What would you say is the most important impact you’ve made?

The most important impact that I’ve made would be the establishment of my dance studio, DeDe Dance Studio. I founded DeDe Dance Studio in 2004, when I was 14 at the time, and with the support of my mother, my aunt Delores, and residents of my community believing in me, I established my organization in 2006, celebrating the Grand Opening of DeDe Dance Studio on my Super Sweet 16.

DeDe Dance Studio has been a blessing to the children and families of South, Los Angeles because it provides children a safe environment to express themselves in positive & creative ways. It brings the families together in harmony to celebrate the diversity in the arts and support youth in positive involvement.

I have worked very closely with hundreds of people ranging from toddlers to adults. Inasmuch as people believe that I am their leader and inspiration, my students in return spark inspiration in me because many of them come from impoverished backgrounds and lack the support that I received from my parents daily yet are resilient and determined, embodying what stands as a strong child.

Who or what inspired you to become a leader? How did it all begin?

My mother, Kendra Okonkwo, inspired me to become a leader. Ever since, I was about 6 or 7, I expressed dreams of becoming world-renowned humanitarian. My mother believed in me and supported my endeavors including starting college at the age of 10, founding a dance studio at the age of 14 and currently pursuing graduate school at 18 years old. My interest in starting a dance studio sparked from the experience of participating in Debbie Allen’s Summer Intensive in 2001.

My parents invested in my childhood and supported my passion for the arts despite the costly tuition. Furthermore, I in return, expressed my appreciation by teaching what I had learned to the kids in my neighborhood. From backyard classes to teaching at my mother’s private school, my mother began to discover my talent of empowering youth through the arts. Many of my dance students began adopting my values, beliefs even some of my clothes habits. Through dance, I encouraged many to see the beauty in diversity. Because of dance, many of my peers finished high school and matriculated to college. Dance enabled me to serve as an inspiration for youth and I am humbled to be the leader.

What three things have contributed to your success?

1. God has chosen me to be his instrument. I am humbled to have been a light for the children in my community and I aspire to take my programs back to my parent’s native home, Nigeria.
    
2. The support of my parents and their believing in me no matter how audacious my goals may have seemed.
    
3. Humility is the key to my success. Had I felt too big of myself in the beginning, I would have never reaped the support of everyone that continuously works to plant seeds with me.

When do you most feel “in the zone”?

I feel “in the zone” when I am conversing with people who believe in me and the work that I do. I also get utmost gratification when I see my kids perform. To witness the excitement and joy in the eyes of the children and their parents makes me overjoyed by the work that I have been called to do.

Is there one story that illustrates why you do what you do?

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from your work as a leader?

I learned to talk less and listen more. Despite the cliché, it is essential as a leader. A prudent change agent listens to the voice of his/her people, thinks about their opinions and carefully makes a decision in the best interest of his/her people.

Who are the current leaders or thinkers you admire?

• My mother, Kendra Okonkwo is my role-model. The entire world may not know her name but she indeed is a woman that embodies a true leader. A leader is someone who supports another through trials and tribulations and my mother has been there for me, even when my dreams may have deemed too exceptional. My mother makes sacrifices to support her children and she indeed forfeited innumerable opportunities to invest in my dreams.
   
• I also admire many young leaders such as Talia Leman, Founder/CEO of RandomKid where they believe in ‘the power on ANYone’. She is an audacious philanthropist who I believe will be in charge of the US someday. Her mother Dana Leman is a wonderful woman and is an inspiration for the work I do.
   
• I recently learned about a 17 year old CEO, Jasmine Lawrence- awe-inspiring, I tip my hat off to her. She turned a problem (her hair falling) to her success. (That’s what I name a change agent).
   
• Lastly, a young girl who is firm in her beliefs and walks that which she preaches, Taylor Moore. She is an 18 year old inspirational speaker and TV producer who models a message of excellence, non-violence and abstinence.
   
• Inevitably, President Barack Obama. I learned the wisdom and knowledge of a humanitarian through his book, The Audacity of Hope, and his addresses.

