A look into what my rehearsal day was for the stage appearance I had for @glblctzn last year. MAN I’m proud of how far that girl has come. So SO thankful and so SO excited to be a co-host this year. September 29th, ya’ll. https://glblctzn.me/nyc2018
Hey! Don’t forget that #GlobalCitizen is happening September 29th! THIS COMING MONTH! You’ll see me. Download the @glblctzn app to take action for FREE TICKETS! https://glblctzn.me/nyc2018
I will be a co-host at the #GlobalCitizen Festival in NYC on Sept. 29! *screams excitedly, internally* Join me and thousands of fellow Global Citizens to #BeTheGeneration to take action. Download the @Glblctzn app to start earning your free tickets!! ⭕️ https://glblctzn.me/nyc2018
After spending two weeks back in the States, about ten days in Indiana, where I grew up, and a few days in New York, where I went to university, I’ve gotten the pleasure of working from home (in Abu Dhabi) for a week. All of this “home” time has made me think about the different locations I’ve been lucky enough to call “home”, the lessons I’ve learned while there, and what I think I will learn, or reflect on, in the future.
Indiana:
Family and old friends are forever: Family members are the most different people I will ever feel the exact same as, and the best of old friends will always be connected to you because they will always care. We live completely separate lives, often times have very separate views, but our foundations are shared.
Ambiguity: No matter how hard anyone tries, people will always judge one another, whether it is positively or negatively. But in Indiana my set of cards and how they play out in my life, are almost entirely unknown to everyone. Most people don’t even know where Abu Dhabi is, what management consultants do, nor would they be able to relate to most aspects of my everyday life (past or present). This leads both to a disconnect, which can be sad, but also forces them to see me stripped of all those titles and just see me as me- good or bad. (though yes, I’ll always be a white, male, who grew up well-off, which obviously means a lot)
Indiana = check: Coming into this vacation I thought it would be the last time (at least in long while) that I would spend more than a week in Indiana, and now I’m even more sure that is so. I think the lessons I learned this time around would only repeat themselves- in the future I’ll have grown and maybe need something new to learn from there, but now I feel content- or at least I think there are other things to do. Separate from this feeling though is my love for my family (who I speak to everyday and will continue to see, though maybe I’ll push more for opportunities to see them other places). Overall, I get a bit disheartened being there- there is a feeling of little drive and opportunity, and even the people who do have one or both, often steer themselves in directions that I don’t care to learn from (or, as said before, think I could learn more quickly or deeply somewhere else).
New York:
You need your best friends: Without even expecting it, most of my best friends from boarding school were all in the city at the same time! This was amazing for me as most of them I hadn’t seen in two or more years. It’s so weird that now we’ve known each other for nearly 1/3 of our lives, and it is a wonderful point to meet because we are all finishing school and moving on to incredible adventures. I can tell these friends everything and anything and I appreciate their input in all aspects of my life and work. It’s great to not be getting to know people, but just to straight up know them.
The best city in the world: New York is honestly just so special, and I love that I know my way around and feel so comfortable in a place like that. It’s also inspiring to see a place with so many different kinds of people getting along, all being successful, and just the pulse of the place, the innovation, the ideas, the motion- there is no place like it and I’m proud to have experienced it and know I will be back often, maybe even to live, but…
I could not live there now: At this point in my life I could not live in the city. There are incredible advantages, but the city eats you up. Especially being a young professional now, I know New York would destroy me. Speaking of the “cards” above, being in New York is like constantly playing poker. It’s a strange balance between presenting your cards so people understand you, but being scared to do so because you know they will really just understand you in the terms they want to. Furthermore, it’s almost disgusting the way people play their cards trying to make others like them- it’s all just not a game I want to play. But I know I would, If I lived there now, I would sacrifice really developing myself for developing myself in other people’s eyes.
