måndag 27 april 2009

About Important days in Copenhagen

4 questions - 12 days!!!

1. How much are the industrialized countries willing to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases?

2. How much are major developing countries such as China and India willing to do to limit the growth of their emissions?

3. How is the help needed by developing countries to engage in reducing their emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change going to be financed?

4. How is that money going to be managed?

I will be going to Geneva in June this year to discuss these questions and simulate the negotiation that will take place in Copenhagen 2009. For more info about the meeting, please visit: http://www.youthforum2009.org/TheCompetition/tabid/164/Default.aspx

About a good day...

Today was a quite incredible day in Buenos Aires. Being a Swede, the weather context is important and yesterday it was around 23 degrees and sun all day, thus, like a very good Swedish summer day. A few days back I signed up to run the "Azucar Maraton" - a 8 KM run that happened yesterday. My time, 36.02 minutes was OK and according to expectation. I did push myself, but I do believe I should be able to run the KM's in around 4 min as opposed to 4.30 min and that would help improve my time quite significantly. Bottom line, it was an amazing start of a beautiful day in Buenos Aires. After the run, I had a quick lunch to regain energy and to be ready for my first ever "Polo Game". I clearly did not participate myself, but I was amazed by what I saw - a seamless connection between a human and a animal forms a fantastic show. I am not sure when I will be watching a "Polo Game" again, however, seeing Argentina winning against Brazil, and the rest of the world against England is probably a memory for life.

The night was about dining with friends and love as well as watching the incredible movie "La Tierra"/"Earth". It is by far one of the strongest movie I have seen in a long while. The scenery and the pictures that are presented should not be described in words and in addition, the message was crystal clear - why are we fu*king with our beautiful nature? That will also be my questions for today!

Tomorrow I initiate the final course of my masters. I should look forward to that!

Until next time
Emanuel

fredag 17 april 2009

About concluding an experience,

I am back in Buenos Aires after an intense month of nature, beauty, frustration, happiness, loneliness, friendship and perspectives from 4 new countries…!

A wise person once taught me about the importance of processing an experience. He said: “the outcome of an experience will ultimately be determined of how you chose to process that experience…” Thus, an experience, bad to its nature can turn out really good, and a good experience can turn out really bad, all depending on how you process it. I want to use this space to try to consolidate some of my dominating thoughts around the issues I encountered, the beauty I experienced and the people I met. In all of this, I’ll try to reflect upon some of my emerging transformations as a result of the trip…in short, I will try to process a very intense experience, good to its nature, to determine its permanent outcome to be good…

How the issues came together in one city…

I was touching upon some of the issues I encountered in one specific city in an earlier post. With some distance to my experience, my perception is that many of the issues of the northern part South America came together in that one specific city…!
Here are some examples of how I experienced the issues of corruption, poor leadership, education, global warming and poverty in one of the cities I visited. The issue of corruption was articulated through the reversed roles in the prison a few blocks away from the governmental palace. The issues of education and poor leadership are articulated by the corrupt leader of the country, who is making a thing of the fact that he managed to become a president without education. The issue of global warming is articulated through the fact that it is hard to breath while walking on the streets. Poverty is always around the corner and articulated through crimes and child labour. I got to channel some of my frustrations and thoughts around these issues a I arrived to Bogota, that was useful, but I am still eager to understand more about where to start and how to transform the country and the issues.

Its important to recognize that some countries are doing a lot better than others and also that I didn’t encountered all of these issues in every country I visited. However, as a consolidated picture, the above description helps me to remember some of the pressing issues of the continent as a whole. It also gives me an understanding of the issues in relation to each other. All of these are concrete, tangible and real. How to prioritize and where to start tackling them? I don’t know, however, what I do know is that they are all connected. Poor leadership feeds corruption, lack on education diminishes development, climate change is causing poverty, poverty is causing crimes, and so one… thus, without articulating specific thoughts on a solution, an integrated approach is needed. In addition, some issues are local, others global. For both the global and the local issues, my current paradigm limits my imagination of a solution, however, I do believe, governance is one of the most important components in starting moving to something that could be about “living in harmony with all aspects of our society…”

