Being a Facilitator in a Global Leadership Congress in Puerto Rico

So this was the first time that I have ever travelled to the Latin America side of the world. I had no idea what to expect other than the stereo type that everyone there loves Salsa and has lots of energy. Traveling to a different country where I literally knew no-body and had never met anyone before except talk to people a few times on email was the start for what I have to say a great adventure in Puerto Rico.

Arriving a few days before pre-meeting i had the chance to meet all the Conference Committee the team which is responsible for putting the conference together, as well as the Member Committee. Everyone was soo nice and would go out of there to make my stay in Puerto Rico comfortable. Traveling around Puerto Rico from San Juan to Aguadilla(conference site) getting to know the venue and visiting one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen!. Partying like crazy each night (my gosh the Puerto Ricans know how to party!!). This was my first few days in Puerto Rico.

Then other members of the Facilitator team start arriving on the weekend, meeting everyone and getting to know everyone, some I met already in IC. This conference was becoming real to everyone, being in the country, having the facilitator team arriving, delegates also slowly started to arrive in the country as well.

We began our pre-meeting, facilitators from, Brazil, USA, Turkey,  Colombia, CAS, Rotterdam, Romania, Taiwan and Austr4alia. People from all levels of experience from AIIESEC International, Presidents an Vice Presidents of AIESEC entities all gathered in one room to co-create a conference agenda and sessions that delegates will feel connected to and take something away from. All working together on the one goal and all working on the same level in this one team. For me this was a unique experience. Sitting down and creating sessions, mood, agendas and flows working out peoples responsibilities, risk assessment, getting as prepared as could for the next 6 - 7 days of conference.

Our team stage went quickly from forming to norming and working together as one unit.

We where prepared as a faci team with all our sessions and content, but when conference kicked off, WOW, the energy of the delegates was just amazing, wanting to learn, interacting with each other and always, always wanting to dance the roll calls! :)

Throughout the conference there was many challenges, some which took more time and patience to resolve than others, some which require immediate reaction, these challenges happened daily but it was nothing that couldn't be solved and worked out. Working together which such a dynamic faci team made me realize this, regardless where we came from, our experience, our background we where always there to support each other, to lend a hand, no matter how tired or frustrated we where, wanting to make this a great conference for the delegates.

Credit must also go to the Conference Committee who worked tirelessly behind the scene to ensure that the conference turned out as great as it did, also going through their own challenges, being one of the youngest conference teams for an International conference and for them to pull off such an event is a testament to their resolve and dedication to the final result. 

Despite all the challenges of this conference it was indeed and exciting adventure, filled with lots of fun and smiles, frustration but also happiness. In the end it really brought the faci team so close together in a matter of 2 weeks. I would have to say it was one of the most craziest but fun conference team experiences I have ever had so far in my AIESEC life.

I  miss the faci team very much but will treasure the moments we had together and never forget our crazi but awesome experience.

To Delegates of ILC, some of you i didn't get to talk to but you will always be remembered as a conference is driven by you.

To the Conference COmmittee  thank you for your hospitality and putting on a great conference despite all the challenges you have faced either personally or as a team, you shone through and created one of the most memorable ILCs ever.

As the saying goes; the world is small, time is long, we will all meet again, someday, sometime, somewhere. So until then keep smiling and enjoying your life :D

The Facilitator Team of the AIESEC Iberoamerica Leadership Congress in Puerto Rico 2011.

A Road Less Travelled

Life on a road less travelled, this saying is very familiar around the world, we all hear it and we all know it. But then if we all take this road is it really the one less travelled or just the one more challenging than the rest. for us youth as we go through our years the stereo type is to go to school, go to uni and then get a job earn money then eventually settle down. we may work in another country for a our job, but this is usually the regular thought from our parents of what we should do. whereas youth of today like to experience more, take more challenges work overseas and start settle down later in life. well most of the people that i know anyway. so this got me thinking about my pathway, my life so far and how much it has deviated from where i originally wanted to go to where I am now.  One sentence which resonates true with me which I heard on the weekend is, don't plan your path for more than 2 years, because things change and so will your path, just be clear of where you want to end up and you will get there.

