From the Program Staff
We welcome you to our blog focused on Virtual CRS, our first-ever virtual Camp experience which concluded last week!
We are excited to share that we had 25 participants complete the program and we ask you to join us in welcoming them into our alumni community.
Throughout the 10-day program, we welcomed 5 former counselors and facilitators to help run workshops on topics including servant leadership, intersectionality and power, race, gender, sustainability, and activism. In the build-up to the August program, our campers completed an estimated 5 hours of monthly work beginning in May to become acquainted with their cohort, the program model, and CRS mission and values.
Similar to CRS, each camper had the opportunity to practice leadership and teamwork through leadership roles and project groups. Our project groups created a DIY Camp T-shirt, an informative Instagram account, a yearbook, talent show, and the camper-written blog which you will find below
Virtual CRS also featured SST (self-structured time) activities, self-named tent talk groups, virtual birthday celebrations and a co-created space filled with learning, moments of fun, and accidental interruption and occasionally bad WiFi connections (to be expected!). All in all, we are incredibly proud of this cohort and the work they put into Virtual CRS - we appreciate you!
Enough from us - time to hear from the campers themselves! The rest of this blog was written by Virtual CRS campers and includes academic articles, a daily recap, and snapshots and favorite Camp memories from the yearbook scattered throughout.
Enjoy!
“Reflecting back, I wouldn’t say I had a favorite moment; I enjoyed camp in general! However, I am glad that I am able to share thoughts and concerns about the world with others, and have a safe space to speak with others. I particularly enjoyed the days where we had talks and were able to talk with each other about complicated topics such as racism and discrimination.” -Livi, California, U.S.
“ My favourite VCRS moment was connecting with everyone and learning from them!” -Nico, Germany
“My favorite part of VCRS was meeting my cohort and having the opportunity to make friends across the world! I am so happy that I was able to be a part of this program. While at VCRS I learned a lot about myself, and feel like I am leaving with the proper tools to become a better leader, advocate, and activist in my communities.” -Hailey, California, U.S.
“My favorite was tent talks!” - Tetsuro, United Kingdom
From the Campers - Program Daily Recap
Monday:
Camp started today!
We are so excited to have our first ever virtual camp rising sun! Today, we had camper orientation and got to know each other. We started with a get to know activity where we created a word cloud made up of descriptive words to describe where we are all calling from! We also did our first ever zoom break out rooms to ask each other about our thoughts on leadership, the world and many social issues. It was awkward at first, but we soon became more comfortable around each other! Camp is a blast so far and we can’t wait to jump into the rest of the week! We also got our tent groups today, a group of people who we check in with and get to know almost everyday!
Tuesday:
We dove into an acting instruction led by Bryant! We had each other rolling on the floor with laughter at our made up stories for everyday objects! We all had a blast getting to know each other’s sense of humor and loosening up the atmosphere that morning! From there we dove into group projects and camper led instruction days! We got into our groups for the first time and also began working on our instructions! We also chose tent names today! The names are listed below:
The Invisible Froot Loops
We Tried
Hachi
The Mountain Goats
The FAB-ulous
The Apple House
Wednesday:
The amazing Holden led us in a very relaxing stretch this morning to wake us all up before we started looking into the idea of what it means to be a servant leader.
Thursday:
This day began pretty early. Since it was a Camper-Led Day, project groups could meet from 8h00 AM until 17H00 PM. Today we had two instructions, Livi’s and Holden’s. Livi talked about climate change and Holden talked about comedy in the United States. Both instructions were amazing! The cohort had a lot of fun and got to learn new things.
Friday:
Today Paula led an icebreaker activity, we played hangman. The first word to guess was “peckish”. Amy guessed the word and picked a new one for the rest of us to guess: “surreptitious”. We had ex-campers Justin, Olivia, and Tiffany joining the meeting. Today’s topic was “Power and Intersectionality”; we all talked about it and shared our thoughts. We used the breakout rooms so that the whole cohort could exchange points of view. At the end of the session we met with our tents to discuss more about the topic and spend some time together.
