Why did you want to host the Youth Leadership Encounter 2023?
First of all, because a gathering in which young people discuss, debate, get along, share culture and ideas is a necessity to society and it’s an essential experience for the future leaders in a global and cooperative world.
Secondly, for Lakeside, being the hosting center represents a challenge and great motivation that we would like to take on.
How do you think this event will give the students more knowledge about wellbeing?
Working on something in the classroom or school shows great initiative, but having the challenge of sharing the experience and learning with others, endows a greater dimension. Reconsidering the topics, preparing presentations, being able to explain someone else’s findings to others; to other cultures, in another language and in a different environment will surely make an indelible imprint in our participants and will provide true understanding and learning.
Do you think the students will have skills for global citizenship being able to meet with students from different cultures, religions, and nationalities?
It’s not necessarily their having the skills for it, however, it is essential that the Association promote their development. No one truly understands something if he doesn’t put it into practice. I’m convinced that having this possibility from ISA (a gathering with such characteristics which promotes contact, knowledge
and diversity) will set a before and after in students and specially in their future and commitment to globalization.
Do yu consider the theme is appropriate for the times we are living in?
The reality that we have been facing and that we are still living makes the topic completely relevant. It is always important to have wellbeing. As different authors state: in order to learn, it is basic to be in concrete emotional states.
Roberto Aguado, for example, states that we are only able to learn in CASH, which means, if the learner feels Curiosity, Admiration, Security and Happiness. In order to achieve this, the community, the classroom, the teachers, the families and the learners must make it happen. We have several distractors or
deterrents to this gathering that can set the pace of the things to overcome: a world pandemic, armed conflict amongst countries, an emotionally immature society which is misleading parents or tutors to raise youngsters called the “Crystal Generation” in which to avoid the so called “suffering”, we affect fundamental values because of alarming levels of overprotection.
This gathering can favor a place for reflection, analysis and arousing of concrete proposals that ensure the wellbeing and the growth and learning of society.
