By Joan C. McKinney, news and publications coordinator
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - Two Campbellsville University students, Aimee Hedges, a junior from Clarksville, Tenn., and Brittany Pelly, a senior from Campbellsville, were among 200 students selected across the world to participate in a Good Governance Forum at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., July 8-11.
The two students were chosen to attend the forum after a “highly competitive international selection process,” Max Wise, assistant professor of political science, said.
“One of the students that Campbellsville sponsored, Aimee Hedges, was on the winning team for the group project. The students we sent raved about the Forum. We hope CU can continue to provide quality students in the future to participate in the forum,” he said.
Wise said students and young professionals explored the effects of good governance and capacity building on economic development for a sustainable future.
The students were chosen by Athgo, a non-profit organization of the UN Global Compact that trains 18-32 year-old budding diplomats and social entrepreneurs across the world, Wise said.
“I loved working with my group,” Hedges said. “Everyone had been all over the world and had lots of experience working in foreign policy. The participates in my group still worked together and made it possible for everyone to give and use their ideas.”
Hedges said she learned much from the speakers and the people in her group.
“It was the first time I had ever been to a forum, and I was not completely sure what to except. In the three days we were there I learned so much about other countries and how it is possible to change the world for the better,” she said.
Hedges, a junior majoring in political science, said attending the forum was “very rewarding, education and fun.”
“It was such an honor to be able to participate,” she said.
She is the daughter of Scott and Mary Hedges and is a 2006 graduate of Fort Campbell High School. She attends First Baptist Church of Oak Grove and Campbellsville Christian Church.
“Attending Athgo was one of the most eye-opening events I have experienced,” said Pelly.
“I was amazed at the amount of passion people showed for such global situations and circumstances that require immediate attention,” she said.
Pelly said she felt honored to meet the other students and be able to listen and meet ambassadors from around the globe who “not only were taking direct action to incorporate good governance, but were able to guide forum members with expertise and advice.”
She said, “This was a great opportunity for me, and I am very privileged for having such an amazing opportunity for representing Campbellsville University.”
Pelly is majoring in psychology and minoring in political science. She is the daughter of Michael and Joyce Pelly of Campbellsville and is a 2005 graduate of Taylor County High School. She attends Pleasant Hill Baptist Church.
Wise said the Forum began with an overview of the World Bank's structure and its ongoing efforts to create “A World Free of Poverty.”
Speakers also addressed the positive effects that good governance and transparency have on establishing the groundwork for sustainable economic development while at the same time examining the deleterious implications of corruption on the overall process, he said.
Among the forum's key scheduled speakers were Bruce Kieloch, owner, Kieloch Consulting, and Caroline Schwab, program officer, Coordination Sector for External Relations, WIPO.
Wise said the forum included World Bank representatives, ambassadors, corporate executives and NGO speakers in panels, individual presentations and informal discussion sessions. All speakers stressed the importance of a multi-faceted approach to dealing with corruption, encouraging good governance and promoting capacity building programs within government, the private sector and the NGO community.
Wise said a unique aspect of the global forum is the valuable opportunity for participants to receive a world of information on diplomacy and social entrepreneurial ventures fast and in a nutshell and straight from the source.
He said the students also had the opportunity to network with world leaders and experts as well as with each other as they worked individually and in group settings to develop policy considerations and business decisions for possible implementation by Athgo and its affiliated partners.
Established in 1999, Athgo is an apolitical not for profit 501c3 non-governmental organization based in Los Angeles, Calif., with programs in the United States, Europe and Asia. Earmarked for people ages 18 to 32 years old, the programs, all of which combine both academic and professional training, ensure a structured, yet flexible, approach to mobilizing and engaging young people in Athgo's two major program areas: information and communication technologies (ICTs) and high-tech; and environment and energy.
For more information on Athgo and a complete listing of the panels and participants of the Global Forum, please visit www.athgo.org.
Campbellsville University is a private, comprehensive institution located in South Central Kentucky. Founded in 1906, Campbellsville University is affiliated with the Kentucky Baptist Convention and has an enrollment of 2,405 students who represent 98 Kentucky counties, 25 states and 36 foreign nations. Listed in U.S.News & World Report's 2008 “America's Best Colleges,” CU is ranked 22nd in “Best Baccalaureate Colleges” in the South and eighth in the South for “Great Schools, Great Prices.” CU has been ranked 15 consecutive years with U.S.News & World Report. The university has also been named to America's Best Christian Colleges®. Campbellsville University is located 82 miles southwest of Lexington, Ky., and 80 miles southeast of Louisville, Ky. Dr. Michael V. Carter is in his tenth year as president.