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Secretary Hilary Clinton, US Secretary of State, celebrates International Education Week 2011 by encouraging students to study abroad.  What a wise woman she is!

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Melibee speaker, Chris Bashinelli, at the United Nations

I was recently asked about why I put together the Melibee Global speaker roster – a very good question indeed!

When I worked at colleges, I often found that my colleagues relied on their routine “go to” individuals when they needed a speaker.  As a result, unless the person was particularly popular with students, the attendance was often underwhelming.  While the “go to” presenters had much to offer, they didn’t offer the element of surprise – simply put, they weren’t something new.

I thought back to the many incredible people that I’ve met on my journey and started to make some phone calls to inquire  whether my “dream team” had an in interest in speaking publicly.  With each phone call, I learned more about what each speaker had to offer beyond what I already knew, which was already impressive. I was incredibly inspired.

The current roster of global education speakers touch on everything from global citizenship, service learning, sustainability, faith, and study abroad to the simple reminder that sometimes we need to take a big leap and trust that the net will be there to catch us.  Each presenter is what I call “smart phone worthy,” meaning that you and your students will put down your smart phones because you are so engaged by their stories, lessons and insights.

How can a speaker contribute to your organization?  Here are some ideas:

1) Keynote presentation: Offer it to your campus, organization and your community too.

2) Classroom presentation:  Many Melibee speakers can spend an entire day on campus presenting in classrooms, over lunch/dinner and with small groups of student leaders (vs. only offering a presentation.)

3) Staff training: This is a great opportunity to treat your staff to a customized and inspiring training on a subject in the field.

4) Conference presentation: Instead of another presentation by another government officer presenting at your conference bring in a fresh face with an inspiring message, toolkit and/or book.

5) Workshop:Several speakers can present half and full day workshops.

Melibee Speaker Katie Krueger, author of "Give With Gratitude"

6) Human Resources/Multicultural Affairs: Melibee presenters offer a great opportunity to encourage dialogue about diversity.

7) Honors Program: Bring in a speaker to enhance your honors program.

8 ) Guest lecturer: Invite a speaker to co-teach a class.

9) Re-entry:  Several speakers can provide real world stories/create dialogue at re-entry conferences and workshops through specific exercises and activities. This applies to both international students and study abroad students.

10) Study Abroad Fairs:  There is no better way to get students to think seriously about study abroad than to hear from a seasoned traveler who has much to say about the impact of the experience.

11) Create a common read/activity at your organization or campus:  Three Melibee speakers have written books (Katie Krueger, Carrie Wagner and Ibrahim Abdul-Matin), one has a film (Crossing Borders by Arnd Wachter,) while another has a documentary being edited (30 Mosques). One has an assessment tool – the BEVI (Beliefs, Events, Values inventory). Your campus (including faculty and staff) could opt in to take the BEVI and then have Dr. Shealy come to campus to explain the tool and why we believe what we believe!  Another speaker has an online global ed TV show. You could have your campus watch the “Bridge the Gap TV series” online and then bring Chris Bashinelli, the founder, to campus to talk about his work on this project with Ben and Jerry’s corporation.  Include the local community in these events too!

Needless to say, there are many ways to incorporate a Melibee speaker into your organization’s programming.

I am often asked about how to fund a speaker.  I find that people are often afraid to inquire about speakers because they assume the cost will be out of their financial league.  Here are some examples of how schools and organizations have funded speakers:

Melibee speaker Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, author of "Green Deen: What Islam Teaches About Protecting the Planet"

1) Partnering with others:  One college brought in Ibrahim Abdul-Matin to speak, attend a dinner and conduct a book signing.  The student group didn’t think they had the funds, but were able to partner with several other clubs to pool monies together. They also asked their local mayor’s office to contribute (and they did.) Another school is reaching out to the local police department for funds to bring Steve Moore to campus. Partnering with others is the fastest way to find funds for an excellent speaker.

2) Ask your campus’ Foundation for support:  The Foundation is the hot spot for hidden money.  Ask and you often will receive!

3) Campus PR Office: They are always looking for ways to publicize the campus.  Visibility is their middle name!  When you bring someone like Aman Ali or Bassam Tariq from the 30 mosques project to campus, the press will come out to report on in. That is usually worth a donation from your PR office.

4) Create a fundraiser around each event:  Some schools will use book sales for several Melibee speakers as fundraisers for the event.

