|
|
Joel Kalpram (Jalbert)
Male, 25 from Port Vila, Vanuatu
My name is Joel. I grew up in Erakor, a village on the Efate island, the main island in Vanuatu. Since Vanuatu is a very tropical Pacific country, small-scale agriculture is quite important, and with my grandparents and my school, we would plant food and harvest crops growing up to pay for school fees. In 2002, I started getting involved with Youth Challenge Vanuatu, which aims to strengthen youth leadership through community development projects.
I started to gain a better understanding of the issues that are affecting my society, and I was propelled to get more involved in youth activism. I’m most passionate about HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health, and land-related issues. In 2004, I started working for YCV as the project manager, and HIV/AIDS is one of the focus areas of the organization; we organize awareness raising campaigns and workshops in local communities, and I’m also trying to raise awareness within my own network back home. With regards to land issues, two years ago, my community sold a massive piece of land to investors. Now, the money is running out and people are struggling. The tourism in Vanuatu is attracting more investors and more proposals to buy land, so I’m trying to spread awareness about the negative impacts of selling land.
One of the ways I’ve been learning more about these two issues is through TakingITGlobal. During the Oxfam International Youth Parliament (IYP) in Sydney, Australia, I attended a presentation on TakingITGlobal. Some of the people from the IYP signed us up to TIG and taught us how to use it, and when I returned to Vanuatu, I browsed through the site and thought, “Whoa, this has a lot of information and resources!” I love the discussion boards and the Global Gallery, and I really like the country pages. When I first clicked on the Vanuatu country page, I thought, “Wow, this is great!” It has everything people would be interested in, like basic information about Vanuatu, the latest blogs and news, financial and professional opportunities.
One resource that I find particularly useful is the Understand Issues section. I like to click on a random issue to read every time I log in to TIG. For example, I was reading about HIV/AIDS and experiences from other countries where this issue is much more prevalent than in Vanuatu, and it was a really good way to share information. Some of the issues that I’ve read about are not even considered “issues” in my country, and I find that the more I read, the more interested I am, the more I learn, and the more I read. Through TIG, I’ve also learned a lot of things that have shaped my being and my attitude. If you tell other people that they have to act positively, you have to act positively yourself, and TIG has helped me to realize the importance and the meaning of being a young leader.
TakingITGlobal was the first youth site that I’ve ever been inspired by. What inspires me the most about the site is the way in which young people are involved in taking action. In Vanuatu, even though a lot of young people are affected by issues, not a lot of young people are taking action. Many of the youth are still looking at elders and leaders to take action and make decisions. However, on TakingITGlobal, I’ve been reading about so many young people who are taking action and affecting change. Young people are running projects, organizing and attending events, and that really inspires me. I’m motivated to act, to initiate my own projects, and to contribute positively to help my people, especially young people.
Reading about all the projects, events, and member profiles on TakingITGlobal actually propelled me to think, “Well, what can I do?” I got to thinking about how, in my community, even though there are many young people, not much is being done to address youth issues or to enable young people to actively participate and be engaged in their community. There is especially a lack of space for youth. So I’ve been working on establishing a local youth drop-in centre, where young people can come together to learn about and discuss the issues that are important to them. Together, we can motivate and support each other. I have found about 10 other youth who are really keen and interested in launching this project with me, but it’s hard to get everyone together. However, I always say, “Come on guys, let’s do this!” and I’m starting to feel that this is my main call in life. I’ve been reading the personal stories and experiences of TIG members and how they’re taking action, and this has been a good way to learn about best practices and help me develop an action plan. In this sense, TakingITGlobal motivates and inspires me to continue and to get this youth centre established.
Compared to countries like Australia and New Zealand, Vanuatu is quite remote and lacks a lot of the resources that address the needs of young people. There are not very many opportunities, but being a part of TIG has opened up many doors for me. For example, I found out about the event “Democracy in the Pacific: Regional Study Session” on TakingITGlobal in 2006. I applied to go to this study session; Manu, a fellow TIG member, helped me with the application, and I ended up attending the event. It was a great experience that wouldn’t have been possible without TIG. I personally think that all I need to take action is on TakingITGlobal and I appreciate everything that is available on the site.
|
Tags
You must be logged in to add tags.
|
Writer Profile
Joël Kalpram
My name is Joel Kalpram. I am an islander living in Australia and working in Kakadu National Park with an Aboriginal organisation known as Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation. It's a great pleasure to be part of this dynamic site (TIG) and I've always seemed to get inspired by the way young people aticvely interact and presents themselves. This being said, I am very much interested in creating little picture stories with sayings and describtions but given that English is my fourht language, I amd faced with the challenge of having to re-read, correct and or make a statement sounds more to a context to what I may be presenting. This being said, do feel free to comment or send me a message so that I can make the needed changes, otherwise, enjoy my page both TIG and Panorama profile and I hope to interact with you all one way or another.
Greetings.
Joel Kalpram.
|
Comments
You must be a TakingITGlobal member to post a comment. Sign up for free or login.
|
|
