THE TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY16 JULY2014

youngmetro
TECE
6
Memories to last a lifetime
It took a little time
to break the ice.
But things chan-
ged soon after. Del-
egates who appe-
ared a trifle seri-
ous in the begin-
ning started doing
funky things like
moonwalking.
And there were
always a few who
had the heartiest
of laughs. We got
to know more
about each others cultures and opinions at
the leadership group meetings (LGMs). There
was one particular LGM where everyone had
to share at least one aspect of their nations
and nationalities. While some brought in gifts
that vanished immediately, others brought
bizarre food items. By the end of the LGM, I
learned that licorice is popular in Argentina,
Kenya coffee beans have a very strong aroma
and that vuvuzela are horns blown during
African events. There were a couple of Japan-
ese boys in my LGM. That we bonded so well
in such a short time is evidence of the fact that
strong cultural relations can be forged just by
studying each others culture and minds.
We listened to speeches made by a college
professor, the ambassador of the state depart-
ment in DC and the senior advisor and nation-
al advocate of the United Nations Foundation,
to name but a few. Speaking of the United Na-
tions, our final simulation, the Global Sum-
mit, was held at New York. Before the Global
Summit, we had provisions and trials. It took
us time to grasp the simulation at first but
after a few run-throughs, we started getting
used to it.
During a simulation, there would be two or
more teams involved, with opposite or similar
standpoints. After putting forth the views, the
parties negotiated or debated and formed res-
olutions. And finally, all parties voted for the
final resolution to the issue being addressed.
Of all the phases, I enjoyed the negotiations
and debate sessions the most. Everyone
sounded like top world leaders attending a
crucial meeting. It was a chance for us to
speak in a serious tone and to have people take
us seriously, for a change.
I am sure you have heard the phrase work
hard, play hard! Well, in the middle of all the
simulations, speeches and the global summit,
we had the opportunity to visit tourist attrac-
tions in New York and DC In DC, we visited
the Lincoln Memorial, the United States Holo-
caust Memorial museum, the US Department
of State and many others. Of all the sites we
visited, the Holocaust Memorial Museum left
a strong impression on me. Both memorials
are related to events of war that Ive studied in
history. The Holocaust Memorial Museum
took me through the pain of the persecution of
Jews by the Nazis in World War II. The atmos-
phere in the museum was intense and sub-
dued. The displays at the museum were
arranged chronologically it felt I was wit-
nessing the holocaust right in front of me. A
quote at one of the displays summed it all
we managed to escape the gas chambers
while our owners didnt. The museum bro-
ught my history lessons to life and though it
wasnt a pleasant one, it taught me to not re-
peat mistakes made in the past.
Away from the superb memorials of DC we
witnessed the glamorous, fluorescent and
bustling streets of Times Square in New York.
Girls yelled as they scurried their way into For-
ever 21, and people were drooling as they stepped
into both M&M and Hershey stores. Away from
the busy streets, my friends and I had pizza for
lunch at Little Italy. It reminded me of The God-
fatherand in fact, the area was featured in sever-
al scenes. Another site featured in the movie was
Ellis Island, which was a port of immigration in
the 1890s to 1900s. On our way to Ellis Island, we
passed by the Statue of Liberty where my
friends and I jostled to get the perfect shot.
Our 10-day conference ended with a breath-
taking cruise around New York City, passing by
the Empire State building, the Brooklyn Bridge
and the Statue of Liberty, just as it hit sunset.
On our day of departure, one representative
from each group gave a farewell speech. Some
talked about the lessons they had learned on be-
coming a leader, some talked about the new
friends they had found and some talked about
the goals they had set and achieved through the
conference. Everyone had something to take
home. Things got a wee bit emotional at the
very end, even for me, especially when the first
friend I made in my group came over to say
goodbye. I admit there were moments during
the conference when I felt homesick, but I will
never regret attending the conference because
it has given me memories to treasure for life.
