Revisit your values
Remember the values exercise from your ILP? Do you still have all the little post-its with your values written on them?
We invite you to re-visit those values and consider going through the process of prioritising them again. Are they the same as when you were in the ILP, or have they changed? How do you feel about any differences that occur?
This might be a topic to discuss with your ILP peers. Why don’t you connect with them? This is a lovely opportunity to discuss the values process and where you are now. Perhaps you can even re-connect with your homegroup!
Over to you…
We would like to hear from you. Do share your stories with us on Facebook.
Want to continue your learning?
Here are some events we have found that could support you to carry on your development*.
Spain: yoga training
http://mindfulness-spain.com/events
England: Mindfulness train the trainer
http://www.mindfulnet.org/page15.htm
England: Psychosynthesis Essentials
http://www.psychosynthesistrust.org.uk/core-training/essentials-of-psychosynthesis/
United States: Mindful Leadership Summit
http://www.mindfulleader.org/#home
Australia: Mindful Leadership Forum
http://mindfulleadershipforum.com/
*WYSE is not endorsing these events, they are a random selection of those available.
If you know of any other events happening near where you live. Please share them with our community on Facebook or Twitter.
A thank you from WYSE Brazil
The successful programme in Brazil earlier this year could not have been possible without the generous support of the following people.
Call for volunteers to coach inspirational young leaders
Are you passionate about supporting young people to make a difference? We are currently offering the opportunity to become involved in the WYSE coaching programme! Coaches, supported by WYSE work with ILP participants for up to 6 sessions following the programme. The sessions are a really important aspect of the WYSE ILP as it supports participants to continue their learning and development.
We want to ensure that as many people have access to coaching as possible. The WYSE coaching programme is free and relies on volunteer coaches. We have a small number of places open, so if this sounds like an opportunity you would like to be involved in, please email info@wyse-ngo.org, describing why you are interested and how you think you can support the coaching programme.
Please also let us know what languages you speak, as we would love to be able to offer coaching support sessions in the language that is most comfortable for the diverse group of people that WYSE serves.
ILP Japan - one year on
Some participants from the International Leadership Programme in Japan in 2013 reflect on their year since the project and what was the most significant impact of the programme for them.
The January meeting 2012
The January meeting this year was a huge success, with people coming from around Europe and even as far as Egypt (welcome Suzie!). We trialed the idea of Saturday being a 'community' day and the Sunday being a 'working' day.
On the 'community' day, peoplerequested that they really enjoyed spending the time together, focussing on their personal plans and enjoying the reconnection with the WYSE approach. On the 'working' day, we focussed on three projects:
- The collection of Alumni stories for promotional progress.
- The development and scoping of our cutting edge online leadership offering - Leaderwiki, which will provide leadership resources to engaging leadership all over the planet; and
- Alumni Online Support Programme, that is being built to create leadership mechanisms to support Alumni from each programme to reflect on their experiences of the ILP, integrate their learning from the programme and support how they return to their everyday environments.
Each of these three projects are on-going and have strong teams driving them forward. We look forward to sharing the fruits of these efforts with you in the coming months. If you are interested in getting involved with any of these projects, please do not hesitate to get in touch with info@wyse-ngo.org.
We look forward to seeing as many of you who are able at the next meeting. Keep the last weekend of January 2014 free!
A new service project from WYSE
Look out for an exciting new resource for emerging leaders!
WYSE is creating an online resource for anyone interested in learning about leadership and how they can apply tools and approaches to their own work. This website will work in the same way as Wikipedia – anyone will be able to edit and add their own leadership resources.
Our vision is for this site to be a major resource for anyone trying to make a positive contribution in their community, and a great way for WYSE to support even more emerging leaders.
We are currently building the structure and testing the site with the WYSE Ambassadors - look out for more updates in the next newsletter when we will be pleased to share the link and open up the site for your contributions!
Reflecting on 2012
As we draw to the close of another year, we thought we would take this opportunity to share with you a few of the highlights of our year in WYSE and to wish you a very happy and productive year going forward.