5) The President’s Office: The President always has some money socked away.  Ask him or her to contribute and to introduce your guest speaker!

6) Find a sponsor:  You work with many 3rd party for profit companies, right?  You give them a lot of business!  Ask them to donate toward a campus event that supports students who FUND their business!  If you don’t ask, you won’t know, right?

7) Visit your Grants Office:  Perhaps there is a grant that would support a global ed speaker coming to your campus or organization?

8 ) When all else fails, charge a $1: Everyone can afford a dollar to be inspired.  Remind them about other things they’d spend a dollar on without thinking twice such as a 16 ounce bottle of soda, a bag of chips or a candy bar.  This will put the request for a dollar in perspective.

What other ideas do you have for speakers and for funding?  Please feel free to comment below!

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Are you anxious for professional development?  Are you so ridiculously busy that you can’t read all of your email?

STOP for one minute and hear me loud and clear:

You must schedule The Global Ed Collaborative Conference into your busy calendar.  MUST!

The 2011 Global Education Conference will be held November 14 – 18,  during international education week – and it is online and free. Sessions will take place in multiple time zones and multiple languages over the five days. The 2010 Global Education Conference had 15,028 unique logins and presentations from 62 countries.  Isn’t that incredible!

Educators from around the world will present on topics from global water issues, K-12 digital literacy, internationalizing the curriculum, connecting the global STEM classroom, service learning and more!

And Melibee’s own, Carrie Wagner, is one of the global keynote speakers! Carrie has had a phenominal career carrying forward what she learned during her six years in Africa.  (By the way, Carrie is helping Melibee Global kick off International Ed Week by being my guest on a free, online book club discussion on November 10th.  You can get more details here.)

International Education Week 2011 is going to be chock full of learning tools and inspiration!  I cannot wait to hear what you all glean from these wonderful free events!  Please be sure to share with Melibee readers, ok?

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Melibee Global is launching its first, FREE, online book club, on November 10th at 3 pm EST. Our first book will be Carrie Wagner’s “Village Wisdom: Immersed in Uganda, Inspired by Job, Changed for Life.”

There are 3 easy steps to participate:

1) Purchase the “Village Wisdom” book and read it before November 10th.  The book has a lot of beautiful photos, so it is a faster read than you may think. Carrie is kindly offering a 30% discount off the book (PDF and ebook versions.) Use the discount code: “Melibee.” If you individually purchase the hard copy (vs. the ebook), Carrie will autograph the book for you too! (Note: Melibee does not receive any revenue from book sales.)

2) If you work at a high school, college/university or other organization, book a meeting room and make this a public event. You’ll simply need a computer, internet access, screen and someone who can type questions and comments into the chat room.  Announce this event as part of International Education Week and be sure to open it up to the local community too! High schools and colleges should feel free to partner together on this also.

3) On November 10th, just prior to 3pm, open up this webpage.  (Please note, we are using “Livestream” which means that an ad will play when you visit this website. This helps to keep this event FREE, so thanks for your understanding.  I have no control over the ads, which include a pop up ad at the bottom of the screen which you can close, but it shouldn’t be too intrusive.) Then sign into the chat space (on that same page, just right of the video) so that you can discuss the book amongst yourselves and so that you can ask Carrie questions too!

Here is a trailer for the book!  We look forward to talking with you on November 10th!

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Here are Melibee’s top tips for an innovative International Education Week for 2011:

1)  Join a FREE online international book club event:  Melibee will be hosting a FREE, LIVE video book club event just prior to the start of IEW 2011! We will be reading Carrie Wagner’s “Village Wisdom.” This wonderful book documents her experience in Uganda with International Habitat for Humanity and her return to the country with her young sons many years later.  Carrie will be LIVE with us on November 10, 2011 at 3 pm to share her story and to answer questions that viewers can submit on an internet backchannel.  Schools can simply set up an internet connection with a screen in a large room and have a phone with a speaker to listen into the discussion. Meanwhile, Carrie has kindly agreed to offer a 30% discount on the book to anyone participating in this event.  The discount code is Melibee. Carrie will sign any books that are purchased through her website also! Purchase the book and we hope you’ll join us for a lively discussion about Uganda, global citizenship, service abroad and more!  Click here for more information about this event!