Me in all of this…

As I was mentioning before, I received the opportunity of chairing the Colombian AIESEC conference with gratitude. That became an important aspect to channel the energy around the issues described above, but also to offset my footprint discovering the continent…!
This trip taught me about trust. In order to contain myself during the trip I was forced to trust and embody a comfort that “whatever happens, is the best thing that could ever happen…”, that whatever challenges I encounter, are just precisely what I can handle at that specific time(a learning from my mum), and that the people that I meet are there to support the success of my trip. At first embody this trust and comfort was incredible tough, especially when the car broke down in the mountains of Bolivia, or when I felt followed in central La Paz, however, as the journey progressed I learned how to embody that comfort, a comfort I hope can stay with me for a long time…

Another transformative discovery is the calming effect nature has on me. Nature makes me calm and peaceful and cities make me think – a key discovery! South America has endless natural beauty… and also opportunity, not only to interact with the nature, but really to live with the nature…looking back, my natural experiences at this trip is what will leave the lasting impression on me and also a discovery that will feed as inputs for some of my future decisions about life…

I am still discovering how my increased ownership for South America is shaping up, however, what I do know is that I will come back here. What I will do, time will tell, but I will be doing something, small or big…!

Off flow, but shortly about the hike to 5132 m…

Parque Nacional Los Nevados, approx a 5132 m high hike in Colombia was just an incredible way to conclude my hiking experiences in South America for this time. Before climbing this volcano, the highest climb I had in my back pack was at around 4500 m. These additional 632 made a huge difference in terms of the physical pressure on the body. As I reached 5000 m could feel a huge difference in terms of the efforts I needed to put in to move my body. Many people got sick of the altitude, but even though I went there after an AIESEC conference and 4 hrs sleep, my body coped really well and I experienced no signs of sickness. As I reached the 5132 m I was just sitting breathing and listening to the silence for around 30 min, a super comfortable feeling.

Until next time
Emanuel

fredag 10 april 2009

Thank you Colombia

I have a connecting flight from Lima in around 30 min, however, before continuing my journey, I felt the burning need to just write off a few of my thoughts around my 10 days in Colombia. I came there to channel my energy after my South America trip and look for beauty. I found beauty, challenge and the happiest people in the world!

I am looking forward to consolidate my experience at this space. Some upcoming topics include the AIESEC conference that I had the pleasure to chair, the 5132 meters hike I enjoyed, and some of my buirning questions going forward.

Now, I am just going to enjoy the now. Around 20 more hrs of travel if everything goes as planned with the end destination of San Rafael, Argentina.

At this post I didnt want to say much - just thanking Colombia, the people I had the pleaure to meet and of course, an extended gratitude to my friends there.
Emanuel

fredag 3 april 2009

About the best youth leadership development platform in the world

Its good to be back. After assuming the role as an AIESEC alumni, I am now back in an AIESEC context again to chair a Leadership Development Congress in Colombia, yet another powerful experience enabled to me, through the best youth leadership development platform that I know in this world.

A few months back I realized, that the role of AIESEC, really, becomes the responsibility of its alumni. I am not fulfilling my responsibility as alumni here, simply because AIESEC doesnt need me anymore, though, I chose to be here, without the expectation of fulfilling my responsibility, and I enjoy the experience. It again becomes clear that I can only fulfill me responsibility as an AIESEC alumni, by assuming a responsibility for the prosperity of the world, not by thinking that I am helping AIESEC by for instance chairing an AIESE conference. Having said,I really think its great doing it, both for AIESEC and myself, but my way of giving back to AIESEC need to be different. Having said that, being here to chair this conference is a great way for me to regain some energy and comfort that in a few years a few more AIESECers will be ready to assume the responsibility as an AIESEC alumni and join all the other change agents out there to address some of the most pressing issues of our time.

I just closed the pre meeting today by a wish for leadership, it seems to always have the power to inspire me..

