adopted homes in Central
Ohio.
The
presentation coincided with Fredericktown's annual Tomato Show AND with
Ramadan. That made the food stand fare seem even TASTIER when it came
time for the girls to break their fasts (Muslim people refrain from
eating or drinking during the day throughout the Holy Month). They
sampled french fries, chicken sandwiches, and homemade desserts being
sold as a fundraiser for different town congregations.
"One
thing that stands out about this trip is how charmed the girls were
with life in rural Ohio," says Stephanie Calondis Geiger, our youth
programs director. "All of the sights and smells of the festival, the
warmth of the church members who welcomed them to the meeting hall and
to the museum, the extra effort that people made to clarify points and
take advantage of so-called teachable moments, even the feeling of
safety they felt being out at night in a small town... these are the
things they are still talking about a couple of weeks later."
The
Free Press Museum was founded to "foster freedom of the press under the
First Amendment at the grass-roots level, celebrate the role of the
small-town newspaper, demonstrate the craft of letterpress printing,
and restore and preserve the museum's historic building and antique
equipment" For our students, it was an excellentbridge between the
summer journalism curriculum and their continued involvement with CCWA.
Participants in this excursion included: Munira Mire, Zam Zam Mire,
Muslimo Mohammed, Habiba Amin, Fartun Amin, and Mike Lorz.
Special
thanks to John Long of the Wall Street Journal (whose father founded
the museum) and the congrgation at the First Baptist Church for
welcoming our group.
The
summer journalism program referenced was a partnership with HAND and
Lorz Communications.
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Culture
Camp modules deliver summer fun
Summer 2008
| In
partnership with the Thurber
House, Short Stop Center, the Blue Green Alliance, and Columbus Parks
and Recreation, CCWA youth programs staff infused existing summer
camps/youth trainings with intercultural elements. This included
simulations, writing exercises, a Silk Road music workshop, and a giant
kickball game which brought together Somali teens with other local
youth. This summer was the pilot year of this type of partnership
opportunity and we plan to offer it again next year! |
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Literature
Group Discusses "Infidel" by Aayan Hirsi Ali
August 29, 2008
Aayo
Ifis means a BRIGHT FUTURE for Somali youth
July 2008
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After
5 weeks of intense instruction
in the fundamentals of journalism, this year's edition of Aayo Ifis --
translated as "bright future" in Somali -- rolled off the presses to
the great pride (and relief) of the students and staff who worked to
make it possible.
Journalism is the perfect outlet for facilitating intercultural
interaction, says Stephanie Calondis Geiger, which is why CCWA was
willing to allocate so much of her time (as our Director of Youth
Programs) toward making this program partnership a success. |
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"Reporting
gives students a reason to talk with people they never would have
approached before because they have to interview them for a story
assignment," she says. "In this particular case, it also gave
non-Somali people an excuse to talk to kids in their community they may
have wanted
to connect with before but they perhaps felt intimidated or worried
about making cultural mistakes and so they decided to
essentially opt out of dialogue."
Calondis Geiger added that the program had many other positive
implications for the young people who participated, beyond cultural
exposure. To read her reflections on the program, including the goals
and activities, please see her summer
journal.
This program impacted 60 Central Ohio students. Special
thanks to the many volunteers who shared their expertise with students
as guest speakers and guest instructors.
This
program was delivered in partnership with Lorz Communications and
Helping Africans in New Directions (HAND).
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Largest
Fair Trade Coffee Break (World
Fair Trade Day)
May 10,
2008
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To
help break the Guinness record for largest Fair Trade Coffee Break --
previously set at 5,000 people -- groups across the U.S. organized
individual, simultaneous efforts in their communities. Council Fellows
members arranged two fun gatherings in Central Ohio: one at The
Andersons in Pickerington (employer of Council Fellows co-chair Dana
Vanderkolk) and another at the home of Jessica Conroy (a member of the
group who lives in Reynoldsburg). The students invited their friends,
family, and coworkers to come learn about Fair Trade and enjoy a cup of
delicious coffee in honor of the people who grow our food and make our
products. Sixty five individuals participated in the break thanks to
the students' hard work! Council Fellows wishes to thank Peace Coffee,
Kroger in Reynoldsburg (where Jessica is employed) and The Andersons
for their donations.
Read
the article in The Reynoldsburg News, featuring Council Fellows member
Jessica Conroy!
