Global Outreach

Participant Handbook

Introduction

This booklet was designed to assist you with your preparations throughout the project. Global Outreach is an opportunity for you to learn about issues of poverty and injustice and how they are interconnected throughout our greater world community. Your experience will change you, and you will need to be prepared for the change. You should expect to grow in your knowledge of an unfamiliar culture as well as in your understanding of your own identity. You are accompanying each community and building relationships of mutual reciprocity and responsibility. You are not there in a higher position but rather a position of equality. Through this equality, new relationships are formed, boundaries are broken down, and stereotypes are erased. We hope that you will have a truly amazing experience and that you will carry what you learn on the project in all that you do.

“I don’t believe in charity. I believe in solidarity. Charity is so vertical. It goes from the top to the bottom. Solidarity is horizontal. It respects the other person.

I have a lot to learn from other people.” -Eduardo Galeano

Table of Contents

Chapter 1……………………………………………………………………….What is Global Outreach?

Chapter 2…………………………………………………………………………………..Getting Started

Chapter 3……………………………………………………………Social Justice & Learning Immersion

Chapter 4……………………………………………………………………………………..Community

Chapter 5………………………………………………………………………………………Spirituality

Chapter 6……………………………………………………………………………………Simple Living

Chapter 7………………………………………………………………………………………..Follow-up

Chapter 8………………………………………………….………………………………… A Final Word

Project timeline:

□Selection as a team member

□First team meeting (don’t be late)

□Weekly team meetings (meetings are mandatory)

□One-on-ones and other community building experiences

□Individual job/task for team meetings

□Work on fundraising ideas/projects/letters

□Retreat (overnight, off campus)

□Commissioning

□Final team meeting before the project

□Project

□GO Board-sponsored follow up meeting

□Team follow up meeting #1

□Team follow up meeting #2

□Team follow up meeting #3

□ Educational event on campus

□Make picture collage

□Continue contact with host community, team, and GO Staff

Chapter 1:

What is Global Outreach?

Values and Beliefs

Global Outreach centers on four pillars that work together and are interconnected in your experience. These four pillars are of equal importance and provide a platform for the entire GO experience.

Social justice – teams are called to think about, analyze and reflect upon issues of economic, social, racial, political, and environmental injustice.

Community – teams live, work, eat, and sleep in a community, learning from and challenging one another.

Simple living – team members maintain a simple lifestyle and remain sensitive to the culture in which they are immersed throughout the project.

Spirituality – individual members are called to reflect on their faith and expand their spiritual life through their experience.

There are three distinct phases to a GO experience: the preparation, the immersion, and the follow up. Similar to the pillars, each phase carries equal weight and the three phases are interconnected as though they are pieces of a puzzle that come together to produce a GO experience. If one of the pillars or one of the phases is missing, the picture would not be complete.

Philosophy of Global Outreach
Global Outreach is an organization run out of the Mission and Ministry Office and modeled on the Jesuit tradition of service, of truly being men and women for and with others.This program is an example of that concern being brought to life through first hand experiences of living in and learning from a variety of communities both at home and abroad. Guided by the Jesuit ideal of cura personalis, meaning “care of the whole person,”each Global Outreach participant is fulfilling their responsibility to educate the whole person, and take care of each person in the community by bringing their own unique gifts, challenges, needs and possibilities to the project. One of the core principles of this program is learning the importance of social justice and working towards achieving justice for all people. These encounters often call participants to reconsider the political, economic and social realities they have been taught. This is primarily a learning and immersionexperienceand aims to give students a greater understanding and commitment to social justice, and build a foundation for global citizenship.

Another aspect of the project is accompaniment. Participants can experience the joys and demands of living and working in a community in the company of others. Each member brings unique talents and perspectives to the group, and each member benefits from the talents and perspectives of others. Everyone is called on to make sacrifices and to put the needs of others before their own. Eventually, the group becomes a team and the tasks of the project are completed in a harmonious fashion. The rewards, as well as the challenges, of learning immersion are heightened by the group experience. It is done together and takes place in the context of on-going reflection on the meaning and value of what is being done.

