Epic stories
1
Introduction We are looking to be joined by partners and philanthropists, corporates and mentors. Decision makers are often time poor, but we know that with just a brief glance, World Merit will prove itself worthy of support. The following pages give a glimpse into the growing impact of the World Merit community. We hope this bite size teaser will make you want to find out more, or in an ideal world, inspire you to rush to support our movement. “Our stories and people are epic. Serendipity also led to the values of World Merit having the acronym EPIC Empowerment, Pioneering, Integrity and Collaboration. As a community we are co-creating a beautiful future; we are creative and show entrepreneurial qualities; we are respectable, responsible and reliable; and as a generation we believe collaboration beyond beliefs and borders is essential to changing the world. Our global community embodies these values as does every action they take part in.�
- Zaitoon Shah, World Merit member from the Netherlands, (pictured on the cover).
OUR VALUES (EPIC)
EMPOWERMENT PIONEERING INTEGRITY COLLABORATION
Members from all over the world take action to tackle issues that concern them.
2
Footage and photos inspire others to do the same.
3
3
World merit by tweets About
@WorldMeritHQ Unleash the upcoming generation. Vision: Improve the world by providing young global citizens. #RadicallyInclusiveOpportunities
history
@WorldMeritHQ was founded by @MERITchris after @CampLeaders, @SmallerEarth, @YourBigYear. Hugely strengthened by merging with @RISE_beyond.
Structure @WorldMeritHQ
4
core mechanics @WorldMeritHQ Hey #YoungGlobalCitizens, make connections! Earn points for taking positive actions and become eligible for amazing opportunities.
community
@WorldMeritHQ We have 95,107 registered members at worldmerit.org representing every country, even North Korea. Over 30,000 Facebook likes too!
World Merit Ltd is registered in the UK. @MERITchris is the CEO, Simon Preston is the Chairman. We are building a Board of Advisors! #Join
@WorldMeritHQ now has 5 Country Councils up and running. Well done India, Brazil, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa! #ManyMoreToCome
World Merit Charity is UK registered. Trustees: Jack Healey (former Director of @amnesty), @ZaitoonShah (World Merit Member) & @MERITchris.
So far over 2.5 million points earned by positive community actions in @WorldMeritHQ, the average points per action = 17. #ManyMoreToCome
@WorldMeritHQ is based in #Liverpool and the #team exists of @MERITchris @MarlouHermsen @MERITmel @MERITzita1 & @ToniMurray14! Do come by!
Some of our favourite community actions have been filmed and can be seen at vimeo. com/worldmerit and in this video: https:// vimeo.com/95680161 #CheckItOut
Programs/opportunities
@WorldMeritHQ The first Fellowship Program took young people of merit to London, Liverpool, and soon New York, Washington. #OneYearOfGrowth #Global The second Fellowship Program is a transformational opportunity for #YoungGlobalCitizens. Apply! http://ow.ly/D9OVE On 24th July 2014 #WorldMeritDay14 had over 1000 young people join us in Liverpool to connect and hear from leaders, including Malala Yousafzai. @YourBigYear is a competition, run 3 times, producing 4 Global Ambassadors. All travelled 1 year. Official #GEW event #Cool
Supporters @WorldMeritHQ and
members have engaged @Malala @SirKenRobinson @FelixFinkbeiner @KatiePiper_ @richardbranson amongst other #leaders
Founding Families
@WorldMeritHQ are looking for 100 founding families who can work with us to ensure the world uses more of its talent to tackle #GlobalIssues #WMFoundingFamilies 5
ten Anecdotes 6
1
The Story of Purple Ink (India)
Ashutosh Suman from Nagpur in India rallies 20 of his male friends. They collected over 4000 handprints from other men in their city in 24 hours. Each handprint had a written statement next to it, a statement of support for gender equality and an end to sexual violence in India.
2
Highlight inequality (Iraq)
Challenged by World Merit HQ to host an event that either showcases merit or highlights inequality, three of our community members in Baghdad translated our literature into Arabic and filmed themselves passing it out in a market place. Their video rallied thousands from Egypt and Iraq into our community‌
7
3
Jump for Merit (the World & Brazil)
We challenged our community to ‘Jump For Merit’: Write a message of what you want to fight for in the world, and take a photo of you jumping with that message. We had over 1000 photos of people from all around the world jumping for merit…
Then our community got competitive. Marcela from Colombia bungee jumped for merit… and then Marc Kirst from Brazil jumped out of a plane for merit, resulting in one of our favourite videos…
4
From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe
Veronica Cho from Canada pulled together a group of members from 20+ countries and showcased a perfect message from our community to the world. During filming, an incident in Afghanistan brought daily life with the Taliban into sharp focus for members - the children were threatened because their messages were in English.
