ConsciousSHIFT with Julie Ann Turner featuring
MINA TRINITY CHANG / WHEN THE WORLD HURTS

From the Nigerian girls kidnapped by Boko Haram (#BringBackOurGirls) to those hurt by natural disasters and crushed by poverty worldwide,
Mina Trinity Chang and NGOs like Linking the World speak up, step in, and lead a global revolution for sustainable growth.

Attending the May 2014 World Economic Summit
in Abuja, Nigeria, Mina Chang, CEO of Linking the World, spoke out about Boko Haram, the terrorist group responsible for kidnapping hundreds of school girls, which opposes Western education - and education of any kind for women.
In this ConsciousSHIFT Show, Julie Ann and Mina will explore the reality of terrorism and human slave trade worldwide, and the role that NGOs play in creating safe haven, economic stability and inclusive growth around the globe.

A former recording star/musician and model, Mina Chang is now Chief Executive Officer and President of Linking the World International, which provides humanitarian aid and sustainable growth programs
and support in more than 40 countries worldwide.

As the eldest child of two Salvation Army Commanding Officers, Mina was immersed in inner-city social programs and world mission projects and got a first-hand look at how these efforts can save and change lives. Her childhood exposed her to the entire economic spectrum around the world.

As a child, she did not see poverty-stricken children of disaster areas as any different from herself, but she instinctively knew they needed help.

As a graduate of the University of the Nations, Mina studied development and aid practices with the goal of one day dedicating her life to becoming a full-time aid worker.

Through her experience working with large NGOs and development projects around the world, she witnessed communities taken from one cycle of poverty straight into another cycle of dependence on humanitarian aid. Mina was determined to continue her career with an organization that was in alignment with her belief that in order to break cycles of poverty, programs must scale capacity to foster resilience of local markets.

Mina has personally been involved in the disaster response operations to the earthquake and cholera outbreaks in Haiti, the tsunami in Asia, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, and they Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. She has worked in some of the world’s most dangerous slum communities such as Kibera in Kenya and Citi Soliel in Haiti.

Mina’s giving spirit and dedication to philanthropy have earned her widespread recognition. She was named 2012 CBS Humanitarian of the Year on the nationally televised Women that Soar Awards.

Today, Mina continues to propel Linking the World forward with a global vision for the future and a deep passion for helping others by relieving suffering and breaking cycles of poverty.

In both her work and life she has committed herself to being a bridge builder, emphasizing the importance of making connections and recognizing similarities. “When [Linking the World] goes into a country, we focus on helping in a way that can be sustainable,”
Mina says. “It doesn’t do any good if we step in,
help, and then disappear.”