Hanna Schwing, daughter of Spring residents Sandra and Paul Schwing, has been selected to travel to Sierra Leone as a Youth Ambassador for Peace and Development

January 8, 2008
The Villager
Houston Community Newspaper
http://www.hcnonline.com/site/news.cfm?
newsid=19181632&BRD=1574&PAG=461&dept_id=532542&rfi=6

Schwing, a student at the University of North Texas, is attending the Global Youth Partnership for Africa's upcoming youth summit called "The Role of Youth in Post-Conflict Sierra Leone" until Jan. 16.

She is one of only 15 university students from across the nation that have been picked for the unique opportunity to travel to Sierra Leone and explore firsthand the post-conflict reconstruction and reconciliation processes at work in a country whose decade-long civil war ended only five years ago.

The website for the Global Youth Partnership for Africa identifies itself as a nonprofit organization "dedicated to fostering understanding, appreciation and respect between young American and African leaders."

Schwing is majoring in international studies with a concentration in regional studies in Africa and international development and carrying a double minor in peace studies and French, so it was only natural that she would want to attend this summit.

"I decided to apply for the summit at the suggestion of a fellow advocate, Ryan Schuette, who had attended a previous summit in Uganda with GYPA," she explained. "I have been involved in lobbying, raising awareness and fundraising for several African issues and organizations, and I ultimately want to work in Africa. I felt that I needed to experience Africa for myself, and the summit focuses on many of the issues I am interested in, including human rights, post-conflict reconstruction, transitive justice, development, HIV/AIDS and gender discrimination. It seems like the perfect opportunity for me."

During the trip, Schwing and the other students will meet with political, academic and cultural experts in fields such as development, conflict resolution and post-conflict rehabilitation.

Participants will explore the many issues surrounding Sierra Leone's development by engaging with local communities in dialogue, cultural exchange and direct service.
Participants will attend four days of meetings in Freetown with Sierra Leone students focusing on the role of youth in conflict resolution and post-conflict development. They will also spend time visiting and meeting the nation's leaders in government and civil societies as well as representatives from international non-governmental organizations who are experts in African development.

Schwing's personal expectations seem to fall in line with the program goals.
"Almost everyone who I have spoken to about traveling to Africa has talked about how it changed their perspective on life. I expect to be changed in some way and to some degree," she said. "I expect this experience to be crucial to my future. I also hope to represent U.S. youth in a positive way while I am there and do my part to build ties between the U.S. and Sierra Leone."

Schwing has also exhibited her great interest in Africa on the UNT campus. She, along with Lindsey Bengfort, another student chosen to go to Sierra Leone, started a UNT student organization, Africanists United.

The organization brings speakers to campus to discuss issues facing African nations. They also helped to organize the first Gulu Walk in Dallas, which raised money to support children in northern Uganda.

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