The #GhanaGCC2017 may be over ...
Welcome to our Global Citizenship Conference 2017. We are gathering in Ghana from August 13-19 to help answer one big question: What is the role of a Global Citizen in a world that is in flux?
What do we mean by a world in flux? Well, does it seem as if the world is swinging in unexpected, unpredictable directions?
On one hand global under-5 mortality rate has halved between 1990 and 2015, and the global number of people living in extreme poverty has fallen below 10%.
On the other hand, civic spaces are shrinking around the world, the effects of climate change are increasing, forced displacement is at a record high, and for the first time in history, and mega-cities are increasing in number.
The call for a paradigm shift is becoming increasingly louder. The world needs a new kind of leadership that embraces diversity and nourishes collaborations beyond boundaries of religion, race or geography, to forge equitable, sustainable solutions.
| When: | 13-19 August, 2017 |
| Where: | Ashesi University College, one of Africa’s finest liberal arts colleges and a Melton Foundation partner university since 2014 |
| Who: | Melton Fellows, partners, collaborators and YOU! |
Over the course of seven days, we will explore, exchange, and collaborate on pressing global issues, providing pathways to tackle them locally, while considering the global context.
Here are just a few examples of what you can expect!
Springboard Sessions features renowned champions of global citizenship who will share personal accounts from their lives and work, get your thoughts on today’s global challenges through live interaction, and invite you to join them in their journeys, or start your own. Find out more and join us!
Solving wicked problems requires collaboration across areas, scales and with different social and political groups. Because this is easier said than done, we are convening a roundtable to unpack tools that facilitate collaborative leadership across boundaries to drive change in society. Join the conversation!
We believe that Global Citizenship only comes to fruition when put in action. That's why we will take the conference out into the field to connect global and local know-how and help address specific, real-life challenges that local communities in Berekuso and Accra are facing. Become part of the solution!
Over the course of seven days, we will explore, exchange, collaborate on pressing global issues, and provide pathways to tackle them locally, while considering the global context.
The conference is embedded in experiential learning journey, starting with online activities mid-May. These continue beyond the conference, with the implementation of #100Acts of Global Citizenship and diverse projects designed during the GCC.
There is a lot to look forward to at the GCC. Check out the program day by day and see for yourself! And don’t forget to meet the trainers who will make all of this happen!
(An at-one-glance overview of the GCC Program is available for download here.)
7-7.30hrs
(all conference participants)
8-8.30hrs
(all conference participants)
8.30-12.30hrs
(Melton Foundation Junior Fellows*)
8.30-12.30hrs
(all other conference participants)
13.30-16hrs
(Melton Foundation Junior Fellows & Mentors*)
13.30-16hrs
(all other conference participants)
16-19hrs
(all conference participants & registered guests)
8-8.30hrs
(all conference participants)
9-11hrs
(all conference participants)
11.30-16.30hrs
(all conference participants)
17-18.30hrs
(all conference participants)
19.30-22hrs
(all conference participants & registered guests)
8-8.30hrs
(all conference participants)
9.30-11hrs
(Melton Foundation Junior Fellows*)
11-13.30hrs
(Melton Foundation members*)
15-17.30hrs
(all conference participants)
19hrs
(all conference participants)
Just before the conference starts, Junior Fellows of the Melton Foundation will have the opportunity to experience life in Ghana first hand during a homestay with local families from August 11 -13, 2017.
What to expect?
An incredible experience where you
... undergo a unique and deep cultural exchange with your host family,
... can learn about Ghanaian life and culture first hand by spending two days with local families, and
... have the opportunity to share about life back home and your culture with your host family.
Enjoy a relaxing welcome reception in good company. Meet, greet, laugh, share your stories, sparkle and breath the joy of finally having arrived where the magic is going to happen: at Ashesi Campus.
At 16.00hrs, the curtains will go up with an impressive performance that officially opens the Global Citizenship Conference!
Springboard Sessions are the Melton Foundation’s signature event, featuring short talks from inspiring practitioners and advocates of global citizenship sharing their personal story and - through life interactions with the audience - inviting you to join them in their journeys.
Springboard Sessions inspire, challenge, and motivate to take action; they also raise a lot of questions! In an interactive panel conversation, participants have the opportunity to interact with the speakers, discuss experiences and dive into ideas for action.
Connect to the good vibes and move our bodies to incredible African rhythms. There couldn’t be a better way to get energized for the day!
This is an optional activity.
Participating in this GCC is like embarking on a journey. We will encounter surprise, excitement, joy, perhaps even creative tension and insights. This first plenary session will provide a lift off for the day, as we begin our quest to discover the role of a global citizen in a world in flux, and the rights and responsibilities that come with it.
After a weekend with local families, Junior Fellows will have many stories to tell. This is the space to share, reflect and draw individual and collective lessons from their experiences at the home-stay.
