Conversations with past Global Action Circle participants!

As the third cohort of our Global Action Circle program approaches we thought we'd share a few conversations we had with GAC participants from the previous cohort!

We spoke to four activists from three different GACs. To understand each GAC a little better let's take a look at how they define themselves!

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Youth Mental Health:

Youth Mental Health is peace, wellness and energy. It is not just about emotional and physical well being, it is also about youth reaching the stage where they feel from within that they are empowered to drive the change they wish to see in the world.

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Relational and Inclusive Education:

Relational and Inclusive Education is learning that prioritizes our interconnection and embraces diversity of lived experience and learner autonomy. It rigorously questions the status quo, recognizing that we can learn from many different sources and in many ways. Relational and Inclusive Education focuses on the process in which learners grow together and learn how we can all be with each other in more beautiful ways.

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Peace Education:

Peace education teaches peace processes such as negotiation, reconciliation, non- violent struggle, collaboration, acquiring values, knowledge, attitude, skills, and behaviors to live in harmony with oneself. It teaches about the use of treaties and laws to reduce levels of violence.

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Lets dive into the conversations we had with these incredible activist in which they reflect on their experiences, give insight into where they are now and the role the GAC program played in their lives and vice versa.

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First up we have Adrija Jana. Adrija is a passionately creative writer based in India. She mostly creates poetry pieces based on her personal experiences as well as social issues she is passionate about. Her work mostly revolves around protest against period poverty, marital rape and advocating for freedom of choice. She was a participant of the Youth Mental Health GAC & she described it as motivated, compassionate, & open to exploring.

Her learning question was: Can we create a world where mental health and transformational education go hand in hand to create a revolutionary movement?

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YxY: What drove you to apply for this programme?

Adrija: I felt like the topics for all the GACs were very empowering and they felt very present and urgent at that moment. All of them were themes that needed to be aspired to and needed to be worked upon because it meant the development of the whole community if these things could be achieved.

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YxY: What has the output from your learning question been?

Adrija: The output from my learning question was actually a project I created with my fellow activist from the Relational and Inclusive Education GAC, Ila. We thought of a Youth Well-being Circle where young people come in for an hour of sharing and empowering each other every month. We are currently testing out this project with the YouthxYouth Community to be able to improve it even further.

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YxY: What did the GAC programme provide you with that still feels present in your life today?

Adrija: The feeling of loving and being loved when you open yourself to a community of understanding and empathetic individuals who are similarly committed as you to drive much needed change in the world.

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YxY: Who do you think could benefit from this programme?

Adrija: I definitely feel that both activists who have been working in their field for a long time and young people just feeling their way into the world of social change would benefit from it, as well as people who are simply interested in learning more about the complex issues that inhabit the world around them. The give and take of energy and ideas that takes place in these GACs, even on days when the experience is mostly silent, is incomparable.

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Next up we interviewed Kumo Walters Nshom. Kumo is a student from Cameroon currently pursuing a Master's degree in Sociology at the University of Yaounde 1. In addition to his studies, he actively volunteers for various organizations in his community, contributing to community development. He strongly advocates for purpose-driven education, firmly believing that it can shape a brighter future. He envisions a world where individuals care for one another, and he firmly believes that through unity and collaboration, we can create a better world. He was a participant of the Relational & Inclusive Education GAC & he described his GAC as phenomenal, dynamic, and awesome. His learning question was: What if education is purpose driven?

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YxY: What drove you to apply for this programme?

Kumo: I am somebody who is very much passionate about education and this programme, a programme that directly focuses on education, really interested me and drove me to apply. Additionally I had read about the programme and the past GAC participant testimonies on the YxY website & seeing what YouthxYouth has been doing also gave me the drive to apply.

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YxY: In what ways did you find clarity in the questions you prompted?

Kumo: Throughout the learning journey, asking questions, taking part in the activities, the various stages, and the conversations, I was able to understand that it's a problem that cannot only be tackled on a global scale. You need to start one step at a time, even if that means just starting with students or teachers within your community. Another clarity I found was asking what am I bringing onboard, what can I do to make education purpose driven, what resources can I use to make education purpose driven, how can I get those resources? There was a shaping of how I looked at my learning question and even how I envisioned the solution.

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YxY: What has the output from your learning question been?