Saturday:
The day started off with an icebreaker by Julia. She asked us to describe in one word how we are feeling. Also, today was the birthday of Mayssa, so we celebrated it. In ‘physical’ camp, you put the person in a chair and throw in the air as many times as they are turning that day. Anneteke’s birthday was the day before yesterday, but we forgot to celebrate it that day, so we did it today, on Saturday. We sensibly lifted our computer 16 times for both Anneteke and Mayssa. Today was a camper led day, so after assembly we had instructions. Amy’s instruction was about vampires, Romanian folklore and how it affects modern day literature, Tess’s was about american movies and analyzed a couple of common movie tropes, Hédi and Beni’s instruction was about racism in Hungary and how the Romani minority is subject to racism, but it is not really talked about. After the instructions, it was self-structured time, where we showed each other our favourite YouTube channels. After that, some projects met up, and did some work together.
Sunday:
On Sunday, we had a lot of topics to cover: gender, race and sustainability. Elyem presented about the migrant crisis in Europe and how racism plays a role in it, as the EU has built a physical and theoretical fortress around, externalizing its borders. Olivia led on gender equality, patriarchy and feminism. After Olivia’s presentation, Gabriel talked about climate and food waste, also, we calculated our ‘Carbon Footprint’. Everyone from the group needed at least 2 Earths to support their lifestyle. Then we went into our tent group where we had great discussions!
Monday:
Today we had a fantastic day. The day began weird for some of us because only half of the participants were in the meeting; which is not common for us not to be on time for the sessions. A few minutes later, Elyem remembered to let in the participants who were in the breakout rooms and we finally had all of the cohort complete and together :). We had three instructions: Adoption (by Jojo and Paula), Origami (by Tetsuro), and Scientific Racism (by Hailey). At 10h10 AM we had SST lead yoga and “skribbl.io” (which is like online pictionary) for us to have fun and get to know each other better. We had a blast! At the end of the session, we met with our project groups to set a deadline to finish with our projects.
Tuesday:
Today Livi started us off our wonderful day with a breathing exercise and a metaphorical check in. We reflected on somethings that made us stressed and anxious and channeled it away from us into our thoughts, and then used an object to describe how we were feeling. After our warm up, we dove right into learning how to make a change in our communities. The first activity was to look at some issues in our own country relating to all of the topics we previously discussed, such as power, discrimination, and servant leadership. Surprisingly there was a lot of similarity, and a lot of campers were on the same page when it came to these topics. Such as I feel like my government is corrupt, or my government doesn’t take climate change seriously. The second activity was a breakout group activity! In it we looked at the school scenario and tried to figure out what are some of the issues, and how we would like to go about solving it. Some groups came up with staging boycotts, protests, and adding classes to the curriculum (such as a mental health class). After presenting our plans we had tent talks!
Wednesday:
Today was our last day! We spent time in our tent talk groups working on a skit which defined Virtual CRS while we did our 1-1 check-outs, and had our project groups share out their projects! We then had our variety show, and ended with a gratitude circle for us to share our love for each other!
“My favorite moment from the VCRS so far is talking with my tent group. We discussed for hours about how different and similar our countries/states are. I learned a lot about their environment, school, and things that they are passionate about. Virtual camp can be very awkward and hard to talk to each other so I'm extremely glad that tent talks are there to help us get to know each other better in this short period of time to create long-lasting friendships!” - Mizuki, Malaysia
“My favorite camp moment is definitely while my project group and I are together. We have so much fun while we work and we are always sharing memories, anecdotes and getting to know more about each other and our cultures. The other day we all spoke in our native languages and it was hilarious, Furthermore, I also really enjoy attending the Instructions because I learn a lot and it amazes me how people are so cultured and creative.” -Miriam, Spain
“My fav moments so far were the tent talks with la familia and the yoga session today!” - Masha, Germany
“I really loved meeting other people who care about the issues i'm passionate about! it felt really good to express my "radical" beliefs and have them met with agreement and furthering by my super smart peers :)” - Tess, New York, U.S.
