February 21, 2006
Presenting Legacy International: An NGO
Dedicated to Conflict Resolution, Peace-Building and Intercultural
Exchanges for a Better Tomorrow
Heaven knows that in these times full of cultural misunderstandings
and conflict, we need people and organizations that build bridges
between people of different cultures and backgrounds. One of these
organizations is a Virginia-based NGO called "Legacy
International" which is active in 4 main areas:
- Democracy and Civic Education
- Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution
- Leadership Development, and
- Community and Regional Development
Legacy has completed projects and exchanges in these fields with
countries as diverse as Kazahkstan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Ukraine,
Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, and Jordan, many of which
have significant Muslim populations. Current projects include leadership
and cultural exhcange programs in Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Bosnia
and Herzegovina.
Global
Youth Village is Legacy's longest-running program where young
people from all over the world live in a global village that they
cooperatively maintain and help to govern. Along they way they learn
about the fundamentals of democratic process, community organization
and leadership. Over almost 30 years, more than 2000 young people
from 95 countries have taken part in this unique summer training
program.
Mary Helmig from Legacy International took the time to tell me
more about this interesting organization:
What type of organization is Legacy International and
what is its mission?
Legacy International creates learning environments where people
can address community, global, and/or personal needs while developing
skills and effective responses to change. Areas include cross-cultural
and cross-sectoral competency, dialogue and conflict resolution,
community development, youth education, and professional and NGO
development.
Founded in 1979, Legacy is affiliated with the United Nations Department
of Public Information as a Non-Governmental Organization, and listed
with U.S.A.I.D. as a private voluntary organization (PVO).
We believe that access to a constructive, peaceful life is a fundamental
human right. Yet, since conflict is also widespread in human society,
conflict prevention / reduction is an essential endeavor in all
parts of the world. Without it, there can be neither democratization,
nor development, nor poverty reduction.
So for 27 years, we have worked on international projects, bringing
universal democratic values and team-building tools to address local,
regional and global needs. Legacy's programs have focused on developing
the leadership, skills, and relationships needed to resolve and
prevent conflicts. Our programs have equipped thousands of citizens
worldwide to emerge as solution providers-helping to set in place
building blocks for sustainable, inclusive societies.
Please talk about its history, who founded it?
Legacy International was founded in 1979 by J.E. Rash. J.E. Rash
a lecturer, writer, and consultant in education, dialogue, conflict
resolution, and the application of values-based, spiritual perspectives
to contemporary issues. As the founder of Legacy International,
he has been instrumental in creating domestic and international
programs in conflict resolution and peace education, professional
and NGO development, youth education, community development, cross-cultural
and cross-sectoral competency.
.
J.E. Rash has periodically gathered experts, policy makers and religious
leaders to discuss current critical issues of development. Events
have included the Global Viewpoints Forum in Washington, DC (including
presentations by experts and policy makers in the fields of development,
environment, and the Middle East conflict), the Dialogue Workshop
for oil companies and environmental activists, the Middle East Environment
and Development Professionals Visitor Program, Leadership Development
Initiative (designing curriculum and trainings in citizen participation
for schools of the Archdiocese of New York City), Community Connections
(a USIA initiative providing internships for Russian, Ukrainian,
and Bela¬rusian professionals), the Virginia Growth Management
Forum, and a wide range of dialogue programs bringing together youths
and adults from regions and countries in conflict. In 1987, he received
the Friends of the United Nations Environment Pro¬gramme 500
Award for outstanding contributions to the environment..
He also contributed a chapter in Democracy and Religion: Free
Exercise and Diverse Visions, edited by David Odell-Scott (Kent
State University Press, 2004) which was recently declared an Outstanding
Academic Title 2005 by the Journal Choice: Current Reviews for
Academic Libraries (January 2006.)
Please tell us about your programs in Democracy and Civic
Education, Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution, Leadership Development
and Community Development.
