Mindsets were changing not just on a global scale, but at school and at home. Growing up in a girls’ school for ten years as well as in a family that believed in the power of women to make change in the world, made me believe that I could too.

Driven, confident, and passionate, I jumped at every opportunity life gave me. Women could be powerhouses, and we should be – that was my mindset. Even today, I still believe much of that but have learned that sometimes, I get so caught up in the doing and running around that I forget to be. I forget to sit and enjoy the quiet moments, I have no more time to have fun sleepovers (my favorite as a kid), or play board games or bake my favorite tiramisu dessert. I forget that life is a journey, not a destination.

This reminds me of the story of Martha and Mary. Martha was busy making sure the house was ready for Jesus, that all the sheets were ironed, the food was ready, the house was cleaned. I guess today that would be like me trying to run to the office to make sure all my emails were sent out, blackberry charged, house made and book published – all before Jesus comes. And sometimes it feels like I forget what I am preparing for.

In contrast, Mary just sat by the feet of her Master. And I think the Master and His gifts are all around. They are in each sunrise and sunset and the new berries in the spring, in my siblings and parents and friends. In the midst of the whirlwind of activities, tasks, and assignments, I forget to sit.

Life is a journey, and doing and sitting are not mutually exclusive. They help to reinforce the other and the times that I have loved the most is when both of these happen. Even in a fateful trip to start a scholarship program in Kolkata, India. I remember the moments not just running around buying art materials or meeting with the many non-governmental organizations, but in the moments where Suraj and I sat and listened to the sights and sounds of the city and savored each bite of the egg rolls on the street. Or I think of my closest friends at Northwestern – people who have taught me so much, not only through their leadership expertise and many connections across campus but also through the moments where we have cried, ran off to the World’s Largest Brat Fest or jumped in Lake Michigan on a hot Sunday afternoon.

It is this blend of sitting and giving your 100% at a specific dream and goal that makes each day a beautiful one. From the lyrics of one of my favorite songs:

Life is a challenge not a competition
You can still smell the roses and be on a mission
Just take a moment to get in touch with your heart
Sometimes you feel like you’ve got something to prove
Remind yourself that there’s only one you
Just take a moment to give thanks of who you are
Early in the morning
It’s the dawn of a new day
New hopes, new dreams, new ways
I open up my eyes and
I open up my mind and
I wonder how life will surprise me today

La la la la la la la la la (x3)
It’s a Beautiful Day (x3)

As we, the women in the world have even more pressure to perform, to balance the work place and the home, do not forget to take a moment to be surprised by life, chase your passions, take risks, and dream big. I will end off with five of my favorite phrases:

Live to be surprised.

Learn as much as you can from whoever you can.

Lead with integrity and light. Lead to make the world a more just place.

Laugh at life’s up and downs. Celebrate moments, give thanks, and smile.

Love each person whom your life will touch, that opportunity may only come once.

Growing up in the Eagles family, Meixi Ng graduated in June with a major in Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University. Together with Suraj Prakash Upadhiah, they co-founded The Amber Initiative (www.theamberinitiative.com), an organization dedicated to the restoration and protection of human dignity through a global movement of youth. She also worked with the UN Interagency Project on Human Trafficking in Thailand. For her commitment to social justice, Meixi was named a Goldman Sachs Global Leader in 2009 and is Northwestern’s first recipient of the Ryan Award for Community Service. She also won the Circumnavigators Fellowship and begun her worldwide travel this summer as a fellow to study education as a tool for transformation in marginalized communities. She hopes to return to work with the hill tribe students in Thailand and The Amber Initiative in Singapore.

Sometimes you have to skip your instinct, experience, and good guesses and just read the instruction manual. When it comes to the modern man and what he looks like, this could not be truer. There already exists a lot of confusion on this topic, especially among the men trying to live out the most current version of the “modern man.” The problem is also experienced by single moms raising boys, who have tried to read their way through the journey of raising their sons.

The confusion is also seen in the missing men who do not go to church on Sunday morning but find their pew in front of a TV. Confusion is also experienced by all the children who do not know who their father is. And the rage of murder suicides that is becoming a worldwide headline on a regular basis, screams out the struggle of the modern man, but the instruction manual?

Fortunately, the core issues are found there and give you what you need to address their issues. I began my journey on this topic as a youth minister almost thirty years ago.

