My STAND OUT SPEAK OUT piece addressing the question: What are the qualities we should look for in a political leader? I played on the themes CHANGE and EXPERIENCE, coming to the conclusion that if we want CHANGE we must learn from our EXPERIENCE and take it grassroots. In short, local activism and sustained civic participation is more important than political leadership. We must lead ourselves.
Name: Eli Feghali
Age: 20
Location: New Hampshire
Hmong American poet and community activist Pacyinz Lyfoung reads her poem "Learning To Speak My Grandmother's Tongue" at the Camden Coffee Company in November, 2006 during the Hmong New Year.