Updated: July 28, 2009
Bryant student is ready to CHANGE the world
Chris Brida '12 is one of 50 students chosen to attend, this week’s Oxfam CHANGE Initiative, which will explore global social issues.
Christopher Brida ’12 (Southampton, MA) is an active participant in his educational experience. After just one year on campus, he has already been involved in Project Tanzania, an international effort to provide books and other materials to universities, colleges, and schools in Tanzania; Bryant's Chapter of Amnesty International; and the Bryant varsity men’s track and field team.
“I think that being active with the local and global communities is imperative,” says Brida. “College students are the driving force behind change, and every act can have a significant impact.”
It is this passion for social change that led Brida to be chosen to attend Oxfam America’s CHANGE Initiative conference. Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization with a mission to create lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice. Brida, the first Bryant student to take part in the program, is one of 50 participants at the 10th annual conference in Boston, which began Saturday, July 18, and concluded on Friday, July 24.
“Once I learned of Oxfam’s mission, I was overwhelmed with a desire to become a part of it,” he says. “The idea of coming together with other students who share the same desire for social justice and work toward the betterment of the world is exhilarating.”
Education in action
The annual Oxfam CHANGE Initiative is an intensive leadership training program that educates and energizes youths to challenge injustice in our rapidly changing world. The objective is to develop capable and confident young leaders who are knowledgeable social change agents.
Oxfam believes that when young leaders are educated about the root causes of social and economic inequities and develop a strong international awareness, they will question these causes. They will be equipped to explore links between the local and global environments to bring about change, while informing and inspiring others toward global awareness and action. After the conference, Brida will return to the Bryant community with an action plan to work on an Oxfam campaign on campus during the 2009-2010 academic year.
“The skills I’ll acquire at this conference stretch far beyond the face value of getting others involved,” says Brida. “The skills of leadership and advocacy can be applied to all facets of life – in the classroom, on the athletic fields, and throughout one’s professional and personal life.”
Brida plans to one day leverage his concentration in management and minor in sociology to become a social entrepreneur.
“My management background will provide me with the understanding of how to operate my own business,” he says, “while sociology allows me to understand how a society operates, how its laws work, and the processes that bind members together. These two disciplines combined are the perfect stepping stones to achieving my dream.”
Christopher Brida '12 is blogging about his experiences this week at the Oxfam CHANGE Initiative.
Friday, July 24 - Final Reflection
The final day. I can't believe it. I guess the best way to go about this final blog is to delve into the details of the day, and then close the blog with a reflection of my week as a CHANGE Leader. After breakfast this morning, we went over the e-community, which is a tool we can use to connect to all of the CHANGE Leaders through on the Oxfam Web site. It has a lot of information regarding everyone and will also serve as the means to submit our progress reports and action plans to the Oxfam staff.
After this, we spent the majority of the time in our small groups. We traced our hands on a piece of paper and wrote a personal message to each member of our group on their hands. Then we passed in our surveys that took into account the entire week. We received our third t-shirt of the week that says "Together we can CHANGE the world" Then it was off to have the group picture taken.
Because it was raining outside, we had to go with plan B and take the pictures in the auditorium at Eastern Nazarene College. We took a ton of group pictures and instinctively broke out into songs like "Stand By Me" "Lean on Me" as well as "Hakuna Matata" Our small groups took pictures and then we all got up onto the stage for the final group reflection.
'Dare to be different'
I've never heard such silence before as everyone knew our moment of departure was imminent. The head coordinator, Sophia, opened the reflection by thanking us for all the work we put in. She then opened it up to us, the CHANGE Leaders, to give our say. It was very difficult to begin because for most of us, there wasn't really a way to put into words what we had gotten out of the week. Mostly, we talked about our journeys, and the journeys that lie ahead. I urged the group to consider the quote "A ship in port is not safe," and I asked them not to be complacent. I also said that we all have ships, and together we will create a fleet that will make the travel easier. My final word of advice was to dare to be different. We will all go about our campaigns in a different way, and we will be faced with a lot of adversity because what we are doing is truly different, but we have in each other similarities and an incredible support system.
After the reflection and a very appropriate group hug, we headed to lunch to say our final good byes. Because I had my car on the campus, we were the last to leave. Oluwatobi (Tobi), Natalie and I brought Ily to the airport for her flight back to Kansas. She actually just texted me to let me know she had arrived. We all headed back to the Wollaston T Station to pick up Tobi and Natalie's luggage and they both took off on the train into the city where Tobi lives and Natalie will be staying for a few days. Then I headed home.
