Don't just talk about it..

..... be about it!
So I know over the last few weeks I have "talked" about being the change. I have blogged about different news worthy material that has sparked me to want to be the change. Yet, I do not think I have fully talked about what ACTION I have taken to be part of the change myself. Today, I would like to take a moment and talk about the things that I have done to "Be the change." Please note that this is not a space for me to post my resume, or to toot my own horn, but this is a space for me to let you know of the ways in which we can all play an active role in our communities.
The last two weeks I was blessed enough to attend two conferences that mean a lot to me as far as the work I will be undertaking in the next couple of months (how do you like me speaking my positive affirmations out loud!)
As my profile will tell you, I am Haitian-American. The American side of me is that I was born in the states, and I cannot speak creole fluently. But I am 100% Haitian as both my parents were born and for the most part raised in Haiti, until their families immigrated to the United States in the late 60's early 70's. I have always known that in some way I was going to invoke change. I had wanted to be a journalist. When I was younger, I was quoted in the paper for some activity that was being done at my elementary school. When the paper came out, I read the quote and the reporter got it all wrong. I vowed, that one day I would be a journalist so that I could "Tell the truth." Well, as I grew older I still had a fantasy of being a journalist, but my eyes started focusing on politics. Bill Clinton had just been elected for his first term in office. I went to the inauguration and I fell in love with this world of politics. Years later, I became enamored with a CNN update that ran 24 hours- it was a story unraveling in Haiti. President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was a victim of a coup. It was the first time that I had seen Haiti on the international screen, and it was my first real look at the long road of reconstruction ahead. I began asking my father questions about Haiti, it's history, it's culture, what Haiti was like when he was a kid. As I grew older I knew that my passion for politics would lead me towards a domestic agenda, seeing poverty in the streets, and injustices all over the country I wanted to change things here. But my long-term goals were to always and in some way assist Haiti in the development that I knew it very much needed. I joked (with some seriousness) in High School that I would become the Ambassador to Haiti, one day.
Given the recent devastating earthquake, my passion for making a difference in Haiti's political development has been pushed forward in my life. I with 4 other students, "rose" together with American University in a Benefit Performance that we organized with 1 week and a half of planning. The five us were able to make the earthquake in Haiti something that we could all impact. In one night, that I will remember forever, we raised $30000. For me, this was something that helped me heal in many ways, because I was able to contribute my time and energy to making sure that Haiti wasn't forgotten. I felt helpless watching CNN again, like that time during the coup, and seeing people who could just as easily be family so disoriented by what was going on. This to me was the least I could do, and something that I pride myself on. I know that I may not have a lot of money, but I have been blessed enough with life and time and if that is all I can give, than that to me is enough.
But my passion for change didn't stop there. I have done my best to stay active in Haiti news, latching on to every news source and media link that has referenced Haiti in some way. Just so that I can keep up to date and stay focused on what is going on now. I currently sit on an Advisory Board with my University's Alternative Break Program. This Board is the think tank for the Program's commitment to a 5-year Alt Break Compact in Haiti. Through this think tank, I have implemented meetings with other organizations as we prepare to send students to Haiti on a service learning trip in the next year. Again, I know that this right now, might not seem big, but to me it is the best use of my time. And meeting with organizations is a great way to keep them engaged in the process as well.
Last week, I mentioned that I attended 2 workshops/conferences. The first was covering the Caribbean Diaspora and their role in the Haiti redevelopment. It was such an honor to be able to attend such an event. And the event reinforced the path that I am on as far as career growth etc. It gave me a real opportunity to put to practice everything that I have learned over the last 2 years here in D.C.
In the beginning it was rough though. Myself and another student leader on the Advisory Board, were the only two "young people" there. We were ignored, by Ambassadors and other officials when we tried to talk to them about our efforts.
Finally after a panel, I stood up to ask a question. My question was in concern to Higher Education and the role of youth engagement in this rebuilding process. I asked the panel " What are you doing as organizers to engage the youth and more specifically the 2nd generation in this process? Had we not stumbled upon this meeting through our other contacts, we would have never known of such an opportunity." Mind you I wasn't calling anyone out, it was directed to the panel itself. Well the response I received from a Congresswoman on the panel was "What are YOU doing to engage yourselves?" Now not to be, pompous, but I really hate this answer from the older generation in the political process, and I will get into that when I discuss the second conference I attended, but it is such a cop-out.
I ended up responding to this Congresswoman, by telling her and the audience all of the great things that American University and students like me are developing on behalf of Haiti. I let her know in response to a statement that she made, that I would be happy to contact her assistant with further information regarding what the University and students like me are doing.
After the question and answer session, we broke for lunch and FINALLY people were coming up to us and asking us, what it is that we are doing? They also asked us how they could assist etc. My concern is that it is always a moment of proving ourselves as young people before we are listened to and actively engaged with.
Needless to say my questions didn't end there. I asked a few more pointed questions and then was asked by one of the Ambassadors of the Program to help facilitate one of the breakout workshops! It was a great day, and I hope that the input I gave gets translated into some other form of engagement for both generations to grow.
And with that, I will lead into the second piece of my wonderful journey. I apologize that this is more like a novel and not a blog, but this is important to get out. I attended a workshop on Monday put together through Campus Progress an extension of The Center for American Progress. This workshop was an all day event that featured many great speakers, members coming out of Rock the Vote, The Obama Election Team, Scott Brown's Election Team, analysts etc. The purpose of this workshop was to come together to discuss ways in which to engage youth in the 2010 election.
To be honest the political arena is waiting to see what we do in 2010. In 2008 we voted in high numbers to elect President Obama, in 2009 we fell off so now our credibility as a voting body is in question. But to be honest I feel that it is always in question. We get the whole, we are young we don't understand politics etc. But yet politicians want to make sure that we vote for them and their issues that they care about. But we don't hear much past the need for us to be "just voters." I am a Democrat, I don't know if that matters that much though. But reflecting back on 2008 and the power we had as youth during the Presidential Elections, I find that the Democratic party lost a lot of our support directly after the election. It was almost as if the party thought it was fine for them to ride high on the momentum of the election without actively engaging the voters to continue in this process. I mean there is so much President Obama can do for his party and that was clear in the results of the 2009 Elections. Organizing America has to be the premise for all politicians and it needs to be something that they all unite on. Basically I am more "Fired Up" to do more work, and find ways to get young people to be taken seriously in this political world. We have a lot of insight to offer and it is going to be my generation that is going to change they way in which politics works, so we need to be allowed to be a part of that change.
#BETHECHANGE is the BOMB.COM!