An Interview with Advocate and Educator, Christal Earle
This is Part Four of a series of articles dedicated to teaching our children how to become global citizens.
Forgive me for getting personal for a moment, but there’s no way around it. Christal Earle, founder of Absolute Leadership Development, and her husband and co-founder Vaden, are my heroes. Their passion, and compassion, for those living in poverty, is moving and motivating. Their dedication to empowering youth to live with purpose and change the world, inspires a broader audience than the teens they work with.
Through Absolute, Christal and Vaden have created Hero Holiday, a program that allows high school students, corporate executives, and families alike, to experience humanitarian opportunities around the world. I encourage you to read this article, and check out their work online. You’re sure to find the resources you need to help your children become advocates for global good.
Chic Galleria: Why did you choose to target your organization to teens? What needs did you see in that community?
Christal: This may sound kind of crazy, but Adolf Hitler once said something that we have determined can be applied for all that is true and good: “If you turn the hearts of the youth, you can turn the hearts of the nation.” He was a deranged man with an evil agenda and a bad moustache, but there is a lot of truth to that statement.
We choose to invest in youth because they are already living life with so much passion, and they are looking for ways to express it and to make their mark on the world. They are able to see the bigger picture and are often a lot less tainted about the future than many adults.
CG: How does Hero Holiday prepare youth to be “global citizens” (Active, engaged, advocates for social change)?
Christal: With Hero Holiday, we really focus on two things: seeing change and being changed.
Yes, our humanitarian projects are making a difference through the schools, houses, community centres, etc. that we are building, but by far, the biggest change happens in the lives of our participants. It is very empowering to realize that you can make a difference.
When you become actively engaged in change, you become an advocate for what you have experienced. We focus on not only giving them the opportunity, but also in preparing them to take this opportunity and turn it into a lifestyle wherever they find themselves.
Youth today understand that we are all part of a global community and our Hero Holiday participants feel a special passion and conviction for what part they play in global hope and change.
Christal and her daughter, poised to change the world.
CG: What is social justice, and why should parents teach their children about humanitarian issues?
Christal: Now that I am a parent (we have recently adopted a 5 year old Haitian daughter), I see the incredible power of passing on a legacy to the next generation. I want my daughter to grow up in a world where she is one of the agents of change because she saw that in us. We took the time to expose her to not only what is going on in the world around her, but also to give her opportunities to experience how she can be a part of making it a better, safer, more just world.
Social justice isn’t so much about what others are experiencing as it is about where we choose to position ourselves. If we really see that we are all in this together, then our kids will pick that up from us. If we recognize that we all have a responsibility, and that it is a privilege not a burden, then I truly believe that we become what we live. Rather than looking at it like teaching them, I would call it, ‘including them’.
CG: What are some easy ways that families can help those in need in developing nations?
Christal: The possibilities are so endless that it may seem kind of intimidating to know where to start! So, to help break it down, I always tell people start with what you know. For example, educate yourself and your family about where your money is being spent, and on whether there are fair labour practices involved. Start with the basics: coffee, chocolate, sugar, clothing and learn for yourself the difference that happens when you buy fairly traded products.
Also, we are firm believers in child sponsorship in Absolute. My husband and I have worked with both Compassion and World Vision in particular, and have seen firsthand how much it affects a child, and family’s, life and future. There are a lot of great sponsorship programs out there to choose from, and it is a great project to do as a family.
Another great way for families to help those in need in developing nations is to volunteer together. Take a Hero Holiday, volunteer at a local immigration outreach program, learn a new language and culture together, and grow a passion together for a people group. Volunteer to be advocates for social justice programs in your area, and even learn about the UN Millenium Development Goals together.
Above all, EDUCATE yourself and find out what is going on in the world around you! Knowledge is power and that power could help save lives.
CG: Anything else you’d like to share?
Christal: I consider myself incredibly blessed to do what I do: I am a part of something that is making a difference. But recently, on one of our Hero Holiday trips, one of our student participants stood up to share how she was getting involved in social justice in her community, and she said something that I will continue to quote over and over again.
She talked about how, after such an incredibly powerful experience like Hero Holiday, she returned home and wondered if she would ever find any kind of opportunities to make a difference. And then she woke up one morning, looked in the mirror and said, “I am not waiting for the opportunity – I am choosing to be the opportunity today and every day from this point forward.”
I think that very eloquently frames what it is to live life in such a way that you leave a legacy of kindness, compassion and hope for the next generation: choose to be the opportunity every day.
Christal Earle, along with her husband, Vaden, is the co-founder and visionary of Absolute Leadership Development Inc., a not-for-profit organization that exists to empower emerging generations to change their world by living their lives with purpose. She has spoken to more than 800,000 youth and young adults across North America, Europe, South East Asia and the Carribean, and has partnered with organizations such as World Vision, Viva Network, the Red Cross and CASAA.
Part Two: Introducing Your Kids to Conservation: An interview with Environmental Educator, Dan Orr
Part Three: The Family Table: How You Can Teach Your Kids About Sustainable Eating
Bryna Jones is a writer, mother, blogger and humanitarian from Ontario, Canada. Formerly Creative Director for at a small branding company, she specializes in online communicationand social media. She is currently Advocacy Campaigns Coordinator for World Vision Canada. Follow her on Twitter @brynajones.
