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LEADERSHIP IN DEVELOPMENT.
AFRICAN CANADA YOUTH LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM.
2003, ANTIGONISH, NOVA SCOTIA
Greene (Left) shaking hands with Louise Arbour . Louise Arbour is the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a former justice of the Supreme Court of Canada and a former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. She is slated to become the next president and CEO of the International Crisis Group
Our Founder reflects
“My selection to the 1st Africa Canada Youth Symposium for Leadership in Development has all been for me like facing history in more concrete ways. Time and place was more appropriate for hosting such a symposium on Africa Canada collaboration.
There in Nova Scotia, my thought was engulfed in the gloom part of history, when my ancestors, the Black Africans, were carted away to America during the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, and the laborious travels of those slaves up the underground railroad to Detroit and on to Ontario, and the black Loyalist who arrived in Nova Scotia following the American War of Independence. My thought could not cease to reflect on how the 1,196 of those black loyalist, left Halifax on that chilly January in 1792, heading for Sierra Leone. This is how history is often written and now, as I now look back at the map of the world as it turns into the circular ruins of history, I was nudged to the realization that I have been summoned to Nova Scotia to share my inspirational story of working and volunteering with the young victims of war in Sierra Leone and in raising awareness of the role conflict diamonds played in fanning the flames of Sierra Leone’s brutal decade long civil war”.
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Building A Culture Of Peace And Non-violence for the children Of The World
Washington DC 2005
After The Conference: Building A Culture Of Peace And Non-violence for the children Of The World - Washington DC 2005, I had the opportunity to make various site visits with my friend Leigh Anne around the White House and several Monuments, including the Lincoln Memorial Hall. Building a Culture of Peace For The Children Of The World '--
This article was contributed by Andrew's Friend
Sarika Jain,WBIFP'
Reintegrating Children of War
On March 7th, 2005, Mohini Bhatia and I attended an exhibition titled Building a Culture of Peace for the Children of the World?, sponsored by HDCNY, where we met Andrew Benson Greene. We were struck not only by his youth, but his dogged determination to provide a positive outlet for young victims in Sierra Leone who are recovering from the traumatic ravages of war, through his organization. Andrew knows only too well the stories of the children he helps reintegrate, for he has been there himself. He tells us, Amidst Sierra Leone's stunning natural beauty, youth were ravaged through battle-fields and wars as child soldiers. Re-integrating them is a major challenge... offers youth a chance to build communications and technology skills to compete in today's infotechnology world. Technology helps to connect war affected youth of Sierra Leone with peers around the world as they strive to elicit the human rights violations that face war affected children. Through this unique sharing experience, trust and life skills are gained which enable our youth to become global citizens". We were moved and felt compelled to share Andrew's story and the story of the children he works so tirelessly for, with our fellow youth at the Bank.
by Sarika Jain,WBIFP'
Extra information
http://www.un.org/events/UNART/culturepeacegallery/index.html
United Nations Annual Exhibit, "Building a Culture of Peace for the Children of the World" Mr. Andrew Greene was featured in this UN exhibit in 2004 and was privileged to view it in 2005.
This exhibit illustrates the importance of building a culture of peace at all levels and across geographical lines. The exhibit highlights the work of a dozen people famous for their role in conflict resolution, while showcasing the essays and artwork of children who are destined to inherit this task. Click here to see the entire 2005
Andrew and Friend Leigh Anne Visiting the Lincoln Memorial Hall in DC
AS a Sauve Scholar, www.sauvescholars.org Andrew had the wonderful opportunity also in visiting DC. He has a chance to also visit several places with colleague scholars such as the United States Institute of Peace, Lincoln Memorial Hall, and House of Senate amongst others.
Andrew and other Scholars at the United States Institute for Peace in DC
"Being a Sauvé Scholar is not for the faint of heart. It is challenging. The environment is intellectually stimulating, filled with human and physical resources. With networks enriched and expanded, horizons sharpened and refocused, it is a year of incredible personal growth. There is no typical Sauvé Scholar, no pre-established profile, other than demonstrated achievement in his or her chosen field, and evidence of the will, vision and determination to effect change for the betterment of society."
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THE TABLE MOUNTAIN
AFRICA CONNECTS CONFERENCE CAPETOWN SOUTH AFRICA.
Education in the Internet Age, Capetown South Africa.
Andrew, Bill and Rashid before their trio presentation - 'The Predicaments faced by child soldiers'
As the final curtain draws to a close that saw the cessation of hostilities in Sierra Leone, and as the final whistle blew for the enactment and signing of the peace accord, Andrew was on his way to give testament to all of this in his trio presentation in South Africa as well as the predicaments faced by child soldiers at the annual gathering of the International Education and Resource Network conference at the University of Capetown. The event was supported by Schoolnet, Western Cape School, international Education And Resource Network. At the time, the rainbow nation of South Africa, has just began to illuminate, with the vestiges of Apartheid slowly but surely obliterated and giving way to a new wave of hope, a new sense of freedom from oppression and the realization of justice for all. In this home of the legendary Nelson Mandela, Andrew felt that ‘ the scourges of the Soweto Massacre, were akin to the Predicaments faced by Child soldiers in the decade of Sierra Leone’s civil war’, and called for awareness raising at a global scale that can serve as a deterrent to stop the use of child soldiers, the indiscriminate recruitment of children in armed conflict and the yoke of hardship faced by children drafted in fighting forces, and the prevention of children’s rights violation by every means’
Amongst the many renowned participants at Andrew’s Presentation was Vivien Stewart formerly of the UN office of Displaced persons in New York.
