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One Month Left to Apply – the 2011 Joyce C. Hall Scholarship

Thursday, September 15th, 2011
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You’re invited…to apply for PTPI’s Joyce C. Hall College Scholarship!

Joyce C. Hall, founder of Hallmark Cards, Inc.

Who: Current members of PTPI, enrolled as a high school senior or full-time college/university student with a 3.0 or higher grade point average on a 4.0 scale. Applicants must have experience with PTPI.

What: A scholarship of $2,000 to support your studies at a college or university during the 2012-2013 academic year.

When: The application deadline is October 15, 2011. The application is available on PTPI’s website.

Where: Students from all of the world can apply, and the funds may be used for study in the country where you attend school.

Why: The family of Joyce C. Hall, founder of Hallmark Cards, Inc., made a gift to PTPI from his estate. Income from the fund is used for these scholarships, to support youth participation in international activities.

Meet the 2010 Joyce C. Hall Scholarship winners:

Victoria Cole of Newnan, Georgia USA: With plans to focus on psychology, Cole attends Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee USA. She intends to go on to medical school and in the future, hopes to “open up an orphanage for the mentally, emotionally and physically abused, and to provide them with therapy and help.” Cole attended PTPI’s Global Youth Forum three times and serves as the Student Advisor for PTPI’s Metro Atlanta Student Chapter.

David Hines of Encinitas, California USA: At Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts USA, Hines’ goal is to study International Business and Social Entrepreneurship. After completing his studies, Hines states that he sees himself “engaged in conflict resolution and humanitarian work,” and would like to work and serve abroad in government or with an NGO. Hines attended PTPI’s Global Youth Forum three times and participated in PTPI’s EXPERIENCE program twice, traveling to Costa Rica and South Africa.

Nikita Kansra of Sugar Land, Texas USA: A student at Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts USA, Kansra will study economics with a goal of one day improving “the quality and distribution of education,” possibly by starting a nonprofit organization for international children. Kansra has been a member of PTPI since 2007, and founded PTPI’s Houston, TX Student Chapter, which organized numerous fundraising events for PTPI’s Operation International Children, ultimately raising more than $1,000 for the purchase of school supplies.

Shannon Riley of Shelby Township, Michigan USA: Riley studies International Relations and Comparative Cultures and Politics with specializations in Muslim and Jewish Studies at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan USA. After graduation, Riley hopes to “work for the government or an NGO, or work abroad.” She serves on PTPI’s Young Generation steering committee and is a former Student Ambassador and Peace Camp delegate.

For more information on People to People International, visit www.ptpi.org

 

 

 

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Posted in University Chapters | 1 Comment »

Uniting Society Through Football

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011
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A report from our Kumasi, Ghana University Chapter on how they used the sport of football (soccer) to bring their community together at an event held in February, 2011:

PTPI’s Kumasi, Ghana University Chapter once again demonstrated why it is necessary to live as a big family in our locality. In recent months and years, there have been series of tribal and religious conflicts in the world, especially in Africa, which is a big threat to humanity. In our small way of depicting that we are one huge family, a football match was organized to unite our locality for others to emulate.

The match was between the local team in the locality and our chapter. Before it began, the Chapter president made a brief statement saying ,“One of the surest ways to achieve peace in the society is to be tolerant and forgiving and take each and everyone, regardless of his or her tribe, ethnicity or nationality, as a friend and true sibling.”

The match commenced at about 10:45 GMT. The local team was almost as diverse as that of our chapter, with Christians, Muslims and Nigerians forming the teams. By the end of the first half, the chapter was down by two goals but after the break, the chapter was able to score three goals – of which the second was a cracker. The match ended with PTPI winning the day. We refreshed ourselves afterward. That was not the end.

From there, the chapter members changed into nice clothes and proceeded to make two donations. The first donation was made to a Muslim man believed to be in his early 80s, who lives alone. The chapter presented to him a small bag of rice, toiletries and cash amount of $20. The reason why we made the donation was to put smile and happiness on his face. He blessed the group afterward.

The second was made to a young girl who, for lack of $40, was unable to complete her basic education last year. Upon receiving the $40 her mum thanked the chapter. It is sad to note that no pictures were taken of the second donation because of the mood of  the girl’s mum – she cried so much that we all felt very sad. We assured her of our help if calls on us. We know her tears are a great blessing to PEOPLE TO PEOPLE INTERNATIONAL WORLDWIDE.

