WHAT IS THIS ABOUT?
As part of GCN's 2010 Call to Action, we are asking for help by sharing inspirational images captured by GCN team participants during their trips around the world.
HOW DO I SEND IN A PHOTO?
You must be a former or current trip participant. Send your top picture in a jpeg file to GCN at info@globalcitizens.org. Please include in the body of the email the date, site name, and a short description of how your picture inspired you and/or others.
Send your pics today, they are accepted until the voting closes on 1.30.10!
WHAT CAN I WIN?
The top prize for the photo with the most votes is a discount off any 2010 trip: $400 off any international trip, or $200 off any domestic trip.
Second place wins an I-pod nano
Final results of the contest will be posted on GCN's blog and facebook after voting closes, and the winning picture will be highlighted in our upcoming spring newsletter.
HOW DO I VOTE?
You do not have to be a GCN participant to vote...in fact, participants are encouraged to invite other to join the voting process!
Voting starts 1.11.10 and ends 1.30.10
You can vote at our "Join the Dialogue" page on our website and on our "Facebook" page. Anyone can vote at both locations, but your vote will be counted ONCE at each site.
Log-in (or if you are not yet a member, sign up) and add a response on this forum page- WRITE IN "VOTE" ON YOUR MESSAGE.- your may only vote for one picture here and one picture (same or different) on the GCN facebook page.
GCN Kenya June 2003
We were in Taracha, Kenya and the kids coaxed Jan to sit in the road and talk and sing- they were all having a ball!
by Jim Smith
GCN Chaing Rai, Thailand Kaewaodum village Dec.27,09 to Jan.10,2010.
Chaing Rai, Thailand , Kaewaodum village
" The enjoyment of life’s simplest things."
Photo by Peggy McDaniel.
Xiloxochico, Mexico, Nahua Community March 2008
I like how simple, yet full of meaning it is, to me at least.
-by Polina Georgiou
La Push, Washington; Quileute Reservation, June 2009
I took a lot of black & white film photographs while in La Push. The Quileute people have this amazing connection and respect for nature. This is a photograph looking out over the marina, two of our team members are lounging on a huge piece of driftwood. This photograph represents peace and connectedness with the natural world--the water, the trees (living and dead), the birds, the land. We are all inextricably intertwined, and this is something wonderful I took home with me from my experience in La Push.
- by Lindsey Sitz
Xiloxochico, Mexico, Nahua Community December 2009-January 2010
This is an example of cooperative work between GCN and the local women of the community we are partnering with. Here we see everyone pitching in, with the Nahua women shoveling sand onto a sand sifter that GCN volunteers are holding.
-by Mike Valenza
Joy. Contentment. Life.
Eden Rock
Chirapa, Peru, Quechua Community, July 2009
It is a photo of my son, Jonathan, planting a tree with Jess, a child from the village at their school. Our team was sent to the school to build a new cafeteria/comedor for them to cook at eat in. We brought money, people and energy to help create a new space for them and in turn, they decided to beautify the area in front of the classrooms by planting a garden.
-by Rachel Schindler
Thailand, Hill Tribes, November 2007
Taken November 2007 in Lisu, Thailand. I think these children, most of the offspring of my host family, will long remember the volunteers who came to their village. the older ones kept saying to me "Go ti pahm," which I didn't understand until they took me to this view of the tea farm to take their picture.
-by Susan Fuller
Kilomeni, Tanzania Pare & Maasai People, July 2009
Learning about the Pare culture...and discovering our smiles in common.
I submitted this picture to my university and it is now a poster in our "Center for Student Involvement." I hope when current UCSD students see it, they will be inspired to take that first step in opening their hearts and minds to the world; finding our similarities instead of our differences.
-by Benjamin J. Trevias
GCN Xiloxochico, Mexico January 2010-01-11
This photo as taken on new years eve day in Xiloxochico, Mexico. I find it inspiring because it shows how happy the boy is because of his new friendships with the members of the GCN team.
Amelia Parker
Xiloxochico, Mexico January 2010
This photo was taken the last day of 2009 in the village of Xiloxochico, Puebla, Mexico.
I find this photo inspiring because obviously these joyful girls care for each other, just as the women of the cooperative care for each other & the next generation.
-by Anne Parker
Chicueyaco, Mexico, Nahua Community, March 2003
Hand-weaving of textiles is evident in the women's blouses, belts, etc.
-by William Olszewski
If you want to expose your children to other cultures in a way that is more real, in-depth, personable and memorable – by working in community with them rather than just traveling – this is the way to really learn about another culture.
We were exposed to something few of us get to experience. Most often we simply drive through communities. This time we got to meet and really get to know people, and they were so generous. We got far more out of the experience than we gave.
Kathy P., Rock Point, AZ (family of 4)
This was our best family vacation and a phenomenal experience. I feel extremely fortunate that I was able to do this with my children. My children realized that although the people in the community we visited didn't have a lot of material possessions, they had some things we didn't. The community members were funny, loving and generous.
The group experience was what made it so great. The team leaders were remarkable. They never passed judgment and treated my children like full members of the group, so they acted that way. The experience made them more confident and more excited about taking other travel adventures.
