WHO ATTENDS THE ELP?

L-R: Monique Mikhail ('08), Roberto Rivas Hermann ('08), WimSchaerlaekens ('08), Robert Odonya ('08), Alvin Chandra ('08). Photo: Bill Valentino ('08)

Since the inaugural Beahrs ELP summer certificate course in 2001, 306 people from more than 70 different countries have come to UC Berkeley for interactive training in Sustainable Environmental Management. Among the ELP Alums are agronomists, foresters, environmental lawyers and journalists, social and biological scientists and development practitioners, from non-profits, academia, the private sector and government ministries as well as international organizations such as the UN and CGIAR. Gender equity has almost been attained, with numbers of women increasing each year. For a breakdown of ELP alumni by geographic location, organization and discipline click here. Learn more about the Alums on the Alumni Network page.

HEAR INTERVIEWS WITH 2007 ALUMS
Three alums of the 2007 ELP summer certificate course in Sustainable Environmental Manangement - Alifah Lestari (Indonesia), Tahir Rasheed (Pakistan) and Emmanuel Wirsiy (Cameroon) were interviewed about their experiences in the course. Click here to hear the interviews on the web site of the College of Natural Resources, UCB.

ELP ALUM TO BE TRAINED BY AL GORE!

Diah Raharjo (ELP'01)

Diah Raharjo, an Indonesian environmental activist, was selected from over 2000 Australasian applicants to be trained by Al Gore at The Climate Project – Australia Asia Pacific Summit (A-P Summit) in Melbourne from July 11- 13th.

The A-P Summit  will brought together 300 people from fields ranging from industry to advocacy who work in the Australasia and Asia Pacific Region.  Mr. Gore and a team of international experts provided the training hosted by the Australian Conservation Foundation.  As a delegate Diah will have the chance to help invigorate the Asia Pacific’s regional response to climate change leading up to the UNCCC Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009.

One in every seventy-five Australians have now seen a presentation delivered by the 250 Al Gore trained Climate Project Presenters in Australia.  Armed with her training, Diah will be responsible for completing 10 activities to an audience of her choice.  Half of the activities must be completed by November 30th.  An example of the activities may be speaking to her colleagues about climate change, or talking to local media about her role

“I hope my role at the A-P Summit will mean I can work to inspire and create change in order to avoid catastrophic climate change here in Indonesia. I plan to be an advocate for this work in the important five month lead-up to the Copenhagen climate change negotiations,” Diah Raharjo

ELP ALUM PARTICIPATES IN CGI MEETING

Kim Kieser (ELP'09)

" It was the most incredible experience we have ever had. Just to be in the same space with Heads of State, CEO's and Presidents of global corporations,NGO's and celebrities...Everyone was there to do something! No-one was wasting their time. It is all about ACTION NOW. We have made literally a hundred connections that we will follow up on"

.ELP Alum Kim Kieser (ELP'09) was invited represented wet-africa.org at the 5th annual Clinton Global Initiative(CGI) meeting in New York City, September 22-25th, 2009/

For more information about Kim's involvement with the CGI please visit the Wet-Africa website. For more information about CGI and their collaborative efforts with Ashoka, please visit the CGI website.

Kim is the CEO of Wet Africa, an organization whose mission is to" restore the critical and endangered rivers of Africa to health from source to sea". She is also an Ashka fellow. She presented as part of the "Energy and Climate Change" session.

IN MEMORY OF BILL SONNENSCHEIN (1949 - 2008)

We are terribly saddened to inform you that Bill Sonnenschein, a long-time member of the faculty and the Advisory Board of the ELP, passed away on Sunday December 28, in the small village of Maronsetra on the East Coast of Madagascar, from cardiac arrest following an intense gastric illness. The illness was very sudden, lasting only a few hours.  His wife Ericka and daughter Annie were with him when he died.  A presidential plane was sent up to bring the family and the body back to Antananarivo, Madagascar's capital. A family funeral has taken place, and there will be a formal memorial this spring.

Many of you will remember Bill well from his "Leadership for Sustainable Development" workshops in the ELP: his unique style of storytelling and communication, his expertise in diversity of values, gender, culture, and facilitative leadership.  Many of you were transformed by his exercises to build your own expertise and confidence in active listening, respect for differences, persuasive speech and confronting resistance.  You will probably all remember his "ending slide" with his email address and sincere words to contact him anytime for advice, collaboration, and questions. Bill loved the Beahrs ELP - he often said it was the most rewarding part of his work world.  He loved interacting with you, learning from you, admiring your courage and determination to work for social and environmental justice.  Bill's departure is a huge loss for us personally and for the ELP.  His beloved imprint on the ELP will last forever.

Below are samples of messages sent in by ELP alumni upon hearing the news about Bill.  Please continue to send in your memories and thoughts, which we will put into a small publication in his memory.  We will also create a Bill Sonnenschein ELP scholarship for candidates working in the field of collaborative leadership and communication.  Send us your ideas for such a candidate for ELP 2009 and beyond.

