
The Global Citizenship Convention aims to provide a platform for Melton Fellows, Global Solver Accelerator participants, and partners from our Global Citizenship Hubs around the world to convene and connect, explore, exchange, and collaborate to further Global Citizenship and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
After the Covid-19 pandemic struck, paralyzing mobility, the Melton Foundation community could not meet in person on a global platform since the Global Citizenship Conference in Bangalore, in September 2019. Hence, the primary motive of the Global Citizenship Convention 2022 is to bring members of the community together again under the umbrella of the Melton Foundation’s new Global Citizenship Impact Model.
With the intention to connect and empower global citizen peers from around the world, the rechristening of the Global Citizenship Conference as a ‘convention’ emphasizes a sharpened focus on productive interactions between young pioneers, practitioners, and experts, that spell the creation of collaborative solutions through creative thinking and paradigms.
The pandemic led to a vacuum in the field of hands-on projects, and collaboration across borders. It put issues such as lack of empowerment and adaptability under the spotlight. Attempting to start a fresh chapter in networking, the Global Citizenship Convention also finds itself coinciding with the 30th Year Anniversary of the Melton Foundation!
To mark this milestone, the Convention will be held under the overarching theme of ‘Connect, Empower and Transform’. It draws inspiration from the four pillars of the Global Citizenship Impact Model: self-development, co-creation, global thinking, and innovative action. Consequently, every session/event during the GCC will aim to address a (selection of) topic(s)/skills/competencies under the four pillars of the impact model while ensuring that all pillars are covered during the six days of the Convention.
The city of Jena in Germany is one of our six Global Citizenship hubs. At Jena, we have previously hosted Global Citizenship Symposiums, Global Citizenship Conferences, and various other events, including New Fellow orientations and campus visits! It figures as a high-tech location, with over 16,000 employees in high-tech companies and technology-intensive services, contributing to innovations by the day. Melton Fellows from Jena, along with our partner university Friedrich Schiller Universität, have contributed immensely to the intercultural and enterprising fabric of the Melton Foundation, and have graciously agreed to host us this year too!
The Global Citizenship Convention, under the banner of ‘Connect, Empower, and Transform’, aspires to create a holistic community experience, connect changemakers to grassroots organizations and facilitate a rich and diversified learning environment. It provides an intercultural ground to develop pathways for action while building meaningful partnerships. Consolidating the lessons of the past two years, it also seeks to enhance the virtual experience by employing hybrid mechanisms to increase visibility and accessibility.
The Global Citizenship Convention is embedded in an experiential and peer-learning journey. It aims to convene the global community and also give participants a platform to contribute with their skills, ideas, and showcase innovations. As part of the Convention, they will not only explore the history and culture of the local area but also critically analyze and reflect upon their individual learnings by connecting them back to their own individual cultures and the meaning of a Global Citizen. To further their understanding of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, they will also team up with local project partners to explore and better understand the local challenges.
Our Global Citizenship Convention follows four primary purposes:
Rediscover the joy of connecting in a diverse and innovative ecosystem. Join us for the Global Citizenship Convention from 14-21 October 2022, and activate the dormant forces of empowerment and transformation!
14th Oct
15th Oct
16th Oct
17th Oct
18th Oct
Experience Local Culture & Context (Excursions):
19th Oct
20th Oct
21st Oct
During the first half of July, Junior Melton Fellows from the batches of 2019, 2020 and 2022 filled out applications to secure their spot at the GCC!
Senior Fellows, Global Solvers Accelerator participants, Task Team members, and other members of the MF community are invited to participate in the GCC!
All GCC participants are confirmed and logistical arrangements begin!
10:30 - Introduction
11:00 - Scavenger Hunt
14:30 - Inward Journey/Wellbeing/Intercultural Communication Activity
9:00 - Icebreaker
9:15 - Melton Foundation Lab/ Future Workshop
11:30 - DEI Session
14:30 - Storytelling workshop
18:00 - Open Mic
9:30 - Parallel Sessions begin
12:00 - Project/Poster fair
14:30 - Making sense of the world (Open Space & Discussion)
10:00 - Exploring political and cultural Weimar
15:00 - Visit to Buchenwald memorial and guided tour
19:00 - Presentation and discussion
9:30 - Open space (to harvest impressions and transition to application mode)
11:00 - Capacity/Skills Building session
13:30 - Project visits with SDG focus
14:00 - GCC Wrap-up (Reflections, takeaways, actions, projects)
18:00 - Farewell dinner (acknowledge recent graduate and welcome them to the lifelong Melton Fellow network)
Keep an eye out for Melton Foundation Newsletters, e-mails, and stay in touch with our Executive Office for any questions, suggestions, and more!
The predecessor to the Global Citizenship Convention is the Global Citizenship Conference, a seven-to-ten day series of activities focused on Global Citizenship. Read more about the Conference to gain some context on how the Convention came to be!
The Global Citizenship Convention is supported by a grant of Jugend für Europa