What book has made a great impression on you in the last few years? Why?

The Youth Walk Devotional Bible (New International Version) by Zondervan is what I hold dearest. This bible shed a lot of encouragement and wisdom for me. It not only teaches me how to build my relationship with God but it provides tangible advice for daily struggles in life.

What gives you hope for the future?

My hope comes from the children that I work with. They teach me how to be a better person and they assure me through their actions that they will strive to achieve beyond what God has enabled me to do at my age. Hope also comes from people who believe in me—those who are there, often behind the wings of DeDe Dance Studio. If I could list the names, I would exceed this page but I am sure that my friends and family know who they are and that I appreciate them infinitely.

What advice would you give to aspiring young leaders today?

• Dream BIG and make it a REALITY.
• Talk less. DO More.
• Focus on the good. There is so much prevailing negativity and if you let it overwhelm you, it will occlude you from achieving your goals. They way you focus on the good is by expressing your gratitude (small or big).

But most importantly, he and his brother started My Own Book, a youth-led project to spread the joy of reading to underprivileged children.

What would you say is the most important impact you’ve made?

The most significant impact I have made is running an organization, My Own Book, which has given out more than 15,000 brand new books to K- 3rd graders. In turn this has spread the joy of reading to thousands of children, opening new doors for them and giving them a gift, which they otherwise may not have had. Another impact my organization has had on our community is with the teen volunteers of My Own Book.  The teens have benefited from the program because they have gained new skills and learned the value of community service.

Who or what inspired you to become a leader? How did it all begin?

Our program began when I was helping my brother with a community service project dealing with literacy. We didn’t mean for it to turn into an organization. We meant for it to be a one-time shot: building bookshelves, recording books and giving out some books. While doing this we found that some children did not own a single book. We were shocked. We knew we had to do something so we decided to start an organization to solve this problem. With the help of others in our community and Youth Venture, our program grew. We learned from each experience, building our program into what it is today. We plan to continue learning new lessons to build a bigger organization and change the lives of more children.

What three things have contributed to your success?

Several factors have contributed to My Own Book’s success. Youth Venture gave us a $1000 to start our organization but in addition they helped us get organized, making us really think about what we wanted to do and how to do it. Another thing that has helped us is our community which gave us the inspiration to do what we did and gave support by hosting book drives and spreading the word of our organization. The last thing would be my brother and I working together as a team; uniting our ideas and opinions and blending our different talents to form a well rounded organization. 

When do you most feel “in the zone”?

I am most “in the zone” when I am standing there when the children pick out their very own book. The enthusiasm of the children can be felt in air as the children eagerly search for a book to read and take home to show their siblings and parents. It is during this time that I see what an influence My Own Book is making.

Is there one story that illustrates why you do what you do?

Over the summer we ran weekly reading events at a neighboring town. There were two little girls, about 5 and 7 years old, that came each Saturday. After several weeks the older girl asked if she could be the reader that week. After that, every week one of the little kids wanted to read aloud to the other children. It really showed that My Own Book was working and spreading the joy of reading by the eagerness of the children wanting to read aloud.

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned form your work as a leader?

The most important lesson that I have learned running My Own Book is that everything you do is dependent on a series on smaller actions you have taken. In Autumn Garden it says, “So at any given moment you are only the sum of your life up to than. There are no big moments you can reach unless you’ve a pile of smaller moments to stand on.”  

You do not just wake up a leader one day. There are a series of events that lead up to becoming a leader. That first time you ask for a donation, the feeling you get when you first give out a book all influence who you become and build you up to ask for the next donation, the impetus to give out the next book, and to do more. Eventually you can build yourself to become something just as long as the roadblocks do not discourage you. Most importantly you must keep on it everyday to continue to be successful and make progress.

Who are the current leaders or thinkers you admire?

