Zaki Barzinji is an alum of Legacy International’s Global Youth Village. A former participant in the early 2000s at the campus in Bedford, Virginia, Zaki has gone on to work as a Public Affairs consultant, and has a passion for bridge-building and engaging marginalized groups politicall

Music is my passion. It animates and inspires me, and I love to observe how music can make connections between people of different cultures. In my professional life I am a musician, an academic and an educator. I also serve on Legacy International’s Board of Directors because the organization’s values and mission align so clearly with my approach.

How did Legacy International respond to the COVID-19 crisis? A Heart Pause and an Intentional Pivot to meet the direct needs of today’s youth. A staff member’s perspective during COVID 19.

Join us on Wednesday, October 14th at 12pm EDT for the next Global Viewpoints Forum with guest speaker Zaki Barzinji! Zaki is a public affairs consultant with a passion for bridge-building and storytelling. He will be talking about both his personal experiences and the broader issue of marginalized communities engaging both in politics and with government officials to affect change while not being taken for granted or compromising on their principles.

Professional Fellows Program alumni Mahmoud Adb Elmageed and Omar Assaf become close friends and business partners, and help to rebuild the Lebanese community after the explosion in Beirut.

Feeling a little anxious about the state of the environment? You are not alone. A recent Pew Center Poll revealed that majorities in most countries surveyed find global climate change a major threat to their nation, with concerns only rising since 2013. Moreover, in 13 out of the 26 surveyed countries climate change was actually perceived as the top threat. Join us on Wednesday, September 23, 2020 at 12:00PM Eastern for the next Global Viewpoints Forum!

Greenish was co-founded by Shady Khalil, an alumnus of the 2019 Professional Fellows Program, with the intent to increase awareness of environmental sustainability and to empower and engage environmental activists around the Middle East and North Africa. Like many companies in 2020, Greenish faced many difficult decisions in the wake of COVID-19

If you missed the discussion on Countering Violent Extremism by Investing in Youth as Partners – be sure to watch the recording and catch up here!

Join us on Thursday August 27th, 2020 for the next Global Viewpoints Forum with Ahlem Nasraoui. She will be speaking about her work within the Young Leaders Entrepreneurs and sharing experiences and work tools from three projects (Unleash, Peace Lab, and Peaceathon). She will give tips on building peace in vulnerable communities while engaging youth as partners.

If you missed our discussion on Practicing Humility, Empathy, and Interconnectedness in Global Public Health with GYV alum Thomas Lee you can catch up here. Tommy shared some personal stories about his past and how he was met with humility, empathy and interconnections in his life and how that relates to Global Public Health and to the world we are living now during the global pandemic.

Join us for the next VIRTUAL GLOBAL VIEWPOINTS FORUM on Thursday August 13th at 12:00PM EDT with Tommy Lee.

Thursday, July 23rd, our Global Viewpoints Forum turned into a mini-reunion as Lorraine “Dr. Rain” Warren, Ph.D., shared her expertise on “RECONCILIATION: What is it to be reconciled within one’s self, one’s community, and one’s world?” Many friends, family, and alumni of Legacy International gathered for Dr. Rain’s wholehearted and honest interpretations of the importance of listening to better ourselves, our relationships, and our community.

Feeling the panic and uncertainty from the COVID-19 pandemic, ProFellow Alumna Kamelia Hammachi saw this as an opportunity to provide beneficial resources for young adults living in her community in Algeria.

In this forum, Lorraine “Dr. Rain” Warren, PhD will engage an inquiry into reconciliation as a space of being from which one discovers the work there is for them to do within themselves, their community, and the world.

On Thursday, July 9th friends of the Legacy community had the opportunity to hear from Saleema Vellani as she shared her “10 Tips to Land Your Spot on a TEDx Stage!”

Have you been wanting to give a TEDx talk to increase your influence and impact, but haven’t yet been invited? The truth is that most TEDx speakers don’t get invited—they get selected through a highly competitive process. If you have an idea that matters, the TEDx stage is a fantastic platform to share your story and message with the world. It can also do milestones for your business—especially if you’re a speaker, author, coach, or consultant.

Last Thursday at noon, Legacy alumni and friends gathered for “Service & Solidarity: Why We Must Unite to Win the Fight” led by Mr. Antoine L. Battle.

Whether you have attended before, or are new to the forum, we welcome everyone to join the conversation Thursday, June 25th at 12 ET on Zoom. Mr. Antoine L. Battle will lead the discussion on service and solidarity.

In addition to SHiFT’s many initiatives, recent demands to combat food shortages throughout the city inspired the creation of The Social Grocery, a non-profit founded by local Tripolians in partnership with SHiFT. The Social Grocery is the very first non-profit store in Lebanon providing necessary goods such as beans, rice, soap, and sanitary napkins, among other needed goods.

Legacy friends and Alumni gathered again this past Thursday at noon on Zoom for “In Search of the Common Good: Finding Mutually Beneficial Solutions for A Deeply Divided World” to discuss the common good: what is it and how do we achieve outcomes for issues of justice, fairness, equality and equity.