BLI: Global Peace Leadership Experience

DIGNITY AND WELL-BEING IN THE WORKPLACE: A FRENCH PERSPECTIVE

BLI LEADERSHIP HABITS

A shared focus of BLI programs is the ten leadership habits. We invoke the idea of habit to signal that developing effective leadership takes sustained work and routine practice – until something becomes second nature. The Habits are crafted to be general and practiced with increasing complexity as circumstances require.

In most stories of individual leadership development, there is a moment where someone - a mentor, a boss, a friend - opens a door. We hope to give select Michigan students in our BLI community just these kinds of chances. Access to real unvarnished examples of leadership help to prepare the leaders of tomorrow to lead with humility and purpose.

Over U-M’s spring break, a select group of twelve students join BLI Director Ram Mahalingam and BLI staff on a one-week trip to France & Belgium.

The future of work depends on promoting dignity in the workplace for the sustainable success of organizations where employees are cultivated and valued. Through enriching experiential learning activities abroad, students will explore culture-specific labor practices and policies at the personal, organizational and societal levels that strive to promote dignity and well-being in a global workplace.

Students will examine the cross-cultural communication challenges of integrating immigrants and refugees in a multicultural workplace and explore historical experiments in France that promote labor dignity in organizations through enriching experiential learning activities.

As emerging leaders in a global work environment, this peace leadership program will provide unique opportunities to learn about the initiatives, challenges, and successes of labor unions’ role in promoting dignity, harmony, and wellness.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23

TRAVEL DAY

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24

FRANCE, PARIS

ITINERARY

15:00-17:00

MEETING: Trade Unions

MSE 194 bd de l’Hopital, Paris

SPEAKER: Stephane Le Lay

19:30

GROUP DINNER: Brasserie Vaudeville

29 Rue Vivienne, Paris

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25

FRANCE, PARIS

12:30

GROUP LUNCH: La Cantine Belleville

108 Boulevard de Belleville, Paris

19:30

TOUR:

Belleville la Rebelle, from the Paris Commune to undocumented migrants

GUIDE: Donatien Schramm

Belleville’s history is part of the long tradition of revolt, solidarity, and humanism. It was in Belleville that the last barricades of the Paris Commune fell. It was in Belleville that resistance to the occupier was organized from 1941, notably around the FTPMOI of the Red Poster, and again in Belleville that from 1972, “sans-papiers” demonstrated to obtain a work permit. (exploreparis.com)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26

FRANCE, PARIS-LILLE

Formerly a royal palace, the Louvre embraces eight centuries of French history. Intended as a universal museum since its creation in 1793, its collections – among the finest in the world – span several thousands of years and a territory that extends from America to the confines of Asia. The Louvre is a universal museum with eight curatorial departments: Egyptian Antiquities; Near Eastern Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities; Paintings; Sculptures; Decorative Arts; Prints and Drawings; and Islamic Art. Some 35,000 works of art are on display.

(parisinfo.com)

09:45

TOUR: Louvre Museum

Rue de Rivoli, Paris

20:30

GROUP DINNER

17:46

TRAVEL TO LILLE

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27

FRANCE, LILLE

From 1859 to 1884 at guise (Aisne), near his cast-iron stove factory, Jean-Baptiste André Godin built housing for 2,000 residents: the Familistère. This “People’s Palace” was one of the most ambitious social experiments of the industrialised world. The Familistère was a critical and original interpretation of Fourier’s phalanstery: a unique Utopian achievement which lasted until 1968, run by a cooperative association of capital and labour. After ten years of restoration and development as part of the Utopia project, the Familistère at Guise (still inhabited) is now a site museum portraying and questioning the pursuit of this ideals. (familistere.com)

ITINERARY

11:00-12:00

TOUR: Le Familistère, A Realized Utopia

Place du Familistere, Guise

12:30

GROUP LUNCH

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28

FRANCE, LILLE

09:30 - 12:00

MEETING:

