IJB Thinks #29

CCONTENT

4 5 6 8

HARD TO EXPLAIN...

OmarSoliman(Editor’sNote)

ABOUT SHARING …

Sofi Staniczek Andrade (Poland)

THANK YOU JB FOR GIVING ME MY LIFE BACK

Rose Wittenberg (Great Britain)

A PIECE OF MY HEART TOLD BY MY MIND

Amelia Knapik (Poland)

THANK YOU FOR GROWING UP WITH ME

LEBANESE LIGHTS: A TRIBUTE TO JB

Omar Alamedine, Sara Takieddine, Zayan Idriss (Lebanon)

Juan José Moncayo (Ecuador) TWO PATHS, ONE JOURNEY!

Ignacio Velasco, Vicente Felino (Spain/Portugal)

HARD TO

EXPLAIN...

EDITORS’ NOTE

Omar Soliman EGYPT

Ithasbeen8yearssinceIjoinedJBasaJBerand4yearsnowjumpingfromresponsibilityto another.WheneversomeoneoutsideofJBasksmewhatIdoinJBIstruggletoexplainitina sentenceortwo

So2options:eitherIendupgivinganentireonehourspeechwhichstilldoesn’tencapsulatewhat JBisorItaketheeasywayoutandsayyouwon’tunderstandjustjoin.That’sbecauseit’shardto explainwhatJBis.

It’shardtoexplainwhywespendhoursinmeetingswithoutearningasinglepenny.It’shardto explainwhyweprefergoingtoJBworkshopsandcancelingourfamilyandfriendstripsinstead It’s hardtoexplainwhyourFriendsinJBhaveaspecialplaceeventhowe’recontinentsapart.It’shard toexplainwhywekeepcomplainingandstrugglewithburnoutandstressduringourrolesbutend upleavingourtermscryingandcherishingthegoodmomentsandstruggleattheendtoletgo.It’s hardtoexplainwhyevenwhenwegrowupandgetintobiggerrolesoutsideofJBwestillfindaway tobethereandreturntoJBinawayoranother.

Amidstthestruggleofexplainingtosomeonealloftheweirdemotions,moments,upsanddowns wefaceinJB,howaboutweexpresswhatwecouldthankJBfor?

IhopethiseditionofIJBthinkswouldencapsulatewhatJBistousandwouldanswerthequestions ofourfriendsoutsideofJBandmakethemunderstandwhywe'redoingthisandwhatisitwhat keepsusgluedtothisentityallofthoseyears.

IJBThinksisaprojectthathasfadedawaylately I'mgladwe’rebringingthisbackcauseit’saproject thatmakesusindividuallytakeastepbackandlookatthebiggerpictureofthings.IJBThinksshows thediversityofouremotionsandthoughtsonagloballevelunderoneumbrellaandonetopicinour casethistimeit'sdedicatedtoJuniorBranch.

Excitedtobeseeingthisprojectdevelopingandgoingonafterthoseyearsandexcitedtoseewhat youwouldthankJBfor?

Cheesybutworthlookingat:)

About Sharing...

Sofi Staniczek Andrade POLAND

WhenIsawthisyear’sthemeforIJBThinks,IinstantlyknewIwantedtotakepartinit,becauseduringevery single conversation with my closest CISV friends, the ‘I’m so grateful for CISV’ talk always comes up. Somehow,workingonthisprojectmademerealizehowharditistoactuallyputitintowords.Aftersome drafts,IidentifiedthekeywordIwantedtoincorporateintomyproject:family TheCambridgeDictionary’s firstdefinitionoffamilyis“agroupofpeoplewhoarerelatedtoeachother,suchasamother,afather,and theirchildren”-butthat’snotquitethekindoffamilyI’mreferringto.But“agroupofpeoplewhocareabout eachotherbecausetheyhaveacloserelationshiporsharedinterests”...that’smorelikeit.