Talk
about it on our blog
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Council
Fellows student leaders reach out to Ohio Senate minority
April 29, 2008
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In coalition
with
the organization SweatFree communities, CCWA's youth chair -- Dana
Vanderkolk of Council Fellows -- helped to brief Senators and aides
about the need to end government support of sweatshops. After
connecting with Vicki Kaplan, regional organizer for SF Communities,
Council Fellows was invited to provide representation at the briefing.
This action was an important first step toward ending the use of
taxpayer dollars for the purchase of apparel that does not meet U.S.
standards for safe working conditions, fair wages in a local context,
and environmental stewardship. |
| This meeting was in the immediate
wake of a success in Vermont, where the Governor signed into law
legislation that ensured that sourcing of state apparel (such as police
and fire uniforms and prisoner attire) is done with American values
about human rights and labor laws in mind. The effort in Vermont was
led by high school students. Two of Ohio's neighboring states --
Pennsylvania and Illinois -- have passed similar legislation. The
briefing was a great learning opportunity for Dana to get insight into
the political process. Council Fellows work to date has largely
centered on consumer education. However, recent opportunities and
partnerships have prompted discussion about the possibility of
extending their work into the legislative sphere. Dana plans to consult
with her peers and decide if they would like to pursue this route. |
25th
Annual Global Issues Retreat
April 25-27, 2008
| Seventeen
students representing seven countries and nine schools throughout
Central Ohio met for a weekend of personal growth and discussion about
Global Issues. Several "firsts" marked the experience: one student had
never been away from home overnight, several had never hiked or had
S'mores (ours were made with Fair Trade chocolate!), many had not
previously interacted with peers of ethnic, racial, and cultural
backgrounds different than their own. The agenda included a three hour
outdoor initiatives course in the woods. This activity facilitated fast
friendships, transforming strangers into team members with a common
goal. After this and an intercultural simulation activity, the teens
were primed for casual dialogue and a packed schedule of structured
sessions led by volunteers and professionals. Topics this year
included: Global Health and Malaria, Stereotypes in the Media, American
Folk Songwriting, and Intro to Japanese Language and Culture. |


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Central
Ohio youth leaders reach out to the City of Columbus to begin dialogue
about becoming a Fair Trade City
April 24, 2008
As
a step toward their goal of putting the city of Columbus on the record
as a "Fair Trade City," Council Fellows members reached out to Director
of Communications John Ivanic. The purpose of the meeting was two-fold:
1. brief him about the group's activities and goals, and 2. use his
insights and knowledge of City Council to gauge the receptiveness of
members of Council to this type of youth-led proposal. As a result of
the meeting, Mr. Ivanic agreed to speak to two key city reps who he
thought would be open to further engagement. He also invited Bailey
Cleary-Foeller, one of the group's leaders, to appear on a public
interest radio show that he hosts on 91.5 FM.
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CCWA
youth group ventures to Seattle for Green Festival
April
11 - April 14, 2008

Watch
the video!
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Group
leaders traveled to Seattle, Washington to network with professionals
in the areas of Fair Trade, environmental sustainability and activism.
Council Fellows members wrote and submitted the grant proposal and
engaged in other fundraising efforts to enable their participation. The
festival highlighted best practices in community organizing. Featured
speakers and sessions included:
- John Perkins, "The
Secret History of
the American Empire: What Next? How to Change It"
- Sharif Abdullah,
"Creating a World
That Works for All"
- Amory Lovins,
"Profitable Solutions
to Oil Dependence, Climate Change, and Proliferation"
- Mark Anielski, "The
Economics of
Happiness"
- Karen Deal and Dr.
Leon K. Rowland,
"Labor & Justice in the Green Marketplace"
On landing at the airport, the students' journey began with a ride in a
hybrid taxi (driven by a Somali man excited to talk about
sustainability and fair trade) and the festival's themes were further
exemplified the rest of the weekend. The experience spawned many ideas,
new partnerships, and applied learning.
Council
Fellows thanks Kiwanis of Columbus for their financial support.
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Council
Fellows youth group partners with Short North Business Association for
April Gallery Hop
Brings
Fair Trade discussion into "Green" concept
April 5, 2008 |
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The
shop windows were decorated with a "green theme," shop owners displayed
their wares made from environmentally sustainable materials, and spring
shoppers were anxious to shed wooly winter sweaters for new fashion
finds. But one group of local teenagers, CCWA's Council Fellows wanted
to be sure that Gallery Hoppers also kept their eyes (and wallets) open
to products that take into account human rights. |
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"We
appreciate those businesses that go the extra mile to do the right
thing. We want to support their effort to do what is fair and just",
says Dana Vanderkolk, a Council Fellows student leader.
