We are the Change by Jack Ahearn

Hi Guys,

Here I am in Gjorvik, Oslo, Norway, reporting from the Change Agent Training held in Gjorvik School.

Can I first express how truly inspiring it is to finally be around fellow agents of change, hearing stories, sharing practices, creating projects, all acting as one. For months now I have been anticipating what the role of change agents will be, and how we will implement our job role, so it is great to grasp what we are all part of.

I have developed new friendships, which I hope and know will become stronger and stronger, as we are all on the same page with the same common goals and beliefs. It has confirmed for me that all involved with the YMCA share a unique outlook, with the passion to carry on the wonderful work of the YMCA.

It has been informative as well as extremely powerful for me to share and grasp the Change Agent programme with these amazing people, and join initiatives to produce the most creative ideas for change.

As well as making it more clear what our job description and journey will entail over the next few years, we have had training in other vital areas to help pack our toolkit with the essentials, to carry out our mission. These include leadership and communication methods, as well as how to have a deeper worldwide impact in the day to day work we do. What was really interesting was a group activity we participated in to create and plan a project with real and positive effective outcomes, with the intention to attract the attention of George Soares. However, the task was that each member of the group had a disability, which limited the communication of the group. It was a challenge, but fun to work with as it tested all senses, finding ways to prepare a project and presentation between a group of blind, deaf, mute and paralysed people.

This represents the difficulty of engaging YMCA’s on a worldwide scale, due to various issues like barriers to access and communication. It shows we need to find the proper way to include, convey and agree the common YMCA message to the whole world movement, which is about inclusion.

It enforces the message as leaders we have to pay attention and respect these limitations, like we do in our everyday work, to have that positive balance. An example used by another Change Agent was, the sleeping giant is just waking up and a bit groggy, so to start running would not only be too much of a challenge but could also damage the reputations and relationships the YMCA have took 169 years to implement.

The incredible work of the YMCA hit home today, discussing personal journeys and stories through the YMCA. It brought me back to first contact with the YMCA, and where I have come over the last 4 years. This of course would not have had anywhere near the amount of impact without the YMCA. After hearing others personal experiences, I have also learned that even though each individual movement is so diverse with the work it does, it is always similar situations which bring people to the YMCA, no matter the background or the nation. We are all part of something so special, that is growing like the universe, but no matter the distance between us, we all have something that keep us together.

After discussing groups today where the YMCA will be in 2018, may I finish by saying in many Change Agents words: see you at the YMCA Olympics, on YTV, at the opening of YMCA North Pole, and optimistically at the presence of the first YMCA flag on the moon!

We are the change!

Jack Ahearn