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 By Dr. Shanita M. Williams Growing up, just about every child had “circle time” during the school day. It was a point in the day where we’d move from our individual plainly colored desks to the center of the room, often sitting on a vibrantly colored rug that gave you a jolt of energy the moment you stepped onto it. We’d all scramble to that carpet for circle time, trying to find the perfect spot within the circle. I remember looking around to make sure no one was left outside of the circle and would encourage other kids to scoot over to make room if someone did. As I reflect on the many faces in the circle, I cannot help to feel blessed to have grown up with people from all walks of life in race, gender, socio-economic status and ability. I didn’t realize it at the time, but circle time would become one of my earliest memories on the value of diversity and the importance of inclusion. As a kid, the time in the circle was incredibly exciting…it was a moment of the day where we were closest to the teacher (literally sitting just a few inches away from their feet). It was an opportunity to put our pens down (or crayons for that matter) and engage in learning in a completely different way. No books, no overhead projector (I am dating myself), no worksheets, no flashcards, just me, myself and I. It was a signal that I was enough and that I had everything I needed for the circle. Looking back, it was really empowering. Circle time was also inspiring because it was not only an opportunity to listen to each other, but it was also an opportunity to see each other in a completely different way. The structure of the circle made the time special. We were right beside one another – not across the table from one another – and something about that felt good. We weren’t required to cite literature or recite the details of something; it was our opportunity to listen to each other, to see one another, share our perspective, and be inspired by one another. It was almost as if the words shared during “circle time” resonated more deeply than any other point in the day, leaving me feeling more knowledgeable, more connected to my peers, and seen as an individual. Now that you know how much I valued circle time as a kid, I am sure it’s no surprise to you that I was drawn to Global Citizens Circle (GCC). Through the use of global circles, Global Citizens Circle discussion leaders join in a moderated interactive conversation with participants from around the world, having courageous constructive conversations about some of the world’s most pressing topics. The experience and outcomes are similar to those I felt in a circle as a kid: people from all walks of life sharing stories, inspiring hope, deepening understanding, and motivating change.  In June 2022, I had the honor of moderating a GCC circle, “In the Footsteps of Giants: Grounding and Growing the Dream.” It was an inspiring discussion centered around intergenerational dialogue with Yolanda King, then 14-year-old activist and sole grandchild of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King as well as Khandace Wilkerson, a 2022 graduate of the Boston Latin Academy, who is involved in many community-based organizations in Boston. Together, they represent a generation of new voices that were born out of dreams of those who have come before them. It was a real treat for me to sit alongside the two of these young women and hear their thoughts on topics that the youth were most concerned about. We talked about voting rights, gun violence, activism, and tips for youth who want to make a difference. One of our discussion topics was around voting. As we enter the 2024 presidential election the youth vote (ages 18-34) has the potential to influence on the outcome in many states. As Yolanda King noted, “We need to make sure we (youth) are voting so that we elect politicians who will listen to the youth.” Her point was well taken. Many people have traditionally felt that our youth are “to be seen and not heard.” Khandace Wilkerson said, “They (youth) have power in their voice even, if they don’t use it; their thoughts matter, their ideas matter and they can change the world if they want to.” I have always believed in our youth, but after listening to these young women, it reinforced that if we only see them and not hear them, we are missing out on an incredible opportunity to positively shape the future of our country and, inevitably, the world. I remember hearing that one voice can cause an avalanche. These two young women, alongside the Global Citizens Circle, have started a volcanic eruption. What an honor it was to be a part of this circle and watch them pave their own way as they follow in the footsteps of giants. As I go back to my childhood circle time on the vibrantly colored carpet, I am reminded that it was not the adults in the room that inspired me most, it was my peers…the youth that did so. I am inspired by our youth: Khandance Wilkerson and Yolanda King will lead the next generation of leaders and become the giants so many will follow. That’s the power of a circle. Dr. Shanita Williams has focused on the employee experience for the last 15 years. She currently serves as the vice president of people experience and inclusion within Human Resources at Southern New Hampshire University. In her role, she collaborates with leaders and employees across the university to ensure that diversity and inclusion are embedded in all of our talent strategies, initiatives and programs that help recruit, retain and empower world class talent to deliver on the mission. Her areas of focus include employee engagement surveys, recognition and appreciation, employee networks, university-wide onboarding, bias response programs, coaching and helping people build a feedback mentality. Williams earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership, where her research centered on the lived experiences of African-American working mothers as students. Williams is the author of "The Feedback Mentality: The key to unlocking and unleashing your full potential" and a two-times TEDx speaker. Through the use of global circles, Global Citizens Circle discussion leaders join in a moderated interactive conversation with participants from around the world, having courageous constructive conversations about some of the world’s most pressing topics. - Dr. Shanita Williams 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.