Like many youth ministers, I looked out over the students gathered and saw a lot more young ladies than I did young men in the group. It was a common experience for other youth ministry friends as well. I asked around and heard all kinds of reasons, “women are more spiritual,” “guys think church is a female club,” and other such things. But none of those answers satisfied me.

It was during a personal devotion time that I got the real answer and some steps that led to the change in ministry as I knew it and the course of ministry to this day.

“They don’t have a godly vision.”

It was the answer I needed. It was an impression that I had, and I acted on in a way that made the most sense for my group of young men, and the principles have worked on every group of men I have worked with since.

Men of all ages are challenged by the godly lifestyle that they know they cannot live, or have not done so successfully yet. So they pour themselves into other activities where they think they have a chance for purpose and success. You cannot blame them, they are designed with that experience in mind by God the Father. You see it in Adam’s life.

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Gen 1:26-27, emphasis mine).

“The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Gen 2:15, emphasis mine).

“Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field…” (Gen 2:19-20, emphasis mine).

Adam knew the Father and lived a life of purpose and success. He was fully involved in the physical work of the garden and the mental work of naming the animals. He was functioning as the master, creatively naming and exhibiting dominion over the animal world. What a start!

How things have changed! The need to know the Father and be involved physically and mentally in the Father’s work has not changed in a single modern day Adam. But the opportunities are very limited by the type and number of options that too many churches provide.

Our young men had experienced church in such a way that they only saw preaching or music as possible outlets for the purpose and success concepts that is deeply imbedded in their DNA. Unfortunately, few fifteen year olds are talented in the verbal and musical world. There are a few but most do not fit into that category easily.

For them we designed two ways for purpose and success to be applied to the Father’s work. Each helped a number of young men to see their way in God’s plan for their lives. Our first activity involved cutting, splitting, and delivering enough firewood to heat ten homes for a year. That activity raised $1,600 in 1985 that was given to a mission project. Today that amount would equal $8,000.

That much firewood meant several things, including chainsaws, blood, trucks, and a tangible sense of accomplishment. That opened hearts to a “godly vision” as they made a sizeable contribution to a mission project.

Next we developed a young men’s sport league where they would share their testimonies at the midway break. They were typical guy testimonies using fifty words or less and accompanied by feet kicking the ground and no eye contact with the audience. But each time they shared a testimony it got longer and stronger and the soil of their hearts was open for the Godly vision that was planned for them from the beginning.

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph 2:10).

From that original group of young men and leaders who worked with them came pastors, missionaries, and solid leaders in the local church. They could believe God’s call after they had had some success.

Once we had our first young man pick up his cross and begin to follow Jesus there was a never ending stream of strong young men and leaders to lead them. In time, we had as many young men as we did young women in the group as well as the leaders to guide them.

Our annual mission trips, yearly ministry teams, and weekly gatherings were equally represented by young men as well as young women. We continued the work projects and sports teams because that was a great entry point for young men as well as an opportunity to express their “good works.”

Twenty five years later, I still lead short term mission trips because I know that there will be opportunities for young men that will prepare their hearts for the “godly vision” they were designed for.

What we did for those young men needs to be done for all men who darken a church door. They need ways to be involved where they can experience purpose and success far beyond the scope of speaking or the musical world. Only a small percentage of God’s gifts shine in those settings.

They also need to have the opportunity to grow without the competition and eye of their Eve counterpart. That muddies the water especially as the more rapidly maturing Eve outpaces and out performs most Adam contemporaries. Adams admire Eves but they do not follow them or try to copy them. Adam follows Adam.

Adams also need other Adams who are not paid ministers as adults in their lives. Not all young men will end up behind a pulpit but all should end up productively involved in Kingdom work. If they see others who are involved in the Kingdom work as plumbers, doctors, truck drivers, and artists, they see their gifts as useful to God’s work. The work of the Kingdom is bigger than any one local church and needs workers worldwide to fulfill needs in almost every type and description of job.

Opening up these kinds of doors for men will eliminate true stories like the following: A man knew God had called him but in his mind the only possible calling was preaching. So for decades he fought that call until in his fifties he surrendered his life and finally said he would do whatever the Lord wanted, fully expecting to be called to preach. Instead he was shocked to find that the Lord had a job driving ministry teams around in buses for him. He had been, among other things, a professional long haul driver. His last years were a sharp contrast to the first decades of life when he “just knew” he was called to preach.

During my ministry around the world, I have some consistent experiences. There is a huge deficit of men in the church worldwide. In fact, it is a practical reality that if you accept Christ in many countries you must also accept the role of a single female Christian.

