I think that the international and cross-cultural experiences that participants receive build the core skills that will allow them to be effective both at home and abroad.

The challenge of building trust and relationships with people who do not necessarily share your background, customs, or language forces leaders to re-evaluate each step of the development process.

Even many socially-conscious people make assumptions when setting out to solve a problem. These assumptions can cripple the creative process and eliminate possible solutions. For example, a leader presumes that his/her stakeholders will respond a certain way to a product or training, that lines of communication will always be clear and coherent, that the community will buy into the project's mission.

As most of us know, those assumptions are sometimes less than realistic. Accordingly, this experience compels leaders to re-frame the situation and approach it from a creative direction. Nothing is a given.

American society is becoming more diverse and as entrepreneurs we face the responsibility of bridging gaps of culture, learning styles, communication styles, economic class, and a host of other variables. The process by which we learn to analyze a problem is transferable. While the circumstances and outlook change, the actual process remains the same - recognizing the key issues such as communication and relationship building and their importance in reaching the project objective.

Students in other nations, particularly European and African nations, have been taking advantage of this experience for years, which helps to explain their level of comfort in developing productive businesses and careers in foreign cultures. It is a well-known and researched fact that international experience creates a more adaptive and versatile leader.

I think it’s fascinating to see how international experience is changing the face and substance of youth activism. A lot of media have written off today’s young people as apathetic because they have not taken to the streets against the Iraq war in the same way youth generations in the 1960s took to the streets to protest against the Vietnam war or for civil rights. But what the media is missing is that in a world where young people are so connected with people abroad, there are many ways to impact global issues beyond protests.

A few examples may help illuminate this point. Young people at Soliya are utilizing new web-based videoconferencing technology to bring together young people from the US and predominantly Muslim Countries to promote a more peaceful, humane world. Young people at CIVIC are working to create a fair and equitable claims system to recognize and compensate civilians caught in the crossfire of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Young people at the Genocide Intervention Network have raised over $350,000 to protect civilians in Darfur and given this money directly to security services that protect civilians in Darfur. And young people at the Student Movement for Real Change are engaging young people in developing countries on issues of health and education.

The point is that young people who have international experiences today are so interconnected with the world today that they do not need to make the choice between either an entire change of policy or none at all in order to make a difference. If the youth of the 1960s wanted to make a difference in the world, the obvious way would be to join a large-scale movement. But today’s young people are so connected with the world that they can take action toward incremental change in the specific area and toward the specific end they feel passionate about.

If you look back to the activism in the 1960’s, you see young people joining together in a few high-profile campaigns that captivated an entire generation. Students across the country joined together with one another to gain media attention through massive rallies, marches and sit-ins. This was an extraordinary time, but it's worth noted that it focused on a few very specific, black and white causes.

But students today are less likely to be seen joining together in large-scale rallies and they are less likely to be focused on just a few causes, in part because their interaction with the rest of the world is so multi-faceted that they are mobilized by many different and specific global causes. In line with their difference in inspiration, today’s successful student efforts are more focused on incremental change and are more specifically tailored to students’ interests and passions. Instead of symbolic rallies and marches, students use direct connections with the world to rally behind national and international issues. Choosing concrete connections over symbolic statements, students are putting emphasis on daily choices in a “think globally, act locally” approach to global issues. Students pressure their campuses to buy fair trade products, divest from Sudan, and become more environmentally friendly and self-sustaining. All of this is to say that international experience is both inspiring a new generation and inspiring a new approach to social change.

My experience, growing up in the US and subject to its hubris, was that an invitation by my high school Spanish teacher to go abroad was what it took to overcome the inertia to stay put. Returning from Guatemala with a transformed worldview I won a scholarship to Brazil the following year.

Then another tranformation occurred. An operation left me paralyzed.

Even with the firsthand experience, in-country contacts, and mastery of the language it took sustained personal effort to manage the anxiety around accepting a scholarship to return to Brazil. In the days before Mobility International USA (MIUSA) existed to support students with disabiities the trek required a pioneer's resiliency.

Today the work I do in international development around disability and the travel industry flows directly from that choice to return.

