Becoming a Global Citizen

Going on an exchange program with AIESEC was an incredibly life-changing experience. It was completely different from what I expected - it was much more than just a 'volunteer program' just to make its participants feel good about giving back. Rather than 'voluntourism', AIESEC's Global Citizen Program is all about developing its participants into responsible young leaders. It challenges young people in a foreign environment, expanding their global awareness through deep cultural emersion and working closely with communities. The projects themselves deal with a social issues prevalent in the country, allowing exchange participants from across the world to understand and begin their journey towards becoming a global citizen and taking responsibility for world issues beyond their local sphere. And further, each project is worked on by a group of interns from across the world, meaning each exchange participant is also able to develop cross-cultural teamwork and communication skills, while understanding cultures beyond just the country the exchange takes place. In AIESEC, the NGOs, schools etc. partner with AIESEC so that interns across the world can provide value to them. In this way, this emphasises the impact the AIESEC can make on the individual as well as the country, by actually being a valuable asset to the NGOs/schools etc. with their knowledge from abroad.

As a result, the experience you get is one that teaches you about responsible leadership, and really challenges you to find yourself and your goals in life. I really encourage all young people to have this experience, as the things we learn today will change how we move the world tomorrow.