The current leader that I admire is Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Apple creates innovative, simple products that are easy to use.  Apple has shown how something simple can drastically change the way people think and do things. I also admire Zig Ziglar. Zig Ziglar emphasizes the power of positive thinking. When asked how he is doing he doesn’t just say “good,” he says “better than good.” He brings charisma and enthusiasm to everything he does.

What book has made a great impression on you in the last few years? Why?

The book that has made the greatest impression on me over the last few years is the Time Almanac. Time Almanac has been influential to me because it shows what a large world it is. It allows me to escape out of my hometown and lets me imagine the difference I can make by reading about famous people and events.

What gives you hope for the future?

What gives me hope for the future is that youth today are concerned about making a better world for tomorrow. It does not matter what the cause is that they are involved in. What matters is that they are looking ahead trying to improve the world. With everyone working together to make a better place our world can be vastly improved.

What advice would you give to aspiring young leaders today?

The advice that I would give to aspiring young leaders is to not get discouraged by setbacks. I would tell them to keep working towards their cause, to imagine the difference they can make if they do not give up.

Simon, now 26, launched his Spirit Bear Youth Coalition at the age of 13 and has worked since then to protect the bear’s habitat.  His international campaign is now focused on producing a Hollywood animated movie about the bear, a project that will raise awareness and funds to make habitat conservation possible.

Global Youth Fund is pleased to feature Simon in our first Interview, not simply because he’s a founding director – he also happens to be an exemplary leader!

Simon Jackson, The Spirit Bear Youth Coalition

What would you say is the most important impact you’ve made?

As important as I believe it is to save the spirit bear and its globally important habitat, I’m aware that there is a larger importance to our – my – work. If we can succeed in saving the spirit bear, we will have succeeded in something far greater: proving that one young person with no remarkable skills or intellect, but armed simply with a passion, can take hold of a cause and unite the world.

I think the potential of sending that message to the millions of young people around the world who have supported and championed the Youth Coalition’s efforts to save the spirit bear – and underscore the fact that they truly can do the exact same thing for any issue that they believe in – has the power to be the most important impact the Youth Coalition and, personally, my work can have on our world.

While we’ve made change and had tremendous success that I know has already started to demonstrate the power of one young person, I won’t truly believe I’ve made an impact until the bear is saved. I would trade every honour I’ve received to ensure this bear’s future. That all said, I know we will succeed in saving the spirit bear and I hope, when we do, the real story speaks for itself and inspires others to follow their passion – for it is a remarkable story only because it is unremarkable.

Who or what inspired you to become a leader? How did it all begin?

I never set out to become a leader… or even to start my own organization. I still don’t really consider myself a leader – I’m a passionate, engaged citizen. But my journey began, probably, back when I was 7 years old.

As is the case for so many, my greatest inspiration was my parents. They gave me the two greatest gifts of my life – the gift of travel and the gift of news. Travel – camping trips, driving trips across Canada and around the western US – allowed me to explore my own backyard. News was served up every night with dinner and gave me the chance to connect the places I saw with real life, with current events.

When I was seven, it was on one of those family camping trips that I saw my first bear. It captured my imagination and a passion was born. After returning home, I saw a story on the evening news about the plight of Alaska’s Kodiak bears. In my seven-year-old mind, I felt as if this was an assault on the same bear I had just watched on my trip and I wanted to do something. Being seven, the answer of what I could do was obvious: I would have a lemonade stand.

Over the course of the summer I sold about sixty dollars worth of lemonade (I shudder to think how much my mother spent on buying that lemonade mix!) and sent it away with letters to President Bush Sr. and Prime Minister Mulroney, asking for the Kodiak bear to be saved.

A few months later, I received a letter in the mail informing me that the decision was made to save the Kodiak bear – I thought: wow, I did it! Obviously I didn’t, but it planted the seed that I could make a difference and that was a lesson, a belief that I never forgot.

What three things have contributed to your success?

Passion. My age. Innovation.

Passion because it is the fuel that allows me to keep going in the darkest hours and without being passionate I wouldn’t be an affective advocate.

