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About the Global Respectful Disruption Summits

COMPEAR.org and GoAbroad.com have joined forces to amplify the voices and experiences too often pushed to the margins globally. Our mission is to unapologetically challenge and reshape practices and policies that perpetuate inequality and bias in international education and beyond. This Summit is a space to disagree and to agree — a place where diverse perspectives are welcomed, hard truths are spoken, and common ground is built. Because in the end, respectful disruption means working through differences to create better outcomes for one another and for our students. The 2026 Global Respectful Disruption Summit is our collective endeavor to unite individuals who share this vision for candid dialogue. This will be real talk. This will be uncensored. This will highlight underamplified voices.

We recognize that conferences can be costly and competitive, and these barriers sometimes make valuable insights and resources inaccessible for everyone. In alignment with our core beliefs, we aim to change this narrative. The 2026 Global Respectful Disruption Summit is designed to be virtual, affordable and accessible because we want to ensure that participants leave with actionable insights for both their personal and professional spheres.

"The interactive breakout rooms provided valuable opportunities for engagement and networking. Most topics were relevant and insightful, and the speakers demonstrated expertise in their fields."
Anna SalaUPF
"Absolutely everything. I've never seen so many sessions focused on topics I was actually interested in and felt so timely and relevant to our work. The technology was so smooth and everything so well organized, and the chat was electric throughout every session. I'm honestly in awe of the vibrancy and strength of the community that was cultivated in this virtual space-- it gives me so much hope, and finally makes me feel like I've found my people in this field."
Ash TrebisacciBrandeis University
"The presenters are always great. One key takeaway was the realization that Letters of Recommendation (LOR) can be inequitable, a perspective I hadn’t considered before."
Kelly CrayBurr Burton Academy
"The topics and speakers reflected true commitment and passion for their work. The program breaks were helpful, balancing responsibilities during the summit."
Lombuso S. KhozaHoward Community College
"The summit topics, discussions, and learning were outstanding. It reminded me how complex belonging is and emphasized the need for a community-wide sense of inclusion."
Daniel F. DíazPenn State - Harrisburg
"I really liked the variety and depth of the topics presented and the overwhelming sense of camaraderie among presenters and attendees."
Dr. Monique Y. WellsWells International Foundation
"The summit provided an inclusive and socially just space where I felt comfortable and engaged with passionate researchers. I appreciated the opportunity to present my work and connect with others in the field."
Gabrielle HagginsFSU
Thank you for creating a space that felt welcoming and inspiring. It’s rare to find a summit where disruption is encouraged and respect is maintained equally.
Nahed AbuzaidNorth Carolina State University
The thoughtful lineup of sessions. Each session was thought provoking, engaging and informative.
Kim ScottElizabeth City State university

Who Attends?

We invite international educators, intercultural professionals, community leaders, creatives, service providers, and justice advocates for global education to join us. Whether you’re based in North, Central, or South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, or Oceania, your voice and perspective are valued. We welcome contributions from students, scholars, artists, entrepreneurs, emerging practitioners, experienced leaders, grassroots educators, or anyone related to accessible global learning. We want to hear from you. Our goal is to elevate voices and perspectives that have been under-amplified in global and multicultural education, especially those that challenge norms and reimagine what ethical global engagement can look like.

Students, seasoned professionals, lecturers, or newcomers are all welcome.

2025 Learning Guide

Respectful Disruption Learning Guide

One of the goals of the summit is to provide you with the opportunity to reflect on what it would mean to respectfully disrupt those systems that have governed and shaped the spaces you inhabit–professional, personal, etc. Ideally, the summit will inspire and empower you to think deeply about what is necessary for true, sustainable change to occur. To that end, we invite you to use the following exercises and activities, a disruptive “roadmap” if you will, to guide your learning and engagement before, during, and after the summit.

We’re also confident that this learning guide will prove useful when attending any event or activity and encourage any and all to download and use these guidelines to learn how to be a better Respectful Disruptor.

Download and use of this guide is complimentary!

Download Your Guide

By submitting your name and email you will be added to our email list to receive information and updates about COMPEAR and the Global Respectful Disruption Summit (we promise we’ll be kind to your inbox!).

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