The Culture of Encounter Project - Georgetown University

Our U.S. national discourse can feel stuck, divisive, and at times, intolerant. In the midst of this, young voices can offer new perspectives, honest feedback, and refreshing wisdom. Social healing requires dialogue, exposure to difference, the generous art of offering questions, and deep listening to wisdom from across generations. Such shared experiences can illuminate a path out of entrenched polarization and toward a generative narrative of our time.

In this transformative event on November 18, Krista Tippett, host of On Being, engaged in a profound conversation with acclaimed best-selling New York Times author and newly named MacArthur “Genius” Jason Reynolds and Georgetown University student and activist Kessley Janvier (C'25).

This unique gathering, co-hosted by On Being and Georgetown University, sought to break the mold of our divisive national discourse by amplifying young voices and fostering intergenerational dialogue in the heart of Washington, DC. In a post-election landscape, this initiative invited participants to explore what it means to be a young person in America today.

The evening opened with short scenes shared by three intergenerational conversation pairs: Bilquisu (“Billie”) Abdullah (C'25) and Luis Cardona; Gillian Huebner and Sayed Erfan Nabizada; and Lyndi Tsering (G’23) and Mattito Watson. These conversations were an outcome of In Your Shoes, a signature program of Georgetown University’s Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics, which employs techniques rooted in theatrical performance to promote deep listening and empathy, bringing participants of diverse backgrounds into mutually respectful creative exchange.

Bilquisu (“Billie”) Abdullah (C’25) is a senior at Georgetown University studying women and gender studies with a concentration in globalization and poverty and a minor in medical humanities. She dreams of a world grounded in reproductive justice and liberation for all.

Luis Cardona is the administrator for the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services’ Positive Youth Development Program. He has 31 years of experience as a peacemaker, national and international prevention and intervention specialist, and trainer of healing-informed practice with unhoused youth. Cardona is a former gang member and ex-offender who turned his life around after being shot five times and losing many of his friends to crime.  

Gillian Huebner is the executive director of the Collaborative on Global Children's Issues at Georgetown University. A global child rights and protection specialist, Huebner believes in shifting focus from risks and deficits toward strength-based solutions, engaging young people, families, communities, and other stakeholders to identify what works. She has worked domestically and overseas with the UN, the U.S. government, foreign and local governments, private foundations, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions and as an independent consultant. 

Sayed Erfan Nabizada is a high school senior in Montgomery County, Maryland, and a LINK Strategic Partners Associate. Driven by a strong passion for economics and business administration, he plans to pursue both fields in college. Originally from Afghanistan, Nabizada and his family immigrated to the United States in 2021. He also has a background in climate activism and peace advocacy. 

Lyndi Tsering (G’23) works as a program specialist on the China team at the U.S. Institute of Peace. She is driven by her passions for creating a productive future for U.S.-China relations, bringing unique perspectives to geopolitical analysis, and elevating marginalized voices through both storytelling and policy. 

Mattito Watson is a senior technical advisor with the Center for Inclusive Growth, Partnerships and Innovation and the Inclusive Development Hub’s Children in Adversity Team at USAID. Watson has over 30 years of professional experience working with children in the fields of education, public health, and child protection. He has worked primarily in Africa on programs with former child combatants, as well as displaced and vulnerable children and their families.

This event is part of the Culture of Encounter Project and was convened by the Collaborative on Global Children's Issues, the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, and the Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics at Georgetown University in collaboration with The On Being Project.