2) Teach peace despite pain:  This year, I would recommend “Killing in the Name.” This short documentary was nominated for an Oscar. It tells the story of a couple’s wedding that was devastated by a terrorist bombing. Despite the death of his immediate family members and friends, Ashraf Al-Khaled chose to reach out to terrorists to educate them about what they are doing “in the name.”  His journey teaches us that peace and education are the better option, despite the tragedy and pain caused by violence.

Click here to view the embedded video.

3) Play an international board game:  Have an international board game like Carrom set up in your student union!  Teach students this popular board game, which is a mix of air hockey and pool, that is commonly see in India. You can order a Carrom board here.  Here is a tutorial:

Click here to view the embedded video.

4) Language lessons:  Offer 15 minute language lessons.  Bring your international students and returned study abroad students in to teach the basics and to wow students with new slang, sounds and vocabulary!  Find the most unique languages that are not taught on your campus and set up the lessons in rooms on the same hallway, so students can pop from one room into the next. This was a HUGELY popular suggestion from the Melibee IEW 2010 post – so give it a try!

5) International Speakers: Consider a Melibee global ed speaker! They have personally inspired me and I promise, they will have your audience putting down their smart phones while they present (the true sign of “engaging”!)  Melibee speakers present on global citizenship, diversity, the environment, Africa, service abroad, social entrepreneurship, life in the FBI, safety abroad, crossing cultures and more!  It is not too late to inquire about a speaker – there are still several dates open for bookings!  You won’t know unless you ask – and you’ll be surprised how relatively affordable they can be!  Some also offer book signings and some will speak in classrooms for free if you book them. 

6) Teach meditation: I recently attended a local Korean Buddhist temple and really enjoyed the meditation.  Meditation helps to focus and center you, and to make you more open.  Contact your local Buddhist temple and ask them to teach a meditation session on your campus during IEW.  Here is a directory of global Buddhist temples.

7) Global eats:  Ask your food service provider to offer a few cooking lessons from different regions of the world during IEW 2011.  In this tight economy, this is an excellent way to share culture and the international language of food!

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Bassam Tariq and Aman Ali, 30 mosques co-founders.

Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq are gearing up for their 30 mosque Ramadan Roadtrip 2011 – their plan is to visit Alaska, Hawaii and the other states that the missed on the first trip. 30 mosques, 30 states, 30 days – all during Ramadan in the month of August.  Knowing these guys as I do, they’ll do it despite the exhausting schedule!  But, as the expression goes, it takes a village and therefore I’m blogging about it to ask for you to help spread the word.

Here is a video of Aman and Bassam talking about the 2011 plan:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here is how you can donate to the project:   No amount is too small: $5, $10 or whatever you can afford!  Just know that your donation will go toward the sharing of authentic stories about Muslims in America.

Meeting Aman and Bassam in 2010 at a local mosque was one of the highlights of my own personal exploration of spirituality in America. It helped me to address my own stereotypes and to better understand myself, my country and Islam.

I have had the honor of bringing Aman and Bassam to campuses across the US this past year. You can read more about the response people had to their presentations across the country.  Needless to say, we were all humbled by the grace of their message and their wisdom that extends well beyond their years.

If you are interested in booking the 30 mosques presentation at your college, university or organization, click here or email info@melibeeglobal.com.

Meanwhile, I’d like to thank Aman and Bassam for inspiring so many of us.  They have even inspired me to explore my own road trip!  Any ideas?  (I’m serious!)

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Today’s post is written in partnership with Cate Brubaker at Small Planet Studio.  Cate and I thought it would be interesting to write about the same book from two different perspectives.  After reading my thoughts on this book, please link to Cate’s comments on the book below.

Katie Krueger

Jerejef to Katie Krueger.  Jerejef is a Wolof word for thank you. Wolof is a Senegalese language used by an ethnic group with the same name and it describes how I felt after reading Katie’s book, “Give With Gratitude: Lessons Learned Listening to West Africa.”

I read this book twice in two months. Yes, twice! It sprung so many ideas of how the book could be used in international education that I had to read it a second time to surface all of the intercultural gems and to allow the lessons of West Africa to wash over me. I wanted to soak them all in, bathe in them, ponder them for days and days.

