Climate change, gun control, mass incarceration – there are so many important issues that young people care about, and many feel a strong sense of duty that their generation addresses the issues they inherited.
“I love that many of my friends are socially aware and talking about important issues. Yet the danger I see in the rise in youth engagement is once they learn about an issue, they think they know everything there is to know. When a conflicting opinion is presented, they instinctively look to invalidate it and prove it wrong rather than trying to understand differing perspectives and question their own.” That’s why Global Nomads is so critical, says André Eisenberg, Global Nomads program alumnus and youth facilitator.
Growing up in New York City with a Brazilian mom and an Argentinean dad, it’s safe to say that André grew up in a diverse household. Yet participating in Global Nomads seat at the table video conferences with peers from rural Vermont to Amman, Jordan, opened his eyes to how different people see issues. “It’s hard to completely remove your own cultural lens and all your biases. But Global Nomads programs really help you recognize what influences your view in order to understand the experiences and perspectives of others.”
Communicating with same age peers across the world, having honest and respectful conversations, and putting yourself in their shoes is life changing. Storytelling is also key, André tells us, “It’s more than just hearing what happens in other people’s lives but listening to how they feel about those experiences. Stories really move people – way more than reading articles and learning cold facts, hearing stories creates empathy and understanding.”
André was particularly struck by an exchange he had with a girl in Jordan, whom he assumed lived a very different life from his own. “It’s easy to think we won’t be able to find anything relatable,” he remembers. But one of the prompts was about describing your everyday life, and he was amazed “to hear her describe a daily routine that was almost identical to mine: going to school, then off to soccer practice, and later to play in a jazz band.”
Recognizing similarities, respecting differences, and grappling with issues of local relevance and global import are concrete steps André and his peers are taking towards making the world a better place. During the current global health crisis, he is stepping up to facilitate Global Nomads seat at the table conversations with young people around the world whose educations have been interrupted and lives upturned. In these conversations, they find solidarity, support and meaningful connections beyond the confines of quarantine.
André Eisenberg is a first-year student at the University of Rochester, majoring in International Relations. He’s excited to be studying Arabic and continuing his involvement with Global Nomads as a member of our Youth Brain trust, which helps shape, test and provide feedback on new program innovations.