She
notes several examples: Jeni's Ice Cream has created flavors that use
fair trade certified ingredients, Substance carries product lines that
are said to be sourced exclusively from "sweatshop free" manufacturers
and even sews original pieces in their shop, Dr. MoJo carries denim
labels bearing "Made in the USA" tags (which Vanderkolk notes can be a
shortcut to ensuring that fair labor standards are met), and Global
Gallery sells ONLY fair trade certified products from around the globe.
The
students recently proposed the partnership with the Short North
Business Association during a meeting with SNBA Executive Director,
John Angelo at which they made their case to be added to the mix of
voices.
"The Short North
provides a dynamic
forum for community engagement," comments Angelo. "Visitors from across
the city and throughout the region attend the monthly Gallery Hops.
CCWA's program creates a tremendous opportunity for the next generation
to tap that audience, interact with them, and impart their
perspectives."
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"Consumer
Conversations" prepares youth advocates for outreach efforts on Fair
Trade
April 5, 2008 |
| Peer
partners of
CCWA's youth group Council Fellows gathered to revisit the nuts and
bolts of economics, brainstorm arguments in support of "Fair Trade,"
and learn skills for advocating their chosen cause to the greater
public. The teens also participated in a scavenger hunt through the
Short North, looking for examples of retail products and practices that
support a fairer and more sustainable economy. Among the items they
were challenged to collect: a cup from an establishment serving Fair
Trade certified coffee, a photo of someone wearing a clothing item
"Made in the USA," a menu from a restaurant serving dishes made from
local produce, the business card from the manager of a store selling
items that have been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. |
 |
| Special
thanks to Dr. Steven Miller, Karen Hansen, and Tara Brown for their
contributions to student learning! |
Global
School Bus Volunteer Training
April
1, 2008 & February 6, 2008

| The Global School
Bus training was
for community members with strong ties to other countries (those born
outside the U.S., second-generation immigrants who identify strongly
with another culture, etc.) who were interested in making cultural
presentations at area schools. Participants heard from current
educators, found out how U.S. schools are organized and funded, and
learned about ideas for creating interactive presentations! Presented
in partnership with the Office of International Affairs at OSU. |
Intergenerational
Great Decisions Discussion
March
27, 2008
| The Great
Decisions Discussion was
for High School Students and Senior Residents at First Community
Village in Upper Arlington. |
Global
Health Live Chat
March 10, 2008
|
CCWA
youth programs staff and web content intern Jeff Tinley facilitated a
live online chat between local high school students, college
undergrads, a medical student at OSU, and three guest commentators.
Participants included Whitney
Welshimer of the International Women's Health Coalition, Cate Oswald of
Partners in Health, and Sherri Williams, a reporter at the Columbus
Dispatch
who spent three weeks in December in South Africa on a National
Association of Black Journalists fellowship reporting on the country's
AIDS crisis. As Chapter President of the Columbus Association of Black
Journalists, Ms. Williams was instrumental in organizing a recent town
hall meeting (in partnership with the Columbus AIDS Task Force) that
allowed participants to discuss the impact that epidemic is having on
the black community. The online discussion began with the question: Why
invest in global health? Why not concentrate on poverty? There was
agreement (among those who commented) that health was a precursor to
any economic growth and that if people are not healthy, they cannot
work and if they cannot work there will be no end to poverty. They also
agreed that we should treat health as a human right.
Among
the many strands that emerged after the first question was a discussion
over the current exchange of doctors for oil between Cuba and
Venezuela. In another strand, students inquired about the practical
steps to combating the global health crisis. Dialogue ended with
students "picking the brains" of guest commentators about possible
career paths in the field of Global Health, and ideas for advocating
for health solutions.
|
Black
Gold Film Screening and
Discussion
January 10, 2008
 |
Continuing
their efforts to spread the word about fair trade, Council Fellows
(CCWA's youth group) gathered at Global Gallery Coffee Shop to host a
viewing of Black Gold,
a documentary about the $80 billion coffee industry and the fair trade
coffee movement. Scenes of Ethiopian farmers struggling to
meet their most basic needs on a wage of less than $.50 a day played
against Americans and Europeans drinking $3.00 cappuccinos and placed
the two worlds in sharp contrast. After the film,
participants were treated (courtesy of Global Gallery) to samples of
the same Fair Trade Certified coffee grown by the Ethiopian cooperative
featured in the film. The Council Fellows were delighted by the turnout
of fourteen community members (expanding the total audience to
19)!