For graduating Junior Fellows - Senior Fellows to be - we will take a slightly different turn. In addition to sharing experiences from the homestay, this session will focus on carrying forward important takeaways from the Global Citizenship Program so they can become a beacon on their journey in life, career, and as Senior Fellow of the Melton Foundation.
* For all other registered participants:
We invite you to join the Creative Mentoring Workshop, which is happening in parallel to this session.
details coming soon.
There are two basic mantras in innovation: fail quick and often, and learn from your mistakes. With the second mantra in mind, this session will provide a platform for Junior Fellows to reflect on the ups and downs of the project teams. Over the past year, they have worked with peers from across the world to coordinate and implement a series of activities to address a global issue on a local level. Drawing from peer to peer feedback, while building on an objective process and impact assessment, the session will help transform failures successes into important lessons to take forward.
* For all other registered participants:
We invite you to join the #GhanaGCC2017 Round Table, which is happening in parallel to this session.
A collaborative initiative of Oxfam Ghana and the Melton Foundation, the #GhanaGCC2017 Round Table convenes practical experts from the (local) NGO, political, educational, and business communities to openly discuss and share approaches, good practices and lessons learned in order to identify components for societal change as well as implications and practical ways to promote their implementation across sectors and industries. The Round Table aims explore how collaborative leadership can enable and drive change in society across boundaries of sector & level of influence.
Where do good ideas come from? This is a question many have asked and answered. For us, this session certainly is one of the sources. Providing space, opportunity and the platform to showcase and openly discuss good practice and lessons learned, the Global Citizenship Showcase is the breeding ground for inspiration and to develop ideas for meaningful actions.
Projects and organizations represented at the Showcase will provide a poster with key insights for conference participants to explore. In addition, a selected few projects will have the opportunity to briefly present their work to the plenary.
It's time to move to those African beats again! Conference participants will begin the day with that much needed bout of positivity.
This is an optional activity.
Continue the journey and find your lift off for the day!
Living up to our mantra of hands-on, experiential learning, the collaboration with local projects partners is the centerpiece of this year’s GCC 2017. Over two days, conference participants join hearts, hands and minds with our six local project partners to tackle pressing challenges that local communities are facing. Working in small teams formed prior to the GCC, participants will follow a guided process that covers the following elements:
- Project Visits to explore the challenge in context
- Skill Trainings based on the needs of the local project
- Solution X-Change leveraging the diversity in each team to generate ideas for solutions.
For details, see the 'Conference Highlights' section on this page.
What have we learned? How have we felt? What can we do differently?
Those and other impulse questions will help us to wind down from an intense day, gear up for the next day, and help us arrive at answers to the overarching question about the role of a global citizen in a world in flux.
GCC mornings are known for their fun and energy! Another dose of moving to great African rhythm that'll wake you up better than coffee
This is an optional activity.
The quest to discover the role of a global citizen in a world in flux continues.
… another day of joining hearts, hands and minds to tackle pressing challenges that local communities are facing.
For details, see the 'Conference Highlights' section on this page.
After two days of creative work, each team will present the outcome(s) of their work to the plenary.
We can’t wait to see the results!
Cape Coast Castle, one of many forts along the coastline of Ghana that - today - stand as remnants of a turbulent history of trade. Initially built for the trade of timber, gold and other valuables, many of the castles were later used by the European Colonizers for Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
A guided tour through Cape Coast Castle combined with a deep reflection on the experiences from the visit will help you connect the past to the present. In the afternoon, participants can explore local businesses and trade along the coastline today - or simply wind down on one of the beautiful beaches of Ghana.
Connect to the good vibes and move our bodies to incredible African rhythms. There couldn’t be a better way to get energized for the day!
This is an optional activity.
The GCC has been quite an intense ride! It's about time to take stock of all the inspiration, experiences and observations collected over the past few days. This session aims to draw conclusions from insights, reflect on the role of global citizens in a world in flux and awaken one’s own potential to lead and take action - locally and globally.
As every journey begins with a first step, changing the world begins with small acts. #100Acts is launching participants into that journey!
This workshop helps them design and do an individual act to tackle pressing global issues in small yet meaningful ways locally. Built on participants’ work and experiences throughout the GCC, as well as in their own communities, this session provides participants with a pathway to tackle an issue they are passionate about. 100 Acts provides a framework to map relevant actions in order to make a tangible impact in their workplace, family or anywhere else - and to bring global citizenship to life locally.
In this highly interactive workshop, participants will map out the wider journey beyond individual acts. Building on a shared passion for particular issues, GCC participants will come together in small groups to collect ideas and develop feasible solutions to tackle that issue collaboratively in different locations around the globe. At the end, each project team will share their vision and how they hope to realize it within approximately one year.
Global Citizenship is about understanding and appreciating cultures - one’s own and that of others. During the Cultural Night, we set out to celebrate the cultural diversity at the GCC. Melton Fellows from around the world* come prepared to share different aspect of their culture in a fun and engaging way. It’s an experience for everyone to immerse themselves in local traditions and explore different world regions with all its senses - the African continent included!
