George Washington University students embarked on a trip around the world, Sunday, without leaving the comfort of University Yard. AIESEC, a global youth network that provides professional and volunteer experiences to students and recent graduates, partnered with the GW Program Board, the GW Office for Study Abroad and Student Exchange and the Student Association at The George Washington University (SA) to host the 2nd Annual Global Village.
Student organizations, embassies and cultural organizations from around the DC area were all invited to showcase the essence of their countries through performance, music, food and fellowship.
In a display of great regional diversity, over 35 nations were represented at the event. Anjali Rajpara, the organizing president of global village, shared that the event was geared toward helping GW students better understand different cultures. “It is to get an idea of what cultural orgs exist on campus and what they do in the DC area,” said Rajpara.
“One of the main goals of AIESEC, is to bring peace and fulfillment of humankind’s potential,” said Raipara. The organization typically works towards this goal through cultural exchange, but recognizes that not every student has the opportunity to go abroad. The event brought cultural experience right to GW’s campus without the travelling expenses, allowing all students the opportunity to participate.
Pavithra Chidambara, Vice President of on-campus partnerships for Global Village, explained that the event is a longstanding “AIESEC tradition,” though this is only the second time it has been celebrated on GW’s campus. She was proud of the great turn out. “GW is one of the more globally minded universities, and one of the most international in terms of demographics on campus,” said Chidambara.
There are 125 countries represented in AIESEC. The student organization holds meetings every Wednesday at 8 p.m. and recruits new members at the beginning of each semester. The organization also advises students who are interested in joining their organization, or would like to go abroad through AIESEC.
For more information you can “like” the organization’s Facebook page at (https://www.facebook.com/AIESECDC/timeline).