Members live simply in order to build solidarity with the communities with whom we are living and working. Team members are able to think about needs, happiness, and life in a new manner. Participants are challenged to question their own values and to examine what they may have taken for granted. They have the opportunity to reevaluate economic privileges and educational opportunities.

The project is also a time to examine spiritual dimensions. It allows you to question and evaluate your personal beliefs. While Global Outreach is based on the Jesuit model of men and women for and with others, the program is open to persons of all faith backgrounds including those who do not feel an affiliation to any religion. The hope is that each member will challenge one another in their beliefs in a positive and productive manner. It is an opportunity to expand the experience of faith through social justice and realize the principle of justice in faith, as well as a call to reflect on faith in everyday life.

Purpose of the Project

Our hope, and primary goal of the project, is that your knowledge, sensitivity, and compassion will increase as a result of your experience. A commonality of human experience will become apparent that crosses cultural, language, and economic boundaries. You will meet people who live in very different circumstances than your own. You will hear people’s stories, learn about their dreams for the future, and be educated about their political, religious, and economic realities. This will promote a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness between local and global injustice, and our responsibility to continue to work within our communities for change.

Throughout the project you are participating in cultural exchange by accepting the gifts and talents offered by another culture and sharing the gifts of your own cultural experience. By doing this you are taking steps toward the long-term goals of building cross-cultural relationships and moving toward a world actively engaged in creating peace and justice. A service and immersion project can help build the bridges between cultures, and inspire your continued involvement with issues of social justice, foster leadership around these issues, and spark debate and movements in the local Fordham community. Participating in a Global Outreach project can change your view of the world, your understanding of yourself within it, and the attitudes of all of the people with whom you share your story.

‘To borrow a term from social movement theory, universities can be “movement halfway houses” that educate leaders for social justice.’ -Melissa Snar, “The University of Social Justice”

Coordination of Projects

The projects are able to run successfully through the combination of efforts of several people. In this next section we would like to outline the roles of those various people, what you should expect from them, and the expectations they have of you.

Team Members:

Throughout the project, responsibilities are divided amongst team members. All of the decisions are shared so that the process is a group effort. Since projects operate as a team, or family, members have to be able to work together, which means being willing to bend and compromise. The actions (or lack there of) of one member will affect the entire group. This means that all participants need to take into account the larger picture when they act. Members should expect their teammates to pull equal weight, compromise when necessary, and work together on all aspects of the project. If a team member is not living up to these standards, the other members should approach the leader to discuss the situation.

Attending weekly meetings and fundraisers is mandatory. If you are unable to attend a meeting, it is necessary to call the leader with due notice. Emailing is not acceptable. Missing meetings is grounds for dismissal from the GO project. In case of emergency, please contact your leader to discuss alternative arrangements.

3D’s: No Drinking, No Drugs, No Dating

Participants may not consume alcohol or other drugs during any aspect (i.e., the preparation, immersion, and follow up) of a Global Outreach project. Furthermore, GO participants are restricted from dating other members of their team. These rules are in effect to ensure the safety and protection of the teams, the host communities, and the integrity of the program. There is a zero tolerance rule for drinking, drugs and dating. This is in effect not only while on the project, but also during any team meetings, activities, fundraisers, or social events that are undertaken as part of GO. All participants gathering as a team, or representing the Global Outreach program in any way, are expected to abide by the 3D’s and maintain the integrity of the program. Furthermore, all students are expected to abide by the Fordham University policies published in the Student Handbook. Any policy violations that take place during participation in Global Outreach will be referred to the Director of Global Outreach and the Dean of Students.

In the event that a D is broken, the Leader will accompany the student home (at the student’s expense). Violation of this policy will result in termination of his/her participation in the project (i.e., being flown home at his/her expense), further GO participation, and a formal hearing before the Dean of Students and the Director of Global Outreach upon his/her return. The Chaperone will take on the role of Leader for the remainder of the project.

Team Leader:

Leaders of projects are previous GO participants. They are responsible for choosing the team, contacting the site, organizing team meetings to foster growth, and coordinating other activities relating to the development of that particular project. Leaders expect that team members will participate in all meetings, work on fundraising, and commit themselves to helping in the work both before and after the project. Any problems related to the project should be brought to the leader as soon as possible so that the leader can deal with them in an appropriate manner.

