An Intergenerational Approach to World Issues

By Dr. Jim Freiburger

Two rivers converse
Blending fresh, brackish waters  
Innovate new stream       

Looking out my window, I witness the energetic, freshwater Exeter River merging with the Tidal Basin River Swampscott. Together they meld into a new passageway to the nearby ocean. Fledgling fish, hatched upriver in the freshwater, swim downstream through the now blended waters, and acclimate as adults in a new ocean setting. The combined rivers created an environment for a new generation of fish to cope with the future.

The blended rivers pathway is analogous to the role Global Citizens (GCC) has chosen to create an intergenerational approach to world issues. GCC provides a space in which a younger generation of leaders can converse and share their ideas and enthusiasm with an older generation of peacemakers and leaders.  

In a recent GCC Circle, an Israeli young man, Yigal Elhanan, and a Palestinian young man, Arab Aramin, shared their stories. Elhanan’s five-year-old sister was killed by a Palestinian bomber. Aramin’s 10-year-old sister was shot by an Israeli soldier. They recreated the role of their parents, founders of the Parent’s Circle for Reconciliation and Peace, had in helping them move through hatred and trauma to become activists for reconciliation and peace. 

Similarly, intergenerational leaders from Ukraine, Nepal, Syria, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, India, and America have presented their stories in GCC circles. Several intergenerational leaders are also represented on the GCC advisory council and board. 
 
The GCC Emerging Leader program is a model for intergenerational cooperation to develop reconciliation and peace.

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Dr. Jim Freiburger is a retired professor of organizational leadership and corporate social responsibility to graduate students from around the world. He currently enjoys applying the Haiku expression and the lens of his camera to capture scenes in nature. Freiburger has been actively associated with Global Citizens Circle during its 50-year existence. In 2022, he authored a memoir, “An Iowa Farm Boy’s Odyssey: Priest, Parent, Professor.“ Contact him at [email protected]

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Please note: Each week, we invite members of the greater Global Citizens Circle community to contribute to GCC Voices. The views and opinions expressed in each blog post are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Global Citizens Circle.

GCC provides a space in which a younger generation of leaders can converse and share their ideas and enthusiasm with an older generation of peacemakers and leaders.  
​                                                                                                        - Dr. Jim Freiburger