With the 2nd Global Youth Leaders Tour (GYLT) quickly approaching, ACIC is thrilled to be collaborating with the Falls Brook Centre (FBC). The GYLT is an opportunity for four young Atlantic Canadians to visit and connect with an Atlantic NGO or institution and their partners working in the South, and see firsthand the impacts that are being made.
Falls Brook Centre facilitates experiential education opportunities such as: community workshops, in-school visits, public events, and international field trips. While our work in New Brunswick is locally defined, we also work in select international communities where we can both learn from, and lend support and expertise to, locally supported projects. Currently, Falls Brook Centre is working in Honduras, to support local efforts of mangrove restoration and the building of community resiliency.
ACIC: Why do you want to do the Global Youth Leader's Tour in Honduras?
Rosie: Honduras is a geographically and culturally diverse country – and as beautiful as it is charming. Falls Brook Centre has worked in Honduras for many years, partnered with local non-profits on various projects, from biodiversity restoration to micro-enterprise development to education initiatives. We are passionate about facilitating meaningful experiences for youth and hope to challenge young people to think about international cooperation, global citizenship, and environmental, economic and social sustainability. This year’s Global Youth Leaders Tour aims to encourage the leadership skills, global awareness, passions, compassion and sense of justice that we have already seen in the four amazing youth that we are sharing this journey with.
ACIC: What does this tour in Honduras mean to you?
Rosie: I had the privilege of spending six months working on the north coast of Honduras in communities within the Wildlife Refuge of Cuero y Salado. Of course, I am excited to return to these communities, to see old friends and new babies, but more than anything, I am excited to share the magic of the place with a group of curious, passionate young leaders. I am lucky enough to have had several international experiences, and I know the impact it has made on my life – it has motivated me into work and passions that serve to make the world a better place. I know that the 2015 Global Youth Leaders are already making an impact and working for change, and I’m so excited to share in the highs and lows, the challenges and the wonder of international travel, and to facilitate some of the experiences that will go on to impact what these four youth do in the future.
ACIC: What do you hope the youth learn from this tour?
Rosie: Rather than holding out hope for any specific outcomes, I’m excited to see what the youth learn on the tour – what resonates with them and what impressions they have. I’ve been so close to the projects FBC has in Honduras that my thinking can get a bit myopic. There’s nothing better than participating in this kind of experiential activity in a group as it can blow your perceptions and beliefs wide open, and I certainly hope to learn as much from my travelling companions as they will from the tour. Though small, we are diverse group with myriad lived experiences, and I’m so looking forward to navigating the cultures, languages, politics and landscapes together.
Click here for more information about the Global Youth Leader’s Tour: /our-work/global-youth-leaders-tour.html
For more information about Falls Brook Centre, please visit: www.fallsbrookcentre.ca/