Trade Unions, Labor Issues, and Collective Bargaining

SPEAKERS: François-Xavier Devetter, Lucas Fabre

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28

FRANCE, LILLE

12:30

GROUP LUNCH: Le Polder

250 Rue Roger Salengro, Hellemmes

14:30

TOUR

Vieux Lille (Old Lille)

The true Flemish soul of the city: strolling past the red brick buildings as you wind through narrow cobbled streets, you may feel as if you’ve stumbled into an old Belgian neighborhood

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1

FRANCE, LILLE

STUDENT MEET-UP IMT

12:00

GROUP LUNCH: IMT, World Cafe

GROUP DINNER: Melting Pot

3 Rue Anatole France, Lille

THURSDAY, MARCH 2

BELGIUM, HASSELT AND BRUSSELS

10:00

MEETING:

Negotiating gender equality in coordinated market economies: the role of social partners in regulating social reproduction

Hasselt University

Martelarenlaan 42, Hasselt

SPEAKER:

Veronika Lemeire

THURSDAY, MARCH 2

BELGIUM, HASSELT AND BRUSSELS

GROUP LUNCH

TOUR: Walking Tour of Brussels

18:15

TRAVEL TO LILLE

FRIDAY, MARCH 3

FRANCE, LILLE

09:30-12:00

MEETING: Migrant Issue

IMT room 201S

SPEAKER: Theo Scornet

12:30

GROUP LUNCH

Ascotel

7 Avenue Paul Langevin, Villeneuve-d’Ascq

SATURDAY, MARCH 4

TRAVEL DAY

BLI STUDENTS

Drue is a third-year student studying Linguistics and Cognitive Science. She plans to pursue a Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology after graduation. Outside of the BLI, she is a peer facilitator for the Global Scholars Program and the Pre-Speech and Hearing Club Vice President. Within the BLI, she works as a Leadership Teaching Fellow and an Applied Leadership Fellow while also pursuing the BLI Leadership Certificate. Being immersed in the BLI community and learning about peace leadership efforts during her time in GSP has led to an interest in this opportunity abroad. Overall, she is excited to learn from new experiences and apply this knowledge to her professional and academic endeavors on campus.

Sadie is a third year studying Environmental Science with a minor in Astronomy. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, and photography. She has been a part of BLI since freshman year! She started with ALA 171, worked as a Peer Facilitator for the course, and now is a part of the Social Transformation Fellowship. She looks forward to the Peace Leadership Program in France with other BLI students.

Vivian is a senior studying Sociology with a minor in Environment. She chose to study Sociology because she wants to be a part of an impactful change that will uplift underserved communities and be able to impact people on a personal level. A lot of her values and beliefs are reflected in peace leadership, and she feels driven to be involved in an organization that works as a collective to dismantle systems of oppression.

SADIE ESCH-LAURENT

Yena is a sophomore studying business and minoring in sustainability. She is currently a Co-Lead LTF for ALA 175/174, part of the 2nd Leadership Cohort, and participated in the Mindful Leadership Retreat in Fall 2022. Outside of the BLI, she is part of MA:E Magazine and Asian Students in Business (ASIB). Yena is interested in peace leadership and its application to push for a more sustainable future.

Ananya Mangla is a junior studying Economics and Quantitative Methods (QMSS), She is involved in Psychology Research, Michigan Research and Discovery Scholars, Michigan IASA, MBG, etc. She is interested to see the workplace dynamics and organizational leadership that takes place in Europe that enables them to feel balanced, at peace, and included. As an immigrant herself, she is also curious to understand the labor practices involving immigrants in France. She is really excited to travel internationally with her peers and discover the wonders of France.

Akhila is a sophomore studying economics in LSA with a hopeful minor in Ross and SI. After graduation, she hope to go to law school and eventually practice international law. Her area of interest includes developmental economics and labor which is why she is so excited to be participating in this trip. On campus, she is involved with her sorority as the Personnel Chair, Central Student Government as the Government Relations Coordinator, and an RA at Helen Newberry.

