FALL 2013 PROFESSIONAL FELLOWS CONGRESS

WASHINGTON, D. C. November 6 - 8, 2013

PHOTO COMPETITION

* Sponsored by the U.S. State Department Bureau

of Educational and Cultural Affairs Organized by the Great Lakes Consortium for International Training and

Development with WSOS Community Action Commission, Inc. –

Contract Agent and Manager

Website: http://www.glc-teachdemocracy2.org/ Facebook: GLC_TeachDemocracy

Contact: glc_teachdemocracy@hotmail.com

Professional Fellows were invited to send a photo that captures the essence of the Professional Fellows Program. 39 delegates responded to the invitation by sending selected photos, which demonstrate the great diversity of experiences and participants that make up the Professional Fellows Program.

11 people from our delegation make valuable con-tribution to the competition event. They send great photos, share their thoughts and ideas and envision what the grassroots democracy is fighting for! Enjoy their photos on this page and read the captions on other pages.

“I was volunteering for "Autism Speaks" during the event "Walk Now for Autism". The walk took place on the National Mall in downtown Wash-ington, D.C. on Saturday, November 2. It was fundraising event which brings together thousands of participants. They walk for Research, Aware-ness, Compassion. They walk for Acceptance. And, I am so proud and happy that I was part of this. I work for this cause in Bulgaria and my par-ticipation in this event was really very important for me. Because Autism speaks and it is time to listen!”

Kalina Hristova Valova, Vratsa, Bulgaria

2

“Religion has always been a major social regulator in our societies. Today when the idea of desecualarization is taking over, we must consider that religion is for all. Religion is nobody's property. Thus we have to make our temples more accessible to those who have been labeled as “others.” We also have to open the doors of our hearts and let “others” become “we.” Religion for all - religion for us! Darakchi took this photo in a LGBT friendly church in Chicago, Illinois.”

Shaban Darakchi, Sofia, Bulgaria

3

“Exchange fellows Vladislav Petkov (Bulgaria), Gabriela Mezeiova (Slovakia), and Jozsef Angyal (Hungary) explore Washington, D.C. after spending 3 weeks in intensive Fellowships in community organizations in Wichita (KS), Chicago (IL), and Toledo (OH) respectively. This shot is an example of how people must organize and act together to achieve com-mon goals.”

Vladislav Petkov, Sofia, Bulgaria

4

“This is a photo of the Elmwood Gardens Homework Club in Manchester, New Hampshire on October 28, 2013. It is often more important to enjoy learning and doing homework than the perfect knowledge of the subject. Care is the most important thing a volunteer can give children.”

Andrea Tajti, Szeged, Hungary

5

“This is a photo from the group of Building Grassroots Democracy in Mi-nority Communities. The photo was taken during my internship at Jane Addams Senior Caucus Chicago with two Caucus leaders. The benefits of working with JASC and meeting the senior leaders are above my imagina-tion: that group of seniors does an amazing job in fighting for several is-sues while creating an open, just, and multicultural community.”

Annamaria Kovacs, Budapest, Hungary

6

“Different Minorities - One Heart” “In the framework of GLC Teach Democracy-Building Grassroots De-mocracy in Minority Communities, I visited Detroit, MI where I met Afri-can-American minorities. I am also a minority (Roma, Gypsy) in my own country, so this meeting with this young child let me feels that We Are One! And if you see in his eyes, you can see the next generation!”

Jozsef Angyal, Budapest, Hungary

7

"Real people deal with real issues!" “This photo was taken on the 12th of October in Chicago (Illinois) at the March of Immigration Reform. Thousands of immigrants showed up and stood up for their rights. One of my favorite posters (in the middle of the photo) was made by an immigrant family with an undocumented member. It sends the message that "a human being never could be illegal.”

Zsofia Lenart, Budapest, Hungary

8

“I took this photo during the Take Back Chicago rally at the UIC (University of Illinois Chicago) on the 15th of October 2013. About 2,000 people from different organizations gathered here to tackle the problems that Chicago faces. The general feeling was that "Chicago is at a crossroads", as a caregiver who was a speaker at the event said, and people should ask for their rights and welfare.”

Laura Ana Stefanut, Bucharest, Romania

9

“This photo shows Oana volunteering at Hall High School, in Little Rock, AR, by helping a student on her proofreading class. Oana realized how much special attention persons with special needs receive and how impor-tant is for them to receive that attention.”

Oana Botezan, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

10

“On Saturday (October 12, 2013) I (Boba) became part of the march on immigration reform in Chicago, organized by ICIRR. I tried to watch the march as a future community organizer, not as a politi-cian, activist, teacher, or journalist because this was the purpose of my Fellowship in U.S. - to learn from the U.S. experience how to organize people and use collective power to...wards the creation of social change (back home in Europe). The mixture of marching people (from different cultures, origins, or religions) demanded that the government should stop deportations and the further criminalization of immigrants and pass legali-

zation that includes a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants. The most important idea that we learned that day was how powerful and inspiring one crowd of thousands of courageous people can be – when it’s well organized (people stand together to achieve their goal: basic human rights). It can have a very strong influence on politicians & de-cision-makers everywhere in the world!”

Boba Baluchova, Trnava, Slovakia

11

“This is a photo of a local community leader in discussion with a police officer before the protest of 500 people against evictions in the Mission neighborhood in San Francisco resulting from increasing prices of the lo-cal real estate caused by gentrification by people working for corporations in Silicon Valley. People with high-income who move to a neighborhood are not necessarily good news for the local residents.”

Roman Tycka Kollarik, Bratislava, Slovakia

To see more photos follow the link to the ProFellows album: https://www.facebook.com/profellows/media_set?set=a.541972015890052.1073741831.100002317759554&type=3