8
5
Big Year for Charles, Martina, and Sir Richard (the World)
Our first flagship opportunity for young people (which wasn’t quite enough without the formation of World Merit) was called Your Big Year. It was one of the four official events of Global Entrepreneurship Week run by Chris Arnold’s Smaller Earth group, later taken on by World Merit. Four people have won a year long trip around the world to see global issues first hand and to talk to leaders about ideas for change. The program has involved people like Sir Richard Branson and has engaged 160,000 young people around the world. The Merit of Charles Batte
Martina’s TV appearance
Episode 1 of 16 of our
winner of YBY2.
after winning YBY3.
YBY TV (for web) series.
6
Race for Merit (Philippines)
Another event organised within 30 days by a member of our community: Swim and Run for merit in Manila. Hundreds of young people participated in an event that highlighted the need for health and fitness in order to achieve your potential.
9
7
World Merit Day - Malala, Felix, Katie and Sir Ken
Our flagship day, 24th July 2014 had Nobel Peace Prize Winner Malala Yousafzai and world leading educationalist Sir Ken Robinson top a line-up of speakers that included Katie Piper, Felix Finkbeiner and 50 others. They spoke to an audience of over 1000 young people from the UK and around the world, who had gathered in Liverpool. Malala Yousafzai’s speech
Sir Ken Robinson’s speech
The ‘What Matters’ Conference and Concert
8
Street Poetry (Malaysia)
The challenge was to show the power of words for World Merit and we received this powerful poem and spoken word video from Nazreen, a Malaysian in France.
10
Katie Piper’s speech
9
Presidents & Prime-Ministers, Models and Microsoft
Another of our challenges is the most engaging to date. For 500 points we asked our community to interview a leader on video and to include two core questions alongside any others deemed pertinent to that individual. Over 1000 videos were submitted and one leader (the Director of Microsoft Latvia) was so taken by our interviewer that he offered her a job. Other leaders interviewed included Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (President of Liberia and Nobel Peace Prize winner), John Key (Prime Minister of New Zealand), and Rt Hon President Dr Ram Baran Yadav (President of Nepal).
President Ellen Johnson
Ozires Silva,
Rt Hon William Hague
Sirleaf
Founder of Embraer
(British Foreign Secretary)
10
March for Children (Bangladesh)
The challenge March for Merit – a follow-up to Jump For Merit - had equal participation, with marches organized from Tunisia to Brazil. Ismat’s march for hope for street children in Bangladesh was one of our favourites…
11
ten Testimonials
12
1
TEBOGO MOKWENA - South Africa Country Council President
“
World Merit has granted me an opportunity to be a leader without borders; dreaming of ideas and finding ways to make them come true no matter how out-of-scope they may first seem. It has granted me the potential to be part of a platform that I get to decide on its shape; by trusting me to lay the first foundation of what could be the hope of all youths in South Africa. Not only did it give me a surface to make a difference and a contribution in society but it also made me part of an enormous family of ordinary individuals who are dreamers, innovators, creators, entrepreneurs but most of all, pathfinder and change-makers. If this isn’t privilege enough then I don’t know what is because this is an experience that no money can buy; it is also something that a lot of people later wish they’d been part of during their growth in the professional life. What I am learning now from World Merit is an investment that will not only reward society but will contribute to my own personal growth as well as a professional growth. For this reason, I know for a fact that I will be a better leader, a better boss, a a better mother, a better wife, a better sister, a better daughter, a better friend, a better community member and a better citizen in the world! Our late former president Nelson Mandela who once stated: “I appeal to the Youth and those on the ground: start talking to each other across divisions of race and political organizations” and me being the president of the South African Council is me accepting the challenge which I have made my personal mandate. Dedicating my time to be Country Council President is me in pursuit of making this mandate a reality.
13
2
Pedro Nordskog - brazil Country Council President & Fellowship Program Participant
“
When I had the opportunity to become the President of the Brazilian Country Council only one thing came to my mind. Joy. Joy because through my work in World Merit, from projects, debates to being in the World Merit Fellowship Program I have learned to trust myself in a way that I was just positive that this would be a one in a lifetime opportunity to repay this incredible organization. That helped me to reach my potential and develop my skills while impacting society and that now gives me a change to assist other people in my country to live this entrepreneurial life changing ecosystem the best way possible. I have been involved in many initiatives and organizations since age 14, but I’ve never seen any like World Merit, that connects aspiring leaders, brings them unique opportunities and creates a problem solving oriented atmosphere that empowers people to actually take action in meaningful ways.
