FIGT Connections | Inspired Blogs From #FIGT15
|
FIGT CONNECTIONS
|
|
|
|
|
Become an FIGT Member Today! | | |
In March 2012, FIGT launched a new membership program,
click here to learn more or join today! |
|
2015 Conference Sponsors
| | |
PLATINUM
GOLD
BRONZE
|
|
|
|
Families in Global Transition is a welcoming forum for globally mobile individuals, families, and those working with them. We promote cross-sector connections for sharing research and developing best practices that support the growth, success and well-being of people crossing cultures around the world.
|
| INSPIRED BLOGS FROM #FIGT15 | |
We're moving into the season of upheavals and changes for expats. While some of us happily look forward to vacations, others are facing a move to another country. New home, new culture to learn or an old culture to re-learn, and perhaps again a new reinvention of self. It is the perfect timing to remind ourselves of our unique community; of our ability to find ourselves and our home. We give you the first part of a round-up of blog entries inspired by #FIGT15, about the emotions, perspectives and friendships inspired at the conference. * One of the first blog posts to be put up was an eloquent piece by Amber Godfrey, on the mix of feelings right after the conference: "This weekend was spent in rooms full of people who understand, without explanation or edit, where I've come from and where I'm going. This weekend was spent finding home." * Cristina Bertarelli, a 2014 Parfitt Pascoe Writer in Residence, shared a beautiful poem about the beginning of her journey as an expat. * According to Katja Vlachos: "The theme of this year's conference - "Finding 'Home' Amidst Global Change" - has occupied me for years. I have been researching, talking and writing about it and wanted to share some of that." At #FIGT15 she did just that in her concurrent session. Here she shares her passion for the topic and a summary of her presentation. * Andrew Kittell from ACS International Schools interviewed two experts at the conference, Katia Mace, a Ph.D. candidate at Cambridge, and Ellen Mahoney, Founder and CEO of Sea Change Mentoring and shares the video on his page on the ACS website. * "At FIGT, I found immediate and unspoken kinships with people. It was a singularly magical experience to be immersed in a community that understood my feelings because they had all experienced something similar," writes Lauren S Power, one of the 2015 Parfitt Pascoe Writers in Residence. * Lauren Owen, another FIGT15 Parfitt Pascoe Writer in Residence, was inspired: "As mobile as we are, and however much we end up dispersing across the globe, we as TCKs have a unique opportunity to make a difference in the world due to our backgrounds and global upbringing." * Taylor Murray also an FIGT15 PPWR writer, attended the session by Chris O'Shaughnessy "Changing our Concept of Home to Find Hope" to cover it, and came away deep in reflection on vulnerability in relationships and the unique quality TCKs bring to their communities. * Antje Rauwerda's fascinating blog entry discussed the possibility of re-defining the TCK term, raised at the Researcher's Forum by Ann Cotrell. She ponders the question further, as it was touched upon in her own panel on Third Culture Literature and Naomi Hattaway's 'I Am A Triangle' ignite session. Enjoy your reading! Next month we'll bring you more. |
| PREPARATION FOR #FIGT16NL CONTINUES! | |
FIGT's program committee is busy behind the scenes working on FIGT16NL, incorporating significant feedback from attendees of FIGT15, discussing possible themes and making adjustments. For example, we've pulled in more Board Members with specific subject matter interest and experience to help ensure our next conference's program is even bigger and better! As the event draws closer, we will be seeking proposals for the various types of talks (e.g., concurrent sessions, panels, ignite sessions, kitchen table conversations, etc.) that help make up the conference. If you're thinking about submitting a proposal, please have a look at the wide variety of topics and presentations addressed at the 2015 conference by checking out the schedule here. We'll be updating our official FIGT website, LinkedIn and Facebook pages, as well as creating Facebook Events, as more information becomes available about the conference.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: THE PAXTON COMPANIES | |