YENA KWON

ANANYA MANGLA

AKHILA MULLAPUDI

Renuka is a senior studying business administration and statistics. She has been involved in the BLI for four years as an Applied Leadership Fellow and a Leadership Transformation Fellow. She also has experience working with peace leadership as a member of the United Nations NPT delegation this summer. On campus, outside of the BLI, she’s involved in Capital Consulting Group, Green Wolverine, MA:E Magazine, and Michigan Sahana. In her free time, she enjoys reading/writing, running, dancing, and finding new things to be an amateur at. After graduation, she will begin a career in management consulting.

Rashmi is a junior studying economics and statistics and is very excited to be a part of this experience. As a part of her French classes, they discussed the cultural barriers faced particularly by immigrant workers when they try to integrate into society. She is excited to further explore this concept through experiential learning and believes that this would be an invaluable experience for her as an economics student who is interested in labor laws and macroeconomic policies.

Yeonkyoung is a second year studying Business and PPE. She is a Leadership Teaching Fellow for the BLI and is a member of the residential college’s Diversity and Politics group. She is passionate about learning new languages and is studying pronunciation in ELI through UROP. She is also interested in conducting research on refugees and migration which is why she is excited to attend the peace leadership fellowship. She believes that leadership requires people in power to hear the voices of people who have been ignored because of hardships, and she hopes to hear the stories of the refugees who make up the real Paris. She is looking forward to experiencing peace leadership in France.

RASHMI NAIR

MAS RAZAK

Mas Razak is a senior studying Economics and International Studies with a minor in Asian Languages and Cultures. Originally from Malaysia, Mas is passionate about minimizing social inequalities and tackling the issue by empowering economicallychallenged communities mainly through education. She is active in a few organizations working on education empowerment and student welfare here and in Malaysia. At the university, she is also a Research Fellow at the Nam Center for Korean Studies. Her interest in peace leadership has led her to help student organizations organize events educating people about different identities on campus through her involvement with the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs (MESA) as a student coordinator.

Allison is a sophomore studying business at the Ross School of Business with a minor in writing. She’s passionate about creating social change through business and writing stories that inspire and affirm human dignity. On campus, she’s a Peer Mentor for Ross, a member of Redefined (a Christian service club), and a Communications Intern for the Center for Law, Finance, and Policy. In her free time, Allison enjoys reading, blogging (medium.com/@alliwei), and baking way, way too many cookies. Allison is excited to go on the France Peace Leadership trip to learn more about how to integrate peace leadership into her business studies: learning about equitable labor practices and how to create meaningful work environments that promote the well-being of all.

BECKY WOOLF

Becky Woolf is a junior pursuing a Bachelor’s in Community and Global Public Health and Sociology of Health and Medicine. She is passionate about improving healthcare through data-driven solutions, centering the patient voice, and working towards health equity by addressing the social systems that are generating inequality. Becky is Principal Investigator at the Department of Learning Health Sciences, conducting research on how to equitably engage patients in healthcare improvement organizations. At the BLI, Becky is a Lead Leadership Teaching Fellow, a Social Transformation Fellow, and a member of the first Leadership Certificate cohort. Becky values peace leadership as an effective and holistic approach to addressing systemic issues like health inequity.

SHEA ANKERS ACADEMIC PROGRAM SPECIALIST

Shea coordinates global and domestic travel opportunities and manages grants and funding for student projects in the BLI.

As a first-generation college student studying Neuroscience and Religion & Culture at Virginia Tech, Shea found her passion for interdisciplinary education. This led to a move to Michigan to pursue a professional degree at the University of Michigan. As a graduate student, Shea held positions in the School of Information’s Office of Academic & Student Affairs, as a researcher for University Responses to Sexual Assault on Campus, and as a Graduate Assistant for the BLI’s Capstone Program. After receiving her Master’s of Arts in Higher Education, she served as a Community Center Manager for Residence Education at The University of Michigan.

