The Hansen Summer Institute on Leadership and International Cooperation

Peace Reading List

2011-01-07T14:46:00.000-08:00

Check out this reading list of books with a humanitarian theme. This list was compiled by an alumnae from the master's program in Peace & Justice Studies at the University of San Diego.

Do you have books to add to this list?

BOOK title

3 Cups of Tea, one man’s mission to promote peace one school at a time BY Greg Mortenson

A Bed For The Night: Humanitarianism in an Age of Genocide: Humanitarianism in Crisis BY David Rieff

A Long Way Gone, memoirs of a boy soldier BY Ishmael Beah

A thousand splendid suns BY Khaled Hosseini

Aid and Other Dirty Business, an insider reveals how good intentions have failed the world’s poor BY Giles Bolton

Beasts of No-Nation BY Uzodinma Iweala

Blood River: The Terrifying Journey Through The World's Most Dangerous Country BY Tim Butcher

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed BY Jared Diamond

Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa BY Dambisa Moyo

Development as Freedom BY Amartya Sen

Emergency Sex (And Other Desperate Measures): True Stories from a War Zone BY Kenneth Cain

Emma's War: Love, Betrayal and Death in the Sudan BY Deborah Scroggins

First comes love, then comes malaria: How a Peace Corps Poster Boy Won My Heart and a Third World Adventure Changed My Life BY Eve Brown-Waite

Humanitarian Diplomacy: Practitioners And Their Craft BY Larry Minear

I didn't do it for you BY Michela Wrong

In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz : Living on the Brink of Disaster in Mobutu's Congo BY Michela Wrong

King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa BY Adam Hochschild

Purple Hibiscus BY Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda BY Roméo Dallaire

Slave : My True Story BY Mende Nazer

Surrender or Starve: Travels in Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea BY Robert D. Kaplan

Tears of the Desert, a memoir of survival in Darfur BY Halima Bashir

The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It BY Paul Collier

The Color Purple BY Alice Walker

The Food Wars BY Walden Bello

The Kite Runner BY Khaled Hosseini

The Poisonwood Bible BY Barbara Kingsolver

The Shadow of the Sun BY Ryszard Kapuscinski

The State of Africa: socio-politics of post-independence Africa BY Martin Meredith

The thing around your neck BY Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good BY William Easterly

The Zanzibar chest BY Aiden Hartley

Wars, Guns, and Votes: Democracy in Dangerous Places BY Paul Collier

We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families: Stories from Rwanda BY Philip Gourevitch

Greetings and updates from the DRCongo

2010-08-06T10:22:00.000-07:00

We love to hear from Hansen Alumni regarding the exciting projects that you each contribute to in your communities. Below is a update from Hansen alum Lewis Kasindi (2008).

Dear family,

Hope you’re all doing ok.

I’m sorry I’ve been so very much out of touch for a very long time. I’ve been very busy with work lately.

I just wanted to let you know my trip to South Africa went well. The organization that invited me is called Man Up, a global campaign to activate young men and women to tackle the issue of violence against women and girls around the world. It was a neat opportunity to learn from world-renown human rights leaders about how to address that issue. It was a crash training on project development, implementation, and reporting because the organizers are ready to fund grass roots initiatives in the various delegation countries to fight violence against women in their respective communities. In my community, we’ll be working on a project to fight against sexual harassment and exploitation in schools; a very prevalent problem where professors coerce girls into having sexual relations with them in order to receive passing grades. It’s a horrible form of corruption and violence that weakens women and the whole society, especially since it’s something that’s become normal and accepted. Some girls then start to see it as an easy way out – they don’t have to work hard in school if they can just sleep with the professors to get good marks. Then once they get their diploma, although they don’t have the right capacities, they’ll get a job by sleeping with a boss somewhere, and pretty soon no one wants to hire women because they’re known to be lazy and incapable! Something which makes the majority of women in the community completely dependent on men, and consequently helpless victims of domestic and other forms of violence from men.

We’re working on this aspect of violence for a few different reasons. Since we’re young people, working with fellow students and in a context that others came from fairly recently is much more feasible than trying to work in an even more complex field like rape in conflict or domestic violence.

Thanks to HSI on leadership and International Cooperation which provided me with important leadership and International cooperation skills, I’ve been appointed as the Leader of the group of Congolese young men and women who will be running the project in the South Kivu province. I’ll also be serving as a link or contact person between the DRC Delegation and the Man Up.

In brief, this is what I’m working on these days.

Thanks,

Lewis

Call for Newsletter Entries

2010-07-23T10:56:00.000-07:00

Hansen Alumni,

We are now accepting articles/stories/reports for inclusion in an upcoming newsletter. Entries should be approximately 500 words, and will be subject to editing and review.

Recently published papers can be presented as a summary to meet the word limit.

If you have questions about something that you would like to include, or if you have an idea you’d like to share, contact Martha at marthagarcia@sandiego.edu.

Hansen Alumni @ 2010 Women PeaceMakers Conference Selections

2010-07-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Tanja Dramac (2008) and Ramasubramanian Rakappan (2007) for being selected as Hansen Attendees to the 2010 Women PeaceMakers Conference.

Selected from an impressive applicant pool, Tanja and Ram will represent Hansen Summer Institute alumni as attendees at this year's 2010 Women PeaceMakers Conference in September.

We want to thank all of you who took the time and energy to submit an application. It is clear from the quality of the submissions that you are extremely committed to the principles of the Hansen program and are each striving to engage these principles in a tangible and practical way in your communities. We hope to hear more about your efforts in the coming months.