The conference taught me to step out of
my comfort zone. I learned to approach people
and talk to them instead of waiting for them to
approach me. I was too hesitant at first to con-
tribute during discussions but I learned that
theres no point in pondering over what other
people think of you. It prevents us from being
ourselves. GYLC allowed us to come together
despite our differences to discuss issues faced
by the world. It motivated us through organi-
sations, individuals and one another to make
a difference, in our own communities or on a
global scale.
A learning experience
It was December last year! My class teacher Mini Joseph called
me to the staff room: Akshat! I want you to go for this confer-
ence in New York in the summer. I
appeared for an interview the fol-
lowing week, where I was ques-
tioned about Indian politics and
given a topic to speak on. I had to
wait for another 24 hours before I
got the big news: I had been selected
to travel to Washington for the
Global Young Leaders Conference.
The next few months passed in
the blink of an eye. We (Abhinav
Shandilya, Sayan Chakraborty
and myself) read up newspapers
and important books on world his-
tory. We researched articles on en-
vironment, human rights, litera-
ture, psychology and world politics from international jour-
nals and other books recommended and collected by our
teacher Saptarshi Mallick. Hunting for sponsors, applying for
visas, booking tickets the feeling that I was about to visit
the US to represent my country and my institution had finally
begun to sink in. Finally, the day arrived. We were excited and
nervous as we boarded our flight.
Washington DC was the venue for the first half of the con-
ference. We landed a day before the conference was scheduled
to begin and put up at the Sheraton Pentagon Hotel, not too far
away from the city centre. With nothing much to do on Day 1,
we decided to do a bit of exploring ourselves. We saw the Capi-
tol buildings and did some shopping from the stores in China-
town. On Day II, we were allotted our rooms for our stay in
Washington. A boy from China and another from Singapore
were my new roommates. They were extremely chilled out and
were as excited to meet me as I was on meeting them.
Before the start of the conference, we were given our coun-
try groups. I was a part of the US country group which had
Henrik as its mentor. As part of the daily schedule, we had
leadership group meetings, better known to us as LGMs. We
discussed our countrys policies and proposals that we would
place on the day of the Security Council summit, scheduled to
be held on the last day of our stay in Washington. I was chosen
to be my countrys foreign minister. I put forward my resolu-
tion in my committee and was fortunately successful in con-
vincing other members to accept my resolution and get it
passed.
The second part of the conference was in New York. It was
a thrilling seven-hour drive on the conference bus. We played
music, sang, danced and had a lot of fun. In New York, we
stayed at Manhattan College located on the outskirts of the
city. The highlight of our stay for me was our visit to the
Times Square. With huge buildings and billboards all around,
it was a different experience. Finally, the big day arrived. At
the Global Summit, we put forward our country policies in
front of the other nine country groups. All the country groups
discussed, debated and came to a consensus that would bene-
fit one and all.
The conference ended, and we were all ready to head
home. It was an emotional time as we bid each other adieu. I
am proud to say that I now have friends all across the world.
The experience has taught me not to judge people on first im-
pressions. I also learnt that serious problems such as pollu-
tion are facing countries across the globe and each country, in
its own way, is trying to cope with the crisis.
A joy forever
June 7, 2014, Saturday Netaji
Subhas Chandra Bose International
Airport
Lets check out some chocolates, my
teammate Abhi told me excitedly. I did not
pay any heed. I sat down after my security
check and tried to put everything in per-
spective. Washington DC was
the call and the buzz was for thr-
ee students of St. Xaviers Colle-
giate School Abhinav Sha-
ndilya, Akshat Kapoor and me.
It was around the mid of
April if my memory serves me
right. I had appeared for an in-
terview for the GYLC (Global
Young Leaders Conference),
along with 70-80 other students.
Power resides with the richer
people was the topic given to
me. I spoke. I was not happy
with my speech, but I assume it was
enough to book me a place in the list. A
special thanks to Mini Joseph and Sap-
tarshi Mallick, the latter being the coordi-
nator of the GYLC 2014 programme from
our school.