We have held a series of amazing programmes this year; January an ILP in Brazil, August the ILP in Italy, the WYSE elders programme in September and then a fantastic advanced programme in October. We can also celebrate a very positive completion report from the European Union from our European programme from last year. All of us at WYSE are continuously amazed by the incredible energy and good will of the emerging leaders who are drawn to our programmes who are drawn to the programmes and their incredible visions for the future and their courageous actions for their own development and in contributing to their organisations. It is very clear to us that the need for our work continues to grow and develop. We are very grateful and appreciative to everyone in our network who pulls together to support us to make the contribution that we make in WYSE. Everyone in the leadership teams, our voluntary trainers, coaches, our trustees, our ambassadors and the many participants who continue to spread the word and to live out the common values that we share towards:
- worldwide co-operation;
- learning from diversity;
- focussing on a positive future;
- taking vision to action.
Looking forward we are excited about the upcoming ILP's - including our first programme in Japan (stay tuned to the WYSE website for details). We can also celebrate major advances in our communications, including this newsletter, our website and we are happy to announce that we are now working on the development of a further online resource for emerging leaders around the world that will help them take their leadership to the next level. This resource will make more of the principles and ideals of WYSE available to millions of emerging leaders around the world who are not able to attend our programmes - news coming soon.
Some questions
We encourage all of you to put aside a little time before the end of the year to reflect on the year that has been and set your intentions for the new one coming no matter how your year has been and the challenges that you face going forward. We really encourage you to be appreciative of yourself, your good intentions and your desire to make a positive contribution.
The following questions may be helpful for you to reflect on:
- What are some of the things from the last year that you are most proud of?
- When have you felt most alive and thriving?
- What energises you in the present and what do you feel could be emerging from this?
- What are you excited about and looking forward to in terms of your own development?
- What values and qualities do you wish to express and live in the coming year?
Thank you for all your good intentions for WYSE, for yourselves and for your communities. We want you to know that your care, good intentions really does make a difference even if you don't see immediate evidence of that. We wish you every happiness in the coming year.
Our warmest thoughts and best wishes for the coming year. May 2013 bring you an expanding sense of your own purpose and a deep sense of meaning.
Andrew and Sam
An interview with one of our new Regional Ambassadors
The Regional Ambassador Program is now in its second year. Ambassadors are WYSE alumni who volunteer their time to represent WYSE in their local areas, recruit new participants and spread the word about WYSE. In this article, Amanda Harry, Regional Ambassador Program Coordinator, interviews one of our new Ambassadors Marina Triner from Israel.
Amanda: Hi Marina! We are really pleased to have you on board as our newest WYSE Regional Ambassador! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Marina: I am extremely excited to be on board! I am currently living in Jerusalem, am originally from Ukraine, but grew up both in Israel and San Diego, California. I am finishing a Masters in Political Science and Gender Studies, and am working with Arabs and Israelis on the human level to bridge the broken community around me.
Amanda: People hear about WYSE in many different ways, how did you hear about WYSE?
Marina: Like many participants, I heard about WYSE through a friend who participated a few years back. Her energy while speaking about the program convinced me, without knowing much information, that I must apply.
Amanda: Many people dont know what to expect from the WYSE ILP program, what were your first impressions?
Marina: At first, I was a bit intimidated by all the new faces around me. Although the staff were extremely welcoming, I can honestly say I didn't know what to expect. But the best part was my attitude I think - I was very ready to give my all for the experience, and that's why it was so incredible.
Amanda: So, you survived 12 days in the stunning Villa Boccella with 28 of your peers, what was the best part?
Marina: I don't think survival is the right word. Wow - it was really incredible! When I wrote about my experience, reflecting on it after the 12 days, what came up the most was the amazing and incredibly inspiring individuals who surrounded me. I have to say each and every one of them gave me a bit of that puzzle which was to become the WYSE experience. I carry each of them around with me in one way or another.
Amanda: And now that you are back home, why have you chosen to become a WYSE Regional Ambassador?
Marina: WYSE is a gift - a precious and beautiful gift. I think there are so many incredible people in my region that deserve to have this experience, the belief and support of the staff and other participants can empower so many individuals to do incredible things and to positively change their lives. I was given this gift, and I think I must pass it on to others.
Amanda: Thank you for this interview. Is there anything else you would like to add?
