Imphal Jamboree - Improving the state of youths !

James Khangenbam *

Imphal Jamboree by Global Shapers Community at City Convention Center on 4th November 2018 :: Pix - Shankar Khangembam

I happen to participate in Imphal Jamboree organized by Global Shapers Community Imphal, an initiative of the World Economic Forum. It took place at City Convention Centre, Palace Gate during November, 2018.

Attended by many youths the event was spectacular. Being in the conference hall or in the lunch corner surrounded by enthusiastic youths who are in their sharpest of mind gave a revitalizing thought. One of my colleagues who also attended the meet opined that he has not seen a buzzing youthful crowd except in musical concerts.

Today, I would like to share some interesting learning from the meet I attended. Before that I would like to introduce the three resource persons from whom I got new knowledge - Nattinee Dora Sae Ho. MD/Founder, Kid Hero Thammasat University Thailand, Arunkumar Telem, CEO Langei Product Manipur and Bhawana Luthra, Executive Director LEAD (Leadership for Environment and Development) Bangalore.

1. Nattinee Dora Sae Ho. MD/Founder, Kid Hero Thammasat University Thailand.

In the main auditorium where some 500 young participants were attending, Dora Sae Ho was speaking on the current trend and changing value of education. In between her speech she asked the gathering to work out on a group exercise for every three-people sitting next to each other in the hall. A person has to speak for 3 minutes while the rest of the two listens.

In the next 3 minutes, the last speaker became a listener and the listener became a speaker. At the end of the group exercise, she reveals that the sample conversation does not allow any confrontation to come up and so there is no win-win conversation.

Listening to listen and not to reply is a process of conversation, which we fail to realize sometimes claimed Dora. She also said that people in Thailand usually follow the conversation method.

After her speech in the main auditorium, she announced that whosoever interested in participating another group exercise may stay back. Myself and my colleagues decided to stay back. We were taken to a smaller hall after the function at the main.

In the group exercise, twelve people forms a group with a random numbering method and there were around twelve such groups in the hall. For the group exercise we were given a common topic - Bringing innovation to education system. Each group had to work on it. Nattinee Dora Sae Ho would stand in the middle of the hall and shout what steps to follow. Each step has to be completed in a given time.

Imphal Jamboree by Global Shapers Community at City Convention Center on 4th November 2018 :: Pix - Shankar Khangembam

As we started, we were asked to write down some points which we regret during our education and to share among the group members. I wrote, "if I had opted arts in place of science during the higher secondary". Later each individual in the same group shared what they wrote.

I found out some of my group members wrote if she could have studied music in her school while others wrote if there been any mechanism in the education system to make the students decide on their choices to bridge the gap.

After the warm up round it became more intense when each individual in a group were supposed to write their ideas on the topic - Bringing innovation to Education System. Each individual in a group wrote out their ideas in bullet point. Next step was to bring all the ideas in a single chart paper. Similar ideas from different individuals were counted as one in the lists of ideas documented.

Next step is voting where each individual will select their three best ideas from the chart paper. Then counting the number of vote against each idea and deciding which idea got the highest number of vote was a thrill.

The process was solely meant to effectively bring out ideas from each individual in the group. Besides voting represents a collective decision fort the group. By this method the dominance from a very outspoken person in a group is avoided effectively.

After the idea voting we were given the task to elaborately bring out how we wanted to implement the idea in a group discussion. Random thoughts from any member in the group regarding the implementation of idea were jotted down in a limited time. One or two persons from the group has to present the idea and its implementation procedure in three minutes time before all the groups in the hall.

There was a lot of clapping after each presentation and the group exercise came to an end with Nattinee Dora Sae Ho giving her personal feedback that she like a presentation on bringing martial art education in school for self-defense as it reflects some similarity with her native country Thailand.

Each presentation by different groups was done with lots of enthusiasm and many unique ideas evolved from the mini hall as witnessed by keen listeners. The participation was heartwarming and very engaging for every individual in the group exercise.

2. Arunkumar Telem, CEO Langei Product, Manipur.

Arunkumar Telem, CEO Langei Product who has successful transform his village Nongpok Sanjenbam Khunou, Imphal East with his social entrepreneurship venture was sharing his success story on social entrepreneurship. He along with his village has been in the news quite recently.

"Organization first, we second and I last is the hallmark idea of Langei villagers and that is the secret of our excellence", claimed Arunkumar. We need to de educate the mind of disunity was a striking phrase he quoted in his speech. And I realize that was what I needed to note down sitting in the auditorium listening to his speech.

Arunkumar's ability to make a village with a population of 500 people work together in various projects brings peace in one's thought. Villagers of a single village working together in an umbrella project of poultry, horticulture and handloom for sustainable living are extraordinary.

On the welfare front providing safe drinking water in the village and a sports academy which also teaches English communication skill is extraordinary. Harmonious living has its own set of decency and every aspect of it seem to dwell in his native village where his social entrepreneurship venture flourishes with team work.

One can imagine the boulder Arunkumar might have moved in the fast transformation of the village when he quoted in his speech that, "if you change your old habit, your future will be changed, leadership is action and not position".

His talk with slide show and video was convincing that the fellow speakers from Thailand, Bangalore and Assam quoted Arunkumar's activity as an example in their speeches during the second day of the three days event.

3. Bhawana Luthra, Executive Director LEAD, Bangalore.

Her speeches are a variety of information and solutions for climate change. She explained the audience about the world organizations taking up climate change issues including the national, state and local bodies.

Making the young audience aware of the institutional set up for climate change at the local level with an energetic tone of "they are the authority to implement all the combating measures in the fight for climate change" generates interest in pondering if the mentioned organizations are taking up their real job in the local areas.

I also happen to participate in a separate workshop conducted by Bhawana Luthra which was focused on soft skills. The workshop was for participants and invitees who have already been working or are interested in conserving forest.

We started off with self-introducing where we have to relate ourselves with fruits, vegetables, plants or trees and we need to explain why we choose so. I introduced myself as "My name is James and I am an Orange because everyone likes me including the kid, youth and elderly people". The participants in the room started thinking of what they could relate themselves with.

Each introduction was interesting to listen to. There were laughter and smiles in the room. We listen to why one is an apple, rose, bamboo, banyan tree, cactus, water and so on. It was a small exercise which brings us close to nature and became a defining moment of our relation to the vegetation or for that matter environment as a whole.

She later gave a nice exercise on risk taking by citing a short clip from the Bollywood film Lagaan.

Imphal Jamboree by Global Shapers Community at City Convention Center on 4th November 2018 :: Pix - Shankar Khangembam