CLIMB SOME, MOVE SOME!

Books or movie, which do you prefer? I will choose books over movies any time! Reading is a good intellectual exercise. "Everyone who knows how to read has it in their power to magnify themselves, to multiply the ways in which they exist, to make their life full, significant, and interesting." says Aldous Huxley.



However, some exciting movies can get you glued to the screen that you forget books exist. Last weekend, I got one of those experiences- and when the movie title lit up on my screen, I had to close the book to focus my attention on it--Hannah Montana: The Movie.



Have you seen the movie? Well, maybe you have been following the series in the past but the movie is rich with good music! (My favourite is the Climb Song). It reflects on our attitude towards life. As we grow through life, we encounter mountains (challenges or opportunities) that we must either climb or move. The problem is, we sometimes waste time trying to move the mountain we ought to climb over (and vice versa).

I can almost see it
That dream I’m dreaming but
There’s a voice inside my head sayin,
You’ll never reach it,

Every step I’m taking,
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking but I
Got to keep trying
Got to keep my head held high

There’s always going to be another mountain
I’m always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes you going to have to lose,
Ain’t about how fast I get there,
Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side
It’s the climb

The struggles I’m facing,
The chances I’m taking
Sometimes they knock me down but
No I’m not breaking
I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I’m going to remember most yeah
Just got to keep going
And I,
I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on,

Cause there’s always going to be another mountain
I’m always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes you going to have to lose,
Ain’t about how fast I get there,
Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side
It’s the climb

There’s always going to be another mountain
I’m always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes you going to have to lose,

Ain’t about how fast I get there,
Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side…
It’s the climb

Keep on moving
Keep climbing
Keep the faith baby…
It’s all about
It’s all about
The climb
Keep the faith
Keep your faith.

(Song words are provided by Geniusbeauty.com)

TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY...

To a young entrepreneur who owns a small supermarket, sustainability could mean the ability to effectively manage his business towards expansion in order to lift others out of poverty by employing more workers and leave a legacy for his children. For a student, it could mean being academically conscientious in order to advance in life in all ramifications and become a productive member of the society when he becomes an adult.

Esther Afolayan, the Senate President of Nigerian Children’s Parliament and Esther Agbarakwe, the African Regional Coordinator of UN CSD Youth Caucus are two young female activists I respect a lot because of their active involvement and commitment towards youth development in Nigeria . In a telephone conversation with both of them recently, I asked what their thought was about “Sustainability: Our challenge. Our Future.”

“Sustainability involves preserving the environment for the future…it encompasses politics, economy etc. The challenge we young people face is lack of sustained human development effort. For example, the government gives scholarship to people to go and study abroad in order to come back and improve the society with their knowledge but when these people acquire the knowledge, they do not return back to serve their country” said Agbarakwe. “To sustain the future, we must create an enabling environment and adopt a sustainable life style, simple action such as remembering to switch off the light when not in use, to preserve electricity counts. We should also learn to lookout for the well being of those around us” she added.

Sharing a similar view, Esther Afolayan said that sustainability involves doing things that can go on for a long time so that those coming along can benefit. She pointed out that Ignorance is a major threat to sustaining the future. “Young people do things without knowing the long term effect of their actions”. To sustain the future she suggests that the Nigerian youths should be encouraged to leave their comfort Zone and take positive action.

Sustainability is a process that continues for a long time, it also means meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of the future generation to meet their own needs. Sustainability does not waste resources through corruption or negligence. It entails the effort made by individuals, Non-Government-Organizations (NGOs), corporate bodies and Government to preserve the environment; the capacity of one generation to tackle social challenges in order not to transmit it to future generations; and the need to provide a steady economy without compromising resources for the future. Like Agbarakwe and Afolayan, I also believe we must do things more efficiently and effectively, to develop the youths and society for sustainability.

INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY 2009- PHOTO FOR LIFE, THE REPORT!

“It was a success”, “Very impactful.” “It was great to see young people doing things and older people encouraging them.” “It is my first time attending this kind of programme and I really enjoyed it.” “It is really engaging youths, the best I have attended so far this year.” These were some of the comments from some of the youths after the August 12 2009 International Youth Day (IYD) Celebration themed: SUSTAINABILITY: Our Challenge, Our future.

Over 100 Youths in Lagos and it’s environ were actively engaged in marking the event organized by Global Change Makers, Global Xchange, Belongings and other young Volunteers. The event which was tagged “Photo for Life” was sponsored by The British Council, Global Change Makers with support from Ola.lens. The young organizers turned the usual pyramid of IYD celebration upside down by stepping out of the norm (conference and talk shops) and presented the challenges of sustainability through a photo exhibition.

The event kicked off at about 11am at the British Council Multimedia hall in Lagos with the compere for the day-Stephen Oguntoyinbo coordinating the participants in taking the National Anthem. The special guests and panelists- James Uche Iroha, a reportage photographer; Tunde Kelani, a internationally renowned cinematographer; Boye Ola, a photography coach; Damola Taiwo, a web designer; and Tunde Aboderin, a development cinematographer were invited to the panel table. Olayinka Taiwo and Jennifer Ehidiamen gave an overview of the event after which the Assistant Communications Manager of the British Council Nigeria- Mrs. Omotayo gave an opening remark on behalf of the British Council.

