Excerpt
Be a Changemaker andlt;link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../styles/9781481401692.css"andgt; andlt;h2 andgt;andlt;a id="ch01"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;andlt;a id="page_1"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;|and#160;and#160;1and#160;and#160;|andlt;/h2andgt; andlt;h2 andgt;Itand#8217;s Your Turn Nowandlt;/h2andgt; andlt;BRandgt;Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones weand#8217;ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States of America, in a speech to his supporters in Chicago on February 5, 2008andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Youand#8217;ve heard the saying, and#8220;If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.and#8221; Iand#8217;ve found this to be true more often than one might expect. Sometimes itand#8217;s because other people canand#8217;t do it. They just donand#8217;t have the skills or the tools that you do. Other times they just wonand#8217;t do it. It is, after all, what you want, and itand#8217;s your definition of right.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;How many times have you complained about something but done nothing to fix it? Or noticed something and thought, Someone should do something about that? We all have those thoughts sometimes. And itand#8217;s okay, because none of us can solve every problem we encounter. But guess whatand#160;.and#160;.and#160;. youand#8217;re someone. And when you set your mind to it, you absolutely can do something that matters.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Fortunately, there are some exciting changes happening in your world right now. People are realizing that applying the best practices from the business world to the worst problems we face as a society is an effective step toward creating the solutions we need. And, modern-day technology andlt;a id="page_2"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;makes it easier for everyone to do, especially young people. You truly have the powerand#8212;now more than ever beforeand#8212;to be the change that you seek.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;a id="ch01sec1lev1"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;Profileandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;FREE THE CHILDRENandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img src="../images/globe_profile.jpg" alt="Images"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Craig Kielburger was flipping through the newspaper in search of comics when he came across the headline, and#8220;Battled Child Labour, Boy, 12, Murdered!and#8221; Because Craig was also twelve, the words grabbed his attention and he stopped to read the article. He soon learned that the boy, Iqbal Masih from Pakistan, had been sold into slavery at the age of four and chained to a carpet loom for nearly six years. After escaping, Iqbal spoke publicly against the common practice of child labor in his country and others. Many suspected Iqbaland#8217;s death was an attempt to silence him and his message.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Craig had never heard of child labor, so later that day he did some research. What he learned shocked him: more than 250 million children were working around the world, many in slave-like conditions. It was more than Craig, growing up in a middle-class neighborhood in Ontario, Canada, could even imagine. So he decided to do something about it.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Craig went to school and told his class what he had learned. When he asked if anyone would help him stop child labor, eleven friends raised their hands. Together they embarked on a journey, founding a group called Free the Children. In his book, also called Free the Children, Craig says, and#8220;None of us had much experience with social justice workand#8212;just a desire to take action.and#8221; As youand#8217;ll soon see, that desire is enough.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;At first, Craig and his friends had a hard time getting anyone to take them seriously. They approached several established charities to ask how they could help, but none of them were interested. What could a group andlt;a id="page_3"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;of kids do about such a huge, complex problem? Finally they decided they would have to do it themselves.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;After years of hard work and determination, Free the Children has grown and expanded. Now a respected international charity, educational partner, and leader in the field of youth empowerment, the group addresses all kinds of social issues in addition to child labor. Since 1995, Free the Children has provided:andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8226;and#160;Medical supplies worth more than $16 million around the worldandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8226;and#160;Clean water, health care, and sanitation for one million peopleandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8226;and#160;We Day events to celebrate youth activism and volunteerism, attended annually by 160 thousand teensandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8226;and#160;Daily education for fifty-five thousand childrenandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8226;and#160;Economic self-sufficiency for thirty thousand womenandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8226;and#160;Quality activities for millions of young peopleandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8226;and#160;Construction of more than 650 schools and schoolroomsandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8226;and#160;Programming and building projects in forty-five countriesandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;So, what can young people do? Anything they set their minds to. And if they can do it, so can you.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;h3 andgt;andlt;a id="ch01sec1lev2"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;WHY YOUTH?andlt;/h3andgt; andlt;BRandgt;Just like Craig (and in no small part thanks to Craig) more and more peopleand#8212;young and old alikeand#8212;are realizing that young people really andlt;a id="page_4"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;can make a big difference in their communities, in their countries, and around the world. Itand#8217;s called youth empowerment, and many people think itand#8217;s the next big movement.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Like other movements before itand#8212;civil rights, feminism, and gay rights, to name a fewand#8212;this new movement is about empowering a group of people whose opinions and abilities have previously been ignored by society. But this time, itand#8217;s about empowering the worldand#8217;s youthand#8212;about helping people like you seize the power to make your world be everything you want it to be. And you can be a part of it.