Currently, UWP is seeking songs from around the world that communicate world events, social issues, the hopes and desires of the next generation, as well as the timeless messages that UWP has stood for since 1965, including understanding among nations, the power of youth, and the power of music.

Original songs in all popular music styles will be accepted for consideration. The majority of UWP songs are delivered in English, so songwriters should take this into account.

The UWP show committee will evaluate all submissions. Songs selected by the committee will become the property of Up with People. Songwriters of selected songs must be willing to collaborate with UWP on song structure and arrangement.

For more information and submission guidelines, visit: http://upwithpeople.org/song-submission

by Shawn Dunning, D99.

Photo by David Owen

The crisp February breeze of South Texas swirled with dust, though no one flinched as we sat in a circle in the desert, reflecting; we were too focused on each other.  We had just finished nine days together on a grueling whitewater canoeing expedition, and as I looked into the eyes of six Israeli leaders and six Palestinian leaders, I was overwhelmed with familiar emotions.  They had started out with profound divisions.  For many, it was their first time interacting with someone from the other side that did not involve a weapon.  They struggled to steer canoes with unlikely partners, they laughed at unfamiliar jokes, and they cried with newly discovered compassion for others’ pain.  Simply put, these leaders of major organizations throughout the Holy Land came to know each other not as representatives of “the enemy” but as fellow human beings.  On this day, as each individual took a turn at reflecting on their new perspectives gained through their shared journey in the wilderness, words like friendship, appreciation, and even love came forth…

People often ask me how I got into the work I’m doing – conflict resolution training and coaching for leaders all over the world.  Invariably, a portion of my response includes an explanation of UWP and how my extraordinary experience on the road instilled important universal truths about humankind, possibilities, and hope.  My year in Cast D 1999 showed me how we humans have so much more in common than what appears to separate us; the walls we build really are only in the mind!  On top of that, by accomplishing seemingly impossible feats nearly every day, such as collaborating with a diverse group to put on a complicated show, we become convinced that anything can be possible…for a price.  And, perhaps most importantly, the deep friendships that developed between cast mates, host families, and citizens around the world fueled our hope for a future within reach that works for everyone.  UWP teaches that idealism and realism do not have to be mutually exclusive concepts, and, in my case, by the time our cast wrapped up, I had decided to pursue a career in international conflict resolution.

Today, as the director of Leadership & Training for Search for Common Ground , an international organization dedicated to transforming how the world deals with conflict, my job involves helping leaders learn how to understand differences while acting on commonalities, how to get what they need while also leading in a way that others get what they need. Whether working with civil society and political leaders in the Middle East, youth leaders in Kosovo, members of parliament in Indonesia, or members of Congress in the US, my approach is almost always the same, and it is grounded in a few tried and true principles that UWP teaches so clearly:  people are people, we are all capable of more than we think we are, and we are all capable of changing for the better.

…In the case of the Palestinian-Israeli whitewater canoeing expedition, what had changed during these short 9 days?  As we sat in the desert, everyone knew that serious conflict awaited them back home, and everyone knew that no simple solutions existed.  They still had their political allegiances and individual aspirations. Yet they also felt compelled with a new-found desire to find peaceful ways forward—even if they could not easily see what that might look like.

The reality of this work is that peace is a process; it doesn’t just happen overnight.  My colleagues and I are encouraged by the fact that the leaders we have been working with have continued to stay connected since the original expedition over two years ago.  In fact, just recently, some of the participants from the Texas expedition joined up with a group of political leaders whom we had convened last year in Spain and we all went on a sea kayaking expedition in Finland!  In this case, it was the leaders—not us—who took the initiative to plan the alumni expedition.  Indeed, the walls we build really are only in the mind…

Shawn is the Director of Leadership & Training of the international conflict resolution organization, Search for Common Ground (www.sfcg.org).  He can be reached at sdunning@sfcg.org.

by Grant Axton, A87

There are singular moments in history that are burned into the fabric of the American people and perhaps even people of the world. Moments like the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, and more recently, the destruction of the World Trade Center twin towers. However, a seminal moment in US history that rattled the very existence of the United States was the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November of 1963. Ask anyone born prior to 1957 where they were the day the President got shot and they not only know what you are referring to, but can answer you without thinking twice.

I was not born before 1957, but I heard the stories and read about it in my history books growing up. I knew the significance of the day. Or at least I thought I did until I had the chance to meet history first hand and relive the events of that fateful day from the men who were closest to the President, literally.

Most of my 15 years working in television production has been spent working on forgettable reality TV shows, but when I was finally presented with an opportunity to meet the men of JFK’s secret service detail for a Discovery Channel documentary, it was an opportunity not to be missed. The show was based on a book written by Gerald Blaine called “The Kennedy Detail”, and would bring together as many of the men still living that were part of JFK’s Camelot years and responsible for his protection. The idea was to gather the men together in Dallas, Texas for a small reunion and a chance to openly discuss the events of the day from so long ago. Seven men were physically able to travel and willing to participate.

