Rebecca Cataldi's work inspires diplomacy camp

Rebecca Cataldi, whose work inspired the creation of the I Want to be an Ambassador! camp five years ago, reflects on the camp's success and growth.

Rebecca is Program Manager at the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy (ICRD). She is also Founder of the American-Islamic Friendship Project; was named an Ambassador for Peace by the Universal Peace Federation; and is a Conflict Resolution Specialist and Trainer, Language Educator, and Published Author.

1.  How did you first get involved with Luminari and why? Hilda invited me; she said she came up with the idea for Luminari from hearing about the work I do in international conflict resolution and faith-based diplomacy. I thought it was a wonderful idea to give young people an opportunity to start learning and thinking about these concepts and to decide if this is something they want to pursue in their future.

2.  Talk to us about some of the big successes in the last 5 years of Luminari. What moments stand out to you? What are you the most proud of?
I think what stood out to me was hearing about Luminari graduates who went back to use negotiations and other conflict resolution skills in their lives, their homes, and their communities. It's wonderful to know people are able to put into practice what they learn in a useful way.

3.  Who are some of the people that make the organization what it is, why?
Well I haven't had the opportunity to work closely with everyone, but it's been a privilege to work with Hilda. She is really an inspiration because she conceived this idea and turned it into reality and continues to make it grow.

4.  What’s next for Luminari? What will the next 5 years look like?
Hard for me to say, but I'd love to see it involve more international students who may be studying in Pittsburgh to really enhance the cross-cultural interaction and learning, and maybe more 'alumnae' programs to bring past Luminari participants together to share their experiences since leaving the program. That would help us to better understand how young people are using what they learned.

5.  For those just learning about the organization, what’s the one thing they should know to get them involved? How can they help?
It's a special program because it's focused on developing diplomatic skills in young people from a variety of disciplines--from cultural sensitivity to conflict resolution to economics to religion and much more--and it's interactive, so rather than just learning about topics, people are actually experiencing them and doing things hands-on. I would encourage anyone interested to learn more, to contribute if you can whether financially or by offering your expertise as a session facilitator or speaker, or to recommend the program to young people who may be interested.