Testimonials
Bosnia ~ Cambodia ~
El Salvador ~
Guatemala
Nepal ~ Rwanda ~
Venezuela
"I really enjoyed the preparation process for the Bosnia trip and the experience itself. It was well put together, with a workshop with Bosnian youth to begin with. It really opened up the eyes and minds of all participants. It was a nice group and everyone was very involved and connected to the Bosnian people. It was a great educational and personal experience!" (Judith VanRaalten, Bosnia 2006)
“The program was incredible. In fact, it has helped me decide that I want to work in the non-profit sector in conflict resolution or a similar field.” (Kristy Smithson, Bosnia 2006)
“I had such a wonderful experience on the delegation. I met the most amazing people and organizations and it really helped me put some reality to the theories that I study in school. I will be writing my masters thesis on post-conflict Bosnia and will be incorporating a lot of data from this trip. I had a fantastic experience and recommend both the experience and the organization highly. The substance and experience of the trip were incredible.” (Meredith McCormac, Bosnia 2006)
“NGOs whose missions are fulfilled by directly serving the people are inspiring and have given me an optimistic outlook for the people of Cambodia. In working with these NGOs and the people they serve, I discovered the resilience of the Cambodian people, particularly those who face some of the worst poverty in the world and some of the biggest smiles that I have seen. Their smiles keep them going and are inevitably what will continue to draw me back to Cambodia in the future, because my time spent here has shown me change is possible.” (Lindsay McNicholas, Cambodia 2006)
“I think for the purposes of what I learned, of what freedom I had to explore and allowed to drink in all that I could, of what avenues and doors that were open to me, I’ve never endured a more intellectually and emotionally enriching travel abroad experience – and what’s more I appreciated the way in which the program staff introduced and guided us along these paths in a way that we were allowed to take in as much or as little as we wanted…This program incontestably deepened and inspired my commitment to human rights in Cambodia and our wonderful little globe.” (Kelly Hoerger, Cambodia 2006)
“I’ve got to say that Cambodia has made a life-path transformation for my plans for the future. Global Youth Connect has definitely given me the insights and exposure to many NGOs and the opportunity to see for myself the effects of the genocide as well as the people affected by the event. Overall, I would recommend GYC to others seeking for an experience beyond their current understanding of human rights.” (Sameth Mell, Cambodia 2006)
“Meeting all of these incredibly active citizens was a life-changing experience. Conversations with such passionate people continue to inspire me. Learning the methods involved in becoming active is extremely important and El Salvador served as a particularly appropriate setting for such learning.” (Camille D’Andrea, El Salvador 2007)
"I learned mostly the importance of intercultural solidarity and how coming together with different cultural perspectives, while it may be challenging, can facilitate dialogue and action that is more meaningful. I also learned how to begin to think about and process extremely painful emotions and see how my exposure to this can motivate me in a positive way." (Participant, El Salvador 2007)
"I was able to learn a lot about the process of organizing and its importance in civil society. I’ve learned about some of the necessary steps to do so. This was all in addition to what I learned about El Salvador, its history, and political situation. Learning about the situation and what can be done about it were the most important." (Participant, El Salvador 2007)
"The moments that impacted me most were the testimony in Cinquera because of its truth and the setting, and visiting local organizations around San Salvador. Seeing their success and speaking with the members was very inspiring. Just being involved in those moments made me want to be involved and learn more." (Participant, El Salvador Winter 2007)
"The Don Pueblo testimony really hit me hard. It was the point of the trip where the pain of El Salvador's past was made personal and very real. Until then, the story of El Salvador was just that. A story." (Participant, El Salvador Winter 2008)
"Staying in a homestay in San Rafael Cedros really gave me the opportunity to talk to my family about the realities of everyday life in El Salvador and among other experiences here, really pushed me to ask what I can do to change these realities and evaluate my position of privilege in relation to many Salvadorans." (Participant, El Salvador Winter 2008)
"The most important thing I learned about El Salvador is the complex nature and history of entanglements with the U.S. and how economically dependent El Salvador has become on remissions. I think this is extremely important as we think of ways to organize within our own communities and think of how far reaching the effects are." (Participant, El Salvador Winter 2008)
