Category Archives: Alumni News

Want to host an info-session for the upcoming SWY program? Material is now available!

Hey SWY Alumni!

SWYAA Canada is recruiting alumni across Canada to help us disseminate information about the upcoming 2022-2023 SWY Program.

We have prepared 5 key documents to help you with this:

-Key application dates

-Program timeline and descriptions

-A promo poster

-QR codes

-Course Discussion List

All further information can be found on our website (https://swycanada.org/apply/). If you are able to host an info-session on the program in your city and/or help us promote through your school, work, family, and friends, we would greatly appreciate it! Get in touch by dropping us a line at info@swycanada.org.

For those who have already been in touch, we will be emailing the info packets shortly. There is also a pre-recorded video produced by SWYAA that you may have access to, if you decide to host a session!

All the best, SWYAA Canada

How Young Canadians can get Involved in International Development and Diplomacy

A blog post written by Sareema Husain

I was 19 when I attended Ship For World Youth (SWY for short), a unique cross-cultural exchange program that aims to provide youth with the opportunity to enhance their leadership skills in an increasingly globalized world. When I got the call from the SWY exec committee stating that I had been selected, I was just gotten home from another 10 hour shift at Canadian Tire. After getting into the countries top journalism school (and what I thought would be the absolute perfect program for myself), I dropped out after 2 semesters, disheartened by academic pursuits I once took on with zeal. Instead, I was passing the days working miscellaneous jobs in my suburban town outside of Toronto, erroneously trying to find meaning instead of creating it.

The drudgery of the curriculum, lack of social connections and a few mental health ticks led to school feeling like one giant drag. As the days went on, I began to view postsecondary education less like an opportunity and more like something I had to quickly wrap up so I could get on with real life. During SWY, I had the opportunity to speak to folks from eleven different countries about their schooling systems. I learned that every Kenyan player on the national rugby team had a Masters. When asked how she handled the stress of school and work, my Kenyan friend, Camille, simply stated “you’re born a warrior”. I think of how easy it was to share my mental health woes and boycott deadlines last year and wonder if a Kenyan student would ever dare do the same. “You don’t do something you’re passionate about in Kenya” Camille says, “you do something practical”. But in Japan it’s the opposite. I am surprised when my Japanese friends tell me they are in school for literature and philosophy. They tell me it doesn’t matter what they study because at the end of the day, they know they are going to work for a company. The conversations continue and my interest in cross-cultural exchange blossoms.

Upon returning from SWY, I was reminded that education is an investment and therefore, I decide to go back to school for Political Science and Cultural studies. I graduate during the height of the pandemic and my path since then has been a wonky one indeed. I think you miss out on a lot of character development if you’re not found crying into your pillow as a fresh graduate, wondering how many more job rejections you will have to face until you finally land that golden gig. But I’m a tad bit wiser than I was a year ago, and I now know there is no such thing as a “golden gig”, let alone golden school, career, etc.

I received my big break when I got accepted into the International Youth Internship Program (IYIP). Finally, I could combine my love for cross-cultural exchange and human rights while gaining experience in the field of international development! I was a Private Partnerships Intern for the Regional Bureau of the World Food Programme(WFP) in Nairobi, Kenya. Due to the pandemic, this position was remote. My main task was to support the bureau’s effort to increase WFP positioning in the private sector, whether it was through conducting research about potential partners or assisting in communication and advocacy efforts.

It was uncommon for my managers to have a remote intern, so they created new projects that engaged my leadership abilities. I built an Operational Needs Analysis project alongside another intern. We met weekly to construct questions that would help the Regional Bureau understand what was happening on the ground in the country offices and uncover innovations that were already at play and could be upscaled. I was also given the opportunity to write an internal article about a new partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation, for which I conducted lengthy research about food systems and how WFP is interweaving such strategies into private sector partnerships within the region of East Africa.