Marina: WYSE supported me to attend as have the Jacobs family from San Diego, who I have worked with for several years. They made my trip possible and I would like to thank them from the bottom of my heart for this gift they have given me. I hope it is a gift that keeps giving both in my life and the lives of others through my role as a WYSE Regional Ambassador.
Amanda: We look forward to hearing more from you in the future!
Special thanks and a warm welcome to all ILP participants who have registered to become Ambassadors for WYSE!!
Participants talk - ILP St Briavels 2011
We are excited to announce the release of some very inspiring interviews taken during the International Leadership Programme which took place in St Briavels Castle from the 18th to the 29th of September 2011 and was funded by the EU programme Youth in Action.
The programme, titled "Taking vision to action - Inspiring leadership in the volunteering youth field", was a 10 day training programme designed to engage and inspire emerging young leaders, volunteers, educators and youth workers. Focal points were the exploration ofpotential, getting in touch with vision and converting these into positive action for the benefit of society.
Acknowledgements
Taking Vision to Action was developed by WYSE international in partnership with 13 not-for-profit organizations from 11 European and Neighbouring Countries:
- Armenia (Youth Bridges Armenia)
- Azerbaijan (Association of UN Interns),
- Egypt (MasterPeace),
- Germany (Medizin und Menschlichkeit),
- Italy (PAWA, Muovimente, WYSE Italia)
- Lebanon (UN Youth Association of Lebanon)
- Morocco (Amal Sale Association)
- Netherlands (Locomotive Organization)
- Romania (ASPSE)
- Serbia (Center8)
- United Kingdom (Children Our Ultimate Investment)
The training course was funded by the European Union exchange programme Youth in Action and was sponsored by the British Council. It was open to 18-30 years old participants coming from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Germany, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco, Netherlands, Romania, Serbia and United Kingdom.
Meet the Ambassadors
With the launch of the new WYSE website comes an opportunity to meet the people who have volunteered their time to share their experiences of WYSE and the impact that it has had on their lives with other young people. We are of course talking about our WYSE Ambassadors, whose aim it is to support and encourage other emerging leaders to attend WYSE Programs.
Last year was very much a beginning for the WYSE Ambassadors, as the program was developed following the Annual Meeting in January.
Since then, we have registered 26 WYSE Alumni to act as representatives in their region. (Representing Europe, Africa, Australia, Asia, the Middle East, North America, and Central and South America).
The Ambassadors have already had a large impact on WYSE as the majority of participants recruited to attend the ILP's were recommended by them. Additionally, our Ambassadors in Brazil have taken the lead on organizing the ILP which was successfully held in January.
“The experience of being an Ambassador this year was fantastic! I must tell it is big work... but with lots of learning (WYSE ways of working) and full of personal development. I am so grateful to be part of this community.”
“Being a WYSE Ambassador is an honour and pride, because it means being an ambassador of love, peace, education, awareness, personal and group development, and humanity.”
“I feel totally connected to WYSE and all its actions and dear people. I will gladly be involved in the Ambassador program 2012, as a local Ambassador, as a helper and by helping wherever I can!”
Becoming an ambassador
If you are a WYSE Alumnus who would like to become a Regional Ambassador, contact info@wyse-ngo.org for an application pack.
Amanda Harry is the Regional Ambassador Program Coordinator for WYSE international
Our first EU-sponsored programme a big success
The International Leadership Programme "Taking Vision to Action" was the first WYSE project to be funded by the EU programme Youth in Action.
The programme took place in September 2011 and brought together 27 amazing participants from 10 different countries. An inspiring and supportive learning environment was created in which the participants explored their potential as leaders and transformed their visions in concrete action plans and projects.
Still now, the community is very active and the participants are daily strengthening their network while exchanging experiences, ideas and best practices and developing new projects together!
This is what Suzan Salem, a participant from Egypt, wrote about her experience.
““During the last days of this unforgettable workshop, we were asked to reflect on what we have gained from the experience, thinking of and reliving the exercises, every brilliant facilitator and every inspiring participant I met on the workshop, I can’t help but be overwhelmed with gratitude, hope and love.