"The GYC delegation to Guatemala was one of the most insightful, educational and moving experiences of my life. Not only did we get to experience another country firsthand, but we also had the opportunity to live and learn alongside other Guatemalans. By participating in human rights workshops and then teaching on a section of rights for a classroom full of Guatemalan youth, the lofty concepts of these rights really became real. The importance of upholding these rights also was perpetually at the front of my mind as we saw and heard of many of the struggles that the indigenous population of today faces as well as the injustices these people experienced in the past. By meeting with some human rights organizations from varied parts of the country, we were able to see the struggles that are very pertinent to the Guatemalan society today and gain a greater understanding of how things got that way. More importantly however, many of these organizations educated us on how to be part of a solution, whether by buying fair trade coffee, or by telling people about the genocide and what happened in Guatemala’s civil war. That perhaps was the most empowering part of the delegation for me, hearing real concerns and struggles from people and allowing them to dictate the way in which they most wanted to have change created: not by us, but along with us." (Rachel Watson, Guatemala 2007)
"What I have learned is both discouraging and motivational. There is no simple solution to Guatemala’s humanitarian dilemmas, but what I have learned is a first step to finding the answers. I have now gained greater inspiration for my human rights passion, and also an approach to achieving my goals." (Participant, Guatemala Summer 2007)
"The most important thing I have learned about Guatemala is that it’s really difficult to define what our place is here in Guatemala, but that it definitely is not to 'save' the people on what we consider they need help on, that it’s THEIR struggle and it should be a mutual/horizontal exchange." (Participant, Guatemala Summer 2007)
"The entire trip of living with and learning of the indigenous peoples' struggle forced me to really put my life in perspective. I learned the value of patience and understanding as well. This world is filled with tragic history but I feel as though we need to learn from it and share it with others so that it does not reoccur in the future." (Participant, Guatemala Summer 2007)
"One memorable moment that comes to mind is my time teaching middle school kids in Cantel. I remember it being really challenging, particularly with the first two classes, but I also vividly recall how good it felt to know that I was teaching and helping someone to understand particular concepts more concretely. I remember after the first class how many girls and boys came over to me to thank me privately for the workshop, and to share with me the significance of what she’d learned. (Participant, Guatemala Summer 2007)
"I can’t not go into human rights work. People are too important to be ignored and even though I may not have a huge influence on the situation – whatever I can do is worth it." (Guatemala Summer 2006)
“It has widened the horizon of my perspective. Now, I’ve started thinking that we, the Nepali youth, can also be a great force to help people restore world peace. We can save human rights from the roots. We can save our nation from various political conflicts and help built a peaceful and stable nation. I will share in whatever ways I can the things I learnt from this training in my community. I will try to use those techniques taught in this program to use to resolve the conflicts in my community. Personally, I feel that this workshop has help built a lot of confidence and motivation to work in the field of human rights. I met a lot of participants from different part of Nepal. That has helped me accumulate strength and now I feel that I am not alone in my work in this field.” (Mona Kharel, Nepal 2007)
“Through this training, youth activists like us are very much encouraged to work to enhance peace, promote human rights practices and help form new networks -- be it by leveraging existing networks and relationships, be it by employing media for awareness raising, legal education or be it by imparting knowledge, skills and sharing experiences to empower people and make them self-dependent. I believe such workshops are very important to know cultural differences and individual perspectives. After perceiving from the perspective of other’s perspective, we can estimate what actually is the cause of various conflicts that occur in every part of the world. And hence we can initiate the work of peace right from the local community by respecting individual rights and accepting cultural and ethnic differences for managing and transforming conflicts. Now the time has come to support youth in peacebuilding. It is also the responsibility of the youth to promote human rights practices and the work of peace. Is violence the very nature of youth? Are youth only the weapon for violence? Are youth so aggressive that they only bring about destruction, vandalism and disturbances in this world? Can’t they be involved in recreational work like saving humanity, restoration of peace, protection of women's rights and children's rights? It’s really high time for the youth to prove that they have compassionate hearts and that they also have the spirit to save this beautiful earth and set an example to every human. Youth power can be the greatest power to bring humanity together to restore peace.” (Phanindra Sharma, Nepal 2007)