My age because as difficult as it is to get people to take you seriously as a young person, being young allows you to take risks in order to seize the impossible dream, do more with less because of fewer life demands and responsibilities, and be unique and interesting to the public – especially to the media.

Innovation because I believe I tried to take a different approach to environmentalism, to show that it doesn’t have to be us versus them or trees versus jobs, but could – and should – be a non- or multi-partisan issue that bridges the two solitudes of environmental sustainability and economic bottom lines. I believe we succeeded in building a broader coalition supported by very non-traditional champions and that innovative approach allowed us to reach new heights. And, at the end of the day, we will succeed in achieving our ultimate goal because of innovation – using the forthcoming animated movie, The Spirit Bear, as not only an awareness tool, but an economic engine for change to assist protecting the bear’s remaining unprotected habitat.

When do you most feel “in the zone”?

When I’m under pressure; when I’m giving a speech to a unique, important, and challenging audience; and when I’m having a stimulating conversation with great minds, young and old, who are supporters or respectful dissenters.

Is there one story that illustrates why you do what you do?

When I was fifteen, I had the opportunity to see the spirit bear in person for the first time. It was a magical trip – to walk in a place where perhaps no one had ever walked before; to see this white bear walk out from its dark forest green backdrop…it was awe-inspiring and reminded me why it is so important to save this wilderness. As I was about to leave and board the float plane back to civilization, I went to say goodbye to the man who was my guide for the trip. He and his wife had just had a baby girl and he made me promise his daughter that she would be able to grow up, have a family, and be able to see the spirit bear and have the same experience I just had.

I promised her I would do everything I could to ensure the future of the spirit bear for her future children and for all generations to come. I’ve worked everyday since to keep my promise.

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from your work as a leader?

The power of one: One person, no matter how old or where they live, can make a difference for all life.

Who are the current leaders or thinkers you admire?

I truly admire Dr. Jane Goodall – she’s the elder stateswoman of the environmental community and one of the few leaders I know that walks the walk, not only talks the talk.

However, some of the great leaders and thinkers I admire are those who may not yet be household names on the global stage, but are amongst the most inspiring change makers and innovators I’ve ever come across: Dev Aujla, Shawn Smith, Larissa Vingilis-Jaremko, Justin McElroy, Salimah Ebrahim, Mark Masongsong, Ryan Goodman, Herman Chandi, Matthew Cloutier, and you, Charles! Truly, there are so many inspiring, amazing thinkers I’ve met and know that I admire…I would need a dozen pages to answer this question in full!

What book has made a great impression on you in the last few years? Why?

I’ll admit that while I love to read, my work doesn’t give me much time to read anything beyond news papers and briefing reports. But the last book I read that really stayed with me was probably Hawks Rest – it’s the story of a back country ranger near Yellowstone National Park in the US. Yellowstone is the one place in the world where I feel at home and the book brought to life my ‘home’ in a way that I could never forget. It was probably the best book I’ve read about that corner of the world and it allowed me to escape to the wilds of Yellowstone during tough days on the campaign when I couldn’t afford to actually escape to Yellowstone.

What gives you hope for the future?

Young people, without question, give me hope. While some young people have lost hope and have drifted toward the resulting consequence of apathy, many more are hope personified. They have the clarity of thought and the energy required to take on the challenges threatening our future and if you just look at the inspiring, critical projects that young people are leading – in Canada alone – you cannot help but be filled with a sense of optimism.

What advice would you give to aspiring young leaders today?

As cliché as it sounds: find your passion, dream the impossible dream, and never lose hope.

Every person matters and every action we take, each day of our lives, makes an impact. If more people can find their passion and utilize their skill sets to work on making bold, innovative dreams a reality – without losing hope when the challenges that will doubtlessly confound them occur – we will start to chip away at the seemingly overwhelming and unstoppable issues facing our generation and start achieving the change we so desperately require as a society.

Simon Jackson can be reached through The Spirit Bear Youth Coalition and speaking engagements can be arranged through The Speakers’ Spotlight.

