Moments from IC

It has taken more time than expected to update the blog from my side. This text was already written at the second day of IC, meaning 2 days ago, hopefully I manage to write more soon. Keep yourself posted also through IC Live live.myaiesec.net

22.08

IC has started! I’m sitting in HP internet cafe and writing a quick update about what has been happening so far.

Today is actually the first day of 9 day conference left to go. Altogether the conference lasts 10 days, but as yesterday was wholly dedicated to opening the biggest event in AIESEC network, it’s referred in the agenda as „day 0”.

So what happened yesterday? We started with our internal opening plenary, which is growing every year as the network has already reached the benchmark of 100 hundred countries (and growing). All the countries could convince others during 1-minute roll call that they are the coolest, greatest and most extraordinary AIESEC country. Our delegation improvised in previous evening a traditional dance with a traditional song in the background (greetings to all helle-helle-leelo-leelo-song fans) and educated the global plenary about Estonian history with the fact, that we got our independence back 16 years ago.

After the opening we headed to Global Village, which astonished me already last year with the vast diversity of cultures. Making the world tour by just walking from one table to another is something so unique, that I don’t have a right word for that. Everyone has brought something from their native country that distinguishes them from others, willing to share what they are all about. The world becomes clearer and clearer, you start seeing the patterns how we all are connected and what makes us different. The Global Village gets it’s true meaning at IC and not only in the culture-fair, but also throughout the conference in sessions, conversations an any other connection with other delegates.

The evening ended with official ceremony with speeches from our PAI Gabiza, representative from Turkish Supervisory group and our global partner HP, Turkish MCP Candost and the CCP who has been working together with her team on the conference almost 1,5 years. We also saw a performance from a world-class dance group Fire of Anatolia. During the ceremony we heard at least 4 times that IC is now officially opened, so this morning I woke up with a clear understanding that this must the the truth and today it’s time to start working. Jiihaa!

The chair this year is Pedro Santoz who was the PAI in 2003/04 and decided to chair IC mainly because his vision about AIESEC was always making things happen – which is exactly the vision of this IC and also the vision of the whole year – generation of achievers making it happen. Seems that the organization is now ready for this mindset and we are anxious about seeing results, tired of only knowing things on the paper or not understanding the strategies in a simple way. I’ve noticed that besides Estonian MC vision – keep it simple and make things happen! – also other MCs have a similar vision. For example Colombians are connected by „Make it real and keep it simple!”, I’ve also seen similar sentences on other MCs T-shirts.

Before IC officially started we also participated Study Tour in Istanbul and spent 3 days in our CEE GN pre-meeting. During the pre-meeting all MCPs spent one day together, from which I’d like to share some glances. Everyone was sharing with Gabiza the things we’d like to learn about and also our favourite learning barrier, which means in simple words – what keeps me from learning.

Examples of MCPs lavourite learning barriers:

- I already know that

- I take in charge

- I’m not interested, I don’t think it’s useful

- I don’t have time

- I’m actually satisfied

- I need to do it in a perfect way

- I should know that (I pretend to be competent)

Many greeting from here, hope to bring it back to you as much as possible,
Marjam