'Voice of many'
When I look back at this week, a perfect description that Tobi and I often talked about comes to mind. The word is "trying." This week has been incredibly trying in a number of aspects, and the fact of the matter is, it will not stop here. Being a social activist and a strong proponent of social change, there are many roadblocks that lie ahead. For me personally, creating a core support system to help me carry out my campaign will be one of my most trying goals. Social activists face a great deal of adversity on their journeys because often, we are so few that our voice cannot be heard. What I aim to do on campus is serve as the voice of many.
Chris Brida '12 (back row second from the left) with some of his fellow CHANGE Leaders.
Over one billion people on this planet live in poverty. One billion. That is 1/6 of all living human beings on this earth. Those people are often silenced and overlooked. I completely understand that there are many problems within our country, but social injustice is much more rampant in other parts of the world. As an American, I have access to incredible resources.
'Persistence is key'
Creating change is not something that happens overnight. It's a lifelong vision. It's something that is a gradual process. Most of the time, it will feel like no progress is being made. If there is one important thing I've learned this week, it is that any progress is progress. No matter how small an event or how few people hear a message, the fact is that a few more than before have now heard it.
CHANGE leaders often face great difficulty running a successful campaign in their first CHANGE year. I anticipate that I will have similar difficulties, but persistence is key. It is key throughout all social justice efforts. Hunger cannot be solved in a day, poverty cannot be solved in a day, but can it be solved? Absolutely. As a fleet of 50, this group of CHANGE leaders are well equipped to make a huge splash in this world. The smoke and mirrors effect is something we often talked about. Fifty may be few, but our voices will be strong and our message will be clear enough that it will appear that we are many, many more.
'Be change, affect change, create change'
In our action plans, we had to write our long term goal, and I felt that it would be applicable to share mine. My long term goal is as follows: By the end of the academic year, I hope that Bryant University will gain an established perspective on Vulnerable Communities and the problems experienced by the persons of the Congo, as well as other parts of Africa. I hope to urge my classmates and other Bryant students the same thing I urged the other CHANGE leaders. Don't be complacent. They too can affect change on the world because we all have an incredible stake in it. Look beyond the mainstream issues to those that are silenced and hidden. Often, they are far more severe. Don't be a ship in port. Be change, affect change, create change.
I want to close with one more thought. I never thought it was possible to be so close to someone in the course of one week. I have established invaluable friendships and a strong support system with 50 other CHANGE leaders. I also have been fortunate enough to gain the priceless friendships and support of three other particular individuals. Tobi, Natalie and Ily are three people I now consider to be my greatest friends, and greatest assets to running a successful campaign. Without each other's support, we are merely a ship sailing solo, or a ship in port. However, given their continued support, wisdom, stories, courage, and efforts, I now know that I have the ability to be a change agent in this world. Thank you all.
I really want to thank everyone who took the time to read this blog. I know this last entry was very long, but I felt like it needed to be. I truly appreciate the messages I received over the course of the week, and look forward to being able to work on this campaign, with your support, in the upcoming school year. Don't ever change, but be change. Just remember that where you live should not determine if you live. Thank you again.
Thursday, July 23
Day 6? Really? It has been touched on many times within our group that it doesn't feel like it has been only a week. One word Tobi and I have decided on being a very good description of this week, is "trying." There have been many instances this week of challenge, but also triumph. I don't want to delve too much into the area of reflection yet, as I will obviously save that for my last blog.
Okay, on to the day. Today was what I would call a very dynamic day. Everything we did today, essentially, was based around our specific campaigns. First, we were able to hear about all the resources that are made available to us as CHANGE Leaders. There are so many publications that Oxfam will provide to us, upon request, for our campaigns, which is something that makes this program very unique.
Later, we talked about fundraising. Fundraising is a very difficult task, given the current economy for one, but also because it is the nitty gritty, elbow work that must be taken care of before the actual fun begins. The key is to first overcome your apprehensions about fundraising and then just ask. The worst thing that anyone can say, is no. The logistics coordinator for the program, Katie, talked to us about how she contacted more than 340 local businesses in order to secure food donations for our break times. Of the 340, only 42 contacted her back, but all we see are the results.
After the fundraising session, the afternoon was geared towards our specific campaigns. First, we met with our issue coordinators. My issue area is Vulnerable Communities: Poverty & Emergencies, so we met with Rasa Dawson, who is the coordinator for that particular area. She went over the important dates coming up, and she helped us develop our action plans.
Chris Brida '12 (front) shows off his dance moves.