Abu Dhabi:
Focusing on me / where I want to be: Picking to live in Abu Dhabi was a bit of social suicide (on a scale of the places I considered for post-grad: from New York being the most social, Dubai in the middle, and Abu Dhabi the least). But I knew that coming in, and I picked it because I wanted time to focus on me. I like Abu Dhabi because I do have many friends here, so I can be social when I want, but it isn’t a place where I feel like I must constantly be seeing people. I’m able to do what is best for me and to become who I want to be- every day I read, pray, work out, dance, play the piano, and (maybe more in the future) write. I’m growing professionally, intellectually, spiritually, physically, and working on the skills I want to have. I don’t think that anywhere else I could do all of these things so much and also live so comfortably. Sure it is really hot, but for the same price as a dinky thing in NYC, I have three balconies and two bathrooms for myself, I can have a handy man, maid, or cab ride for cheaper than almost anywhere, and the luxuries both in the Emriates, and the fact that we are so centrally located for travel- make this an ideal location! I’m so happy here in Abu Dhabi.
Realizing the downfalls and the limits: Though I’m happy here now, I imagine my needs changing and thus moving, both because of the socio-political environment and because of the impact I want to make on the world.
Overall, I’m happy for all of the perspective I have gained from the past few weeks of being in my different homes. It was great to think through the three of them and know how much I have grown and learned from each and to feel confident that I’ve been where I need to be, am where I need to be, and will continue to be for the future!
A video made by the graduating class of 2013 at the United World College in Norway- one of the 12 schools in the system of international boarding schools that I attended. I went to the school in New Mexico, but the same feeling of cultural unity, openness, and exploration is shared between them all and this video reminds me of how wonderful those two years were :)
I love learning. It sounds a bit reductive, and unfinished as you might ask, “about what?” and feel unanswered when I respond with “everything.” I truly just like the process of gaining knowledge. Of course, specific interests come and go - as a child I spent a lot of time thinking about the Olympics and Japan, I moved on to geography and globalization in high / boarding school (with the occasional celebrity fascination), and in college I focused on development studies and identity studies. They all have led in some ways to one another, and that is one of the most fun things about growing older- you know more. You can move into sub-sectors, building deeper and more elaborate knowledge on specific examples, and then even be able to produce the knowledge yourself!
I loved my entire formal education because it nurtured my curiosity and gave me the tools and people to answer my questions and to prod deeper. I was very fortunate to go to both a boarding school and a university where students are invited, suggested, and even pushed to develop their own learning path- decide what they want to learn about, and then do that. But at the same time, there do exist parameters of some requirements, and even if you are in a class you want, the syllabus will always have a dull section and there may be limits on how you can pursue your research and present your findings (i.e you may have to google stuff and give a powerpoint, whereas you really want to travel somewhere and make a documentary). What I’ve liked most about being in “the real world” the past few months is that I feel like the slate is clean- I don’t have to keep learning new things if I don’t want to (no more picking classes every 6 months) but seeing that I do want to, I can pick anything and do it however I’d like!
In these few months since graduation, what I’ve kept myself busy thinking about are religion and spirituality, the Rwandan genocide and development in the country since then, class and privilege - especially in young adults, North Korea, and professional tennis. It is clear that these interests are too many to focus on equally and that some will remain overtime and my knowledge will deepen, and some will be more ephemeral- a book or two, a documentary, and a few conversations.
In thinking about these levels of knowledge across issues, and specifically when on a RwandAir flight to Kigali asking myself, “how much do I really know about Rwanda?” I came up with the process of The Growth of Knowledge below:
It is very simple yet, I think, also useful in giving some sort of direction in reflecting on how knowledge on a subject evolves- and importantly- how the level of insight grows with each step. It is also important to note that for different issues each step may take longer or shorter, requiring less effort to move between them, than the others. For example, it is very easy to be fascinated by an event like the Rwandan genocide, but the learning curve to get up to understanding is very steep. Alternatively, moving from fascination to understanding about professional tennis is much easier. In this example it comes down to the difficulty of the content itself: comprehending human emotion and causes of violence is much more complicated than understanding the way a sport works. But the learning curve can also be hindered or catalyzed by the availability of or access to knowledge- for example it is impossible to learn specific things about North Korea because it is well-guarded and secretive, but the Korean language itself is in countless books, media, etc so access to acquiring that knowledge is easier.
What divides the three steps of course, also depends on the subject matter, but can be assessed based on four- very interrelated questions (partly in the graph itself as bullet points).