The dominating thought today...How do we contain ourselves in relation to the world?and also, its good to not travel for a few days, but have the opportunity to have the morning jogs, sleep well, eat well, breeth...in short, balance ambition and change with all aspects of my personality...!

onsdag 1 april 2009

About South America,

My goal was to cross South America by bus, from Buenos Aires to Bogota in about 15 days. As I am writing this, it sound all planned out, but it wasn't, though, as I started my journey, the more I traveled, the more curious I became, and from there, the goal felt cristal clear, as it was there all the time. Yesterday, after having been traveling by bus from Argentina, through Brazil, Bolivia and Peru, I had to catch a flight to arrive here in Bogota in time, thus, I didn't managed to achieve my goal, but that doesn't matter now, because the trip has given me more than I could have ever imagined. Yesterday I had to witness Colombia losing against Venezuela in Football and I also allowed some time and space to digest this incredible travel up to here. As I am writing this post, I am not sure how this trip have impacted me. Partly because it is not over, but mainly because the more I experience the more questions I have, but also the more challenged I am on some of my fundamental beliefs about the world.

At times I have been sitting alone, watching the Andes, trying to listen to the silence and just be there to inhale all the beauty there is, many times I have got tears in my eyes, which has been the way for my body to express something which can not be expressed in words or in thought, just in tears. Throughout the journey I have met incredible people, the Goldman guy, how quited his job to find meaning, the architect who is in search for meaning before starting a new era of his life, the PHD couple from Turkey, UK and Barcelona who assumed responsibility for me to be amazed by the Incas, the girls who took my to the hostel in Cusco when all I needed was some food and a bed, the 7 Bolivians who took me from Santa Cruz to La Paz, these are few of the people that I have used to channel some of these impressions, but also experience some of this beauty. I wanted to start this post be articulating the beauty, simply because I believe the beauty is the dominating expression from this trip. However, or but, or hey, that's not all there is.

In one of the cities I visited, three blocks from the governmental building is a prison. The prison is famous amongst tourists because these bribes the polices to be let in to witness how the prisoners have taken over the prison, turned it in to a coca factory to live there with their families by utilizing a corrupt system. Political leaders in some of these countries are expressing their background and excellence by sharing how they have reached to this position without any education. More or less in all these cities I have experienced the worst pollution I have ever experienced in the 35+ countries I have visited, the poverty is always around the corner and so are the crimes. I have so many friends from these countries, some, which are the brightest people and thought leaders that I know, the common denominator, they are not living in their country of origin. I am not putting any responsibilities on on my friends to move back to their home and improve the state of their country, but by knowing these, I know there is hope for development and change. The tricky part, it needs to be a development within all aspect of our society and currently, the world lack role modeling such development, even though it is emerging. Without exhausting examples which are causing some of my questions, I am curious to understand how this experience is impacting me as a person and I am keen to be discussing with the people who have put in thought to some of these questions. It is clear that Europe has played an historical role, the influence of the US is obvious, but, how can these influences (not only bad) be forgiven and forgotten and seen as a start for something new? How can the beauty, just be beauty without the but. I am aware that I come out quite naive as I am writing this, but for know, I'd like to use this naive window to keep asking questions around these things I am not yet ready to comprehend.

Before I started this trip and received some words of wisdom from a dear friend, and even though she doesn't know it, a mentor of mine, the message was clear, go with the flow and enjoy the experience. The nature of the experience so far has been quite intense, thus, it hasn't been too challenging to stay present. But what I am discovering as I am travelling is that the nature makes me calm and peaceful and the cities makes me think. this in itself is not a new discovery, but it has been a super clear realization the last few weeks. As soon as I have time to spare, I escape to experience nature and just enjoy walks and silence.

So, as I mentioned above, I am in Bogota, Colombia. I am very excited to meet up with a few friends, although I am concluding that most of them are not here, but in general I am very excited to get to know the country and the people. I will also for the first time after becoming an AIESEC Alumni attend an AIESEC meeting here. I am very happy that I accepted to chair the conference because after having travelled throughout South America in this particular way I have again re-realized the need, relevance and role of AIESEC, thus getting the opportunity to channel some of that energy is something I am looking forward to.

Until next time
Emanuel