Should everyone cut firewood and start sports leagues? Yes and no. Yes, each church should explore ways to fulfill the Kingdom of God’s mandate with the manpower that comes only from men. No, your activities will look differently from ours. But there are significant ways for men to be involved in every community both here and around the world. Men’s involvement is a key to healthy churches, families, and communities.

I know men in all of the following capacities. Maybe something from this list will help your church reach the many men out there who have the same DNA that the original Adam had.

He ran logistical operations for relief work after a bloody civil war. He organized an organization that feeds thousands from fish that would normally be thrown away. His construction skills built churches all over the continent of Africa. His media skills produced quality documentaries so ministries can tell their stories. He saw the waste in the fruit and vegetable world and founded a ministry that feeds people worldwide. His capacity to work on cars has blessed untold widows and single moms as they struggle with limited budgets. His work in the public schools has kept countless students alive who would struggle with the crisis issues of suicide and anger. His sports camps reach hundreds every year as they train athletes for the next level of competition.

What else can he do? Look at the needs and plot a path for the men who were created to fulfill them and let them know that the Kingdom of God is bigger than preachers and musicians.

Mark Schaufler is an author and the founder of Finish-the-Race.org, a youth ministry training program in the United States. He also started and is the CEO of MST Ministries, providing evangelistic preaching, training, and resources; leading numerous short term missions on six continents since 1984. Visit www.mstgo.com to find out more about Mark’s ministry.

The New International Version of the Bible has been referenced.

“The first thing is to create an environment in which we can all be ourselves. In that environment, humor can help nurture us, just like water and sunshine to a rose, but like a rose we need to be free to be ourselves and open up. You can’t force a rose to open without it becoming withered or bruised, but you can take care of it by nurturing it. That is how it is with us. Humor is just one tool that God wants to use to reach out to us in that environment.”

“Humor can help reach us as it helps us to feel more comfortable. To adults, I would say that humor is a great way to pull us out of our “seclusion box.” It can build our self-confidence, but once you have brought us out of our “box,” then what? Why did you bring us out if you aren’t going to do anything with us? Eventually, you need to be serious, to challenge, stretch, and disciple us.”

“Humor is important in our relationships. It is like an ice breaker in a conversation, helping us to be more open and so leading to a relationship being formed. Fun times we have together are great because in our hectic and stressful days we need a laugh every now and then. Sometimes to cheer us up and other times to help us relax. If I were with an adult who did not have fun, I wouldn’t be around them for long. It is nice to occasionally have a little ‘goof off’ time.”

“Humor is important because it is probably the best way to connect a group. When you are joking and having fun you can’t be fearing rejection at the same time.”

“Adults sometimes have a different sense of humor; there is a big difference between laughing at each other and laughing with each other. We love you to laugh with us, but not at us, as that is hurtful and makes us shut down and stop trusting.”

“This generation isn’t like the previous generation. They are more business like, whereas we are more laid back and want to have a good time. When adults are continually acting serious and can’t seem to be themselves around us because of the fear of what we might think, it becomes a turn off that hinders how we relate with them.”

“Some adults can take it too far with the joking by allowing themselves to verbalize crude and uncouth remarks. This can hinder us because they can offend the ones they are actually trying to reach out to.”

“I love it when people joke and play along with our pranks because it shows that they care about us and want to be a part of our lives.”

“If there wasn’t any humor or fun it would be very different because it would feel all business like.”

“I appreciate the fun times with adults because I can act myself and not fear rejection. I always feel the love of Christ from people who use humor appropriately to connect with us.”

“There is a time to be serious as well. I think we understand, and we can be trusted with that seriousness when the time comes. We enjoy being humorous but we also enjoy people being serious and challenging us. I have a relationship with an adult who has been very humorous with me for many years. If we completely left out the humor in our relationship now it would be a little different. I know now that if they stopped being humorous I would still be committed to them – but if they were never going to be humorous again I don’t think we would be the same. Humor is what made their training so fun for me. It’s what made me want to come back. But now that I’m in, I love it and I love that person. If they stopped that wouldn’t change the fact that I would come to them or change the fact that I love them. However, their humor is what brought me out of my ‘box’ and built my self-confidence.”

“There are times to be humorous and serious, but either one always helps us to bridge the gap with this generation and the next! Lean too far on just one side, then you get someone boring or annoying; stay in the middle, then you’ve got someone fun and trustworthy to hang around with!”