Needless to say, I didn’t mean to nearly kill myself – I just meant to look like all the super-thin supermodels I saw in magazines. 

Just knowing that I weighed less than most thin movie stars gave me a boost of confidence.  But I was still never satisfied.  I still felt fat, so I kept refusing to eat.  Little did I know that ninety percent of people who starve themselves gain back all the weight they lose within a few months.  And no, I was not a part of the lucky ten percent.
Of all the problems I’ve ever had, the most difficult one by far was regaining my self esteem after the traumatizing realization hit me that I was living my worst nightmare every day.  When I was anorexic, my greatest fear was that I would regain the weight I’d lost – which I did.  I felt like a failure, I felt so helpless and hopeless.  

I didn’t see any point in getting ready each day because I didn’t think any boys would like me or any girls would want to be my friend if I wasn’t “skinny.”  I almost gave up even trying to look decent or even trying to make friends.  I almost gave up loving life and living it to the fullest.  I almost gave up – but I didn’t.

I didn’t because I remembered a saying I’d heard once that says, “You are not a failure if you stumble and fall.  You are only a failure if you don’t pick yourself back up.”  

This saying saved my life.  It made me realize that although I’d stumbled and fallen, I could still pick myself back up and regain my confidence.  Although I didn’t really know if I could ever find my self esteem again, I had faith and told myself that I could.  I never gave up trying to love myself and just be myself.  I finally realized that I don’t have to look like a supermodel for guys to like me and for me to find friends.  All I have to do is be myself.  

Since regaining a positive self image, I have made my goal simply to be healthy rather than to be “skinny.”  I run every day I can and I eat healthily.  I am as happy as ever, and I enjoy every single day of my life.  

Although finding the inner-strength I needed to reach this point was the hardest trial I have ever faced, I am so grateful I went through it.  I choose to learn something from each challenge I encounter, and from this one I learned to never give up.  

In all the tribulations I have faced since then, there has always been a point at which I felt like I couldn’t handle it and that I might as well quit trying to overcome it.  Even though it’s harder to not give up at the moment of desperation, in the end, the joy, smiles, and sense of accomplishment are so worth all the pain, tears, and hard work.  And that is why I believe in never giving up.

That was what my Dad told me on the phone last week when I told him that I wanted to extend my time volunteering to help homeless people in Ireland. 

Coming from a middle class Chinese family in Thailand, my parents tend to push me towards the way they believe is best for me and my future: studying hard to get into the best universities, getting a good job in a big company, and having a long career there.
Volunteering is a concept they never appreciate. They call it, “Letting others exploit you for free.”

Despite what they think, volunteering is what I have done the most in the last five years.  Actually, when I started volunteering, I was in a very severe state, having suffered an emotional breakdown in my transition to the university.  I was very lonely and vulnerable.  I had to wear a fake-smile mask to the university every day to pretend that I was fine.  I made no friends in my university and I could not trust anyone.

My life started to change gradually after I started volunteering with the university magazine whose mission was to protect the rights of the students.  I started to make friends with students from diverse backgrounds.  My friendship with them started to develop as we shared the same beliefs and worked together towards the same goal.  

My time at the magazine and my colleagues’ friendship helped me gain my self-respect back and I became happier with my university life.  I was chosen to become the editor of the magazine in my second year with them.  The responsibility of being the editor boosted my self-confidence and even developed my leadership skills.  I become more and more active, energetic, and optimistic without consciously realizing it.

Amazing opportunities came to me to further expand my horizons.  I was chosen to represent my country at many international youth conferences, won a scholarship to study in Japan for a year, and got an internship with the World Bank.  On reflection, I believe that it was the experience I gained from volunteering, combined with a strong giving spirit that have transformed me to become a brand new person.

I believe that even though volunteering is primarily to help others, you always get back much more in return. 

Now I am happy with my life.  I get my whole life back from the deep dark hole of depression.  And, I also have a bright future waiting for me. 

Could I ask for more from volunteering? I do not think so.

