AIESEC International Congress 2011, Kenya my Experience

A wise man once said that for one to map the future, they must first look to the past. With this in mind, the concept of “change agent” has lingered in my mind for far too long. Classic definitions bring out the aspect of one who brings change, be it positive or negative. My focus however is not the nature of the change but rather the “location” where the change took place, takes place and perhaps will take place. Looking back to 1948, in the midst of the turmoil, suffering and heartache, 7 change agents formed AIESEC, the change agency we now love so much. Present in over 1,700 universities and encompassing over 35,000 members, AIESEC is the world’s largest youth-run organization focused on providing a platform for leadership development over 7,700 leadership opportunities each year, in addition to over 5,500 global internship opportunities annually. AIESEC offers Change agents because they chose not to conform to the current pattern of their world. Change agents because they dared to envision a different world from their own. Change agents because they set out to crystallize their dream and make it a reality, the reality we now live. The question then becomes, “do we still live this reality?”

AIESEC rushed into my life 6 months ago. There I was, looking at the AIESEC website and came across a really interesting item, “Do you want to be a teamster in the International Congress 2011, Kenya?” I can say with certainty that the opening ceremony attended by more than 700 delegates on 20^th August 2011 was a success. Meeting and interacting with energetic young people who are passionate about changing the whole world and making it a better place was an eye opener. Only then did I understand, this was my place, this is where I want to be. My dream is to be a registered member of AIESEC – Be among the energetic and passionate young future leaders as well as play my role and contribute to the future development for the whole organization! AIESEC International Congress 2011 presents a great opportunity for AIESEC members to build a future path for not just AIESEC but also for Kenya as a country. The theme of the congress this year is “Carving Young Leaders for a Sustainable Future”, and it will focus on a multitude of issues like sustainability, technology, youth led impact movements, emerging markets, ethical business etc.

Real change starts like wild fire, with just a small spark but within no time a whole forest is ablaze! True impact is never spoken of but felt. My duty as a youth interested in being an AIESEC member is to impact as many people directly and indirectly as I can. As with everything else, change is a process that takes time. 

AIESEC community are role models, ready to take up the responsibility of transforming Countries and in the long run do what we are good at…changing the world

Did you know that the Former President Bill Clinton and former secretary general Koffi Anan are Alumnae of AIESEC? The world has seen their contributions in changing the world and hence taken up leading roles in our society. The AIESEC platform is a unique environment that enables people to explore and develop their potential and creates the opportunity for development of defined leadership competencies.

This life-changing experience will continue to reinforce my belief on ‘give and take’. I always hold that belief when I am helping other people. Do not focus on how much you can gain and how much you can take from that, but focusing on how much you can give to others. This attitude really makes me reflect on my own living values and views about true friendship. That is what a life changing experience means to me.