<less>
Black
Gold told the story of Tadesse
Meskla, the President of the Oromo Coffee Farmers Co-op Union, and
followed him from Ethiopian coffee farms to destinations around the
world as he attempted to put more money in the hands of Ethiopian
farmers. In the telling of this story the film traced a cup
of coffee from the farm, to coffee buyer, to roasters, to retailers.
Participants were shocked to know that on average just $.03
out of every cup went to farmers who picked the beans. Such
information made the mundane event of a morning cup of coffee take on
new significance.
At the end of film, Council Fellows lead a discussion with community
members. Attendees commented on both the hilarity of the
World Barrista Competition (an intense completion for cappuccino
“artists”) and the sadness they felt viewing the
scenes of starvation at an Ethiopian nourishment center.
Members noted that the film helped them to understand issues of trade
that are often too complex to be digested in other forms. In
particular, they were floored by the fact that a 1% increase in the
percentage of world trade would bring $70 billon to Ethiopia; five
times what Ethiopia currently receives in aid! They were also
moved by the dedication of Tadesse Meskla to his fellow countrymen and
heartened to know that Ethiopian coffee farmers have such a strong
advocate.
The
evening ended on an optimistic note. Participants were
reminded that their everyday actions, such as paying a few more cents
for a cup of Fair Trade Certified coffee, could help the 15 million
people in Ethiopia have dignity, keep their people from growing the
narcotic khat, enable the construction of schools and sufficient
housing, and have a meal to eat everyday.
Currently,
Council Fellows are planning a fair trade tour and fashion showcase in
the Short North. The tour would feature local businesses that
adhere to standards of sustainability and justice. We hope to
see you there!
|
Turkish
Dinner and Cultural Showcase
December 19, 2007
| Participants
sampled the culinary and artistic traditions of Turkey at Cafe Shish
Kebab. The evening included fun interactive activities and
entertainment, delicious food and casual conversation. Representatives
of the local Turkish community, as well as teachers from our summer
study tour were in attendance. |
 |

Campaign
for a Fair Trade Halloween
October
31, 2007
 |
An
initiative by Council Fellows (CCWA's youth group) which provided
community members the opportunity to distribute Fair Trade Certified
chocolate coins and colorful pirate-themed activity cards for
trick-or-treat night! Figuring that families would be giving out candy
no matter what, our students wanted to add this fun and educational
element to the night. They created an ad for their school PA system and
set up a table to sell packets the week prior to Halloween. They also
spread the word via online social networking and collected orders
through email. For $5, customers got a bag of milk chocolate Fair Trade
certified coins (there were 16-18 perbag, depending on the size of the
coins) plus 17 double-sided, full-color fun activity cards for kids,
designed by the student chair of Council Fellows (a student at
Pickerington North High School).
With
only this guidance -- "make it interactive, like the back of a kids'
cereal box!" -- Dana was able to design a great card which included a
maze, a word scramble, and info on where chocolate comes from. There
were even tips for parents on incorporating Fair Trade Certified items
into everyday shopping. On beggar's night, families were instructed to
deposit one coin and one activity card in each kid's bag. Over 1400
children learned about Fair Trade thanks to this program, which sparked
curiosity and conversation in participating neighborhoods!
|
Turkey
Study Tour
July
25 – August 10, 2007
Intergenerational
Great Decisions discussion: War Crimes
July 19, 2007
|
Residents
of First Community Village (a retirement
community) and Council
Fellows (high
school students in CCWA's youth
group) met to discuss the
topic of War Crimes. The concept of prosecution of War
Crimes via the UN-created
International Criminal Court (of which the US is not a party) was a
talking point, but the forum also accomodated the sharing of personal
opinions about the old addage "all's fair in love
and war." One
attendee was a German expatriot who served in the military under
Hitler. His recollections of that time were especially
illuminating for our youth.
Test
your knowledge about the topic of War Crimes: take the FPA
quiz!
Read
one student's reflection from that day
<less>
Intergenerational
Dialogue Reflection
By Andrew Conte
In July 2007, I had the opportunity to participate in an
intergenerational dialogue on the subject of War Crimes at First
Community Village. The opportunity was one that I look back
on with
fond memories and strong aspirations for future dialogues.