The 2010 Women PeaceMakers Conference “Precarious Progress: U.N. Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security” is to be held at the Joan B. Kroc Institute of Peace & Justice at the University of San Diego, California from September 29—October 1, 2010.

While we are not able to financially support the travel/lodging of any other participants, if you are able to find another means of supporting your travel/lodging to the conference the Hansen Foundation would be pleased to support your registration fees. You must be an alumnus of the Hansen Summer Institute program to take advantage of this opportunity. Please contact Martha at marthagarcia@sandiego.edu for additional information.

2010 Hansen Alumni Survey Results

2010-07-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

Still wondering how people responded to the recent alumni survey,

You, the Hansen Summer Institute and the Future?

We were really pleased with the overall response rate of the survey and captured a lot of information that we hope will allow us to bring you relevant and meaningful programming. Many of you commented on how the Hansen program taught you valuable communication skills, respect for the points of view of others, an appreciation for a free and open exchange of ideas and the trust of lasting friendships.

Here are some highlights from the survey:

Over 90% of total Hansen Summer Institute participants responded to the survey. The survey was sent to all 82 participants, 5 graduate student assistants and interns, and 2 program administrators.

Nearly 96% of respondents indicated that they have spoken to other Hansen Summer Institute program participants within the past year.

Over 30% of respondents indicated that they were in touch with 5-10 program participants within the past year.

Over 30% of respondents indicated that they were able to visit or meet with program participants within the past year.

Nearly 19% of respondents indicated that since attending the Hansen Summer Institute they have completed a master’s degree.

Many of you are currently engaged in profound and exciting projects in your respective countries: from mediation in small claims court, participating in youth advisory panels, graduate research in democratic theory, and so much more.

Over the next few months we hope to hear more about the important contributions that you are making within your communities.

Check out more of the 2010 Hansen Alumni Survey results here.

And May Peace Prevail!

Women PeaceMakers Conference Application

2010-05-24T12:54:00.000-07:00

Request for Proposals
for Overseas Hansen Summer Institute Alumni
“Precarious Progress: UN resolutions on women, peace and security”
Women PeaceMakers Conference, USD October 2010

The Opportunity: The Fred J. Hansen Foundation will generously provide funding for two overseas Hansen Summer Institute Alumni to take part in the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice Women PeaceMakers Conference, “Precarious Progress: UN resolutions on women, peace and security”. As you may know, the Fred J. Hansen Foundation supports the Women PeaceMakers program and would like to invite two Hansen Summer Institute alumni to attend and contribute to the conference—all expenses paid.

Conference Details: September 28, 2010—October 2, 2010
The 2010 Women PeaceMakers conference will examine United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1325, 1820, 1888 and 1889 to look at where UNSCRs have had and can have impact. With women still alarmingly underrepresented in peace accords and continuously targeted by armed groups and extremists, how do we move from resolution to policy and from policy to implementation? Can UNSCRs truly be used for establishing security on the ground, guiding reconciliation and refocusing the attention on gender and women’s priorities and needs?

Urgent issues identified by Women PeaceMakers include confronting and working on genuine solutions to: growing small arms abuse; increasing cultures of impunity; resistance of military and police to recognizing the impact of war on women’s lives; and the violation of the rights of internally displaced persons. Considering the rampant insecurity communities –and particularly women in those communities– continue to face, more attention and action should be forthcoming given the resolutions passed.

This conference will also take advantage of global action in preparation for the 10th anniversary of UNSCR 1325. High level representatives from UN agencies and advisory councils will discuss recent breakthroughs made by member states and civil society to advance women’s role in peace processes in preparation for the 10th anniversary celebrations.

For more info on the Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice and the upcoming conference: http://peace.sandiego.edu/precarious_progress/

Successful Hansen Alumni Applicants will receive:
Full airfare
Visa and Homeland Security fees
Ground transportation
Food and lodging

(The Hansen Foundation will also provide food for US-based Hansen Summer Institute participants who wish to attend the conference so this will allow a mini-reunion of Alumni.)

Application Requirements:
1. Name as it appears on passport
2. HSI program year (participant, grad assistant, or intern)
3. Address, phone, email
4. Personal Statement (no longer that 1 page): Please discuss the perspective of your country or region regarding UN resolutions on women’s issues. Your personal statement should indicate both what you know as well as what you hope to gain at this conference. How have UN resolutions 1325*, 1820*, 1888* and 1889* helped or ignored problems on the ground from your perspective?
5. Leadership and Women’s Issues (no longer than 1 page): What role have you played, and/or can you see yourself playing in the future regarding improving the status of women in a regional and global context? What concrete approaches would you recommend in this regard and be willing to share with conference participants?

This request for proposals will welcome applications from both men and women who have participated in the Hansen Summer Institute on Leadership and Cooperation. Please limit your proposal to 3 pages.

While the Fred J. Hansen Foundation cannot currently offer another Hansen Summer Institute program nor a full reunion of all 81 Hansen Fellows, support for two overseas alumni signals an ongoing commitment of the foundation to keeping the spirit of peace-building alive among like-minded souls.

Deadline: June 20, 2010.
Please email or fax your application to Martha Garcia.
Email at marthagarcia@sandiego.edu or
fax to Attn: Martha at Fax: 619-849-8109

*To access the UN Resolutions from the UN Security Council site you may follow this address: http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/unsc_resolutions.html
Resolutions are listed by year and number:
1325 (2000) Women and peace and security
1820 (2008) Women and peace and security
1888 (2009) Women and peace and security
1889 (2009) Women and peace and security

MEET MARTHA

2010-04-05T09:21:00.000-07:00

All Hansen Alums, Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Martha is a wonderful person who is leading a Hansen Alumni project online. Stay tuned here, and on the Facebook group page for the Hansen Summer Institute. Martha will be surveying you all shortly on what you are doing and what we can do together, from cooperating with each other, to cooperating with USD alumni, to creating a newsletter....We need your help in making sure we connect with all 81 Hansen alums, especially those not on Facebook. May peace prevail! ;) "Uncle Ron"

Martha D. Garcia (Yucaipa, California). B.A. in Human Development and a minor in Latin American studies from the University of California, San Diego; M.A. in Peace and Justice Studies from the University of San Diego. As an undergraduate Martha participated with the Catholic Community at UCSD’s student leadership training program in community service, which she credits with shaping her commitment to social justice. Following graduation from her undergraduate program she served as a co-director of this same student program where she mentored ten student leaders a year cultivating effective interpersonal skills, social responsibility and personal accountability.

As part of her Master’s program experience at USD, Martha and her fellow classmates designed an on the ground internship experience in Tanzania. She and eight other members of her cohort visited and assessed operations at a UN camp for refugees displaced from the conflict in the DRC. Her additional professional experience includes working in the social services and mental health fields, and fundraising for scientific research in the area of environmental sustainability and climate change. Martha’s special interests as they relate to global development include human and civil rights advocacy, and conflict resolution.

This year Martha is the coordinator for the Peacebuilding Network Project which aims to design and implement a system of social networking strategies for Hansen Summer Institute alumni. Hopefully this project will result in some well supported resources and information that allows Hansenians to continue to access the principles of Hansen together online. To get this project underway you will soon be asked to complete a short survey. The survey will capture information that will aid us in determining your current needs and interests. Thanks for your continued support to the Hansen Summer Institute.

You Got Your Dream. Now Let's Work Towards World Peace

2009-07-19T08:57:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, I am from Cameroon and a 2008 Hansen fellow. I thought I would write you all one last message as you all prepare to take on your final journey back to your various countries. On this wonderful day when you are gathered together to celebrate your Hansen success, I have decided to talk to you about the benefits of being a Hansen fellow and what important lessons I have learned in the one year that has expired between that day and today. I want to extol the crucial importance of imagination.

When reflecting back how it all started, I feel very elated and lucky. It was 2:38 am Tuesday night July 1,2008 Douala international airport Cameroon, I was leaving home for San Diego State University and as I said final goodbyes to my parents, family and my friends and I stepped to the Boeing 760, I knew my life would change forever. When I arrived at the San Diego airport, I felt very very special. Rachael Weathers was already there at the airport ready to pick me up. I remembered this nice smile she gave me and said Karl? And I said yes. She was really an amiable person and she drove me to the Hansen institute, the place where my inspiration actually began.

Even though I lost my baggage and only received it at the end of the program, Bonnie and Ron were exceedingly very gracious to me. They made sure that I got everything that I needed. Bonnie took me for shopping and I picked up whatever I wanted to get. She is really a sweet mum.

I feel very blessed to have met intelligent, ambitious and likeminded youths from different countries, cultures and backgrounds. I could never imagine that a small group of thoughtful and committed youths can change the world. I learned that real leaders are ordinary people with extraordinary determination -coming together is the beginning, keeping together is progress and working together is success. The Hansen summer institute (HSI) equipped me with new strategies and knowledge for conflict prevention, management and resolution and the promotion of durable peace and above all the sustainment of development in Africa in general and Cameroon in particular. Travelling became a big part of my life soon after the Hansen program. I have built a box of friendship. So today, I wish you nothing better than similar friendships and tomorrow, I hope that even if you remember not a single word of mine, you remember those of the trainers, Ron and Bonnie as is a tale, so is life, not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.

Keep in mind that you will receive a Hansen certificate. There is an invisible handwriting on the back of the certificate and in case you will not have lemon juice to decode it, I can tell you what it says "You are brilliant and you can change the world.'' This extraordinary time when we are globally aware of each other and the multiple dangers that threaten civilization has never stopped. This can be deduced from what is happening in Indonesia, Iran, India, Pakistan...you name it. All these happenings calls for action and as young leaders, this is our century and it is time for us to act and lead.

I would like to express once again my gratitude to the Hansen institute for this beautiful gift which means so much for us all. For me personally, this is one of the most valuable gifts I have ever been blessed with. It shows me that we are on the road to a better future and that we must keep the momentum and fight stronger and harder till the very end. This certificate or award does not mean that we have gained victory but that we must focus our efforts now more than ever. We have taken the first of many steps towards achieving future peace.

At the end of the day, one very important lesson the Hansen summer institute taught me was really the meaning of ''destiny.'' Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved. Never never never give up in your dreams of world peace. When the world says ''give up,'' hope whispers try it one more time. Ladies and gentlemen, let us not only talk about peace, let us make peace. Now that you have successfully come to the end of the program, one of the important things you must do is to keep the network momentum. Share your experiences and challenges and explore opportunities for collaboration. Keep the flags of the Hansen summer institute flying wherever you go. May peace prevail (always remember that).

Have a nice trip back and I wish you all very good lives.

Karl Ngoye (Your Cameroon Hansenian)

Anna's Intern Corner 06/01/09

2009-06-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

Happy June everyone! I hope this post finds everyone well!

As some of you may or may not know, I graduated from SDSU this Spring, and technically I'm no longer the "intern," however; I figured I could write you all one last message and leave you with some pearls of wisdom.

As you all prepare to embark on this crazy journey, take a deep breath, and prepare for the whirlwind that is the Hansen Summer Institute. Without a doubt, this experience will change your life. Take pictures and live in the moment because this is such a meaningful experience, and once the program ends, you will wish you had paid more attention to every minute detail.

Don't sweat the small stuff, and keep disagreements to a minimum. You will find many things to disagree about, but you will find so many more that you agree on. Although many of your countries have been fighting for centuries, you may find that your differences fall by the wayside after this spectacular program. You will make lifelong friends during this program. Keep in touch.

Stay up late discussing politics, family, or whatever you choose. Get to know each and every participant in the program. But don't stay up too late, because the program is quite rigorous. I can tell you that coffee will be your friend by the end of this program.

Do your best to abide by the rules and the code of conduct, they are there for a reason and really do serve your best interests. Be kind to Bonnie and Ron and the two graduate assistants, they have worked so hard and this program really is their pride and joy.

Most of all, I encourage you to be brave. Try things you never could have envisioned yourself doing before. Share a secret about yourself. Be strong and make this program worthwhile, because you will truly get out of it what you put into it.

Good luck to all of you, I wish you only the best. Hopefully, I will get to pop in sometime during the program. Safe travels, and again good luck!

Anna

Pakistan: The Bigger Battle

2009-05-11T10:09:00.001-07:00

As war rages through the Swat valley with the government finally having grown a spine and doing what it should have done long ago by fighting the Taliban; an even bigger battle is now being waged. The bigger battle is to care for what is perhaps the largest single sudden movement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the history of the nation; with numbers on the move getting revised upwards almost hourly. According to the 1998 census there were 1,257,602 people living in the valley, a decade later there are perhaps 1.5 million and it is possible that between one third and a half of that number are fleeing for their lives. Thus between half and three-quarters of a million people are going to need food, shelter, water, medical care and, most importantly, security; within the next ten days to a fortnight. As if this were not enough – and no government anywhere would find an adequate quick response to numbers of IDPs of that magnitude – we are already host to a large refugee population that shows no early sign of going back to where they came from. Perhaps to our fortune both the provincial government of NWFP and the UNHCR as well as other NGOs and national organizations have long experience of handling refugees and IDPs and it is obvious that the machinery of care is already clicking into gear.

It is difficult to conceptualise the sheer scale of the refugee and IDP burden that Pakistan has borne for decades and continues to bear today. As rolling news channels cover the latest influx, the last wave of human unhappiness disappears into a cloud of unknowing there to be administered and managed by the agencies whose job it is to do so. For instance, how many will remember that in early March this year the Pakistan government signed a pact with the UN refugee agency to continue to host 1.7 million Afghan refugees until 2012 – another three years hence? Under the agreement the UNHCR will raise $140 million from the international community to fund the Refugee Affected and Hosting Areas (RAHA) programme, which includes development projects aimed at boosting employment prospects, reviving agricultural and irrigation systems, repairing farm to market roads, improving crop and livestock production, and marketing produce. Which is all very well and we are pleased that the UNHCR is helping us with the hosting of Afghan refugees as they are – but the fact remains that they are still in Pakistan, are here until at least 2012 and with the way things are going in Afghanistan today the likelihood of them wanting to up-sticks and wend their way home – ever – is slim.

Within the month it is possible that the total number of refugees and IDPs of all sorts and origins within Pakistan is going to top three million, and one of the world's poorest countries will be hosting one of the worlds largest populations of displaced persons. Most refugees and IDPs do eventually return to their homes, and as long as the army does the job thoroughly and cleanses Swat of the Taliban cancer, and as long as the politicians do not discard their newly-grown spinal column, then the Swatis can go home. Their home will have been substantially damaged by warfare, and they are going to need post-conflict reconstructive help for decades to come – which will be neither cheap nor easy to fund. The rueful irony is that we would never have got to this position but for bungling and gutless governance. No wonder the rest of the world looks at us and shakes its head in bemused puzzlement.

Anna's Intern Corner 05/04/09

2009-05-04T14:19:00.001-07:00

Just a quick note!

I wanted to let you all know that there is a new link on the Hansen website where you can view research and articles written by Hansen fellows. Just go to the home page, and on the right hand side there is a link for "Research by Hansen Fellows," click on that and you can see articles by Davor and Tatiana. Also, there are links next to their names on the alumni page that will open up the same articles.

For any of you who have written articles recently, feel free to email them to Bonnie and she will get them up on the site!

Hope you are all well!!

Anna

Greetings from Tatiana (Moldova)-The World is Our Playground

2009-05-04T12:50:00.000-07:00

The world is our playground!

Hi everybody! Here I am…chillin’ after the Queensday party …sitting in my favorite coffee company, drinking my favorite hazelnut latte, browsing through all the possible online information to reminisce the beautiful memories and experiences that Hansen left me with. Why now? ‘Cause unbelievably it has been almost one year…and time flies…this is what Sara reminded me some days ago on facebook…I don’t wanna get all emotional right now…but to be honest I wish I could see everybody joined together once more…can we make it Ron, Bonnie? :-) Silly question but coming from my heart…

Just to bring an update…things are going well for me…just recently landed a new job at the Nicolaas Witsen Foundation in Amsterdam, an organization bounding to my work in public policy what I was doing in Moldova. In addition, still studying Dutch…hope to make it through one day and master it as I would like it…it is really difficult but my language skills are not disappointing me! Traveling has become a big part of my life – for this summer I plan to visit a lot of special places, which are on my “bucket” list since the Hansen experience. And yes…maybe not all in one this year…but I would like to visit South America and Australia too! Hope not to go over my budget.

Reading the info posted on the blog…I really find it interesting even being an alumni…and I hope that is also helpful to Hansen participants of 2009. You know guys…being born and raised in Moldova provided me with a unique perspective of society. I am a citizen of a country that even after 18 years of independence, is still described by poor governance lacking knowledge and skillful diplomacy that could advocate innovative reforms. Probably…having every day the picture of the other side of the coin made me consider the choice of my dual-degree in economics and the choice of my professional goals in non-profit sector, which eventually consolidate my critical thinking and provide me a professionally-focused attitude. In HANSEN I noticed a personal approach…not just a standard student program “gathering” to talk…but more to share and relate on each other’s experiences, apply the knowledge in our daily life… that opens us opportunities of the 3 C’s – collaboration, cooperation and coordination.

When reflecting back how it all started…I get the picture when I first left the Chisinau airport (I need to add here my trademark question…“do you know where Moldova is?”), I had a killing stomachache that came from all those emotions and excitement that I was embarking on. The flight from Europe to US…was pleasantly tiring…I am feeling blessed that I met such special people out there, people with peripheral views, ambitions, intelligence and commitment in fulfilling their goals - starting from the organizers and ending with the participants. When stepping on the escalator of the SD airport…and seeing our names waiting for us…I felt that I am special and awaited! I first asked myself…is it really happening to me…just like that question, Bonnie, that I asked you at the Dean’s reception of the SDSU…are we SPECIAL? And yes since that day…I realize that we all are…everything that is happening in my life comes from the positive energy and firm goals that I would like to pursue in order to make this life worth living! The Hansen program helped me to enhanced my knowledge in world peace and boosted my self-confidence in bringing an impact on my surrounding environment through things that I can do as I community leader and simple human being. This program taught us how to talk about our own perspectives when understating peace and promoting cooperation in a whole new format, where by bringing an informal setting we are committed and ready to be a part of the policy playground of this world. As I have said in my 2008 Hansen application…it is indeed an experience about pursuing a goal of opening young people’s minds for different perspectives in bringing new ideas for a sustainable future, by giving an opportunity to unlock true potential and see the bigger picture. A picture excluding economic crisis, conflicts and misery and includes the simple communication among cultures and people with different beliefs, ideas and visions. It was so easy to talk to people that until the program started, were thousands of miles far from me…and just like that…once...decided to be a part of the Hansen family…and make a difference, show their peers what a huge impact a simple 3 weeks program can bring. I am aware of the fact what I am writing here…it is not utopian thoughts that I would fill out the content of this blog…I really see a potential in all those that got a chance to live the Hansenian dream…and I really appreciate the effort, interests, support and care of all those people that made it possible! To the attention of the 2009 Hansenians: like Haseeb said “try to have as much interaction as you can with the other fellows during these three weeks”! Talk with each, share your knowledge, talk about perspectives, give advices…it will not just be about visiting the most hot spot of the Californian coast…concentrate on dialogue and ask what you don’t understand, participate in discussion, emerge, make friends, have a quality presentation (it is quite important!), keep in touch after the program ends, spread info about Hansen and write an update on yourself…what I am actually doing right now! Embrace diversity and foster a win-win situation! Don’t be shy to get in touch with either my generation or previous generations of Hansen alumni to share ideas or exchange experiences! Use collectivex (the social networking software) and not only! Maybe we even get different generations together one day!

Thank you guys for getting to read my fresh-typed-in thoughts till this point! I will try to be much more active and bring some news-feed more often – now I have a lot of witnesses for my promise! J

Many warm thoughts and hugs from a girl that started with a simple dream and pursues her goals – just like Hansen reiterated us! I am happy to be a part of the network of informed, inspired, committed and independent leaders!

Keep in touch!

Tatiana (your Moldovan Hansenian ;-)

2009-04-16T08:51:00.000-07:00

About a year ago I was selected in this program called Hansen Summer Institute. I had no clue of what to look forward to but the apprehension of being one of the lucky few who actually got selected was tempting and the idea of going to Southern California was superb. Now I had no clue where San Diego was(ahem ahem) because I had heard of L.A and had cousins living in Orange County but had no clue that San Diego existed. I first thought that it was a small town in California but then whenever i used to ask anyone who had visited California, they were like its a beautiful place.

It was June 29th, 2008 when I took my flight from Peshawar to Doha where I was to meet up with two other Hansen fellows from Pakistan, Hira and Anam, from where we had to take our flight together to Washington D.C. I had never met them before and had only talked to them three four times prior to our first encounter. All three of us had no clue of what to look forward to but our excitement level was sky high. Our Flight together to D.C was an experience I would never forget and would require another blog but to put it short it was surely the best flight of my life.
When we reached San Diego we were greeted by the Prof.Ron, Chuck and a Hansen fellow from 2007 who were holding placards with our names on them. That was sign of relief because after traveling 22 hours of air travel and having no clue of what was about to happen to us, seeing that someone is there to receive us was the best feeling ever. Atlas in safe hands!!! =)

Now if I go into details of every second of my trip, it would take ages before I get done and the ride down the memory lane would make me miss all my friends so much that its best I stick to things that’ll help the new Hansen fellows in getting a fair idea of what to look forward to.
Its a very intense program....That's what one of the Hansen Fellows from 2007 told me...i didn't know what he meant by that until i experienced it myself....It's more of a journey to self discover your own potential, your limitations, your leadership skills. The idea of meeting people from all over the globe was quite exciting but scary at the same time because you have no clue what they will like dislike...but i think we clicked the moment we met each other....everyone was so friendly and we figured out that we are more common then we could even imagine...actually the program is designed in such a manner that it allows you to have maximum interaction with other Hansen Fellows.

