Rabu, 04 September 2013

A Learning Experience from 4th University Scholars Leadership Symposium



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! 
  

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