Extending the Link was conceived in 2007 by three students from the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University on a semester abroad program in Guatemala.
Mission: ETL will create educational tools and experiences that equip CSB/SJU students, faculty, alumni and community members to understand important global issues and inspire them to take action.
Vision: ETL envisions a world where each individual has the freedom, confidence, and societal support to address any social issue and encourage change.
The purpose of Extending the LINK is to shed light on under-told global issues through educational documentaries and the encouragement of participation in structured involvement opportunities. The production and presentation of these documentaries is intended not only to generate awareness, but to inspire engagement by facilitating educational dialogues, providing volunteer action, and encouraging activist support through specific partnering organizations.
Our goal is to increase community knowledge and involvement in the under-told social justice issues of our ever changing global society.
This year, ETL has begun to focus its efforts on how Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) are rebuilding as a nation and as a people. During the conflict of the 1990s, BiH experienced ethnically motivated atrocities leaving the countries in turmoil. Conflict surrounding politics and ethnicity result in an unstable society that affects every aspect of life in Bosnia. Fully aware of this issue, Dan Whalen, a 1970 graduate of Saint John's University started a search for youth leaders in BiH. His goal was to bring young people together in a natural environment to foster conversations regarding identity, what it means to be a leader, and how to enact change. Whalen also sponsored the CSB/SJU education of a number of graduates from this program. Since their return to BiH, these young people have implemented their knowledge and experiences in proactive ways around the country. The organization Nešto Više focuses on leadership training and community development projects, and hosts a number of individuals who were a part Dan Whalen's original initiative.
Inspired by Whalen's original cause, and further interested in the power of the youth to instill change in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Extending the LINK hopes to convey how the next generation is working for peace and striving to create a community of interethnic understanding and tolerance. The newest documentary from ETL will explore the history of the conflict through the lens of the young Bosnian generation, and reveal the efforts made by the youth to promote peace and tolerance in the country.
Extending the LINK at the College of Saint Benedict & Saint John’s University extendingthelink@csbsju.edu