The event
gave high school and college age students, such as myself, the
opportunity to speak their minds and compare and contrast their views
with ones senior citizens
had on a topic frequently featured on
front-page news across America.
While the discussions themselves were rewarding and engaging, the
facet of this type of forum of most value to me was the realization
that generational gaps are far too prevalent among Americans, and are,
in my opinion, also often misunderstood. I say misunderstood
because
I feel that it is not entirely the lack of activities aimed at
gathering younger and older generations that cause these gaps; rather,
it seems certain spoken and unspoken prejudices inevitably exist
between members of different generations. These
preconceptions hinder
relationships from being able to form and ultimately cause the
misunderstandings that push intergenerational relations aside.
For example, many of my friends believe that senior citizens are
unable of fully understanding events unfolding in the world today
because of an unwillingness to forget the past or inability to
"modernize" with the ever-changing world. Conversely, it
feels as
though senior citizens believe that we as the younger generations are
too young to fully comprehend the situations persisting today because
of a lack of experience or seem to apathetic.
Whether or not these preconceptions actually have merit or not, I
believe the bigger issue here is that there seems to be no effort
being made to combat and resolve preconceptions; perhaps if the bias
was contested, generations would have more reason to come together and
reflect with one other. In order to begin the change process,
we not
only need to come together in more activities, we need to make it a
goal to try to understand and empathize with our older and younger
generations. By considering other perspectives and reflecting
on who
we are in a generation, we can help to break the prejudices that have
kept us from moving forward in our intergenerational relationships.
|
Mobile
Youth Forum on Climate Change: Energy
Policy and Innovations
May 25, 2007
Youth
Forum for high school students and teachers.

Global
Issues Retreat
April 27-29, 2007

|
Spontaneous
discussion about a proposed “universal language” is
just one illustration of the success of the Columbus Council on World
Affairs flagship Global Issues Retreat program. Twenty students from
throughout Ohio
and the world came together in April as strangers and left as friends.
They felt safe enough over the 3 day experience to share their views on
economics, hegemony, and culture. They also enjoyed down-time together
just “hanging out” in a supportive
environment. While the event has occurred annually since the
1980s, in 2007 youth programs staff added a second session to the
yearly roster based on past input from students and teachers. This
second session attracted high school students from Ukraine, Switzerland,
Czech Republic,
China, Brazil
and the United
States. Participants came
from public, private, and community schools and lived in rural, urban,
and suburban locales. The agenda included
the following activities:
- Heelotia cultural
simulation;
- Outdoor teambuilding
initiatives;
- A storytelling
session, including
pre-writing meditation in the form of Tai Chi;
- “Groups
pushed
to the fringe,” a session which featured deaf
culture as a case study, prompting discussion about other groups
worldwide considered to be minority cultures;
- An “Introduction
to Somali
Language” mini-lesson led by OSU teaching staff;
- and much more!
If you know a high
school student
who would benefit from participation in future events, please visit the
Global
Issues Retreat web page
for details or sign up for our monthly enewsletter to keep updated on
other exciting programs by sending a message info@columbusworldaffairs.org. |
The
Turkic World
April 28, 2007
|
Teachers
learned
the latest scholarship on the Turkic world, which can be applied in
their classrooms. Turkic languages, the Silk Road, Turkic history and
culture occupied an important part in the economy of the workshop.
Samples
of books
and other resources for adults and children were be available, and
continental breakfast and a lunch featuring Turkish cuisine were
provided. This event is co-sponsored and
organized by The Ohio
State University Middle East
Studies Center and Office
of International Affairs.
A more extensive Portrait of Turkey
series will occur in the fall.
|
Global
Issues Retreat
March 23-25, 2007
 |
A
weekend retreat in Ohio’s Hocking Hills presented a chance
for international exchange students and local youth to discover each
others’ values and beliefs in a peaceful atmosphere. For more
details, visit the Global Issues Retreat page
of our site.
This
session included an African Drumming workshop, an Introduction to
Swahili lesson, a session about the fascinating country of Turkey,
among other interactive activities. Students in attendance
hailed from Brazil, Japan, Venezuela,
the Republic
of Georgia, and the U.S.
Some comments from student participants at the 23rd
Annual Global Issues Retreat March session (excerpted from anonymous
survey):
On
getting acquainted with peers from other schools:
“It’s great to meet cool new people from your city
because even if you never do anything with them again, you'll have a
special bond with someone else from your city that no one else will
understand.”
