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The Selection Committee together with the Executive Committee have chosen the winner of the 2010 Henry Fong Award for contributing to Global Citizenship. The winner is Ms Philippa Ward, student at Flinders University, Australia. The Award was given to Philippa with the following citation:
Philippa Ward wrote a thoughtful essay, in which she reflected on the concept of Global Citizenship in a personal and insightful way. She viewed the truly diverse group of students at the INU Student Seminar as a microcosm of the world and concluded her essay and her thoughts on the Student Seminar with the following hopeful words: “I have come away from this whole experience knowing we must grasp any and every opportunity to break down the barriers, communicate, educate and believe in humanity so that when the real meaning of global citizenship is realised we can act for the greater good”.
Congratulations Philippa!
Through an e-interview with INU Project Officer, Kajsa Werlestål, Philippa shared some information about herself:
My name is Philippa Ward, I am 22 years of age and I live in Adelaide in South Australia. I was born in Perth and moved to Adelaide when I was very young and have lived in Adelaide ever since. I love travelling but have not yet been to South America or Africa but I would love to travel around both these continents in the not too distant future!
What do you study at Flinders and why did you chose Flinders for your University studies?
At Flinders I am undertaking a double degree; a Bachelor of Laws and Legal Practice and a Bachelor of International Studies. I chose Flinders because it has a very good law school and it’s also because it only take me about 15 minutes to drive there!
What made you want to attend the INU Student Seminar on Global Citizenship and Peace in Hiroshima this August?
I’ve always had an interest in international relations and the idea of global citizenship so when I heard about the INU student seminar I was very keen to attend, especially when I found out the focus for 2010 was humanitarian intervention. Previously I had learnt a bit about humanitarian interventions when I did a law elective (Human rights and the Law) and so I was eager to learn more about this very complex issue.
What was the highlight of the Seminar?
It was in Dr John Scherpereel’s workshop. Dr Scherpereel had us fill out a questionnaire, and then add up our scores. Each person’s score indicated whether they personally favored sovereignty (with a low score) as opposed to those who were more inclined to human rights (indicated with a high score). If I had been asked prior to filling out the survey if I was more inclined to basing decisions with human rights in mind or sovereignty in mind, I would have said I was in the middle range but with a definite lean towards human rights.
To my surprise my score was the lowest in the room. When we began to discuss why we answered questions in a certain way I defended my choices and I realised I actually do have deep respect and belief in sovereignty, which was reflected in my answers. It was a confronting experience to be viewed by the rest of the room as somewhat ‘anti’ human rights. As we continued to discuss our choices I began to appreciate how divergent our beliefs were, yet, here we were; students, from across the globe, with divergent opinions but with a shared and common desire for, and belief in, global citizenship.
Why did you chose Malmö for your exchange semester?
I have previously done a student exchange to Canada so when the opportunity arose to study abroad through the Henry Fong Award I really wanted to study in a non-English speaking country and I love Europe so Sweden seemed ideal. I did a bit of research and it seems Malmo University has a very high number of international students and offers a wide range of opportunities for them so I’m really looking forward to starting there in September 2011.
What are your plans for the future?
My plans keep changing! In the short term i want to practice as a lawyer in Australia but in the long term, a career in Foreign Affairs is definitely appealing. Whatever happens I hope to continue to travel the world.
The INU wishes Philippa the best of luck with her studies and plans for the future!