The boarding was announced. We
were to fly from Calcutta to Dubai and
from Dubai to our final destination, the
place which will always hold a special cor-
ner in my heart.
June 8, Sunday Washington DC
We landed in Washington DC around 10
in the morning. With a huge suitcase of
clothes and high hopes, we took a cab to
the Sheraton Pentagon Hotel. The confer-
ence was scheduled to start the next day.
So this was the day we had to make the
most of. We dropped our luggage at the
hotel, took a city map and soon we were
one with the hundreds walking up and
down the street. We took a subway from
the Pentagon city to the Lefante Plaza,
the heart of DC. We saw the US
Capitol, we took a walk thro-
ugh Chinatown and savoured
amazing American street food.
Back to the hotel, we tried our
best to stay up and watch an
NBA match, but failed. The soft
fluffy beds were too inviting.
June 9, Monday
The day we had all been wait-
ing for. We had our breakfast at
the Pentagon City Mall and by
the time we returned, the regis-
tration was already in progress and en-
tries were being allotted to delegate stu-
dents. I looked around and believe it or
not, there were students from at least 100
countries standing in the lobby, talking to
each other, knowing about each other,
making new friends.
I felt proud to represent my country
India. Delegates from across the world
were placed in groups of 10 countries
US, UK, China, Russia, India, Turkey,
South Africa, France, Brazil and Saudi
Arabia. The registration over, we went up
for the leadership group meeting known
as LGMs. The LGMs are team meetings
for a particular country headed by an edu-
cational co-ordinator. At the LGMs, we
discussed reforms and views on our coun-
try. It was kind of a preparation for the
global summit scheduled to take place
later in New York.
Later in the day, we got a chance to
meet our roommates. Mine were from
Germany and Sweden.
June 10, Tuesday
The day was packed with LGMs. In the
morning session, our educational co-ordi-
nator took our views about India and in
the evening, we discussed Indias de-
mands to be put forward in the United Na-
tions. Discussions over, our team visited
Capitol Hill for a group photo, followed by
the World War II Memorial and the Abra-
ham Lincoln Memorial.
June 11, Wednesday
We visited the Saudi Arabian Embassy,
on work of course. A documentary film
on the country was screened for us. We
spoke to the officer in charge and came to
know several new and interesting things
about Saudi Arabia as a country. We took
a trip to the vicinity of the White House.
June 12, Thursday
The days were passing in the blink of an
eye. Breakfast, lunch and LGMs and dinner
(I missed my dinner for a couple of days be-
cause of more important things like watch-
ing World Cup matches).The LGM was fol-
lowed by an exhaustive lecture on World
Bank. The meeting on maintaining world
order and peacewas interesting.
June 13, Friday
We had LGMs scheduled everyday. We
waited for days when we had something
else to do. This was one such day. We went
to see the Museum of the Smithsonian In-
stitution followed by the National History
Museum and the National Art Gallery
and the National Air and Space Museum.
June 14, Saturday New York City
It was a seven-hour bus journey from
Washington DC. We stayed at the Manhat-
tan University campus.
June 15, Sunday
Sunday. New York City. Our day started
with the prep meet for the global summit.
And then, it was time to hit the streets.
Lunch in China Town, a visit to the Unit-
ed Nations Building, Times Square and
galleries in the NYC. It was a dream. I was
reluctant to wake up.
June 16, Monday
The day was packed with LGMs. For, the
next day was D-Day.
June 17, Tuesday
I entered the Grand Hall of Manhattan
College. It was surreal. And then sudden-
ly I spotted a board in front of me. INDIA.
I felt proud and happy. I felt calm. At the
Global Summit, a resolution was passed.
India and Brazil got a permanent seat in
the United Nations Security Council,
though without a veto power. Work done,
we made a quick trip to the Modern Art
Museum. The cruise party in the evening
was an opportunity to have fun. New York
City looked even more enchanting at
night. Somewhere deep down, we were all
feeling that the end was nigh.
