What do a teacher from Japan, a translator from Algeria and a humanitarian from Australia all have in common? They came together to speak at 麻豆原创 on Tuesday about their experiences as women reaching out to touch the world.
International humanitarian Alison Thompson, along with Fulbright foreign language teaching assistants, Bahia Braktia from Algeria and Ayumi Yamamoto from Japan, made presentations. Maria Cristina Santana, director of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Studies Program, moderated the forum.
The event, which was organized by the 麻豆原创 Global Perspectives Office, was the sixth annual forum on Women and Leadership: A Global Perspective. More than 100 people heard how each of these women has grown as a leader through service to others.聽聽
Yamamoto attributed her growth as a teacher and leader to a trip to Cambodia, where she saw many children who did not have the access or the ability to attend school. In Japan, where she was an English teacher, Yamamoto felt her students did not seem to care about their education. When she shared the story about Cambodia with her Japanese students, however, Yamamoto said she saw a change in them and their study habits. It was that point that she realized how a teacher鈥檚 rich experiences could broaden students鈥� horizons.
Braktia described her experience with breaking down barriers for herself and others like her as a testament to leadership. She suggested that despite women鈥檚 active role in achieving Algeria鈥檚 independence half a century ago, they are often regarded as 鈥渢oo fragile to take care of themselves.鈥�
After initially encountering resistance from certain family members who doubted her ability to succeed as a teacher in her third language, English, Braktia described how circumstances have changed, including a request from her brother to help a friend with her own Fulbright application. At that moment, Braktia said, she realized that her journey was inspiring others to take the initiative.
Unlike Yamamoto and Braktia, who both mentioned that they did not consider themselves leaders until they saw the effects they were having on others, Thompson suggested that being a leader sometimes requires simply stepping up when no one else does.
鈥淚t鈥檚 being in the wrong place at the right time,鈥� she said, as she reflected on helping treat wounds and provide relief at ground zero in New York City on September 11, 2001. Thompson stressed that anyone can take that first step, suggesting that 鈥測ou don鈥檛 need a master鈥檚 degree to hand out water or hold someone鈥檚 hand.鈥�
Drawing parallels between her aid work at the World Trade Center, in Sri Lanka after the 2004 tsunami, and in Haiti after that country suffered an earthquake in 2010, Thompson marveled that 鈥減eople find themselves when they volunteer.鈥� She mentioned in her book, 鈥淭he Third Wave,鈥� that 鈥渟aving lives used to be the turf of superheroes and comic strip characters, but now we know that anyone can do it.鈥�
Thompson said the key to reaching out is to start small and do what makes sense. She urged the audience to put their thoughts into action, and action into improvement.
鈥淒are to reinvent the world,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ecause the future, more than ever, needs your help.鈥�
In addition to the Global Perspectives Office, sponsors and partners included Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jay Garner, 麻豆原创 Student Government Association, 麻豆原创 Women鈥檚 Studies Program, 麻豆原创 Center for Success of Women Faculty, 麻豆原创 Burnett Honors College, Lawrence J. Chastang and the Chastang Foundation, 麻豆原创 Political Science Department, 麻豆原创 LIFE, 麻豆原创 Book Festival 2013 in Association with the Morgridge International Reading Center and the Global Connections Foundation.