Wednesday, 9 January 2008 | posted by asania
Guildford 2008
Hi beautiful people!
Oh my, the countdown has really begun...ooh, the excitement!
While we are busy packing, making arrangements for while we are gone, I'd like us to think about (yeah, what's new?) the effectiveness of youth leadership development. I know that most of us have already been involved in programmes and also by virtue of being selected to be part of the Guildford forum, you're learning some leadership skills. So, what I'd like to know is how effective do you think these programmes are? How has it helped you as an individual, as a team leader and how have you seen help other people around you. While you're at that let's get suggestions of how to make the programmes more effective long term wise, so that it's just not a conference or camp you attend for a week and you go back home and you're inspired and that's the end of it.
I'd really like to get as much input on this as possible so that we can make even get them together and make suggestions to the BC to make sure that all this passion and energy is captured and used productively long term. So, let's get talking shall we?!
PS: reading the blogs and the comments is such an inspiration - I literally get so excited I don't know what to do...anyway... see you soon.
All blog categories sized by popularity:
Activism Africa Youth Summit 2009 CAPs (Community Action Programmes) Climate Dead Sea Forum 2009 Economy Education G-20 London Summit 2009 General Global Youth Summit 2009 Greenwich 2007 Guildford 2008 Guildford 2009 Human Rights News Partners Politics WEF Davos 2008 WEF Davos 2009
9 January 2008
HI Asania, thanks for always keeping us focused. Well, would you believe that I knew little or nothing about the Davos/WEF Project until when I was called to represent my school.
I also remember someone saying that everything died down after she came back and no change was effected nor felt in her base.
I therefore saw the grave need for me to personally commit myself to ensuring that I get my mates updated on what’s going on in the global community once I get back. How? Starting with my school I decided that I would need to organize an interactive session with the support of my school officials where I will present a report of what went on and sensitize my mates on the need for we the youths to sit up and speak up and contribute to solving global issues.
I should also visit the various clubs in my school and create awareness on what was discussed and the conclusions that were reached at the forum and how we can all work together to implement them.
That will just be for starters, then I believe that with thebacking of the BC and the FCT administration we could compel the Government to implement the idea/project or resolutions on a National level. That way the grassroots may be able to feel the impact.
9 January 2008
Dear Asania,
yes they are!
I have been to some programs of these and they are very effective provided they focus on team-building and young participants are left to act (anyhow) on their own!
first, team-building:
You think you can learn a bunch of people in a couple of days? well, if you invest some hours in TB, you will be most likely to miss them for months afterwards and your work (committee work or other) will be greatly facilitated.
I have experienced and played leadership and trust games that showed me how to become a leader in the most smooth and effective way. Thanks to them, I can know judge by just a look of someone’s eyes, if he/she trusts me, listens to me, would nominate me for his representative.
Everything is a skill, including leadership, and can be taught.
(I could show you a lot of these games if you are interested…)
second, “let the fish alone with the sharks”:
Any kind of forum or youth conference that I have attended was most valuable to the participants if they were acting on their own, getting ready for it on their own etc. I always remember my first time on a podium. It was like a deodorant advertisement! Gosh! So much sweat and nervousness! You see, at the time, I had butterflies in my stomach but overtime, I learned to make them fly in formation!
How? Well, I know I am not curing cancer by saying that but “practice makes perfect”
All someone like me needed was the chance under a spotlight! alone… lonely… but in the end: independent!
The bottom line: For someone to benefit from programs like these, he has to be a destined leader. He has to want to lead to help himself and the people around him, not for the sake of leading. And be certain: If the program is done correctly this difference is all that matters and it shows…
I will come back with a (even longer) post!
10 January 2008
hi folks
thanks for the great responses, good to know all is not in vain after all
most importantly though, i appreciate the points that Johnny and Flakes make about young people being given an opportunity to figure things out for themselves and them taking charge of the situation and getting some work done - bright young minds you are!
11 January 2008
Hi Asania!
This is such a great question for us to dwell on. I have personally facilitated several leadership camps for my high school and have found that it can really be a challenge to actually instill leadership into people. First of all, just as Johnny said, a person has to want to be a leader and to be there or they won’t get anything out to the experience.
I found that the more interactive the camps were the more enjoyable and effective the camp was. Watching a speaker can be insightful, but many times if people can act themselves then they will learn exactly what it takes. When I would get up and talk in front of people, I learned a lot more than when someone told me about speaking.
If you create bonding between the participants, then when they all go home they will have people to support them and help them to work on their leadership skills. Also to create kind of a mentorship type relationship between the facilitators and the participants so they have something to model after.
I hope that these are helpful. I might have a few more comments soon.
Have a great day! See you soon!
Whitney
13 January 2008
Great points Whitney, will keep that in mind when i get involved in facilitating some of the sessions. I guess we can all safely assume that Johnny’s point has been taken care of seeing that pretty much all the participants have already started their leadership route.
see you tomorrow!
18 February 2008
I think youth programs are extremely important as we all know; they help give young kids someone to look up to…it also holds a mirror up to oneself and to be more rounded. I use to just be a gamerbut then realized there is more to life such as mentorship, hiking, fishing, etc. Overall I think everyone wins.
20 July 2008
Youth progroms are absolutely neccesary for us leaders of tommorrow in that connection the world leaders of today should start many programs for youth so that we can learn how leadership for our future inherritance.
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)