Global Citizen Journey is excited about the formation of our GCJ delegation to Kashmir this fall. We still have a few openings and are planning our next Information Session for April 28. There is lots of information up on the website. Feel free to contact co-director Irene Michon at imichon58@gmail.com if you want more details sooner than late April! We hope you are intrigued and will begin dreaming of Kashmir with us… The application for the journey is now available.
We are pleased to host this “Meet & Greet” session in Seattle on Saturday from 10:30 am to noon at the wonderful Couth Buzzard Books & Espresso Buono Cafe, (8310 Greenwood Ave N) for anyone interested in learning about Kashmir… and especially for those of you interested to participate in our Kashmir 2018 delegation!
GCJ delegates met many wonderful Kashmiris during their travels in India last spring and they implored us to visit Kashmir and assured us we would fall in love with their beautiful land. They were right! It is a beautiful place with snow-capped mountains, the gorgeous Dal Lake, rich culture and traditions… And deep pain. The complex and conflictual conditions in Kashmir seem tailor-made for our Global Citizen Journey (GCJ) model and in this time of Islamaphobia and increasing tensions amongst the various big powers on the planet, the time seems ripe. As global citizens, we will listen to the many sides of the issues there and we will bring stories of what we learned back to our home communities. Read more here: http://globalcitizenjourney.org/about-india/india-2018-kashmir-2/
For further details, please contact Susan Partnow at: susan@globalcitizenjourney.org
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Global Citizen Journey (GCJ) visited Burundi in 2008, but certainly engagement with the community did not end. To this day, GCJ delegates are partnered with “Kazoza Kumukenyezi” which translates as “The woman’s future.” We have helped the Carama Widows Association purchase land to enable these inspiring women to support themselves and their families financially. Now they have a chance to expand their production and the number of families they can support, but they need to raise about $2,000 funds to purchase the additional land. To learn more about this amazing organization, visit their Facebook page or to donate to help with their next land purchase click here. Be sure to designate Carama Women when you donate! Read more about GCJ Burundi and our partnership with Kazoza Kumukenyezi here.
- Agriculture is the main pillar of the economy in Kashmir, but tourism has been rising in recent years and now Kashmir is one of the top tourist destinations in India. Despite this, Kashmir is also one of the most militarized zones in the world. Learn more about the northernmost province of India here.
- Kashmir’s most famous export is saffron. This valuable spice is grown commercially in Iran, Spain, and India, but Kashmir’s is thought to be the best. Harvested from the crocus flower, saffron costs about $6,500 per pound. More pictures and information about Kashmiri can be found here.
Stay tuned for news of Global Citizen Journey’s next adventure to Kashmir, India!
GCJ-Maher Partners facilitated the first ever Maher Youth Camp late last spring, 2017. Coordinators, Gaus Sayad and Mangesh Pol, supervised five senior youths at Maher to run this incredible, intense, fun-filled entire month-long residential leadership development camp for 85 youths from dozens of Maher homes from around the widespread, outlying areas of rural Pune. The curriculum integrated so many things that they learned on our GCJ delegation, including compassionate listening, gender dialogue, and dialogue practices as well as several skills and processes that they had learned from other Maher supporters over the years. But above all, they were led by the ‘secret sauce’ of the magic of Maher’s collaborative ways of being led by unconditional love.
According to 18-year-old camper Mayuri Katkar, “Nowadays we really forget to listen to each other. There is so much love and kindness in just listening to each other. Compassionate listening helps us to listen to each other.”
Camp sessions covered many life skills such as value-based positive thinking, career guidance, anger management, time management, communication skills, compassionate listening, and gender equality, etc., and a range of activities, including dance, drama, meditation, sports, yoga, cooking, craft, youth parliament, and debates. They also planned panels with various professionals and field trips to businesses and NGOs. By the end of the month, the youth felt tremendously bonded and empowered. These youths, who come from families living in impoverished conditions, were groomed to be the next generation of leaders for Maher. They will bring their deepened capacity for listening and building trust and vision to each of their homes in Maher.
Last years TRIP to India included 24 delegates from the United States, India, Germany, Venezuela, and Spain. To learn more about their experiences, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page.
- Agriculture is the main pillar of the economy in Kashmir, but tourism has been rising in recent years and now Kashmir is one of the top tourist destinations in India. Despite this, Kashmir is also one of the most militarized zones in the world. Learn more about the northernmost province of India here.
- Kashmir’s most famous export is saffron. This valuable spice is grown commercially in Iran, Spain, and India, but Kashmir’s is thought to be the best. Harvested from the crocus flower, saffron costs about $6,500 per pound. More pictures and information about Kashmiri can be found here.
Stay tuned for news of Global Citizen Journey’s next adventure to Kashmir, India!
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