Latin America and Caribbean Youth Summit 2010: Day 2

With 4 hours sleep under my belt, having stayed up into the early hours waiting for the last participants to arrive I checked out of the Hotel in Rio and headed for the Conference venue.

After a drive through breath-taking scenery (which I slept through!) we all arrived , checked into our rooms, loaded up on coffee and got down to the serious business of activist speed dating. 

In two equal circles (the inside circle facing the outside circle) each person opposite one another had a minute to talk about their socail and community projects. After 2 minutes the bell went and they moved round the circle to form another pair and repeat the process.

As participants learned about each other´s areas of activism and their shared passions, the feeling of shared purpose unique to a Global Changemaker´s Summit took hold.

Its a powerful thing when people from across the globe realise that they are partners and collegues in creating the world they want to see. I think one Changemaker, Said it best telling me ¨today I learnt I am not alone, I am part of this family which is commited to making a positive difference¨.

The energy and enthusiasm was contagious as the Day wore on. The regional discussions, talking about the big issues in each geographical área, created both lively discussions, visual displays and even an art instalation!!

With the creative juices well and truely flowing after the mornings sessions the peer facilitators intoduced the Sketches Project. This progreamme creates an oppourtunity for everyone to consider issues which many not be the main focus of their activism but have a bearing or influence on the work they do. These 10 issues chosen by the peer facilitation team aim to spark dialogue and form the basis of a creative performance.
Working on the sketches Project was no different to the rest of the Day in terms of the energy. My group brought an incredible amount of talent, insight and enthusiasm to explore the question ¨Is there a feeling of inferiority in Latin America and the Caribbean?¨ This was an emotive topic which raised some interesting and moving points, with the consideration that maybe as a region they needed to discover themselves rather than constantly comparing themselves to the rest of the world. 

The day wrapped up with the Capoeira dancers , a traditional Brazilian dance which combines martial arts, music and dance. The rhythms of the dancers and the atmosphere of the Changemakers were hard to resist and the dancing lead to everyone (including Gaby and Louise) taking to the dance floor!

Heather Kitt, Global Changemaker

P.S.: Videos to follow later today!

Check out the following blogs by Changemakers at the Latin America and Caribbean Youth Summit: