What being a Global Citizen means to me…
In 2012, I stood way in the back of the crowd of the first Global Citizen festival in Central Park. I remember looking at that stage and envisioning myself up there one day. Not as a celebrity or a political leader, but as a representative of Mama Hope and everything that we stand for — collaboration, human connection, and building from eye-level. I envisioned a future where there is room in the discussion about global poverty for grassroots voices to be heard alongside the voices of the rich and influential.
Now, three years later, I am one of the four finalists in the Waislitz Global Citizen Award which will be presented on stage at the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park on September 26th, 2015. It is such an incredible honor to be chosen out of hundreds of submissions as a finalist as well as a lifetime dream to be awarded such a beautiful title for my work with Mama Hope. The winner is being determined by an online vote and so during the voting I ran a campaign called #AGlobalCitizenIs where everyday I posted a photo or video stating “What being a Global Citizen means to me.” I have been so moved that these posts were re-shared all over social media networks. Also, I received countless messages of support as well as beautiful stories where people let me know the impact I have made in their life. This is so special because I think it is quite rare during life to understand how you have touched the lives of those you love. No matter the outcome of this award, I feel truly blessed and so grateful. The experience alone has been heart warming and ensured in me that I am definitely doing the work I was born to do.
The blog below is a compilation of all the posts for #AGlobalCitizenIs.
#1: A Global Citizen contributes
I believe that the key to living a meaningful life is contributing your time, skills and resources to give back to others and build the world you want to create for future generations. Our souls are hungry to contribute because, at the end of our lives, all that we leave behind is what we give away.
#2: A Global Citizen overcomes
This video made by Storytellers For Good in 2010 tells the origin story of Mama Hope. In it I talk about how one of the most difficult moments in my life has been a beautiful gift.
#3: A Global Citizen believes in human potential
I believe that a world without extreme poverty is a world where all of us have the ability to maximize our potential. As a global society we can exponentially increase the number of innovative minds contributing fully to unlock scientific, intellectual and emotional greatness.
# 4: A Global Citizen believes in equal partnership
One of my favorite videos Mama Hope ever made was “Call Me Hope” in 2011. It is a split screen video of our communities of supporters matched with our communities in Africa. Grandmas with grandmas. Businessmen with businessmen. Farmers with farmers. The point of the video is we are all one global family and we should treat each other with love and respect! I have seen it a million times and every time it makes my heart sing. Also so many of my favorite people (as well as their grandparents, parents and kids) make cameos in it!
#5: A Global Citizen collaborates
I believe that one of the most important issues facing the world today is a lack of collaboration within the global development sector. Too many organizations still work in silos. This often results in intense competition for limited funding and a lot of wasted aid. I believe that creating partnerships with like minded organizations is the solution. Working together is what allows us to create holistic and sustainable solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.
#6: A Global Citizen knows their guiding principles
My beautiful mother used to always tell me that “You are a Global Citizen who happens to be born in America.” She was a peace activist who taught me three things that have shaped my identity: 1. We live in an interconnected world. 2. Every life matters. 3. Everybody deserves to be happy and healthy. These are the guiding principles that have fueled my passion to build Mama Hope in her honor.
#7: A Global Citizen focuses of progress not pity
I built Mama Hope in order to strengthen human connection worldwide. One of the best ways we’ve found to do it is through our Stop the Pity campaign. This campaign allows us to connect the people we know and love at home with the people we know and love across Africa and around the world. Here is one of my favorite STP videos aimed at shifting the perception of women living in Africa. Enjoy these hilarious, fiery Kenyan women who want to teach you a thing about netball!
#8: A Global Citizen knows where they came from
I am Stephanie and Buck’s daughter born at sunrise on an auspicious day in June. Born from love and made to nurture human connection and hope across the world.
#9: A Global Citizen listens
All over the world there are incredible visionaries who have already figured out the solutions to their community’s problems. I believe it is our job to seek out these visionaries, listen to their ideas, and fund the projects of their dreams. Listening to communities is imperative to the success and the sustainability of a project.
#10: A Global Citizen starts with love
Mama Hope was built from love. When I went to Kenya to fulfill my mother’s dream of meeting Benard Olando, a boy she sponsored there, I learned she also helped a whole community of women create their own businesses. I was inspired that her deep love for humanity had allowed hundreds of people to uplift their lives and so I created Mama hope in her honor. As I met the visionary leaders of this community I did not see them through the eyes of need, but instead love and inspiration. I knew that there were other visionaries all over the world who also had big ideas of how to transform the lives of their communities. I was confident that by spreading the inspiring stories and dreams of the people I met, I would be able to support theses leaders to make their dreams of progress a reality!
#11: A Global Citizen has a vision
I believe that we will soon live in a world where “extreme poverty” is talked about in the past tense. I am confident in my generation’s ability to join together and heal our planet. I am devoting my life to ensuring this future by building human connections that will create this global family.
Please VOTE HERE for me to win the Waislitz Global Citizen Award and $100K grant that will enable Mama Hope to expand worldwide.
We will use this award towards the training of 20 new Global Advocates. Each Advocate will raise a minimum of $20K and take action to help communities build sustainable projects. This unique funding model allows us to leverage the $100K grant from Waislitz into $400K in new funding that will directly support life-changing projects worldwide.