Kumo: The output from my learning question has simply been a push. After taking part in the GAC I was opportuned to participate in another programme, so as a result of my learning question I had an opportunity to explore what I was missing, things like conception and clarification. I also understood what kind of activism I can use in order to pull through this learning question.

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YxY: What did the GAC programme provide you with that still feels present in your life today?

Kumo: That sense of connectivity, sense of belonging, empathy, and activism. During the GAC I was meeting people who reason like me & who listen to me. Another aspect is how dynamic the programme was, there was a sense of inclusivity and relationality and that is something that I still really feel. The activities also really stuck with me. I learnt a lot, especially about listening to people, getting their opinions and being open.

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YxY: Who do you think could benefit from this programme?

Kumo: Literally everyone. Ranging from teachers to students to parents to stakeholders. These are the people who can benefit from the programme. Students like myself will get insights, learn dynamics. Teachers will know how to shape and interact with their students and even how they can influence change in the system. Other organizations that are talking about education will also equally benefit from this programme.

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Next we interviewed Grace Okinda Adhiambo. Grace is an education activist focused on expanding awareness and support around youth mental health. Most recently, she has been leading a project called the Akemi Foundation Pad drive to bring out confidence amongst girls and young women facing issues of mental health due to stigma and lack of access to sanitary pads. She has been active in a number of initiatives advancing health and food security amongst children, including Matter Heart Run, a child charity organization, Dream Girl in Kisumu, and Mamboleo Children's Home. She has also been part of campus #MeToo movements to stop campus harassment in both universities and colleges in Kenya. She was a participant of the Youth Mental Health GAC & her learning question was: What if the support doesn't work?

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YxY: What drove you to apply for this programme?

Grace: I applied because it was something for the youths and it was like somebody somewhere was giving me, as a youth, my voice back and this is what I've always wanted and it was happening.

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YxY: In what ways did you find clarity in the questions you prompted?

Grace: I found clarity in every possible way but the one that stood out for me is that I am not alone and when we do this from the heart and we want to do it together then I don't need to worry or doubt myself. Just do it and continue doing it (said by my team members).

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YxY: What has the output from your learning question been?

Grace: The output was that I had my confidence back and motivation all the way. I also became a host and it was exciting and I was living my dream while doing this. I started a project called Akemi Foundation. It's a Japanese name that is associated with purity and life which signifies everything my foundation stands for. The purpose of the foundation is to spread awareness to young people about mental health, sharing that we care for them and want them to be here for us.

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YxY: What did the GAC programme provide you with that still feels present in your life today?

Grace: I was impacted with knowledge, skills and the experience of talking to people who have achieved so much in the line of duty of having foundations all together. I have made friendships through the buddy system and the most important thing that stood out is that we are many who still want things to work in the education sector and when we hold hands then we will see what we can do together no matter the distance we will still connect and do things for the good for our world to be happy, healthy and wealthy. This is the best place to be and I love it and love who I am becoming with the help of the YXY team. Powerrr uuuup.

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And lastly we interviewed April Grace M. Garcia. April is an Education Officer at AHA Learning Center, where she is currently in charge of the education and mentoring of over 300 underprivileged students and 200 parents. A proud graduate of the public school system, Teacher April is an advocate for equitable education, believing that those who have the least in life can get the best in education. April is also a creative writer, a translator, a community organizer, and a feminist. She was a participant of the Peace Education GAC & her learning question was: How can we teach fact-checking to students?

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YxY: In what ways did you find clarity in the question you prompted?

April: I was able to get clarity in a way that the people in the GAC helped me reflect on the things I have planned in answering the learning question.

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YxY: What did the GAC programme provide you with that still feels present in your life today?

April: The GAC programme has given me a sense of community especially in a time that I have been feeling burnt out from work. It made me realize that there are people like me all over the world that just want to solve real-life problems and help their community.

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YxY: Who do you think could benefit from this programme?

April: At a glance, the program would benefit people who are passionate about learning and education. But if we delve deeper, this programme can help those who are the target audience of the questions being developed inside the program especially if they have come to fruition. I think that it can also become conversation-starters for specific community problems that need to be heard by global communities.

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We are so proud of all the participants from the 2022 GAC cohort & inspired by their individual and collective efforts towards transforming education! To see more journeys of past GAC participants check out this booklet.

Apply to join our 2023 Global Action Circles now! Deadline July 31.