So as i sit here in the cafe reflecting on the choices i have made to bring me here and what i have done i realize how much i gave away but yet how much more i have gained from taking up the opportunity.

making the decision to come to Taiwan and work here in AIESEC on the National Team for ICX was not an easy one. Because during this time I had only 6 months left of university and I was working in an engineering internship over the nov-feb period for a large national gas and energy company in Australia. From this internship i had a possibility to stay on and work part time and then join the graduate program after i finish my university degree. Instead i chose a completely different path, one less travelled as you may say, to push this aside and take up the opportunity to come to Taiwan and work for AIESEC. Sounds crazy right, and also kinda of stupid, why throw away such an easy path to get into a good graduate job. Well you see there are some things in life if you don't take the opportunity when it presents itself you may never get this type of opportunity again. Which is what i saw with AIESEC Taiwan so i took it. I can remember vividly writing my application while doing my internship sitting in the outback Queensland 4 hours west of Brisbane in Talinga writing it, and uploading it on the very slow internet line.

Following this sitting the sub com interview  late at night in Australia in the TV room in our house being interviewed by the panel to see if i was capable an had the skills to be on the National Team.

A few days after this i received a Skype call at 2am telling me i was accepted and welcoming me to the AIESEC Taiwan National Team. I was extremely excited and ecstatic, but only then did it really dawn on me the choice i had made, and where my life path would take me in the next year. A new challenge a new place to discover to learn and to evolve. Nearly halfway through my term I sit here in a cafe shop with a friend who I met in march in hong kong(APXLDS) pondering my decision and asking myself was it the right one….. going through all the troubles, the challenges, the ups the downs, learning new things, not performing,  not knowing what to do, but learning how to grow and make things work, learning how to do things right,…. the answer is yes. The decision to leave Australia and take the plunge to work on an international Team was definitely the right choice.

For those of you who are considering applying for a national team either in your home country or an international country even though you may be scared, or unsure of the way or what will happen, the experience you get is unforgettable and this type of opportunity does not happen often. Grasp each and every opportunity that you have, for then you will have no regrets.

:)

International Congress

International Congress (IC) in India with over 600 delegates from 110 countries all converging in one location, to share ideas, share thoughts, share inspirations and passion for this organisation, for society and for humanity.

Walking into a session room in IC is one experience, which cannot be described accurately in words, pictures or videos. It is one, which can only be experienced. Walking into a room with over 600 delegates from 110 countries, each country at the beginning of the conferences sitting together, shouting their country chants and displaying their country proudly and with vigour. 7 days later, at the end of the conference new friendships where forged, new country partnerships, people where inspired or inspired others. We acted as one, not separated by race, country, colour or language, everyone mixed sitting together acting as one global plenary set on taking the organisation to its new levels, to higher levels that have never been reached before.

The main aspect, which united us all in ideas, thoughts and direction, was the formulation of our 2015 mid term ambition. Something which is not taken lightly but yet was created by all delegates from IC + all virtual delegates and other members from around the AIESEC network. This is a great feat, which is not seen, in many if any global organisations today.

IC also enabled us to learn from each other, and sharing knowledge and ideas on how each of us could improve in ourselves and also improve AIESEC in our own respective countries. The true essence of a global learning environment.

The sessions also provided us with training and knowledge on how to Lead a team, and understand a team as well as ourselves and where we fit in with our current teams at the moment and how each team can change as time progresses.

All in all IC was about the sessions, about 2015, but most importantly it was about connecting. Connecting each country, each growth network, each person with the national plenary. Being able to see how diverse, how deep AIESEC is, and how far it reaches around the world. Being able to see the passion in peoples eyes, and also being able to feel it in how they spoke and what they want to do in the world, not just in AIESEC but also outside of AIESEC to help create a world which is better, one which is one they want to live in and one which they want their children to grow up in, and then for them to change it some more to create a better one. You can see the power, you can see AIESEC but most of all you can see the passion and drive, which makes each and every one of us stand out from the crowd. Standing out, standing up to make a difference, because we believe, believe in a better world….

