There are moments in life one is just thankful to meet incredible people and I’ve been very lucky to be at the dawn of a project which, for 4 years now, gathers the potential leaders who will impact Europe and the world starting by their youth organisations. Leadership Summer School 2011 Cluj-Napoca that ended on 24th of July 2011, allowed us to listen to inspiring speeches from these young leaders. It’s my pleasure to share one of these which touched and moved my heart. We are more in control of our fate than we tend to think, feel, believe…
_________________________________________________________________
Hello Everyone!
My name is Tanya and I am from the Netherlands!
Now I am standing here because I want to talk to you about something. Some thoughts first inspired by the changing social and political climate in my country.
I’ve been thinking a lot these past few days about how exactly I would like to share these thoughts with you, since I am not really familiar with public speaking. In fact I am not normally someone to write much about my own thoughts. I am not normally someone to then talk about this with someone else and I am surely not normally someone to also speak to a large group of people about these thoughts that I have written down. BUT this moment here, now is NOT a normal moment… nor are these times or circumstances normal and YOU are most certainly not a normal group of people!
Actually NORMALLY: normally I live in a country that is known for its tolerance, its acceptance of everyone regardless of color and background, sexual preference or religious background!
My country is going through a change in the political and partially as a result of that a social change in atmosphere. But in fact these are not changes limited to our borders. Nor does this concern just me.
This is why I did write down my thoughts and I have chosen to talk to you about them. This is why I am standing here and I would like to read to you part of a letter which wrote last October when thinking about all this:
It is called: ‘a note to you’
Dear all,
In the course of the next few days an important step in the future of our country (the Netherlands) will be determined, for the next 4 years (and possibly thereafter). In light of this I wrote down a few thoughts I would like you to read and think about.
Do we really “Hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal” or are “some peeps just more equal than others”?
Have we not learned from our past that the problems of a country will never be solved by attributing these to a population based on their race, looks, background, financial situation or religious beliefs?
Do we not live in a country where we can all be proud of the fact that we are free to share whatever culture our parents posses with fellow country-men and –women, where we are free to love whomever we choose to love, where we are free to speak our minds, where we are free to believe whatever we choose to believe and so practice whatever religion or belief we choose to follow?
I would like my government to know that it hurts my heart and truly TRULY saddens me that they no longer believe in solutions with the inclusion of the interests of all our people, but rather methods of exclusion, segregation, finger-pointing and the propagation of disdain.
I DO NOT believe this is who we are as a people! I believe freedom is our great gift and love should always and in all ways be our means!
Even though these are my thoughts expressed to you here, this message is not about me, it is about US!
What I want from you is to think about this! Give it your attention and energy! Reflect on it and maybe even multiply it, the same way it has now been multiplied from one to about a hundred here at the Leadership Summer School by me sharing this with you.
Change is initiated by giving something thought, giving it your attention and attributing energy to it. You are part of your countries future and moreover you are future leaders and as such you are part of the world’s future. So my hope is you will not forget this and you will always give it your thought and your energy!
Thank you!