A
Learning Experience from 4th University Scholars Leadership
Symposium
August,
1-7, 2013, in Manila, Philippines.
This is my writing about my learning experience in
Manila, Philippines. I have committed to myself to share my experience during
engaging the symposium. What for? Since I am passionate on helping and
developing others, this is one of my strategies to actualize mine. Therefore, I
would like to share my ideas, knowledge, comprehension, and experience. It was
an amazing experience that I have never had before. I come to Manila at the
first time, become inspired and motivated from speakers’ sharing, and meet
people from around the world there. And here is the story, one great moment in
my life.
Actually, what kind of symposium I have attended? The
name is 4th University Scholars Leadership Symposium. This symposium
was supported by Humanitarian Affairs from United Nations in United Kingdom. It
provides a young generation to develop their leadership skill in social change.
And, the main theme is share moment and share life. The speakers who came
really inspired and motivated me to change and be impact to my society.
Before I attended the symposium, I had created my
personal goal which I would gain from it. Firstly, I wanted to comprehend more
about poverty itself. On my common sense, poverty happens not because of fate
or bad luck. As an academician, I need to gather information about the nature
of poverty. Thus, I read a scientific journal. From this journal, I got
information that people tend to blame that poor are lazy, unskilled, and other
negative labels. In fact, people become poor because they cannot get out from a
cycle. This cycle described me well that the poor experience deprivation at
first. They cannot access public facilitations, such as education, clean water,
etc. They also have not a power to control their life and future because they
are minority in the environment. This circumstance triggers them to the helplessness.
They don’t know anything what they should do next. Their attitude also changed.
They become passive. The poor ignore the happening things around them. Because
of that, they will come back to the first stage and so on. I thought that
poverty is a complex problem.
Second, I was eager to develop my leadership skill. I
have a faith that someday I will be a great leader in my country. I know that
is very a big dream for person like me now. But, I believe that I can start it
from simple, at least I can be a leader of myself first. Well, I thought that
this symposium can facilitate me to understand and practice my own leadership
skill. Finally, I need to have an international experience before I graduate
from my undergraduate study. Hopefully from this experience, I can obtain a
global perspective. Last but not least, I can share my experience to others,
inspire and motivates them to be a better person.
Well now I am going to share it briefly. At last, I want
elaborate the insights from my learning experience there. Thus, it can be
easily to be understood and also applied to us. What do you expect about the
leadership development program in social change? From me, I expected previously
that I would be joining a kind of training which especially practice the
delegates’ leadership skill and learn more about how to conduct a social
project. And what I get? I get more than I have expected it before. Why? I
learn the leadership skill comprehensively. I gather the knowledge from the
basic through the speakers who presented to the delegates.
The symposium
was held in Philippines International Convention Center, Manila. It started
from August 2nd to 6th, 2013. The first day, August 2nd, Bam Aquino, the first speaker, explained
that young generation can make an impact to the society because age cannot
limit us. We should be smart if we want make a difference impacting our
environment. We have plenty of resources. As young generations, we should keep
connecting each other. Next, we can share and brainstorm together to make a
social movement. And technology, it also can be a really useful as our
strategy. Things that we need are innovation, patience, and focus. The next
speaker, Pamela Wigglesworth, challenged us to know what our bliss in life. Why
people should know their bliss? For me, people should survive and live. By
reaching their bliss, they can have their well-being. How can you know? Pam
listed it: (1) Follow your heart, (2) Do whatever it takes, (3) Surround
yourself with positive people, (4) Be authentic and be yourself, and (5) Fail
forwards. And the final speaker on the first day, Tony Meloto, delivered us
about the understanding of poverty. In short, poor are same as with “animal”.
It hears bad, right? The true is people as the best creation of God, they have
a special feature that other creation doesn’t have, simply is a brain to think.
He also shared us how to conduct a project to the poor. The main point is
treating the poor as a family. I think that is very important since the prior
knowledge I had that the poor are as minority and helpless person. Treating
them as a family will give them a sense of acceptance and pride. After this,
give them a hope that they have strength to live better. And the other important
thing, we should sacrifice, have a solidarity, and do the action. At last, Tony
also mentioned us the seven of a success leader of social project: strong
character, compassion, commitment, competence, courage, capital, and
creativity.
The next day, August 3th
, 2013, the first speaker was Geraldine Cox. She is a
founder of Sunrise Children Village in Cambodia. She has been engaging to
improve the quality living for children there. The main idea I got from her
through her experiences is about treating to children. Wherever you are, please
treat the children with love, trust, and appreciation to educate, play, let
them explore themselves, protect, and concern to their health and clean. In my
opinion, childhood is the crucial period. The caregiver should concern their
life being. Not only parents, even teacher, etc. have an important role to grow
and develop the children. I agree to Geraldine Cox’s saying about the way to
treat them. Since I believe that children will be an independent person in the
adulthood period, they need to be loved, trusted, and appreciated so they can
view themselves and world positively. Staying healthy and save, children can
grow better by get an education, explore more about their interest and talent.