The first is"why you know?“ - going from a general interest to deeper desire for holistic knowledge and increasing insight.
Second, "What you know?” which starts with the basic facts and figures, grows into various sub-sectors of knowledge, and increases further with first-hand personal understanding.
Third, “How you know?” starting with the most readily available and easy to access information and then growing in specificity, complexity, and personal unique information from experience and exposure.
Fourth, “What you do with what you know?” this goes back to how insight increases with each step. It involves deeper and deeper questioning and clarifying those who know more until slowly you become that someone who “knows more.” You must then begin to think about how to present the information and analyze what is important, what needs to be further examined, and then begin to do that examining yourself and helping others to go through the steps towards knowledge.
Again, this is a simple tool for reflecting and in few ways is it quantifiable or scientific- but I think it is useful in asking the important questions of “How can we learn?” and “How much do we know?” and to also show that growing in knowledge to expertise requires an increase in insight most of all- that constantly reading simple books on a subject will never make you really understand- we need to increase the complexity and push ourselves to build our insight. The tool also gives direction and reasoning to learning more and what to do when we know more- it is almost a motivation or a map of learning.
To end, I must say that similarly to the model itself, I feel that “liking to learn” can be a process on its own accord- and that the model helps to move from “understanding” learning to “expertise” on learning- and as I continue to think more about learning and talk with others who know much more, the model will adapt.
For MONTHS my to-do list has been plagued by a singular word acting as an imperative action verb: “blog”. I’ve had relatively good reasons for ignoring it: completing my final semester of university, applying for and getting a full-time job, traveling for projects and fun, and then beginning said job and moving literally half way around the world. However, none of these add up to good excuses, because they are exactly what I should be writing about! In the end, procrastination and laziness are the true explanations.
Motivations for writing again are because of both personal desire and realizing that others have a desire too! I like the blog as it helps me go through my thoughts, learn to write better, and give updates to friends and family around the world. Similarly, even though no new material has been up there has been many new followers and between 800-1,100 visitors each month.
Regardless of why, I’m here now- at least for today- hopefully for good! So let’s start with a quick update and then a bit on what to expect coming forward.
Update: I’m currently writing from Saudi Arabia, where I am working on an engagement for the management consulting firm I joined last month. I live in Abu Dhabi but travel four days a week to wherever the study is (currently Saudi) and spend one day a week at our Middle East headquarters in Dubai. Though I’ve always been quite mobile- it has never been this constant… and it is just getting started.
In the months since I’ve written, I spent the Fall back in New York, completing my undergraduate career. I wrote a graduating paper on The Political Economy of Regionalization- using MERCOSUR, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the East African Community, and the Caribbean Community as case examples. I also defended my major, Culturally Sustainable Development, to a group of interlocutors (including the President of my university), on the topic of “The Expansion of Culture and Development.”
I also applied, prepared, and interviewed for this job (a much bigger commitment than it sounds), and then once I was offered the position, I made the decision and did an office visit to Dubai. The Fall also saw, of course, the US and Venezuelan Presidential elections, which I watched very closely, my evacuation from New York (relocating to D.C) because of Hurricane Sandy, and my last pre-Christmas in the City.
I then spent the holidays with family in Texas and Indiana before heading to the small island of St. Kitts and Nevis to complete Trail of Seed’s third project with Shannon. Stopovers in Puerto Rico and Miami on the way there and back, respectively, would have also made good posts (and still may). A quick three days back in the States to pack up my stuff went by with lightning speed, as did a short day in the UAE, before I was off to Southern Africa for my self-described graduation trip with my friend Jil.
We visited some of my UWC friends as we traveled around South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, and Botswana before making our way to Mangula, Tanzania- the village where Shannon and I did Trail of Seed’s first project in 2011. We spent a week there and then headed to Dar es Salaam to meet another one of my UWC friends. Jil then flew back state-side as I returned back to Mangula for two more weeks of being with a slew of old friends (Ramazan, Dimoso, Jasmine, Mrisho, and others). I purchased a farm, explored Islam, and tried to fix a few issues that arose with the grants we gave last time. Overall it was a great trip- though my goal of it being full of reflection was not completely fulfilled.
