2016 is CISV’s Year for Sustainable Development
April 18, 2016Seven things you can do to help the planet on earth day
April 22, 2016When I was 11 I was unsure of a lot of things. I wasn’t very social, I had some… uncommon interests, and not very many proper friends.
The summer before I turned 12, all of this changed. I attended a Village, a program run by CISV for 11 year olds. This CISV program is the epitome of the organization’s slogan: Building Global Friendship.
When I was 11, I participated in a month long Village program in Sao Paulo, Brazil. And I was hooked. It wasn’t the travel, though ever since I’ve had an undying love of Brazil and Brazilian Portuguese. It was the people. I had a family of 12 delegations all from 12 different countries (each of 4 kids, and 1 adult leader), 6 Junior Counselors, and 5 camp staff for that month. We shared food and games, cultures and languages, good mornings and good nights, laughter and tears. And it changed me. It made the world smaller and gave me something to believe in. For one of the first times I felt like I belonged somewhere. But it’s not just the people. From the age of 11, CISV put me in situations I’d never imagined, gave me problems to solve, questions of my morality and compassion, presented me with poverty and injustice and asked me to think. Then it asked all of us to sit together, listen and speak about our experiences.
I think the kind of atmosphere for learning that CISV gave me that summer is a beautiful gift to give an 11 year old. Having kids my age, teenagers, and adults listen to me intently, respond to what I was saying, and encourage me to continue speaking, and thinking, and sharing was formative in me finding my voice. CISV gave me a place to learn and grow, to try my hand at leadership and organizing events and people. It has been my playground. And three years ago when I realized that even the most wonderful places still have room for improvement, CISV gave me the tools to help improve the organization myself.
I’ve said this for years and I stand by it. CISV made me who I am, it encouraged that quiet, uncertain kid, and gave me the space to grow and fail and grow more.
For that, I’m eternally grateful.
(CISV says “thank you” to Erin, who allowed us to re-blog excepts of her post from her “I Find My Way” blog)
