Since August, when the MGG Academy started in Bonn, participants from different countries have exchanged perspectives and knowledge. At the same time, they have developed new competencies and built a strong we-identity which will also link them to the MGG network in the future.
©Till Budde
From August to December 2023, the Managing Global Governance (MGG) Academy , a dialogue and training programme for young professionals facilitated by IDOS, has taken place in Bonn at IDOS. During the three and a half months of the MGG Academy, the participants from Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Germany, Mexico Romania and South Africa exchanged about questions of global governance, sustainable development, and international cooperation. At the same time, they developed their competencies further and worked jointly on practice-oriented projects.
As in previous years, the objective of the MGG Academy was to support the participants in their role as change agents. They discussed grand sustainability challenges, such as social-ecological transformation, climate justice and digitalisation, and reflected on their own position as change agents in leadership seminars. In joint change maker projects, the participants translated learnings into practice. A study trip to Brussels and a stay in Berlin for the “International Futures” programme, co-organised with the Federal Foreign Office, completed the programme of the MGG Academy. During the Global Network Conference in September, participants established first contacts to alumnae and alumni as well as partners of the MGG Network.
In order to make the learning journey as attractive as possible, the MGG Academy uses a large range of different exchange formats and creative methods. For Roland Müller, participant from Romania, this variety of learning approaches was most beneficial, while Si Peng, participant from China, emphasises the exchange of perspectives: “The MGG Academy is the most interactive training programme I have ever participated in”.
Next to the exchange on topics, the MGG Academy aspires to inspire empathy, understanding and trust among participants. A strong sense of connection provides a basis for respectful dialogue even on contested topics – not only on the smaller scale of the Academy, but also on the level of global governance for sustainability. “You create friends, you create bridges, you create networks that are sustainable“, Alexandra Gurgel Valente da Costa, participant from Brazil, shares about her MGG experience. Lesedi Madi from South Africa adds: “Tap into every single network that you can in order to create the change that you want to see in the world”.
The official farewell ceremony takes place in BMZ on 1 December. After the joint time in Bonn, Fisca Aulia, participant from Indonesia, sums up: „Our learning journey was intense, but it was also fun and enjoyable”.
Applications for the next MGG Academy open in mid-January 2024.
