Who: Vino Jeyapalan
Age: 17
What: Markham Mayor's Youth Task Force Co-chair
Vino Jeyapalan has been involved in Markham Mayor's Youth Task Force since 8th grade. Now 17, he is the co-chair and is striving to make a difference in his community every day. Vino has made a decision that for the rest of his life he will be involved in a non profit that gives back to his community. This article can be found in the National Post.
It's a teen's life in Markham, student says
Task force gives youth a voice in their town
Shelly Sanders Greer, National Post Published: Saturday, May 10, 2008
Peter Redman, National PostStudent Vino Jeyapalan finds Markham inspiring.
When he was in Grade 8, Vino Jeyapalan decided to get a head start on his high school volunteer requirements. Mr. Jeyapalan joined the Markham Mayor's Youth Task Force, and quickly saw he could really make a difference in his community.
Now 17, Mr. Jeyapalan is co-chair of the task force and has made a commitment: For the rest of his life, he "will be working in a non-profit group that gives back to the community."
The Mayor's Youth Task Force was set up to give teens the chance to interact with town council, organize activities, and have some say about future plans for young people in Markham. Some of the events organized in the past include a youth anti-violence conference, publication of a newsletter, development of a Web site and social events.
This year's agenda involves a coffee house, battle of the bands, a poker tournament, skateboard skills and competition and the Amazing Mark-ham Race.
"We have 21 dedicated and diverse teens [on the Task Force]," says Mr. Jeyapalan. "We learn about the town, raise money for charity and think about what youth want.
"Council has a representative who works with us and is a huge support. Members of council come to our events and are a strong force driving youth toward change and making a difference."
One of the things Mr. Jeyapalan has learned is that "Markham is always innovative and ready to change. Council always wants to hear what citizens want. This year, they did a survey for residents and I found this very compelling. I love the fact that Mark-ham is like this."
In June, Mr. Jeyapalan will finish Grade 11 and he plans to go into sciences after high school. But no matter what he ends up doing, he says, "I will think about how I can give back to my community."
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Seeds of Compassion Event in Seattle
Who: 10,000 youth at Seeds of Compassion Event in Seattle
Age: Youth
What: Seeds of Compassion Event in Seattle
This week's installment is the first ever article specifically written for BIY. Our friends at the Global Youth Leadership Institute (www.gyli.org) attended the Seeds of Compassion Event in Seattle and came back with this overview of the conference. GYLI's mission is "to nurture collaborative leadership for global communities and to assist schools in their missions to inspire socially responsible young people." If you get a chance, check it out.
----------------------
Seeds of Compassion Event in Seattle
Seattle, WA —
What do you get when put 10,000 youth and teachers in the same room with His Holiness the Dalai Lama? Answer: The Seeds of Compassion. This unique event has brought together educators, health care professionals, artists, and activists to address a wide range of issues that in cities and in countries have become urgent. Why would a teacher take a day off of school to bring students to this event? Answer: “I think that this is a chance for students to hear from someone from a very different cultural background, who has a very political agenda, but a very peaceful agenda,” said Ethan Delevan, a technology teacher at Seattle Country Day School. I asked his students why they were there and got a range of answers. Sixth grader Richard Trey said, “Because my school set it up.” But his friend Phillip Grube said, “I would have come anyway, because I know that the Dalai Lama is all about peace. I think that is a very powerful message.” Seattle Country Day, a K-8 independent school in suburban Seattle, has many chances for students to get off campus, such as their “Winterim” program in which students go skiing and participate in a number of other experiential activities.