Team Chaperone:

Chaperones are Fordham graduate students, staff, or faculty members who serve as an adult presence on the projects. They ensure that the guidelines of both Fordham University and Global Outreach are being upheld by all members of the project. Chaperones expect that team members will behave in mature, responsible, and appropriate ways on the project. This enables the chaperone to be a regular participant in the project. Chaperones help team members to process the experience, challenge members to grow, and aid in the overall team dynamic.

The Global Outreach Board:

The Board is comprised of undergraduate students who have participated in past projects. They choose project sites, assist leaders, coordinate community events, sit in on interviews and make decisions regarding GO policies. The Board is a resource to both team members and project leaders. Board members expect that team members will represent the program well at the various sites and that team members will commit themselves fully to the projects so they are successful. Concerns about the program can be brought to the Board for evaluation.

The GO Staff:

The GOstaffruns the day-to-day aspects of the program. The staff is responsible for keeping accurate financial records, training leaders and chaperones, overseeing Board decisions, and working with other University departments. The staff expects that team members will work with their group to fundraise the costs, that members will allow themselves to be challenged by the experience, and that members will remain open throughout the project. Financial concerns, issues with leaders, questions about reflection or retreat preparation, and other problems can be brought to staff at any time during the project. The GO staff can direct any team member to other resources available in the office, on campus, and in the greater community that could be beneficial to the team throughout the project process.

Chapter 2:

Getting Started

Can you really make a difference?

YES! History is filled with examples of how small groups of dedicated people have changed the world. While the purpose of the project is not to save the world, each member is obligated to think about their own role in society and how they can impact the world after the project. Before worrying about that, here are some items to evaluate before you leave.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

  • What are your motivations for participating in the project?
  • Why did you apply to do this?
  • Are they the right motives for this type of project?
  • What do you really want to get out this project?
  • What are your expectations. Are they realistic?
  • Have you thoughtabout how hard this will be?
  • Have you thought about what it will be likeon the project? After? How will you adapt?

Once you start to understand your motivations and expectations, you can begin to think about how you will handle issues that arise on the project.

Preparation

You have a very active role in your preparation for this project.You will be called upon to research, examine and discuss societal, economic, political, religious and educational structures present in each community.These issues are complicated and demand thorough attention and investigation.This will encourage each team member to share questions, individual knowledge, and interests with the team, and create an atmosphere where each member is actively discerning social justice issues and incorporating these into ongoing reflection. Don’t waste time! Get involved from the start. The more you put into this experience, the more you will get out of it.

International Projects

Passports: It is essential that we have a copy of your passport right away. You must have your passport in at least 3 weeks prior to the date of departure. This allows us to process the paperwork and register you with the State Department and foreign embassies. If you do not already have your passport, you must expedite it so it gets here in time. Passports must be valid 6 months after your project departs.

Vaccinations: Each team member must go the Health Center. Tell your Leader or team medical coordinator once you have gone, to keep team records about visits. Even if you have visited your family doctor, you are still expected to go the Health Center to find out what vaccinations you will need for your project. Immunizations should be completed no later than 4 weeks prior to your project departure date. Please note that costs associated with passports and vaccinations are not covered by fundraising.

Some additional considerations

Cold Feet:As your project approaches, and you are home with your family and friends, you might be nervous and apprehensive about actually leaving. This is natural and to be expected. Talk about these feelings with your team. Chances are, they are likely feeling something very similar! Part of being in a community is being there for one another not only when you’re excited for the experience ahead of you, but also when you’re having doubts. You and your team have worked hard to prepare yourself for the journey ahead, and you are ready.

You will face numerous unexpected situations:Some of them may cause you to feel helpless, and others may cause you to feel challenged - physically or emotionally - just remember that feeling frustrated withcertain aspects of the project is normal. Consult your teammates for help indealing with these feelings as they arise.

Don’t be too hard on yourself: Allow yourself to handle problems with grace. You may make mistakes. You might offend someone unintentionally. Whatever happens, as long as your heart is in the right place, you will be fine! Allow yourself to experience being forgiven, and be open to forgiving others.Communicate in the event of a problem.