My hope for the future is...

At last week's Blue Marble Bash, FIUTS celebrated the things that bring us together with an inspiring evening of student speakers, great conversation, and support for our mission and community. The event raised funds to support cross-cultural understanding and global student leadership through FIUTS. We are so grateful to everyone who contributed!

During the evening, guests were invited to write their hopes for the future on cards that we then displayed on a large bulletin board:

And here are some of the hopes that people wrote:

"Peace and understanding, compassion, kindness, forgiveness. Passion and celebrating difference!"

"For my children to never feel isolated from a community, for them to be comfortable in their skin, and for them to have the power to be proud of their heritage."

"No war, only peace. No discrimination, only unity."

"Everyone has the opportunity for education and pursue their passion to make this world a better place!"

"People will grow in empathy and understanding of each other."

"That humanity becomes more humane."

"Mother nature remains as beautiful as possible for all future generations."

"That all human needs are met so that we may spend our time giving, learning, and creating."

"I hope that everyone starts to realize differences are good (only when it doesn't cause harm). It's so beautiful when we can learn new things from others! No one person knows everything. We must learn from one another."

"That one day everyone can sit down to dinner together at the same table in friendship. It's hard to be mad at someone when sharing a good meal."

"For everyone to listen, learn, empathize and hope -- to travel across boundaries both international and internal."

"A world where people are allowed to be themselves first."

"That we all feel safe enough that we can thrive."

"That all human needs are met so that we may spend our time giving, learning, and creating."

"For everybody to meet and make a new friend from a different country at least once a month!"

"Peace, harmony, an end to hunger, disease, and poverty. Climate change reversed, biodiversity preserved."

"For my children to live in a world where the earth is seen as a treasure to care for, each child is seen as a shining star, and everyone believes that diversity is key to our future."

"That we are never afraid to reach out to those whom we don't yet understand."

"Love and compassion without boundaries."

"We all embrace each other as human beings, together, regardless of skin color, religion, or imaginary borders."

"That one day there will be no need for human rights organizations that enforce their protection because we will all accept and celebrate differences and diversity. We will all live in peace in a wonderful garden."

If you didn't attend the Blue Marble Bash but want to support diplomacy, dialogue, and action for a more peaceful world through FIUTS, please consider donating through the GiveBIG campaign on May 10 - you can schedule contributions starting April 27! Click here to go directly to the FIUTS page on the GiveBIG website and schedule your gift. Thank you for your support!