Let’s remember why we love AIESEC.
… and rethink having it in IRAN again.
This evening I was talking with a friend over the phone. I was answering her questions about AIESEC as a former AIESECer. Therefore, this conversation made me reminisce about my days with the organization.
If you haven’t heard the name (an acronym, in fact), AIESEC is an
“International youth-run, non-governmental, and not-for-profit organization that provides young people with leadership development, cross-cultural internships, and global volunteer exchange experiences. The organization focuses on empowering young people to make a Progressive social impact. The AIESEC network includes approximately 44,280 members in 127 countries.”
This quoted paragraph is what you will find on Wikipedia with a simple search. But the truth is, it is not just these attractive descriptions. It is much more. AIESEC provides a platform for youth to gather, learn, and teach. It synthesizes a dynamic and high-functioning working system in a controlled environment under the direct mentorship of fellow and senior AIESECers to help them grow personally and professionally.
(What you see in the photo is called a roll-call, where participants cheer to their country’s chosen music. If you remember ours, cheer my friend!)
Back to the story, after the call, I was exploring my old profile in aiesec.org and stumbled upon a link with a certificate I got for “Leadership Development Experience”. It was something I felt very proud of at that time. And I remembered how just being a part of this big family constantly reminded me to thrive on learning and ideating the how-tos of making an impact on the world. Although I’m not sure if I’ve acquired this way of thinking from AIESEC, it most definitely stuck to me after my experiences in the organization.
Still, I was one of the fortunate students who joined the organization and volunteered and participated in an exchange program in another country. (South-Korea in my case) The photo on the left shows a Global Village program where all exchange participants proudly shared their cultural heritage, traditional food and presented their countries to the local communities and students.
Unfortunately, sometimes in 2017, other students were robbed out of this opportunity. Regrettably, Iranian authorities decided to shut down the organization in the country. It was quite a shock to all students, volunteers, and alumni networks. Yet, the decision was made, and they closed all AIESEC offices (which btw is an independent arm of the United Nations) in the universities.
Now, after all the espionage theories and imaginative stories, I don’t know how we can open the case of reestablishing this reputable organization. But, I hope maybe by just remembering all the good that came from this youth-run organization, we can keep the next generation informed about the benefits and opportunities provided through this program and hope the door will not stay closed for long.
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Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com., May 2020