Gratitude, for how the program was designed for us; to feel like time stops for us to step on the shoulders of giants and see the world from the eye of possibility, possibility for ourselves and for the world we share.
Hope; I’ve learned that change starts within everyone of us before any external symptoms start to blossom, so I’m full of hope to start with myself and stand for a mindset of hope to work for the change we want to see, with one small action at a time, then unto others, one person at a time, in childlike hope that change will happen.
Love, to my new global family, the small version of the world we created of sincere love, support and acceptance. This is a beautiful place to live from now onwards, quoting a fascinating person, ‘’now my family is all over the world’’ that’s how I felt, that now the world is my family.””
Participating organisations
Taking Vision to Action was developed by WYSE international in partnership with 13 not-for-profit organizations from 11 European and Neighbouring Countries:
- Armenia (Youth Bridges Armenia)
- Azerbaijan (Association of UN Interns),
- Egypt (MasterPeace),
- Germany (Medizin und Menschlichkeit),
- Italy (PAWA, Muovimente, WYSE Italia)
- Lebanon (UN Youth Association of Lebanon)
- Morocco (Amal Sale Association)
- Netherlands (Locomotive Organization)
- Romania (ASPSE)
- Serbia (Center8)
- United Kingdom (Children Our Ultimate Investment)
Please meet our new website
We are very pleased to announce the launch of our new website. Some of the new features are:
WYSE regional ambassadors. Over the last year, we have started recruiting for the WYSE ambassador programme. Ambassadors can now be contacted straight from the website;
News. Since last year we regularly publish newsletters. These will now be integrated with our website and articles will be accessible from the news section;
Specialised landing pages. Each programme now has its own landing page, which gives specific information for potential participants;
Personal feel. People are at the core of what WYSE represents, and our website now reflects this;
Involvement. It is has become much easier to write and edit online content which allows many more people to be involved;
Clarity of communication. We have worked hard to clarify our communication. In order to make clear what we are about, we have a set of five sliding images on the front page, as well as in improved introduction text. We have also improved the sections about our vision and our approach;
Social media. The site fully integrates with Facebook and Twitter.
We would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the creative process and hope you enjoy the new website.
Impressions of the Italy ILP 2014
This summer we returned once again to the beautiful Villa Boccella in Tuscany, Italy, to run our flagship International Leadership Programme for emerging leaders seeking to deepen their understanding of themselves and their unique contribution to the world. Over the 12 day residential we co-created a learning community of 32 participants from 19 countries, and an international staff team who were inspired to give their time and skills on a pro-bono basis.
Participants had the opportunity to share and develop their individual visions of the kind of leadership they want to express in order to create a more peaceful, sustainable and equitable world. They benefited from the rich diversity of cultures and perspectives of the international community and connected with the concept of global citizenship which they have carried home alongside lasting friendships and insights.
Stepping into the role of a Programme Director for the first time, I confess to feeling a little bit nervous about this new level of responsibility for a programme and staff team which I have always been impressed by, as well as knowing that we would be challenged by the participants to grow into our potential, just as we would be challenging them.
On behalf of WYSE I would like to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to all of the people who made this ILP possible - before participants even arrived at the venue, a huge amount of effort by a dedicated team of volunteers and our wonderful administrator had already been made to ensure the smooth set-up, and during the programme the contribution of each member of the teaching staff, kitchen staff and helpers was invaluable in creating an impactful experience.
I'm told that each ILP attracts over 80,000 volunteer hours, and that this is a conservative estimate. For me, such an ongoing example of values in action is a continuous source of inspiration and appreciation.
A month on from the ILP, and as we celebrate and focus on the International Day for Peace, I bring to mind our recent ILP graduates, and am left with a strong sense of hope for the world. Thank you for all that you are being and doing.
by Hilary Harvey - ILP Lucca 2014
Impressions of the 2014 ALP
Belen Romero, Mirna Folco and Thomas Siggaard Andersen, participants from the Advanced Leadership Programme in October, share their thoughts on the programme.
