From the 13th to the 19th of August, Ashesi will host Melton Foundation's Global Citizenship Conference 2017.
The annual Global Citizenship Conference (GCC) is a unique event that provides tools and resources to promote global citizenship as a way to work together to solve today's challenges around the world.
Each year, the Melton Foundation and one of its partner universities hosts a seven-to-ten day series of activities focused on Global Citizenship. The conference convenes about 100 Melton Fellows, faculty from participating universities, and leading Global Citizenship advocates, practitioners, and experts for three primary purposes: to foster community growth, for learning and for outreach.
On the theme What is the role of a Global Citizen in a world that is in flux? this year’s conference will welcome the entire Melton community, from across the globe, to Ghana to take part in workshops, lectures and projects in local communities in and around Ashesi.
“When we think about a world of flux, we think about the breakneck speed of change that we’re living in,” said Winthrop Carty, Executive Director, Melton Foundation, in his opening remark. “Change is happening now, faster than at any other time in human history. Innovation cycles are speeding up exponentially, bringing us many things: from genetic engineering to Moore’s law which shows that we double computing speed every year. But we also know that these advancements have also brought us to the precipice of our complete demise, for the first time in human history as well, whether it's weapons of mass destruction, pandemics or carbon emissions. However, I’m optimistic because when many of you look into the future, you know that we can no longer postpone action. The future is now, it’s upon us. And your pragmatic passion inspires me. With global citizens like you, I know the world will be in better hands.”
The Melton Foundation is a leading proponent of global citizenship as a way to encourage people and institutions to collaborate on shared global challenges. The Foundation works to empower students to address seven key issues, including conflict reduction, empowering changemakers, improving education and promoting equality. In 2014, the Melton Foundation partnered with Ashesi to bring global citizenship programme to Africa.
“What do we believe, and what are we trying to achieve in the world, as a continent?” said Ashesi founder, Patrick Awuah, in welcoming the guests to Ashesi. “We need to believe that the world, will be greater than it is 30 years from now. We need to believe that we can educate people who can connect across the world and make profound positive change in the world. And we need to believe that it is possible, across cultural divides, that we can go into another culture, respect it for what it is, and learn from it. We need to believe that we can all be teachers, and we can all be scholars, always. And if we do that, then we’ll achieve a better world in 30 years from now.”
To kick start the conference, the Melton Foundation held the Springboard Sessions which saw speakers share personal stories of their impact work.