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Former Asbury Park Mayor Ed Johnson is among a collaboration of representatives from 75 cities embarking on a challenge to address the global issues that affect local communities.

The Brookdale Community College educator will participate in a 3 day summit convening at The Hague, Netherlands, this September entitled the Global Parliament of Mayors.

“I am honored and excited to attend this international meeting and to work together with governmental officials and community development experts from around the world to identify common challenges and seek unique solutions that have the potential for global implementation,” Johnson said in a written news release. The collaborative will look to “concentrate the pragmatic problem-solving capacities of global cities to treat with and help solve world problems that neither the United Nations nor individual nation states have been able to address effectively.”

Johnson’s trip is partially funded by a student success grant from The Kresge Foundation through state’s Council of Community Colleges, which works on on “scaling up innovative student success models and strategies,” Johnson said.

Johnson said the experience will help to further develop global awareness in political science courses he teaches as a visiting lecturer and adjunct professor.

Johnson’s State, County and Local Government course at Brookdale was fined tuned for the fall semester to reflect current events affecting communities across New state and the upcoming 2017 Gubernatorial race, he said.

At the conclusion of the Sept. 10-12 summit, Johnson will deliver an address and Q and A session on the presidential election at The New School of Amsterdam, an accredited private liberal arts college that specializes the fields of communication, creativity and marketing.

“There is enormous interest in the U.S. Presidential election and the current campaign,” Johnson said. “I look forward to hearing their perspectives and observations about our system of Democracy, especially in light of the current political climate and shared global challenges that we face today.”

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