14
3
Eni Selfo - albania Fellowship Program Participant
“
“Are you still going on about this changing the world thing?” or “Don’t be naïve, it’s time to grow up”. Those are comments I heard during my studies and afterwards. I could feel that my world was becoming so full of “not”. But then I joined World Merit, and the community ignited a bonfire in me. I started talking to people, learn about the NGOs they founded, the initiatives they created, the summits they spoke at and above everything…the dreams they had and have, this incredible passion and determination to “fix the world for good”. I finally felt like I wasn’t alone. They say that “you cannot be what you cannot see”. World Merit gave me the examples I was looking for. I fully rediscovered my dreams and I gained an incredible amount of energy and inspiration to go after what I believe in and fight for my values, to ultimately, be the change I want to see. I always wished I could travel, live in the South of the world for a while, volunteer and push myself out of my comfort zone. Until one day, one of the World Merit community members asked me “If you want it so much, what’s stopping you?”. A-ha moment. Nothing is stopping us from making anything true, only ourselves. World Merit community, you taught me, once again, that there is no limit to our will. You gave me the courage of turning my “I wish” into “I will”. You taught me what it means to live a life of purpose. You taught me that making an impact is not naïve, nor impossible. You taught that the world is full of opportunities and it’s only up to us to grab them. You taught me to not stand still waiting, but to take action. I am truly honored to be in the World Merit Fellowship Program, in this privileged position in which we are not only dreaming together but we are acting together. 15
4
Jessica Cruse - United Kingdom Fellowship Participant & Malala Scholarship Fellow
“
In July 2014, I began the first two week chapter of the twelve month Fellowship Program. We were set to break down barriers, rise beyond borders and bring together 24 change makers from around the world. We were about to work on a global impact program and develop ourselves and hopefully our world. Very grateful and slightly overwhelmed to be accepted on the program (I landed from Africa in London Saturday and travelled to Liverpool on the Sunday), I had no time to breathe before jumping in. Jump in is exactly what myself and the others did. We jumped all in and left nothing behind…bearing our souls, speaking from our hearts, developing our thoughts and opening our minds to new possibilities, new practices, and new connections. The program was a mightily intense, fully packed, full fat array of learning, developing, growing, networking, presenting, performing and I can honestly say I was not expecting anything like it. The courses I’ve known involve standardised, stale content where you notice yourself staring more at the ceiling than the facilitator. Many times, you are not fully present…you listen, try to learn and move on. NOT THIS. In no way shape or form is this like any other program, course, or moments I’ve had in my life. 16
World Merit provides the freedom to connect with people globally that are also passionate and motivated to making positive impacts within their communities. Seeing the outcomes of their social actions was inspiring and gave me belief that I was capable of doing something similar myself. - Robyn Dooley, United Kingdom
I have been able to interact with people from all over the world, engage in interesting conversations and learn about different cultures. So far, it has been an exciting and enlightening journey. - Namita Rajesh, India
Even if you believe in yourself and your dream, seeing you’re not alone makes your motivation and drive stronger. This is what World Merit did for me. There are incredible young talents in the world and they are out there doing exactly what I do, they believe they can change the world and indeed, they are! - Vinicius Miranda, Brazil
World Merit has helped me to gain new experiences, learning from experts and leaders and enhance my leadership and development skills. World Merit has given me the opportunity to highlight the problem in access of education and youth unemployment in developing countries particularly in Palestine. - Eman Hamdan, Palestine
World Merit made me feel I wasn’t alone. It introduced me to the movers of the world. We’re in action mode. Movers are often the first to suggest a direction or to introduce a new idea. Movers start the action. We do. - Juliano Lorenzino, Brazil
Being a part of World Merit has helped me broaden my horizons and think out of the box. It made me a stronger and more independent woman. It has taught me to be persistent and never give up, no matter how hard. If something can be dreamed, it can be done. - Dijana Majstorovic, Bosnia and Herzegovina
5
8
6
9
7
10
17
ten member blogs 18
1
Rita Casimiro - Portugal Education and Society
“
After attending the first part of the Fellowship Program in the UK, I was overwhelmed by the amount of learning I received. I was, and still am, amazed with the psychological change I went through. With this unique experience in my luggage, I flew directly back to Mozambique to continue a Randomised Control Trial project with Novafrica regarding the introduction of mobile banking in the rural areas. It was all about education: educating the communities on a new service, educating my team, and especially educating myself on how to deal with new and endless challenges. From the rural areas in Mozambique, I flew home to Lisbon, to again experience a contrasting lifestyle. Here, education takes a very different approach in my life, more structured and analytical as opposed to more adventurous and experimental as it was during the summer… Here, while I am completing a master degree in Management with a Major in Social Entrepreneurship at Nova SBE, I am also part of the management team of Nova’s Social Consulting Club (NSC), a club entirely run by students. Together we act as consultants who provide their knowledge and commitment in helping our portfolio of clients’ (either NGOs or social entrepreneurs) make a difference and work hard to achieve their goals.
It was interesting to see the different types of education needed within society. Education takes on different shapes and forms, depending on the society. In Mozambique, we ran different project from Lisbon. But they all have the same premise; we have to realize that its easy and ideal it can be to combine education with benefitting the society. It is all about levering on your network, education, time and resources and seeing the glass half full!