“Another question we might ask is, ‘How does it help us to relate to Jesus?’ Well for one reason, Jesus is love and when we are able to show love to others by acting funny, it helps us to show the joy and happiness that is in us because of what Christ did in us.”

“I think humor is important because it lets you be yourself. I also don’t think God wants us to be serious ALL the time, He definitely sets times for us to be serious, but also I think He wants us to play and laugh and be who He created us to be. I think that the main problem with our generation is that what we think of as ‘church’ is that we go to this building and just listen to somebody talk for a couple of hours, but this generation’s problem is that we aren’t involved. Getting us to laugh and open up helps us to be involved and to be more willing to listen and to participate. Humor is definitely a tool God gave us and He wants us to use what He gave us ”

“I am 110% for humor! I love it. I love to see people laugh in hard times. It’s an ‘uplifting tool!’ This generation needs people who don’t give a long lecture, but who let the youth out on the streets know you are human, by relaxing and chilling out from time to time. We can then feel comfortable and even come to trust each other more! We all need to keep having that kind of fun, it helps get us through life!”

“I think humor is important too for non-Christians. Some non-Christians look at Christians and say that we have no fun when really we do. It is a joy for us to honor and worship a God who loves us so much. I’ve been asking people around my campus and the main phrase they use is ‘No-one likes a bore.’ Being bored is not fun at all. Bringing humor and laughter into a situation brings joy, happiness, and a sense of love. Everyone needs that sense of love and laughter in their lives, which brings a sense of acceptance. The amazing thing is that God accepts us no matter how broken or boring we are. Acceptance is huge in society today. Yes, humor is very important, it has made me feel welcome and like we are family.”

In conclusion, in my relationships with young people, I have found that a healthy combination of humor, discipline, and challenge complement each other to help, by the power of the Holy Spirit, provide a foundation for discipleship. I love their fun – it is a breath of fresh air in my life. I love their laughter – it reflects the carefree abandonment of the Kingdom. I love the joy reflected in their eyes. I love them. When I use humor it connects with them, but as with most things of the Kingdom – I gain so much more than I give with this amazing emerging generation.

Daphne and her children, Andrew and Daniella Kirk, have traveled internationally for over 12 years, taking the vision of “Reconnecting the generations and releasing them to have an uncompromising passion for Jesus with a heart for mission and evangelism.” They speak at pastors and leaders conferences and help to mobilize this emerging generation “for such a time as this.” Check out the ministry founded by the Kirk family, Generation 2 Generation at www.gnation2gnation.com.

It is quite simple how we get the clues for our Treasure Map. In groups, we pray and ask the Holy Spirit to give us words of knowledge. Our Treasure Map is a piece of paper with five categories for the clues – location, name, appearance, things we need prayer for, and the unusual. We were encouraged to write down things that came to mind (which became our clues) and to step out of our comfort zone to look for and approach specific people.

My group and I followed our clues that led us to a library nearby. The moment we walked in, our clues were reinforced that it was the place where God wanted us to start off. We began to weave our way through the aisles, looking intently for our treasures.

After two minutes, we spotted someone with most of the clues (in bold) on our lists. He was an elderly man wearing a green striped shirt, sitting next to a bin, with a swollen ankle. It took us some time to decide who would approach him, but we got around to it and walked up to him smiling. We greeted him and said, “This may seem a little odd, but we are having a treasure hunt and we think that you are the treasure we’re looking for.” He stared at us for quite some time and asked “What treasure hunt? What is this?” We explained to him that we were on a hunt to find God’s treasure. We showed him our list and pointed out the clues that led us to him. After building more rapport with him, we asked how he hurt his leg. He explained that it had something to do with rashes, which was also a clue on my list! I showed it to him and really believed it was a confirmation that God wanted me to pray for him. I then asked if he would let us pray for him and he agreed. I prayed that God would heal his foot.

Halfway through the prayer, God’s presence was so strong I found it hard to speak. At that moment, the man started to cry. He couldn’t stop crying, and I knew God was working in His heart. When we finished the prayer, he explained that he was once a Christian many years back but worldly things derailed him and after a while, he just stopped going to church. His wife left him, and he felt he had nothing left. Still crying, he looked at us and told us he really believed God was working in his heart and that He had planned for us to go there that day and meet him. He asked us if we would pray for his forgiveness, telling us that he really wanted to go back to Jesus. We prayed again and then asked him how his leg felt and if it was any better. He replied, “Yes! It feels better.” And he slowly got up, and began walking back and forth. He was laughing and proclaiming, “Jesus healed me! Jesus healed me!” We then gave him our church’s name card and welcomed him to our church. My group mate also gave him his number in case he had trouble finding our church or needed transport.