—

Chawapol: “I am a 22 year-old guy from Thailand, but having pure Chinese blood. Now I work as a full-time volunteer to help homeless people here in Ireland. I am fluent in Thai, English, and Japanese language. My nickname is “Gun” which seems very strange to be a name in English, but it means “together” in Thai language. Writing, taking photos, and dancing are my hobby. I also love travelling, and learning different cultures.”

There is an old folktale about a father who teaches his sons a lesson by asking them to break an individual chopstick, which they do without any trouble.

He then gathers a whole bunch of chopsticks together, and no matter how hard they try the sons are unable to break a single stick.

This story demonstrates the importance of sticking together, of fostering community.  When a group of people combines resources to work for the common good, balancing self-interest with shared interests, something magical happens.
The first time I experienced the magic of community was in high school, when I volunteered as a crew leader for Friends of Trees, a local nonprofit organization that works to restore our urban forest.  My role was to supervise volunteer work-parties and teach community members how to plant trees so that they would survive.  

Invariably at each planting, neighbors met for the first time while helping plant each other’s trees.  They were so proud, so excited, and so anxious, as if they were planting a new member of the family in their front yards.  Volunteers came back time after time, to get dirty and beautify the city, meet new people and see old friends.  Not only did we help increase the urban canopy, but the pervasive spirit of camaraderie at plantings made it like a second family to me.

This sense of kinship was also central to my recent study abroad experience.  Last winter I spent ten weeks in Mali, West Africa, where community is the fundamental unit of existence.  Children played in the streets as their elders chatted in the shade.  Neighbors called out to me as I passed them in my quartier, asking after my health and my family, and inviting me into their homes to make delicious African tea.  

At the end of my stay my host family threw a fête for the entire neighborhood, and everyone came to share in the music and dance.  When I arrived back in the US, however, the silence and solitude were overwhelming.  Where were all the people?  In this age of information overload, when web surfing has replaced telling stories on the porch, and instant messaging has taken the place of good conversation, I long for a system restore.

A Buddhist parable explains the difference between Heaven and Hell.  In both places, the story goes, there is a large table laden with food, and the people are provided with six-foot long chopsticks.  All the people in Hell are starving and miserable because they are unable to feed themselves with these giant chopsticks, but in Heaven everyone is happy and well-fed because they each feed the person sitting opposite them.  I believe that if each of us commits to building healthy communities, both locally and globally, we can feed each other’s souls and create a little Heaven on Earth.

—

Miranda: “I am a junior at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota.  Community service and grassroots activism have been and continue to be an important part of my life.  This year I am part of a sustainable living community, where we grow some of our own food and regard the land as a community to which we belong and must protect.”

I live in a town where almost everyone has almost every material thing they want.  I live in a town where people have forgotten to watch the sun go down.

I’ve spent a lot of my life dealing with grief – mostly my own – grief I do not and will not dwell on.  I’ve learned to appreciate the sunsets in my perfect little town.

Despite our privileged lives I have discovered that many people who live, and work, and love alongside me are very unhappy. I’ve held many tear stained cheeks on my shoulder in that perfect little town.

I am an actor, and on my way home from a rehearsal some months ago, I saw a woman sitting on a hill crying.  I kept walking, thinking to myself, “Why isn’t anyone there to hold her?” 

I got about a block away, turned around and walked back up the hill.  She was clearly upset and like most people, ashamed of it.  As I approached she watched me warily and said, “You walked all the way back up that hill for me?” 

I simply grinned and told her that people should never sit alone too long when they’re crying.

I never got her name. Never asked, it didn’t seem something important. I never learned what was bothering her. 

She told me she had grown up here, in my perfect little town; that she hadn’t swam in the ocean in thirty years. She had brown hair and tired eyes and skin darkened by the sun. By the end of the conversation she had laughed, and we had both cried.

I walked home content. That afternoon I bore witness to the life of a stranger. I had helped her to smile. I don’t know her name. I hope she swam in the ocean that day.