19
2
Xiomy Acevedo - Colombia Education and Awareness
“
This year I was in Pyeongchang, South Korea, at the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 12), focusing on ‘Biodiversity for Sustainable Development.’ The Convention in Biological Diversity (CBD) stated that some of the goal set in 2010 will not be made by 2020. These “Aichi Goals” were set in order to ensure conservation and to achieve sustainable development in the world. Meeting the Aichi targets is a challenge for all of us and their fullfilment depends also in our actions. In my country Colombia a big portion of the territory has been destroyed to make their way to agriculture and monocrops and that is why despite of being a megadiverse country there are serious threats for the biological conservation due to the lack of awareness and exploitation of natural resources. Also the internal conflict has generated high environmental impacts. In my organisation Barranquilla+20 we’re promoting the achievement of the Aichi target number 1 (awareness of biodiversity) with concrete activities and projects for the conservation and defense of endangered world heritage sites. We increase biodiversity awareness by enhancing knowledge, educating local communities and creating videos, campaigns, activities about the communities we want to promote. As the Global Biodiversity Outlook 4 states in this target there is a growing knowledge but limited understanding of the biodiversity value and that is the opportunity for young people to spread, educate and empower entire communities about the importance of protecting biodiversity to protect our life. This is how I, together with my organisation and the World Merit community support the fulfilment of Aichi target number one and I think it is just one of the many ways youth can be involved in fighting for biodiversity. 20
3
sonal jain - India The Power of Education
“
I believe that it is not only necessary that education is made accessible to all but it’s also essential that quality education is received by each child. There are various social problems in India that disturb me - gender inequality, economic disparity, negativity attached to the words politics and governance and I believe most of these issues can be unrooted if intervened at the right stage- which is education, because it is then that children start shaping their thinking and decide on values which will manifest in actions throughout their lives. My first encounter with inequality in education was at the age of 17 when I organized confidence-building workshop in an orphanage in Chennai. I realized that there are 14 year olds with intellectual skills as that of a student in grade 3 or 4 of a high income school. In the last 3 years, I organized similar workshops in multiple cities in India. The picture on the right shows a capacity-building workshops in Elia Sarwat school in Mumbai, India. In the session, I engaged the children about World Merit, the power of change and how age is no bar to create an impact. Through the examples of Malala and Felix whom I met at the World Merit Day in Liverpool, I took the kids on a journey of how young people around the world are creating positive impact in their communities. Lucky to be guided by an amazing teacher like one they have, these kids are designing a project D4CDesire For Change where they will be taking action to propagate education and end alcoholism in the slum community at Malad. We need more such teachers who push kids to maximize their potential and explore new tangents of one self. 21
4
Megan Preston - United Kingdom How Dance Can Change The World
“
In June, I started on a journey with the World Merit Fellowship Program, I applied and was accepted, I presume, due to my vision for a better and more connected world and for my past work with fundraising and community development both in the dance sector and beyond. However, every time I was asked what I did and what my dream was I felt very unconfident and anxious. This wasn’t because I didn’t believe in what I did or it’s potential impact, but being around aspiring diplomats and environmentalists, as well as meeting world activists for education such as Malala Yousafzai, I felt insignificant and the voice in my head mimicked that of my critics “how does dance and the arts possibly change the world?”
Exposure to and understanding of the arts is key to developing qualities of responsible citizenship, it leads to the living of a rich, meaningful and engaged life. It prepares you for a lifetime of pleasure and appreciation. It gives you a greater sense of human connectedness, something a lot of people spend their whole lives striving for. Artists tell stories. Dancers tell stories. We help make sense of the world and we support our audiences in broadening their understanding. We allow them to imagine the unimaginable and connect to the past, present and future. It provokes emotions, it inspires and motivates us to appreciate and make a change. Training in the arts improves our ability to pull together and collaborate, we draw in abstract concepts and make them coherent and meaningful, we have the ability to break down boundaries and borders in a way that no other source can. Just as environmentalists say, “without a planet we don’t exist.” I would say, “without the arts, life wouldn’t be worth living.” We will lose touch with everything that makes us human, we will become robots. 22
5
Olga Stoliarchuk - Ukraine Peace. What Is It To You?
“
What is peace and what meaning may this word have? I never had an idea that the word PEACE might have such important meaning in my life and that in half a year this word got the same importance as ‘family, relative, life and freedom’. Peace is not something you think. Peace in the form I have it now, I obtained in the way which I wish upon no one else. I am Ukrainian, 25, living in Europe. Who could ever thought that I may be a witness of so many deaths in my native country, in my native city? For a while Kyiv became a center for peaceful demonstration for all Ukrainians, but unfortunately it transferred in massive clashes. We call it revolutions in our minds. With time and after violence actions from police it was clear our voices were not heard, our voices didn’t seem to matter. People erected barricades and tents, they organized in small units, people united. People united for their future, each for their own reasons. But we wanted and needed changes. That winter Kyiv lost more that 100 people. They were peace fighters. Does Peace cost so many innocent lives? Ukraine is in crisis. Now I see fear in people’s eyes, I see displaced families, who lost everything in a moment, I see a nation, which is living unaware of what will be next. Nevertheless, I am really hopeful. Yes, we are stressed, scarred, injured, but we are awake. There is no one meaning of the word Peace and there will never be. We are humans and we live through our visions. Once J.Lennon said that Peace is not something you wish for, it’s something you make, something you do, something you are and something you give away. Let us create, do and love peace. This is only answer I have for war, fears, deaths, poverty, inequality, anger and violence, hatred, illness, and aggression. Let us show how united we are for making peace in the world. We can start from small steps for achieving a bigger result.