"I think the thing I’ve learned the most from the delegation is that I really didn’t 'know' about Rwanda at all. Despite the research and reading I’ve done for years, the kernel of knowledge I’ve gained from the site visits, the delegation and interactions with home-stay family and the Rwandan delegates has been far more life changing. (Participant, Rwanda Summer 2007)
"I think that trips to the genocide memorial sites really reminded me of why I am here, why I am in human rights work, and really drove home the point of why “Never Again” really has to be never again. For me, it made real all of the things I’ve read and heard about and what happened here. Again, it just added a more human dimension to Rwanda and human rights works that are often lacking in discussion." (Participant, Rwanda Summer 2007)
"I feel that I now know what genocide is; what it looks like, it’s crippling impact, and how it feels to be saturated in a country that has committed genocide. I see myself in others and I see my role in our global existence." (Participant, Rwanda Summer 2007)
"I will never forget our time at Uyisenga N’Manzi and the conversation I had with one of the children in the Peace Village. This young man was incredibly open and warm and told me a good deal about his life and experience. It highlighted a lot for me about the older youth in Rwanda and the resilience of the Rwandan people. As I was talking to him, candy was being handed out to all the kids and soon a little boy tapped me on the shoulder in order to offer me a share of his candy. It was truly inspiring to see someone with so little offer me a share. The whole trip has been very reaffirming as far as human kindness and spirit goes." (Participant, Rwanda Summer 2007)
"The past month has been an experience of my lifetime. The activities and volunteer work provide a great glimpse into Rwandan culture and human rights. The time here has showed me how much I can contribute to the promotion of human rights and how to do so. It was a humbling experience and has made me get to know myself in another spectrum. I am truly thankful for this experience." (Participant, Rwanda Summer 2007)
"First, I want to emphasize how welcomed I was as a curious student and a representative from North America. Venezuelans were thrilled that I wanted to hear their opinion and carry the good word of their revolution back to the US. No one hesitated to express political and social ideas whether they were in favor of the government (Chavista) or in the opposition (opositor). I spoke with people from various classes, genders, races, geographical locations, generations, and political stances in order to assure a broad range of perspectives. The first stage of my independent study project, the interviews and first-hand investigation, was a total success due to the enthusiasm of the people I met. (Alex DeLong, Venezuela 2007)
"As I arrived to the busy city of Caracas, I was so pleased to find that unlike the apathy we see in the United States, every Venezuelan I encountered actually had a political opinion. And unlike many of the poor people in rural Mexico who see immigration as their only alternative to a better life, the poor people of Venezuela are not complying with their low standard of living but are instead becoming active in the revolution and creating social change within their communities. I witnessed a change in consciousness amongst the poor people of Venezuela who, through Hugo Chavez’s policies which encourage participatory democracy, now feel like they themselves can be agents of social change and development within their communities. I found myself engaging in many political discussions with all kinds of people; working class, upper middle class people, representatives of different human rights organizations, taxi drivers and hotel workers, all of which had diverse opinions all over the political spectrum." (Maricela Lechuga, Venezuela 2007)
"The educational value of this trip is enormous. I cannot even begin to use the right words to describe the impact this experience has had on my life – personally, socially, intellectually, and politically. Although I am leaving with incomplete and unprocessed thoughts, I feel like my understanding of this country surpasses my grasp on the goings-on of my own country. From a cultural and political perspective, I realize the importance of government participation and knowledge here in this country." (Participant, Venezuela Summer 2007)
"Being able to represent my country in a way that I saw as positive was the most meaningful experience. Our group made a great influence on how the Venezuelans we met perceive North Americans. The most significant moment in this sense was the few minutes we shared with the youths at CECODAP when we realized we were struggling for the same goals in both countries. (Participant, Venezuela Summer 2007)
