Post-WEF 2010: Yellow M&Ms

After spending 5 days at the World Economic Forum, I came to a conclusion. Davos and its contents are like a pack of M&M Chocolates…Colorful, busy and (in many cases) hairless.

With the Changemakers family and our generation at heart, the Davos 6 walked hand-in-hand in snow every morning to the Congress Center, ready to represent by being the brightest, yellow M&Ms in the pack.


 
My first reaction to entering the Davos bubble was a solid: “Wow”. You had to be prepared to be amazed by the variety of colors. Everywhere you looked, there seemed to be something intriguing going on in practically any sense — whether a session on Redesigning Global Governance, light-hearted chatting or small meetings where important deals were being closed. Every person you met was successful in their own way, some undoubtedly “Improving the State of the World” as the WEF slogan goes and others, not so much. There was no ‘typical’ Davos participant.

I was star-struck by the amalgamation of all these world leaders at the start. Faced with these people who carry gems of experience and age, it was easy to feel that you had two choices: to conform to their standards of practical thinking or rebel. You sat in dinner sessions as a teenager expecting the discussion leader next to you to inherently understand and hold your ideals; that no, humans don’t have the right to exploit resources in outer space. Or that yes, happiness is the center of a healthy populace. More than usually, that wasn’t the case. Your paradigm was challenged.

I realized that was precisely why we were at the World Economic Forum: to break through the outer shell of these leaders and touch their core. After all, these M&Ms are all shiny and varied at the exterior, but inside they’re all the same brown, soft chocolate. This was the ultimate microphone for us teenagers to voice our dreams for the world through passion and excitement.


 
Instead of choosing to conform or rebel, you learn to gear conversations into a two-way exchange. Soon, their reactions to your radical, young ideas shifted from raised eyebrows to warm smiles as you compromised for a viewpoint that combined idealism and realism. You learned from their wisdom, while they gained a new dimension from your excitement.

We’d attend sessions and ask questions that only teenagers could ask- kind of like how little kids ask “Why is the sea blue?” We’d grin and jump past news cameras exclaiming “We can change the world!” (And admittedly receive concerned looks in the process). But the key was not to get self-conscious or apologetic but instead flaunt your bright yellow color. That’s how we get our messages heard. And hey! Leaders like the President of Latvia approached us, so I like to think being yellow did the trick.

I’ll never forget what the incredible Queen Rania said in one of the sessions I attended: “The saddest thing is not death. It’s when your dreams die when you are alive.”

So whether you live in Africa or Europe, advocate poverty or climate change, attend a local event or the World Economic Forum, let’s carry our dreams for the world and the Changemaker spirit and be proud to be yellow M&Ms in the pack! That’s how we do.

Lots of hugs,
Carmina

P.S. Thank you so much to the British Council, Global Changemakers Program (especially Fran, Kat, Gaby, Paola, Matt and John who put up with us) and the World Economic Forum for giving the six of us and the following representatives the most inspiring experience. You guys are seriously amazing!