I then headed back to South Africa, this time to Johannesburg, for training for my current job. It was an intense but fantastic week where I met many colleagues who became friends, learned the Firm’s tool-kit, and started the path to being an impactful consultant. Not wanting to leave the continent too fast, I spent two days in Rwanda- visiting some more historical sites and meeting the sister of one of my Rwandan friends to learn more about the development in the beautiful nation.
Upon landing back in Abu Dhabi I started the process of becoming a resident, finding an apartment, and getting adjusted into the Firm. It ended up taking significantly longer than expected with huge delays on visas, contracts, and more- but now all is well, so I’ll try not to dwell. Instead, I’m moving forward optimistically and very eager to learn as much as I can from this region, this organization, and myself.
What to expect: I hope to be sharing as much of this learning on the website as I can. Of course, I have to abide by very extensive and strict (though 100% justified) rules on confidentiality from the company, so those insights unfortunately will be kept completely out. That said, there will be an enormous amount still to share as I begin my journey as a (sort-of) adult. However, I want YoungGlobalCitizen.com to be less about me move towards more insightful commentary on issues in the world, trends of globalization and identity, and analysis of development. These are the things more people come to the site to read, the discussion of how to define ‘global citizen’ for example is the most read post by far.
From the climate crisis to rising levels of hunger, the world’s most urgent challenges to ending extreme poverty are fundamentally connected — which means the solutions to these problems are often one and the same.
This is the focus of the inaugural Global Citizen NOW thought leadership summit, an urgent gathering to defeat poverty and protect the planet taking place on May 22 and 23 in New York City.
Global Citizen NOW will gather more than 200 speakers from the fields of advocacy, activism, philanthropy, journalism, politics, science, and pop culture. The summit will feature keynotes, fireside conversations, and panel discussions that delve into everything from innovations in carbon reduction to ways to empower vulnerable adolescent girls and young women.
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Content from Global Citizen NOW will premiere on Global Citizen's YouTube channel on Wednesday, May 25. The Global Citizen Prize dinner will be hosted by Emmy Award-winning actor and musician Darren Criss, who will also perform, and feature performances from Aloe Blacc and Ukrainian artist Jamala. The event will be streamed on YouTubeandTwitter on June 2 at noon ET.
glblctzn: #GCPrize was an absolutely magical night with breathtaking performances, impassioned speeches, and inspiring winners. It was such an honor to come together and celebrate the remarkable changemakers who are taking exceptional actions to end extreme poverty and to foster social change across the globe. Tune in on June 2 to see the best moments on Global Citizen’s YouTube channel, and visit the link in bio to learn more about the prize and the winners.
And don’t forget, there will also be an exclusive stream of the Global Citizen Prize ceremony airing on YouTube and Twitter on June 2, at 12 p.m. ET — so put it in your diary and come join us to celebrate this year’s awe-inspiring winners.
Darren Criss, Actor, Singer-Songwriter & Global Citizen Prize Host
[UHQ] Darren Criss speaks onstage during Global Citizen Prize on May 22, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Amir Hamja for Global Citizen)
“Tonight we’re all going to go on a bit of a journey to discover how this year’s honorees answered the call to defeat poverty, defend the planet, and demand equity. We’ll discover how their purpose-driven missions have started locally but have influenced and affected people worldwide. That journey doesn’t just end here; tonight is the beginning of a totally new chapter.
“Prepare to be inspired to change the world!”
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“In order to create real change, we can’t just talk about the world’s problems — you have to take action.”
[UHQ] Darren Criss and Van Jones speak onstage during Global Citizen Prize on May 22, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Amir Hamja for Global Citizen)
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“This is just the beginning. There is so much more work for all of us to do. If we are to truly defeat poverty, defend the planet, and demand equity, it’s going to require actions and not words. So on that note, I encourage all of you to head over to GlobalCitizen.org and do something to make our world better.”
Global Citizen Festival at the Great Lawn in Central Park featuring performances by Queen, Pharrell Williams, H.E.R. French Montana, David Gray, Carole King, Kelly Clarkson, One Republic, and NCT127.
