GLI brings people together across borders of all kinds to better understand the world’s interconnected challenges.

In 2007, GLI’s founder, Jamie Van Leeuwen, took his first trip to Uganda and Rwanda to learn from East Africans about how they were addressing complex issues in the region —

During his time in East Africa, GLI’s founder noticed that many foreigners were focused on imposing solutions rather than learning from the local communities and understanding the complexities of their challenges.

In 2009, he founded GLI to bring young people from the U.S. to East Africa with the aim of transforming how we approach international development—by listening and thinking before acting. As the world has evolved, so has GLI. Today, it facilitates dialogue between young people from the U.S. and Africa, encouraging them to address global inequality. By fostering cross-cultural conversations, GLI empowers the next generation of leaders to act with empathy and understanding.

As the world becomes more multipolar, African nations and the Global South are gaining prominence, yet many in developed countries still view these regions as needing help. GLI’s global classroom programs bring U.S. learners to Africa to broaden perspectives and foster critical global discussions. The goal is to inspire the next generation of leaders to envision a world rooted in fairness, equality, and mutual respect.