IrememberwhenIcametomyfirst-everJBevent,Brazil’sNJBM Iwasn’tnewtoCISV,soit’snotlikeitwas allthatforeigntome,butitwasstillverynerve-wracking.WhenIarrived,IwasquicklycalmeddownwhenI sawmyfirst-everCISVfriendwaitingforthebusthatwouldtakeustothecampsite.Wehadmetfouryears beforethatatmyveryfirstmini-campbutneverreallykeptintouch.SoalthoughIwasn’ttotallyalone,Istill feltscared.Itfeltlikeeveryonewassocloseandkneweachotherforever.Theywouldsharestoriesaboutthe unforgettableexperiencestheyshared,andtheywouldlaugh.AndIwonderedifI’deverhavethattoo.Three whirlwind days later, it felt like we had always known each other. It’s amazing how we built close relationshipsinsuchashortamountoftime-andallbecausewehadsimilarinterests,thatis,CISVandJB’s mission.Wesharedideas,experiences,andopinions,someevencontroversial,butwhatbroughtustogether was the willingness to change. To change our organization, our JB, our communities, and even ourselves. Howgreatisittofindyourselfinacrowdofpeoplewhohavethesameeagernessandenthusiasmasyou?I’d saythat’sthefeelingofbelonging.

Andthat’sexactlywhatIfeltwhenIspentasummerhereinPolandandattendedanationalcamp.Imetso manyamazingpeoplethatpushedmetostudyhere.Iknewthateventhoughmovingtoanothercontinent wasfrightening,I’dhavesomeonetorelyon,justlikefamily.Today,Icanconfirmthatthatjustmighthave been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Just the experiences I’ve shared themselves taught me so muchabouttheworld,myenvironment,otherpeople,andmyself

ButIthinkthemostvaluablethingJBhas broughttomylife,werethepeopleImet.Thesearemybestfriends,thepeopleI’mtakingwithmeforthe rest of my life. The people I share experiences, jokes, opinions, traditions, ideas, secrets, and, most importantly,memorieswith.Justbecausewearen’tbloodrelated,thatdoesn’tmakeusanylessfamily.Our common safe place has brought us together to create moments we will reminisce and I couldn’t be more gratefulforthesebeingthepeopleIwilllookbackonthemwith

So,ascornyasitsounds,here’stofriends, thefamilywechoose:)

THANK YOU JB

FOR GIVING ME

MY LIFE BACK

Rose Wittenberg

GREAT

BRITAIN

ThankyouJBforsavingmylife

IdebatedalotaboutwhatIwasgoingtotitlethisbutIkeptcomingbacktomyfirstresponse.JBhas savedmylifeandIcan’tthankitenoughfordoingso.Ifyouknowmeandhaveworkedwithmeyou’ll know that I don’t hide my mental health, and am very open about my struggles. Junior Branch has givenmeaspacetobemeandahugegroupoffriendsIameternallygratefulfor.

When I first came into contact with CISV I was 10 years’ old terrified of my own shadow and riddled withsocialanxiety,hardtobelievethatnow.IwentonmyVillageinthesummerof2010andthatwas thebeginningofitall.Myfirst9yearsinCISV,includingmysmalltoedipsintotheJuniorBranchworld wereamazing,Icameoutofmyshellandmadesomeamazingmemories.Iattestthemajorityofthis tomygreatfriendDewi,healwaystreatedmewithcareandupliftedmetospeakoutingroupsand meetnewpeople.

In 2019 Dewi died and took a part of my confidence with him, I struggled to attend my local JB and started to drift away from the person I had become. I lost 2 other people that year and almost completelycuttiestoeverythingCISV Thepandemiccameandwentwithlittleinteractionotherthan anInstagramlikehereandthere.

Aroundcamethesummerof2021,mymentalhealthwasshotandIhadagreedtodo2nationalcamps togetbackintothethingIloved.Itwasherethatmylifetookahugeshiftinpace,Iwaspersuadedthat IshouldrunforNJRbyPenny.Thiswasaterrifyingthought,I’druntwicepreviouslybeforemyhiatus, butIdidandIgotit.

MytermasNJRwasnothingshortofarollercoaster,butIjustsohappentoloveathemepark.Ihave beenthebruntofatorridofcomplaints,butalwayshadotherstheretoliftmebackup.

Ihavefacilitatednumerousactivitiesthatmaybedidn’tgotoplan,butInolonger feelanxiousgettingupinfrontofaroomfullofpeople.OneofthebiggestlessonsI havelearntisthatnoteverythinghastogowriteforsomethingtobegood.Ihave formedrelationshipsIdidn’teventhinkwerepossible,whohavestuckthroughand madeitallgood.

JuniorBranchhasgivenmebackmyvoiceandthelifeIknewwaspossible.Forthe first time in a long time I can say I love my life and who I’ve become. I will be eternallygratefultoJuniorBranchandthehundredsofJBersthathavebeenapart ofmyjourney.ThankyouJBforsavingmylife.

