By Neo Shi Wei
A group of USPians – all from different batches – recently attended the 2016 University Scholars Leadership Symposium in August, a week-long programme held in Hanoi that gathered 700 over delegates representing about 69 countries to discuss issues with regards to humanitarian affairs.
The inspiring speeches and engaging discussion with other delegates had a profound effect on the USPians. In addition to their reflections (links can be found at the bottom of this page), here is a mosaic of thoughts and reflections that serve to highlight what they have learnt and felt during the entire course of the event.
On the stories they heard:
From USLS facebook page
“Shandra Woworuntu, a survivor of sex trafficking, spoke to us about the helplessness she felt when she managed to jump through a tiny bathroom window but couldn’t help the other victims escape. Even then, naked, penniless, homeless, powerless and without her passport, she promised that she would come back to save them. The police wouldn’t help, her national embassy wouldn’t help, so she slept on the streets, begged for food, until one day someone connected her to the FBI and they worked together to save the rest of the trafficking victims.” – Max Huang
“One story told by Geraldine which really stuck in my mind and probably will for some time is that of Noodles. Noodles was a six-month-old baby she met after being told that he left was behind by his parents and was being taken care of by the owners of a pushcart selling noodles. Hence the name Noodles. However, she was just going back to Australia to raise funds that day so she said she will come back to take him once she returns. When she came back though, she found that unscrupulous middlemen had harvested Noodle’s eyes to sell to the wealthy. For me, I was able to vividly imagine it happen in front of my eyes while facing the pushcarts in Siem Reap.” – Edward Yee
On the speakers:
From USLS Facebook Page
“One thing that struck me about the speakers was that they never preached. Instead, they exposed you to the problem and allowed you to reach your own conclusions.” – Kwang Yi Jing
“They talked about issues – human trafficking, refugee crisis, poverty, war and violation of human rights – which I knew of and read about in the news. However, I always felt that I was unable to form a connection with those in need. Having listened to the speakers speak so passionately about the causes they believe in, numbers are no longer just statistics, and these issues are no longer just news.” – Eliza Ang
“For instance, Geraldine Cox, president of Sunrise Cambodia, quit her finance job in 1993 and entered the social industry. She bettered the lives of over 3000 children in post-Pol Pot Cambodia.” – Zhi Hong
“As one of the speakers said, most of us are convinced in our heads, but our hearts aren’t, and so our hands don’t feel the need to do something about it. But if we aren’t the ones trying to make a difference, we need to know that there are few out there who can even make a difference.” – Max Huang
On the camaraderie they had:
From Ng Xin Yu
“There was one night, where the seven of us sat by Hoa Kiem Lake and sang our hearts out. To be honest, I cannot remember how it started, or rather, who started singing, but we did. We sang songs from Simple Plan, Coldplay, Adele, Justin Bieber… It was a major throwback session and we sang for about an hour. To me, it felt extremely cathartic. The rare, cool breeze caressed our faces as we sang our hearts out to the lake, and we weren’t troubled about a thing in the world.” – Ng Xin Yu
“Before the symposium itself, we traveled to Halong Bay together and even stayed on the boat there for one night. Surrounded by mountains and endless sea, I felt like I could do anything and I could be anybody. Feeling adventurous, I suggested to our tour guide for a ‘jetty jump’, overlooking the fact that I do not know how to swim. Nonetheless, I was up for it until I stood at the edge of the boat and “I can’t do this” escaped my mouth. After I said that, it truly felt that there was no way I could jump into the ocean wearing a bright orange life vest. As I was hesitating, a good friend came over and gave me a good push.” – Sylvia Chen
On the other delegates:
From USLS Facebook page
” I was lucky enough to sit next to a delegate from California who was very interested in research. She shared that she, too, felt inadequate to solve the problems of the world but research was all about connecting the dots, putting multiple observations together to draw a deeper conclusion. She saw that she could make use of this expertise to help people assemble bits of a solution to form a more holistic approach, much like how a computer is only a computer after you put the hard drive, motherboard and monitor together.” – Max Huang
“It was truly inspiring to hear them speak about their vast experiences, and more importantly, their dreams for a better world.” – Edward Yee
On key takeaways:
From USLS Facebook page
“I realised how so little is able to make such a big difference in the lives of others and how finance is able to help to solve so many of these problems; Humbled that a mere twist of fate is all that separates me and those who are less privileged – my life is not mine.” – Edward Yee
“USLS has definitely humanize many social problems and helped me feel a greater sense of empathy. All the speakers were passionate and dedicated and this has definitely inspired me to walk on the same path.” – Eliza Ang
“I signed up for this symposium, hoping to change my mindset towards committing more time and resources towards social services. I understand that if these problems are not solved in our generation, they might continue to linger to the next generation. It is not ok to leave these issues as they are. Even then, I am still in midst of a struggle to develop a greater heart for humanity.” – Zhi Hong
“For me, I cannot see myself being at the forefront of change. I cannot simply throw away my notes and say that I want to end poverty in Africa. I have a life to live. Yet, this Symposium has motivated me to look out for opportunities for others to live theirs.” – Kwang Yi Jing
“The world has many problems, and we are in such a position of privilege that it is somewhat an obligation for us to try to do something about it.’ – Max Huang
“As for me, I have decided to make conscious efforts to live life in its fullest. I wish to start small; conquering my fear of the dark, maybe, and start on social projects close to me, like in Pioneer Hall, to raise awareness about certain causes. I guess you can say that I intend on saving the world, one step at a time, one friend at a time.” – Ng Xin Yu
“That was the moment I decided that I cannot be content with my life anymore. There is so much more I could have done instead of spending time on useless things like Korean drama or social media. There is a long way to go to change the world, but that does not mean we should not start now. Change starts from within.” – Sylvia Chen
For the full articles, check out the links below!