After that, it was time to do exactly that: develop an action plan. It was the first time during the whole week that we worked individually. We were to strategize our campaigns as we envision them running on campus. Obviously, I'm not going to give mine away, or else that would ruin the fun of it all! We then met with our small groups to talk to a CHANGE facilitator about our plans and get solid feedback from people that have run their own campaigns. It was very motivating.
The last thing on the night's agenda was a panel discussion with CHANGE leaders from 3, 4, 5, 7 and 9! years ago. We met with Martin, Angela, Michael, Lisa, and Ephraim to discuss both their CHANGE years, and the year beyond. They gave us advice on what to do, what not to do, and how to apply our new skill set to all areas of life. It, again, was a very motivating experience to see people that have come through the program and have been influential in the activism surrounding mountaintop removal, fair trade, and economic development.
When the panel discussion was over, it was a free night for us. We decided last night that we would make plans to all go out to dinner together, so we reserved a section for fifty at Fire & Ice. It was my first experience ever going, and it was certainly an incredible one. Our last meal together was memorable and is something I will never forget.
We ended the night in typical fashion, talking until three in the morning. Given that it was our last night, there was a lot to say. Conversations touched on everything from race, to education, to girls, to the program, to the meal we had just consumed and so on. It was nice to spend the last night with the people I have become so close to, and will remain close to in the future. I suppose that brings me to a close this evening. I'm tired, I need sleep, but I guess I don't really want to sleep. One day left.
Stay out of the rain...
Wednesday, July 22
Tonight's blog is going to be a little different. I want to tell the story of Tobi Olasunkanmi. Tobi is my roommate from Nigeria. He goes to school at Bowdoin University in Maine. The reason I want to blog about Tobi tonight is because of what happened today.
At lunch this afternoon, we were visited by a photographer who had visited the Niger Delta on a photography exposition. The presentation he gave today at lunch seemed to blanket the entire country of Nigeria under one stigma. Unfortunately, this was not the stance of the Oxfam staff and even more unfortunately, it deeply affected Tobi. At the end of the presentation, he very calmly gave his response as a citizen of the country of Nigeria. He felt as though the country of Nigeria was being held to the definition of the Niger Delta instead of, like any country, one that has many different and unique parts.
Given that I have his permission to speak about this instance, I'll do my best not to offend anyone, but also give the details. Tobi left the presentation in order to keep his cool, and later came back to confront the photographer about his position. He felt as though the photographer was doing us an injustice by giving us incorrect and incomplete information about Nigeria. Tobi made up his mind that he didn't feel like he should be here anymore. This deeply affected both me and our other mutual friend, Ily. It is truly incredible how close you become to people over the course of five days, and because of that, I felt that it was my obligation to go and speak to Tobi about what had happened. Both Ily and I met him in our room, opting to skip the afternoon session to see what was going on. After a candid conversation, we both convinced Tobi to stay.
Chris Brida '12 reads from some poetry.
Later in the evening, we attended Oxfam America's Hunger Banquet. A hunger banquet is a simulation of the conditions experienced by those around the world. There are three groups: high income, middle income and low income. The high income, the group I was in, sat at a table with a tablecloth, salad, fancy glassware, and plates. The middle income sat at chairs on the outskirts of the room, while those in the lower-income bracket had to sit on the floor. I don't want to go into too many details as it is something I hope to run on our campus.
At the end of the hunger banquet, we had a reflection about the day's events, as well as the hunger banquet. We talked about what happened at lunch and everyone commended Tobi on standing up for what he believed. We talked about how close we had gotten over the course of the past five days, and the struggles we anticipate facing upon returning to our campus.
For me, today was one of the most emotionally draining days I've ever had to go through in my life. I was greatly affected by what happened today because Tobi and I have become very close. While I understand where the photographer was attempting to go, his message came off very poorly. I certainly don't mean to offend anyone or step on any toes, mainly the reason why I'm not using any names, but my belief was that Tobi had every right to stand up for what he felt. I want to commend Tobi, and if he ever reads this, I hope he knows how much I appreciate what he did. While there were many other events that had gone on today, I felt like I needed to bring light to this issue because it was a challenge that we all experienced on a very real level.
I am very tired, so it's off to bed for me. Hope everyone likes what I am doing.
Goodnight...
Tuesday, July 21
Today was one of the best days I've had since I have been here! I don't need to go into details on the usual breakfast routine, but there is one thing of note I would like to mention. The organizers of the CHANGE program have instituted a composting component to every meal in order to cut down on waste, which I think is especially admirable.