23
6
Vijayakumaar Chandrasekar - INdia A Passion To Energize The Planet
“
Having been born and raised up in a small town in South India whereopportunities were minimal and difficulties were real, my life was full of realizations and emotions. I had some deepest experiences that not only played a vital role in shaping my character but also decided my future.
During my undergraduate study, I visited a rural village as part of an annual camping activity where I met people for whom there was no life after dusk and whose drinking water looked as if sewage was mixed with it. I was shocked and as a compassionate Indian touched by the sorry plight of the poor villagers, I was compelled to put my learning to the test and come up with innovative solutions to the problem. My team and I successfully designed a low cost solar still (solar water purifier) with locally available materials. We distributed solar lamps to the households with help from an NGO and funds collected through crowd-funding. Seeing our simple solutions literally lighting up their lives and bringing about a lasting change in the village, I realized how easily lives could be changed. What is harder for me to fathom is the fact that 1.3 billion people in the world still lack access to electricity and clean drinking water. This awareness of global inequity keeps on tormenting me not to abandon the lives of these people. The challenges and obstacles I faced taught me how to turn difficulties into opportunities and they made me choose what I was going to do in this life with my education. Since then, bringing sustainable energy for all has been my motivation. I have been living my life with a strong feeling that this world is mine to shape. As Henry Ford says ‘Anyone can do anything that he imagines’, in this decade of sustainable energy for all, I want to take on the bold challenge to solve today’s most pressing energy crisis. 24
7
Henry Falonipe - Nigeria Collective Change In Nigeria
“
As the world continues to battle with sobering issues that affects its economic, social and environmental factors, the call for dynamic leaders becomes evident. We at World Merit Nigeria have rekindled the energy to challenge the abnormalities in society from all different sorts. In May 2014, I started a project designed to harness the innate abilities of social outsiders such as ex-drug offenders and drug abusers, sampling their interest in how they are to be good and productive citizen when they are out of the Rehabilitation Center. In October we successfully organized the United Nations approved International Youth Day 2014 program tagged “Mental Health Matters”. The IYD2014 was held at the Student Union Hall of Adekunle Ajasin University,
Ondo State, Nigeria and it was a huge success as many lives were positively inspired and meaningfully impacted. On September 13, 2014, the “Back to School project” was executed with a view to assisting our girl children go back to school with ease on the 16th of September. About eleven school girls and two boys were brought together to be encouraged and inspired as they go back to school. They were also supplied with writing materials and tuition support.
As the urge to create more impact arises and the call for the coming together of World Merit Nigeria members as a solid team became more cogent. We planned a national meeting of World Merit Nigeria members on World Tourism Day 2014. I strongly believe that changing the world is a collective mission, when we all do our part, it is then we can make the world a better place. So let’s go! 25
8
Martina Buchal - Canada Be Bold: Lessons in New York as Global Ambassador
“
I attended the Social Good Summit: a conference and idea-sharing session in who-is-doing-what in the realm of what’s good in this world. On the first day, my friend Komal and I were standing outside the summit and saw an opportunity to speak to one of the panelists (a moving panel on the Israeli Palestinian conflict and meaning of forgiveness). We did, and besides the privilege of having a chat with them, I seized an opportunity I didn’t realize was there. They had VIP access...and wouldn’t be needing them anymore. So lesson one is this: be present so you can seize the opportunities you may not have known where there.
My friend was heading to the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) awards ceremony (no big deal, only all the Clinton’s, Obama, Matt Damon, and Leonardo Dicaprio etc we’re going to be there). He had registered as a member of the press, and suggested I should try to do the same. “Me? No. Definitely not. I don’t break rules and I certainly am not a member of the press. I don’t belong.” To what he said: “You write, don’t you? You’re interested in the subject aren’t you? Who says you belong any less than anyone else here?” I have made a little box in my head where CGI was placed, and I had left myself out of it. But, why? Who says I don’t belong there, really? I care about social change just as much as anyone else there. Who’s to say Bill Clinton or anyone else in that room care more or less than I do? Bill’s a cool dude, but he’s human just like I am. This leads me to the next two lessons, and they are critical. Check your boxes. Question them, and question what you put in them or why they are the way they are in the first place. Then, don’t be afraid to kick those boxes to the curb if need be. And lastly, remember you belong. But, you won’t always get the invite. Sometimes you have to go and ask for it. Half of getting what you want is seeing that it can happen. The other half is showing up for it and belonging.
26
9
Adnan Mujanovic - Bosnia & Herzegovina Mental Health Matters
“
12th of August was International Youth Day. Every year, the UN choses a theme for this day. This year it was “Mental Health Issues”. I held an event, together with volunteers, to address this issue.
