Institute partners in Global Dialogue for Responsibility

October 27, 2009

VTIPG, the Community Foundation of the New River Valley, the Center for Student Engagement and  Community Partnerships, the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention, the University of San Diego Kroc School of  Peace Studies and Via International are collaborating to provide a program called the Global Dialogue for Responsibility.  The initiative involves an interdisciplinary group of faculty and six competitively chosen Student Scholars from each participating university as well as ten selected accomplished civil society leaders from around the world. The group is meeting in two extended conversations this year to explore the challenges and obstacles to effective civil society leadership in our rapidly globalizing world. The first dialogue was held from October 5-9 on the campus of the University of San Diego. Scholars and participating faculty engaged in a structured series of conversations with participating leaders in which they explored the ethical dilemmas that the leaders have confronted, how each has dealt with the challenge of leadership succession and how they have worked to secure the sustainability of their organizations.  Leaders, students and faculty also explored the ways in which these individuals have conceived their leadership roles and what social claims and forces they perceive as most central to their work to secure community development and change. Institute Director Max Stephenson has suggested, “the Global Dialogue for Responsibility represents an extraordinary opportunity for students and faculty alike to learn from participating leaders about how they have exercised leadership as they have sought to address a range of social concerns in their nations. These have ranged from developing strategies to attack poverty to designing and offering child and community development programs. These leaders have done amazing work and led efforts that have had enduring impacts. Their life work constitutes a sort of living laboratory for participating faculty and students. It is a rare privilege to sit with them, to ask questions and to listen as they share their experiences.” The faculty and students involved plan a book that will chronicle the Dialogues and offer lessons for leaders from them. A fresh set of conversations is slated for Blacksburg in the spring.