“The ELP alumni had even talked about creating a "Sustainable Environmental Management Program" at the National Leadership Institute for Madagascar (NLIM) to extend the reach of the ELP program. This is a dream that we will need to keep alive.  He will be sorely missed by all. Yet in his short time in Madagascar, he left a mark that we will continue to embrace and we’ll move forward on the foundation that he left here.  He was an inspiration to everyone he met with his open and unique style of storytelling and communication.”  Lisa Gaylord (ELP 2001)

“News about Bill's death has shaken me.  Не was and will remain forever my friend. I am grieving together with all who knew this remarkable person.” Andrey Zamulin (ELP 2006)

"I am so saddened by the passing away of Bill when he is most needed in Africa. Bill was an instrumental, inspiring, charming, professionaly styled facilitator, mentor leader and much more. I am one of his beneficiaries." Patrick Karani (ELP 2003)

“I am deeply shocked and grieved to learn the sudden death of Bill Sonnenschein. The Rwandese Health Environment Project Initiative (RHEPI), is an NGO whose idea was conceived and hatched at Berkeley during ELP 2003 session. I vividly recall Sonnenschein in his lively workshops on leadership which personally transformed me and had so much impact on those around me.  From humble beginnings, today we boast associations and linkages with strong networks and a growing number of farmer leaders organizations both in and outside the country. Sonnenschein’s memory will remain a living mentor in our endeavor to advance effective environmental leadership.”  James T. Rubakisibo (ELP 2003)

“We explored the issue of leadership in an African context and he inspired me to take time out to build on my skills in his regular courses anytime I’m in the Bay Area.  This development is most shocking and regretted. I am however consoled that he died in active service to humanity in the very work he has demonstrated so much passion for and that hasinfluenced so many.” Miabiye Kuromiema (ELP 2007)

“There is no word to tell you about my sorrow after reading the message below... I remember very well the teaching and coaching given to us/me by Bill in 2006. I particularly remember his "active listening" class... and the tips given to me personally regarding how to use emails (and all e-tools) to communicate better within my working program/group at IITA/STCP.  Martine Ngobo (ELP 2006)

"I am speechless. Bill has taught us how to find words and make the best use of them - he opened a big screen on communication and its use. Now we have lost a mentor, someone that we could look to in need. I am sorry for his family and all the people who, like me, benefited from his incredible work. May peace be with all of us because I know it is with him. Anglea Weber (ELP 2008)

“Bill gave us all his knowledge and kindness to improve ourselves and believe in our possibilities.... For me his thoughts were fundamental to developing the small grant project developed at the Central Volcanic Chain in the Guatemalan central highlands.” Ronny Roma (ELP 2006)

“Bill Sonnenschein’s energetic passions and true experiences allowed us to imagine how our environmental communication could be utilized. Bill said: ‘A leader believes in him or herself and connects personally in a way that inspires others to act.’  Happy Tarumadevyanto (ELP 2007)

In looking back at Bill as my teacher - what I learned from him will bring comfort. His wisdom matched with his passion, and that I will pass on to others in his memory. It will be a small expression of my respect and recognition for the difference he has made in the lives of those he touched in so many ways. He taught us to be active leaders, not just bystanders in life!”
Bill Valentino (ELP 2008)

"Bill was able to demonstrate the link between what he taught and its application in the field. The news in the ELP Newsletter about Bill's leadership work in Madagascar was welcomed with enthusiasm. He was a true mentor and, finally, died pursuing what he believed in. This is a great loss to the ELP and the rest of the world. May his family find consolation in his devotion to working for humanity, and remain united and courageous during this period.” Emma (Wirsiy Emmanuel Binyuy (ELP 2007)

"A remarkable man with a generous heart and a brilliant mind, he will be sorely missed." Gia Ibay (ELP 2004)

“I believe the ELP, UC Berkeley, the USA, Madagascar and the world, has just lost one of those genuinely sparkling touches of simple humanity. Bill had a peoples-heart!! He will be terribly missed!! On my personal behalf and that of my family, I wish to extend my deepest condolences to Bill's family and the ELP family the world over! May his seeds of goodness bring forth the bountiful fruits of sustainable and service-oriented type of leadership in Madagascar and in the ELP community as a whole." Torjia Karimu (ELP 2008)

Yes, Bill has left us and will leave a huge gap among us.  There is no word to express the sadness and sorrow this loss has brought.  Let’s think now about how to continue his work, how to sustain his efforts to strengthen knowledge and capacity for leaders in sustainable development all over the world. In particular, this idea of creating a “Sustainable Environmental Management Program” at the National Leadership of Madagascar (NLIM) to extend the reach of the ELP.  If we can realize this goal, it would be a great legacy in Bill’s memory.” Jean-Solo Ratsisompatrarivo (ELP 2006)