Oh and you have to speak a lot during the program...So in case you have some public speaking fear, you'll be so over it by the time the program ends. You would be able to grow as a person and develop skills that'll help you a lot in future. What is needed is that you should respect other view points and be open to positive change. Only then would you see the pure essence of this program.

Try to have as much interaction as you can with the other fellows during these three weeks...I think me and a couple of my friends used to sleep real late so that we don't miss out on anything while we are sleeping. So instead of going to bed at 10, stay up and enjoy with your friends. Most of our discussions were at the pool side late at night. I remember at first only two three of us used to sit there and talk but then the numbers grew and near the end almost everyone was at the pool at night.

Oh and don't give your Program Coordinator Bonnie lamb a hard time because she's like a mother to us. So in case you do bug her, expect any of the old Hansen Fellows to drop by any second and teach you guys a few manners haha I know most of us hated the 10.30 curfew time but i guess it was for our own betterment. They too have a responsibility and we should help them out and act nice rather then give them a tough time. In our time everyone complied with the cerfew timings because when didn't, Bonnie lamb was not the person you wanted to meet up with when you returned. She gets that scary haha :)

Oh and Graduate Assisstant is my friend Max this time from Russia....He's a very sweet soul...One of the most decent persons i ever got to meet....and the Intern Annnnnnnnaaaaaaaaaa......well she's a sweetheart!!! I think some of these Hansen friends are more close to me then my friends back home. And whenever we get the chance to talk (which we do almost every other day), we never run out of stuff to talk about.

That's about it for now...if anyone of you as any queries about the program or any other thing, don't just bug ma'am all the time with your mails haha you can always mail Anna or you can mail me at qazisahib@gmail.com. I'd be more then glad to help you guys out in anyway i can.

Best,

Haseeb Qazi, =)
Hansen Fellow '08

Anna's Intern Corner 04/15/09

2009-04-15T12:24:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends!

This week I've been reminded how interconnected our family is and how much we have in common! So many of our fellows have already met during previous programs and are meeting up at conferences after Hansen. It is always exciting to hear how our web of peace-makers is growing.

I was also reminded of how alike we are, no matter how far apart we live. I posted a comment on facebook about a singer/songwriter that I enjoy listening to, and promptly got a note back from Haseeb in Pakistan saying how he really likes the same artist. I really encourage all of you to get in touch via facebook before the program to get to know your fellow participants.

Also, don't be afraid of how different you might be, because I assure you, you will have much more in common than you realize. Last year, our favorite Kenyan told us about how much she liked Usher and we realized that no matter where you live, music seems to transcend all barriers. However, I am sure that you will all have much more than music in common! Get to know each other and I'm sure you won't be disappointed!

-Listening to Gavin DeGraw in California,

Anna

Anna's Intern Corner 04/06/09

2009-04-06T12:09:00.000-07:00

Hello my fellow Hansens! I hope that this post finds everyone well!

We've been getting a lot of questions about MONEY recently, so I thought as a past participant, I could offer some insight!

As all of you know, all of your expenses are being covered by the program: airfare, housing, transportation in the US, all of that good stuff. But how much extra money should you bring? Really, it depends on the person and their financial resources. The extra money you bring would most likely be used to buy souvenirs, maybe something to eat in the airport, or for occasions when you have free time and go out with fellow participants. Honestly, last year we had some people come here and go on shopping sprees and buy computers, while others spent little to no money. We had a birthday during the program and everyone chipped in a dollar to buy him a cake, but really the amount of money you decide to bring is entirely up to you!

I hope everyone is doing well and if you have any further questions, don't hesitate to ask!

ISFIT 2009 (from Marlon)

2009-03-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

Hope you are doing well! I just got back from ISFIT and it was an eye opening experience. I was a part of the group associated with the theme of "Peace as a Concept." The group consisted of about 20 students from all over the globe, From Sudan to Indonesia to Brazil. Every morning we met up at workshops and the host Norwegian students lead the discussions. We mainly dealt with concerns regarding sustaining peace and what obstacles we face. We exchanged dialogs and heard personal story from each and everyone. The opening ceremony of ISFIT was conducted by Desmond Tutu, who gave a very inspiring speech on how we as global citizens could contribute to help sustain peace. After each discussions in the mornings, were followed by plenery sessions which were hosted by renowed public figues such as Atomic energy commison Chairman Dr. Hans Blix, Nobel peace prize lauriate Betty Williams, Norwegian foreign minister to name a few. The nights were fun, we all gathered up at the main student center, or as the Norwegians called it the "Samfundet" for a night filled with music and dance. Every day I went to sleep around 3 am and woke up around 8 am. But I was energized with the prospect of what the next day had to offer. It was truely an amazing experiance and I would highly recoomend it to everyone who is interested in exchanging ideas with a wide array of critical minds. I was staying with a host family for the whole week and that was an experiance in itself.