While Katie’s book is about her time in Senegal as a Rotary Scholar, she frames the many highs and lows of a sojourner in “lessons” based on the cultural wisdom of her wise teacher: Senegal. For example, “Lesson 3″ is:

Nit, nit ay garabam

Man is man’s best remedy  (Wolof Proverb)

Within  “Lesson 3″  are chapters that provide examples of how Katie learned and applied ‘Man is man’s best remedy’ during her stay and regional travels.  She writes with incredibly honesty about the loneliness that occurs, at times, when one is far from home.  This lesson reminded me of my time as an intern abroad. I lived in one of the most beautiful places in Switzerland- yet at times, I was moved to tears with loneliness. I felt guilty about being able to intern in such a picturesque city while I recognized how much I missed pieces of my identity from home, where people truly knew me.  Those that I loved were hours away by plane and I did not always understand what was happening around me, despite working in an English speaking office.  Lesson 3 also made me think about the many international and study abroad students I have worked with over the years who have crossed borders and not been able to adequately express the challenges of such a blessing because of pride, cultural differences such as saving face, or simply lacking the intimacy and trust required in a friendship to share such a deep emotional state.

Katie’s writing is important, especially for those who study or earn a degree abroad. Her book will serve as an excellent common read and on-going orientation tool for international students (regardless of national origin or destination,) as it provides readers with an honest human story that all sojourners can relate to. We experience the joys of studying abroad throughout much of her book: the traveling, language, people, humor, her quips of self-reflection and the “a-ha” moments.  Yet, we also traverse Katie’s down times – the challenges of eating different food (especially as a vegetarian), the sense of time, space, privacy, loneliness, confusion, adjustment and denial.

These are the topics that we often have difficulty discussing in an open and easy manner with our students.  Katie’s book serves as a new pre-departure orientation and on-going orientation tool for students who are crossing borders.  It provides a “safe” way to talk about common issues that our students experience as sojourners. Discussion can take place around these issues because we are talking about KATIE having these experiences and feeling the emotions. It creates an opportunity to discuss how Katie addresses these challenges and opens the door for there to be a connection or realization – or perhaps a feeling of trust – to relate them back to the student’s own experiences.

For example, a student coming to the US for an exchange program (or degree program) will quickly relate to Katie’s stories about “teranga” – the Wolof word for “hospitality.”  Senegalese are known for teranga; they take hospitality to an entirely new level and one must adjust to being open to such extreme gestures of kindness and welcoming when one grows up in a culture where privacy is sacred. Students coming to the US will see glimpses of hospitality, but nothing that compares to the teranga of the Senagalese.  This subject becomes an easy discussion point for students who are challenged with the common American greeting: “Hi, how are you?” or an equally common gesture of checking in: “Let’s have lunch” or “Talk soon.”  In the US, most people won’t stick around for an answer beyond “Fine, how are you?” when asked how they are and “let’s have lunch/talk soon” usually doesn’t translate into a firm date on a calendar.  This confuses the sojourner, who does not easily grasp why Americans share such expressions when they aren’t really interested or committed to the statement. This type of comparison between cultures can begin when talking about Katie’s challenge with “teranga.” I believe that this dialogue will take place organically because we initially are not asking the students how they are feeling about their own experiences with cultural adjustment, but rather asking about Katie’s experiences – which will spark ideas about personal encounters with culture.  For those who are not ready or able, emotionally or culturally, to divulge their own challenges across cultures, commentary about Katie’s writing may provide hints about their need for support and need to process/reflect. As educators, we  can then offer experiences, opportunities and programs to acknowledge these.

The study abroad experience is like a white light hitting a prism – suddenly what is in front of you becomes a rainbow of many different colors. Things suddenly are alive – some colors complement each other and some are not aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Yet, we are opened to a new color palette and it is worth exploring nevertheless. That is how I felt about Katie’s book – it made me want even more colors in the rainbow to explore, even if I didn’t understand or like all how I felt about all of the shades along the journey.

I hope that you’ll take the time to explore the lessons that Katie shares – and that you’ll consider sharing her book with your students who are in the throes of cultural adjustment.  Katie is also available for speaking engagements.  Her timeless book of lessons for the sojourner is available here (and don’t forget to read Cate Brubaker’s thoughts on this book too!):

See larger image Give with Gratitude: Lessons Learned Listening to West Africa (Paperback) By (author) Katie Krueger List Price: $14.95 USD New From: $14.50 In Stock Used from: $13.50 In Stock

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I’m still sorting through the myriad of wonderful films that I caught at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival.  The Bengali Detective, by Phil Cox, is one that I particularly enjoyed and appreciated as a creative educational tool.