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 By Phoebe de Larrabeiti I. “The power is in your person.” – Dolores Huerta, 2019 GCC discussion leader 1982, Oxfordshire, England It’s the evening. I lean up against my mum’s legs in our kitchen. I should probably be in bed but something is happening. I can feel it. The kitchen is full of people packing food, talking feverishly; nukes, Reagan, Thatcher. I don’t understand everything but I know I can help. Loading food into our battered old Lada (a Russian car bought to piss off our neighbors). These friends, this community of outliers and intellectuals are making meals for the Women of Greenham Common. This was a women’s only peace camp, protesting NATO's decision to site U.S. cruise missiles (guided nuclear missiles) in the U.K. These courageous women had formed a human barricade at the local military airfield base. Often brutally evicted, sometimes imprisoned, they would only return more defiant. My mum and her friends were keeping them fed. I understood then that the U.S. was a powerful nation. Housing their nuclear weapons on U.K. soil crossed a line my community chose to resist. Their resistance seeped under my skin and left its mark. II. “Speak truth to power.” – Kerry Kennedy, 2023 GCC discussion leader March 2003, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport “What do y’all think about the war?” exclaimed the small woman with the big hair guiding us on to the airport shuttle bus. “Where am I?” I thought, already disconcerted from the long haul flight and being held by immigration officers over an anomaly with my student visa. In the past month my world had turned upside down; my mum died suddenly and a trans-Atlantic move destined for New England had brought us instead to Texas. What I could never have anticipated was that our arrival date would coincide exactly with the invasion of Iraq by U.S. and U.K. forces. The Marriott hotel, our first ‘home,' was filled with reserve troops. Images of Blair, Bush and Saddam Hussein played endlessly on the barroom tv. I thought only of the mass mobilization of those against the invasion, the largest protest ever on U.K. soil in London just one month before. In every sense, I felt a million miles from home. There’s nothing like volunteering at a children’s hospital to ground you in a place, however lost you feel. Within a month I was working at the Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in downtown Dallas, making friends, navigating cultural differences as best I could. Engaging my colleagues in conversations about politics, particularly the invasion of Iraq, elicited a reaction I had never witnessed before. The war had started now, and it was unpatriotic to question the motives of those in power. I was letting down the troops. Wasn’t it the opposite, I would counter. Doesn’t democracy demand that we hold those in power accountable? Now I felt the fire in my blood. III. “‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.’ Words my grandfather lived by.” – Yolanda Renee King, 2022 GCC discussion leader June 26, 2024. USCIS Offices, Bedford, NH If you had to complete the extensive N-400 application for naturalization you would be asked: Were you EVER a member of, or did you EVER serve in, help, or otherwise participate in, any of the following groups: an insurgent organization (a group that uses weapons and fights against a government)? For the American Democracy section of the civics test you will learn that the “rule of law” states no one is above the law; that our leaders must obey the law. Unless, of course. they start to re-write them. We were living in extraordinary times, the very fabric of what defined a nation and nationality was being undone. Perhaps it was seeing my bright, brilliant, resilient daughter cast her first vote last November that got me thinking. Was it time to become a U.S. citizen? Or maybe something in the air that smelled unsettlingly like authoritarianism propelled me to acknowledge we might not have much time. More than anything it was people, the people I have met here in this beautiful country, a country like most of us – steeped in contradictions. When I cast my vote in November, I might be helping to make history. Here’s hoping. Phoebe de Larrabeiti joined Global Citizens Circle (GCC) as its assistant director in February 2020, with a background in nonprofit management, event organizing and higher education liaison. She works concurrently as a licensed therapist with experience of group facilitation and a particular interest in trauma resolution. Doesn’t democracy demand that we hold those in power accountable? 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.