The parlance “to know the road ahead, ask those who have gone ahead”, was in view when during the plenary session, the experienced adults panelists- James Uche Iroha, a reportage photographer; Tunde Kelani, a cinematographer; Boye Ola, a photography coach; Damola Taiwo, a web designer who made a presentation on maximizing web 2.0 for photography; and Tunde Aboderin, a development cinematographer drew from their wealth of experience to share with the youths first-hand knowledge of what they can do to be solution providers instead of being a problem.

In their words, “what is the energy of youth for if not to drive a positive change? It could be a big mistake to invest in material things instead of investing in human resource. Young people of this generation should take advantage of the opportunities and maximize the new technology to create a means of livelihood. Education is important, it is either you train yourself or get a formal training. Learn to embrace mentorship and prepare yourself to be able to pay the price in order to win the prize. Always think of inner satisfaction before money.” They all encouraged youths to make effective impact towards development and create positive change with photography or whatever they are passionate about.

Also speaking at the event, a Consultant with the Freedom Foundation, Mrs. Funmi Ode from Abuja advised youths to replicate this year’s IYD forum, noting that leadership starts from individuals leading by example. She also appealed that youths should make young adults who are achievers their role models and engage in good works.

Francis Anyaegbu also made a video presentation on Global ChangeMakers which was put together to commemorate the International Youth Day 2009. The video highlighted the various youth led efforts from around the world and he encouraged youths to be actively involved in the development process.

The participants enthusiastically shared their feedback and asked questions during the “Open Mic” session facilitated by Ayodele Taofiq-Fanida, followed by a closing remark on behalf of the organizing team.

After the plenary session, the Exhibition was declared opened by Mr. Tunde Kelani and everyone proceeded to appreciate the work of art that was put on display at the exhibition.

The event tagged “Photo for Life”, an Exhibition of photographs by young people highlighting the various challenges and prospects in their communities, was aimed at using the Art of photography to create an engaging means of involving young people to be active in building community. Considering the need for youth to embrace the challenge of sustainability in its fullness, young people told their stories using images with a focus on impacting community and creating an engaging form of expression through photography with the hope of not only telling the story accurately but also motivating other youths to take action to effect positive change. Photos from Olayinka Taiwo a young landscape photographer based in Lagos Nigeria with a passion for the Art as well as other young photographers passionate about using their talent/passion to impact their community positively were exhibited.


For some of the participants who attended the event, it is an experience that has reawaken their faith to embrace a new sense of hope, for others it might be that they are better inspired to ignite their innate creativity and passion- “creativity is key to survival” opined one of the participants. One thing that is undisputed is that our demeanor has changed for good and no longer will we sit passive in a materialistic, narcissistic or nonchalant way in the face of the challenges that confronts us.

In conclusion, the event was attended by a total number of One hundred and forty-seven (147) people. The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Silverbird Television and Superscreen TV were among the Television stations that provided media coverage for the event. It is also interesting to note that the event report was able to reach a wider range of audience, based on the fact that the first two television stations are on Cable television. A news report on the programme was showed on Network service news and Nationwide programme on NTA at primetime and this was later relayed as a news feature during the week, other television also followed this pattern. In attendance were also various print media houses including; Lagos weekly, The Nation Newspapers amongst others.

We are indeed grateful for the immense support received from the British Council, the Global Changemakers and other partners. We are gladdened by your unequivocal commitment to youth development in Nigeria as we look forward to celebrating IYD 2010

Report compiled by:

Jennifer Ehidiamen and Francis Anyaegbu

With support from 2009 IYD team members

REJUVENATED!

There is hope in our future, and there is a future in our hope! This is not a cliché, it is a conviction. As I traveled home from the British Council office on the Island , exciting thoughts began to run through my head, thoughts that rejuvenates me, knowing that the lives of those who joined us in celebrating the 2009 International Youth Day will never be the same again for good. Using Photography as an example, the simple message of turning one’s passion into action by merging intellectual knowledge with God-given talents was received warmly with understanding.

“It was a success.” “Very impactful.” “It was great to see young people doing things and older people encouraging them.” “It is my first time attending the program and I really enjoyed it.” “It is really engaging youths, the best I have attended so far this year.” These were some of the comments from some of the youths after the August 12 event which was sponsored by The British Council, Global Changemakers and Ola.lens.

For some, it is an experience that has reawaken their faith to embrace a new sense of hope, for others it might be that they are better inspired to ignite their innate creativity and passion- “creativity is key to survival” opined one of the participants. One thing that is undisputed is that our demeanor has changed for good and no longer will we sit passive in a materialistic, narcissistic or nonchalant way in the face of the challenges that confronts us.