Marcy G., Xiloxochico, Mexico (family of 6)
Volunteering in Tanzania was a life-changing experience that opened my eyes not only to the needs of our fellow global citizens, but also to the lovable and exhilarating culture of Bukoba.
Megan age 19, Bukoba, Tanzania
GCN wasn't just a volunteer trip but instead a life altering two weeks that helped me discover myself.
Shannon age 15, Bukoba, Tanzania
Our GCN sponsored program in Tanzania wasn't a vacation but rather a deeply moving experience our family will cherish for a lifetime.
Sean, Dad, Bukoba, Tanzania
Working side by side with my husband and children, helping, reaching out, and learning from people in a culture vastly different from our own together as a family was one of the most valuable experiences of my life. We are already planning our next volunteer vacation.
Karen, Mom, Bukoba, Tanzania
This experience changed all of us. Nothing can compare with it. It's made my kids into global citizens. Before we left for Kenya, I was concerned that my kids were getting spoiled, but the trip showed them how happy people were, even though they had so little by comparison. They also discovered how much more important it is to have experiences instead of things.
My kids are so mature now as a result of the trip. They have a new and broader world view.
Nancy F., Maili Tatu, Africa (3 time repeat participant with 2 kids)
I took each of my two granddaughters on a trip when they turned 13, as a rite of passage. It was tremendously bonding for us. It deepened our love and our relationship, but it also sensitized the girls to different cultures and helped them gain an understanding and empathy for others.
One of my granddaughters was extremely wary. She said, "I don't know how to do this and I don't want to be there." But by the end, she was begging to stay. She had formed some amazing friendships. It was quite a transition.
My advice to families considering this kind of trip is this: Even if you have some hesitation, trust that the experience will be transforming for your child and for your relationship with your child. My two granddaughters are totally different personalities, but the same positive transformation happened for both.
We had so many one-on-one reflective conversations about what we were experiencing and learning. It's a different and more intimate way of being with children.
The team members were incredibly kind to my teenagers. The leaders were such good role models -- caring and inclusive.
Meg V., Rock Point, AZ 2003; La Push, WA 2007
The truly amazing thing about this community is the pride, character, and sense of respect you feel being with them. They carry themselves with esteem. Being with them, you know they will not only survive, they will succeed, collectively using the resources available to them for the good of the whole.
Joyce, Pennsylvania; Kenya Participant
With the beauty, the simplicity, the strength and comedy of this place, each day becomes an adventure to be anticipated.
Gladys, Ontario; Kenya Participants
I learned much more that GCN is about the process of building long term relationships with communities, not necessarily about the process of "building!" It was truly priceless to be allowed to be on the 'construction site' with a bunch of indigenous people in Mexico. Tourists DO NOT get that opportunity-nor should they. We all believed WE TRULY MADE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS.
Diana, Colorado; Two-time Mexico Participant
I have just this last hour arrived back home after what can only be described as an experience of a lifetime, the people at Jampaling were wonderful and I return with a feeling of accomplishment, and everlasting respect for a group of people who work so hard with such limited resources to achieve their goals.
David, Ontario; Nepal Participant
As a GCN volunteer you expect to fill the role of giver, giving of your time, efforts, money and heart. During a recent trip to Nepal, I felt more like a wide receiver for a pro football team, with countless blessings being passed my way! It started before I even left with support from a bunch of people, some of whom I don't even know, my sponsors through fundraising.
Cherril, New York; Nepal Participant
A positive growing experience that will unfold as time moves on. I do appreciate the warm hospitality of the local Navajo people and thank them for all they did to open our eyes and heart to their life, culture and values.
Jerry, Minnesota; New Mexico volunteer
It has become the most meaningful thing I've experienced in my life. It was more than a casual cultural exchange. I never felt like a tourist - I felt like I was coming home.
Ted, New York; New Mexico volunteer
The trip to Rock Point was a wonderful experience for me. Our team really "connected" and are talking among ourselves of doing other trips together! We all agreed we haven't laughed and sung songs like we did there for a long time. The Navajo people are wonderful, and we were able to share songs, dinner with them and they with us. We were able to complete the projects they had for us and still have lots of time for culture exchange.
Lynne, California; Arizona volunteer
My goal was to get lifted out of my personal and professional rut, to have my head and heart spun around and to land more solid and grounded. For the most part this happened.
Nancy, Vermont; Guatemala volunteer
Because of a scholarship provided by Global Citizens Network, I was able to spend two weeks volunteering in Guatemala, in a rural village called Llanos de Morales. This was my second trip volunteering in a developing nation (I went to Nicaragua two years ago), but my first time working with GCN. My experience was unforgettable and I would recommend it to anyone!
The best thing about the trip was getting really close-up pictures of horses. The hardest part of the trip was leaving Chirapa
Tana-Isabel, Washington; Peru youth volunteer
I wanted to be "in the middle of nowhere" and enjoy it as well as learn about the Quechua culture. My comfort zone has expanded and I enjoyed getting to know the people!
The most inspiring moment for me was receiving a genuine Quechuan percussion instrument as a gift from the community. It showed me that the community valued my presence and it is something that I will never forget.
David, University of Minnesota Participant; Peru volunteer
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