As he left, we were ecstatic. We left the library and walked over to the nearby supermarket where the Holy Spirit led us to another Treasure that God wanted us to discover. We prayed for a man’s back pain and he told us that he felt a lot better. In another experience, God used this man’s daughter to lead my group and I to him. Then, we prayed for his family and himself. He thanked us and left smiling. This treasure hunting experience helped me to realise God can use anyone, young or old, to reach out to people around them. I thank God for using me in ways I would never have imagined and pray and hope that He will continue to use me and other youths to glorify Him and reach out to those around us.

Theodora,13, is a student who worships at Rivers Of Life Church in Singapore. She is part of Jesus Generation, a youth group, and is passionate about serving God. She writes songs in her spare time and loves playing the guitar.

Approximately 60,000 children are trafficked across the borders of Southeast Asia alone.

Trafficking of women and children accounts for 87 per cent of reported victims.²

A study found that twenty-two per cent of trafficked victims were sold by their relatives, husbands or boyfriends, and fifty per cent were 14-21 years old.³ One mother said a United Nations peacekeeper raped her 12-year-old boy. A United Nations spokesman said that he had not heard that specific case but that there were indeed a number of new sexual abuse allegations against peacekeepers in Congo and that a team was sent in late July to investigate.⁴ The consequences of stripping away human dignity have seeped through the cracks of our apparently civil and humane society. It is a picture of darkness, desolation, and depression.

It is hard to understand our world but some folks have shown me the light.

Earlier this year, I was privileged to be able to meet a student at NorthLight School. He is only 16 years old, comes from a financial and familial background that many of us would label “disadvantaged” by general societal standards. However, as our friendship grew, I started to share about the work The Amber Initiative was doing. He immediately took interest in our work and his heart for social justice was sparked. At one of our meetings, he suddenly had an epiphany and begged, “Please tell me how much it costs to take a trip to Thailand to befriend children there who are at risk of being trafficked. I’ll save up money to go.” He then smiled in faith. My friend probably did not fully comprehend the weight of his decision. His courage to befriend children in Thailand was a fundamental belief in being the change and the smile that comes along with it.

In my personal journey of leading an organization that advocates social justice, we have always consciously examined and re-examined our modus operandi for sustainable transformation. Compassion for others beyond ourselves was the first fundamental we set as a conscious effort to keep our passion for social justice thoroughly connected with the reality of the issue. We were goal focused, and on track.

Over the course of a year, the passion and intensity within the youthful individuals in The Amber Initiative grew tremendously as it morphed from a program into a compulsion and calling. For many on the team, the reality of human trafficking inched fearfully close. Desperation became the new modus operandi. There was no time to waste, no time to rest. The team was engaged and involved – they were serious and never wavered in their immediate tasks.

We are passionate, outward-focused, eager, and compassionate. We were taking confident strides into a narrow alley that was never lit beyond the spot we were in. It looked like the perfect model; the key factors had logic yet it felt misplaced and possibly directionally false.
Now let me take you to Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, where I learnt a simple lesson of profound proportions.

I learnt this lesson from a homeless African American male who had refused to allow his personal “logistical” disadvantage overwhelm his ability to help others. His philosophy was simple (as I watched him for over an hour). His work was about joy. His “office” was a busy intersection that he had boldly albeit cheekily claimed ownership of by merely proclaiming his presence over it.

As pedestrians waited to cross the intersection, he would proclaim loud, clear, and full of cheer, “Welcome to MY intersection! You either buy my magazine or you skip across the road with me!” He began skipping across the road. No one followed him. “Come ON! It’s okay, you don’t have to skip, why don’t you just smile for me there, it doesn’t cost a thing; come on, let me see that smile! If you don’t, I’m going to come over to tickle you!” People at the large intersection could not help but break into a smile. “Ah ha! There it is! Just beautiful! Just beautiful!”
At every single change of traffic light he would do that, skipping and smiling. Skipping is really tiring, but it makes the journey so much more fun – that is what we often forget. When we cross the road, when we walk or cycle, we often forget the people around us – we get so focused on the destination that we forget the ride.