Last week we hosted three Koreans. This week we have one Brazilian tourism student here in California undertaking participant studies in projects that the disability community has developed. Online a community of Argentinians, Brazilians, and Urguayans have launched a Turismo para Todos (Inclusive Tourism)through our work at the Inter-American Institute on Disability & Inclusive Development. Posts on similar projects around the world make up the content of my daily posts at www.RollingRains.com

It was a personal invtation that got me started. It is the digital equivalent of a village that keeps us going.

The Study Abroad component is perhaps the most essential and necessary tool a social entrepreneur can possess in the 21st century. There is nothing more valuable to an individual yearning to understand the world and make it more pleasant than to have lived like other people in a different country, region, and/or continent.

My study abroad experience in Beirut, Lebanon as well as my living abroad experience (5 years) in London, England forever changed the way I viewed myself in the world, as well as those around me. My attitudes in terms of politics changed, as well as my natural mindset, from what I now consider closed minded to its present open minded, progressive, and above all tolerant state.

Not only do your perceptions change, but so do the lives of the people you come into contact with in your respective host country(s). You yourself become something an American diplomat, politician, or ambassador can not be, an every day person of your host country, as well as possessing a special and unofficial "adopted citizen" status. This enables you to be an ambassador in a different way, a global ambassador shedding light on the ways and means of the people of the United States, free from the stereotypes and shackles of a partisan, conservative, and close minded political United States that the rest of the world expects you to possess.

The wealth of knowledge, experiences, and stories one obtains when abroad would vastly expand your ability to deliver in your entrepreneurial ways whatever they may be, as well as enable you to engage and bring the world home to Americans in a more useful, dynamic, and enlightened way.

The study abroad experience is the exciting one I discovered most valuable for students to take advantage of. My little story may seem different from others who share their study abroad experiences they had outside the U.S as Americans. Personally, I am studying abroad in the U.S being an international student from the Democratic Republic of Congo, attending Lynn University, Boca Raton, Florida majoring in International Relations and Affairs.

For those who may know about this giant central African country, (DRC), it has been under the dictatorship of Mobutu Seseko who embraced bad political and economical policies to rule the country for almost two and half decades. Not only that, the country was plunged into a civil war since 1996 and caused death to millions of Congolese and left others desperate.

The privilege I got to study abroad in the U.S has helped me understand better what it needs to hold leaders accountable for their wrongdoings. The political culture I found in the U.S made it possible for me to comprehend complex issues that I was not able to comprehend while I was in my country because of the limitation of options I was given. I have a new perception about what world politics should look like, and I am ready to use my experiences and skills I am benefiting from American cultures, to help shape better societies in my country the DCR and Africa in general. I feel that studying abroad in the U.S is changing my ways of viewing things, and prepares me with necessary tools to tackle most today’s pressing challenges that we face.

It is with such and understanding that I became an activist in the U.S, working closely with Africa Action Student Network, a student network across the country which advocates for changes in U.S-Africa relations which promote political, economic and social justice in Africa. I believe that being in my home country the DRC, I wouldn’t be allowed to be apart of such an activism movement. Therefore, I encourage young people to take advantage of studying abroad as a way to learn more from other cultures, so they can take back positive experiences to their respective countries.

I agree with the comments made above on the power of international experience and one thing that has surprised me is that youth are going abroad and immersing in the world at increasingly young ages. I spent the last two weeks at Washington and Lee University running a program for high school students interested in international affairs called Global Scholar. A lot of the students in our program had significant international experience and you can see how it will shape their entire life going forward. As I recently shared on the Across the Aisle blog, the young people in our program were interested in the world in more ways than just security. Our core curriculum at Global Scholar follows the standard set of readings and lectures for a college level introductory course on World Affairs. These readings tend to be very focused on security issues and the central question is what strategies states should take to preserve and enhance their power. But the young people in our program wanted to talk about a lot more than hard power. When they had the chance to lead their own discussions and create their own campaigns, they focused overwhelmingly on climate, poverty, business development and health. What I took away from the summer was that young people today care about a wide range of issues and they believe they have a role to play in issues from terrorism to AIDS.