 By Michael Lockett My introduction to the GCC (Global Citizens Circle) was random and beautiful. Picture this: I was working with a longtime Circle member on a separate project when he invited me to create an intro for a Circle on monuments. You know, those grand statues erected to glorify folks who, let's be honest, the world would've been better off without all that bronze and marble. You know, with all the glossed-over global atrocities and all. I created a film piece, and before I knew it, I was in deep. My work with the Circle blossomed into a full-fledged relationship with GCC, and after happily contributing so much, the directors and board eventually invited me to join them. I couldn't have been happier. I'd found my tribe of people committed to making a difference. Both outside and inside GCC, I'm a visual storyteller. That's just a fancy way of saying I'm a screenwriter, director, and semi-reluctant producer. I've always been involved in the arts because it's the one place where you can tell a story exactly the way you see it in your head and, if you're lucky, convince others to see it the same way, too. Whether behind the camera, in front of a blank page, or begrudgingly managing a budget, my goal is always the same: to tell stories that matter. Sometimes they entertain, sometimes they educate, and sometimes they do a bit of both. But they always, always make you think. My journey into activism wasn't so much a decision as it was a destiny. Being a BIPOC person in America means that activism is almost a default setting. Just existing and trying to thrive in this environment puts you in that space, whether you like it or not. As a kid, my parents often took me to soup kitchens to serve. As much as I tried to hate it, cutting into my time with friends and toys, there was a strange joy in serving others. I kept volunteering, and as I grew up with a deep understanding of the world's precarious state — thanks, white supremacist, patriarchal colonizers — it wasn't so much a leap into activism as it was a continuation of service. My cause, if you want to call it that, is to dismantle white supremacist colonizing principles and actions. It's the gateway drug to pretty much every societal ill we face today. Dismantling white supremacy might sound like an impossible task, but I believe there's a doable two-step solution. First, we need to get real about our history — no sugar-coating, no glossing over the atrocities. We need actual truth-telling on a global scale, explaining what was done, why it was done, and by whom. Once we get that straight, we can move on to the next step: reparations. This means reimbursing for compounded losses and returning stolen relics and resources. If we did this, the entire world could reset, and we'd be looking at a whole new ballgame within a generation. Sure, it sounds daunting, but what's the alternative – more of the same? My educational background is in visual communications, and I'm grateful that I get to use it every day to push this massive boulder of change further up the hill. Whether through film, social media, or public speaking, I use the tools I've learned to amplify voices that need to be heard and to tell stories that need to be told. Down the road, I hope to keep using these skills to create even more impactful work, maybe even tackling projects I haven't dared to dream of yet. In terms of inspiration, leadership, or encouragement, I don't have to look far. GCC is filled with amazing people doing brave things for the betterment of humanity, and they inspire me every day. But I also draw a lot of strength from the lessons my parents taught me, and from my wife and son, who are both outspoken, joyful warriors in their own unique ways. They keep me grounded and remind me why the fight is worth it. Finally, to the young people out there who are itching to create positive change, here's my advice: find your tribe. Find those like-minded, motivated, and collaborative changemakers who can keep you buoyant and focused. An individual might get swept away by the storm, but a group can withstand anything. And remember, the world doesn't change by accident — it changes because people like you refuse to let injustice rule the day. So, get out there and make some waves. Michael Lockett is a New York screenwriter, director, and sometimes producer. A lifelong storyteller, Michael graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in visual communications. After a stint in advertising, periodical design, and marketing/PR, he delved back into the longer storytelling forms with film and TV screenwriting. Although specializing in horror with dark, thought-provoking overtones, Michael is always prepared and happy to lend a hand or idea to make his or others' projects a success. 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. And remember, the world doesn't change by accident — it changes because people like you refuse to let injustice rule the day. So, get out there and make some waves. 
By Pamme Boutselis
Some of the most powerful conversations happen within Global Citizens Circle's Circle events. But they don't end there. The thought-provoking revelations and ideas are brought forth into new arenas by all who attend. The problem was, though, you had to be there, to enter into the initial conversation and take away these valuable thoughts to keep them going. But when Covid entered the picture, the conversation widened via virtual Circles. The Circles were recorded and shared in the aftermath on YouTube, allowing greater access to all. Now, many of these Circles have been distilled into bite-sized pieces, opening access even more via GCC's Dialogue2Action series. Each edition features a video synopsis and discussion guide of these incredible events. This is perfect for broadening individual and group understanding – and furthering the conversation even more. During these troubling and often divisive times, Dialogue2Action may be just what you need to better understand complicated issues, find talking points to open discussion with others, and create solutions in places where you may have felt like you had none. We invite you to watch this 20-minute video, “Movements for Change: Stories of Challenge and Success” featuring:
And then, review the Movements for Change discussion guide to see how you, too, can continue this conversation.
Be sure to check out all of the featured discussions in Dialogue2Action. Pamme Boutselis is an award-winning writer and content producer, currently serving as a senior director of content marketing and a communication adjunct at Southern New Hampshire University. She loves hearing and sharing stories. As a writer spanning a 25-plus-year career, her work has been featured in print and online via news media, career and education-focused blogs, regional magazines, technology publications and more. A serial volunteer, Boutselis has been a TEDx organizer since 2013 and a speaker coach. She’s been fortunate to work with dozens of nonprofits throughout the years and serves as a communication advisor for Global Citizens Circle. Connect with her on LinkedIn. 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. If you do not join in; if you do not take action to solve your particular issue, it's never going to get solved...so you've got to understnad that you're the one that has to step up...and do whatever it takes to solve this issue." |
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