Here is the trailer:

Click here to view the embedded video.

This film is about the life and work of Rajesh, a private detective with 15 years in the business. He is a lovable man – jovial, sincere, expressive, pensive and a doting husband and father. He investigates everything from cheating spouses to brand corruption to his first murder case during this period of filming. His team, a brilliantly funny group of men, accompany him to dance lessons as a way to help ease the stress of their work. The seriousness of the detectives’ cases juxtaposed against their attempts to ‘get down and boogie’ in their first dance competition is the stuff great films are made of.

This documentary is an excellent educational tool.  It touches on a three notable cultural lessons that are viewed through the overarching theme of crime and corruption in Kolkata:

1) Marriage: Rajesh is married to a woman that he deeply loves and admires. They have a beautiful young son who is the light of their lives.  Sadly, Rajesh’s wife is seriously ill with diabetes and he loses her during the taping of the documentary.  The film follows Rajesh and his wife to doctor appointments, where it is increasingly clear that she will not improve.  Suffering from complications of diabetes, she passes away, much to our disbelief.  Ironically, this happens while Rajesh is investigating a client’s concern that her husband is having an affair.  The woman, Deepti, describes her arranged marriage and the domestic violence that took place over many years.  Rajesh has to inform her that her husband is likely having an affair with her sister in law and that he likely also has a child from a previous relationship. Interestingly, Deepti decides to confront him and work on their marriage.  It is a sharp contrast to the love marriage that Rajesh had with his own wife, and one that sparks discussion about marriage in India. (Note: this is not mean to be a judgment about either type of marriage;  it is simply documenting the case that took place while filming.)

2)  The human condition: We see Rajesh and his team research crime in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.  We realize that the his cases are not unlike what we would witness in the US – people having affairs, random murders and corruption in businesses. However, in India, 70% of cases given to the authorities go unsolved, ensuring a long and successful career for Rajesh. Witnessing Rajesh’s “down time” from work with his wife and son, his passion for Bollywood dancing and his pain through the loss of his young wife, we learn that the gap, on a very human level, between those in India and those in our own country, is smaller than one may realize.  The human condition connects us all, no matter our place of birth or culture.

3)  Death rituals: Rajesh did not allow the filmmakers to document his wife’s cremation. However, he did provide footage that was used in the documentary.  These moments are particularly touching, as viewers have grown to love his family over the course of the film and the ritual of the cremation is particularly moving, as well as educational.

I personally found the serious tone of the film’s criminal investigations (especially the murder case of an only son and his two friends) and the death of Rajesh’s wife, balanced by the humor, to be completely appropriate. It felt like India to me: a place that I interpret to be a land of extremes (e.g. financial wealth vs poverty, bright colors of saris against more subtle landscapes, incredibly spiritual yet with undertones of corruption, etc.) It should generate conversation about the contrasts in daily living in India.

The Bengali Detective is a film that is fun to watch, full of engaging characters (led by Rajesh, who is incredibly lovable) and it will easily hold your attention. Despite all of the difficult situations addressed in the film, you will find yourself laughing, just when things are about to get too serious.  I applaud Phil Cox for managing to strike such a delicate balance.

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I had the pleasure of presenting at NCAIE this past week with Carrie Wagner, Author of Village Wisdom and Bonnie Parker, Study Abroad Director from UNCA.

We crafted a session that was meant to be more interactive and less power point driven, as we all have had near death experiences caused by “too much powerpoint”!

Our session was described as follows:  “Muslim”, “Israeli”, “African”, and “American” – the labels that we use to describe others come with heavy baggage and a tremendous burden. This session will provide resources that can be used in community programming and/or as part of the curriculum to create dialogue that will aid in demystifying and humanizing “the other.”

Note: The “other” in our training meant a person or culture that one did not have first hand experience with, or one that generated stereotypes due to limited first hand experience. It was meant to acknowledge that we each have limited understanding of certain people, places and cultures in this world, and as a result, we often relate to them through stereotypes. These stereotypes create a disconnect between us and “them.