A PIECE OF MY

POLAND HEART TOLD BY

MY MIND

Amelia Knapik

In a world so enthralled with talking and creating and achieving and succeeding, JB is a space for listening.Sharingyourviews,opinionsandreflectionstastessomuchbetter,whenyouknowtheywill be truly heard and savored. There is a passion present, which is not present in many places else. JB sayingwecareaboutotherperspectivesandopennessisnotjustsaying.Aftersometimeitbecomes aninnatepartofyou:tolistenistorespect,tobelistenedtoistobeloved.

IlovemyJB.buttosayIlovemyJBistosayIloveallJB,becauseeverywhereIgomyheartandmind areopen.Opentonewperspectivesandopinions,butalsoopentowhateverthedaybrings.Whetherit bebeingashouldertocryon,beingaparticipantinaflaminghotdiscussionorsimplybeingapartof aninsidejoke,nomatterhowsmallorbig.Becausenomatterhowsmallorbigyouoryourfeelings are,theymattertous Theymaymatteralot,orjustalittle,buttheyreallydo,becausetheyareyours Andbecausetheyareyours,becausetheyaresomeone's,theydeservetobeconsidered.Whetherthey areagreedwithornotisanotherthing,butiftheywillnotbeagreedwith,itwillbeathoughtfuland peacefuldisagreement.Andthatisokay.

But the one agreement we all have, despite never having written it down, is to accept Accept the peopleforwhotheyare,aswellasforwhotheyarenot.Forsimplethings,trivialeven,likethewaywe lookorthewaywespeak Withsomuchunwantedweightspresenteverywhereelse,JBissuchasafe space.Iamsogratefulforbeingabletoputallmyworriesandinsecuritiesinapocketforjustafew daysonJBworkshops.Itakethemouteverytimetheweekendends,becausethat’sjustwhoIam,at leastfornow,buttheshortbreaksaremyhaven.Andtheygivemehope,thatmaybeonedayIwillbe brave enough to put them in my pocket forever, as a memory, and never feel like taking them out again

Thank you JB for making me so aware of the world and people around me, sometimes it's a burden. But it's a burden I love to carry, because I am privileged enough to have it. I am grateful for being so lucky that I get to know so many different perspectives, views, cultures and ways of thinking - the people, so thoroughlyandintimately.

AndalthoughnearlyeverysentenceabovestartswithI,itisnotaboutIandmore about I and the world. Having learnt how to be patient and willing and curious makesmehopefulabout'smallacts,bigchanges',hopefulaboutmakingtheworld abetterplace,andhopefulaboutconstantlyimprovingourselvesasindividualsand doingso,becausewetrulywantto

AtthesametimeIamhopefulforthosewhodonotfeelenoughtoconsciouslybe anyofthatjustyet.IthinkwhatJBshowsus,ishoweveryoneandeverythingispart of the process, part of the big whole, it's just the matter of us realizing and embracing that we are it, we are everything We may not fully realize it yet, but pleasetrustmewhenIsaythatweallare.

THANK YOU FOR

GROWING UP

WITH ME...

Juan José Moncayo ECUADOR

What is CISV without the Junior Branch, and what am I without CISV? Hyperbole for storytelling purposesaside,thesearequestionsIfoundmyselfponderinguponreadingthetitleforthiseditionof IJBThinks.

IhadtheblessingofattendingaVillagein2015inmyhometownofQuito.Backthen,Iwastooyoung to even understand how important this experience would be for my development as an individual, citizen of the world. Some folks, such as national representatives (Caro San, Xime, and Chio <33), taught me about passion and dedication through the example they set for CISV Ecuador. I never felt thedesiretodisconnectfromCISV,andonceIturned13,IwasfinallyoldenoughtosignupfortheJB TheyearsIspentactiveinmylocalchapterwereamazing,eventuallytakingonbiggerresponsibilities whereImetalotofamazingpeoplewhoarenowsomeofmyclosestfriends.

AsIbeginadulthoodinacompletelydifferentpartoftheworldfromtheoneIcalledhomemywhole life, my involvement with the JB remains Now, taking on even bigger responsibilities, I am reaching places that small 11-year-old me never assumed were possible. I recently attended my first international JB event, an AJBM, where I met some of the most passionate and hardworking individuals,whoatthesametimeremindedmewhyyearafteryearwe keepcomingbackformore.

