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Equal Representation, Leader, and Community Service
November 29, 2022
10 young people from Kazakhstan helped put their country on the map in Metro Detroit and returned home to Kazakhstan inspired to be agents of change in their own communities.
Aged 17-19, the Kazakhstanis were originally supposed to study at a US high school on the Department of State’s 2020/2021 FLEX Program. When the pandemic made that impossible, they were given the opportunity to spend two weeks in Washington DC and Metro Detroit on the ALEX Program.
Equal Representation, Leader, and Community Service was the main theme of the week in Detroit. Participants discussed these issues with state and local government officials/representatives, faculty and peers at colleges and a high school, tour guides at museums, and directors of and volunteers at non-profits and outreach programs. One participant reflected, "seeing the diversity of the city really helped me realize how unique everyone is and how much everyone needs understanding and appreciation." Another stated, "I became more empathetic. During the volunteering activities, I realized how people struggle in their lives." Several fellows were inspired to work on fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in their home communities upon their return.
The Kazakhstani participants also learned about leadership and community engagement from the perspectives of state and local government, non-profits, and even schools. For example, they learned how the Michigan Civil Rights Commission works with local communities and educates them on how to respect the rights of others. At the Dearborn Heights Mayor's Office, participants learned about the importance of being the change you want to see in your community. And at Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation, they learned how one woman’s desire to get young people out of gangs led to the creation of an organization that is a powerful force for change in Detroit.
For several participants, the meetings with students at Wayne State, Schoolcraft College, Fordson High School, and Developing K.I.D.S. were especially valuable. They not only allowed the Kazakhstani participants to learn about Detroit and the US from their peers, they also gave them the opportunity to educate our community about Kazakhstan through discussions and presentations. One reflected, "I feel like I gave a lot to people in Detroit. During our visits to colleges and high school, I shared my country and my culture." Another concluded, "I left a part of me here. I found a lot of new friends here while we were at universities and schools. I think they'll never forget about my country or me."
Global Ties Detroit is grateful to all the individuals and organizations that made the Kazakhstanis visit so meaningful, including: City Institute, Claudia Nickel, the Dearborn Heights Mayor’s Office and Mayor Bill Bazzi, the Detroit Civil Rights Inclusion and Opportunity Department, Developing K.I.D.S., the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation, the Detroit Historical Museum, the Detroit Institute of Arts, Dildora Damisch, Ed Clemente, Faris & Lara Alami and family, the Ford Rouge Factory, Fordson High School and Principal Heyam Alcoldray, the Henry Ford Museum/Greenfield Village, HYPE Athletics, Irina Jesionowski, the Michigan Civil Rights Commission, the Pistons, Schoolcraft College, Teresa & Steve Holderer, Wayne State University, and the Wright Museum of African American History.
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