Bill Gates recently gave the commencement address at Harvard and I could not agree more with his closing lines:

“You graduates are coming of age in an amazing time. As you leave Harvard, you have technology that members of my class never had. You have awareness of global inequity, which we did not have. And with that awareness, you likely also have an informed conscience that will torment you if you abandon these people whose lives you could change with very little effort. You have more than we had; you must start sooner, and carry on longer. Knowing what you know, how could you not?”

I like Bill's quote. "You have more than we had; you must start sooner, and carry on longer. Knowing what you know, how could you not?"

That said, I question his assumption that people today have greater awareness of global inequity than say 30 years ago. If we were truly aware, really aware, wouldn't it follow that the gap between the rich and the poor would narrow? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm observing a growing gap not just in the U.S. but abroad as well. Yes, perhaps we are increasingly aware visually through the internet and more familiar with the stats that 60% of the world's population live with <$2/day... but what kind of awareness is it if the resulting phenomena is a growing gap?

I like the opening paragraph of this discussion.. "when they return to their home community, they often find themselves plagued by the questions: What am I going to do with this understanding? How can I turn my experience into positive change?"

The last time I returned home from working abroad in a developing country... decades ago, I remember the culture shock of coming home to the U.S. and sitting down to a super-abundant platter of food at a restaurant. I couldn't eat. I chose then to focus on alleviating the plight of the poor/hungry in the U.S. Strangely enough for someone of my international background (I spent the first 10 years of my childhood living in Asia from Japan to Bangladesh) it is only recent that I've started thinking about giving globally. Why that is so, I do not know. For whatever reason, I've chosen to focus my efforts locally. At least for me, that "global awareness" that peaks while I travel abroad seems to subside after a few months in the U.S. It is only when I travel again that my "global awareness" resurfaces. There's something inherently insular about living in the U.S. The media, the bookstores that carry only English, ...

So I'm curious.. for youths today who return to the U.S... how do you sustain that global awareness? What wisdom can you share?

I really appreciated Clara's question on "how do you sustain that global awareness" in a country with a media that can sometimes seem quite insular. I'm not sure I can entirely answer that question but I can at least share a story of what one group of young Americans including myself did to try to build that understanding.

The story begins just after 9-11. Along with many peers, I departed for London just weeks after the terrorist attacks, wary of being without support to digest the tragedy. To our surprise, we were met with intense sympathy from people from around the world that were living in London. We were often stopped on the street by strangers who noticed our American accents and wished to express their sympathy. The tragedy seemed to reveal the possibility for a global community of shared values and a global war against terror.

But the goodwill towards Americans quickly vanished and was replaced with anger and frustration over the actions of the American government following 9/11. In the year that passed, the United States had rejected the Kyoto treaty, refused to ratify membership to the International Criminal Court, and was pushing for a war with Iraq. Citizens around the world were baffled by the U.S. government’s lack of concern for other countries’ perspectives and its unwillingness to join crucial global efforts such as stopping global warming. We found that many non-Americans were raising the question: “Why the international community should support the U.S. if the U.S. was not willing to support the international community.”

This unique opportunity of experiencing both the empathy in the post-September 11th world and the intense disdain a year later allowed us to realize the potential for the global community and the destructiveness of misunderstanding and unilateralism by and toward the U.S. We concluded that the initial empathetic response must have been caused by an instinctual sense of a global community. But this inherent nature was buried as political decisions were made. The media began to take control of public perceptions and government actions, and the actions of the extremes came to define entire populations.

Recognizing the failure of media to bring the world home, we took action. The initial goal of the group was to inform Americans about the opinions of non-Americans, which we felt were not being adequately communicated in the United States. We wrote opinion pieces about the goodwill that embraced us and the rising anti-Americanism since that fleeting post-September 11th moment. We organized email campaigns to representatives, and attempted to mobilize American students abroad to share their experiences after they returned home. This was all in an effort to give Americans a more complete picture of non-Americans and help Americans realize how their government’s actions were being received. Originally the focus was on informing policy-makers about these issues, but eventually the focus shifted to informing the public, with the conviction that policy changes would follow the demands of an informed and mobilized public.

