FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Building Bridges: Eisenhower Fellowships publishes a collection of essays from international change agents
Amplifying the voices of diverse, dynamic doers
Philadelphia, PA, January 9, 2017 – At a time of great change and uncertainty around the world, the premier international leadership organization Eisenhower Fellowships has released an extraordinary collection of reflections from global leaders, Building Bridges – One Leader at a Time: Personal Essays by the Women and Men of Eisenhower Fellowships.
This collection of nearly 40 essays by Eisenhower Fellows explores the core values of leadership that drive these outstanding leaders from all fields to work to enhance international understanding, advance peaceful dialogue and promote economic development with social justice.
Building Bridges was published in collaboration with This I Believe, an international nonprofit organization that has published more than 125,000 personal essays exploring the principles that guide daily lives, modeled after a popular public radio show hosted by legendary journalist Edward R. Murrow in the 1950s and ‘60s.
“From Brazil to Liberia, Russia to Jordan, South Africa to New Zealand, (these essays) invoke universal values with words like compassion, justice and trust,” wrote George de Lama, president of Eisenhower Fellowships and co-editor of Building Bridges. “They explore issues both momentous and common—historic national transitions from dictatorship, the life-transforming experience of overcoming cancer, the joys of doing even the smallest job with excellence….Eisenhower Fellows build bridges, and tear down walls.”
With a foreword by General Colin L Powell, USA (Ret.), the chairman of Eisenhower Fellowships, the collection of essays speaks to the importance of following personal convictions, especially at a time when people in the United States and around the world are searching for inspirational voices and solutions.
“When I meet Eisenhower Fellows and Trustees on my travels overseas, I’m reminded how much we can increase the chances of creating a world more peaceful, prosperous, and just when we build ties with like-minded people,” wrote Powell. “This was Dwight Eisenhower’s vision, and his passion. At a time of conflict and tension around the world, this vision is more relevant than ever, and so is the mission of Eisenhower Fellowships.”
Eisenhower Fellows are ascendant midcareer leaders from all fields who have demonstrated excellence in their chosen professions and the potential to make even greater future positive impacts on their societies. Founded in 1953, the organization has an active global network of more than 1,500 leaders that includes former heads of state, ministers, legislators, business executives, nonprofit heads, prominent scientists, urban planners, educators, artists and journalists from more than 100 countries.
The book was inspired and co-edited by Keith Wheelock, a former U.S. diplomat, Wall Street executive and college professor who is a longtime supporter of the “This I Believe” essay series and trustee of Eisenhower Fellowships. “These extraordinary Fellows are what make Eisenhower Fellowships the most dynamic proven leader enhancement program worldwide,” Wheelock said.