LOCAL ACTIVISTS ENGAGE

As part of our Annual Meeting, community leaders, activists and students from across the country came together in Washington, D.C. for the Connecting Global to Local (CG2L) workshop.

The Connecting Global to Local initiative aims to engage communities on how global issues affect them at the local level. Over the past year, we have cultivated relationships with community members in Des Moines, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Kalamazoo and Indianapolis through activist workshops, lectures and town hall forums. The gathering in Washington offered a chance for select participants to convene and learn from each other.

They engaged in thought-provoking discussions on how global issues like energy and nuclear proliferation affect them at the local level. They also met with other community leaders, foreign policy experts and advocates to discuss global issues, local solutions and community outreach. Lieutenant Governor of Montana John Bohlinger and Griff Long, Vice President of Operations for Flexcar, spoke with the group and friends of Citizens for Global Solutions, including board member David Devlin-Foltz of The Aspen Institute and Lorelei Kelly of the White House Project, facilitated activist trainings and discussions.

Citizens for Global Solutions unveiled an innovative portion of the CG2L website (www.globaltolocal.org) where community leaders can network and continue the lively dialogues sparked at the workshop. As the CG2L community grows, the site will also grow to include additional resources and opportunities for our members and friends.

Following the workshop, participants were immersed in the Annual Meeting and acquainted themselves with the organization and staff. The Annual Meeting helped cement the relationship between our organization and these engaged citizens.

Contributing Writer: Natasha Khianey