Together with the local team, we have come up with the idea of a public discussion. The discussion was open for everyone, but we have issued a few invitations for the people we deemed had some knowledge and expertise in this
area and could share their knowledge with the public. Accordingly we invited our new Ministry of labor and social policies, several expert psychologists, pedagogue from some of the high schools and as well as other high school teachers from the fields of psychology, sociology, etc. We wanted to use a multidisciplinary approach because of the complexity of the subject. After the talks from the invited guests and several local team representatives, followed a public discussion. We had discussions on the differences between “people with mental health issues” and “people with people with disabilities in physical and mental development” because often these two groups are mixed not only by us but also by the media whose portrayal is quite confusing. There are some good examples on how mental health influences young people. One of these examples is World Merit. A community filled with people who are willing and able to change the world. Because in a community like World Merit there are no places for stress, anxiety, and depression not because we don’t allow people to express them, but because within the community, we see there are people like us, globally, striving for one goal; a better tomorrow.
27
10
Elizabeth Chidanamabwe, zimbabwe Trust and Purpose
“
Trust and Purpose; these two are concepts that l have found to be the most influential in most of my endeavours. Purpose guides you to success. It enables you to plan, design and implement strategies. It was during my studies that l felt l was mandated to act positive and bring changes to my community. Studying, socializing, community engagement, sports, impact, change and development all became part of my purpose. However, despite my desire to facilitate global change, l had to foster trust and a strong belief in myself and my community that together we were going to march towards change. With the
assistance of a combination of these two, l started seizing opportunities, forming groups, designing projects as well as joining youth global networks to encourage youth participation. I must say I am where l am today because of my purpose, my desire to see youth being empowered and taking part in bringing solutions to worldwide problems. All the projects I have run so far were guided by my purpose and the trust l had built with my environment / sphere of influence. The ability to work with others, to commit and to innovate are products of this. Again this month l started working on my Honours degree thesis
which is centered on Youth Development. One of the most important message I got from my supervisors was that l had to pick a topic that not only interested me, but that fulfilled my dreams and purpose. From the experience they have had, they noticed that a number of us youth get carried away by issues that seem fascinating but have no ties with your dreams and desires. We tend to invest so much time and effort in things that ‘the world’ is doing not ‘what we want to do’. I have learnt an important aspect in life which l would summarize “the more trust we have amongst ourselves, the more joy and power we have towards building a strong sense of purpose. Trust and Purpose helps our society to eliminate bias, discrimination, gaps and classes.” We have the power to achieve more. We have to keep going! 28
Facts and stats are nothing without showing the people and stories behind them. 29
ten upcoming fellows 30
Upcoming fellows 1 & 2 Melinda McNutt United States
Yeonmi Park North KOrea
21 March 1993
4th October 1993
Tenacious Creative Deliberative Life Ambition: To travel, learn, teach, dream, innovate, cultivate, design, meditate, forgive, sing, dance, experience, and laugh. I will do this persistently every day.
Activist loving determined Life Ambition: To raise awareness on human rights issues, especially in North Korea. It’s all of our rights that North Korean dictators have violated for seven decades.
Melinda is a highly ambitious and driven person. She is
Yeonmi is an incredible young person with a strong
committed to learn everyday and describes herself as a
determination to make an impact on international human
catalyst that makes things happen! Melinda’s career goal is to
rights. Her journey is incredibly brave and she is committed
work for a not-for-profit on an international level and she is an
to raising awareness of the situation in one of the darkest
aspiring public speaker. Her go-getter mindset will be essential
places: North Korea. Her humble and friendly personality are
for the Fellowship Program.
remarkable and make her a perfect fit.
Education
equality
“
“
Education is important because I know that I
obviously wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for
my education. My reading skills are what helped me get ahead, and I believe that women and children will live
healthier, happier, and productive lives if they are able
to obtain an education. I enjoy reading to children and have taught after school classes to kids. I also started a volunteer group of students dedicated to reading to kindergartners when I was in the 5th grade.
I’m very passionate about equality and human right
issues. I want to raise awareness on an international
level. People need to know what people are doing in
North Korea. I strongly believe that liberty is an universal
right and we all have to pursue this. I’m passionate about freedom issues and equal human rights. I am keen on
making more people aware of the situation and fight for equality. See my speech at One Young World here: youtu.be/Fr19P0JemKg
31
Upcoming fellows 3 & 4 Hiba Adil Sudan
MIchael salkeld United Kingdom
27 November 1992
13 April 1988
Enthusiastic Ambitious kind Life Ambition: To take Sudan forward by encouraging the young and the old to rebuild my country and fix the damage caused by political issues and conflicts.
Passionate understanding motivated Life Ambition: To break down barriers in the world, build a vision of co-operation built on socialist principles and be a Member of the European Parliament.
Hiba has a courageous spirit and her energy shines through
Michael is a very active and talented member of his
in her work. Her positive impact will surely touch every person
community; continuously striving and supporting young
that she meets. Her media expertise, creative mindset, and her
people to have their voices heard. He is a great role model
determination to reach her goals, make us very confident that
and a very motivational character. His work in empowering
she is going to go very far.
young people in his local area is very inspiring and shows his caring and enabling nature.