It is not only independent schools that see the need for students to connect beyond the classroom. Michelle Gangi and David Melby, both 12th graders at Bellevue Public High School, are part of a 2nd level leadership class that is focused on community service and action in the community. They attended the Seeds of Compassion event with a professional journalist and were student bloggers for the event. Melby said the class offers “a chance for me to be involved, but also to get others involved, because we have to recruit other students to take part in the community service, so we affect our school and the community in both directions.” Gangi agreed, “The level one class was great to learn about leadership and discuss it, but this level two class is great because we get to put it into action.” Learn more about the seeds of compassion event and its new models for education, business and government at www.seedsofcompassion.org
Age: Youth
What: Seeds of Compassion Event in Seattle
This week's installment is the first ever article specifically written for BIY. Our friends at the Global Youth Leadership Institute (www.gyli.org) attended the Seeds of Compassion Event in Seattle and came back with this overview of the conference. GYLI's mission is "to nurture collaborative leadership for global communities and to assist schools in their missions to inspire socially responsible young people." If you get a chance, check it out.
----------------------
Seeds of Compassion Event in Seattle
Seattle, WA —
What do you get when put 10,000 youth and teachers in the same room with His Holiness the Dalai Lama? Answer: The Seeds of Compassion. This unique event has brought together educators, health care professionals, artists, and activists to address a wide range of issues that in cities and in countries have become urgent. Why would a teacher take a day off of school to bring students to this event? Answer: “I think that this is a chance for students to hear from someone from a very different cultural background, who has a very political agenda, but a very peaceful agenda,” said Ethan Delevan, a technology teacher at Seattle Country Day School. I asked his students why they were there and got a range of answers. Sixth grader Richard Trey said, “Because my school set it up.” But his friend Phillip Grube said, “I would have come anyway, because I know that the Dalai Lama is all about peace. I think that is a very powerful message.” Seattle Country Day, a K-8 independent school in suburban Seattle, has many chances for students to get off campus, such as their “Winterim” program in which students go skiing and participate in a number of other experiential activities.
It is not only independent schools that see the need for students to connect beyond the classroom. Michelle Gangi and David Melby, both 12th graders at Bellevue Public High School, are part of a 2nd level leadership class that is focused on community service and action in the community. They attended the Seeds of Compassion event with a professional journalist and were student bloggers for the event. Melby said the class offers “a chance for me to be involved, but also to get others involved, because we have to recruit other students to take part in the community service, so we affect our school and the community in both directions.” Gangi agreed, “The level one class was great to learn about leadership and discuss it, but this level two class is great because we get to put it into action.” Learn more about the seeds of compassion event and its new models for education, business and government at www.seedsofcompassion.org
Friday, May 9, 2008
Ultimate Sportsmanship
Here is a video forwarded to me from Melanie Horn, Athletic Director at Westridge School for Girls:
"I encourage you to view this ESPN video clip at the bottom of the article below- http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/07/girls-sports-and-sportsmanship/
Or, go directly to YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jocw-oD2pgo
It's good to know that the "greater good" can still be found in sports.A special thank you to Sally Miller for forwarding the link :-)"
"I encourage you to view this ESPN video clip at the bottom of the article below- http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/07/girls-sports-and-sportsmanship/
Or, go directly to YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jocw-oD2pgo
It's good to know that the "greater good" can still be found in sports.A special thank you to Sally Miller for forwarding the link :-)"
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Sisters Taking on Global Issues
Who: Clara Halpine & Anna Halpine
Age: 20 & 30
What: Clara won scholarship for an essay she wrote on poverty & Anna started World Youth Alliance
These two sisters interest for global issues when they were young has continued to grow and keeps growing stronger every day. This article can be found at Times Transcript.
Sisters make a difference
A young Salisbury woman was one of five students in North America to be awarded a $10,000 scholarship recently for an essay she wrote on poverty.
In the spring of 1999 Anna Halpine became the founder and president of World Youth Alliance.
Clare Halpine of Salisbury is the only Canadian to receive an international scholarship from S.E. VEN fund.
Mount Allison University third-year fine arts student Clare Halpine, 20, was the only Canadian amongst the winners.
But, perhaps Clare's winning shouldn't come as a surprise.
As it turns out, Halpine is surrounded by family members who have more than just a passing interest in world issues, whether it's poverty, AIDS or hunger.
