Every day we’re inspired by the work of others who strive to realize change in the world. We’ve asked some staff members here at Purpose whose work they find particularly inspiring right now. This week that inspiration is Carl Wilkens.
Carl was the only US citizen (a civilian, actually) to stay behind in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide when all other Americans – and most other non-Rwandans – evacuated the country. He sent his family to Kenya and stayed with his Tutsi housemates and the 300+ kids at a local orphanage, all of whom would have certainly faced life-threatening risks had he left. Aside from Carl’s extraordinary commitment to his values, his steadfast courage, and his immense humility, he’s also woven a compelling narrative around the power of combining effective storytelling and service.
We asked him a few questions.
In a nutshell, what do you do?
My wife Teresa and I travel to schools around the world telling stories and sparking conversation about three powerful pathways toward stronger communities; communities with more clearly defined missions of service. And the three pathways our stories focus on are respect, empathy and inclusion. Many of our stories come out of the recovery and healing that Rwanda is experiencing.
What do you want the world to look like in the next 5 years?
I would love to see a portion of each day, everywhere (but especially in elementary schools) dedicated to experiential education around these themes of respect, empathy and inclusion. Around the world the power of story is recognized for its ability to change the way we think, feel and act. The action part is where experiential education comes into play. More than just hearing the story we look for opportunities to partner with the characters in the story and make the world a better place. Shared experiences especially in the area of service with those we might consider different than ourselves seriously deepens our understanding and appreciation for respect, empathy and inclusion.
What good will you do today?
I will love on my family today and I will be intentional about drinking in as much of the beauty as I can in each moment [smiles].
Check out more of Carl’s incredible work here. And if you know of someone whose work we should highlight, shoot us an email at weare@purpose.com.
for Equity & Evidence