<less>
On
getting acquainted with peers from other countries:
“I liked how no matter what we were doing, the exchange
students could tell us how they did it differently at home. Each one
had a totally different life from me and its fun to hear about
them.”
On
having a forum for self-expression:
“I found I could actually express myself better with near
strangers than with some of my friends!”
General
reaction to the experience:
“All in all, the GIR was really the most fun I've had all
year. I really think it’s helped me to become a better
person, and more understanding of the various cultures around
me.”
|
Global
School Bus Training
January
10, 2007
| The
Global School Bus program sends presenters to classrooms to teach kids
about different countries and countries through hands-on activities,
photograph slideshows, artifact show and tell, and much more! CCWA
partners with the Office
of International Affairs at OSU
to offer training sessions to new volunteers. |
 |
Jubilee
USA Network Tour
Charity
Musamba & Romulo Torres
October
30-31, 2006
 |
As
part of their Jubilee USA network tour, these passionate speakers
connected with the Columbus Council on World Affairs to visit students
at both Columbus Africentric High School and Columbus Alternative High
School. The tour focused on debt cancellation, one year after the
historic G8 agreement, with a specific focus on the UN Millennium
Development Goals. Ms. Musamba and Mr. Torres highlighted the
connection between debt, economic justice and women's issues. The
opportunity was well-received by the 45 participating youth and their
teachers, who had never examined debt in this way. It was also an
opportunity for Spanish students to hear a native speaker.
As
part of their Columbus tour stop, the Jubilee delegation also mingled
with CCWA Young Professionals at The Burgundy Room in
Columbus’ historic Short North Arts district.
<less>
Charity
Musamba (Zambia) has served
as National Coordinator for the Debt Cancellation and Trade Justice
Project of Jubilee Zambia and as Research and Communications Officer
for the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection in Lusaka, Zambia.
She
participated in the Zambian government’s Civil Society
consultation during the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) and
Poverty Reduction Strategy processes. Charity has presented at many
international conferences, including a meeting of debt campaigners from
around the world at the 2005 G8 meeting in Scotland.
Romulo
Torres (Peru) is the
Coordinator the Latin American Network on Debt and Development
(LATINDADD).
He is a member of
Jubilee Peru and a
consultant for the Episcopal Commission for Social Action which has a
strong popular education and grassroots focus. Romulo has also
participated in many international conferences, including at the 2005
G8 meeting in Scotland.
|
Ukrainian Delegation
October 26, 2006
World
Beat Journalism Conference
September 15, 2006
 |
 |
|
This event was designed
for high school students interested in journalism and/or those seeking
to be better consumers of news. What’s that got to do with
the price of rice in China? Everything! The aim of this
conference was to introduce students to the concept of
“glocal” journalism. As defined by the
event keynote, Doug McGill, this means:
1.
Journalism that illuminates the invisible strands of mutual influence
connecting every town and city to the rest of the world.
Glocal journalism exposes the local effects of global causes, the local
reactions to global actions, the local opportunities of global trends,
the local threats of global dangers, and the love of local and global
neighbors.
2.
Journalism that uses freedom of the press in the U.S. to help people
elsewhere in the world who don't have it.
Journalists in the U.S. can often write better stories about the
politics and society of foreign countries, simply because they don't
fear a knock on the door at night. At the same time, thanks to the
Internet, these stories can be extremely useful in those countries
because they will be read and exchanged and widely distributed.
3.
Journalism that defines the largest relevant and useful context for
every local story. In a
globalized world that context is usually global whether the story is
the weather, a flu outbreak, fishing in the Mississippi, or the
insanely low price of sneakers at Wal-Mart.
<less>
McGill’s
keynote address cited examples with great local relevance, including:
- Ohio’s soy crop
being in
high demand by the Asian countries which consume this product,
- Ohio farmers impact on
world
politics via the potential of ethanol and corn-based polymers to
replace petroleum in many applications,
- Local Honda workers
being part of a
company designing and manufacturing hybrid vehicles, and
- Ohio’s place as
home to
the second largest Somali community in the U.S.
Following the address,
students were split up into smaller groups for interactive break-out
sessions led by:
Venise
Wagner, a journalism
professor and freelance reporter who conducted a module on:
“Covering
Diverse Communities.” She is a trainer for the
Society for Professional Journalists. In her session,
participants were asked to look at and describe an object from where
they sat in the room. The challenge was to be accurate and unbiased,
yet interesting. Students were also asked to think about the ways they
define themselves and others and how their perspective is clouded by
“cultural lenses.” The group looked at a
case study derived from an actual local news item which illustrated the
challenge of covering diverse communities and were asked to engage in
role-playing aimed at putting them in the shoes of a reporter, a local
Somali leader, and community stakeholders.