I dare say that the first step to ensuring your impact, sustainability, and the deliverance of social justice is kindling that ability within your soul to uplift yourself.

Skipping and smiling is noticing not only just what is right in front of you but all the moments beyond, around, and below the spot you are in. We should feel sorry for forgetting the importance of the journey. It is the quality of the journey that will eventually determine the depth of your ending. In the case of the advocacy and provision of social justice, there is no ending, which makes the journey an ending in itself.

It is about smiling with the people around you and encouraging them to do the same. We need to be reminded and to remind others that life is a celebration. Do you have enough strength to carry the cheer of this celebration as you advocate social justice? It is about a certain sense of freedom that comes with an innate sense of dignity and joy.

It took one homeless man to deliver justice to the thousands of people with homes in Chicago with the importance of a skip and a smile. Naïve, nonsensical, childish, superficial, superfluous, ridiculous, and insane are probably some of the words that have crossed your mind. Well, no one ever said advocating social justice was going to be easy, but at least it is simpler than we realize. Let us skip and smile to the beat of life. It is a party and you are invited. Will you celebrate?

References:
1. UN estimates, Correspondents in Vienna, 2008.
2. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2006.
3. Kozhouharova, Nadya and Stateva, Milena. “Trafficking in Women in Bulgaria: A New Stage”In Feminist Review, No. 76, Post-Communism: Women’s Lives in Transition, Palgrave Macmillan Journals, 2004.
4. Gettleman, Jeffrey. “Symbol of Unhealed Congo: Male Rape Victims.” New York Times, August 4, 2009, World Section.

Suraj Prakash Upadhiah, together with Meixi Ng, are co-founders of The Amber Initiative, a youth led initiative committed to the restoration and protection of human dignity through a global movement of youth. Check out their website atwww.theamberinitiative.com.

There is a hunger for a deeper kind of learning and creativity within each one of us. Peter Senge writes, “Real learning gets to the heart of what it means to be human.” In Calcutta, my friend Suraj and I experienced what being human was like. Walking through a dark alley in the pouring rain, the damp air, the rows of women staring, the smell of alcohol – every sense was heightened and I do not know where to begin describing the start of a trip that changed both our lives. The Amber Initiative is an organization that focuses on connecting youth with the great injustice that we first witnessed in Calcutta. What started out as a project proposal for me as a delegate at the Global Engagement Summit turned into an independent trip to Calcutta, India; and finally grew exponentially to an organization that has been presented on the national radio in Singapore, to schools and churches and even contacted by MTV EXIT. So the story begins.

In July 2008, Suraj and I went to Calcutta, and I still do not understand how this happened, but without any prior arrangements, we visited the brothels of Calcutta on the very first day we arrived. This is all thanks to a wonderful non governmental organization called Sanlaap, which works against gender injustice, including trafficking of women and children for commercial sexual exploitation, abuse, and prostitution. Located in the heart of the red light district of Calcutta were Sanlaap’s community centers. The center we visited held children aged four to eight years old. When we arrived, they were squirming with delight, excitedly whispering to each other and wondering who we were. We built rapport with the children through backflips and I remember their immense delight at the opportunity to perform a skit for us. They began to show us their art work and when we gave them high fives, there was a sense of deep ecstasy, and they could not stop beaming. Before we left the center, I asked the children what they wanted to be when they grew up, and each one shyly shared with us their dreams.

They had huge dreams. Popeye wanted to be a teacher, Sanji wanted to be a Bollywood star. Shanti wanted to be a flower (that’s still my favorite!). I was so moved by this that I knew something more had to be done – I wanted to adopt that community center and raise funds for it. Ideas were buzzing inside my head and brainstorming out loud, I said, “If we can adopt this center, we could even come back and do an art competition with them, exchange letters…” And Gitika, a Calcutta native stopped me right there and uttered, “Why don’t we just do it now?”

I had never thought of going ahead so quickly with a “random” idea, but we snapped into action. Community approval was crucial and we told the driver to make a U-turn to return to the Sanlaap local office. Hurriedly, we told the Sanlaap manager of our plans – he loved it. It was now time to act. We started by going to a local art supplies shop and bought all kinds of paper we could find. Paint, markers, chalk, glue, scissors, paper, glitter – you name it and we got it. We had no idea how this would turn out, and we just did it.

