Insights and Interviews From the 2014 Families in Global Transition Conference: The Global Family Redefined

by Jo Parfitt, Sue Mannering (Editor), Dounia Bertuccelli (Editor)

Almost 20 years ago, four women sat round an Indianapolis kitchen table and had a dream. They dreamed of creating a conference that would inspire, support, inform and encourage families living overseas. 2015 marks the 17th Families in Global Transition conference which currently takes place in Washington, DC, attended by people from every corporate, missions, military and education. Researchers, teachers, spouses and authors join experts in their field to share three common to teach what they know; to make connections; to learn more about what it means to be globally mobile. This book of insights and interviews, garnered from the 2014 event and written by the Parfitt Pascoe Writing Residents provides those who cannot make it to Washington a peek into what goes on, what is said and what matters at FIGT. "A brilliant review of the many talents and amazing stories to be found at an FIGT conference. I'm honored to be featured in a book that will shed light on the incredible talent in our global community." Ellen Mahoney, Nomination Chair of the Board of FIGT, CEO & Founder of Sea Change Mentoring, www.seachangementoring.com. "What better symbol than the kitchen table for evoking important family discussions? It's no surprise that the vision for Families in Global Transition grew out of such a warm, comforting, and encouraging image. And now, here are the words to accompany that picture." Robin Pascoe, author of books for expat families. "Catch up on the latest and hottest FIGT conversations! Now I can relive every session and learn all about those I missed." Isabelle Min, CEO & Founder, Transition Catalyst Korea Institute Seoul, Korea, www.tck.or.kr "While FIGT is in session, we all want to be in three or four places at the same time but simply can't. This inclusive record of what goes on makes Insights and Interviews a keepsake that lasts for decades. Now you really can be in several places at once." Julia Simens, FIGT Program Chair 2015 and author of Emotional Resilience and the Expat Child. "It helps us appreciate and understand how the past brought us our present and inspires our future." Yvonne Quahe, Global Mobility Specialist, World Bank Group, Washington DC SUMMERTIME PUBLISHING IS PROUD TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF THIS BOOK

Kindle Edition

First published February 17, 2015

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a collection of detailed articles and interviews from the 2014 FIGT Conference. It showcases an incredible array of scholarship, insights, and experiences surrounding the global community of expats, Third Culture Kids (TCKs), Adult Third Culture Kids (ATCKs), and other global nomads. Intended as the first of many FIGT yearbooks to follow, this book formalizes the work of the conference presenters and their affiliates in the fields of cross-cultural research and international living, and it gives legitimacy to the unique creative expression of the globally mobile.

FIGT may have started as a dream among four friends sitting round a table in Indianapolis in 1997, but this book proves that it has now become one of the premier expats conferences worldwide. Readers can access Interviews with key presenters, authors and innovators; dynamic Keynote Presentations; compact and intense Ignite Sessions; a wide variety of informative Concurrent Sessions; and more intimate and interactive Kitchen Table Conversations.

“We often hear the adage, ‘everyone has a story’. As true as this may be, one must be brave enough to put pen to paper,” writes Terry Anne Wilson in her coverage of The Writers’ Forum. The articles in this book were written by the Parfitt-Pascoe Writing Residency Scholars, a select group of up-and-coming expat writers: Dounia Bertucelli, Sue Mannering, Cristina Bertarelli, Justine Ickles, as well as Alice Wu, Terry Anne Wilson, Becky Matchullis, and Nikki Kazimova. Their work in compiling this book shows incredible promise in the areas of expat services and Third Culture Literature.

I would recommend this book as a resource as a reference for anyone wanting to know about the latest developments in expat services, research on TCK development, international leadership, and life abroad. I would also recommend this book for expats interested in making new connections, as there are a number of excellent resources cited in each article.