Also, I lived in difficult circumstances where my mum just left us (she took my little sister), my big brother was still at a drug rehabilitation place, and my dad was stressed (he has to go to the stress therapy at least 2 times a week).

Can you imagine that?

One morning I woke up at the usual time and I felt there was something missing in my life. Instead of eating my breakfast, I was thinking what the “thing” was disturbing my thoughts. Day after day I kept searching and finally I GOT it: I wanted study overseas in Vancouver.

To study overseas I needed a lot of money because I’m an international student, and I do not come from a rich family. Without asking my dad whether I could study overseas or not, I already knew what the answer was: it’s impossible. It isn’t about my dad not wanting to let me go; it is because my family couldn’t afford to spend that much money.

As time went by, I tried to forget my dreams. I was thinking, perhaps my dream is too big for my family and me or had I just made it all up? However, I realized that I would never be happy unless I could pursue it.

From that day, I worked hard on my plan to begin my dream. I made hard choices. I made difficult changes. I even made big sacrifices.

Time passed and finally, I made it.

When I was 16, I moved to Vancouver. I’m now in 12th grade and will be graduating in May 2007.

I believe in the power of dreams and I want to tell everybody – especially young people – that every person on earth was born with a dream in their life. Don’t ever think that you can’t reach your dream, that you are too late to catch it, or even your dream is bigger than your capacities.

Everything is possible. Impossible is nothing and impossible is only for losers. If I could make it, why can’t you?

Anyway, this is my poem that I just made after I wrote I Believe essay. I hope, through my poem and essay, that everybody will make their dreams come true and their lives will never be same again.

RADICAL

Life is a series of choices
And destiny is a series of decisions
At times I feel weary but I’d never step back
Run faster, jump further and soar higher
Life is short, why take it for granted?
Life is beautiful, why don’t you colour it
With meaningful things?

In my body,
There is a brave heart
I don’t care if they call me crazy
Only crazy people will go to heaven
I don care if they leave me
One by one….
‘coz I know I’ll never be alone

Everything in this world
Happens for a reason
Everything was planned
the Creator
Believe that you ARE
More than a conqueror
“let’s make life more alive”

There is nothing too hard to reach
Because you have
The power walking with you
Realize that you CAN go
Beyond your comfort zone
There’s nothing you can’t do
“Let’s make life more alive!”

I’m in love with a person who is different from me.  When I say different, I mean in the religious, national, cultural sense.

My love relationship started 4 years ago and I didn’t even know that it would go this far or that it would become my fate.

I’m Orthodox Christian, living in Serbia – a Balkan country in Southeast Europe – and my lover is Egyptian and a Moslem.  We met on the internet, which wasn’t a common way of meeting at that time. 

When I started talking to him, everything seemed like ”déja vu,” like any other conversation.  But day by day, I was showing more and more interest in him which then resulted with love.  It took a long time for us to understand our relationship, to make a straight line between imagination and reality. 

For the first time in my life I felt like someone was listening to what I had to say.  I found out that there’s someone like me.  Beside having the same taste in music, movies and those basic things, we realised that we shared the same principles of life such as morality, honesty, respect, dignity, sense of justice, and many others. 

I knew that we would be inseparable.  But, my happiness  was interrupted with one thought.  What would people around us say?  Will they be able to understand? 

I started talking about him – first with my parents then with my friends – trying to make this story closer to them but I saw that they were not delighted and did not take me seriously. 

I had prepared myself for a long and difficult period of fighting for my happiness but I had no idea that my fight would last this long.  I do know that it’s the only way.  If I want to save my love, I have to fight for it and show the world it’s not just a game, a caprice.

The most beautiful moment in my life was when we finally saw each other in person.  We acted like it’s not our first meeting.  It was more like we had known each other for several years.  I was sure that we deserved to be together forever and that we made good choice.  It also showed me that my fight wasn’t useless, that love is worth fighting for. 