The parlance “to know the road ahead, ask those who have gone ahead”, was in view when during the event, experienced adults panelists- James U. Iroha, a photographer; Tunde Kelani, a cinematographer; Boye Ola, a photography coach; Damola Taiwo, a web designer; and Tunde Aboderin, a development cinematographer drew from their wealth of experience to share with the youths first-hand knowledge of what they can do to be solution providers instead of being a problem.

In their words, “what is the energy of youth for if not to drive a positive change? It could be a big mistake to invest in material things instead of investing in human resource. Young people of this generation should take advantage of the opportunities and maximize the new technology to create a means of livelihood. Education is important, it is either you train yourself or get a formal training. Learn to embrace mentorship and prepare yourself to be able to pay the price in order to win the prize. Always think of inner satisfaction before money.” This generation must adopt a positive behavior to be able to overcome the challenges and help develop a sustainable existence towards a more fulfilling future!

FROM PASSION TO ACTION!

This year’s International Youth Day is themed: SUSTAINABILITY: Our Challenge. Our future. And as always (hopefully), young Change-makers across the world will be marking the day in different ways! What will you be doing to celebrate the event locally? “It is a myth that in order to be a change-maker, one has to give up a part of one’s life. We ask youth to imagine using their passion as a way to affect change. We ask youth to live their passions in a way that makes a positive impact in the world.” Says Jessica Rimington, the founder of One World Youth Project.

What does it mean to use one’s passion to affect change positively? Well, this year’s International Youth Day celebration by Global Xchange volunteers in Lagos will turn the usual pyramid of IYD celebration upside down by stepping out of the norm (conference, conference, conference!) and presenting the challenges of sustainability through a photo exhibition. With their backpacks slung over shoulders, catching cheap buses that connect different states in Nigeria, young photographers will capture the realities of this generation in lens and present them in pictures worth 5000 words.

On the D-day, August 12 2009, an exhibition tagged “Photo for Life” will be staged at the British Council Lagos to celebrate IYD in a creative way. Photo for Life, an Exhibition of photographs from the heart of Africa, is aimed at using the Art of photography to create an engaging means of involving young people to be active in building community. Considering the need for youth to embrace the challenge of sustainability in its fullness, young people need to tell their stories using images with a focus on impacting community and creating an engaging form of expression through photography with the hope of not only telling the story accurately but also motivating other youths to take action to effect positive change!

Photo for Life will feature photos from Olayinka Taiwo a young landscape photographer based in Lagos Nigeria with a passion for the Art as well as other young photographers passionate about using their talent/passion to impact their community positively.


Youth action, inclusion, and their full participation are key to developing today’s world for the generations of today and tomorrow and central to a sustainable existence.(UN IYD). The British Council Nigeria and Voluntary Service Overseas Abuja since 2006 have encouraged youth participation in developing their community through their Global Xchange IYD Celebration. Here is calling out to all young people out there to stand up and be counted- express yourself positively through your passion and be committed towards working for a positive change to build a more sustainable future!

RE-BRANDING MUSHIN!

“What can we do to develop the community we so much desire?” asked Femi Aderibigbe. To find answers to the mind bugging question, he gathered some young people in the Mushin Community in a forum at The Gospel Faith Mission Int’l Ayantuga. If you have ever been to Mushin , you may notice that some parts of the community are better off than other parts of Lagos , especially the self-acclaimed “hot spots”. Judging by face value, the community looks very warm, clean and boisterous. But, due to its past records of notoriety, young people who live in the community are stereotyped and now have to work extra-hard to prove their worth, in order not to be limited by their background.



For an average young person growing up in Mushin , not only do you have to cope with the unsavory reputation of the community, but also the discrimination you receive anytime you mention that you are a Mushine. “I submitted my CV for a job to a top official in the Aviation sector, but when he saw my address his countenance fell. He promised to get back to me and till today he hasn’t” recounts a young resident on some of the discrimination.



So many people like the Aviation Boss still believe that no right thinking people live in Mushin . Thus, residents are often pigeonholed and denied opportunities to be. But today, youths in the community are saying no to the discrimination and taking up responsibility to correct all erroneous opinion. “Born in Mushin does not mean Mushin was born in me. ” Said Oshungbon, a student. In the past, Mushin was known to be very notorious; the community always records the highest negative impact of any riot in Lagos . “No matter the name Mushin has carried before now, there are a people of value in Mushin .” Indeed, value and integrity is what will take you places irrespective of your community or background.



Like every other community in Lagos , Mushines (people who live in Mushin ) have talent, intelligence, resilience, skill, and compassion. And the young people are ready to come together to harmonize their value to develop the community by taking back its steering wheel from hoodlums, and rebrand the community in order to make it marketable.



Most young Mushines were encouraged by Esther Afolayan, the Senate President of Nigerian Children’s Parliament, to start the trend by neglecting negative attitude that misrepresent the community. “Do not speak too loud on the phone, avoid dressing awkwardly, don’t endorse any stereotype, standout as a model to others, interact with people from other community in a positive way etc. It is not really about where you live, but about the values in you!"