You may ask the question: how do we know we're creating truly sustained awareness? That's a tough question since our goal is not concrete. Our work is not done when a law is passed, a conflict is resolved, or aid is awarded. But while the progress we make is difficult to measure, we do have indicators of success, which have been crucial in maintaining focus for the organization and judging the effectiveness of our methods. The quality of public education is the most important indicator. This means working carefully to design the town hall toolkits to ensure both substantive education and significant public participation. The quantity and diversity of students served is another indicator—and we seek to reach the maximum number of people possible from diverse political viewpoints, religions, nationalities, and ethnicities.

We also measure success in at least two other ways: media coverage and generational change. Most Americans get their information about global affairs from the local television news. However, the local media typically only covers disasters--the famines, the earthquakes, the wars. Consequently, Americans who depend on the local news for international information tend to perceive the world as a chaotic place and Americans as trying in vain to end crisis after crisis. However, when the same media shows footage of young Americans who are concerned about the rest of the world and who believe they are impacted by what happens on other continents, readers begin to see a different image of the world. For example, a Chicago Tribune headline about one of events reading “Bringing tsunami home” emphasized the interconnectedness of American students and the tsunami victims. Likewise, the San Francisco Chronicle showed the interactions between students across the world in an article entitled “Students link with aid groups in Sri Lanka.”

We view such positive media coverage as an indicator of a more significant, more sweeping goal: generational change. In an era of extreme ignorance of international affairs among ordinary Americans who have an unparalleled amount of influence on the rest of the world, it is absolutely vital that the young generation lead the U.S. into a more global perspective. To that end, we are transforming latent global interest into action by opening up mainstream channels in the community to concerned students. Ultimately, this network of globally conscious young people holds an unprecedented opportunity to “bring the world home,” helping America to find its active, accountable role in an interconnected world.

Seth,

I like your sweeping goal of bringing about generational change through public education and media coverage. Regarding 9/11 and the ensuing wars... do you know of voicesinwartime.org? Andy Himes does a terrific job in reaching youth and fostering dialogue about the impact and consequences of war with the goal of bringing about peace.

I admire all of your efforts in sustaining global awareness for U.S. students who return from study/travel abroad. One other thought I would add is tapping into the experiences and viewpoints of foreign students who study here in the U.S. I know from my experience that my world views and risk tolerance for social change expanded because of hearing firsthand accounts of service from students from Kenya. When they serve to bring about social change - many often put their own lives at risk. That is a much higher bar than what I and most American students are accustomed to. Yes, many of us risk financial security etc. but how many of us risk our lives? Hearing their stories was quite humbling to me.

It is fascinating that the world which began as one massive Pangaea is gradually soldering itself again into a borderless entity. As in the similarly shaped Volvox alga, trade, conflict, advancements in travel, sharing technology, and similarities in belief, culture and values are the many plasmodesmata stringing together countries and continents. While watching a rerun of the CNN/You Tube Debate organized for the Democratic presidential candidates, I felt privileged to be a youth in this age of universal consciousness that global citizens of varying nationalities challenge emerging world leaders on American policies that will undoubtedly have global impact. It feels great that a proactive group of gifted intellectuals have many fora, such as the one scheduled for tomorrow, where we can posit ideas about not only gaining an objective perspective of our world, but more importantly, how we can put our knowledge of diversity to useful practice.

As a Nigerian student schooling in New York, I am aware, painfully, of the disparity in opportunity between these two countries, and how Africa has been painted in a dismal and untouchable light for the world. It is shameful that the bulk of talent in this world lies untapped, subject to avertable hunger, diseases and abuse, under poor social and national management. These wasting talents eagerly await the day when you and I will take the driver seat in international relations and try to forge a path of peace and communication with equally global-minded leaders of other nations. I believe it is time to put the power in their hands, to bring their genius ideas to the drawing board, to use the resources that the Internet provide to harness their energy in motivating positive change and awareness in our leaders. Spanning across our borders are the potent tools of music, visual arts, sports, icons of the entertainment world and fundamental human rights to the basic needs of life. These are the platforms which we can employ to reach out to our counterparts in other nations, teaching and learning about their customs, hopes and aspirations- even when we cannot afford to study abroad.

Finally, we must admit that, as our world crunches into a global village, some differences among its peoples will remain irreconcilable and no human being becomes the polymath of information and experiences in all cultures. Although nothing is a given as Jonathan says, there will be situations when the young social entrepreneurs of today become the leaders and policy makers in the more complex world of tomorrow, and we will have to dialogue and compromise through these differences. Then, we will appreciate that it is the little peculiarities and positive unique traits that bring out the best of our world….

