Besnik Avdiaj at the Youth Leadership Summit 2013



I want to start this story saying that I AM SO LUCKY!

Through GWY i was told about an opportunity with The Learning Institute to attend the 'Youth Leadership Summit' taking place from the 13th to the 18th of October in England. However I wasnt the only one from our organization as there were also three others; Elda, Anda and Natyra. All friends and amazing peer to peer leaders in our movement.

It was a cold and foggy the morning of the 13th of October. I traveled to the International Airport of Pristina with my parents by car. I met the others at about 5:00 am There was also someone else: Lumi, he was a really amazing guy. Then together with our leader Gwyneth, we checked in and got ready for trip.
Besnik (far left) with the Kosovo team


It didn’t take that long to fly from Pristina to Frankfurt Airport (one of the largest in Europe). We all were amazed and having fun with each other. There we caught the airplane to Heathrow Airport in London. During the flight, I met an amazing person, she was Japanese and we had an interesting conversation till we landed in London. Seeing London from the sky was incredible...but it was much more unbelievable seeing myself within it!

We arrived at Grosvenor Hall at about 2:00 pm and after we checked in, we were told to go to the canteen and have the lunch. We were then divided in 10 teams. Then we were sent to dorms and got accommodated.

We listened to a lecture by  Harry Singha, which was so inspiring and motivational we felt a change beginning already. Then we were taught how to put our energy into one point and break wooden boards… can you imagine? WE BROKE BOARDS...LIKE IN KUNG FU!!!! But that wasn't the point as it was about the importance of how we motivate others to achieve their targets and work as a team. I felt like my team was one movement and I was a part of it!


 
I was a member of Team 9, which I loved so much. I loved everyone there, because those people were so supportive, special, kind, helpful, interesting, funny and amazing. They were really FANTASTIC! They all made an impact on me and that’s why I feel I have changed!
The second day was amazing. After a morning lecture, we had day activities, which were all funny. We all helped each other to achieve the target of each game. Teamwork was in center of everything. I still can feel my heart beating, like I am there, prompting team members, doing my best on helping them and feeling so special by their encouraging words. That night I was chosen as the leader of the day from my team, i was very thankful and very proud of them and myself.
  
The third day came around and I felt like the days were going faster than usually. Like a minute was a second, and an hour was a minute. We had again a morning lecture and day activities (which were becoming greater and greater). What I can emphasize here is the fact that if my team finished first we didn’t stay doing nothing. But, we stepped up and went to help other teams which were trying over and over to achieve the target of the game. We helped them to do it and they DID it. George Hardwick was so amazing with his daily poems and Steve Jack was also fantastic with his Centering and all the other speakers in general for everything they did for us and I want to say to them that I am so thankful for their inspiration.

I don’t want to write so much, because if I do it, I’d need much more pages, but I want to mention the presentation night, which was so incredible, my team made a great presentation and I acted like I had fallen in love with a cute girl to show the meaning of Emotions, which we had had all learned in the morning lecture. I made others smile with my acting ability.

"Do anything you want, cuz' you can!"
The last night was the most emotional one. We gave gifts to Harry Singha and his 'Knowledge to Action Foundation'  these expressed culture and wealth of our country. There was music and we were all dancing over and over again, when the DJ played traditional music of our country “Vallja e Shotes” and we all danced our traditional dance and most people tried to learn it... it was so funny and we all had an amazing time! When it became time to go to bed, we all felt down.
 
The Kosovo guys with Harry Singha
 
We were very tired as most of us hadn't slept till 3:00 or 4:00am during the week and when the  knock on the door came on the final morning...I woke up slowly with a miserable appearance on my face! I felt sad leaving but I had big plans for tomorrow in Kosovo. I feel i have stepped up and since returning I have achieved some goals and I am going to reach many more in the future!  I feel I was changed in that summit!
 
Thank you and keep smiling!

Besnik.

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