Global Faith in Action College brings together students of different faith traditions on the Wichita State University campus. This spring we are installing the first student artwork in Shocker Hall and taking a large group of students to Haiti for an Alternative Spring Break trip. We also have started an internship program called "Kansas Peace Ambassadors" for college students wanting experience leading projects and learning about interfaith.
Peace Pole Project and Dedication Ceremony
On April 23, 2015 Global Faith In Action College dedicated their "Peace Pole" project in Shocker Hall Courtyard at Wichita State University. “The peace pole is the first student sculpture permanently installed at WSU and demonstrates our commitment to work together for the common good. Chandler Williams, president of Global Faith in Action College said it is important to remind each other that today more than ever we must learn to stand together or we will all fall. The Peace Pole Project is an international movement that started after the bombing of Hiroshima. Communities all over the world have planted large poles with the words May Peace Prevail on Earth written in different languages on all sides. There are tens of thousands of peace pole in 180 countries around the world. Today, student and community organizations gather around the Peace Pole, sometimes in silence, sometimes with prayers for peace. The Peace Pole project was sponsored by Global Faith in Action, a local non-profit, and seven WSU-affiliated co-sponsors. It was designed and built by the WSU Sculpture Guild student group. You can view a very meaningful video students made to publicize the dedication of the Peace Pole here:
Sponsor: Global Faith in Action College Co-Sponsors: Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Office of Student Engagement, Student Government Association, Sculpture Guild, The Ulrich Museum, Student Involvement, School of Art, Design and Creative Industries at WSU, Campus Ministry Connect.
Haiti Alternative Spring Break 2014
Unification, hope and transformationare few of the words that come to mind when thinking of our most recent trip to Haiti this spring; unification of the Haitian and Wichita State students, hope for the Lambert community that continues to develop and the powerful transformation of our participants. This year we decided to start the first phase of a landscape project that consisted of our volunteers working alongside Haitian volunteers to build a patio in front of the main entrance to the Lambert Baptist Church. We sweat, laughed, ached and celebrated with each other when we saw the fruits of our labor at the end of the week.
We also provided free clinic days to members of the Lambert community thanks to the supervision of a U.S. doctor and nurse joined by WSU nursing students. Great gains were made in furthering the development of the clinic and looking at possible ways to prioritize the clinicâs purpose for the community.
Every year new volunteers sign up for the trip in order to make a difference in the lives of our Haitian brothers and sisters. What they end up realizing is that really, they are the ones that leave transformed. This past trip we have received heart-filled testimonies from many of our college participants overwhelmed at the impact Haiti had on their lives. Since the trip, I am constantly reminded of the special moments we shared this past spring in Haiti; whether it is something as simple as loading bricks into a wheelbarrow or relocating a never-ending pile of sand we did it together as a team. When I looked at the final outcome of the patio, I couldn't help thinking about the endless possibilities and promise awaiting our next trip to Haiti. The work in Haiti is never done; there are always more volunteers that are in need of a transformation. -Chandler