Clare's older sister Anna, 30, herself a Mount A graduate, founded the World Youth Alliance (WYA) shortly after she graduated from university.
The organization, described on its website as a "global coalition of young people committed to promoting the dignity of the person and building solidarity among youth from developed and developing nations" now has offices in five regions in the world.
The organization trains young people to work at the regional and international levels to impact policy and culture relating to hunger, education, human cloning, AIDS and other global issues.
The Halpines' sister Mary is now the president of WYA in New York. Two of their brothers, John and David, helped build the first office of WYA in New York.
Youngest child Peter is a high school student still living with parents Stuart and Judy in Salisbury, and the whole family has visited Anna in her home base of New York a few times providing support for her work.
The girls' interest in global issues began when they were young and has continued to grow.
Clare, who has spent several summers working for her sister's organization, was recently encouraged to submit an essay to the Boston-based Social Equity Venture Fund (S.E.VEN), a virtual non-profit entity.
The entity is run by two entrepreneurs and its strategy is to "increase the rate of diffusion of enterprise-based solutions to poverty."
Clare's scholarship-winning essay addressed the statement, "Poverty can be regarded as a matter of exclusion from networks of productivity, and not simply as having an unequal portion of what is imagined to be a fixed number of economic goods. In that sense, ending worldwide poverty is serious business. Describe enterprise-based solutions to poverty in this context."
Clare took that idea and turned it into an essay that she never expected would be considered "valid" by those behind the S.E.VEN Fund.
"I really never imagined that I would ever win it based on my very little experience and knowledge of economic structures," she says. "I'm not an international relations student, I'm not an economics student, so I didn't think that my solution to end global poverty would be valid or one what would be taken seriously."
She says the scholarship, which was given directly to Mount Allison University to support her studies, has further encouraged her to study global issues.
She plans on working with WYA in New York again this year, and she is considering working at the group's African office at some point to learn more about AIDS in suffering countries.
Older sister Anna was only 21 when she founded the World Youth Alliance in 1999.
She had finished up her Bachelor of Music degree at Mount A and was living in New York continuing to study music.
She was invited to attend a United Nations conference addressing population and development that featured a small group of youth presenting ideas, but what Anna was hearing at the conference did not address issues she felt were key.
Instead of touching upon issues such as clean water, housing and sanitation that plagues many in developing countries, the issues being presented were abortion as a human right and sexual rights for children.
"So I went into that conference, and said these young people do not represent all of the world's youth they were claiming to speak on behalf of, and I offered some other proposals rooted in this idea of the dignity of the person."
Anna's proposals stalled the hearings for two hours and the impact of what she had to say was immediate.
Representatives from developing countries thanked her for speaking on their behalf and she was encouraged to have a greater presence at similar conferences.
Thus, the World Youth Alliance was born.
Anna says she has always been encouraged by her family to have strength in her convictions and to follow them.
This allowed her to make a stand in front of the UN conference.
"I think it's important for young people to be encouraged within their families and within their formative years to know what they believe and to have the courage to stand up for that," she says.
Having said that, she had no idea at the time what she was getting into.
"I always say thank goodness I didn't know what would be involved," she says with a laugh.
"Because nobody in their right mind would have taken this on. But looking back and looking at the growth and success and the liveliness that we have today in the Alliance, it's just kind of a miracle."
Age: 20 & 30
What: Clara won scholarship for an essay she wrote on poverty & Anna started World Youth Alliance
These two sisters interest for global issues when they were young has continued to grow and keeps growing stronger every day. This article can be found at Times Transcript.
Sisters make a difference
A young Salisbury woman was one of five students in North America to be awarded a $10,000 scholarship recently for an essay she wrote on poverty.
In the spring of 1999 Anna Halpine became the founder and president of World Youth Alliance.
Clare Halpine of Salisbury is the only Canadian to receive an international scholarship from S.E. VEN fund.
Mount Allison University third-year fine arts student Clare Halpine, 20, was the only Canadian amongst the winners.