Moving on, the day began with a two-hour diversity session. We played a few games that broke down some stereotypes, and then we had one-on-one conversations with someone who we haven't spent much time with. I had a one-on-one-on-one conversation with Kelsey (DePaul) and Val (Quinnipiac). We talked a lot about our experiences with diversity on our own campuses and then ultimately reconvened as a group and had a great conversation regarding a number of topics.
Before lunch, we watched a video called Sisters On Our Planet, which was the story of four women who were affected by climate change. It was a very eye-opening experience. The focus of the day was to bringing attention to the fact that climate change is a humanitarian problem, as well as an environmental problem. We then had a two-hour session on climate change presented by Gabe who is one of Oxfam's leaders on climate change. We covered a wide range of topics, including the humanitarian aspect again, as well as the policies being discussed in teh U.S. Senate. We also had a debate to help us practice how to return arguments from those against the bill going to the Senate regarding climate change.
Chris Brida '12 (far left) with two of his fellow CHANGE Leaders.
Next we played an incredible role playing game called Oxfam University. It was very elaborate so I'll try to keep it simple. Essentially, it was like running a campaign from the ground up in the form of a board game. We had to involve administration, staff, faculty, and students. We had to run different programs to try and get them informed, involved, and ultimately advocates of our program. There were a lot of roadblocks along the way, and it was very realistic. There was also an element of chance involved. Unfortunately, we misunderstood some rules and even though we won, we turned ourselves in for corruption and owned up to it. After the debriefing, we had free night.
For free night, my friends Tobi (Nigeria, Bowdoin College), Natalie (Germany, Elon University), Ily (Baker University) Rashik (Nepal, Brigham Young) and I decided to head to the Prudential Center. We ate at Cheesecake Factory and honestly, the night became about great conversation with people I consider to now be some of my greatest friends.
We walked around Boston Common for a while afterwards and then decided to go home. On the train ride home, I think I had one of the most eloquent and passionate conversations I've ever had. We talked about identity, the education gap, and a number of issues in our country, as well as abroad. I don't think I've ever had such an engaging and exciting conversation before. I can only imagine people on the train looking at us oddly because it wasn't a typical conversation for nineteen and twenty year olds to have. All in all, it was an incredible night.
Off to more conversation...
Monday, July 20
This morning, my attempts to go for a run were thwarted by my being exhausted, so I slept in all the way to 7am. We had breakfast, and the day got off in it's typical fashion. First on the agenda, we discussed the leadership compass, which is a way of organizing a group based on the members' leadership styles. It is based on a Native American model of Warrior, Healer, Visionary, and Teacher. Each of these represents a direction on the compass.
We got into our groups, of which I was the West, or Teacher. We discussed the importance of each role, the contingencies involved with each, and also how to collaborate with other leadership styles. Then we were assigned create an award for a social justice activist and give the reasons why. My group decided on Dr. Muhammad Yunus, who developed the microlending model and also won a Nobel Peace Prize.
Next, we were introduced to Gina who discussed campaigning with us. Gina was one of the lead workers on a campaign for the end of manufacturing and removal of landmines across the world. We talked about the twelve steps to creating a successful campaign, such as Involvement of Public Celebrities, Media Coverage, and a Simple, Engaging Method, among other things. We developed a few ideas for how students could be educated about the dangers of landmines, and how they could spread the word.
Next came the most eye opening part of the day, the humanitarian simulation. Over the course of an hour, we simulated the conditions of a natural disaster hitting an impoverished area. We were split into four groups: the government;TAFS, an aid organization; and then the two parts of our fictional country, Metroplia and Remotalia. I was a part of Remotalia and we had prepared for the storm to come, while Metroplia did not. When the simulation began, we had to attempt to survive on three essentials, food, water, and shelter. There were a number of guidelines already in place.
What ensued was mass chaos. Voices were not heard, the government and TAFS couldn't decide how to properly allocate their resources, and in the end, over 90% of Metroplia "died." It was an incredible experience that simulated how chaotic such a situation could be.
We spent the major part of the afternoon learning about Vulnerable Communities: Poverty & Emergency. We looked at the case studies of the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as Afghanistan to learn about these areas. We then had a breakout session where we discussed our ideas for campaigns we would like to run on our own campuses.
Our structured part of the night ended with a group of five local spoken word artists coming to read poetry and speak about the importance of words. We ended up writing our own poems and I performed a piece that garnered a standing ovation from quite a few of my fellow Change Leaders(CLs). We decided to spend the night in and talked about our lives with each other. Tomorrow night we have a free night so it's off to downtown Boston.
Be back...