June 18, Wednesday
Our last day at GLYC. Certificates were
given out. The summit was over. We were
leaders. We had learnt how to take deci-
sions, with confidence and decisiveness.
Our teacher coordinator Saptarshi Mallick
took us to meet his friend professor Robert
Masterson from the Department of Eng-
lish, City University of New Yorks Bor-
ough of Manhattan Community College. A
pizza lunch, a visit to the World Trade Cen-
tre and finally travelling to the John F.
Kennedy International Airport, New York
in a limo, our dream trip was over.
My father called me up and said: It is
raining cats and dogs in Calcutta. I
changed my Whatsapp status. Calcutta,
we are coming back.
Connecting cultures
Focussed to spread the Indian spirit of Vasu-
daiva Kutumbakumthrough a global forum,
I began to train my three students (Abhinav
Shandilya, Sayan Chakraborty and Akshat
Kapoor) during the summer vacation, for the
Global Young Leaders Conference (GYLC)
scheduled to be held at Washington DC and
New York. With the world being a global vil-
lage, there is a greater need for spreading
and amalgamating the spirit of
cosmopolitanism through a
better understanding of life
and culture beyond the Indian
geo-political space.
The reports validate that
the Global Young Leaders Con-
ference (GYLC) is an intensive
and stimulating leadership
conference held annually to ed-
ucate and inspire students to
fulfil their role as the world
leaders of tomorrow justify-
ing the GYLC ideology,
The leaders of tomorrow
preparing for the global chal-
lenge and responsibilities of
the future. My students expe-
riences prove that the interac-
tion with the participants from
several parts of the world on issues like glob-
al to glocal, diplomatic community, peace
and security, inter-dependency in the world,
human rights and the role of international
organisations as the UN ushered in a space of
existence where cultures connect and assi-
milate through the dynamism of the youths
power, foresight and skills.
In short, GYLC is a cultural interface.
Voicing their opinion on issues like interna-
tional drug trafficking, global warming, nu-
clear proliferation and foreign aid through
the process of presenting resolutions and
adopting plans of action, my students under-
went a golden experience to enrich them-
selves by connecting cultures. This educa-
tional odyssey bear the testament of making
the participants realise an empowering feel-
ing that they, as youths of the world, possess
the potential to make a positive difference at
the home and at the world, reminding us of
Swami Vivekanandas words: They alone
livewho live for others.
I am extremely thankful and
indebted to Father Benny Tho-
mas for trusting me to coordi-
nate the programme of our
school participating in the glob-
al forum. Special thanks to Fa-
ther Peter Aroke, Andrew Singh
and Mini Joseph for their tire-
less help, advice and inspiration.
I am also pleased for my dear
students who, with our joint ef-
fort, developed themselves to be
worthy representatives of the
school at the GYLC.
I thank the guardians of the
three students for their trust
and the support they extended
towards the school and to me in
coordinating the event. I am
personally indebted to profes-
sor Robert Masterson (Department of Eng-
lish, City University of New Yorks Borough
of Manhattan Community College) for all
the help he extended by meeting my students
in New York after the GYLC was over. I am
also grateful to Ravinder Garg, regional di-
rector, South Asia, Middle East and Africa,
for all the support and advice.
Global Young Leaders Conference is a
world event that not only connects the vari-
ous spaces but also the minds for a better to-
morrow.
Sayan Chakraborty and his GYLC team in
front of Capitol Hill
Akshat Kapoor and his team in front of
White House
Abhinav Shandilya poses for a click outside White House with his GYLC team
Sayan Chakraborty at the
Abraham Lincoln Memorial
Anew world for the leaders of tomorrow
Three students of St. Xaviers Collegiate School travelled to the US to take part in the Global Young
Leaders Conference. They came back brimming with confidence and a treasure trove of memories
Akshat Kapoor
Class XI
Abhinav Shandilya
Class XII
Teacher, department of
English, St. Xaviers
Collegiate School
Saptarshi Mallick
Sayan
Chakraborty,
Class XII
Sayan Chakraborty at the cruise party as the sun sets on New York