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;In the past, movements mostly involved people waving signs, participating in marches, and banding together for rallies and protests: actions intended to force the people in power to do things differently. Those are still valuable ways to change the world, but todayand#8217;s activists have more options. Young people everywhere are rising up and directly creating the changes they want to see in their communities and around the worldand#8212;right now. Theyand#8217;re applying modern business practices and using powerful new technologies to build brand-new organizations from the ground up. Theyand#8217;re solving the problems they see in the world around themand#8212;all by themselves. They are changemakers, and you can be one, too.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;h3 andgt;andlt;a id="ch01sec1lev3"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;WHY YOU?andlt;/h3andgt; andlt;BRandgt;In case changing the world into what you want it to be and being part of the youth empowerment movement arenand#8217;t enough for you, trying your hand at changemaking has other benefits, too. Youand#8217;ll learn more about something that interests you, find out more about yourself, have fun with your friends (and make new ones), and solve real problems. Launching a social ventureand#8212;a project that seeks to fix a social problemand#8212;gives you experience being creative yet organized, working with a team, managing your time wisely, and setting goals and taking action on themand#8212;all skills that are critical to success in school, on the job, and in life.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;a id="page_5"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;Todayand#8217;s companiesand#8212;more than ever beforeand#8212;are on the lookout for employees with proven problem-solving abilities, creativity, critical thinking skills, collaboration experience, and communication techniques. After becoming a changemaker, your resumand#233; will practically write itself! Because of that, colleges and universities are looking for applicants who have these kinds of activities, too. Want something to show the college admissions officersand#8212;not to mention scholarship selection committeesand#8212;that you stand out from the other applicants? Changemaking shows off your real-world leadership skills and demonstrates a commitment to community service in a way that short-term volunteer positions canand#8217;t.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;With all that to gain, what have you got to lose?andlt;BRandgt; andlt;h3 andgt;In My Experienceandlt;/h3andgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img src="../images/pencil.jpg" alt="Images"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;If someone had told me when I was a teenager that I could change the world, I think I would have laughed. I was female, at a time when that still limited my choices. I was short. I wasnand#8217;t beautiful, wealthy, or connected to anyone with significant power or influence. I knew I wouldnand#8217;t go to an Ivy League university. I had never led anything. In fact, I did my best to blend in and avoid being noticed at all costs. Change the worldand#8212;me? Not likely.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;a id="page_6"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;Skip forward several yearsand#8212;okay decadesand#8212;and I can only pity the girl I was then. That girl never knew Iand#8217;d have a successful career working at IBM, Microsoft, and Inteland#8212;some of the biggest technology corporations in the worldand#8212;or that Iand#8217;d help launch a successful startup. She never guessed the satisfaction Iand#8217;d get from volunteering for organizations whose missions I care about deeply. She couldnand#8217;t imagine that I would find my true calling and become a confident leader in the process. And she couldnand#8217;t have dreamed I would discover my path to changing the world.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I donand#8217;t want you to have to wait that long. I want you to have all of those thingsand#8212;the sooner, the betterand#8212;because I know you can dream it, and those dreams can come true.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;h3 andgt;andlt;a id="ch01sec1lev4"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;YOU CAN DO ITandlt;/h3andgt; andlt;BRandgt;Maybe you think this sounds like something for other peopleand#8212;ones with money, IQ, connections, confidence, free timeand#160;.and#160;.and#160;. whatever? Think again. Everyone can be a changemaker! And that includes you. As Craig wrote for Santa Clara Universityand#8217;s Architects of Peace project, and#8220;I realize, now, that each of us has the power to be Superman and to help rid the world of its worst evilsand#8212;poverty, loneliness, and exploitation.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;You already have the ideas, the passion, the energy, and the talent! You will have to learn a few new skillsand#8212;basic tools that will help you get the job done. And, youand#8217;ll have to work hard and do things youand#8217;ve never done before. But inside this book, youand#8217;ll find all the practical knowledge as well as the encouragement you need to go out and truly make a difference.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img src="../images/folder.jpg" alt="Images"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Each chapter will introduce you to young people who have already changed the world. Youand#8217;ll see what they did, why they did it, and how they succeededand#8212;or failedand#8212;so you can learn valuable lessons from their experiences. Youand#8217;ll also gain a whole lot of knowledge and find many resources to help you do it yourself. Plus, youand#8217;ll discover some of the many existing organizations dedicated to helping people just like you.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Some of this information might seem a little overwhelming at first, but just take it in small doses if you need to, and work your way through it at your own pace. You donand#8217;t even need to read this whole book before you start something that matters! You can read it cover to cover before you begin, or just start whenever youand#8217;re ready and use this book as a reference along the way.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Itand#8217;s true that changing the worldand#8212;even a small part of itand#8212;is rarely easy. You might not end up accomplishing what you set out to do, or it might take longer than you expected. But donand#8217;t let that stop you! You can start creating the world you want to live inand#8212;today, tomorrow, and beyondand#8212;anytime you choose. You donand#8217;t have to do it all, and you donand#8217;t andlt;a id="page_7"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;have to do it immediately. Just start something small, and see where it takes you. As Craig says in Free the Children, and#8220;It all begins when one person finds the courage to take action.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;You are the changemakers and the change. Iand#8217;ve seen it, I believe it, and I know it to be true.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Monique Coleman, actress, founder and CEO of andlt;a href="http://GimmeMo.com"andgt;GimmeMo.comandlt;/aandgt;, speaking at We Day Seattle on March 27, 2013, attended by the author andlt;a id="page_8"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;