The Similarities: DiverseCity Fellows & AIESEC

In a previous post, I name-dropped an organization by the name of AIESEC .

For those of you who don’t know, AIESEC is a student-run organization that enables leadership development and international exchange. During my participation in AIESEC, I was privileged enough to lead my local university chapter and a country branch (Iceland), attend many national and international conferences, and engage with many like-minded people who wanted to grow and ultimately change the world.

Fast forward to today, and I’m a part of CivicAction ’s DiverseCity Fellowship Program where I find myself with like-minded people who are looking to grow as leaders and make the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) better, minus the international exchanges.

It made me wonder "What made me gravitate to another program and organization that seemed so similar to a university experience of mine?", and it came down to 3 reasons:

1. I get to be around like-minded people. Both organizations attract driven, ambitious and action-oriented people. They create a space that encourages imagining all the ways a person or group of people could make a better world. It’s nice to be around people who are like-minded because you know the people around you have similar intentions and ambitions.?Plus, if you’ve found yourself in that kind of space before, and it was a good experience, chances are, you are going to gravitate towards it again.?
2. We’re on a mission to solve (a) problem(s). Admittedly, in my AIESEC experience, the mission of “peace and fulfillment of humankind’s potential” was really lofty. But at its core, we wanted to see a world that was united, understanding, and encouraged cross-cultural collaboration to solve problems. The DiverseCity Fellowship on the other hand is specifically focused on problems in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area; like housing affordability, inflation, transportation, accessibility, homelessness and a slew of other problems that are plaguing the area. The commonality is obvious though, a problem-solver like me is attracted to opportunities/organizations that gave/give me an opportunity to tackle problems that I think are important.
3. I get to network. As a student, it’s enticing and exhilarating to meet people from across the country, and abroad.? At the time, networking was not only growing my connections but also hopefully an opportunity to gain employment after school. Networking and growing my network is still exciting now. Even more so as a remote worker because my scope tends to be rather narrow due to work. To be exposed to and communicate with people with a similar mindset really puts the work I do into perspective.?

With the pandemic seemingly over, what it all comes down to is that I missed the energy of being around go-getters who want to make a difference. My scope and views have been so narrow as a result of remote work, that it’s refreshing to be challenged and see what other people are up to.

Spaces that encourage like-minded people to collaborate will never go out of style. People, like me, gravitate towards them for a reason, and they will continue to do so as long as people are compelled to join.? I encourage everyone to find and join spaces that align with your values, and goals because it can really make a difference, and you might learn a thing or two about the world and yourself.?

#DiverseCityWithBG