Legacy International specializes in strengthening civil society
by conducting exchanges and trainings, which center around skill-building
and education. The four main areas of work include civic action,
conflict prevention and reconciliation, leadership development,
and community development. To this end, Legacy has hosted 145 inbound
and outbound citizen exchange delegations, international conferences,
training events, and training-of-trainers programs, including more
than 20 major projects funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs.
Legacy’s portfolio includes projects involving majority-Muslim
countries, and non-Muslim countries with significant Muslim populations,
such as Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia/Abkhazia, Indonesia,
Israel and Palestine, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.
Many projects aim to build bridges between different sectors and
stakeholders -- religious and civic leaders, educators, media, NGO,
and government officials.
We have designed special leadership and tolerance training modules
with include their own curricula. Legacy’s Leadership
Curriculum has been implemented in 84 NYC schools. Side
by Side?, our tolerance curriculum, is available both in English
and Russian, and was used in Perm, Russia. In addition, Legacy staff
consult and/or design trainings and training programs in areas such
as NGO management, women’s issues, civic education, religious
tolerance and extremism, Islam and Democracy, conflict prevention,
leadership training, and environment.
Please tell us about LINC program:
LINC - Youth Voices in Democracy, Indonesia and U.S. is
an exchange program between Indonesian and U.S. high school students
ages 15-17. The program is funded and fully supported by the US
Department of State. The students will spend 3 weeks in Virginia
during the summer of 2006 developing cross-cultural communication
skills, and then travel to Indonesia for 3 weeks during the Winter
2006-2007.
Information about Religion, Human Rights & Democracy: Peer
Interactions Between Religious & Civic Leaders In The U.S. And
Kazakhstan
The U.S. Based Program
Ten Kazakh delegates representing various sectors (religious, civic,
and non-profit) from the southern Kazakh and Zhambyl regions traveled
to the U.S. for a training program in Washington DC, Baltimore,
New York City and small towns and rural regions in southern Virginia.
They experienced team building, sharing their common interests,
and observed US models and concepts that could most appropriately
be transferred to their communities. The results have been both
exciting and inspiring. Following are brief reports on some of the
work completed by participants in the program.
Follow-up from the U.S Based Program (TIC)
Svetlana Beissova, Executive Director of the Taraz Initiative Centre,
worked closely with Sergui Kislov and Varvara Naidenova, also alumni.
Sergui works in local government and is responsible for 22 cultural
groups. Varvara's NGO trains women in skills that can generate income
for them.
Inspired by what they had seen in Goodwill in Roanoke, VA, they
approached an NGO in Taraz that represents handicapped persons about
the concept of setting up a Goodwill organization. In June 2005,
TIC undertook the venture itself, involving women who were unemployed.
They found a room, and put an announcement in the paper. They solicited
and received donations from two political parties to place more
newspaper ads, and handed out and posted flyers.
U.S. Delegation to Southern Kazakhstan
In Shymkent, six U.S. representatives visited the offices of the
Women's Business Association (Legacy's partner in Kazakhstan)
and Bereke, an NGO that works with USAID on several community
development projects.
What is the Global Youth Village?
The Global
Youth Village is a summer leadership program for youths ages
13 – 18. For 27 years, the Global Youth Village has been empowering
young people to achieve their personal best. Program activities
help participants discover a common ground for understanding people
of diverse cultures and backgrounds, thus encouraging core human
values such as peace, justice, tolerance, ethics, service, and equity.
Each summer, youths from many backgrounds, cultures, and countries
have the opportunity to delve into a wide range of topics and explore
the customs, traditions, joys, and hardships of their peers around
the world. They develop confidence and an expansive world view which
stays with them for life.
We provide critical leadership and cross-cultural training to students
who will, in turn, bring these skills back into their community.
Over the course of nearly three decades, more than 2000 young people
from 95 countries have participated in our unique summer training
program.
What are Legacy’s plans?
Legacy will continue to offer quality educational programs throughout
the world, helping communities and people build a better tomorrow
for themselves and their societies.
Thank you, Mary, for introducing your organization to us. We wish
you the best of luck for your current and future programs.
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