Going to a WYSE programme could be thought of as going to a restaurant. The kind of restaurant someone recommends to you with a lovely looking menu of a cuisine you've never tried before. You realise that the aperitif had already begun before you even enter the restaurant. The starter, the ILP (International Leadership Programme), is a smörgåsbord of new and surprising flavours. The ALP is the main course that follows whenever one is ready for it. It is presented with a lot of care and you get to enjoy a harmonious mix that enhances all the flavours from the starter. You become so intrigued by the taste sensations that all you want to do is go to the kitchen to cook yourself. And finally, the dessert is the lasting aftertaste of all the sweet goodness that is WYSE.
From 26th October to 1st November 2014 the ALP (Advanced Leadership Program) took place at the Villa Boccella near Lucca (Italy). We had the pleasure of a rich variety of participants and staff from more than 18 different countries. The group consisted of 25 participants and 11 staff from the WYSE Team.
As with the ILP, the ALP is a life changing experience. It was apparent from the beginning that regardless of when or where the participant attended the ILP, everyone was able to connect with him/herself and with the community just created.
The WYSE ways of working from the ILP were very present in each of us. This generated a resonance that enabled the creation of a strongly connected community and a safe environment that allowed us to express ourselves, share our thoughts and find inspiration, curiosity and wonder.
Every participant had different reasons for going to the ALP. For some, it was the intuition that it would be good for them. For others, the ALP was part of a larger strategy. All of us wanted to reconnect with the WYSE community, learn about Will and to begin our journeys towards mastering it.
Villa Boccella once again became a space of experiential learning that gave us the opportunity to explore our Will in different settings. We took the opportunity to learn, increase our mindfulness, discover areas of growth and reconnect with our strengths. We feel more aware of our Will, more aligned with ourselves and our values and clearer about how to make our contributions to our local communities and the world.
We are once again thankful to all at WYSE for making this programme so successful.
Impressions of the ALP in Italy 2012
In October, we organised an Advanced Leadership Programme in Chiusi, Italy. Fifteen amazing people participated in the programme from countries as varied as Italy, Brazil, Armenia, Germany, Japan, Kuwait, Holland, Indonesia, Israel and Sweden.
During the programme, we built on the themes of the ILP with a particular focus on how we as leaders make manifest our visions and put them into action. The time we spent was inspiring, as we focussed on how we as leaders can make conscious and responsible choices.
Some of the aspects that we explored include:
- Understanding our leadership capacity, abilities, style and the ability to impact and attract resources
- Generating an understanding of empathic leadership
- Working with the stress and challenge of ambiguity and uncertainty and how to use this learning as an experiment for further insight
- Self confidence in being able to lead in our own unique style
““I could release from the culture and thinking of Japan, I thought more deeper, and I was able to stare at myself. I feel I could exceed the wall, and I was able to unlock the door in myself, what it had been locked within me”
”
““the main one is how huge the role of will in the life of human beings is... since the program I started to review all my life in terms of will or lack of it... Amazing!!!””
““That we all have will and we can individually control how much will we express and utilize within our lives””
Stella's experience
"I am exceptional, special..." was the sentence I read as I opened my journal. This was the feeling the ALP gave me, at the same time preventing me from being arrogant. WYSE helped me to find my gift of love, and the feelings I foster from the ILP always fill my heart with warmth and light. It is amazing to meet so many exceptional and special people in one place.
WYSE in my daily life, work and studies turned out to be as substantial as a stick for a blind man. It leads me everywhere – in every good or bad situation. With the help of my WYSE family I learnt to live the life I was seeking for before. Unlike many programs, it didn't just happen and pass as quickly as it came. WYSE left a trace of appreciation in my life, it showed me the way to create a better tomorrow and the vision to help people to experience WYSE.
As a matter of fact, when people begin to make new acquaintances they share their past experience. I realise that I speak about my WYSE experience more and more trying to explain what the programmes mean for me and how they can benefit others.
To end with, I'd like to give a practical example of how WYSE helps me in my daily life. After the ALP I came back home full of emotions and positive energy. I then had problem and with patience and the tools taken from WYSE I SOLVED IT. I moved to another country and with the WYSE treasures the process of adaptation was very smooth. Now I am happy and I know that a part of this happiness originates from the WYSE programmes. As a result, I appreciate what I have and feel confident that better things are always there for me. WYSE is really wise.