Anna's Intern Corner 03/13/09

2009-03-13T13:27:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Anna Miro. Aside from being a 2008 American Hansen Fellow, I am also now the Hansen Summer Institute Intern. I get the amazing job of helping to choose fellows, participate in the planning process and helping with anything that Bonnie and Ron need.

For those of you whom I've met, the amazing past fellows, I hope that you will help us bolster our blog by posting updates on how you are doing and what you've been up to, interesting articles you've read, or even topics you would like to discuss. I really hope that through this blog we can create a more interconnected group and stay in touch even better than before.

For those of you I haven't met, welcome! I am so excited to meet all of you this summer and hear all of your amazing stories. I know that the time before this program can often be nerve racking and I'm sure that you all have many questions. Without a doubt, I had many questions prior to the program, but I was a little shy about asking them. I encourage all of you if you have any questions to please not hesitate to ask! Especially if you feel that you have questions that you feel uncomfortable asking Bonnie or Ron, I am more than happy to answer any and all questions you have. I am someone who has been through the program, and understand completely how you are feeling. If you have general questions, feel free to post them on the board, as I'm sure you are not the only one pondering them. If you have a more specific question, feel free to email me at: annammiro@gmail.com.

I look forward to meeting all of you this summer, and again, CONGRATULATIONS! Please tell all of your family and friends congratulations as well because this is a truly once in a lifetime experience that you will never forget!

2009 Fellows

2009-03-13T11:18:00.000-07:00

We have finally finished the selection and interview process! The 2009 Hansen fellows are:

Ulviyya Abdullayeva - Azerbaijan
Noorullah Ahmadzai - Afghanistan
Daniel de Oliveira - Brazil
Hajra Hafeez-ur-Rehman -Pakistan
Rodica Ianole - Romania
Bakhtiyor Isoev - Tajikistan
Farrukh Khalikov -Uzbekistan
Asja Kratovic - Bosnia
Tornike Metreveli - Georgia
Alexandrine Mugisha - Rwanda
Itamar Ronen - Israel
Neha Sinha - India
Marnia Yoeung - Cambodia
Mohamad Yousef - the Palestinian Autority
Tucker Wincele - SDSU
Jonathan Lee-Mars - SDSU
Kathryn Eberhardt- SDSU
Stephanie McClellan - SDSU
Breanna Upshaw - SDSU

Although our numbers are smaller this year I'm sure this year's group will be just as dynamic and engaging as those from previous years.

I'd like to wish our newest fellows a hearty welcome and I look forward to seeing them here in a few short months.

Hello from Bukavu

2008-10-31T09:50:00.000-07:00

As we in the US focus all of our attention on the upcoming Presidential elections we tend to lose sight of the global picture. This morning I received an email from Lewis Kasindi Kilongo (2008 HSI alumni from the DRC) that reminded me to look beyond the latest polls and appreciate how lucky we are. The note was very short; the subject line was "Hello from Bukavu", it read:

I hope this email finds you in good health. I just wanted to let you know that we are ok even though the situation is going from bad to worse out here; the echo has really become a sound. I mean even in Bukavu there's so much insecurity at the moment. Two more dead bodies of young men were found laid on the street this morning! Many of the expatriates we work with for Food for the Hungry have evacuated. Anyways, I hope all is gonna be ok! May peace prevail.

This email is a poignant reminder that there are many countries are still in the midst of political upheaval and humanitarian crises.

I certainly hope Lewis is right, that everything will be ok, and the Congolose government and the rebel forces can work together to resolve the situation, in the meantime, my thoughts and prayers are with Lewis, his family and his country.

2009 Program

2008-10-27T12:24:00.001-07:00

The good news is that the applications are finally available on-line. This year's applications are word documents that can be downloaded and saved to your local computer. Then type your information into the document (in the alloted spaces) and email the completed application back to us. You can also download the reference forms seperately and email them to your referees to fill out - they can be emailed directly to us or sent back to you to submit with your completed application. Don't forget to get letters of reference from your academic and NGO referees. These can be scanned & emailed, faxed or posted to us via regular mail. The final signature page (Form 7) will have to be printed signed and the returned via email (scanned), fax or regular mail.

Now, for the bad news: the financial crisis has reared it's ugly head here at HSI. We spent last month crunching the budget numbers and have regretfully had to make some tough decisions. Since our funding has been drastically reduced we are forced to cut the number of participants for the 2009 program. Unfortunately after many hours re-working the budget we are left with no other alternative: this year we must reduce the number of participants to 10 non-US and 5 US students. Hopefully, after the dust settles and this economic downturn is reversed, in 2010 we will be able to bring our numbers back up to the original 20 non-US and 10 American participants.

As always please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.

Mini HSI Reunions

2008-10-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

Since the end of HSI 2008 I've been in touch with most of the alumni; many of the local students have stopped by the office or come to the house to say hello.

I know that many of you have been keeping in touch via facebook, skype and yahoo IM; and I'm especially pleased to see that the CollectiveX groupsite is being used to trade professional and personal messages as well as thoughts and ideas on current events.

However I've recently had the chance to catch up with some of you face to face.

About two weeks ago James (2008 alum) decided to organize a bonfire at Crown Point. He invited the local alumni and their friends. It was certainly great to see some familiar faces. By the time I left the beach James, Matt, Marlon and Seana had arrived with thier friends and Kaprese was on her way...Thanks James for taking the lead and trying to get us all together again.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to spend the weekend in Amsterdam. For those of you who haven't been there yet I highly recommend it! It's a fabulous city with great energy and more museums than you can count. We were lucky enough to schedule our trip while Davor and Tatiana (both 2008 alums) were in town. They were gracious enough to fit us into their weekend and came out to visit.

