From little things big things grow...

It's amazing how relatively small simple actions from individuals can both immediately and over time have such a big impact on others...I remember being quite inspired by this idea after I met some founding members of AIESEC at IC in Germany this year, but yesterday I had a few more encounters of this inspiring kind...

My Austrian Angel:
I had to get a letter from the university to prove that I haven't graduated yet to help with my work permit situation. It seems that most of the problems have been caused by some cross cultural communication challenges and understanding of the term "leave of absence". This means that I have not completed my studies but have deferred them to come back and continue them at later time. But apparently the Swiss authorities thought that this meant I have "left" university, IE graduated, and so they were suspicious of my application for a student-based work permit.

So anyways...went to get this letter from university administration. After I'd paid my $10 I went to explain it to the admin staff. I just happen to be lucky that the woman who served me is originally from Austria so could empathise with the whole cross cultural communication angle and instead of writing my letter in 5 working days, she did it in about 4 hours! So I could send this letter straight away to AIESECers in Switzerland and help to try to beat the clock on my application getting approved before I leave on 16 December.

Dankeschön to my Austrian Angel!

Global Change Fiesta

This event was held as part of the International Young Professionals Summit on Sustainable Development which is happening right now at Griffith University, Brisbane. The event is organised by International Young Professionals Foundation (not-for-profit public company working in the fields of human rights, poverty eradication, environment and social capital, within the broad context of sustainability. It utilises and promotes the resources, skills and knowledge that Young Professionals can bring to this arena in order to create a better world for current and future generations).

My friend, ex-MCP of AIESEC in Colombia, ex-MC of AIESEC in Australia and current trainee in Brisbane, got involved in organising the Fiesta and asked me to be the Master of Ceremonies for the evening's activities. It was really fun to be involved in organising something like this again, even though my role was very minimal and I was mainly involved on the night. The event was a mixture of cultural presentations from some of the international delegates at the Summit, tours to the Eco Centre at the University, discussions hosted by different organisations about topics related to sustainable development and stalls from around 30 different organisations who are working on related issues to learn more about what they do and how you can get involved.

There were of course the normal logistical dramas of organising any event, but overall it was really fun to be involved in it and it was also really inspiring to see so many individuals and organisations doing really great stuff towards a more sustainable future in Australia and abroad. And all of those organisations started from individuals with ideas and passion to put them into action.

And it was also really inspiring to work with Valentina on this event. She is really great example of someone being proactive in her own development and AIESEC Experience. Not only did she identify this Summit as part of her learning plan to be more socially responsible, she then took up volunteer responsibility to help organise the Fiesta and also ran a workshop about what AIESEC is doing towards sustainable development! She tried also to engage the local AIESECers to be involved but none of them came :-(

But it was really inspiring to work with Val on this event & a big "muchos gracias" to Val for giving me the opportunity to be involved!

Hugs from h ot down Under
x Zoe