The Global Stewards Institute and the University of California, Riverside are collaborating on a 3-week study/travel program to Panama, Cuba and the Caribbean: An Emerging Hub in a Changing Region (Dec. 15, 2012 - Jan. 5, 2013) to prepare tomorrow's global leaders, peace builders and agents of social change, challenging them to find creative solutions to world problems. This unique educational-travel experience includes land and sea components; a service project at a SOS Children's Villages, an international NGO; and, a 3-unit global leadership course designed for multicultural and inter-generational postgraduate students and life long learners. An international faculty, regional and in-country specialists from the UN, NGOs and academic institutions will participate in the program. Contact Thea Bellos at [email protected] or 510-540-5725 for additional information. Learn more and apply at www.globalstewardsinsitute.org.  

The World Affairs Council and the Global Philanthropy Forum will hold its 2012 Awards Dinner on Monday, October 29 at 6:00 PM at The Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco.  RockRose Co-Founders Rebecca Westerfield and Maja Ramsey are sponsors of the event. This year they will celebrate two innovators who have harnessed technology for profound social impact.  The Honorees are Reid Hoffman, Founder and Executive Chairman of LinkedIn Corporation and a Partner at Greylock Partners, and Salman Khan, Founder of the Khan Academy, a nonprofit with the mission of providing free, high-quality education for “anyone, anywhere” in the world.  For biographical information on the honorees, please see http://www.worldaffairs.org/events/special-events/2012-awards-dinner.html.  For ticket information and other inquiries, contact Susana Rodriguez at 415-293-4665 or [email protected].

Facing History and Ourselves works with large urban schools and districts across the globe to provide students with a rigorous and engaging educational experience. Comprehensive evaluative findings demonstrate Facing History's ability to help students prepare for success in college, careers, and active participation in society. On Monday, November 12, 2012, in Memphis, Tennessee, Facing History will convene educators, students, scholars, and community members for an interactive examination of the challenges and opportunities in urban education today, including a keynote by Dr. Claude Steele, eminent social pyschologist and Dean of the School of Education at Stanford University. For more information see http://www.facinghistory.org/urban-education-facing-history.

Convergence Center for Policy Resolution (www.convergencepolicy.org) held a gathering in August hosted by RockRose Co-Founder and Convergence Board Member Maja Ramsey to introduce Convergence to new friends in the Bay Area.  In the spirit of Convergence, each guest was urged to "Bring Your Opposite" - Democrats brought Republicans and vice versa.  Convergence President Rob Fersh and Convergence Vice President Aakif Ahmad spoke to the experiences that led them to form Convergence in 2009 and about recent successes on their U.S.-Pakistan Relations and Nutrition & Wellness projects.  RockRose and Convergence were heartened by the diversity of viewpoints in the room, demonstrating that "Opposites" can indeed get together in the interest of forging solutions to our nation's most challenging issues.

United Religions Initiative has initiated a new program, Global Me, to cultivate global citizenship and encourage local action on problems like poverty, hunger and the unequal treatment of women and children in support of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and URI’s Preamble, Purpose and Principles. For the month of September, take action on immigration. URI frequently receives reports of conflict in communities around the world and violations of human rights related to immigration status. URI invites you to join Global Me this month in promoting the human rights and dignity of all immigrants.  Please visit http://URI.org to find ways to get involved.

Angeles Arrien, cultural anthropologist, educator, consultant and President of the Foundation for Cross-Cultural Education and Research, will present a program entitled Living in Gratitude September 28-30 at the Mount Madonna Center.  Angeles will introduce attendees to mastering the art of giving thanks every day through practices and exercises, perennial and indigenous wisdoms, and universal practices for every season and situation.  For more information and to register, go to www.mountmadonna.org/arrien .

The Human Rights Center at UC Berkeley is continuing to assist partner countries in strengthening accountability measures to combat sexual violence in times of political unrest and armed conflict, and to investigate various models for sheltering individuals who have been displaced by war and other disasters. The HRC has also been working in partnership with Asoción Pro Búsqueda to locate and identify children who were separated from their families during El Salvador's 1980-1992 civil war.  Just this past month, two of three siblings who were separated from their family at very young ages were found and reunited. For more information on these projects and upcoming events, please visit HRC's website at http://law.berkeley.edu/hrc.htm.