Opening Ceremony

So you place over 650 people in a room, from over 100 countries, with over 20 externals and partners and you have a room full of excitement and a crazy atmosphere filled with anticipation for the next 7 days of International congress. Welcomed on stage by the President of AIESEC International, the Conference Committee President, National President of AIESEC India, and various other dignitaries from government and our Global Partners was definitely an event which we as delegates all remember. Being given a taste to Indian classical dancing, Bollywood dancing, and also the ancient Indian style of fighting was also some of the highlights of the opening ceremony. It gave us as delegates a small taste of what we where in for, for the next week. And as a delegation we where very excited for the following week!

Global Village

Imagine walking into this massive tent with over 100 stalls representing each country in the AIESEC network! Each stall home to the countries food, cultural knowledge, and toys and with each of the participants dressed up in their countries national/cultural clothes. Walking around and being able to visit each of these countries and experience their culture, food and also meeting with them and getting to know more about each country is something which you cannot experience anywhere else. Countries such as Denmark, Armenia, Bulgaria, and Puerto Rico just to name a few. Each country also had the opportunity to perform their country-dance on stage for all to see. Taiwan performed an aboriginal dance to show its culture and heritage to the global plenary of AIESEC. Global village also provided AIESEC Taiwan a perfect opportunity to promote Taiwan as a destination for travel especially as we have the International Floral expo coming to our country in the next few months.

India Night

Having an International Congress in India would not be the same without being able to experience the Indian culture, clothes, dancing and performance that India has to offer. So as such the organising committee put together an Indian Night, for all the delegates of IC. A night where we all dressed up in our Indian clothes, and participated, embraced and enjoyed the splendour that the Indian culture had to offer. From the fine food, which we ate, butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, lamb biryani and much more. Fire breathers, an also a traditional puppet show from the Rajasthan province in India.

We also danced the night away, learning dances from Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan, dancing the beat of the dhol (traditional Indian music drum). It was like many other nights in IC a truly memorable night, but also each of the delegates got to sample a unique part of India and her culture which she had to offer.

Youth 2 Business Forum

The Youth to Business Forum is a day long event at the Indian School of Business that provides an avenue for global business to converse with global youth. Through a series of parallel workshops, panel discussions and talks, 600 young leaders from over 107 countries & territories long with students from premier institutions like the Indian School of Business, and over 45,000 virtual participants will talk to 250 business leaders from over 100 organizations from around the world. In the presence of eminent dignitaries, and national and international media houses, they will seek to bridge the gap between them on 

a multitude of issues like labour mobility, harnessing youth innovation & responsible business.  IE business school was the main sponsor for the day and each of the delegates contributed their thoughts to this one question. This one question that shaped the direction of a book. A book, which will be published, by IE and excerpts will be published in the wall street journal. The question ‘How can our energy and experience connect to create fresh solutions for our communities?”

110 countries

1 question

600 co – creators

3 tracks

10 spaces

88 simultaneous conversations

191 flipcharts

600 individual reflections

792 ideas, conclusions and questions

Going for a walk in Taipei CIty at Night

So tonite I decided to go for a walk to TP 101 from the MC house which is near the MC office, getting to tp101 is easy because all you have to do is look up and you can find it, but you know getting back is not so easy.


I decided to be a little adventurous and take a different way back to the house which probably wasn't the best option, I ended up walking to Sun Yat sen memorial hall, and then to stop was the MRT Taipei city all station (which is in the complete opposite direction of the house!), mind you this was at like 1am in the morning when I decided to go for a walk :P so about 3 hours later of walking around Taipei city I worked my way back to the house (finally getting out my GPS on my phone to guide me) so i made it back home at 4am in the morning after a long walk around tp city :) I have to say it is very very easy to get lost if you have no idea where you are going at nite!


but i did see some kool things hehe :P

Taipei 101

Random Building with grass on it that you can walk on! :)

2010 This way :)

First National Planning Meeting In Taiwan

So the weekend is over, after a day of sleep! which was extremely nice! :) i sit here and reflect on what has been an intense 3 days of NPM.

