The RESULTS International Conference "Surpassed all expectations"


August 21, 2012
by Luke Record, RESULTS REAL Change advocate

The International Conference surpassed all expectations I had going in. The quality of presenters as well as the passion among the RESULTS members made it a truly wonderful experience. I was first introduced to RESULTS at Fairfield University, where I am currently a junior, in the Fall of 2011.  Here group leaders from New York, Joanne DiDato, and Connecticut, Nancy Gardiner, Phyllis Behlen and Sandra Eagle, as well as Global Grassroots Manager, Ken Patterson, came to discuss the power of advocacy. My colleagues and I were taught how to do a laser talk and how crucial it is to hold our government accountable. After this meeting, a few of us took it upon ourselves to start up a RESULTS chapter on campus. With the support of the local RESULTS chapter in Fairfield County, we have been able to have face-to-face meetings with Connecticut representatives, such as Chris Murphy.

The International Conference has empowered me in so many ways. It has given me a much stronger knowledge base than I had prior to attending the conference. With speakers like Dr. Jeffrey Sachs and Dr. Dean Baker, you get a truly professional outlook on the current circumstances and an inside scoop as to what exactly is being done. RESULTS does such an amazing job preparing its members for meetings with Congress by providing us with facts and statistics that are pertinent to the fields we feel most passionate about, including but not limited to, microfinance, education and global health. Many of the speakers at the Conference emphasized the importance of integrating many different approaches in trying to end global poverty. At the Congressional Reception, numerous representatives, such as Barbara Lee of California, stated just how influential RESULTS has been in their decision making and how much they enjoy hearing from RESULTS activists. What makes RESULTS so special is the variety of people involved. I was lucky enough to make many new friends who I know will be critical in our pursuit of justice. The International Conference was a major stepping-stone in terms of my advocacy training, but it is the commitment and resiliency shown by RESULTS on a day-to-day basis that provides me with the skills and conviction I need to do the best I can in fighting for the end of global poverty.

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