Sherri
Williams of the Columbus
Dispatch provided an insiders view of the news story on which this
activity was based. She also offered to serve as a mentor and
general resource to students as they proceeded in their roles as news
producers and consumers.
Darrin
Mortenson, who joined the
Mershon Center at The Ohio State University in August as Journalist in
Residence shared his experience as an imbedded reporter. He
spent three with Marines in Iraq. His second tour took place in 2004
with the first Marine battalion in Fallujah, where he saw the violence
leading up to the brutal slaying of four American contractors. During
his time at Mershon, Mortenson plans to finish a book analyzing the
2004 events in Fallujah. He argues that 11 months of occupation by U.S.
Army troops preceded the contractors' slayings, and that Marines
attacked the town as early as March after losing troops of their own.
In completing his book, Mortenson hopes to expand access to primary
military documents on the war in Iraq. At the conference, he
showed images from Iraq, and answered student questions about such
issues as: the perceived conflict of interest for an unbiased reporter
to be embedded with a group upon which s/he depends for personal
survival, the accuracy and value of the war reporting that most
Americans are receiving, etc.
In addition to the
above, the conference included an opportunity for students to get out
“on the beat” to observe their community and look
for evidence of global influence. Practically, these ideas
could be applied in the context of their school newspapers and more
theoretically to analyze local media efforts at doing “glocal
journalism.”
This conference was
designed as a pre-cursor to extension activities designed and
administered by Stephanie Calondis, Director of Youth
Programs. These outreach projects were conceived with input
from each classroom teacher with whom she worked for 1-3
months.
|
Project
Somali Voter

Columbus
Dispatch Content Analysis Project
Global
Scholar Leadership Development for Council Fellows Co-Chairs
July 2 - July 15, 2006
| The Council, with
assistance from
the Kiwanis Club of Columbus, funded two scholarships for an intensive
Global Scholar two-week summer enrichment program that offers rising
juniors and seniors in high school the chance to immerse themselves in
college-level coursework on international relations. The seminar took
place at Washington and Lee University in Lexington,
Virginia.
Students Jordan Whisler and Malavika Tampi learned valuable leadership
skills during their two weeks, which they utilized in their role as
co-chairs of the youth group Council Fellows. |
Great
Decisions Teacher Institute 2006
June 2006
|
The
Great Decisions Teacher's Institute brings together high school
educators from around the country to gain a greater perspective on
international affairs and to help them acquire tools for teaching about
the world. Participants in the Teacher's Institute receive background
briefings from influential policymakers and experts on U.S. foreign
policy in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America. They also become
familiar with materials that will help their students better understand
the world, including the Great Decisions briefing book, Teacher's Guide
and other Great Decisions resources.
Read
about Teacher David Fawcett's experience
|
Reads
and Deeds - Pilot at Worthington Middle School
May & June 2006
| Students had
book
club-style discussions throughout the months of May and June
2006. These discussions, facilitated by CCWA staff, occurred
during the last period of the school day (a study hall-type period) and
after school. During meetings, members of the group noted the
many social issues illustrated in the well-known book The Jungle by
Upton Sinclair. After doing further research into these
issues, they designed and executed educational outreach to other
community members. They achieved a good level of
understanding about such topics as immigration, consumer and worker
rights, predatory lending, and human trafficking. This
resulted in the production of a Citizens Guide, which students
distributed and discussed with peers, parents, and neighbors during one
of the weekly farmer’s market events in
Worthington. Students also called their government
representatives and distributed bookmarks to students on the last day
of school. These bookmarks listed the names and numbers of
their U.S. Congressional representatives so as to encourage action on
issues which they may learn about while reading. A similar
outreach model can be replicated at various schools in Central Ohio on
request. |
 |
Global
Issues Retreat 2006
April 7-9, 2006
 |
At
this annual Retreat in scenic Hocking Hills, youth explored the
following topics:
- Agriculture, food
systems and the
environment in a globalized reality
- Comparison of
homosexuality across
cultures
- Islam 101 (a dialogue
with peers who
practice Islam, in partnership with the Council for American Islamic
Relations)
- Introduction to Zen
Meditation
- One China
- The use of cultural
stereotypes in
comedy.