Environment
education
“
“
I’ve had a lot of ideas on how to improve my
community and my country. While I have been involved in
civic activities before, I feel that there is still a lot left to be done. Especially with the environment. There is a lot left
to be changed. I want to lead this change, supported by the expertise I need to make the start. In the Fellowship
Program, globally and collaboratively, I will look for ways
to seek positive change within this area and many others.
32
I have always been interested in education, initially
only in general, and later it expanded into political
education. I always had a passion for supporting others and being social in the community as I was brought up
in a working class environment. Whilst studying politics, my knowledge, understanding and care for humanity
grew. I became active, especially in the field of political
education, a subject in my opinion often overlooked, but very crucial in shaping a society.
Upcoming fellows 5 & 6 Marsida Bandilla Belgium
Matheus Silva Brazil
5 March 1988
12 January 1991
Ambitious fun creative Life Ambition: To be a world leader, and I know I will. Now it is only a matter of time, when the old will leave its place for the new.
Pro-active Resourceful determined Life Ambition: To motivate and inspire people with the transformational power of each individual through self-knowledge and cooperative activities.
Marsida has a real passion for life and a positive and
Matheus is a humble leader with a positive and proactive
determined approach. She is a keen advocate of inclusion
attitude. He always seeks to foster his entrepreneurial spirit
and works hard to extend the opportunities available to young
and is definitely ready to extend his leadership capabilities to
people, especially those with disabilities. Her interest in people,
their full potential. He proved his determination to be an agent
her passion for travel and her enthusiasm make Marsida a
of change for over a year on his journey with World Merit.
great fit for the Fellowship Program.
Education
Environment
“
“
Education is the movement from darkness to light.
Education is not the marks a student receives. It’s about understanding what’s right and wrong, while having the
knowledge to develop perspectives on the world around. Moreover, through education, we are always being
pushed to think both creatively and conceptually about different issues of concern. Through my studies and
extra-curricular activity, I am pushing for a strategy for “Education for All”.
As part of my role as a Head Marketing in World
Merit Brazil, my social challenge was a year-long
involving representing and introducing World Merit to highly influential people in Brazil, such as the
environmentalist politician Marina Silva and the American political philosopher Michael Sendel, among many
others. I think we need to push more and more people to invest in the environment, raise awareness on these issues and work together to create change.
33
Upcoming fellows 7 & 8 Gil fuentes philippines
Fortune granville Nigeria
12 January 1992
23 July 1992
Competitive INitiator Compassionate Life Ambition: To be a world renowned affective movie writer or director, who can touch the hearts of his audience.
Ambitious responsible creative Life Ambition: To be a world-class leader who will drive positive change through good governance and so bring about sustainable development.
Gerald campaigns on social and environmental issues, using
Fortune is clearly a person with integrity. He has spent his life
his media skills to raise awareness and advocate for change.
trying to help others and aims to obtain the skills he needs
His goal is to be part of the United Nations’ Environment
in order to reach more people. His career goal is to work in
Program. He is keen to share his skills and enthusiasm with
public policy making. His ability and desire to work with people
others and to develop projects that target environmental
from many different backgrounds will aid him during the
preservation.
Fellowship Program.
Environment
education
“
“
I’m part of some events that supports environmental
awareness. I even became part of an environmental
organization in my college days. We created events such as Ecorampa (fashion show wherein clothes are made out of recycled materials) and Ecoserenade (musical
contest wherein musical instruments are made out of
recycled materials). We live in one world only. Let’s make it clean and stop our negligence in saving it.
34
Not withstanding my professional background, my
heart lies with the community. I have over four years’ experience working directly with people and communities in Kenya and Nigeria, mostly focusing on Education; Youth and Women Empowerment and Good Governance through Leadership. I am open to new ideas. I am an African with a Global mindset, One Africa; One World. I am a Global Citizen.
Upcoming fellows 9 & 10 Aldiona kerri italy
Zianish Hussain pakistan
3 May 1993
18 October 1992
Ambitious determined passionate Life Ambition: To become a leader in the field of medical sciences, for which I am studying sciences and attending non-formal educational activities on leadership.
Passionate Consistent Innovative Life Ambition: To be a very successful businessman and make a lasting impact by contributing to making this world a better place to live.
Aldiona is friendly, has a caring nature and is determined to
Zianish has been involved in voluntarily research work since
succeed in life. Her goal is to further develop her leadership
2008 and hasn’t stopped his involvement. Without specific
skills and use her science background to make a positive
education, he started up his business in HR in Dubai. He was
impact on the world. She has set up her own NGO ‘A Woman
also involved in many projects on human and women’s rights
in Power’ aiming to empower young women. She will be an
in Pakistan, raising awareness in areas where there was none.
asset to the Fellowship Program.
He will make a great impact.