We’re living in a world of intolerance, hate, nationalism and religious fanaticism.  In such a world not just love but also a common friendship between a Christian girl and Moslem guy is almost impossible. Even if they are soulmates and truly love each other, their being together just can’t be accepted.  

But nowadays there are more and more people like me.  For them and for all of you who still doubt, I would like to send a message – that love is the strongest thing besides faith and if it’s true and honest it can’t fail.  

But for love to triumph we must be very brave, we must be persistent, and above all patient.  If I didn’t believe in love I wouldn’t take my part in this battle, which is a battle for free choice no matter what the obstacles may be. 

I believe in love without borders because only free love can make us united and make all the boundaries between us disappear.

Ana: “I graduated in Turkish language & literature on Faculty of philology at Belgrade University.  I’m about to get my Master of literature science.  I’m a writer and have already published 3 books of poetry.  Also, I’m interested in art and foreign languages.  I like to explore different cultures and religions.  I would like to travel around the world to meet different people, their customs and to write about them.  The values I appreciate are love, good education, strong will (which makes everything possible).  My aim is to become a famous writer so my works could be widely read and so I could make this world better.”

But I need to finish my homework first. Or I need to wait until I have the time. I left the work up to someone else – someone who is powerful, inspiring, and creative, all of the characteristics that I would never use to describe myself. I lived by the mantra “not me”.
This summer I looked at my life – at my identity. I asked myself who I really am, what I really believe in, what I want and what is keeping me from getting it. During this inquiry, I saw how I was my only obstacle. I was the only person who said I can’t change the world. I was confined in my own version of reality masquerading as the truth – a reality that I had created and had told myself I couldn’t change.

At a conference that I attended this summer, I heard Craig Kielburger – the founder of Free the Children – speak about his life and work as a political activist. My initial thoughts when I saw him were, “Good for him, but I could never do that.” I’m horrible at public speaking. Nobody would ever listen to me. I’m not like him.

Within the fist couple minutes of his speech I had already limited my own potential, I had already told myself “not me.” At the end of Craig’s speech, he looked toward the audience and said, “Every single person in here can make a difference to better the world.”  It was the same line I had seen on posters and heard over and over again, but for some reason this time I was moved by his words. In my seat, I took out a crumpled piece of paper and a pen and wrote: I will make a difference. After I set down my pen, I looked at that piece of paper for a long while, realizing its implications, feeling the weight of the commitment I had just made. The words began to overwhelm me and my self doubts resurfaced. I quickly scratched out what I wrote.

I cried in my room that night at my own defeat. I saw how trapped I felt and how afraid I was of my own power. I felt like a bird stuck in a house. I could see the outside through the window, but each time I tried to fly out, I flew smack into the glass. I then realized that I, myself, had constructed the glass. I had created my own fear, and if I was willing to be brave, I could break through it. I had never been more scared and yet so inspired in my life. I took out another piece of paper and wrote the words again: I will make a difference. That night I chose to live by those words. I changed my mantra to “Yes me.”

This I believe, and this is what I live by: every single person can make a difference. 

It’s a scary and seemingly impossible responsibility. But it’s simply a question of whether you’re willing to acknowledge your own power. There are no limitations except the ones we place on ourselves. However, if we replace those limitations with possibilities, imagine what’s capable of the world and humanity. 

I submit this essay with the commitment to inspire other people – like myself – who doubt they can be the difference because I know that any and every person can if they choose to. 

In addition, I ask a simple question that has been the basis of my own life’s transformation: Who do you want to be and what is keeping you from being that person?

—

Dylan: “The priority in my life are my relationships: family, friends, teachers, etc. I would best describe myself as pieces of all the incredible people in my life. I get my hair, sense of humor and critical thinking from my dad; I get my eyes, love  for animals, and appreciation of life’s beauty from my mom; I see the importance of family and interconnectedness from my amazing  step-parents; I laugh the most with my big sister and from her I get my inspiration; my best friend has taught  me to embrace my quirks, and to love without fear. These people have rooted themselves in the deepest part of my identity and without whom I wouldn’t be able to accurately describe myself.”