We can be unstoppable

Hello!

We are fresh off a very inspiring night where the "Stop Poverty" group gave an amazing performance which pumped up almost 5,000 people in attendance. This group has been focusing on mobilizing youth from around the world to combat poverty in their communities. The performance consisted of songs performed by the group, videos of poverty statistics, and inspirational quotes and speeches. One of my favorite quotes of the night was "the world has enough to provide for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed" by Mahatma Gandhi. We began to see deep within ourselves and reevaluate how we utilize our own resources.

I'd also like to share some lyrics from the song they created:

"Nothing is impossible

We are all responsible

We can be unstoppable

Believe the unbelievable

 

Be the change you want to be

Be the change you to see

We can stop poverty!"

 

I could see our teens really get in to this performance, especially when they showed the difference young people have made in the past with regards to apartheid, slavery, and overall civil rights. In the middle of a song, I overheard Ariel turn to Jordan and say "girl...we have to make a change." I could not be happier with this experience.
 
We have spent the remainder of this day getting know more people, especially folks from the United States. Our new friends are Garrett from Kansas City, Chris from Jacksonville, Troy from Marquette, and Phillip from India. So many of our programs are shared across state, national, and global borders. It has been great to learn so much about how others innovate their programming.

Lastly, I'm happy to share that our most valuable connection has been with the group from Mexico City. They have been so welcoming, kind, and caring. Given that Charlotte has a large Hispanic population, it has been quite interesting learning about how the YMCA in Mexico caters to their population.

Only one more day left in the festival and two more days until we hop on a plane to return home. Can't wait for tonight's performances!

Adam Esmaeel

Harris YMCA Teen Director