Education
equality
“
“
When it comes to the development of a country,
education is crucial. In my opinion, knowledge provides people with the opportunity to access information.
Other than experiencing the Erasmus Mundus exchange program in Italy, I have improved my leadership skills through non-formal educational activities. These
experiences have shaped my point of view on education. In my opinion, priority should be given to free access to education and non-formal education.
Human rights is a very important prospect and
its importance starts with the birth of every child. A
child born with no human rights will grow up unhealthy, uneducated, unaware of living a good life, unaware of global issues and hence, will make no contribution in making this world a better place. It is thus not about current generations but about future generations. I
believe everyone should have access to basic human rights, or should be at least aware of human rights.
35
100 blogs to come 36
100 moments of merit
Mission
1
Jump for Merit
26
Mentor, Trustee Jack Healey
2
The Merit of Charles Batte (Uganda)
27
When Microsoft Employed Sintija
3
The Merit of Martina Buchal (Canada)
28
The Collaborative Powers of Rise Beyond
4
The Merit of Michael Teoh (Malaysia)
29
Simon Preston and Odd Levels of Oxytocin
5
The Merit of Cariell Doe (USA)
30
Ron and Marlys Boehm and the March Gathering
6
When Anderson Cooper Loved Us
31
Leading With Mahdi in Tunisia
7
Breaking Bad and Doing Good With Giancarlo Esposito
32
Emily and Entrepreneurship
8
Merit and Malala
33
Love and World Merit
9
Sir Ken Robinson, the Liverpool Connection
34
More Support From the Lords
10
The First World Merit Concert
35
Re-Store and Mark
11
Ashutosh Suman and the Men of Nagpur City
36
A Day With Greenpeace on the Rainbow Warrior
12
Race for Merit in Manila
37
The ‘I Am Aware’ Campaign
13
An Event of Merit in Baghdad
38
The ‘What Matters’ Campaign
14
March for Merit in Bangladesh
39
The ‘I Have A Story’ Campaign
15
When Merit Met the President of Liberia
40
The Too Comfortable World Merit House
16
When Merit Met the Prime Minister of New Zealand
41
The Spoken Word of Nazreen
17
William Hague
42
Run Boy Run to Woodkid
18
Learning to Fly With the Founder of Embraer
43
Google Day and Falling Off Bikes
19
World Leaders and the Forming of our World Merit Team
44
Dr Progress and the Recycled Sign
20
Kate, David, and One Young World
45
Teaching Kids With Sonal
21
The Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Shanghai
46
Merit and The Arts
22
The Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Liverpool
47
The Central Importance of Mary Wilson
23
The Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Rio
48
The Entrepreneurship of Jessica and Kenya
24
Judged by Sir Richard Branson
49
Vero’s Video – A Presidential Girl
25
Lord Michael Hastings
50
Hiba and the Hospital
37
100 moments of merit 51
80/20 and the Country Councils
76
The Problem of BJ Wasserman
52
Partnering With the Dalai Lama Fellows & Nathalia
77
In The End It’s Mike Southon & Antal
53
Marti Grimminck, International Connector & Tough Calls
78
Andy Bounds and Leaps
54
Climb Mountains – This One Is Snowdon
79
Strong Female Judges
55
Emilija Social Action In Education
80
The Air Miles of Jen Kushell
56
Juliano and the Balloons
81
An Afternoon With the Duke
57
WMFP and the Penthouse
82
The Sabirah Sulaiman Motive
58
Parliamentary Launches
83
The Desire to Lie Down
59
The Skinny One – Flaco Hincapie
84
Tayo and Nigeria
60
Brena and the Slutwalk
85
Tom Areton and Being Sternly Told Off
61
Bring Our Girls Home – Supporting Great Campaigns
86
Merit and the Mangrove Trees
62
The Near Stalking Brian Cox
87
Michael Suplaag
63
Sujits Wedding and I3
88
Merit Up More Mountains
64
Inspiration From Katie Piper
89
Fashion and Making the Most of Merit
65
Zaitoon the First Trustee
90
The Challenge to Sir Terry Leahy
66
Harjinder and Sukhi
91
Tim West, Good Deals and Liam Black’s Disdain
67
Shanghai and CaiDi
92
More Marches For Merit
68
The Letters of Peel
93
Xiomy Acevedo and Being Radically Inclusive
69
The Backpacker Intern
94
The Fear of Afghanistan and For Zabidullah
70
Ankur and Malala
95
My Favourite Homophobe
71
The Future Is Ciara For Liverpool
96
15th April 1989 and Margaret Aspinall
72
No.10 Downing Street and the National Citizen Service
97
Iraq, US, Iran and Canada… A Favourite Moment
73
The WMFP Opening Ceremony Locked In
98
A Critique of My Favourite City
74
Around the London Eye, Again and Again…
99
The Story of Yeonmi Park
75
Daydreams and Lord Rumi Verjee
100
24th July and the Shakes
38
The question is not what you look at, but what you see, and what you do as a result. 39
info@worldmerit.org worldmerit.org