The Paxton Companies are committed to providing superior relocation, information and logistics management services to our local worldwide communities. With a dedication to quality and focus on improvement, we strive to serve clients in a manner that is both honest and responsible. While The Paxton Companies dates its birth to 1947 when Albert Lee Paxton established Paxton Van Lines in Washington D.C., the company's true beginnings go back to 1901 when Frederick D. Paxton founded the furniture moving business 'District Transfer,' with mules and donkeys providing all the hauling horsepower.After World War II, Albert Lee Paxton's one-truck company grew swiftly on the strength of the federal government's need for relocation services, fueled in part by the enactment of the Marshall Plan. During the 1950s, the company became an agent of Atlas Van Lines, the nation's second largest household goods carrier, allowing it to increase the scope of services offered beyond simple local moving and storage. By the 1960s, the company broadened its portfolio to include a wide array of commercial clients and office moving services. In 1971, Paxton Van Lines formally became The Paxton Companies, complete with an array of new business endeavors: Paxton Record Retention, Office Moving Division, Corporate Relocation Services and Paxton International. During the 80s, we undertook an agent-led buyout of Atlas Van Lines. With more than 500 agents, Paxton has been a perennial Top 10 booking agent for over 30 years. The Paxton Companies now service corporate, government and educational-sector clients around the globe while still retaining the individualized customer service of a small family-owned business. FIGT has been fortunate to have The Paxton Companies as a longtime supporter, not only of our organization and mission, but our annual conference as well. In addition to much-appreciated sponsorship, Mel Smith of Paxton did the honors of introducing keynote speaker Fanta Aw last year, and 'awed' the audience himself. We would like to thank The Paxton Companies for its significant financial and volunteer support, and looks forward to continuing our partnership in the years to come. Find them online at http://www.paxton.com/.
|
| FIGT AFFILIATE NEWS | |
FIGT Boston Affiliate
The FIGT Boston Affiliate meets every 6-8 weeks in a member's home on a weekend afternoon for wine, cheese, networking, and a lively discussion around cross-cultural issues that impact our lives or work. If you are in the Boston area and would like to know when our next meeting is, you can email Tina Quick at tinaquick@comcast.net or Anne Copeland at copeland@interchangeinstitute.org.
Also, the FIGT Boston Affiliate has now created a LinkedIn group and welcomes you to join. The FIGT Boston Affiliate LinkedIn Group is a place to share innovations, discuss ideas and develop collaborations amongst professionals in the Greater Boston area and beyond interested in the cross-cultural aspects of global transitions.
FIGT Korea Affiliate
Throughout the year, the FIGT Korea Affiliate organizes monthly meetings to support TCKs and expat families in Korea. For more information on the upcoming meeting, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/tcknetworkkorea/.
For more information about the FIGT Korea Affiliate, check out their page on the FIGT website or contact Isabelle Min at minisabelle@tck.or.kr.
FIGT Netherlands Affiliate
The FIGT NL Affiliate is thrilled #FIGT16NL is heading their way, with next year's FIGT global conference taking place in The Netherlands!
The most recent Affiliate meeting was held on June 5th, 2015, featuring Anne Parker and Diane Lemieux discussing their book, The Mobile Life. While previous meetings have been hosted by Expat Kids Club or The Expatriate Archive Centre, this meeting was hosted by Webster University, The Netherlands, the only U.S.-accredited university in The Netherlands offering both a BA/BS and MA/MBA education. Webster ensures high quality learning experiences that prepare students for global citizenship and individual excellence. Check them out online at www.webster.nl.
For more information about the FIGT Netherlands Affiliate, check out their page on the FIGT website or contact Co-Creators Kate Berger, Kristine Racina or Vivian Chiona at netherlands@figt.org.
FIGT Switzerland Affiliate
For information about the FIGT Switzerland Affiliate, check out their page on the FIGT website or contact them at switzerland@figt.org.
|
|
|
|