But, perhaps Clare's winning shouldn't come as a surprise.
As it turns out, Halpine is surrounded by family members who have more than just a passing interest in world issues, whether it's poverty, AIDS or hunger.
Clare's older sister Anna, 30, herself a Mount A graduate, founded the World Youth Alliance (WYA) shortly after she graduated from university.
The organization, described on its website as a "global coalition of young people committed to promoting the dignity of the person and building solidarity among youth from developed and developing nations" now has offices in five regions in the world.
The organization trains young people to work at the regional and international levels to impact policy and culture relating to hunger, education, human cloning, AIDS and other global issues.
The Halpines' sister Mary is now the president of WYA in New York. Two of their brothers, John and David, helped build the first office of WYA in New York.
Youngest child Peter is a high school student still living with parents Stuart and Judy in Salisbury, and the whole family has visited Anna in her home base of New York a few times providing support for her work.
The girls' interest in global issues began when they were young and has continued to grow.
Clare, who has spent several summers working for her sister's organization, was recently encouraged to submit an essay to the Boston-based Social Equity Venture Fund (S.E.VEN), a virtual non-profit entity.
The entity is run by two entrepreneurs and its strategy is to "increase the rate of diffusion of enterprise-based solutions to poverty."
Clare's scholarship-winning essay addressed the statement, "Poverty can be regarded as a matter of exclusion from networks of productivity, and not simply as having an unequal portion of what is imagined to be a fixed number of economic goods. In that sense, ending worldwide poverty is serious business. Describe enterprise-based solutions to poverty in this context."
Clare took that idea and turned it into an essay that she never expected would be considered "valid" by those behind the S.E.VEN Fund.
"I really never imagined that I would ever win it based on my very little experience and knowledge of economic structures," she says. "I'm not an international relations student, I'm not an economics student, so I didn't think that my solution to end global poverty would be valid or one what would be taken seriously."
She says the scholarship, which was given directly to Mount Allison University to support her studies, has further encouraged her to study global issues.
She plans on working with WYA in New York again this year, and she is considering working at the group's African office at some point to learn more about AIDS in suffering countries.
Older sister Anna was only 21 when she founded the World Youth Alliance in 1999.
She had finished up her Bachelor of Music degree at Mount A and was living in New York continuing to study music.
She was invited to attend a United Nations conference addressing population and development that featured a small group of youth presenting ideas, but what Anna was hearing at the conference did not address issues she felt were key.
Instead of touching upon issues such as clean water, housing and sanitation that plagues many in developing countries, the issues being presented were abortion as a human right and sexual rights for children.
"So I went into that conference, and said these young people do not represent all of the world's youth they were claiming to speak on behalf of, and I offered some other proposals rooted in this idea of the dignity of the person."
Anna's proposals stalled the hearings for two hours and the impact of what she had to say was immediate.
Representatives from developing countries thanked her for speaking on their behalf and she was encouraged to have a greater presence at similar conferences.
Thus, the World Youth Alliance was born.
Anna says she has always been encouraged by her family to have strength in her convictions and to follow them.
This allowed her to make a stand in front of the UN conference.
"I think it's important for young people to be encouraged within their families and within their formative years to know what they believe and to have the courage to stand up for that," she says.
Having said that, she had no idea at the time what she was getting into.
"I always say thank goodness I didn't know what would be involved," she says with a laugh.
"Because nobody in their right mind would have taken this on. But looking back and looking at the growth and success and the liveliness that we have today in the Alliance, it's just kind of a miracle."
Monday, May 5, 2008
Social Entrepreneurship
I have been thinking a lot about entrepreneurship lately. Today, I thought it would be interesting to read someone's take on social entrepreneurship. Here is a brief article from PBS describing just what social entrepreneurship is. I hope to be an entrepreneur who transitions into a social entrepreneur down the line.
What is Social Entrepreneurship?
"Social entrepreneurs identify resources where people only see problems. They view the villagers as the solution, not the passive beneficiary. They begin with the assumption of competence and unleash resources in the communities they're serving."
