My mind and heart are completely blown open after this week’s experience at the World Economic Forum in Geneva, Switzerland with the Global Shapers Community for the Annual Curators Meeting (ACM).

About 450 young leaders from 169 countries gathered together to focus on Shaping a better future for our Planet. This is the first of several blogs I will be sharing because the experience was something so culturally diverse and unique, it just must be shared.

Times may look bleak for us right now but that is only because we are in the middle of a bridge where we have left an old world and are walking towards a new one that does not yet exist. We can not see this new world and so it can feel scary, uncertain and hard to believe in.

My time at the Annual Curators Meeting for the ‪Global Shapers ‬has restored my faith in what is possible for this world when we come together for a higher purpose and a bigger cause with shared common values. The values we came up with that all 169 countries and 453 Curators came up with were:

PASSION: As a Shaper, we use passion to channel our energy with positive action.

INTEGRITY: As a Shaper, we have integrity through the unity of our actions and values.

SERVICE: As a Shaper, we practice service by striving to understand the needs of our community and taking action to improve it.

COOPERATION: As a Shaper, we demonstrate cooperation by proactively working with others to achieve a common goal.

COMMITMENT: As a Shaper, we commit to consistently honouring our obligations and selflessly supporting the agree agenda and goals of our community.

If the how and why are clear, then it makes the tough stuff doable.
Though we have different religions, belief systems, cultural values, upbringings and challenges that we’re faced with, we all have some more important things in common. We are human. We share this Earth. We are dedicated to Shaping and improving the state of our world.

This event felt like a planting of seeds. I can only imagine as we now all go back to our respective cities, countries and lives and continue with the work we’re doing in our local Hubs, businesses, studies and life, how time will unfold and how the reasons behind these special connections will become more apparent and important.

Just imagine in 20 years from now when some of the now Shapers are political leaders and say there is a conflict between two countries. As Shapers, we practice the values listed above and because we have this bond, connection and mutual Trust, we would be able to pick up the phone and work through the difficulty to find a common solution.

That is just one simple example of how this one moment in time is shaping the future of Planet Earth. Ultimately though, we don’t know what will happen next. We don’t know what will happen as more youth stand up, raise their voices, contribute passionately where their hearts and values align and create positive change within their local communities and the Global Village. All we can do is show up moment to moment, day to day and do our best to give back to SOMETHING that matters to us.

I know some will say this is wishful thinking and to that I answer, there is always a most negative person in the room. Somebody’s gotta be ‘that person’ that just doesn’t believe, understand or see. I’m fine with that because ‘that person’ has no power or influence in the world.

I was there, I felt it. There is something powerful happening on the Planet right now. I am seeing it all the time and the Global Shapers is just ONE of many examples and movements happening.

The solutions are not just a Government solution, a World Economic Forum solution or a Global Shapers solution. It is a WE solution. And it will take us all being open to seeing each other for who we really are rather than what we look like, what God we believe in or what language we speak.

We are One Village. We share One Earth. It is time for us to join together and coCreate the world we all wish to see and be a part – by BEING IT NOW in our actions, words and ways. There can no longer be finger pointing or blaming. The change starts with each of us taking responsibility for our own thoughts (positive & negative), our own actions (positive & negative) and our own values, and aligning them with that vision for the world we want to be a part of so that all of our choices align with creating that.

I am thankful for Professor Schwab, one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met. He is the hard working visionary leader behind the World Economic Forum and Global Shapers Community. Thank you Professor Schwab for your lifelong dedication to the betterment and Unification of the world. You have definitely raised my own personal bars of how I want to give back to the world.

So grateful to the family of Global Shapers around the world doing great work, growing amazing Hubs, activating incredible Projects and growing into their best selves. These are exciting times we’re living in and it’s comforting to know that we are not alone.