CNS STORY: College students turn compassion to action as CRS ambassadors

CRS AMBASSADORS Sep-29-2009 (790 words) With photo. xxxi

College students turn compassion to action as CRS ambassadors

By Sheila Archambault
Catholic News Service

BALTIMORE (CNS) -- Instead of dreaming about solving some of the world's great humanitarian problems, about 40 Catholic college students have decided to take action.

Filled with compassion and a fierce dedication to service, students from Cabrini College and Villanova University, both outside Philadelphia, answered the call to spread awareness of global humanitarian issues to their college campuses and in their communities.

For their efforts, they were commissioned "CRS ambassadors" at Catholic Relief Services headquarters in Baltimore Sept. 11.

In a time that is deeply touched by terrorism, this generation has a special mission to make sure fear will not tear communities apart, said Dominican Sister Arlene Flaherty, a member of the justice and peace partnership liaison at CRS, the U.S. bishops' international relief and development agency.

Terrorism leads to fear and tends to break people and communities apart, Sister Arlene said.

Instead of succumbing to xenophobic feelings, the CRS student ambassadors are working to spread awareness about international humanitarian issues affecting many people living in developing countries, she told the group of students at the Baltimore training seminar.

The Cabrini College Web site says CRS ambassadors are students "who are committed to learning about global humanitarian issues that impact the poor around the world" and work to "raise other students' awareness and involvement."

The ambassadors choose to focus on one topic, which can be food security, HIV and AIDS, economic justice through fair trade, migration, microfinance or peace-building.

"Becoming a CRS ambassador is really the best thing college students can do for themselves," said Brittany Mitchell, a former CRS ambassador and recent graduate of Cabrini College.

"It's really amazing the knowledge you obtain from participating in this program," Mitchell told Catholic News Service. "The organization taught me more than any book or news program. They really opened up my mind and my heart to the world.

"As a recent graduate, I intend to take the knowledge and compassion taught by CRS and apply it to my life outside of college," she added.

Chris Cantwell, vice president of the Cabrini CRS ambassador organization, said the program is unique because there are "very few established groups on campus that deal with international humanitarian, social and economic issues."

Cabrini students Beth Briggs and Emily Dispoto focus on food security. Dispoto said one thing the group wants to explain is the "difference between people who are hungry and people who are food insecure."

She believes this information will encourage her fellow students "to pitch in and help."

Mary Laver, director of international partnerships at Cabrini College, said the difference between hunger and food security is "that 'hunger' refers to an endemic long-term deprivation of nutrition needed to survive. 'Food security' refers to cyclical and often unpredictable cycles of deprivation of access to adequate nutrition. For example, in some parts of the world people are able to eat adequately during the harvest or when there is civil peace -- but not when a natural disaster or civil unrest deplete either resources or access to resources."

Villanova University student Laura Collins, who is focusing on HIV and AIDS, said she believes the CRS partnership with her school benefits students because it provides access to informational Web sites, speakers and advocate training.

The joint venture also helps students spread knowledge about key international issues to their contemporaries.

Collins opted to focus on HIV and AIDS because it "affects our community and other communities around the world." To stress that point on campus, Collins said the group plans to invite speakers to talk about the pandemic, set up information tables and distribute brochures at events.

Cabrini College's ambassadors plan to help annihilate stigmas and misconceptions about HIV and AIDS through education and "prayer pills," candy that signifies the numerous pills an HIV patient takes each day. The student will have to follow a strict schedule and take one "pill" at different times during the day. The ambassadors hope this will help show what it's like to deal with HIV.

In addition to introducing students to international humanitarian issues, the CRS ambassador program helps students stay on top of legislative issues and gives them experience lobbying their lawmakers.

Last year 33 students from Villanova and Cabrini lobbied their representatives for foreign assistance and additional funding for food aid during a trip to Capitol Hill, said CRS officials.

Though Villanova University student Shanna Corey said her tenure as a CRS ambassador gave her greater sensitivity to international humanitarian issues, she said she also believes the experience directed her toward a future professional life focused on migration and immigration issues.

Cabrini and Villanova are currently the only U.S. campuses to have CRS ambassadors; CRS officials said they hope the program will expand to other interested colleges.

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