David Bornstein, author of How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas
"Social entrepreneurs are not content just to give a fish or teach how to fish. They will not rest until they have revolutionized the fishing industry."
Bill Drayton, CEO, chair and founder of Ashoka
A social entrepreneur identifies and solves social problems on a large scale. Just as business entrepreneurs create and transform whole industries, social entrepreneurs act as the change agents for society, seizing opportunities others miss in order to improve systems, invent and disseminate new approaches and advance sustainable solutions that create social value.
Unlike traditional business entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs primarily seek to generate "social value" rather than profits. And unlike the majority of non-profit organizations, their work is targeted not only towards immediate, small-scale effects, but sweeping, long-term change.
The job of a social entrepreneur is to recognize when a part of society is stuck and to provide new ways to get it unstuck. He or she finds what is not working and solves the problem by changing the system, spreading the solution and persuading entire societies to take new leaps.
Identifying and solving large-scale social problems requires a committed person with a vision and determination to persist in the face of daunting odds. Ultimately, social entrepreneurs are driven to produce measurable impact by opening up new pathways for the marginalized and disadvantaged, and unlocking society's full potential to effect social change.
The past two decades have seen an explosion of entrepreneurship and a healthy competition in the social sector, which has discovered what the business sector learned from the railroad, the stock market and the digital revolution: Nothing is as powerful as a big new idea if it is in the hands of a first class entrepreneur.
This revolution is fundamentally changing the way society organizes itself and the way we approach social problems.
The stories featured in The New Heroes showcase the work of social entrepreneurs whose innovations are bringing electricity, water, medicine and other life-changing tools and resources to people in the developing world. Each story illustrates the results possible when an innovative idea is coupled with a strategy for action and an entrepreneur's indomitable will.
What is Social Entrepreneurship?
"Social entrepreneurs identify resources where people only see problems. They view the villagers as the solution, not the passive beneficiary. They begin with the assumption of competence and unleash resources in the communities they're serving."
David Bornstein, author of How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas
"Social entrepreneurs are not content just to give a fish or teach how to fish. They will not rest until they have revolutionized the fishing industry."
Bill Drayton, CEO, chair and founder of Ashoka
A social entrepreneur identifies and solves social problems on a large scale. Just as business entrepreneurs create and transform whole industries, social entrepreneurs act as the change agents for society, seizing opportunities others miss in order to improve systems, invent and disseminate new approaches and advance sustainable solutions that create social value.
Unlike traditional business entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs primarily seek to generate "social value" rather than profits. And unlike the majority of non-profit organizations, their work is targeted not only towards immediate, small-scale effects, but sweeping, long-term change.
The job of a social entrepreneur is to recognize when a part of society is stuck and to provide new ways to get it unstuck. He or she finds what is not working and solves the problem by changing the system, spreading the solution and persuading entire societies to take new leaps.
Identifying and solving large-scale social problems requires a committed person with a vision and determination to persist in the face of daunting odds. Ultimately, social entrepreneurs are driven to produce measurable impact by opening up new pathways for the marginalized and disadvantaged, and unlocking society's full potential to effect social change.
The past two decades have seen an explosion of entrepreneurship and a healthy competition in the social sector, which has discovered what the business sector learned from the railroad, the stock market and the digital revolution: Nothing is as powerful as a big new idea if it is in the hands of a first class entrepreneur.
This revolution is fundamentally changing the way society organizes itself and the way we approach social problems.
The stories featured in The New Heroes showcase the work of social entrepreneurs whose innovations are bringing electricity, water, medicine and other life-changing tools and resources to people in the developing world. Each story illustrates the results possible when an innovative idea is coupled with a strategy for action and an entrepreneur's indomitable will.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Video Friday: Food from the Hood
Here is another gem from Nicole Lapin interviewing Young People Who Rock.
