Introduction
Glocal International Teen Conference (GITC) is an opportunity for teenagers to address the issues and overcome the challenges that they have faced in their daily lives. It is a platform for all teenagers from age 13 to 19 to learn, empower, and bring social impact through a participatory and interactive environment with their peers from all over the globe. It is a lifetime experience to connect with the influencing teenager and act for a positive change.
The conference showcased the ideas, experiences, and stories of teenagers from different countries through a series of panel discussions and presentations. The three key issues of GITC are Entrepreneurship, Empowerment, and Socio-Perspective. This Year, Glocal International Teen Conference is being organized virtually.
Key- Note Speech
Wai Wai presents Glocal International Teen Conference originated with a Key-Note Speech by Mr. Ganesh Dhungana, Executive Director, Action Nepal. Mr. Dhungana is a dynamic youth leader with a decade-long training in social and organizational leadership. In the Key Note session, he shared his experience of working for society with teenagers and tried to guide teenagers to set their perspective.
Mr. Dhungana tried to get some reflection from his life and trying to show you some realizations that he had during different periods of life. Also, he was trying to show you the reality that he had because it’s all about you and the individual you matter a lot more than the prescriptions dragged by someone else.
Before beginning the speech, he shared his stories, “When I was in 7th grade, one of my mentors told me that I have a capacity to write poems. I told him,” Do I have that capacity to write poems?” Then, he said- “Yes, you have that capacity to write poems.” I tried to write some poems, and he also helped me to edit those poems. Finally, I got my book published at the age of 14. Then that helped me to set my perspective. I believe on myself that I can do something, but somebody needs to motivate or guide me. If I have certain mistakes within me that helped to save my entire career. Because once you come out with some responsibilities and duties that help to make a better version of yourself. Until and unless you do not come with responsibilities or you do not have a task to achieve. And until you are not challenged to do something, you’re not going to be the someone who you have always desperately or distinct to be. Thus, this small incident in my life helped me to save my entire career.”
He added, If somebody hadn’t told him that he had the capacity to do it, then he would never have done it before because we need someone to make us realize what energy and capacity we have. And that small hint may change our entire perspective and the way of our life. After being a published writer, a lot of responsibility came. His friends used to think that he is different, his surroundings used to think that he has some potentiality to do something in the community. So all these small things influence his mentality and influence the activities he used to do.
After that, he started forming a small child club. Through the child club, he has been engaged in different kinds of activities. After completion of the School Leaving Certificate, there was something in his mind. There was something that he wanted to achieve in life and really wanted to do something better for society. These realizations took him to lead the district level youth organization called, “Youth Network”. From that Youth Network, he started doing lots of activities. For example, constructing libraries for the community, helping students who were not able to pay the college fee, constructed a few school buildings, and it was during his high school age. Then slowly, he had a realization like we can do a lot in our locality and can bring an impactful change to our society. Thus, he had made a plan furthermore.
He recalled one incident that he had changed his entire perspective. When he was in 12th grade, he gave an exam and has expected a good marks because he has a good knowledge of pratical. At that time, he has a realization that he can do anything in society. But he was wrong. When he got bad marks, he realized that just dedication and hard doesn’t lead you to be the pinnacle of success. You need to improve your capacity; you need to improve your quality; you need to improve yourself. So until and unless you upgrade yourself. You’re not going to let the entire change that you are expecting in your life. So that realization made him to go abroad for his high secondary school.
After graduation, he got time to reflect on himself. He got time to make realizations within himself. Recalling all those things made him write his own second book ‘Vertex’, a collection of stories in English centred basically on teens development and psychology, which brought him immediate acclaim and recognition at the national level.
Mr. Dhungana mentioned sometimes going back and looking back on things helps you to see the future path as well because that reflection has to understand your potentiality, your capabilities, and your mistakes as well. Thus, realizing those mistakes and analyzing the capacity that you have will definitely lead you to the destination where we are planning to go there. When he came back to his own place, Dhading, things were changed, the perception of people was also changed. Then another realization has arrived on this mind- ” If you are dedicated to something. The identity doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is your passion for the development, your passion, and dedication for the change.”
Today, he started working through Action Nepal, a non-government organization that undertakes various development projects. He got an opportunity to lead Action Nepal as an Executive Director. Through this medium, he has been implementing all those reasons. Under his leadership, Action Nepal has constructed 189 water schemes ensuring clean and safe drinking water to people living in rural communities, 7 school buildings providing a safe space for students, 16 community buildings to conduct communal functions, 22 irrigation channel supporting to irrigate productive land, 312 individual houses for vulnerable families, 80 trail bridges providing easy access to rural people, 202 plastic tunnels and 12 goat farms. Till days his leadership has impacted more than 120 thousand population of the Dhading district to uplift their socio-economic status.
After talking about the realizations, he conveyed different core values that he used in his life. The first thing is character. He always believed that as a teen, as a youth, as an irresponsible citizen, we should focus on our characters. If our character is not inspiring to others. If our characters are dual in virtual media. And the reality is different. You try to show yourself as smart, but in reality, it’s not going to work out in life. The important thing is character. If your character is praised by everyone. If your soul defines you as an amazing person, you don’t need anyone to define yourself. You are just amazing. Thus, this is an internal weapon of success of having a good character that always works as the best weapon.
And the second most important thing that should always internalize in our life i.e. a sense of humour. Whatever you do, wherever you go, whoever you meet always feels that it’s you within there. Because if you are going and joining some organizations, but you don’t have a sense of ownership towards that organization. If you aren’t attending some countries and you don’t feel like I belong to this conference. If you are mingling with someone and you don’t feel connected and you don’t feel a part of them, then things are not going to work out. Because until and unless you give a sense of ownership to everything, and it could be in the form of organizations, in the form of events, and in the form of every activity you initiate it should be owned by you. That gives you a sense of ownership and helps you to bring out more potential for you and you feel like doing amazing things.
Another, the most required thing is sacrifice. In today’s generations, we are taught to achieve but there is no value of sacrifice. If you sacrifice one thing, you’re going to get another thing. And in this competitive market of competition, everyone is trying to achieve. Nobody is trying to sacrifice. Sometimes, if you sacrifice your moment, somebody else is getting a benefit, somebody else is achieving. Only the real heroes have the potential to sacrifice.
Similarly, he said the most important core value is teamwork. If you believe in teamwork and hard work. It might lead you to a certain point of achievement, you might reach a certain stage of your life, but if you believe in teamwork. You’ll definitely reach the destination that the entire team is dreaming of.
Likewise, each and everyone to value your character to have this sense of ownership to sacrifice, if it is required. This will definitely lead you to the pinnacle of success, where you guys are trying to achieve.
The Keynote session was ended in an intellectual, and insightful way. It was indeed an excellent speech shared by Mr. Dhungana. The most important thing he addressed is that it was your determination and your passion that led you to do what you’re doing right now. This is the exact thing that we are trying to give a message to all these teenagers through this platform Glocal Teen Hero and Glocal International Teen Conference.