Sometimes turning an idea into action just means going by your gut instinct and dreaming big. The moment we received Sanlaap’s approval, which was the most critical step – the rest was the execution. And little did we know that this art competition would generate the body of our photographs and a trademark for The Amber Initiative is to be known for using art in all its forms as a means of community engagement. But this was just the very beginning.

Over the course of one year now, we have sought expertise from others both in Singapore and abroad. It is this continual learning that sustains us. We were dumbfounded when Mrs Chua, the principal of Northlight School in Singapore, told us, “Answers? We have no answers. Does a bird have answers? No. All it has is a song and the song is that we believe.” That is exactly what we did – from the moment we started the art workshop, we believed. All that was left was singing our song, and hoping that song would touch others and allow them to add to the melody. We thus began to move from seeing ourselves as separate from the world, to connecters, movers and shakers of our reality. We began learning because through learning, we re-create ourselves; through learning we are able to do something we never were able to; through learning we re-perceive the world and our relationship to it; through learning we extend our capacity to create, to be part of the generative process of life. So over the summer, Suraj and I co-founded and worked on The Amber Initiative – Turning the red light into green. As Suraj often says, “It’s like we’ve seen a crime and not reported it – how can you do that?” After seeing injustice so close, hearing stories of children “homeless” when their mothers start working, or just dancing with an eight year-old with HIV, I have seen the face of poverty up close and started to grow in my understanding of privilege.

From idea to Initiative – what began as mere curiosity turned into a shared vision and dedication of my life to this vision. Personal Mastery is one of the disciplines Peter Senge uses in his book, The Fifth Discipline, and involves two aspects. First, Personal Mastery means continually learning to see our current reality more clearly, where we are in relation to what we want. The current reality of the psychological strain and despicable conditions these children lived in created our vision. The Amber Initiative was founded because of the gap between the current reality of such injustice and my vision that children living in the brothel areas can have their basic rights fulfilled. This brings us to the other element of Personal Mastery – being acutely aware of our personal vision and constant clarification of what is important. Creative tension is a force that according to Senge, “seeks resolution” and the “essence of personal mastery is learning how to generate and sustain the creative tension in our lives.” Being aware of both elements – my personal vision and the current reality of the situation in Calcutta was the “creative tension” and the enabling force that drove us to found this organization.

At The Amber Initiative, I have an intrinsic desire to see children make their dreams a reality. For me there is no greater joy than to work towards that vision. I want to move towards that vision, to be an instrument, the steward and servant of a larger purpose. It was only after clarifying what was important to me, when I looked inside for an internal standard that I could articulate what I wanted to create and achieve.

Both Suraj and I have a deep sense of personal mastery and the energy for action was the catalyst that captured the hearts of others as we began to share our vision for The Amber Initiative. From a personal vision, the fight for justice through advocacy and awareness initiatives grew as more youth were aware of the current reality of the situation in Calcutta and cultivated their own vision. Senge’s discipline of a shared vision became a reality for us as more people caught onto and added to the vision and made it their own.

A shared vision has to start from its leaders and after the trip to Calcutta, my co-founder, Suraj, and I had to ask ourselves, what do we care about creating together? Both of us were moved by our shared experiences with the children in the brothels and now faced the challenge of inspiring others to jump on board. Our commitment to justice and action had to go beyond forming a committee for a project – we wanted to find people who were not only committed to the vision but to each other. Especially since such work requires a self-selecting process, we want our members to be co-creators of the vision and commit, if not enroll in our vision and see each other as equal stakeholders in what we are trying to create. This is the only way we can build something truly sustainable, because such advocacy work is hard and the motivation must be their own.

Creating and cultivating a shared vision is a “daily process.” As Suraj and I are in different countries for most of the year, it is a real challenge. However, sustaining The Amber Initiative and the vision is critical through increased and constant communication. Reminiscing, I think what made The Amber Initiative work was that we wanted to create more than an organization but a movement. It took hard work, and up till now, we are still asking ourselves, “What do we want to create?” And now I ask that of you.

Meixi Ng is currently pursuing a Bachelor Of  Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University, with a Minor in Communications Sciences and Disorders. Co-founder of The Amber Initiative, she is passionate about effecting change in communities all over the world, especially in special education, sports, and disabilities. She likes to swim, hang out with her friends, and eat raw vegetables in her spare time.

References:

Senge, Peter. The Fifth Discipline. New York: Doubleday, 1990.

Check out The Amber Initiative at www.theamberinitiative.com.