This week leading up to the launch of RLabs Asia in collaboration with the Youth Works Asia was one of excitement and a little bit of uncertainty as I had no idea what to expect at the Tomorrow Youth Leaders Summit. It was also an emotional time for me personally as I was reminded of the humble journey we took on the Cape Flats in Cape Town, South Africa and the people who sacrificed to have brought us to this defining moment taking the Social Revolution to another dimension. It was this great opportunity to work with amazing young minds and individuals in Malaysia who participated at this event in a Transformation Youth Lab hosted by Bernard Hor and his incredible Youth Works Asia team.
After observing most of the day and getting the vibe from the 110 youth who was participating in this lab I immediately realised that the day was not going to be an ordinary day because the individuals in the room were all talented and extraordinary. The core theme of launching RLabs in Asia was to Transform or Reconstruct communities through a Social Revolution. Some of the key points presented to the group of young people realising that the world as we know it have changed with the revolution of social and new media were the following:
– The world needs a new generation of superheroes
– Each one of the young people can stand out and be different
– In the midst of diversity and struggle they should also see OPPORTUNITIES
– CHANGE is a fundamental constant that youth should be aware of and use to transform their communities
The buzz and interaction in the room was incredible especially when challenged with this statement
“if I could change the world… “
Each group were required to come up with what they would like to see changed as a Social Revolution and also had to map a plan on how to go about achieving those goals using the resources they had at their disposal. It was through the activity of identifying a problem that needs change and putting steps in place to address that really showed the value of each of the youth who contributed and who are willing to take up this responsibility to transform their local community and nation.
It was with lots of excitement that the workshop ended with an official welcoming of the new RLabs CHAMPIONS in Asia and if their ENTHUSIASM, PASSION, DRIVE, COMMITMENT and VISION that I’ve experienced is any indication of what lies ahead then I know we will see a transformed Asia over the next few years as this generation of young leaders take their place and leave a positive LEGACY with a message of HOPE. To this generation of young leaders remember to keep pursuing those dreams and fan those ideas into flame because the Social Revolution has only begun…
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