FROM THE CAMPERS - TOPICAL BLOG POSTS
Topic 1: Scientific Racism
Scientific racism, sometimes referred to as biological racism; is the pseudoscientific belief that empirical evidence exists to support or justify racism (racial discrimination), racial inferiority, or racial superiority. Today we will dive into the causes and the effects of this belief and also explore how this has negatively impacted our world. We also will discuss how this practice is still used today. - Anneteke
During the second half of the XIX century, the world was being influenced by the huge conceptual violence of human evolutionary biology. This thought was applied to the weakest groups of people regarding a military and economic point of view; meaning communities biologically viewed as “semi-human” or “not as human as a white person”. Most people with European and North American scientific backgrounds, considered this concept as an “irrefutable truth”. In other words, black Africans, American plantation slaves, colonial natives, women, Australian aborigines, the Tasmanians, the Malays, among other groups, were doomed to unalterable evolutionary inferiority. The scientific agreement on the natural superiority of white people was so broad that not even famous scientists that opposed slave abuse (such as T. H. Huxley, Armand de Quatrefages, and Charles Darwin) could exclude themselves from the racist paradigm of the time. In fact, studies have shown black people’s “inferiority” had a big impact on intellectuals of color since they approved the evolutionary framework and the supposed fate they had to face in a lost race battle. -Paula
Scientific racism played a role in establishing apartheid in South Africa. The Carnegie Corporation funded the study of poverty among white South Africans which was used to justify racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa. Moreover, other reports were conducted which 'scientifically' concluded that the cultural differences between whites and blacks may be caused by 'physiological differences in the brain'. Dudly Kidd who made this report said that Africans were 'misgrown with a vengeance'. These reports provided support for the idea of black inferiority. The study on the poor white problem in South Africa was conducted because many white people lived just like Bantu wage workers. Also, in urban areas, whites and Africans lived together. These questioned the idea of white supremacy because poverty and depression were present in white communities as well. The report concluded that the poor white community would 'Africanise'. Scientific racism certainly played a role in establishing apartheid, but it was not as widely used as in Europe or the US, probably due to the poor white problem. The system of institutionalised racial segregation was in place from 1948 to the 1990s. Finally, in 1991, facing pressure from the international community and from internally, the system was repealed. - Beni
Race is a complicated topic, as it is a social construct, however when it comes to scientific research racism still exists; even today in the 21st century. For centuries, science has often proposed incorrect and misleading information. For example, there have been “Contentious debates among Europeans about the origins of modern humans,” which argued that “Europeans exemplified the most evolved and intelligent humans.” But in reality, after searching for answers and clues we realized that the first modern elements in humans stemmed from Africa, who migrated east, north, and west. In the 1950s, it was determined that there was so much “individuality” in different groups, that it was almost impossible that there could be a race or a “pure” race in that respect. The invention of genetics just exacerbated the racism, since people started to find weaknesses and resilience in different people, which scientists used to compare different races (hence the obvious racism). Now, a lot of dentists and geneticists are arguing that race is a social construct, and has no room in science. To conclude, it is important to be aware of racial stereotypes, but not to connect it back to science. - Livi
“ I loved getting to know everyone and experiencing new cultures. We had so many laughs and good times! I’m gonna miss everyone, but they will always hold a special place in my heart!” -Jojo, Colorado, U.S.
“My favorite moment was Winning skribbl.io in SST!” - Holden, Alabama, U.S.
“My favorite moment at camp was doing my instruction because the people that attended were really funny and nice and they made my whole presentation better! also their questions and comments both during and after the instruction made me feel so happy!” -Amy, New York, U.S.
"The best was that over time, we got to know each other more and could create friendships. I loved playing Skribbl with everyone, having great conversations in our tent group and overall making connections. It is awesome!” -Beni, Hungary
Topic 2: BRI, what’s wrong & what’s good?
