Where We’re Going: The Global Citizen – Global Viewpoint

In the final session of Where We’re Going: The Global Citizen, moderator Ray Offenheiser welcomed three Notre Dame graduates currently living around the world to join in a discussion on what it means to be a global citizen. He started off introductions by describing his work at the Pulte Institute, which is an organization that hopes to be a catalyst for change on issues such as poverty, equality, and sustainability. 

Listeners first met Brian Brisson, whose participation in the Kellogg School during his time at Notre Dame led him to Latin America, where he would end up serving at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City for more than three decades. Brisson got to witness firsthand the globalization of Latin America, and noted that trade and business were the root of economic development in the region.

Next, Kagwiria Mbogori introduced herself, saying that her arrival at Notre Dame in 1996 felt remarkably like coming home. She studied international human rights law and after graduating, found that “the expertise [she] had gained from Notre Dame catapulted [her] into leadership in human rights issues in [her] country.”

Lastly, David Gaus introduced himself as an accounting major from Mendoza, who seriously contemplated being a priest or fighter pilot before finding himself “interested in the role of the Catholic Church in Latin American culture.” With the help of Father Ted Hesburgh, Gaus went on to become a doctor and founded Andean Health & Development in Latin America, from which would stem many impactful partnerships and interactions.

Offenheiser then asked Mbogori to speak more about her work in Africa, to which she responded by talking about her time working on the commission of jurists in Kenya and with the United Nations on behalf of Liberia. Her greatest insight was that in the context of conflict in which she worked, “everything is urgent and human suffering is unparalleled.” Brisson acknowledged this and added the encouragement that the march towards advancement was steady. Lending his view from Latin America, he was hopeful about the combination of technology and the innovative work that has started developing in the region. Gaus agreed with this potential, noting how the “industrial revolution and globalization have, in a way, homogenized the human experience.”

Gaus did admit concern, however, that so much of the power and control of technology was held by markets and governments. Brisson’s opinion was that corruption can easily lead to a lack of trust in an establishment that was meant to benefit the citizens. Mbogori’s concerns related to the lack of leadership in institutions during the coronavirus pandemic — the poverty index and domestic problems were increasing at an alarming rate.

Taking time to answer some questions from the audience, Offenheiser asked his guests to give advice on planning careers in sustainable development. Gaus began, testifying that uncertainty should be embraced and that once you find a passion, you should take a calculated leap of faith into making that your career. Offenheiser followed up that he often finds that “those who are in mission-based organizations end up feeling like they have chosen a vocation as much as they have chosen a career.” Mbogori emphasized the importance of choosing to serve based on something deeper — service to God or to fellow man.

The last question discussed migration from the perspective of a global citizen. Mbogori commented that the biggest reason for leaving one’s country seems to be the economy. Unfortunately, she continued, migrant labor proves the lack of ethics that tends to surround accepting immigrants into a foreign country. Similarly, Brisson acknowledged the big part that “migration on balance” plays in globalization. He shared his hopes that, especially for  Americans, immigration could go back to having a positive connotation. After all, being a global citizen includes recognizing the interdependency all humans share.

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