After her session, next is Peter Baines. He is a founder of Hands Across the
Water. In the first beginning of his speech, he expose his words, “the power of
share experience”. He told about a woman suffering serious ilness who struggle
and achieve her ambition. Actually, sharing is a good thing to do. I am one who
like sharing. I share about my thought, ideas, and experience. I really enjoy
it and feel satisfied after I do sharing with people, especially friends. I
always hope through the sharing, the listener obtain a message or insight which
can contribute for his or her developing. Peter then explain about dreams. What
is dream? I think that dream is a people strength because only human have this
ability. People can imagine and think over the limitation. There is a gap
between dream and reality. Peter mention the step, (1) experience, (2)
engagement, (3) commitment, and (4) result. I define the experience as many
things you execute a concrete behavior to achieve your dreams through a
motivation from your internal state. Then engagement, while you are taking of
effort, you will stay to focus to your behavior, evaluate even develop the
strategis to achieve your dream. Commitment, I think that there are several “distractors”
in your life which disturb your vision or way. It may comes from external or
even from yourself. Thus, commitment is a power you have to attack the
“enemies” coming to you. They will inhibit your achieving goals, but your
commitment is your weapon. Result, this thing you have succeeded, you make your
dream comes true. Pretty cool! Next session is for Francis Kong. He is a
trainer. He was teaching about leadership. Leadership is a skill that can be
learned. It is a combination of science and art. Besides you learn and practice
your leadership skill in a formal or informal education, you should know the
art of leadership. Which art you know? Like Francis have told, leadership is
influence, not control others. I agree with him. I had learned that leadership
is about influence others to achieve a goal or vision. Why don’t you control?
It is because other things can be an opportunity or strength to you to improve
yourself achieving your goals. For example, in an organization, the leader has
several staffs to facilitace you to succeed a project. Don’t limit and
underestimate yours because they have their own potentials. They might share a
great idea to support your project. Do you agree? I concern the strategy to
influence others, I call it as an art. Francis also told about decision making.
As I know, it is also a skill, so that everybody can learn and practice it.
Francis said that a right decision is followed by the previous learning and
reading. It means a good leader comes from a learning process. At last but not
least, Francis mentioned “behave right”. He told if you want succeed a thing,
you should behave right. Specifically, as a leader by a goal or vision you
have, you should understand yourself, such as the reason why you want achieve the
goals. After that, you should choose what kind of behavior will direct you to
make it happens.
August 5th, 2013, Lloyd Luna is a trainer who also presented about
achieving a goal. What is achieving? Lloyd described
into three points: stand up, leave the crowd, and get it. People with their own
goals should realize to make a first step from the beginning. “Stand up” is
usually used by people to move or walk. They walk to the destination they
desire. Sometimes is easy, but you will find an
obstacle. The things come to my mind are comfort zone or even an obstacle.
Well, you should “leave the crowd” if you want arrive to your destination. And,
you will get it. So, the important learning here is about starting point and
the process to achieve the goal. Like Lloyd told next, “you get what you work
for, not you want”. From where and when you start, then how you make an effort
will decide the outcome. The best quote from Lloyd to me is “although people
can say anything about you, never forget who you really are”. I think external
thing likes people saying about us probably can disturb or stop our step.
Again, if you believe that your goal is the best to you, and you love doing
what you love, external things shouldn’t stop your walking. Then, Lloyd also
mentioned about idea. People thinking will produce ideas. But, they have a
freedom to choose whether they act to make the ideas happen or just forget it.
He told that people give up from the ideas because he or she doesn’t know which
idea will change their life. I agree with him. How about you? After his
session, next presentation is from Pushpa Basnet. She is one of CNN Heroes. She
is a founder of Butterfly Home, kindergarten and home for inmate’s children.
She told about her experience and passion to make a better living to the
children. From her sharing, I noted some great quotes from her. (1) If you
believe your dream, no one can stop your believing. She had experienced before,
people around here were trying to stop her moving. But, she kept moving
forward. (2) You need to focus wherever you are. You have a dream, you have a
goal. You believe it is your passion which can make you feel happy. Many things
have a chance to distract or change your focus, but your focus will maintain
and direct you to the right track. (3) You should know things that motivate you
for doing this. It will assist you keep persist when something comes and
interferes you. The greatest thing to help you is you. You need to influence
yourself when some disturbs you. That’s why (4) is Influence yourself if you
want influence others. The second last speakers were Miguel Bermundo and Janice
Leong. Miguel and Janice focused to take an action for making the big dream
happens. Again, dream and action is the best part here.
Ibu Robin Lim at 6th August, one of CNN
Heroes, came to the stage by pretending a pregnant woman who will birth a baby.
I know her well enough. She is mother helper in Bali. She serves the pregnant
women with a daily care or health guidance, and provides free birth process in
the water to them. In this section, Robin Lim stated that knowledge is
important. She also motivated us to be master to our studying. The reason is
when you have been mastered something, you should apply it well and give the
benefit from it. At the last session, Simerjeet Singh, a professional speaker
and coach, told us about making a difference. First of all, we should have a
mindset that we are gifted, believe to ourselves. Then, make a vision to do the
next step. (1) Unleash imagination, think and act differently. Ask yourself,
“why?”, “why not?”, and “what if?”. You sometimes need to take a risk of it.
(2) Discover your strengths. Everything you have can be your strengths. Know
yourself, understand it, and be proud of you. (3) Execution. You need to decide
and develop the strategies based on your vision and potentials.
Well, what can you summarize from my writing?
Better if you find the insight or the most important thing to you from it
firstly. And then, please share it to me again if you don’t mind. I will
analyze my writing and give a brief summary of mine later. Hope you enjoy, feel
inspired or motivated, have a dream or goal, believe it and yourself, and
trigger to make it happens. Good luck!