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Presentations at York University.
Toronto
With support from WH Day Staff and former Principal Anita Townsend, Founder and CEO Andrew Benson Greene, actively involved teachers and Lecturers at the University of York in Toronto in several formal and informal dialogue relating to curricula on human rights of children and the interconnections with global education and learning on such social issues.
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Columbia The Beautiful
A visit to British Columbia,
Vancouver Canada April 2007.
Founder and CEO of B-Gifted Foundation was invited by Insight Creative Communications Connie Linder and was very pleased to trigger home the enthusiasm of staff at Peer 1 ( a wireless connection Company in Vancouver in support for wireless connectivity for his initial digital projects in Sierra Leone. The result of this visit culminated in the support of his projects by Peer1 with Broadband wireless connection via a multi-media local service Provider in Sierra Leone with a capacity of 1GB per second, which benefitted hundreds of Sierra Leoneans. The founder made several presentations at this inaugural visit that attracted potential benefactors to his projects. Andrew spoke to the students at OLPH Elementary School in Vancouver about
his experiences taught peace and non-violence to kids. The children were keen and very interested in what he had to say and were greatly influenced by the video and music Andrew’s group developed to illustrate the talent and plight of his fellow colleagues in Sierra Leone. In addition, he also spent valuable time to speak to the business group that gathered here to hear about Andrew’s stories and valuable experiences. People were moved by Andrew’s commitment to increasing the awareness and resources available to his fellow citizens.
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Gorie Island,
Dakar, Senegal 2005.
B-Gifted Founder, ‘Face to face with history.
Supported by the ‘My Hero Project, the B-Gifted Founder and a team of young leaders, were at the 2004 International Education Conference in Dakar Senegal, to help facilitate and showcase the use of video technology in advancing and advocating human rights, This was also an opportunity to meet World Computer Exchange Director Timothy Anderson, and the prospects at shipment of computers to Sierra Leone. Through Andrew’s dogged efforts and constant prod-lagging, the computers were in the shows of Sierra Leone, as two years later in 2007, this dream was finally realized with a donation of 75 computers which were distributed to several youth chapters and constituencies to benefit thousands of young people.
The visit to Gorie Island, was a memorable and insightful one in many ways. It helped to unravel that side of history of slavery and the slave trade, and that gloom but didactic part of history. The founder, already overtly familiar with the Bunce Island’s history of slavery in his native country Sierra Leone, soon realized the synchronizing effects of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, in all of West Africa.
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THE SILICON VALLEY
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB SAN FRANCISCO.
In October 24-November 4th 2008, Andrew Benson Greene, had the wonderful opportunity to meet with Staff at the Boys and Girls club, in San Francisco. Drawing from his experience as a speaker, communicator, inspirational leader, and philanthropist, in Sierra Leone, whilst working with at risk children and youth, he was able to share his hard-earned professional experience to the boys and girls of the San Francisco Peninsula. There he taught practical peace building, human rights and social justice and non violence as well as reconciliation and forgiveness. He shared stories from Sierra Leone, as well as shared customs and costumes. He presented Powerpoints, music, video, and spoke cheerfully with staff about his new initiative at B-Gifted. He left a heart-felt indelible mark of motivation, awareness, warmness and an aura of serenity on not just the young people, but also the staff.
At his relaxing time, he caught up with his more than 15 year bosom friend Leigh Anne Sippel, and together they worked through San Francisco visiting several memorable sites like the Crooked Street, The Golden Gate Bridge. Initial support came from the Stanford University Speakers Bureau, and Dawn Kwan a senior at Stanford. Andrew had the privilege to be invited to a dinner with the Co-founder of the Voice Recognition Software, embraced Silicon Valley through formal and informal visits to Yahoo, Google, Intel and Adobe.
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McMUN 2005
McGill Model United Nations
Founder and CEO Andrew Benson Greene was called upon as a Guest Speaker at McMUN. In his opening speech at the McMun Model UN in Montreal 2005 noted “ The ability to transcend the past, to offer forgiveness and to move past that state of grief is fundamental in our hopes and efforts towards post-war societies. This task, will someday, rest upon the shoulders of the young generation, who must now turn actively to peacemaking to rebuild their future. This is indeed a journey of hope.
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Sauvé Scholar, Mr. Andrew Benson Greene gave a presentation on Tuesday March 17th 2005 at Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec Canada. The Class, a 400 level joint Sociology and Anthropology course called Peace Building, Development and Human Rights was presided over by the Lecturer Professor Homa Hoodfar, Professor of Anthropology, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Concordia University. The course covered various countries from around the world, examining the factors that led to the Civil war, the effects of civil war, and the process of working towards peace. During his lectures, Andrew Greene examined the situation in Sierra Leone, beefing up the understand of the students that had basic understanding of the various contributing factors, actors and attempts at peace building in his country Sierra Leone. His speech and discussions on war and peace building were appreciated as an added vantage point to the whole gamut of discussions, and also gave a valuable perspective, enabling the students as well as the Professor to learn a lot from his insight.
This visit was made possible through the Founding Director Jim Wright, and the class for which Andrew Benson Greene's presence was solicited is in the CL building at 1665 St. Catherine Street W. and the talk was a 20-30 minutes presentation followed by question time.
© 2009 B-Gifted Foundation Sierra Leone
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B-Gifted Foundation