IthanktheJBforalotofthings:fortheopportunityitgavemetogrow,byallowing me to connect with individuals who for some reason seemed different from everyone else I interacted with day-to-day; for providing me with a sense of belonging,whereIcantraveltotheothersideoftheworldandstillfindagroupof peoplewiththesamevaluesasthosebackhome;forprovidingmewithasenseof purpose, as now I know that people not only depend on me but also expect my effortsandcontinuetopushmeforward,andforputtingmeinthesameroomas someofthecoolestpeopleintheworld,whodespitethedistance,Icontinuetocall myfriends,andtoknowthatIwillalwayshaveacouchtocrashonforaslongasa JBchapterexiststhere.

JuniorBranchisnotjustapartofmypast;itisintertwinedwiththeveryfabricof my identity. And for that, I am eternally grateful. Thank you, Junior Branch, for growingupwithme,andforcontinuingtobeavitalpartofmyjourney.

LEBANESE

LIGHTS: A TRIBUTE

TO JB

Zayan Idriss, Omar Alameddine, Sara Takieddine LEBANON

Welcome!We,theLebaneseNJRs,wouldliketoexpressourgratitudetoJBforthesignificantinfluence ithashadoneachofourlives.First,SarawillreflectonhowJBprovidedheranenvironmenttogrow anddevelopintoabetterversionofherself.Then,Zayanwilldiscussthebondsandlifelongfriendships shehasformedthroughJB Finally,OmarwillhighlighthowJBhasempoweredhimtomakeapositive impact on his local community, aiming to restore Lebanon's former prosperity. We hope you enjoy readingthisasmuchasweenjoyedwritingit!

Sara:

JB has had a profound impact on my personal growth and development Before becoming involved with CISV, I was an anxious child, often hesitant to speak up and lacking confidence in unfamiliar situations.However,myexperienceswithinCISVgraduallytransformedmeintoamoreconfidentand self-assuredindividual,withvaluableleadershipskillsandadeeperappreciationfordiversity.Working collaborativelyonprojects,whetheritwasorganizingeventsordiscussingglobalissues,allowedmeto find my voice and express my ideas confidently Moreover, JB provided numerous opportunities for publicspeakingandleadershiproles.Atfirst,theideaofspeakinginfrontofagroupwasdaunting,but through supportive environments within CISV, I learned to communicate effectively and present my thoughts with clarity. Whether leading a discussion or facilitating activities, I gained valuable leadership experience that translated into other areas of my life. The transformation I underwent withinJBhasbeeninstrumentalinshapingwhoIamtoday.IamnolongerthetimidchildIoncewas; instead, I am more self-assured, adaptable, and capable of navigating diverse environments. CISV instilled in me a belief in the power of communication and cooperation to bridge differences and promotepeace.MyjourneywithCISVandJBhasbeentransformative,leavingmebetterequippedto navigatelife'schallengeswithconfidenceandadeeperunderstandingofourinterconnectedworld.

Zayan:

ThankyouJB,forgivingmetheopportunitytomeetsomanywonderfulpeopleandforgefriendships thatwilllastalifetime.ThroughoutmyyearsinJB,I'vehadthechancetoconnectwithadiverserange of individuals, exchanging aspirations and ideas that have enriched my life. I want to start off by cherishing the bond I've formed with my two NJR partners, who have been by my side through every stepofmyJBjourney Workingwiththemhasnotonlystrengthenedourfriendshipbuthasalsotaught us how to grow together, identify our strengths and weaknesses, and support each other unconditionally. Through JB Lebanon, I've found friends who not only share my values but have also beenthereformeduringcriticalperiodsofmydevelopment.Together,we'vefacedthechallengesof livinginLebanon,drawingstrengthfromoursharedexperiencesandoursharedvisiontoimproveour community On a global scale, JB has introduced me to individuals from diverse backgrounds, expandingmyworldviewandchallengingmyperspectives.Theseconnectionshavefueledmypassion for understanding different cultures and learning from them. This mosaic of connections has truly shaped who I am today. Wherever I go, I carry a piece of these people with me. JB has given me the opportunity to create bonds that have left a lasting imprint on me. I know that no matter where life takesme,thefriendshipsI'veformedinJBwillendure,andforthat,Iamtrulythankful

Omar:

SincemyCISVjourneybeganatage10,Ihavebeenshapedbyexperiencesthathaveinstilledinmea strongdesiretogivebacktomycommunity.IamgratefultoJBformakingthispossible.Growingupin Lebanon during the 2006 civil war, I have had a front-row seat to my country's ups and downs. Beginning in 2019, Lebanon has spiraled from revolution and pandemic to economic collapse the darkestperiodI'veeverwitnessed,withrecoveryseemingoutofreach JoiningJBatage14introduced metoindividualseagertoeffectchangeinourcommunity,regardlessofthecircumstances.Inspiredby the confidence of our former senior JB members, I began to actively participate in projects whose tangible impact reinforced my belief in this organization’s ability to make a difference. Our approach has always been consistent: we dedicate all our resources, energy, and connections to tackling one specific local issue, giving it our d citizens in Southern Lebanon, to cleaning meetings to promotepeaceeducationacross :aneffortto reignite Lebanon’s lost radiance. on's hurdles will remain beyond our time. As f JB Lebanon vibrant, it's now our turn to ignit he legacy of impactandunityendures.

