Event: Rye Barcott, author, Marine and co-founder of a non-profit organization in one of the world’s largest slums, will give a talk on “Spark Change From Within” and discuss his new memoir. The event is free and open to the public, but an RSVP is requested.
When: 6 p.m., Friday, May 6
Where: Bass Lecture Hall, on the basement level of the LBJ School of Public Affairs, Sid Richardson Hall. Parking is free in lots 38, 39. Please see staff for a permit. A campus map is available online.
Background: In his 2011 memoir, “It Happened on the Way to War: A Marine’s Path to Peace,” Rye Barcott recounts his experiences building and learning from leaders in unlikely places, from the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya to the bomb-strewn streets of Fallujah and beyond. Eschewing old notions of top-down, command-and-control management, he shows the impact small, diverse groups of committed people can have in the world.
The non-profit organization, Carolina for Kibera (CFK), is now a pioneer of the movement called participatory development, drawing recognition from Time magazine as a “Hero of Global Health” and interest from Melinda Gates, President Barack Obama and other dignitaries who have visited to see its best practices.
Barcott’s presentation on social entrepreneurship takes audiences on a journey through the joy and heartbreak, the friendships and betrayals, and the failures and triumphs of creating a movement to spark change from within one of the world’s largest and most volatile slums.
Barcott’s presentation will conclude with a book signing and reception. It is sponsored by the International Office, the Center for International Business Research and Education (CIBER), and the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service at The University of Texas at Austin.