Nicole Lapin, of CNN, interviews two members of the Food from the Hood organization in her weekly interview series, Young People Who Rock. The series, Young People Who Rock, is focused on people under 30 -- from CEOs to entertainers to athletes to community and political leaders -- who are doing remarkable things.
Nicole Lapin, of CNN, interviews two members of the Food from the Hood organization in her weekly interview series, Young People Who Rock. The series, Young People Who Rock, is focused on people under 30 -- from CEOs to entertainers to athletes to community and political leaders -- who are doing remarkable things.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
2008 Sir Peter Blake Youth Environment Forum
Who: Teenagers across New Zealand
Age: Teens
What: 2008 Sir Peter Blake Youth Environment Forum
44 Teenagers across New Zealand gather together to discuss environment and sustainability issues. It's truly a wonderful thing to see that there are young people dedicated to making a difference. You can find this article at Scoop.
Young people paving the way to sustainability
Thursday, 1 May 2008, 5:47 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Government
1 May 2008
Young people paving the way to sustainability
"It's inspiring to see young people dedicated and committed to making a contribution to protecting the environment," said Associate Environment Minister Nanaia Mahuta.
Nanaia Mahuta praised the effort of the 44 teenagers from across New Zealand who were part of the 2008 Sir Peter Blake Youth Environment Forum.
The forum, aimed at inspiring youth to take action against climate change in their communities, today ends with the presentation ceremony.
"These young people have had a chance to take part in community projects, discuss environment and sustainability issues and a chance to learn more about environmental management," said Nanaia Mahuta.
"It's important to recognise that youth have concerns and responsibilities in dealing with the environment, because they are living with the risks and hazards around them.
"By ensuring that young people are encouraged to learn more, and gain a stronger awareness of environmental issues, we will go a long way towards generating effective responses to the sustainability challenges.
The Sir Peter Blake Youth Environment Forum is hosted by the Minister for the Environment in partnership with the Sir Peter Black Trust, with delegates being nominated by regional councils for their outstanding interest in the environment.
Nanaia Mahuta said the Labour-led government believes young people can make a difference to the sustainable development of Aotearoa/New Zealand.
"Today's young people are tomorrow's leaders, and investing in them now is critical because young people today play a crucial role in changing how Kiwis think and feel about the environment, and how they will look after it in future," said Nanaia Mahuta.
Age: Teens
What: 2008 Sir Peter Blake Youth Environment Forum
44 Teenagers across New Zealand gather together to discuss environment and sustainability issues. It's truly a wonderful thing to see that there are young people dedicated to making a difference. You can find this article at Scoop.
Young people paving the way to sustainability
Thursday, 1 May 2008, 5:47 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Government
1 May 2008
Young people paving the way to sustainability
"It's inspiring to see young people dedicated and committed to making a contribution to protecting the environment," said Associate Environment Minister Nanaia Mahuta.
Nanaia Mahuta praised the effort of the 44 teenagers from across New Zealand who were part of the 2008 Sir Peter Blake Youth Environment Forum.
The forum, aimed at inspiring youth to take action against climate change in their communities, today ends with the presentation ceremony.
"These young people have had a chance to take part in community projects, discuss environment and sustainability issues and a chance to learn more about environmental management," said Nanaia Mahuta.
"It's important to recognise that youth have concerns and responsibilities in dealing with the environment, because they are living with the risks and hazards around them.
"By ensuring that young people are encouraged to learn more, and gain a stronger awareness of environmental issues, we will go a long way towards generating effective responses to the sustainability challenges.
The Sir Peter Blake Youth Environment Forum is hosted by the Minister for the Environment in partnership with the Sir Peter Black Trust, with delegates being nominated by regional councils for their outstanding interest in the environment.
Nanaia Mahuta said the Labour-led government believes young people can make a difference to the sustainable development of Aotearoa/New Zealand.
"Today's young people are tomorrow's leaders, and investing in them now is critical because young people today play a crucial role in changing how Kiwis think and feel about the environment, and how they will look after it in future," said Nanaia Mahuta.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)