* If you’re not connected with any of our partner universities or our Melton Foundation campus groups, but want to contribute to the celebration - get in touch!
Let’s connect to the good vibes and move our bodies to incredible African rhythms. There’s no better way to get energized for the day!
This is an optional activity.
For many Melton Fellows, the GCC is the one time in the year to meet and to tackle organizational planning matters in person. This is the space and time for Junior Fellows of the Melton Foundation to convene in their respective peer groups to handle important business face-to-face.
* For all other registered participants:
We will confirm alternative activities soon.
Collaborative solution design is one of the hallmarks of our understanding of Global Citizenship. Therefore, we invite members of the Melton Foundation to reflect on their experience with the foundation, and help develop ideas and strategies for the Melton Foundation to become even more relevant, both on an individual as well as societal level. The Melton Foundation Lab is also an opportune moment to review and discuss proposals from the strategic planning that the foundation is currently undertaking.
* For all other registered participants:
We will confirm alternative activities soon.
How to describe this GCC: inspiring, transformational, empowering - all of the above? There is only one way to find out, and this is the space to pin it down.
With a brief review of the collective conference experience and a first attempt to answering the overarching questions of this GCC, this session aspires nothing less than to offer stepping stones for participants’ continued engagement and action following the event.
It’s a wrap, but not without a finale worthy of a grand GCC! It’s going to be a fun filled evening, with plenty of surprises for everyone, especially those Junior Fellows who are graduating from the Global Citizenship program and transitioning into the Senior Fellows network.
Let’s laugh, chat, sing, dance … and celebrate the one reason that has brought everyone together: to enable and promote Global Citizenship.
The primary audience at our Global Citizenship Conference (GCC) is Melton Fellows, who are students or alumni of our partner universities in Chile, China, Germany, Ghana, India and the United States. Our Fellows are diverse in socio-economic background, race, ethnicity, religion, and political viewpoint. While some are in college, others are far along in their careers. They are curious and critical thinkers, interested in learning and sharing, plus fun to be with!
In addition, we invite global citizenship champions to bring their passion and know-how to the Global Citizenship Conference. You might be a member from the (local) NGO, political, educational, and business communities, or active in a grassroots initiative – this conference is an ideal opportunity to contribute with your experience and be a learner at the same time.
While registrations to participate in the Global Citizenship Conference are closed, there are other ways to get on board!
(registrations close on 5 August 2017 – there are only limited spaces available)
We are thrilled to extend a special invitation to our Senior Fellows across the globe to participate in this year’s GCC!
Read BioThe GCC is a must for everyone invested in global citizenship. We invite our partners & collaborators to nominate delegates from their network to join in the conference!
Read BioThere are ample opportunities for anyone interested in being global citizens to be part of the GCC!
Read BioWe are thrilled to extend a special invitation to our Senior Fellows across the globe to participate in this year’s GCC! It’s going to be a very special one, and we’d love for you to be there!
For details, please contact Lars Dietzel (Global Network Manager, Melton Foundation) directly. He will be happy to assist with planning and logistical arrangements.
(Please note: There is limited capacity for conference participants. While we made sure to reserve some spaces for interested Senior Fellows, it is important to confirm your participation by 30 June 2017.)
For Senior Fellows who may require financial support in order to bring their enthusiasm, stories and expertise to this GCC, we will be able to offer a limited number of travel grants.
Click here for more information and to apply!
The Global Citizenship Conference is a must for every global citizen and global-citizen-to-be. While the conference is open for selected participants only, we are thrilled to extend the invitation to our partner organizations and collaborators to nominate delegates from their network to participate in the conference on self-funded basis. (Registrations closed on 30 June 2017.)
Did you miss the registration deadline? You can still sign up for Springboard Sessions, our signature event taking place on 13 August 2017.
Click here for more and to register!
The GCC provides ample opportunity for interested individuals and groups, especially from the local communities, to participate in open activities such as Springboard Sessions or the Global Citizenship Showcase.
REGISTER TODAY and join renowned champions of global citizenship as they share their stories of impact on Sunday, 13 August at Ashesi University!
The Global Citizenship Conference is made even better, thanks to the incredible support of the following supporters and partners:
HPI D-School
OXFAM in Ghana
Creative Action Institute
Ashesi D:Lab
MAMA HOPE
CIVICUS
Sesa Mu
Future Of Africa
Bowney / A New Dawn
Tech Era
EduCare
Ahote Project
Project Narratives
Conveners.org
Amani Institute
Recycle Up! Ghana
United Hearts Children’s Center
The Commonwealth – Youth Programme
IDIN – International Development Innovation Network
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Plus, follow #GhanaGCC2017 to join in from the distance! We’ll do our best to keep you in the loop.
We know you may have questions not addressed on the website. Some of them might be answered on our FAQ page.
For other concerns or feedback pertaining to the GCC, feel free to contact us and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
We have put together a Promo Kit with top-nudge GCC information for you to share in your network and on social media. Thank you for your buzz - we appreciate it!