It's very nice to know that I now have friends around the world -and hopefully I'll get the chance to visit all of the alumni at some point in the future.

Goodbye HSI 2008

2008-08-02T11:20:00.000-07:00

As we say goodbye to the 2008 Hansen fellows I wanted to share some memories of the past three weeks. We started this year with a reception at President Weber's University House. We got to meet the some of the people who help make the program work.

However once the niceties were over it was time to get to "work". The anticipation before we ever got t Challange U had everyone on edge. The idea of climbing a pole and walking across a wire sounds pretty scary but this day set the tone for the 3 weeks to come.

It's all about teamwork!

This lesson was reinforced in the classroom…

and on the beach.

In addition to a lot of fun, the HSI experience was very eye opening for many of us. We learned a lot about places we have read about in the news….

and others that we rarely ever hear about…

We learned new ideas and concepts which hopefully will inspire change in individual communities and around the world.

Overall we the time passed way too quickly in a blur of classes, activities and excursions and suddenly we were had to say goodbye to lifelong friends that we met only three weeks before.

Internship Opportunity

2008-03-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

The Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice at the University of San Diego

SUMMER INTERNSHIP
APPLICATION DEADLINE IS MARCH 28
Dates:
The Summer 2008 internship will begin Wednesday, June 4, and end Friday, August 22.
Intern Responsibilities:
Assist with the development of IPJ projects and events, including research assistance, support to events, and a small amount of administrative support.
Qualifications:
- Enrollment, with senior status, in an undergraduate program; or enrollment in a graduate program; or a recent degree in a field related to peace studies, human rights, or international relations.
- GPA of 2.75 or higher.
- Excellent writing skills.
- Minimum of 15, and preferably up to 20, hours per week.

To Apply: Please visit the IPJ website at http://peace.sandiego.edu and click on "Programs," then "Internship Opportunities," to download an application form and view other requirements. If you have additional questions, please call (619) 260-7573 or send an email to Elena McCollim at emccollim@sandiego.edu. The internship is unpaid.
Please note that while we encourage international applicants, we cannot provide them with assistance in securing a visa, nor cover the costs of the visa and the health insurance required by USD.

Rotary International

2008-02-27T12:16:00.001-08:00

Rotary’s educational programs promote international understanding by bringing together people from different countries and cultures. Rotary offers a variety of peace programs where students learn conflict resolution skills. I highly recommend the Rotary programs to Hansen Summer Institute applicants who:

are ineligible for the Hansen program
applied but did not get selected
wish to continue their peace studies at the Master's level.

2008 New Meanings of Peace Conference

2008-02-26T10:55:00.000-08:00

New Meanings of Peace conference in Tetuan, Morocco -June 2008
Check out thier blog at: http://www.newmeaningsofpeaceconference2008.blogspot.com/

Volunteering in Romania

2008-02-26T10:47:00.000-08:00

WORLD VOLUNTEER CAFE

"World Cafe" is a powerful method for creating meaningful and cooperative dialogue around questions participants perceive to truly matter. It is based on the idea that „If you can exchange opinions, you can change the future!"

What we aim with this event is to acquire, in a direct and interactive manner, other perspectives on volunteering from the foreign students in Cluj-Napoca. The main objective of the action is the exchange of information and opinions so that at the end of the discussion session we can have a global view on volunteering.

In this respect we propose a discussion session in a café in the central part of Cluj-Napoca with the theme "Volunteering in your country!" where the audience has the opportunity to find out information on the status of the concept and practice of volunteering in the countries presented at the event. The foreign students are invited to present the countries where they come from as well as the associative environment there. Each country present at the event will have its own space allocated so that the representatives of that particular country can interact with the participants and engage in discussion on the theme of the café.

The event is organized within the National Campaign for Promoting Volunteering "It's time to be different! Noble deeds are not for money!" The campaign is a communication effort on divers channels to different groups of audience that includes a series of events organized in different locations around Romania .
About us
Pro Vobis is a nongovernmental and nonprofit organization set up in 1992. Pro Vobis acts at the national level to promote and develop volunteering as a form of displaying individual and corporate social responsibility which helps the development of local communities and raises the degree of social solidarity. Pro Vobis is also known on an international level as a reference organization in the field of volunteer resource, implementing a wide range of programs and presently looking to shape its offer for tailored services in the area of social responsibility through volunteering.
Contact person: Ramona Dragomir – Communication Assistant, pr@provobis.com 0743 -351-33

Take care,Ramona-- Ramona DragomirBabes-Bolyai UniversityFaculty of Political, Administrative and Communication SciencesTel: +40-743-351-336 +40-723-122-452

The new Hansen blog

2008-02-26T10:23:00.000-08:00

Hello from sunny San Diego,

As the program coordinator of the Hansen Summer Institute on Leadership and International Cooperation one of my jobs is to maintain a space on our website where Hansen Fellows can exhange thoughts and ideas. With this in mind, I want to try a new format for keeping in touch. I want a forum where past, present and future Hansenians can see what other like-minded folks are up to.

Ideally I would like this blog to be a place for us to exchange ideas and information about what's going on: personally and professionally as well as a place to post random thoughts on current events, photos, videos, etc. Pretty much anything that may catch the eye of our globe-trotting Hansenians.

Feel free to send me any info you think others may be interested in...