ELIZABETH CAIN-TOTH COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST

Elizabeth manages the Applied Leadership Fellowship program, oversees the marketing and communication initiatives, and provides event support at the Barger Leadership Institute. A graduate of Eastern Michigan University, Elizabeth has a degree in Social Work.

An energetic and enthusiastic leader with countless years of event and marketing experience, she brings a widespread skill set, a keen eye for detail, and gregarious nature to the BLI. Elizabeth enjoys the collaborative environment of the BLI and the opportunity to work alongside the BLI students. She is committed to leading with compassion and strives to create an environment where students feel supported, empowered and valued.

Melissa serves as Chief Administrator to faculty directors in three units: Organizational Studies, Barger Leadership Institute, and the Center for Social Solutions. In these roles she is responsible for budget, finance, staff and faculty HR, and advancement. Melissa obtained her BA in German and Literary Studies from Middlebury College, VT and then worked in Germany in administrative roles for six years, including at an international professional exchange organization and as business manager for a software company. Upon her return to the US, she worked as a project coordinator for Harvard Translations Agency in Boston. She then pursued a Masters in Higher Education Administration at the U-M and began her 20+ year professional career at Michigan, working at the International Center (1994-97) and various offices in the College of Engineering (1997-2005). Melissa worked with faculty, staff, and students to conceive and launch the BLI back in 2007.

Ram Mahalingam received his PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. He was originally trained as a civil engineer and held more than 12 different jobs (math tutor, film script writer, children’s theater activist, poet, writer, lecturer, night watchman, dish washer, cook, book stacker and preschool teacher) including being a structural engineer for 8 years before becoming a psychologist. He is currently Professor of Psychology in the Personality and Social Contexts program at the University of Michigan. He is also a core faculty member of the Psychology and Women’s Studies Joint PhD program. He was the Director for the Honors Program in the Psychology department and the founding Director for the Accelerated Master’s Degree Program in Psychology. He is currently the Director for the Barger Leader Institute.

His research is centered around intersectionality - the way that different identities we embody intersect shape how we make sense of our lives. He pursues three lines of research: (a) Dignity and Invisibility in the workplace; (b) Mindfulness, social justice and leadership with a specific focus on interconnectedness; (c) Relationship between cell phones and self. He is the Director for the Mindful Connections Lab.

MELISSA ELJAMAL CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR

RAMASWAMI MAHALINGAM DIRECTOR

GRATITUDE

A great thank you to François-Xavier Devetter, professor of economics at the University of Lille and member of Clersé and IRES, for his time and dedication to helping us engage with speakers and students throughout Paris and Lille. We thank,

Stéphane Le Lay, a researcher at the Ecological Transition Agency and expert at the French Agency for Food, Environmental, and Occupational Health & Safety, for presenting in the Trade Unions talk.

Donatien Schramm led the Belleville la Rebelle tour, and helped us discover not only history, but stories of Belleville, which are part of the long tradition of revolt, solidarity, and humanism. Loup Bensoam for his assistance in translating the tour.

Lucas Fabre, a Ph.D. student in Economics Nord Europe whose studies focus on labor economics, professional relationships, social dialogue, working conditions, and work organization, for his participation in the Trade Unions, Labor Issues, and Collective Bargaining talk.

Veronika Lemeire, a doctoral researcher at the School of Social Sciences of Hasselt University, for her talk, Negotiating gender equality in coordinated market economies: the role of social partners in regulating social reproduction. Veronika’s doctoral research focuses on the gender equality potential of collective bargaining and the role of the social partners (trade unions and employers’ organizations) in the gendered transformation of the Belgian labor market since the postWWII period.

Andrea Hembise, Alan Ware, and Jérôme Guenez for coordinating our meeting with students from the University of Lille and conversations on Intercultural Communication.

Théo Scornet, a sociology PhD at the University of Lille, for his talk on Migrant Issues.

We highly value all of the speakers for sharing their time and experience with our students, and we are grateful for the generosity of the many people who made our France trip memorable.

- THE BARGER LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE