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Summer 2016

92Y International Relations Newsletter

International Relations

The 2016 Ford Motor Company International Fellowship of 92nd Street Y

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This June, the Ford Fellowship included 13 fellows from Bangladesh, Brazil, Detroit (USA), India and Israel. This was the third year that Detroit fellows were included in the program. The fellows are all social entrepreneurs who spent two weeks working to improve their management and leadership skills. Coupled with thorough pre- and post- fellowship distance learning, the fellows collaborated to understand how to better tackle urgent challenges facing their communities.

With funding from the Ford Motor Company Fund, 92Y offered a robust leadership experience in

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partnership with Columbia University, Yale University, General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt, The Doe Fund, Greyston Bakery, West Side Campaign Against Hunger and Carnegie Council. With 92Y as home base, the fellows engaged in a variety of activities that challenged them emotionally, intellectually and physically while also encouraging reflection and growth.

For Ford Fellow alumni news see page 2, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

 

International Way 2016 at the annual 92Y Street Festival

 

Preparations for the International Way section of the 2016 Street Festival are in full swing. 92Y’s diplomatic partners are major contributors to this block-long display of cultural booths, and their partnership truly helps make this annual festival one of the most unique and must-see events in New York City. This year’s celebration will feature representatives from China, Germany, Haiti, Israel, NYC Mayor’s Office for International Affairs, Poland, South Korea, Turkey, Thailand and Ukraine. International Way is one of the largest sponsors of the

Diplomatic Outreach StreetFest highlights from past years have included: Singaporean ladies dressed as giant orchids, an Egyptian “horse” (two men in costume) galloping the length of the festival, a 16-piece Barbadian calypso band, visitors dressing up as Samurai warriors at the Japanese booth, a long line of eager participants in a raffle wheel at the German booth, and festivalgoers posing for green-screen photos at the Israel booth. Click here for a full list of past participants.

The Ford Motor Company International Fellowship

of 92nd Street Y

 

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92Y International Relations Newsletter Summer 2016

Ford Fellowship

Alumni News

João Paulo Vergueiro (Brazil, 2016): JP is the leader of #diadedoar

(#GivingTuesday Brazil). Last year, they had over

170 million posts on Twitter engaging in the cause.

This year, they have created a board to

expand the impact for #diadedoar 2016!

This year, #GivingTuesday is November 29, 2016. For information on how to get

involved, check out: givingtuesday.org/join

 

The Ford Fellows continue to collaborate

about pressing issues facing their communities

today.

If you want to reach out, get involved or share

insights, connect with us on Facebook, Instagram

and Twitter!  

Narkis Alon (Israel, 2014) Narkis was named on Forbes Israel’s first Forbes Top 30 Under 30 list! Click here for more information.

César Asiático (Dominican Republic, 2014) César was one of President Obama’s Young Leaders of the Americas, and launched Junior Achievement programs in the DR. Click here for a video on the programs.

Dil Afroze Chowdhury (Bangladesh, 2006) Dil was selected to participate in the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2016 at Stanford University this past June. Click here for more information about the program.

Dang Hong Thai (Vietnam, 2011) Thai visited Boston and Silicon Valley through Dream Project Incubator, a group of Vietnamese PhDs from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). To learn more about the program, click here.

Andrzej Folwarczny, (Poland, 2003) Andrzej visited the U.S. earlier this year to speak about the work of Forum for Dialogue and the recent achievements of the School of Dialogue Program. He was part of a presentation by the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, alongside Jewish educators. Click here for more information.

Smirti Pahwa (India, 2016) Smirti’s organization, ASER Centre, has been gaining recognition for their developments! Click here to learn more about the organization.

Pooja Taparia (India, 2012) Pooja’s organization, Arpan, has worked with over 18,000 children in the last year. This surpasses their initial goal of reaching 15,000 children.

Prakash Tyagi (India, 2003) Prakash was featured on a PBS video alongside a specialist in silicosis disease among other issues affecting the peoples of the Thar Desert in Rajasthan. Click here to see the video.

