This post is by UBC MasterCard Foundation Graduate Scholar, Isaac Jonas. Read Isaac’s bio and the bios of all the UBC MasterCard Foundation Scholars online.
On the 12th of April I went to England to attend the Skoll World Forum (SWF). My experience at the Skoll World Forum can be summed up as a rare life changing experience. The first day I arrived in Oxford, England, together with my fellow young leaders, we were taken around a tour of the University. I couldn’t be inspired more as I had the privilege to see the rooms where famous economists like Adam Smith emerged from.
As though that was not enough, there I was, in one of the SWF workshops, when I looked up to my right side of where I was seated, I saw a managing director of a very large Global organization I had never dreamt of ever meeting in my life time and to my left side, it was the same high profile people all around me. I quickly realized that this is a serious place where high profile people come to exchange ideas. This then challenged me that, Yes, it’s up to me to embrace the reality of connecting or not. Needless to say, I did my best and I look forward to the impact I would make going forward.
The open heart of every delegate I met throughout the Forum, all challenged me and I realized that my contribution to the global development is meaningful. I learnt a lot through the open conversations I had with everyone I met. We discussed wide-ranging issues from water problems, climate change, and problems in access to education. The realization I got is that, throughout the whole globe, everyone is ready and already doing something positive to contribute to global development. I couldn’t ask for any better experience and inspiration than this! Thanks to Skoll Foundation and MasterCard Foundation. To have all expenses paid for and everything I need catered for, so that I could meet up with top notch change makers from across the globe, is a rare life time opportunity I will forever cherish.
During the Plenary sessions, there were renowned Global change makers like the Skoll World Forum Founder, Jeff Skoll and Desmond Tutu and Graca Machel. The message I got from all these speakers was that we are living on one earth. As global citizens we have to take action now rather than wait. The aspect of never giving up in life was reiterated by Mama Graca Machel, who says she even won’t give up until every girl child gets to school. Such energy is what I wanted. I remember, leaving one of the forums. I told myself, Yes I am going to accelerate my resolve to make a positive change.
The Skoll World Forum also afforded me an opportunity to meet up with the people who are involved in the life changing program I am a beneficiary of. I managed to meet up with the program staff for the MasterCard Foundation Scholarship Program and got further inspiration. Inspiration from the people who are empowering the next generation of young leaders for Africa.
In Zimbabwe and Africa, where I come from, the challenge for the young people is the disconnection between opportunities and talent and in some cases lack of opportunities thereof. The Forum therefore, priviledgely enabled me to connect and accelerate my learning experience on how to solve the development problems. I equally learnt that problems are almost the same from across the globe. How we deal with them is what may differ due to different circumstances but pollution is the same whether it is in New Delhi or Harare.
Going forward, I believe I would tap into the connections I got at the forum. I would use my contacts to accelerate positive change by learning and exchanging ideas on development from the practitioners on the ground on an ongoing basis.
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