Travel with a message

Luis Diego Oreamuno for The Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/luis-diego-oreamuno/travel-with-a-message_b_4178735.html?1383320919

It has been a good year. I have had the chance to add value on my activities and I have felt the multiplier effect. All, result of doing what I love, with passion, enjoying. Being part and building a real collaboration ecosystem. I have been traveling around invited by companies and organizations, a good experience most would say; for me, the people that I met the most valuable aspect in my life right now. Young people creating impact, older people that trust in young people, and others that are simply extraordinary on inspiring and creating change. Those who don´t lose hope.

A friend who pushed me to apply and a extraordinary experience waiting. No less than the most international and diverse of youth gathering in the world; more than a thousand of young leaders, activists, social entrepreneurs and many people from the private sector probably in the middle of their inflexion point. World leaders who trusted once again in this initiative, taking his shot to inspire and promote impact all around the world, showing that we should take the risk and improve the state of the world. It´s late, we need to speed up.

My first official friend injected me more energy than anyone in a long time. 30 hours without sleep but I was making my best to listen her in the bus. She gave me her business card made it just for the summit and I heard about her Masters, the hard time learning a new language and her projects with refugees in Italy. My first friend in South Africa was from Siria. I also wanted to cry when she did on stage while she was recognized by the organizers.

For this one, I wanted to experiment something different and spread a new message. I was the only one from my country, Costa Rica. This time, I don’t wanted to hear about innovation, technology or leadership. It was other things that caught me. It is the time of social business and we need it more than ever.

Days got me closer with friends from Congo, they were joking each other just before explained me that one of them was from Congo and the other from Democratic Republic of Congo, countries in war. I was also close of the delegate from Côte d’Ivoire and she asked me about my country. She was not exactly sure about the location but she knew that we are a country without an army and she asked, ¨how is that possible?¨, and Congo friends said, ¨how do you protect your people?¨. I also made my questions, for example to our friend from Comodos, I did not know nothing about his country but I was glad to know that they have young leaders, the same thing for Eritrea, Slovenia, Burundi, Nigeria, Palestina and countries from the Caribbean like Cuba and the Latin America Region.

I really enjoyed when counsellors introduced young delegates on every session. I walked every morning from my hotel to the convention center. I did check in on foursquare in Mandela Square and the outdoors break out session in the Grassroot Soccer Project Soweto taught me a lot. It is incredible the possible impact just using the power of an idea, a simple concept applied to educate and fight world issues like HIV and aids like in this case. I wish I could remember all those great songs and companies could implement the ¨kilo award¨ to motivate their teams.

Leadership and Government was the last plenary and a very active session. When was time for questions I couldn´t make it to be one of the first five in the microphone so I decided to go for a glass of water. On my way back I decided to make the line, the staff guy knew that I was not allowed and I send my gratitude to him now. David was trying to go fast on his great intention of keeping everything on time. He said ¨and finally¨ and it was my turn, I was the last delegate to make a comment.

I asked to those 1300 delegates from 198 countries why their countries need an army. My country abolished it more than 60 years creating from that an alternative to promote development, democracy and direct efforts where they should go, investing in education and sustainability. I tried to encourage them to propose governments to abolish their armies. I finished my comment with a simply ¨it is freaking great to don´t have an army¨. 

I missed my flight back home with no regrets because It was a enormous pleasure to meet my friend and a extraordinary human been from Luxemburg in the city tours during the last day. We bought some souvenirs in the market, heard kids singing gospel with a natural happiness that would remind in our minds forever. I had the chance to explain to a 16 years old japanese boy with a great potential the difference between working in the government and working with the government.

All of us received one of the best advices, to sleep well. I traveled with a message and got back with an enforced mission and compromises with this world. Fortunately we are not alone.