Jubilee Conference

From time to time, Nuru is invited to share our story at conferences, and it’s something we really enjoy. We love being able to share our story with others and invite them to join with us as we work together to end extreme poverty, one community at a time. It also gives us an opportunity to hear more of the great things that other people and organizations are doing around the globe too.

Last weekend, I had the privilege of traveling with a talented team of volunteers to participate in a conference called Jubilee.  The name of the conference comes from an idea in the Torah which talks about a time every 50 years when all debts are cancelled, property returns to it’s original owners, and everyone enjoys a time of rest and restoration.

I found myself challenged and encouraged by the words of other communicators and the passion and fire I saw in the faces of the students who were participating in the conference.  It was wonderful to be present at the conference because I believe that one of the biggest humanitarian issues of our generation is the issue of extreme poverty.  It’s not a problem we can ignore, and I believe future generations will look back on our generation and either celebrate or criticize our engagement over this issue.

 Being at a conference full of students and professionals who were thinking deeply about how they could actively work to use their time, talents, and resources to engage this problem (and others) was hugely refreshing.  Imagine being around two thousand people who are thinking about their degrees as tools to help them make the world a better place.   

I think there is something special that happens in us, when we realize that we have the potential to shape the future.  We have the potential to be part of the solution to problems that exist in the world.  We can say enough, and get engaged!

I am grateful for the opportunity to share Nuru’s story and I’m excited about the students who are taking Nuru back to their campuses and encouraging others to join us in the fight, and I look forward to seeing us all work together toward the end of extreme poverty.