Global Leadership Forum Celebrates Equity and Collective Action

 

In June, more than 200 leaders representing nearly 30 countries shared their experiences, learnings and aspirations for creating pathways to equitable opportunity during the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Global Leadership Forum in Johannesburg, South Africa.

 

The forum brought together multi-generational global leaders, along with members of the Solidarity Council on Racial Equity (SCoRE), WKKF Global Fellows Network and Racial Equity 2030 partners. More than 60 WKKF Global Fellows from Southern Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the U.S. attended.  

 

The gathering reflected the theme “Connect, Collaborate and Act: Advancing Transformative Leadership Throughout the Globe.” From start to finish, the forum emphasized the importance of empathy, collective action and shared vision to overcome social injustice, systemic racism and inequity. 

 

Participants heard from leaders who made historic progress in advancing justice and equity, protecting land and Indigenous rights and supporting children and families against seemingly impossible odds. One highlight was a presentation by Albie Sachs and Edwin Cameron, two former South African justices appointed by President Nelson Mandela. They shared their experiences in the anti-apartheid movement and in building the world’s youngest democracy post-apartheid.

 

Other highlights were excursions to the Apartheid Museum and Constitution Hill Human Rights Museum where participants learned about the historical struggles and contemporary challenges in Southern Africa.

 

Panels organized by the WKKF Global Fellows Network staff explored the future of leadership from the perspectives of fellows from around the globe and from young leaders.

 

One of the major impacts of the gathering was the opportunity for fellows to deeply understand – and experience – WKKF’s priorities and DNA: racial equity and racial healing, community engagement and leadership. It also contributed to solidifying the WKKF Global Fellows Network by creating a genuinely global experience whereby fellows from around the world learned, discussed, dined and danced together.

 

It was a remarkable experience, full of ideas, new relationships and connections, and a sense of solidarity that will help sustain the forum’s energy moving forward. 

 

–The Global Fellows Network team at WKKF

 

Watch the highlight video from the WKKF Global Leadership Forum

Read a personal reflection on the Global Leadership Forum held in South Africa from attendee and global fellow, Kevin John Fong, and learn more about the Warming Hands Activity.

The Global Fellows Network delegation that attended the Global Leadership Forum consisted of 30 fellows from Southern Africa, 20 from Latin America and the Caribbean and 19 from the United States.

 

While in Johannesburg, fellows shared why the gathering was uplifting, energizing and inspiring.

One fellow from Zimbabwe remarked, “This Forum has reignited my energy to really focus and make sure that we come up with bold solutions to deal with some of the issues we are seeing” in our communities. It also provided a unique opportunity for global solidarity. Another Southern African fellow shared that the Forum made clear that “whether we’re talking about racial equity, children, families and communities, the problems are the same.” 

A U.S. fellow shared that learning more about the struggles of South Africans led to a recognition that “you could have substituted the word South Africa for Selma …. It was deeply troubling.” She continued, “It was sad, but it was also an opportunity because talking to more people from around the globe [I learned] that we have so many of the same problems that were not created by us. They are problems created by the system.” She saw new opportunities for collaboration.

Another fellow from Mexico said, “I'll be taking back with me information not just from this territory, which has a history of strong resistance, struggle, and transformation of spaces that were once marked by violence. These spaces have now become symbols of transformation and resilience.”

 

Each regional group – Southern Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the U.S. – met following the Forum to reconnect and reflect upon the experience and will continue to meet to discuss how to apply what was learned to collaborate and act.

• New Fellows Join WKKF Community Leadership Network: In July, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) with the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) announced the latest class of fellows of the WKKF Community Leadership Network, a model program for strengthening local leadership to create transformational change for children, families and communities. The 18-month fellowship unites 80 dynamic and diverse leaders from the foundation’s priority places in the U.S.: Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans. See here for more information: CLN Class 3 Announcement
  
  
• New WKKF Communications Hub Launches: The Foundation recently held webinars to introduce and train in the use of the new Strategic Communication Hub, a free online resource with tools to power up your organization’s communication strategy. For more information and links to the webinars, which are available in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole, please visit the Strategic Communications Hub.
  
  
• Renowned Author Peter Block Shares Lessons on Leading: This spring, renowned author and leader, Peter Block, led a seminar for the Global Fellows Network. He discussed the impact of colonialism, racism and paternalism on traditional leadership practices and encouraged participants to treat others as partners, rather than passive recipients, taking a “leader as convenor” approach to leadership. Read more and watch the recording.

Resources

 

Results of The Fellowship Alumni Network Study (FANS): This recently completed study of fellowship alumni organizations and their members sought to learn the impact that fellowship networks can have on alumni, and the common elements of a network that alumni value in improving their work.

 

The study, conducted by IREX, was funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and GFN fellows were among the study participants.

 

On September 20, IREX will join us to share more information about their findings and host an informative session with WKKF Global Fellows. Please register for the Zoom link.

 

Read more about the study and its findings here:

• About FANS
• FANS Full Report
• The Role of Networks in Creating Social Impact
• Tips for Fostering and Engaged and Impactful Network

Class Reunions: In July, 13 fellows from the Kellogg National Leadership Program (KNFP) Group 15 reconnected in the beautiful mountains of western Colorado. The group previously met in Albuquerque in 2018 and is planning another reunion in California for 2024. Other KNFP groups also stay connected in various ways. Group 16 has held periodic regional gatherings as well as more formal all-group reunions. According to one member of the group, they have “stayed a community,” supporting one another and continuing to build relationships. 

 

How does your class stay connected? Take a picture or write to us and share how you’re working together with other fellows. Email us at globalfellowsnetwork@wkkf.org

W.K. Kellogg Foundation
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