"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed its the only thing that ever has"
The Let Us Dream Conference has been one of the most inspiring experiences for the students I teach at Grambling State University (GSU) and for me since 2017. Dr. Glenda Island, Chair of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at GSU invited me to join her in 2018 for the conference at La Tech University in Ruston, LA as a part of the GSU our partnership with Christ University and Father Lijo, Founder of the conference. Since 2017 I have engaged students in the LUD conferences domestically and abroad into my classes as an example of teaching servant and transformational leadership, social responsibility and globalization. My most memorable single moment was in 202( during the Pandemic) when the Student Panel was highlighted with student's comments and reflections on giving back to their communities and others in need. This panel awakened my inner core of what teaching and learning is all about and I continue to keep this spark today and into the future with this conference. Each time we begin to plan for the LUD Conferences in Louisiana each year, a natural disaster or worldwide or local crisis has occurred, but this has not put a damper on our ability to gather together, share insightful thoughts, research and practices and work to help us help others in the name of service to mankind. For the many persons who are Unsung Heroes, I salute Father Lijo and The Let Us Dream Conference is a master in featuring everyday great ones to give in the areas of health, education and social justice for all. I remain a LUD advocate and look forward to 2023 in India.

LUD Conference 2020 held completely Online from 20 November to 22 November was a life-changing experience indeed for me.
While the Planning Committee began planning for the in-person Conference November 2020 as early as December 2019, when i was invited to join the team....no one in their wildest dreams thought Covid would turn our world upside down....and in many ways it was literally upside down....reverse mentoring by tech-savvy young volunteers in making the conference completely digital....venue didn't matter as all of us seemed to have lost sense of time and space......logging in to meetings early in the morning while the night seemed to never end at some places....as our universe started in the bedroom and ended in the kitchen during the terrible days of lockdown across the globe, LUD opened the screens into lives of people who joined us from SouthAfrica to Australia to New York to Zurich to Kerala and Bangalore....breaking barriers and building bridges across the boundaries defined by geography with only one philosophy...to make this world a better place! LUD Triennial Conference 2020 became the beacon of hope for all of us involved, so much so that we continued with the same spirit in organising the Annual Conference in 2021 and Local Conference in 2022 with the same zeal and enthusiasm. The success of these 3 years is not defined by the 40000+ registrations or views online but by the leaders nurtured through volunteerism and lives touched that make ordinary days seem extraordinarily blessed!.

In my role, I have worked with and helped coordinate the Let Us Dream Conference at Binghamton University since 2019 and have been amazed by the impact which this organization has had across the globe. The Let Us Dream Conferences has allowed practitioners, learners and community members come together, hone their skills in a variety of disciplines, and invigorate one another to bring out and strengthen sentiments of community, empathy and care which is already ingrained in the community itself. I love recruiting students, faculty members and staff at Binghamton University to get involved with the Let Us Dream Conferences as it provides an opportunity for international, interdisciplinary collaboration where you meet others who are passionate, innovative and driven to educate others about best-practices that will better the lives of others, while learning how to translate those skills in your own work. Let Us Dream has endless opportunities for involvement and working with Dean Laura Bronstein, Michael Kaufmann, Tracy Lyman and Jeff Smith has been such an amazing experience to see the wonderful work of those in the Binghamton community get recognized on a national- and global-level. It’s been such an honor to work with such accomplished, hardworking individuals who exemplify how to be a positive agent of change and empower others to do the same. I look forward to the continued partnership and collaboration between Binghamton University and Let Us Dream and how this work will positively change the local community in the years to come.

60 years ago, on 18 August 1963, Martin Luther King gave his "I have a dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. It is one of the most famous speeches of the 20th century. The dream was to fight racial discrimination and to treat all citizens equal before the law. The dream of a better society is more relevant than ever. In the 21st century, too, there is hope of living in a society without discrimination and gender inequality. Hope, that companies take on social responsibility, produce sustainably and protect the environment. Unique about all these dreams is, that they will only be fulfilled, if we stand up for our convictions, act on them ourselves and convince others of our dreams. At the "Let us Dream"-conferences we dream together. The cooperation supported by visionary and committed people from all over the world is not only an important source of joy and inspiration. It is also a strong motivator for specific measures for implementation and helps enduring all the obstacles and setbacks along the way. Through the international exchange I was lucky to experience creativity and the power of imagination emerge across borders, so new ideas and innovations could be developed. The "Let us Dream"-conferences are supported by a community and live from the commitment and contributions of the volunteers. This is a gift and it would be great, if, at the end of the 21st century, the project was as well known as the speech mentioned in the beginning.