Included in this group of men was an agent that was in the lead car of the motorcade and responsible for planning the parade route through Dallas, two men in the follow-up car who were the agents directly responsible for the President and his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, and one agent who was based in Washington, DC on “Kiddie Detail” protecting JFK’s daughter, Caroline, who was on her way to her first sleepover at a friend’s house. Many of these men had never returned to Dallas in the 47 years since the assassination, let alone openly discuss their involvement and feelings about the day. That was not a masculine thing to do in the 1960’s and post-traumatic syndrome had yet been fully identified.

After a reunion lunch to dispense of the formalities, we left for Dealey Plaza and the 6^th Floor Museum in the old book depository building.  I love the moments in life where chills run up and down your back as you realize the significance of the moment. There I stood, in the middle of the street, next to a 1963 Black Continental convertible, on the painted “X” where JFK was fatally shot, looking up at the 6^th floor window where Lee Harvey Oswald took away our innocence while speaking to Clint Hill, the man who jumped on the back of the President’s car two seconds too late to save his life. The enormity of the moment was not lost on any of the crew or the agents in attendance.

After several days of interviews, we took the production to Washington, DC to the eternal flame at the JFK Memorial in Arlington Cemetery. Finally, in a somber moment, Clint Hill was allowed to reflect on the events from long ago and realize that he was merely a pawn in the events of that day, unable to change what happened. The rumors and conspiracies will never end, but for one brief moment in time I had a brush with history, and for that I am eternally grateful.

(“The Kennedy Detail” book by Gerald Blaine can be found online and in bookstores.  “The Kennedy Detail” documentary aired on The Discovery Channel in December 2010.)

The Kennedy Detail was nominated for a News & Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Historical Programming – Long Form. Presented by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the 32^nd Annual News & Documentary Emmy Award winners will be announced on Monday, September 26 in New York City.

by Charlotte Uhler, C87, Sweden

Prague was the best EAM ever…as they say in final Olympic speeches.

Birger Husted, A87, Dane living in Prague and Marek Hlaváč, B09, from the Czech Republic, put together a phenomenal mix of what an EAM can be. Four days with get-togethers, music, singing, community involvement, partying, sightseeing and the annual meeting about our alumni clubs and Up With People in general.

Nearly 80 alumni from almost 20 countries were all very touched by the great atmosphere and the number of new friends we all had made. The EAM definitely has an important role in keeping local alumni together and building new networks and connections. Myself and many other Swedes talked on our journey home about the urge to make more of our European cast mates join us at next year’s event.

The EAM is something more than our 5-year reunions. It’s more about spending time and sharing views with alumni we do not know. What we have in common is the Up with People experience and a true way of including one another in a bit different way from ordinary life.

Some already joined on Thursday and gathered for dinner and beer in town or at the hotel. Our Facebook group for the EAM was a great tool to keep us posted and make arrangements with alumni arriving.

On Friday, the team had planned different sightseeing and historical tours. I went on a tour to a castle and made friends with alumni from the US and Canada who combined joining the EAM with their trips to Europe. In the afternoon, most alumni joined the guided tour through the old town of Prague.

In the evening, Birger and the Czech crew hosted the welcome reception at the hotel. A crazy night filled with music, talks and a brilliant time with new faces. Our tour guide liked us so much that she joined us the whole weekend.

On Saturday, we joined the Rotary Dragon Boat race at one of the river islands in central Prague. We raised money for children in need and a number of alumni performed on stage at the event. There was true international UWP talent and community involvement - just like the old days on tour. The Rotary was stunned by how much money we raised and the way we just “did it”.  In total the Dragon Boat event raised $30,000 USD.

In the afternoon, most joined the official UWPIAA meeting with presentations from the European alumni clubs and we talked online live with Alain Thiry. Marie Tobler from Switzerland was elected new European Alumni Representative and big applause to Sebastian Hesse from Germany who was the previous European Alumni Representative.

The evening was magical. We cruised in beautiful settings in a boat on the Vlatva River in the middle of Prague. Dinner, partying and dancing like Uppies can…all night. And, of course, we had more Czech beer at the hotel in the late hours. I felt like I was in a fairytale all night. Prague has so much culture and to spend it with great friends was a special experience.

Sunday, our last day together, we went to the Vysehrad castle area to learn more about the Prague history and finished with the big Uppie-hug-goodbye-hour. I was truly filled with new energy and struck by the openness of the Prague alumni group. Some of us knew a few people from before, but most joined for the first time and made new friends - a network worth building with so many good people.

Join Us in 2012!

The EAM annual meeting has become a terrific venue for European alumni to connect or reconnect with friends and other people from all over Europe. An EAM is held once a year in the Spring or early Summer in a European country where there are alumni willing to plan it.

When dates and city of the EAM 2012 are set during the Fall of 2011, the information will be posted at www.UWPIAA.org and www.UWPEAM.com. The tentative plans are to host EAM 2012 in Stockholm when/if the Up with People cast is in town, or in Tallin.

Thank you for a great weekend in Prague!