The richest learnings came from the trainings, provided by both UNA Canada and the Regional Bureau (Nairobi) at WFP. Interns were able to gain great insight from guests panelists during virtual panels hosted by UNA Canada, guests who had careers in diplomacy, government ministries, UN agencies and Canadian Non-Profit associations. I was also able to learn from my fellow cohort through organic conversations alongside formal presentations; UNA facilitated a session where interns were able to share their challenges and success stories in incorporating cross-cutting development themes into their work. This rendered complex themes of gender equality, environmental sustainability, and democratic governance easily digestible, as we were able to see how they are being implemented and actionized within UN organizations around the world.

I am thankful for this opportunity and feel lucky to have been acquainted with many inspiring people in such a short amount of time. The parts I loved most were sparklingly human; laughing with my supervisor about dating norms in Nairobi vs. Toronto, chatting with a fellow intern about post-graduation stress, meeting the IYIP cohort in Montreal and playing tour-guide, attending a virtual Human-Centered design course, and learning and appreciating the context that shaped my colleagues lives and career outcomes.

To conclude, I’d like to emphasize a mantra that has given me much solace during the ups and downs of the last year: Life happens in seasons. Yes, I’m writing this blog post as a IYIP alumni but I wish to share the lesser moments as well, such as when I received my degree and felt no sense of accomplishment, only imminent anxiety about the slim job prospects in my horizon and the accumulating debt beneath me. I don’t mean to make this sound like one of those bravado LinkedIn posts that state “Applied to 999 jobs, finally got one, don’t give up!”. The transition after graduating university or college is difficult, and it takes time and patience to release internalized narratives that have conditioned many students, myself included, to feel like they are perpetually falling behind. If I could go back, I’d tell myself to be patient. It’s ok to cry and eat Ben & Jerrys when you’re feeling anxious or stuck. Careers rarely move upward in a straight line; they ebb and flow and wind their way through time, rarely making sense in the moment. Make peace with this. Most importantly, seek out community. They are essential to keep us going, especially through turbulent times. Like in SWY, my internship was a reminder that the informal program is just as important as the predetermined agenda; barriers and misconceptions are overcome as you talk to fellow humans, minds are widened over coffee chats and your favourite colleague can easily turn into a life-long friend. To deepen mutual understanding and embody international cooperation, one can simply start by talking to the stranger beside them.

Are you a youth or student interested in getting involved in diplomacy or international collaboration? Here are some tips:

• Attend cross-cultural exchanges. When you experience a different culture, you gain a deeper understanding of yourself and those around you—deepening your knowledge of foreign cultures and strengthening international relationships. Enroll in a semester abroad or check out Canada’s French Immersion Program

• Learn languages. Folks who work in the UN must know two of the six official languages well enough to conduct official work in them.

• Seek experiential learning opportunities while in school, such as co-ops, internships, and field studies.

• Apply for the next cohort of IYIP and gain personal and professional competencies that will prepare you for an international career

• If you want to work for the UN, think about the specifics. What do you want to do day-to-day? Do you see yourself working in an office or on the field? Think about what you want to be contributing to an organization and than build as much experience as you can to carve out a thematic niche for yourself, whether its in gender, food, technology, etc.

• Do not limit yourself to just UN internships. Apply for internships with international organisations, embassies & permanent missions, government agencies, think tanks, research institutes, and development agencies. It’s all about beefing up your CV and gaining transferable skills.

If you want to learn more about any of the above or simply want to connect, feel free to reach out to me via email or on LinkedIn!

 

 

SWY Camp in Sweden

Written with excerpts from SWYAA Sweden

In the beginning of August, SWYers from all around the globe gathered in beautiful Stockholm where they spent a week attending Sweden’s SWY Camp.

The trip entailed two days spent in Stockholm sightseeing and four days at camp Västeräng located by Sweden’s second largest lake.  Fourteen different batches from eleven countries were represented.

“Friends from all over the world reunited to spend one week together, water skiing, kayaking, wall climbing and playing traditional Swedish games” says Mifuyu Shimizu from Japan.

