International humanitarian Alison Thompson, along with Fulbright foreign language teaching assistants, Bahia Braktia from Algeria and Ayumi Yamamoto from Japan, made presentations. Maria Cristina Santana, director of UCF’s Women’s Studies Program, moderated the forum.

The event, which was organized by the UCF Global Perspectives Office, was the sixth annual forum on Women and Leadership: A Global Perspective. More than 100 people heard how each of these women has grown as a leader through service to others.  

Yamamoto attributed her growth as a teacher and leader to a trip to Cambodia, where she saw many children who did not have the access or the ability to attend school. In Japan, where she was an English teacher, Yamamoto felt her students did not seem to care about their education. When she shared the story about Cambodia with her Japanese students, however, Yamamoto said she saw a change in them and their study habits. It was that point that she realized how a teacher’s rich experiences could broaden students’ horizons.

Braktia described her experience with breaking down barriers for herself and others like her as a testament to leadership. She suggested that despite women’s active role in achieving Algeria’s independence half a century ago, they are often regarded as “too fragile to take care of themselves.”

After initially encountering resistance from certain family members who doubted her ability to succeed as a teacher in her third language, English, Braktia described how circumstances have changed, including a request from her brother to help a friend with her own Fulbright application. At that moment, Braktia said, she realized that her journey was inspiring others to take the initiative.

Unlike Yamamoto and Braktia, who both mentioned that they did not consider themselves leaders until they saw the effects they were having on others, Thompson suggested that being a leader sometimes requires simply stepping up when no one else does.

“It’s being in the wrong place at the right time,” she said, as she reflected on helping treat wounds and provide relief at ground zero in New York City on September 11, 2001. Thompson stressed that anyone can take that first step, suggesting that “you don’t need a master’s degree to hand out water or hold someone’s hand.”

Drawing parallels between her aid work at the World Trade Center, in Sri Lanka after the 2004 tsunami, and in Haiti after that country suffered an earthquake in 2010, Thompson marveled that “people find themselves when they volunteer.” She mentioned in her book, “The Third Wave,” that “saving lives used to be the turf of superheroes and comic strip characters, but now we know that anyone can do it.”

Thompson said the key to reaching out is to start small and do what makes sense. She urged the audience to put their thoughts into action, and action into improvement.

“Dare to reinvent the world,” she said, “because the future, more than ever, needs your help.”

In addition to the Global Perspectives Office, sponsors and partners included Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jay Garner, UCF Student Government Association, UCF Women’s Studies Program, UCF Center for Success of Women Faculty, UCF Burnett Honors College, Lawrence J. Chastang and the Chastang Foundation, UCF Political Science Department, UCF LIFE, UCF Book Festival 2013 in Association with the Morgridge International Reading Center and the Global Connections Foundation.

Presentations will be given by international humanitarian Alison Thompson and two Fulbright foreign language teaching assistants, Bahia Braktia from Algeria and Ayumi Yamamoto from Japan. The forum will be moderated by Maria Cristina Santana, director of UCF’s Women’s Studies Program.

Thompson’s international volunteer work earned her the Order of Australia, the highest civilian medal awarded by Queen Elizabeth II of England. Her documentary film, The Third Wave, focuses on her experience volunteering in Sri Lanka after the 2004 tsunami. It premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival in New York and was shown at at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.

Braktia and Yamamoto are teaching Arabic and Japanese, respectively, this year at UCF. Both host periodic cultural events that help students learn more about language and culture outside the United States.

In addition to the Global Perspectives Office, sponsors and partners of this forum include Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jay Garner, UCF Student Government Association, UCF Women’s Studies Program, UCF Women’s Research Center, UCF Burnett Honors College, Lawrence J. Chastang and the Chastang Foundation, UCF Political Science Department, UCF LIFE, UCF Book Festival 2013 in Association with the Morgridge International Reading Center and the Global Connections Foundation.

The presentations are part of the office’s mission to sharpen UCF’s international focus. Global Perspectives recently celebrated 10 years of advancing global initiatives at the university and is entering its second decade with a robust programming schedule.

Each event connects to the office’s annual theme for 2012-2013, “The Changing Face of Freedom in Today’s Turbulent Times.” The theme is a natural development from last year’s: “People Power, Politics and Global Change.”

Kicking off the season are two speakers who soften serious observations about political crises with a bit of humor. Doug McMarlin and Jason Recher will share their experiences as conservative political strategists and former White House aides. Drawing from their inside look at how the White House handles national and global crises, the duo will discuss lessons for political leaders.

The event will be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept.  4, in the Cape Florida Ballroom of the UCF Student Union.

This semester’s other highlights, which are free and open to the public, include:

For a full list of upcoming events or to learn more about the Global Perspectives Office, visit .