My take from the 2009 European Summit for Global Transformation in Rotterdam 20/11/2009 - 22/11/2009

I wish I was warned that the academic life will make me become a "once- in - a - Month" blogger. I am seriously fighting against this development. God help me.

Just like I mentioned in my previous post that the fellows will be going to Rotterdam-Netherlands for a summit. We did make the journey! With Jeroen Hermkens effort in calling the embassy that they are expecting us at the summit and that they had invested a lot into having the 8 of us at the summit, the embassy gave our visas just the second day of submission and a day before the trip! They told me at the embassy that mine might take 3 Months to process because I am a Nigeria with 6 Months UK Visa!

This being a Nigerian getting to be a stumbing block is hard to understand. We are honest people, aren't we? I do understand the different kind of crimes by few Nigerians that have put us into this situation. We just need to keep working towards a better Nation, with a little or low level of crime reported anywhere in the world. We can do it!

Back to the summit detail, the European Summit for Global Transformation was a fantastic event. I became all emotional with 2 video clips that touched on global warming and climate change. It was an overwhelming feeling to learn once again about how we the human beings have forgotten that we don't have another planet but this very one - THE EARTH. It was a powerful and it was a rude awakening moment. This is really a point for us to be the change as we can no longer deny the disaster coming if we fail to act. Reforestation is one powerful message of hope and I hope we will all do something to safe the earth! Different species of animals are going into extinction due to our acts and of course science plays a role in this as well. We must save the earth!

At the summit, I met a 23 year old Maggie that is raising 27 children in Nepal. She provided Shelter from the land she bought from her savings that she demanded from her parent in the US. Maggie wandered as I would say to Nepal and seeing these kids on the street, she believed she could do something to give them a worthy life. Now with a house over their heads, food in their tummies, they are able to go to school and learn. Maggie, with her NGO in place is helping children with rare diseases to get treatment. What a worthy life for a 23 year old lady that is passionately making a change.

There was Subhash Ghimire studying in the US and educating children in Nepal through organising computers camps, setting up a library with a promise to go back to Nepal after his education. He believes in working in his home country where he can utilise his knowledge for its development as oppose to the idea of "stay abroad and send help home". Another fantastic lady is Renu Shah Bagaria who teaches Nepal kids in the morning and evenings using her own money. This is not talking change but acting it.

The European Summit for Global transformation started with the aim of sharing passions with like minded change makers, meeting to connect, network and contribute to each other's work. This summit started in 2006 with a few friends that came together and put their idea into action. This is a perfect place to use the word TEAM { Together Each Achieve More}. Special thanks to Rebecca Self for her effort in ensuring the 8 fellows made it to the summit. And to Jeroen Hermkens, Stefan Heinz and Cheryl Cooper, I say a big thank you for their help towards our trip to and from Rotterdam.

I am trying not to make this post too lengthy and I will like if you can click on the liinks provided to read more about the summit and see how you can translate this into action or how you can contribute in your own way into making a difference. Though I have focused on Nepal in this post but there are other change makers from Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, USA and Switzerland with life changing projects in their various communities.

Esra'a Al Shafei, Director, mideastyouth.com, a TED Fellow and an Echoing Green Fellow from Bahrain is a 23 year old lady whom I would have met in Chicago as she made it to the blogHer conference. This is a fearless young lady that believes in the empowerment of the Bahrain youth. Not even the threat from her government will stop her from providing ICT support for over 100 Non-Governmental Organisation in Bahrain. I am touched by her dedication and wisdom.

For me and the 7 other fellows of Conflict, Security and Development Group, we knew the summit for us was not a waste, but a gain. A reminder of the need to do all in our power to contribute to the development of our nations and let it be known that we did our best. Phidelia Amey, a fellow from Ghana has this to say " The summit brought together people from 23 countries who in their own ways are doing things to transform the world. It was about ordinary people who in their ordinary and small ways are doing extraordinary things and trying to make the world a better place for all. I was an eye opener for me that I can help transform the world and that there are people out there who share in my vision and enthusiasm. Apart from all the inspiring words that were shared by people at the summit about how one can help bring about transformation, it was also evident that I have the greatest opportunity and potential now to make our planet earth a better place for all"

Moment of change and transformation, I will say happened to Nina from Rwanda who lives in belgium with her husband and kids and speaks 7 languages. She has turned her back on Africa she said as a result of the Rwanda Genocide that claimed her parents, 6 of her siblings, 8 kids of her sister and her husband and turned her into a refugee. She lost 16 members of her family to the genocide. The summit touched her being and for the first time, she is ready to deal with her past and contribute to the future of Africa! This was very touching. They say work and no play makes Standtall a dull lady which I refused to be. We found a club at Rotterdam where we went to dance and take a few drinks. I have got a very good evidence of how hot my steps are in the image below. Yes, I rock!