At official reunions there is little time for casual conversations and spontaneous networking. Camp SWY provided the alternative; a laid-back, relaxed and informal event where old and new SWY bonds could grow and flourish.

“We wanted to reconnect to the SWY spirit by offering an opportunity to foster international relationships, personal development and cross-cultural connections” says SWYAA Sweden.

The planning process took 6 people. “We started a year ahead and moved over to having short meetings every second week for briefing and updates” says Carolina Hawranek of SWYAA Sweden.

K-G Eriksson, SWY Sweden’s treasurer first came up with the idea of doing a reunion at his campsite back in 2011. “It took almost 6 years until we had a board strong enough to start planning” he says.

They spread the duties amongst themselves, from budgeting, embassy contacts, bookings, accommodations, etc.

“To have small reunions is a wonderful way to fill up my SWY spirit” says K-G Eriksson. In particular, he enjoyed having so many new friends know Sweden- not just the internationally known facts but the downsides and background stories too. “It was fun to see them come to a normal Swedish supermarket and meet local swede’s” says Eriksson.

The camp was truly a communal effort, with participants being divided in letter groups to help with food and dishes. “A lot of things in SWY camp were so memorable from the long walking tour in Stockholm, the museums,  beautiful lakes and the food time ringing the bell” says Mahmood Alfarsi from Oman.

K-G Erikkson describes the time spent together as wonderful. “If you have a strong SWYAA board, I would absolutely recommend making something similar” he says.

“The Swedish love nature and the outdoors. We would love to host a similar activity in Spain!” comments Paloma from Spain, “SWY spirit for me is the wish of keeping our connections alive and feeling like you are part of the SWY family-a family that keeps growing even after SWY ends”.

Carolina from SWYAA Sweden says to not underestimate the work load of getting PY’s signed up and reminding them about transferring their fees.

“But once the SWYers arrive it’s all worth it!” she exclaims.

Photos provided by Mahmood Alfarsi and Carolina Hawranek

 

SWYing in Bahrain

SWYAA Bahrain  invited SWYers to participate in The First Global Youth Festival for SDGs 2018 in the Kingdom of Bahrain from October 20th to 26th. Sareema Husain from SWY 29’s Canadian delegation was selected alongside Matika Lauzon, and this is her account of it.

If I am to speak of my first visit to the Middle East, where do I begin? Do I tell you of the brilliance of the colossal mosques, their pointed tops paramounting the skyline? Or the grittiness of the desert and towering skyscrapers that were planted in the thick of it. The pastel colors –cashmeres, gold and off whites- provided a calming backdrop to the jutting signs of industrialization. Bahrain is a country comprised of 30 islands in the Arabian Gulf. Many of these islands are manmade which explains the empty square plots of land that lay in between the fancy hotels, lounges and cafes.

 

 

We visit the Isa Cultural Center and the Al Fateh Grand Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world. It is strikingly huge, with a big open square in the middle surrounded by pillars made from Bahraini limestone. We don traditional abaya’s and thobe’s and follow the tour guide as he educates us about the long-standing history of the place. Built in 1987, the mosques carpet is from Ireland, the crystal chandelier from Austria, the carved doors from India and the glass globes from France. We stand underneath the central dome, the largest fiberglass dome in the world. “This is where we make all the bombs” he jokes. His humor is refreshing. As we are leaving, I spot a dusty cloud rushing to us in the horizon. In awe, I stand and stare at it; it’s rare I see clouds move so fast. Suddenly, I’m covering my eyes with my scarf and grinning at the novelty. I’ve been caught in my first sand storm!

The conference itself had insightful speakers brought in from all over the world. A blind man named Simon Wheatcroft sharing how technology has enabled him to run marathons without the use of a guide. A hacker named Jamie Woodruff tells us how we can all obtain free iPads with a little bit of trickery.  Gender equality, the changing face of the cyber age, and artificial intelligence-these were a few of the timely subjects the conference speakers elaborated on.

 

Lili Gil Valletta, cofounder of Cultural Intel, made me think about the impact of the language we use

Most importantly, the speakers reaffirmed what us SWYers know to be true. In terms of development, “it takes someone with a cultural perspective to bring up the tough questions”. How you interpret the world is how your brain is trained to see it. I was reminded how SWY primed us to act in a global sense, armored with the realization that cross pollination breeds creativity. SWY was a space that welcomed diversity and implemented in us ways to hold multiple views of reality and appreciate alternative value systems. It was humbling to remember that this beautiful structure we created could inspire us to demand for trust, accountability and transparency in larger institutions.

However, such pretty words aren’t applicable to all. During the Q&A session, a young girl raised the question: “What if my society does not allow me to live my truths?”.  One speaker encouraged her to build communities, pockets of resilience that could eventually forefront change. Another said to focus on changing systems instead of biased minds.

Visiting the fort was a highlight for me. Little did I expect this to be beside a high end shopping mall

Walking around the Manama shopping district

Sleepy SWYers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being from Pakistan, I had imagined the streets in Bahrain would be filled with food stalls, children scurrying underneath them and thick city musk filling the air. But apart from the harbors and markets, the streets were empty. I later realized that sidewalks were few; Bahrain was not very pedestrian friendly as a majority of Bahraini’s drive. In 2006, Bahrain was labeled as the fastest growing economy in the Arab World and today, students are primarily educated in banking, finance, science and technology. Moreso, I met more female engineers in one week in Bahrain than I have in my entire life. When asked if they were the outliers in a male dominated field, they said no. Women in Bahrain are highly educated, as Bahrain was the first gulf state to have education for women in 1920.

During the nights, a festival took place outside the stadium with various stalls where you could explore Virtual Reality, observe youth innovators SDG related inventions, or grab some food and relax on beanbags by the stage, immersed in Traditional Bahraini folk music. Every night had its sparkle. One night, I joined the bicycle tour and rode steadfast into the desert, a soothing momentary escape from the bustling festivities. Another night, SWYAA Bahrain took us to enjoy a traditional Bahraini meal. Indulged by the warmth of Bahraini hospitality, we sipped Karak chai as we exchanged SWY stories and ruminations of Japan.

The last night, we clambered onto a mini bus at 4a.m. and drove to The Tree of Life to catch the sunrise. The Tree of Life or Shajarat-al-Hayat is a 9.75 metres high Prosopis cineraria tree that is over 400 years old. 92% of Bahrain is Arabian desert yet the tree has miraculously managed to survive despite extreme temperatures and lack of fresh water or nutrients. A security guard watches over it at all hours, making sure no loiterers climb onto it and break the sacred branches. As we were making the drive to this cultural artifact transformed tourist attraction, the desert was barren but speckles of civilization ebbed and shined in the distance. Hammer like structures toiled into the earth; some of these oil fields were on fire and I mistakenly thought their eruptive glows were the sun rising more than once. The scenery felt almost dystopic; it was no coincidence that us SWYers on the bus were discussing who would die first in a zombie apocalypse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That last night felt surreal, courtesy of the lack of sleep and desolate landscape. We lined up and took pictures as the sun rose up and claimed its spot in the pink cotton candy sky. On a beautiful island in the Persian Gulf, I was incredibly lucky to experience a sliver of SWY all over again. It happened so quickly; they told us of our acceptance a week before the festival and suddenly, I was staying up late in a 5-star hotel room trading candies and having experiences doused in culture alongside fellow SWYers I’d never met before but felt like family. It goes without saying, but I am incredibly grateful to SWYAA Bahrain for all hard work they put into enabling SWYers to attend this festival and making sure we had a memorable experience. Bahrain; your loving generosity and delicious hummus will not be forgotten!

SWYAA Winter Clothing Donation Campaign

In many countries around the world, too many people often lack basic clothing. This challenge is amplified particularly during the winter months.

We hope to engage as many of the SWY Alumni and Associations as possible to take part in the Winter Clothing Campaign.

Our main objective is to gather and donate winter clothing items to a worthy organization of your choice that is responsible for spreading them through to
[1] the most needly regions of the city; and
[2] homeless people in highly urbanized areas.

The type of clothing gathered and donated will depend on the local needs of the engaging SWYAA: winter clothes for the countries where winters are present, and regular clothes for those where they are not.
_____

Building on SWYAA Brazil’s project this past June, we are aiming to collect clothing items over the holidays in December and formally making the donation on January 18th – SWY International Day.

_____

How it works:

1) Join the Facebook event called “SWYAA Winter Clothing Donation Campaign” and connect with your SWYAA.
2) Gather as many (winter) clothes as you can within the schedule, paying attention to your hemisphere’s dates. Call family and friends to help you with this project! 🙂
3) Focus on donating to a worthy organization of your choice.
4) On International SWY Day post a picture to social media with hashtags: #SWYAAWCDC, #SWYAA+engaging country, #SWY+edition of engaging members
5) Enjoy the connection with other Ex-PYs, work as a team and make a difference in your country.
____

Examples of organizations you can donate to in Montreal:

CAPSS – Comité d’Action des Personnes Sans Statut

Jeunesse au Soleil / Sun Youth 

This project emerged from the joint action of SWYAA Brazil and SWYAA Canada. However, the spirit of this project is to be extended to all SWYAA around the globe.
Facebook event cover by Gabriela Rau (https://www.behance.net/gabirau) and Ítalo Silva

11th Global Assembly to take place in UAE

The Global Assembly aims to foster cultural understanding, enhance communication skills among diverse cultures and create an international platform for youth to promote cross-cultural cooperation and understanding allowing those youth to develop common perspectives about many of the pressing issues that require innovative solutions, in addition to highlighting the UAE government’s role in supporting and empowering youth. The Global Assembly participants are ex-participants of Ship for World Youth Programme.

More information:

http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302643936

The 12th Global assembly will take place in Tonga.

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11th Global Assembly to take place in UAE

The Global Assembly aims to foster cultural understanding, enhance communication skills among diverse cultures and create an international platform for youth to promote cross-cultural cooperation and understanding allowing those youth to develop common perspectives about many of the pressing issues that require innovative solutions, in addition to highlighting the UAE government’s role in supporting and empowering youth. The Global Assembly participants are ex-participants of Ship for World Youth Programme.

The 12th Global Assembly will take place in Tonga.

http://swyuae.ae/

Source: http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302643936

 

BLOOM – Be A Leader and Open Other’s Minds

Guest post by Kevin Kobayashi

On January 24, 2017 Prime Minister Mr. Shinzo Abe compared SWY PY’s to buds of the sakura tree.  As one develops and flourishes into blossoming leaders, their true beauty inside and out is revealed to the world. In the past 5 months since SWY 29, the world has been my hanami. Every post-SWY visit has been humbling and inspiring, which has widened the horizons of my points of view, like the endless Pacific sunset. Here are a few of my adventures:

Anastasiia Stasiuk (SWY 29 Ukraine), Yaroslav Kucher (SWY 29 Ukraine), Anya Bobino (SWY 29 Ukraine), Mykhailo Zhernakov (SWY 29 Ukraine), Pavlo Kotenko (SWY 29 Ukraine), Alisa Berezutska (SWY 29 Ukraine), Kevin Kobayashi (SWY 29 Canada), Andrii Dovhyi (SWY 29 Ukraine), Svitlana Yarova (SWY 29 Ukraine), Rostyslav Kubik (SWY 29 Ukraine), Lidiia Kozhevnikova (SWY 29 Ukraine).

Anastasiia Stasiuk (SWY 29 Ukraine, Kevin Kobayashi (SWY 29 Canada), Svitlana Yarova (SWY 29 Ukraine), Lidiia Kozhevnikova (SWY 29 Ukraine).

