“I like the idea of isolation. I like the reality of it. You realize what you are... not that the knowledge is inevitably rewarding.” – Joseph Brodsky
Being forced to individually isolate as a society, we have been compelled to reflect on ourselves and the world around us. There are horrors occurring all around the world and with the far reaching and instant access of technology, we are becoming more aware of them every day. Our generation has taken the responsibility to stand up and fight for the injustices that have been ignored for generations before; a perfect example being the #BlackLivesMatter movement which has resulted in millions around the world to stand up the racial injustice and inequality black people suffer from everyday in our world. The values of the Laidlaw foundation are exactly the ones we need to make a change in the world. We must be ambitious in our goals to rectify the system and improve society. We must be brave to stand up to the injustices around us and to act. We must be curious so as to educate ourselves as best as we can so that we can be efficient in enacting change. Without the determination to follow through on our beliefs, these movements will slowly fade and, like in the past, no change will occur. Each and every one of us are extraordinary and we must harness our full potential so that we can give our all to these causes. And lastly, we must act fast. We have gone on as a society for far too long to still have these problems be prevalent in society today and we must be quick in our action.
The Laidlaw programme has given us opportunities to explore our leadership qualities and has shown us ways in which we can improve ourselves to become better leaders. This is a perfect time for us to be able to use what we have learned in the various leadership workshops and the many talks and discussions we have had as a community and with experts. From the conversations I have had with other scholars from around the globe, I am inspired by the capabilities of everyone in the programme and it gives me confidence that we will be able to create positive systematic change.
In the words of Benjamin Disraeli, “We live in an age when to be young and to be indifferent can be no longer synonymous. We must prepare for the coming hour. The claims of the Future are represented by suffering millions; and the Youth of a Nation are the trustees of Posterity.”
https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/black-lives-matter-protests-around-the-world
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