Student in attendance
hailed from Italy, Japan, Brazil,
Costa Rica,
Mexico,
and the U.S. For more details, visit the Global
Issues Retreat page
of our site. |
Global
Columbus Student Art Exhibit
March
4, 2006
 |
This
exhibition, presented with support from Honda of America Manufacturing,
Inc., debuted at the March 4, 2006 Gallery Hop. Student
artists were challenged to consider the many links between Central Ohio
and the rest of the world and to create a piece highlighting one such
connection. The resulting show contained paintings, a
sculpture, and photography. |
Global
Health Summit
Steve Wagner & Melinda Diaz, Ohio Department of Health; Matt
Clary, OSU and Ride for World Health
March
3, 2006
|
Steve Wagner
(Ohio Department of Health)
is responsible for developing and guiding the strategy for Public
Health and Health Care Preparedness. He is the Principal Investigator
on the CDC cooperative agreement for Bioterrorism Preparedness and
Response and the HRSA Hospital Bioterrorism Preparedness Program.
Melinda
Diaz (Ohio Department of Health) is a registered nurse working as an
Infections Disease Control Consultant in the Bureau of Infectious
Diseases. She holds a masters degree in education.
Matt
Clary (OSU and Ride for World Health): Having transitioned from the
business world to medical school, he has found an outlet to apply his
business skills, perseverance, and interests in cycling to make a
difference in the state of global health: he co-founded Ride for World
Health.
|
 |
WMD:
60 Years After Hiroshima
Diana Roose, Oberlin College
February
3, 2006
 |
For
the past 25 years, she has interviewed and worked with survivors of the
1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. |
Immigration
and Achieving Social Change
Dolores
Huerta, The Dolores Huerta
Foundation
December
8, 2005
| A
legendary civil rights leader, whose contemporaries include Cesar
Chavez and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She now spends her time
educating young people about community organizing and activism, as well
as immigration issues. |
 |
China
in the World Economy
Lisa
Han, Schottenstein, Zox and Dunn
October 12, 2005
 |
Lisa
Han is a Partner in the Health Law and International Practice Areas.
She has spoken about business and China at many community events. |
Global
Issues Retreat 2005
April 8-10, 2005
| A
weekend retreat in Ohio’s Hocking Hills presented a chance
for international exchange students and local youth to discover each
others’ values and beliefs in a peaceful atmosphere. Camp
Oty’ Okwa, South Bloomington, OH.
For more details, visit the Global
Issues Retreat page
of our site. |
 |
Academic
World Quest
 |
Academic
WorldQuest (AWQ) is a flagship program of the world affairs council
system. It is a team game testing competitors knowledge of
international affairs, geography, history, & culture. The
Columbus team in 2005 consisted of three high school students from
Gahanna-Lincoln High School and one from Mount Vernon High School:
Jazaray Bryant, Andrew Conte, Margaret McBride, and Danielle
Ross. They prepared by reading the New York Times and
dividing up specific subjects according to their interests, so as to
have an “expert” in every area.
Comments
from our Student Participants
<less>
“
I think the competition opened our eyes to the globally connected state
of the world, and where we fit into it…”
“The
highlight was seeing The Capitol Steps [political satire
group]. They were so hilarious! I can’t
wait until they come to Columbus – I’m so
there!”
“The
high point was seeing Washington. Being near all that
history. It is amazing. It really made all that dry
history I learned in dusty old books become real and
important.”
|
| |
How
Academic World Quest Works
<less>
Teams compete by answering rounds of questions projected by PowerPoint
onto a screen. The questions test their knowledge of current affairs,
world leaders, geography, recent history, flags, international
organizations, countries, regions, the world economy, culture,
religion, and more. A full competition is 100 questions, 10 rounds of
10 questions per round. The 3-hour competition is embedded
in a long weekend of activities in Washington. Friday night is a dinner
and open-floor discussion with a prominent Washingtonian, for example a
famous ambassador, an Assistant Secretary of State, or a member of
Congress. The weekend includes tours of
the Mall, the White House, the Organization of American States, the
Holocaust Museum, the Smithsonian, and the monuments. Saturday lunch is
for an open-floor discussion with a member of the media, particularly
someone from the television news. The competition is followed by
prizes, a pizza dinner, and a session with Capitol Steps,
Washington’s favorite political satire group.
|
The
Save Awards

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| © 2010 Columbus Council on World Affairs |
Last modified: May 25 2010 |
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