 

Svitlana Yarova (SWY 29 Ukraine), Kevin Kobayashi (SWY 29 Canada), Andrii Dovhyi (SWY 29 Ukraine), Anastasiia Stasiuk (SWY 29 Ukraine), Alisa Berezutska (SWY 29 Ukraine), Mykhailo Zhernakov (SWY 29 Ukraine).

Julie Sasaki (SWY 29 Japan), Kevin Kobayashi (SWY 29 Canada)

Kevin Kobayashi (SWY 29 Canada), Ievgen Kozin (SWY 29 Ukraine)

Kevin Kobayashi (SWY 29 Canada), Ievgen Kozin (SWY 29 Ukraine), Nesma Attiatalla (SWY 29 Egypt)

Kevin Kobayashi (SWY 29 Canada), Nesma Attiatalla (SWY 29 Egypt)

 

 

Ievgen Kozin (SWY 29 Ukraine), Ilshat Sultanovich (SWY 28 Russia), Kevin Kobayashi (SWY 29 Canada).

Haruka Nakamura (SWY 29 Japan), Kevin Kobayashi (SWY 29 Canada)

Kevin Kobayashi (SWY 29 Canada), David Lipton (SWY 29 Canada), Yuuta Takamiya (SWY 29 Admin)

Emily Moon (SWY 24 Canada), Fabiola Alvarado (SWY Peru 21), Mike LaFleur (SWY 18/21 Canada), Raquel Saabe (SWY 23 Mexico), Carol Lee (SWY 11 Canada), Kevin Kobayashi (SWY 29 Canada)

Julie Sasaki (SWY 29 Japan), Kevin Kobayashi (SWY 29 Canada), Andrea Rojas (SWY 29 Costa Rica), not pictured here: SWY 29 Costa Rican Delegation, Tawhana Chadwick (SWY 29 New Zealand)

 

Cross Cultural Understanding in a Globalized World

Kyiv, Ukraine

Cross Cultural Understanding in a Globalized World

Diversity and inclusion is a concept best learned by experience, not research. On March 20th, 2017 I was fortunate enough to deepen my understanding of cross-cultural understanding with a group of fascinating students from Kyiv, Ukraine. Coincidentally, the visit to The European Collegium was to speak about just that. The importance of meeting, interacting, and exchanging with others is more relevant than ever. National boarders should be crossed, not armed. The word foreign should be celebrated, not feared. Curiosity is a natural beauty, not sin.

Through speaking and learning from a class of teenagers from Ukraine, I realized that cross-cultural is not a two way street, but an open sea. We do not travel down a road with a single intention in sight ahead. Our bearings lead us in many directions and learning is a constant process along the way. The Ship for World Youth Program fosters this international journey for all participants, and expands its reach to friends and family all over the world.

A very special SWY alumnus once said that life on board is just an appetizer. The real feast begins when we disembark the ship and join the global family for dinner. I didn’t know what they meant at the time, but I do now. This experience was enriching beyond anything imaginable while sailing the South Pacific on Nippon Maru. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to educate the leaders of tomorrow about a fantastic program called SWY.

Thank you to SWYAA Ukraine for their generous hospitality. To the greater SWYAA family, I cannot wait to meet you all in the future. After all, it’s all aboat the journey.

Kevin Kobayashi

SWY29 Canada

2017 SWY Canada Pre-Departure Training and Farewell Reception

2017 SWY Canada Pre-Departure Training and Farewell Reception

From the 12-16th January 2017, the official Canadian Delegation for the 2017 Ship for World Youth (SWY) Global Leaders program were in action in Toronto for a training and team-building session before departing to Japan! The packed program included various sessions on SWY protocol, Japanese language and culture and of course, National Presentation rehearsals as well as a farewell reception organized at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre. Ex-PYs mingled with the new delegation and shared their wisdom from past batches. The training wrapped up with team-building activities at the hostel.