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Alive & Free Around the World – Dr. Marshall's Travels AbroadAlive & Free: Thailand
I'm off on another adventure. To another place I've never been. In another part of the world I've never been to. The mission is the same though—to help keep young people Alive & Free. So of course I'm going. I'm a Street Soldier and this is what I live for. One thing already makes this trip different from the others. On my previous excursions abroad (Nigeria, South Africa, Canada), I'd been sponsored by the speakers bureau of the U.S. State Department, usually at the request of somebody in the country I'm going to visit. This invitation however, came from an agency of the Thai government – the Office of the Ombudsman... Alive & Free: South Africa – The 2nd Time Around
In March of 2009, I got the opportunity to go to South Africa again. It wasn't a long trip this time—only six days. But the program was growing there and a second training was needed. I was glad to go back. "...Llowellyn has asked me to come do an Alive & Free Training Institute. He thinks he's got some more people ready to do the work. It's apparent that things have moved along pretty well since my first visit. Llowellyn's Ubomi Foundation ("Ubomi" means "Life") is up and running and they have been working with kids and building partnerships all over Cape Town..." The Work Begins In Cape Town by Ms. Estell
"Every now and then, journeys begin long before one sets foot on the boat, plane, train, or whatever the mode of travel. For me, the journey to Cape Town, South Africa began the moment the decision was made. It was during a break at the Street Soldiers National Consortium Retreat in February 2008, when Dr. Marshall and Llowellyn Syce (who flew in from South Africa to attend the retreat), made the decision. Dr. Marshall's trip in November, laid the ground work when he went all over South Africa spreading the word and kicking off the movement – The Alive and Free Movement. It was not only historic, but also a series of glorious events. The prescription for staying alive and free was given, shared and presented by Dr. Marshall via radio, television, face to face, in every form imaginable, and culminating in the first 'Alive and Free Conference, held in Cape Town, the crown jewel of South Africa. Expectations were exceeded and people wanted more. South Africa was ripe and ready to receive the training..." Alive & Free: Canada
In October of 2008 the State Department came calling again. This time I was asked to travel to Canada to lecture on "Youth at Risk and the Prevalence of Guns and Violence in Schools." It seems that youth violence has been on the rise there. I will be going to Toronto, Montreal and Halifax, and speaking at universities, schools and community centers. It's really an honor to be asked to do this again. The trip is only a week and I've never been to Canada, so I'm really excited to go. I get a chance to bring Omega and Alive & Free to a whole new country. Sometimes it's hard for me to believe all that's happening, but I've learned by now to accept the things that God throws my way. After all, I asked for this. So like the Temptations say — Canada, get ready — cause here I come. Alive & Free: SwitzerlandIn August 2007, Dr. Marshall and Omega Boys club member Kareem Ervin were invited to attend a week long conference in Caux, Switzerland. Sponsored by the Initiatives of Change — the global trust-building network — the event was entitled "Can integrity, respect and justice lead to dignity for all?" and was attended by people from over 60 different countries. Here is Dr. Marshall's journal of the trip. Alive & Free: South Africa
In November 2007, I was asked by the U.S. State Department's Bureau of International Information Programs to travel to South Africa to lecture on "Violence Prevention Programs for Youth." It was my second trip to Africa via the State Department, the first having been to Nigeria in 2005. The official request stated that, "crime rates in South Africa are the highest in the world in some categories. It is estimated that the majority of crimes involve young men. Disadvantaged communities in the Western Cape are particularly plagued by gang violence, drugs and domestic violence. The high crime rates discourage investors, tear apart the social fabric, bleed away the hope for a better future and generally make it almost impossible to tackle intransigent problems such as unemployment, and sexually transmitted diseases. Social workers and community leaders who work with at risk youth in the Western Cape participated in a conference in Birmingham, Alabama in November 2006, put on by Dr. Marshall and were so impressed that they resolved then and there to bring him to South Africa. His is a message of hope with a practical plan."Here is the story of my bringing Omega Boys Club/Street Soldiers and the Alive and Free Movement to South Africa. Press Clippings:
Alive & Free: Nigeria
In November of 2004, the Public Affairs Section of the United State Embassy in Nigeria requested that Dr. Marshall serve as the keynote speaker for the Martin Luther King, Jr. observances in Abuja and Lagos. In addition, they also requested that he conduct workshops on leadership and youth empowerment in the country, the objective being: "...to strengthen democratic practices and institutions...while continuing our emphasis on reaching younger, wider audiences, a key Washington priority."It was a great day and a wonderful opportunity for the Omega Boys Club! |
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