TWO PATHS,

ONE JOURNEY!

Ignacio Velasco & Vicente Felino SPAIN-PORTUGAL

Hello,helloeveryone!

Wefirstwouldliketostartwithasmallintroductionforthoseofyouthathavenocluewhoweare:)On theleft,I’mVicky,I'm23yearsoldbornandraisedinsunnyLisbon,Portugal.Currentlystrugglingona daily basis with my masters in computer science, maybe spending more time studying than with friendswouldhelpwiththatOntheright,I’mIgnacio,I’m23yearsoldandI’mfromMadrid,Spain Iam anindustrialengineerandlookingforajobtobecomearealadult.Oneofmypassionsisfood,youcan easilymakemehappythroughmybelly.

When we saw this IJB Thinks opportunity, we wanted to tell our story,asJBhasbeenaspacethathasbeenverypresentforusfor the last 4 years. We have pretty much done everything together, international JB friends, NJRs and EMEA JB Team. We have investedalotofourenergy,timeandloveintothisprojectthatwe believeJBis,andthatitbecameourhome

Forus,themainfeaturethatkeepsJB(andCISV)goingisfriendshipsthat are built by working together. In our case, we became friends by bonding through hardship and lows. Our NJR terms had both barely started when COVIDhitandwestruggledmassively.AsPeninsulacountries(Spain,Italy andPortugal)ourculturereallyappreciatesinpersongatherings,physical touchandwelp,thatwentdownhillveryfast Andinaveryuncertainway too,astherewasnoclearfutureontowhenthecurfewwouldend.During thosetimes,wefoundwaysoftryingtobecreativewithonlinegatherings, sneaking into some small in person activities as soon as we could and figuringoutloopholeswithinregulation(thatwereRMcompliant),etc.We calledalot(abigchunkofourliferesumesinthispicture)andweshared how difficult it was being, which helped us distribute the burden among ourselves.WewanttoshoutoutallofthosewhowereCOVIDNJRs/Regional JBTeamsbecausekeepingmotivationwhenmostrewardisgone,requires bigresilience.

WebothhavetheideathatCISVstartsbybeingforlocal/nationalpeopleandwefullyinvestedintothisidea. AbiggoalofoursduringtheNJRterm,wascreatingahealthycommunityinJBthatpeoplecouldgoto,get todiscoverfriendships,developthemselves,learnfromothersandhavefun.Wedevelopedtoolstotranslate thatinternationally,andweranforEMEAJBTeam.Ourgoalwasalwaystobuildahomeforpeopletocome withinJB,regardlessofwherethatwas JBisasafespaceforus,andwewantedtomakesurethateveryone thatcametoJBfeltwelcomed.Therewasalwaysthisfeelingthatwecouldconstantlyimprove,thatthere weremoreprojectsthatwecoulddo,moreideastodevelop.BothofourJBjourneysareslowlycomingtoan end,butwearenowputtingintopracticethatASKsthatwelearnthere,withinCISVInternational.

JB has been for us a place to apply what we have learntinCISV.WeweregrantedaplatformwithJBto give shape to a lot of our crazy projects. Some of them failed, some of them succeeded but what we got from the process of putting them out was what was most important. A lot of who we are, how we havegrownintheyearsweowetotheopportunities thatJBgrantedus.

For our JB experience, there always was this excitementthatrunsinJBofmeetingafriendagain to work together which fueled each other to do betterandwewantedtoshareitasitmadeusvery happy.WewouldliketothankJBforfillingourselves with inspiration, ideas, projects and a place to develop ourselves. We also thank JB for all the people that came during the way, that are now our friends and we hold very dear within our heart. Reflecting upon it, most of our CISV friends have beenmadenotinCISVcampsbutinJB,inthefunof gettingtoworktogether.WewouldliketothankJB andeveryonethathasbeenapartofit