Please enjoy the photos of the football match and the first donation. We hope our activity would be considered in good faith.

Thanks and wishing you Peace through Understanding, especially our friends in Egypt.

Emmanuel Badu Clement Kwamena
President, Kumasi, Ghana University Chapter

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Posted in Changing the World, From Our Members, Humanitarian Projects, University Chapters | 1 Comment »

Light Bulb Moments

Monday, November 29th, 2010
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The success of PTPI depends on a global team effort.   When writing the 2010 Year End Letter, we wanted to find out about your Light Bulb Moment – the moment when the importance of PTPI’s mission became clear to you and you chose to be involved.  Your support ensures PTPI’s future success.  Please consider a donation this year end.

Here are a few Light Bulb Moments from our members around the world.  We can’t wait to hear about yours.

Rolf Dahlberg with Operation International Children co-founder Gary Sinise

Rolf Dahlberg – Nacka, Sweden
Vice Chair, PTPI Board of Directors

At age 16 I was an exchange student in the United States.  When I came home, I got involved with a returnee organisation that later became a PTPI chapter.  We started exchanges with Japan, Estonia and Poland, just to name a few countries.  After working with the organization locally for 20 years and having the best of times with my friends, I found a new international level that was equally appealing.

Now, after 30 years, it is even more fun!  Today, I travel as much as I possibly can to meet new friends around the world.  It is amazing how much we have in common – we treat everyone like family.  Whenever I travel somewhere, I always check to see which PTPI chapters are in the area.  This past year I was in eight countries…and I’m looking forward to 2011!

Akl Fahed at a PTPI fundraiser in Beirut

Akl Fahed – Beirut, Lebanon
Founder and President, PTPI’s Beirut, Lebanon Chapter

I first learned about PTPI in 2006 from PTPI’s Middle East Liaison, who was visiting Lebanon.   I started discovering how much I was already living the spirit of the organization.  I immediately decided to start a chapter in Beirut!  I gathered fifteen young professionals from all religious, demographic, and career backgrounds, who shared my dream.  We all wanted to be role models for our people.  We wanted to live diversity, enjoy it, and treasure it.  We were doing that at times of utmost political conflict in the country, and I can confidently say that we made it!

As a medical doctor, I see that the mission of PTPI is no different from the mission of medicine.  In medicine, we care for the people, we cure their illnesses with our know-how and skills, we communicate smartly to ease their suffering, and we fight to provide them with a better and longer life.  In PTPI, we just do the exact same thing, but at a larger scale: we care for the peoples, we cure the gap between them, we communicate smartly to draw on similarities and better understand differences, and of course we fight to make the world a better place.

Shannon Riley at PTPI's Global Youth Forum

Shannon Riley – Michigan, USA
Young Generation Member

My light bulb PTPI moment was at the 2005 Global Youth Forum in Chicago when I was a freshman in high school. One of the speakers was a fellow PTPI-er, Josh Parolin, who had not only traveled the world with PTPI but had also volunteered in Uganda and co-founded his own charitable effort. Hearing his incredible story and knowing that just a few years ago he was sitting where I was made me see that it was possible for me to accomplish great things just as he had. It was then that I realized that I wanted to continue my involvement with PTPI so that one day I could share my story and inspire others as he did for me.

Megan van Eck with members of the Durban Student Chapter

Megan van Eck – Durban, South Africa
Founder and Advisor, Durban, South Africa Student Chapter

My dad came across an ad about PTPI’s Peace Camp in a magazine in Dubai in 2003.  I thought to myself “if I don’t try this, then I will never know.”  When I got an email: “You have been accepted to attend Peace Camp 2003 in Egypt,” I had to read this about 5 times over to make sure!

Peace Camp was literally a defining moment in my life! At 18 years old, it was the first time I had flown overseas on my own, first time staying in a hotel, and first time meeting so many people from various countries, cultures, races, religions and backgrounds.  We were all humanitarians inside our hearts, all wanting to make a difference to the world. My identification lay with that-I wanted to do my bit to change the world!

PTPI lights a fire in my soul!  My PTPI friends are some of the most inspiring, motivating and long-term friends I have. I will forever be grateful to PTPI for changing my life.

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