~Julia Schetelig

Germany/ Hong Kong/ USA

I found out about the International Young Leaders Assembly (IYLA) from the website “Youth Opportunities”. Their one-week leadership program was way too expensive for me but then I saw that they also had open applications to two “day-summits” that were free. Since I was living in Philadelphia, both New York City and Washington DC were very accessible to me, so I decided to apply. To my big surprise, only two days later I received an acceptance email. I must admit that I was a little bit skeptical. The conferences were supposed to happen at the World Bank (DC) and the United Nations Headquarters (NYC) but their emails didn’t contain much more information than the dates (that included errors) and locations.

I was joking with my friends that this sounds too good to be true and that I was starting to think this may be a scam. When I arrived in DC it didn’t take me long to figure out: it wasn’t.

Delegates from all over the world had gathered in serious-looking business outfits and fancy name tags. I felt underdressed. Although I was wearing a blouse, I had not planned on attending official conferences that summer and had only packed a pair of sneakers. Standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom in the basement of the World Bank, I started to question what I was doing here. Not a minute later, however, another girl comes in and we start talking. She is an international student like me but has only been in the United States for a few days. We hit it off immediately. We joke about culture shock, business attire, and university classes. She introduces me to the group of people she is with and I immediately feel more comfortable — I even get a chance to practice my Indonesian with a group of delegates from Indonesia. I am relieved and excited — I don’t have to do this by myself! The conference starts with a welcoming speech by Holti Banka, a World Bank Financial Sector specialist, and Ediola Pashollari, the Secretary-General of the World Assembly of Youth. “Leaders are trained, not born”, Banka says and I couldn’t agree more. If we gave more young people the resources and training to make a change, the world would look significantly different. The floor is then given to a group of panelists — social entrepreneurs who share their stories about fighting for change and innovating creative solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. “Stop complaining — seize the opportunities around you”, one panelist reminds us. I agree, although I also think of the work that needs to be done to inform young people about all the opportunities out there — and make them actually seek them out and apply.

Another speaker talks about failure and how it is a vital part of the journey — nothing to be ashamed or afraid of. “Even if you look like a fool, put yourself out there”, Osama Alsaleh, founder of Master Me explains. My favorite metaphor from the day came from Anthony Kim: he compared our generation toan “ATM machine of change and hope”. And I like that idea — input a request — outcomes solutions. Sometimes the ATM machine may get stuck, and sometimes it may take a while to respond. But eventually, you will get what you need. After more than three hours of listening to speakers, I am exhausted but at the same time incredibly energized. I haven’t felt like this for a long time — struck by so many new ideas, projects, and hopes. All around me I can see young people who want to make a positive difference in the world. And in front of me, there are powerful leaders who prove to us — it can be done. The “mini-conference” ends with a collaboration session about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s), which is a little bit awkward — I don’t know much about infrastructure — but I appreciate the chance to think outside the fields that I usually work in.

Finally, there is a chance to network with other delegates. I had briefly spoken about my initiative, Generation Impact — a resource platform for young people who want to make a difference, and several people came up to me wanting to learn more. It was exciting to mingle and exchange contacts, although I wonder who of these people will actually stay in touch (spoiler alert: not all, but a few!)I leave the building with my new friends, new energy and new hope. We walk to the White House, take pictures, and at some point part. Inspired and full of regained motivation I embark the Bus back to Philadelphia.

If you have any questions at all, Julia has made it explicitly clear that she is more then happy for you to reach out to her!

Email: juliaschetelig@gmail.com

Or Check out Julia’s new resource site! Generation Impact