AIESEC is a miracle place for inspiration and witnessing the grow in people’s potentials. One of the happening that gave me that deep feeling was EuroCo - AIESEC International Conference 2014.
This year, EuroCo took place in Athens – the beautiful capital of Greece . This International Conference is intended for Local Committee Presidents all over Western European & North America and Central & Eastern Europe to keep updated with the strategy of AIESEC International.
In EuroCo, we got the chance to meet people who share our same goals: Together we bridge the gap of cultural differences, erase the line of stereotypes through exchanges. With strategic directions, we ensure the standard and satisfaction that we have promised to bring to our interns.
Yet, how much can AIESEC be relevant? We are among several other organizations in the world who also do volunteer,develop leadership or striving for peace. How can we be different in our own values?
I brought up to AIESEC local presidents I met the same question: What can AIESEC brings to your own people?
“In Colombia, people pay a lot of tax. The problem is, the government doesn’t keep its promise to spend our money in the way it is supposed to be. In other words, people lose trust in leaders and leadership. How AIESEC can improve the situation? We demonstrate social responsibilities and sustainable leadership, so that we can gradually impact Colombians’ mindset.” - Juan Manual Duran ( AIESEC Colombia).
Prieler (AIESEC Austria) told me that : “The problem in Austria is that youths are really passive. They think that just going to universities, earning a job and marrying is enough. Therefore, through our exchange programs, we can show them that youth can do much more and have more responsibilities for the country.”
“And what keep you motivated in AIESEC?” I asked Minchev from Bulgaria. “You know, it’s development and impact. You don’t have to be in AIESEC to do volunteering; but when I’m in AIESEC, I’m not only developing myself, but also developing the leadership in others”.
They, as all other Presidents in the Conference, are young as we are in our 20s. However, we feel the boiling urge to demonstrate social responsibilities by care for people and society. It’s simply wonderful to talk and understand about other countries’ challenges and how AIESEC is striving to tackle them step by step with our core program.
The truth is that, no place on this planet is perfect and it will never be perfect. Thus the world is calling for young leaders, who show genuine concern about what happens around them and are ready to take brave actions to chance and change the situation.
AIESEC Conference was full of both serious and fun moments. One amazing aspect contributing to the uniqueness of AIESEC is Roll Call. “I love roll call, it’s like our unique communicative language” – said my friend Matt from AIESEC USA. Roll calls are not only about dancing. They may look simple, but carry the meaning of connecting people. Could you imagine hundreds of people from over 40 nations who have barely met before all dance the same moves? We share moments through wordless happiness in the air.
Video: AIESEC in Switzeland roll call: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IvKTOHd7Cs&list=PLN_kQT2Sg7_FqbfKrLm0_-pmIgZQ9l7VI&index=6
“All good things come to an end, but it’s the beginning of something new, something big and something brave”. We got home with our sugar cubes – the sweet memories from international friends, and swung into actions to keep up the flame of achievement.
Picture: Sugar Cubes - sweet memorabilia from AIESEC friends
Thanks all people I met in EuroCo. Each of you has given me so much vibrancy of stories and AIESEC lives in different places. That’s what make me love AIESEC, cuz AIESEC is always full of people’s inspiration.
P/S: Dearest thanks the host organizing team from Greece as well. The food and all your support was really amazing, rich in variety and especially olives. :D
- Le Phuong Anh-
Local Committee President at AIESEC Jyväskylä
Email: lephuong.anh@aiesec.net
Tel: +358 044 563 5382
No comments:
Post a Comment