Oludolapo,

What has been your experience speaking up on behalf of Africa at an American university and how has the reception been from your classmates and professors? I ask because I observed in my masters schooling that the African students needed support for them to speak up. Asides from language barriers and difficulty with English, I don't think it helped to be part of a minority group in a mostly caucasian American environment.

Do you yourself need support in painting a different picture of Africa - and if so, what does that look like? and where are you finding it?

Answer to a question posed by Claraj to Oludolapo,

In one way, I understand that most African Students, like everyone who studies in a foreign language are too reluctant to speak up in audiences or class rooms.

From my own experience, I know that African students who come from non English speaking countries like myself, face serious problems with English when it comes to address issues. However, this is not only a barrier for African students, but all international students from different geographic regions whose English isn't the first language; they struggle with this. My understanding is that, anybody who learns in a new language, always encounters some kinds of difficulties at first place. If X student from country P goes to study to country Z, and country Z does have a different instructional language that they use in country P, no matter what, X student will have some serious language problems.

To respond to your question about how has the reception been from classmates and professor when speaking up on behalf of Africa. Again, the response depends on how informative a student might be. Personally, I have been a good Ambassador talking about African issues at my school as an African student from a French speaking country. Quite Frankly, I never needed support when talking, and I get to attract the attention of both my peers and professors due to the style and speaking skills I have.

To be more precise, response from others depends on how well or bad a student present his/her views. I like to debate a lot about global issues, and I always use Africa, Asia and other developing worlds as examples to show how disconnected the world is although we pretend to preach that we are now found in a globalized world.

I agree that "bringing the world home" is an important initiative which can help us today to change how people think about the world. There are a lot things going on in the world that most people do not no about. But when they are limited to the kind of information most corrupt and one sided driven media put at their disposal, they make bad judgments.

for clarifying. Of course, the language barrier isn't just for African students. It affects any foreigner who are not as comfortable with the native language of that host country.

I'm glad that response to your voice has been a good one. You must be very articulate and grounded in yourself. And I do agree, when people in the minority speak up and speak well - people do listen and appreciate. Absolutely.

That said, speaking from my own experience as a Korean-American who speaks English fluently and am privileged to live seamlessly here in the U.S. - when I do speak "edgy" thoughts that push the boundaries of our collective thinking... I do sense a push back. Eventually it turns into an affirmation ... but there is an initial jarring. And often it is the previously silent voices of people of color or other nationalities who come to my support. I value that tremendously. I would also add that those of the majority who have lived in other cultures be it abroad or here in the poorest inner cities also share similar lens and they too speak up with affirmation.

We at World Learning (www.worldlearning.org) are truly excited to be co-sponsoring the conference with Americans for an Informed Democracy today on what it means to "bring the world home." For 75 years we've been sending young Americans abroad to connect across cultures and differences and return home transformed, with global mindsets and skill sets to bring back to their own communities. But really, the world has never needed our collective work and the collective conversation we're having here more than it does right now.

Even as our technology and "flattened" world enable greater connections than ever, even as we invent daily new ways to converse and share and commune, our nation's leaders are denying the fundamental value of diplomacy and replacing conversations with monologues. Today's conference is highlighting the power of all of us as "citizen diplomats" to step into this widening gap to stimulate dialogue and action across cultures and nations. We need to lead in the ways we can and, ironically perhaps, set examples for our "leaders" to follow. Call it a new "trickle-up" theory of leadership!

While it is true that 60% of Americans get their (distorted) view of the world from local news, the 15 to 25 year-old demographic watches local TV - or any TV at all - in far fewer numbers than adults. Their worldview comes from the internet and from peer communication on networking sites like FaceBook and MySpace and video sites like YouTube and Grouper. And the local TV they watch is NOT the news - more likely it is syndicated programming like American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, The Great Race, or cable nets like MTV, VH1 etc. This creates opportunities for international NPOs to combine popular culture with international development. American Idol did this last month in its 2-hour marathon and raised $70 million for Dafur. Angelia Jolie and other stars are doing on a daily basis and being seen in the tabloids and entertainment gossip shows.

