August 13, 2017
From the 13th to the 19th of August, Ashesi will host over 60 fellows of the Melton Foundation at the Global Citizenship Conference 2017.
The Global Citizenship Conference (GCC) is a unique event that provides tools and resources to promote global citizenship as a way to work together to solve today’s challenges around the world.
Each year, the Melton Foundation and one of its partner universities hosts a seven-to-ten day series of activities focused on Global Citizenship. The conference convenes about 100 Melton Fellows, faculty from participating universities, and leading Global Citizenship advocates, practitioners, and experts for three primary purposes, to foster community growth, for learning and for outreach.
On the theme What is the role of a Global Citizen in a world that is in flux? this year’s conference will bring together all Melton fellows from across the globe to Ghana where they will take part in workshops, lectures and projects within local communities around Ashesi that will drive conversations around towards global citizenship.
“When we think about a world of flux, we think about the break-neck speed of change that we’re living,” said Winthrop Carty, Executive Director, Melton Foundation in his opening remark. “Change is happening now, faster than any other time in human history. Innovation cycles are speeding up exponentially, bringing us many thing: from genetic engineering to Moore’s law which shows that we double computing speed every year. But we also know that these advancements have also brought us to the precipice of our own total and complete demise, for the first time in human history as well, whether it’s weapons of mass destruction, pandemics or our carbon emissions. However, and in fact, quite honestly, I’m optimistic. Here’s why: it’s because of you. When many of you look into the future, you know that we can no longer postpone action. The future is now, it’s upon us. And your pragmatic passion inspires me. With global citizens like you, I know the world will be in better hands.”
The Melton Foundation is a leading proponent of global citizenship as a way to encourage people and institutions to collaborate on shared global challenges. The Foundation works to empower students to address seven key issues, including conflict reduction, empowering changemakers, improving education and promoting equality. In 2014, the Melton Foundation partnered with Ashesi to bring its global citizenship program to Africa.
“What do we believe, and what are we trying to achieve in the world, as a continent?” asked Ashesi founder, Patrick Awuah, in welcoming the guests to Ashesi. “We need to believe that the world, can will be greater than it is 30 years from now. We need to believe that we can educate people who can connect across the world and make profound positive change in the world. And we need to believe that it is possible, across cultural divides, that we can go into another culture and respect it for what it is, and to learn from it, and to teach. We need to believe that we can all be teachers, and we can all be scholars, always. And if we do that, then we’ll achieve a better world in 30 years from now.”
To kick start the conference, the Melton Foundation held the Springboard Sessions which saw speakers share personal stories of their impact work.
Share this story