Sunday, July 19
This morning, I got off to a bit of a rocky start. The sleeping conditions aren't the greatest as the pillows are plastic and the blankets are short in supply. But I suppose given the conditions around the world, I shouldn't be complaining. Breakfast was served promptly at 7:45am and we all had our taste of grapefruit, Icelandic yogurt. After breakfast, we got the overview of the CHANGE Program.
CHANGE was started 10 years ago, with the initial group being 16 participants, followed by nearly 70 even up to 90. They decided to cap the program at 50 people to create a mutually beneficial system so that both the facilitators and the CHANGE leaders could gain as much as possible. The CHANGE leaders represent the highest level of the activism hierarchy, ultimately serving as the coordinators for OXFAM's social justice initiatives. As a CHANGE leader, we are to uphold a certain contract that lays out the groundwork for the work we will be doing at our respective universities. There are many things to come in the upcoming year for me.
After that lecture, we were given two props to do a mini skit regarding our ideal global community. We had a box and a Hawaiian lei and we discussed our ideals about health care access, peace, climate change solutions, and interconnectedness amongst people. We then learned all about Oxfam and their mission. There are many students, like myself, who came into the program as a leap of faith, not knowing very much about Oxfam previously. This was a great way for us to learn all about it. Next we learned about a campaign organizational strategy called Midwest Academy. This will allow us to develop and organize campaigns on our campuses and execute them. Next the floor was opened up for the CHANGE facilitators to tell us their stories and how they got to be where they are and what they have done.
After, we broke off into our smaller groups and talked about how we got involved and interested in social change. Many of the stories were personal and it was great to hear how people from all different backgrounds ultimately came together to work on social change. Next, we had a session on tabling, and how to get our tables to stand out at organizational fairs and the like. We had dinner, and the rest of the evening became unforgettable.
First we had OXJAM, which was a program wide-talent show. There were dancers, singers, skits and the like. I personally performed in a dance number to OK-GO's "A Million Ways," read some spoken word by Buddy Wakefield, was a background dancer for a Backstreet Boys song, and played a role in a food meditation exercise (really). Then we all headed to the beach, sang songs and took it way back and ended the night with a game of Red Rover (again, really). Everyone is exhausted after such a long day, but we will be back at it tomorrow.
More to come...
Saturday, July 18
I arrived at Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, MA at around 10:30 am for the Oxfam CHANGE leadership initiative. For me, it was just a short drive but for many, it was a long flight. The day began in any typical fashion. I checked in, received numerous items and headed to my room.
After, I headed downstairs to begin meeting all the students that I will be attending the conference with. Initially, I imagined students from all over the country, but the reality is, there are students from all over the world. I met students from Oman, Nigeria, India, Nepal, Mexico, Honduras, Canada, and Germany. We were all immediate friends. With people coming from for the same reason, it was hard not to be friends. Everyone clicked, and there are no outcasts. It's great. Not only do people come from all over, they have been all over visiting places such as Botswana, Kenya, Cambodia, China, Argentina, and many, many other places.
We met our facilitators for the conference who all come with their own individual stories and backgrounds. We had a general introduction and then we got to share a personal object that reflects ourselves. I brought tap water from my hometown, which last year was judged to be the best tasting water in the nation. (Learn more.) I used it to show that no matter where I go, I'll always remember where I came from. I also joked around about my personal connections to how they judge a tap water competition: clarity, bouquet, and taste. Everyone was really laid back and had a lot to say.
We ended the night by creating our own rules for the conference. It was a way that everyone would feel safe and accepted. We also went over our expectations for the conference, and then we broke out into our small groups. I'm in the pink group along with Kiley (Central Washington University), Alison (Seattle University), Achsah (University of Maryland, Baltimore County), Kaela (Loyola), Gordon (Holy Cross), and Sarah (University of Texas, Austin). We played “hot seat” and got to ask each member any question for five minutes. We then decided on a team name, conjunctivitis (pink eye) and made a song and dance to go along with it.
It's only 9:47 pm but it feels like its midnight. Everyone is exhausted from their flights, so it will be an early night. Even I'm tired, and I merely drove. I feel like it’s tough to write tonight, but I'll have plenty more to say as the week goes on. I'm going to spend the night with my roommates Tobi (Nigeria, Bowdoin College) and Bob (King's College) and our new friend, Sagar (India, Iowa State College).
Stay tuned.
Oxfam will begin recruiting for the 11th Annual CHANGE Initiative, which will take place next summer, in January. To learn more, visit Oxfam America’s CHANGE Initiative or e-mail the organization.