The key to the Gen Y and Gen X and Tween demographics is YouTube, MySpace, and pop culture on TV. Forget the news; instead post videos of refugee camps and development projects and Jolie in Dafur on YouTube, and Profiles of NPOs on Myspace and pix of stars building homes in flooded villages.

Like it or not, today's youth lives in a celebrity pop culture, not an information cultgure. Use it.

I think study abroad programs are great, however, even better when the program attempts to share students' experiences with a larger audience. The education component is really important here. I have come across some organizations in the past which use study abroad programs to create lasting relationships through education and action. Also, some organizations/projects aren't driven by study abroad programs but they work toward increasing awareness and understanding of other countries and their people. Some links which may be of interest:

http://www.engagetheworld.org/aboutENGAGE.html (study abroad)

http://www.studentsoftheworld.org/about.htm (student activism abroad)

http://www.imaginenations.org/ING/Seeing_is_Believing.aspx (increase interest in countries where the need is great)

http://www.bothand.org/ (creative problem solving)

http://www.hometownbaghdad.com/ (video's of young, warm, intelligent and normal Iraqi's that students can pass along via pop culture media)

"Today's youth live in a celebrity pop culture, not an information culture."

My question is: if today's youth are getting their news on YouTube & MySpace - who's coordinating the dialogue between npos who serve youth education and silicon valley moguls who design and manage the content of such media? Does the philanthropic arm of SV high-tech companies who target youth have any input into the product design and development of such technology? It seems to me that the philanthropic corporate arm should expand beyond giving charitable/venture philanthropic dollars to influencing product design... what if Larry Brilliant gave product design input???? Does he already?

I'm not an American, but my story is an American's story, beginning with a man who pitched similar ideas to the Clinton Administration back in 1996. As a former missile technician he knew who the targets were, who was considered a threat.

Before we met, in his paper, 5 years before 9/11 he described a world of the disenfranchised driven to the point of seeing their own lives threatened by social and economic exclusion, that such exclusion would foment terrorism and ultimately lead to the US defending itself against the consequences of poverty. He outlined a way of transforming business to serve community.

Before we met, he'd already taken the concept of social enterprise to Russia leveraging government support for the Tomsk Regional initiative. Tomsk and the "secret" adjoined city of Seversk were the nuclear stockpiles of Siberia, an area bristling with nuclear technicians rendered unemployed by arms reduction agreememts. It achieved full cost recovery over a 5 year span and left behind a flourishing microcredit bank managed by Finca.

When we met, he needed help and I know all too well how the media responds. I took his story wrapped with a Meet John Doe theme to an ABC News reporter whose initial interest paled as she realised the conflict of interest. This wouldn't have gone down well with their wealthy sponsors even 4 years ago. Life in this case failed to imitate Art, especially Capra.

So we set about starting again, with the motto "Peace is cheaper than War and a lot more fun". 4 years more effort, mostly his, has delivered a Marshall Plan to a foreign government as a strategy proposal based on reasearch over 5 years. This time it's a carefully costed national projection which demonstrates once again that it's cheaper to invest in removing poverty than to deal with the consequences of maintaining it. Targeted Microeconomic Investment is the theme. as before. A Marshall Plan based on the tools for direct action against poverty not available 60 years ago.

It proposes a network of rehabilitation centres for disabled children in institutional care, which the outgoing government has already agreed to, the deployment of group care homes for all other institutionalised children. Alongside, we propose a national rollout of community broadband and microcredit bank to yeild "more than full cost recovery" in Professor Yunus' terms, to balance the social investment. This much was announced this week. In the next few days there will be a secondary announcement of the proposal for a Social Enterprise faculty within one of Ukraine's major universities.

It is really interesting how Seth Green sees international experience as bringing the world home. I think there is an additional aspect to international experiences that people go through, i.e., which is bringing home to the world. It can be seen as an intermediate to bringing the world home, or rather also as a means to its own end. Both of these are good and both can and should be seen as aiming at beneficial social change. We should not limit ourselves by our nationalities but rather transcend these to effectively bring about beneficial social changes in our world which is more and more interconnected and which boundaries are more and more blurred.