Once I get back to Indonesia, I will be a changed man. There will be high expectations of me as I represent two organizations from which I have learned so much these past weeks. They have been life-changing experiences from which I have learned leadership, professional behavior and solidarity.
My journey began with the Global Leadership Summer Course in SIAS International University in China. It was a tremendous opportunity for me to be chosen as one of the eight youth leaders to represent Indonesia. During my three-week stay in China, I was able to meet the best student leaders from different parts of Asia-Pacific like the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Macau, South Korea, and China. Our intensive debates and group presentations allowed us to understand each other better and appreciate our cultural diversity more.
Together we figured out how to establish integrations on various fields such us culture, environment and economics in the middle of pluralism in Asia Pacific. It widely opened our minds on how to maximize our potential and leadership characters for the world we want in the future. At that time, I completely realized that the youth is one of the most powerful tools for change and development.
After China, I moved to the Philippines for a three-month intensive internship program with the World Youth Alliance (WYA). WYA was a perfect platform for me to exercise the values and other lessons I learned in China.
Since WYA is composed from young people from different backgrounds and nationalities, my first challenge was also to learn to settle in with different cultures. Moreover, the tasks assigned to me, especially in helping organize the Emerging Leaders Conference, really tested my professionalism and networking skills.
In my last month of internship, I got a deeper meaning of human dignity when I joined our director during the I Transform Young Leaders Convention in Baguio City. This event allowed me to meet the finest student leaders from different parts of the Philippines. It was the most inspiring moment for me to witness the future leaders of the Philippines gathering to make a difference at their young age and maximize their youth to do something good for the future of their nation.
Once I get back to Indonesia, the challenge for me is to be a productive youth, and explore my creativity in helping solve the problems in my country. Eventually, maximizing potential is all about putting idea into action. It is awareness that we are all agents of change, for our country, our world and our future.
By Satria Rizaldi Alchatib, a regional intern at the WYA Asia Pacific office. Application for the first batch of interns for 2015 (January to March) is already open. You may click here for more details.
