My country in the world, for the world
How two sessions of Talks with the Humphrey Fellows let me fly around the world
I invite you to start this journey with a quick quiz about curiosities of different cultures. How much do you know about these countries?
Until last December, I must confess that I wouldn’t have been able to answer any of these quiz questions – except for the one about my country, Brazil.
I am a Humphrey Fellow at UC Davis and one of the most enriching experiences of being part of this program has been being able to meet people from all around the world. This year, we are 12 Humphrey Fellows at Davis from different countries of Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
When I realized that I had no idea of the geography, history and culture of my colleagues' countries, I first felt ashamed of myself, but then, along with partners at International House - Davis, my cohorts proposed a series called "Humphrey Talks: My Country, in the World, for the World". In this two-session event, 11 Humphrey Fellows gave brief presentations about their home countries. It was in these sessions between November and December 2024 that I learned, among other things, these fun facts in the quiz about the countries of my colleagues.
Source: 2024-2025 UC Davis Humphrey Fellows
The truth is that Brazil is a big country - so is the U.S. - and we Brazilians barely have the time and money to get to know places within our own country or even of our continent. The countries of Central Asia seem so far away from us! Suddenly, being daily with people so distant from me, I find myself connected and realizing the many joys, problems and dilemmas shared by those whose cultures are so different from mine.
The good news is that this special opportunity I’m having by coming to the United States is accessible to Davis folks, some of whom have been to the Humphrey Talks. In Davis, we have contact with American culture, but not only that. Davis is a privileged city for hosting one of the best universities in the world, which attracts thinking minds from the most different places. We, Humphrey Fellows, are only a small portion of this global microcosm that we have at Davis.
The coolest thing is that, in addition to fun facts and curiosities, we have much more to learn from the Humphrey Fellows, in fact, about more important issues in depth.
The Humphrey Fellowship Program selects professionals from around the world who aim to improve their practices and skills to address the challenges they face in their national contexts. At UC Davis, the group of Fellows has their professional experiences focused on environmental policies and climate change.
Moreover, we will have the opportunity to learn a little more about the specific work of the Humphreys in the Ignite Talks that will take place at the International House. On February 21 st , from 2 to 4 p.m. each Humphrey will give a brief TED Talk-style presentation that showcases a challenging question they are facing in their work and lives.
Now that you've saved the date, get to know a little more about the Humphreys in the map below!
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Brazil
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Guinea
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Zambia
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Philippines
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Kyrgyzstan
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Liberia
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Bangladesh
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Vietnam
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Mexico
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Ethiopia
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Nepal
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