That’s a lot to tackle in 75 minutes, right?  Here was our approach:

Icebreaker: This was designed to create dialogue about “the other” and to help identify our own “others” or that of our students/community. We talked about the importance of setting up a trusting environment before doing this exercise. We had four different photos and asked people to go to the one that intrigued them.  Participants were then asked to write down words that came to mind as a result of viewing the image and to discuss the image and the words. For example, a photo of two young people sitting on the side of a street with a musical instrument garnered words such as “poor” and “talented.”  Then we briefly heard from each group – why did they choose those words?

1st Exercise: We worked in small groups and each read a specific section from Carrie Wagner’s book “Village Wisdom.” The groups each identified which phase of the cultural adjustment the section of the book related to and then discussed how that particular phase contributed to how the sojourner perceived “the other.”

2nd Exercise: We watched a 12 minute clip from the film “Crossing Borders.” In this scene, the students (American and Moroccan) visit the Sidi Moumen slum and met with local Moroccan youth who live there. The film clip illustrated the several layers of “the other” – the Americans experiencing a Muslim country for the first time and a slum for the first time, the Moroccan students meeting their fellow countrymen who live in a slum, which was a new experience for them as locals.  We discussed how “the other” can be people in our own society or people half way around the world, and that often changes over time.

We also spoke about how these two educational tools can be used in schools – for example:

- Instead of a common read, have a common film experience and weave it into the curriculum.  Assess the change in world view as a result of this experience, using a tool like the BEVI.

- Use these tools in orientation, pre-departure and re-entry meetings.

- Weave these tools into an interdisciplinary course.  Push the boundaries of what the items on the list were originally intended for!

- Use these tools for STAFF training and retreats.  We need to be inspired too!

- Create a book/film club and invite students and larger community to participate.

Bonnie, Carrie and I prepared a “toolkit” that is meant to be a living document that we can always update.  What resources would you want to share for those interested in exploring “the other” further?  How can the resource be used?

Free Download: Demystifying the Other Toolkit (PDF, 53.5kb)

Training at NCAIE was very rewarding.  I love to interact with my colleagues and I always learn from each group. I hope that this little training module will inspire you to demystify “the other” on your campus and in your community.

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Some people are put on this planet to be heard.  Ibrahim Abdul-Matin is one of those people.  After working with him on the Melibee Global speaker series,  I am left thinking that if I could figure out a way to channel his generous and informed energy, I’d have an answer to many of our planet’s issues! (Be sure to see the video below.)

His book, “Green Deen: What Islam Teaches About Protecting the Planet” tackles two huge subjects. The reader will walk away feeling empowered and informed about how faith and our planet are connected and how we each must take responsibility for leaving this planet better than how we inherited it. Ibrahim likens it to cooking at your home and expecting someone else, magically, to appear and clean all of your dishes after each meal. If YOU don’t do it and let it pile up, you are leaving a huge mess for someone else. Essentially, we are poised to leave a huge pile of toxic garbage for the next generation to clean up – and we clearly shouldn’t be doing that to our precious planet.

After hearing Ibrahim speak to a group of interfaith community members and students,  I was truly inspired by his words and how he relates spirituality to four key environmental issues: 1) Waste  2) Watts (Energy)  3) Water and 4) Food.

One of the most powerful moments in his presentation is how he addresses the importance of access to safe and clean water on our planet.  He stated, “When you are asked about terrorism, talk about water.”  He repeated, “When someone talks to you about 9/11, ask them if they’d like to talk over a glass of water.  Ask them about how the water tastes.  Ask them where it comes from.  Inform them that Islamic law actually forbids the sale of water (which is increasingly privatized around the world) because it is a resource that should be free to everyone on this planet. Tell them about how many people live without safe and clean drinking water each day and how many must walk miles to get what would amount to us drinking a dirty glass of water in the morning. Tell them about how people can’t bathe regularly because of lack of access to water.”

This is one example of how Ibrahim addresses the realities of what is happening to our planet and how he believes that all faith communities should be playing a leading role in addressing it.

Please enjoy the conversation that I had with Ibrahim after his presentation:  (And if you are interested in having him present at your organization, campus, or conference – please contact me at info@melibeeglobal.com)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Melibee Global is giving away a signed copy of Ibrahim’s book – “Green Deen!” All you have to do to be eligible is to comment on this page about your thoughts on Ibrahim’s words from the interview above.  What resonated with you?  (Comment by April 7th – a winner will be chosen randomly!)