For us our planning for NPM begin a while back sorting out session outlines and who is responsible for which session, to creating our own sessions and gaining feedback from the rest of the MC and MCe team. to arriving in KH on the friday to run through everything and prepare for what was to be an intense weekend!

Walking into WZ on the Saturday morning and seeing some LC's already there waiting to go, all dressed in their LC Tshirts, these are the people that will lead their LC in 1011, and to see them and finally meet them was amazing.

To be part of the faci team delivering the knowledge and content to inspire, motivate and lead these LC's is amazing, in the first few hours of NPM i still didnt believe that it had begun and all the planning that we have been doing was working, and NPM was running, for the first few hours i was feeling like omg NPM is really begining and we are running this confernce, wow!

running through each of the sessions, seeing all the delegates interact and participate and voice their opinions was great, from morning untill night on saturday,and then again on sunday!

I know i didnt get to meet and talk to all of the delegates but by watching and seeing your participate in the conference and working in your LC teams and also to the LCVPICX'ers as well, i saw the potential you all have, you are all willing to learn, willing to question and challange the way we do things and also working on ways we can improve for the 1011 term.

To the OC, you people are awesome! always willing to help us, and dealing with all our questions, and always with a smile :D love you all lots and thank you all for such a wonderful confernce :)

To the MC current, i dont think as an MCe team we could thank you enough for the amount of support you all have given us, through feedback, in sessions and helping us answer delegates questions and also helping translate things into chinese :P it was greatly appreciated!!

To the MCe team! this was the first time we actually ran a proper conference together!! and wow all i can say is we are really united as a team and love you guys heaps!! and cannot wait for our term to fully start cus it is going to be really awesome to work with you all in 1011!!!!

and finally to the delegates, as much as we as a faci team and the OC team can prepare to hold and host a confernce we cannot do it without you, without your participation, your enthusiasm and willingness to learn! you have shown us what potential you all have as leaders and we all look forward to seeing what we all can do in 1011 and are looking foward to working with you all!!!

My Lovely Team :)

Waka Waka "Esto es Africa" Shakira Himno Oficial Copa Mundial de Futbol ...

Week one

first week of being in taiwan has been one of the most craziest and hectic times i have had experienced in a while!!!

18 hour days from friday to monday planning for the new term, understanding and goin through the whole process with the team of 12 people to come up wtih our national strategies and actions. we pretti much spent most of the time in the home stay working on this all!

Home stay for MC Planning 

 but we had lovely food from the current team :D yay and also went out to the night markets in Hualien which was nice, ,

Coffin Bread

 At some coffin bread at the night markets and also did some random video for some communications students that where in the night market. they asked us three internationals to say a few words in chinese and we was filmed doing it. following that went to the beach an chilled out on the rocks near the water, was nice to let our brains rest as a team and just relax for a lil bit.

Relaxing at the Beach in Hualien

after the planning finished on monday (a looooooooongggggggggggg 4 days of it!!) went to CCLC whcih is about 30 minutes away from the house for an intern reception party to welcome 2 columbian interns into the country who will be teaching english here. :) was a very different reception style party compared to australia which involves dinner and going to to the pub. Here we eat and play games and get to know the interns a bit more, was different but also pretti koool :)

anndd now we have our airconditioning working in the MC flat which is awesome :D and also internet finally!!! soo happy hehehe but have lots and lots of work left to do still for the next conference we are organising this weekend.

So far the experience in Taiwan has been insane and awesome :), I love it and i have been to buzy to actually sit down and relax yet, hopefully that day will come soon :) (nxt week) but everyday has been really good, learning new things, walking around Taipei trying not to get lost, ordering food has been fun :P hehe its point and hand actions and they somewhat understand :P hehe but its been a really good experience :) now all i have to so is learn chinese and then i can communicate and order food etc :P hehe