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lanet Earth faces many challenges,

including poverty, peace, and

environmental health. Many problems

have local origins with global

consequences. Therefore, solutions

must be sought at the local level.

Organizations with missions to bring

benefit to society must think not only about

immediate and local problems, but think

holistically about issues facing the world and

seek local solutions that address current and

future global problems.

Organizations that understand how global

issues directly connect to their local mission

are better prepared to impact their community.

The Cabell Brand Center for Global Poverty

and Resource Sustainability Studies (The

Center) enacts “think globally, act locally”

by inspiring social responsibility and global

citizenship through education and outreach.

We provide opportunities for understanding

world resource issues and environmental

trends that threaten the planet and

undermine the human prospect, and facilitate

local efforts to address them. This mindset

reduces global problems to manageable size

and brings the understanding and creativity

of dedicated people to enhance the quality of

life for their neighbors and beyond.

To “think globally and act locally,”the Center:

Creates awareness of society’s most critical

and interrelated issues: use of world

resources, poverty; Translates awareness

into local action with public understanding

and participation; and Transfers to younger

generations the wisdom and experiences of

the older generation and the importance of

learning and participation.

To achieve this, the Center hosts public

forums, symposia, and workshops featuring

international, national, and local experts;

publishes articles; connects people and

organizations; promotes synergy among

organizations and encourages pooled

resources for collective impact; and funds

local research with global implications.

The Center has produced lasting impacts,

such as:

• Co-sponsored the first international

Cradle-to-Cradle (C2C) Home Building

Competition in environmental buildings,

leading to construction of a local C2C

home and groundbreaking book.

• Pioneered a rainwater harvesting

design and implementation program,

ensuring access to potable water/sanitary

wastewater for thousands of Virginians

and millions of rural Americans.

• Established the Shepherd Poverty

Program at Washington & Lee University,

which now places up to 60 students from

several colleges in two-month, full-time

internships with nonprofits.

• Facilitated a local Head Start program

with over 30,000 participants.

Our primary focus is on cultivating the

next generation of global thinkers and local

actors. We are inspired by civic generosity

among young people, who often express their

aspirations for personal career success while

leaving the world a better place! We provide

opportunities for college students to

study and participate in global issues

with local hands-on projects through

competitive scholarship and internship

programs. This is a way to involve

students, using real-world social and

environmental problems as hands-

on laboratories, to understand the nature of

these issues and inspire practical

solutions.To

date, the Center has awarded more than 500

scholarships, all toward planting the seed of

“think globally and act locally.”

What does

Think Globally, Act Locally

look like in your organization? Here are some

questions to inspire you:

• What are you working on to impact major

global issues?

• How do these issues affect local, regional

and global communities?

• Why are these issues important for

your local community and the global

community?

• How can you use your vision, mission,

goals and values to connect global issues

with your local community?

This is a journey without easy answers, but

those people and organizations will be better

prepared for the realities of the future and

better positioned to bring about lasting

societal change!

Dr. Tamim Younos is President and CEO of the Cabell

Brand Center. He has more than 150 publications

and most recently

Potable Water: Emerging Global

Problems and Solutions

and

Climate Change and Water

Resources

Ms. Angela Conroy, Executive Director of the Cabell

Brand Center, has provided senior environmental and

management advisory services to the U.S. EPA, DOE,

DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Army

Corps of Engineers, BLM, VA, NSA, and FEMA.

The Cabell Brand Center

Think Globally, Act Locally

Tamim Younos & Angela Conroy