In today’s blog we will explore China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Similar to China’s Silk Road, The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is an initiative led by China to connect and provide infrastructure to countries who need economic development and support. The BRI provides money to countries to develop infrastructure, factories, ports, etc, to support their countries economically. However, since the beginning of the project, the BRI has been under a lot of scrutiny.
To extend the BRI, China provides money (in loans) to other countries to build and develop infrastructure. Most countries, however, are not able to pay back the money they are loaned. In return, China takes these infrastructure as collateral, claiming it as their own. China has also been doing a terrible job at maintaining carbon efficient designs. According to Zadek of the Brookings Institute, the BRI is on track to produce over 50% of global carbon emissions by 2050. In addition to the growing concerns about the BRI’s effect on climate change, the BRI requires no less than 3 trillion dollars, and that without private and public European investments, China will not be able to fund even the initial stages of BRI development. That being said, the European governments will not help fund the BRI if the environmental concerns are not addressed.
The BRI, though useful in the short term, has many faulty errors, including its environmental concerns, economic concerns, and Chinese hegemony. Without proper reform from an outside power the BRI will become a big concern for the progression of climate change and global stability. - Livi
BRI’s purpose is to connect Asia with Europe and Africa so that there’s an improvement of regional integration by promoting trade and economic growth. The name of this project was created in 2013 by China’s President Xi Jinping, who came up with the idea after the Silk Road during the Han Dynasty (2,000 years ago). The Silk Road was an old system of trade routes that united China to the Mediterranean via Eurasia for centuries. BRI embraces five main priorities: policy coordination, infrastructure connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration, and connecting people. This initiative estimates US$1 trillion in investments of power plants, roads, ports, railways, airports, and telecommunications networks. BRI’s geographical scope is frequently increasing; at the moment it includes around seventy countries (which represents sixty-five percent of the world’s population and one-third of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). -Paula
In Montenegro, a motorway is being built by Chinese contractors. The estimated cost of the motorway is 3.2 billion USD, 1 billion of which comes from a loan from China. This put the public debt to GDP ratio to more than 80 percent. Montenegro will pay back the loan with a 2 percent interest by 2040. If the country is unable to pay back the 1 billion dollars plus the interest, China could seize territory from Montenegro. This wouldn’t be China’s first territory acquisitions: it already ceased territory in strategic locations by this debt-trap such as in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Djibouti. Montenegro only has around 600000 people, so questions were raised whether or not the country needed a motorway. Moreover, the motorway goes along the Tara river, which is a UNESCO world heritage site, so environmental concerns were raised. Habitats of otters, trouts, and other animals’ habitats are at risk.
However, the motorway could provide economic growth for the country. Furthermore, Montenegro is the only country in Europe (excluding microstates) without a highway. The country aims to be part of the EU and the motorway would better connect Montenegro with the rest of Europe.
Tent Talk Groups!
“One of my favorite moment of the Virtual CRS is the drama's instruction because it allowed us to see each other's creativity and to get to know each other better. Also it was sooo fun to heard all those amazing stories!!” -Mayssa, France
“My favorite memory of VCRS is playing scribble during SST.” -Julia, New Jersey, U.S.
“I think my favorite part of camp was when we were all talking about our favorite youtube channels and then like, our favorite TV shows, since i got to hear what other people like!” -Rose, New York. U.S.
“My favourite moment or time in the camp was a quite recent moment, when we played skribbl.io during SST and tent talk time. My mother tongue is not English, so at first it was pretty hard, but when I got the vibe of the game, I did pretty well. It was really funny to draw weird words and watch the others silly pictures. My favourite drawings were Phineas and Ferb and Chewbacca.” -Hédi, Hungary
Topic 3: Economics
The main objective of international trade is to provide a high-quality life for the world and drive economic growth across countries by taking advantage of the competitive environment. Trade integration allows for a more efficient allocation of resources through economies of scale and scope as well as through increased competition. However, globalization is not equally distributed for everyone such that someone will lose as a result of trade. International trade has a different impact on different income level countries. According to The Heckscher–Ohlin (1919-1933), countries export those commodities which require, for their production, relatively intensive use of those productive factors found locally in relative abundance. Thus, the high volume of trade causes rise in demand for skilled worker and leads to higher inequality; however, trade causes rise in demand for low-skilled labor in low and medium-income countries. The laws of supply and demand determine the structure of wages in the labor market. There is bound to be some inequality in the allocation of rewards among workers. Myriads of ways used to measure inequality in income distribution and one of the most widely used is the GINI INDEX. The values range between 0 and 100 and according to the Standardized World Income Inequality Database (SWIID) Gini index differs across countries.
The results from a myriad of research implies that international trade does not affect everyone equally. The effect of trade decreases the income gap in developing countries, while it is positively correlated in high-income countries. - Zuleykha
Tent Talk Groups!
“My favorite time was meeting with my project members, because I think they’re the ones I spent the most time with during the camp, and I think we got to know each other a lot, and talked a lot. It was refreshing to talk to people about just random things during this pandemic!” - Justin, Pennsylvania, U.S.
“I had a really fun time doing scribble.io with my self structured time group just now! I also really enjoyed discussing race, gender and sustainability yesterday and being able to hear everyone’s thoughts on so many different topics throughout the camp session!!” -Sebastian, New York, U.S.
“My favorite moment was when Jojo kept getting attacked by squirrels! It was so funny! I also loved meeting all of the campers and playing Skribble.io with them (working along with the project groups was the best!).” -Pawla, Ecuador
Topic 4: How can leadership be taught by animals?
Animals are amazing creatures. They are so smart that we can even learn a lot of positive things from them. Many people think about leadership as something that requires vocation and talent; however, what they don’t realize is that leadership is an innate quality of the animal kingdom. Let’s take dogs for example. These creatures show us that leadership is the opposite of volume, force, or intimidation; in fact, they live practicing servant leadership. To let know the rest of the pack who’s the leader, a dog should demonstrate empathy and patience to inspire trust and confidence. Now let’s talk about eagles. These animals teach us five main traits a good leader should have: a powerful vision (be capable of seeing reality clearly as it is and make precise predictions about the future), be fearless (take risks and protect what you love and cherish), be tenacious (rise to greater heights and face challenges), be a high flyer (think big and teach others to do the same), and nurture the young (teach and guide others just like mother eagles do; be a true leader, not a boss). -Paula
Tent Talk Groups!
“My favorite part of camp was getting to know everyone by talking about our experiences, learning about our world, working on projects, and playing fun games together!” -Arnav, Pennsylvania, U.S.
“ I really liked yoga practice with Masha and Mayssa. It was first time I was doing yoga, and I loved it!” -Zuleykha, Azerbaijan
“At first, I was a bit sad that we wouldn't be able to physically meet in camp, but all of us were still able to connect with each other through Zoom, and had some interesting conversations. Especially during our scribbl session!” -Kevin, California, U.S.
Topic 5 - Geoheat Map
For today's blog post, I made a geo heat map. A geo heat map takes your location history, and places it on a heat map. The more red it is, the more frequently you have been there. I always wanted to make these kinds of maps, but I thought it was very difficult, and you needed some special equipment. But, it is actually pretty easy to make. All you need to do is just follow these easy steps:
Go into Google Takeout. Deselect everything, search for ‘Location History’, select that and click the next step.
Click export files. It will take a minute to process all the data.
If it is ready, download it. Open the .zip file, search inside of it for ‘locationhistory.json’. Select that, copy it, and place it somewhere (I placed it in my download folder)
Go to this website, which will visualize your data. There, click ‘Select file’ and select the ‘locationhistory.json’ file. After processing, you will have your heat map!
As you can see, I am from Budapest, Hungary. It is really cool to see what the different intense points represent on the map, and in your life! - Beni
And that’s a wrap! Thanks again to our incredible Virtual CRS campers for all of your hard work on this program!