   

 

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92Y International Relations Newsletter Summer 2016

 

 

 

Message from Alison Gardy After 16 years and 8 months of joyous service as 92Y Director of International Relations, I am leaving 92Y. In January 2001, I was happily tasked with the launch of a start-up enterprise called the 92Y Department of International Relations, developing initiatives such as the Ford Motor Company International Fellowship of 92nd Street Y, the Diplomatic Roundtable series, International Way of StreetFest, and institution-wide partnerships on a global scale. The department has thrived in collaboration with stellar local, national, and global partners. Together, we have accomplished transformative work and built resilient communities. Now the department has come to a close. My heartfelt thanks go to those who participated in our collective success and enabled all of us to do better work and become better people for having come together. In particular, the hundreds of Ford Fellow alumni have taught us so much about how resilient communities can discover positive solutions to daunting challenges. Of course, the Ford Fellowship program owes its existence to the unwavering generosity of the Ford Motor Company Fund. In my future endeavors, I look forward to continuing to support our robust communities. If you would like to stay in touch, please reach me at agardyglobal@gmail.com and @agardy1. With profound gratitude and wishing your families and your communities abundant blessings, Alison

International Way has hosted 62 Diplomatic Partners, since 2003, making it unique to the City of New York and one of the largest financial sponsors of the 92Y StreetFest.

The Diplomatic Roundtable Series, launched in the wake of 9/11, hosted more than 200 ambassadors and consuls general from 80 countries.

Highlights of 92Y International Relations

 

This infographic was created in 2015. Since then, an additional 13 leaders have participated in the Ford Motor Company International Fellowship of 92Y.

Since the fellowship launched in 2001, the Ford Motor Company Fund, 92Y’s largest corporate donor in its 142-year history, has invested over USD $4 million in the Ford Fellowship

The Chronicle of Philanthropy ranked the Ford Fellowship as one of the most popular and prestigious nonprofit leadership and management training programs in the United States.

92Y IR has promoted 92Y programming to a database of 500+ diplomatic contacts

The efforts of 92Y IR enabled 92Y to receive consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) starting in 2012.

And much more…

   

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Summer 2016

92Y International Relations Newsletter

 

The 92nd Street Y (92Y) International Relations Department honors the life and grieves the passing of Elie Wiesel, an iconic figure working towards peace for communities all around the world. On Thursday, October 2, 2008, 92Y hosted ‘A Day of Humanity and Peace: A Tribute to Elie Wiesel.’ This event brought together public figures and citizens from around the world to celebrate the Nobel Peace Prize winner’s 80th birthday. As part of this celebration, the 92Y International Relations Department offered Ford Fellowship alumni the opportunity to write Elie Wiesel a note. A collection of these letters and sentiments, including some from ambassadors and former heads of state, was then bound, and given to him as a gift. Some words and wishes from fellowship alumni: “Thank you for you great role in building peace between people and generations. Only now I discovered the real strength and dignity of this word.” Irma Kuprashvili (Georgia, 2005)

Elie Wiesel: In Memoriam and Reflection

“A wise man knows that he must pass on his heritage to wise people, and your heritage is here with every honest man in this world. I wish I could say that your task is finished, but in fact there is still a long way to go. Know that you have started the one-thousand-

mile march and we shall continue.” Jafar Rahat (Israel, 2007)

“Your birthday is a good occasion to express

recognition for your efforts and commitment for humanity and peace. I would like to join those who

work for justice, peace and humanity to declare that these values [….] are what we stand for. We are

committed to a world where peace outweighs war and love preferred over hatred.”

Muhammad Sabir Siddiqui (Afghanistan, 2005)

I am honored to send my warmest greetings and birthday wishes to Elie Wiesel, a man of such inspiring

accomplishment, a man who has dedicated his life to ensuring that none of us forget what happened to the Jewish people, and at the same time to urging us

never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation.”

Noa Epstein (Israel, 2008)

 

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92Y International Relations Newsletter Summer 2016