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Final CAS Reflection

Introduction:

There is a saying that success is not a destination but the journey that is filled with life lessons and memorable moments. My CAS (Creativity, Action and Service) was a journey that was filled with nostalgic memories and moments that created a heavy impact upon my life and my overall character. Initially, I thought that the CAS was just an extension of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme, where it must be completed in a number of hours and I am finished. However, as I progressed through the months of Sixth Form, I realised that what maybe just a small part can create something much larger than expected.

Goals:

Initially, I had a very basic plan for how I would execute my CAS. The rough plan went along with me alone doing speeches in the Brunei Gavel Club, participating in Model United Nations, hiking at Bukit Shahbandar and volunteering for Pusat Ehsan. However, as I progressed throughout the year, I realised that the path to growth is a journey filled with unexpected mysteries and surprises. This led me to change my goals from “doing something productive to fill my time” to utilising every opportunity to reflect on my life and progress with the intention of becoming a better person overall. 

Defying Highlights:

It was really hard to identify what was the key “highlight” of my CAS experience because there were many things and aspects I have learned in which it affected my life in different ways. Each initiative or activity I took managed to at least have a small impact on changing the perception of how I live my life with meaning. Hence why I do value every initiative I took as they somehow changed my life in different ways. Although that was the case, there were three highlights that I would say mostly impacted me heavily.

My first highlight was when I participated in the Third Youth Against Poverty program organised by SCOT in 2018. During the program, I was allocated to a team of youths where we had to pitch and present a possible and feasible solution to alleviate the issue of poverty in Brunei in front of a panel of judges. This event really changed a small perspective through the idea of doing small changes in the community could bring in big impacts to wider society and to different people. Additionally, working with different youths in Brunei with different perspective taught me how there are multiple ways to tackle an issue. Hence, when approaching an issue, it was very important to look at different possible ways and different probabilities to tackle them.

The second highlight was when I attended the Borneo Global Issues Conference (BGIC) hosted by ISB earlier in 2019. I have always had a very strong interest in politics and the way how governments work. Therefore, I took the initiative to sign myself up for it as a way to get a further depth and understanding of the world of international politics. Initially, I had the mindset of a “true politician”, with strong beliefs, ideals and solutions in which I would do anything to fight for. This led me to have antagonistic political tactics towards other delegates when debating for my resolution. This led to other delegates viewing me as a “Condescending” individual and having negative personal feelings towards me. This resulted in my resolution failing and being excluded from my committee which eventually brought me down to tears. However, I was very much fortunate to have the main Year 13 Organisers to give me emotional support which really brought a change of heart in regards to how I approached this conference. Eventually, I changed the way how I executed my diplomatic tactics, eventually winning “Most Diplomatic Delegate” within my committee. Therefore, this conference not only taught me how to be more diplomatic but to also be more kind and to spread goodness in the chaotic world of politics.

The third key highlight was when I attended the Youth Empowerment Conference (YEC) organised by Progresif Sdh Bhd and Curious Minds. Initially, I was not really that anticipated when I signed myself up to attend this conference as I have been to similar ones before. This led me to have quite mediocre expectations with no real goal takeaways I wanted to have at the end of the day. However, after the whole experience of listening to different speakers and meeting different people, I was really stuck emotionally with the realisation of how many young people in Brunei are willing to take the initiative to do something great and progress with one another as a society. Almost as if I had a sense of purpose given to me whilst I was sitting down among the 700 participants in the Art Centre Auditorium. I would definitely say that at the end of the day after the conference, it was very nostalgic in the sense that hope was bestowed upon me knowing that the youth society we live in is very much supportive in every aspect. Furthermore, the Youth Empowerment Conference taught me how regardless of background, interests or opinions, it was very important for all members of the youth to strive and succeed together in order to build a well mannered and advancing society. This led me to meet and network with different people, creating new friendships that I personally would regard as highly meaningful. Therefore, the experience I had from the conference was overwhelmingly positive and sentimental, leading to a change of perspective and how I would approach my life to improve.

Each of these highlights that I have mentioned not only were key within my CAS journey but also in my overall life in Sixth Form. The key reason why these three events/activities/moments were my biggest highlights was due to how they were able to change my character as a person in many ways as I progress towards the future.

What I gained and learned from the CAS experience:

The CAS journey really changed my life in multiple ways in which I could not describe all of them in written words. Firstly, it showed and revealed strength in confidence in public speaking. What was initially just a passion that I overlooked turned out to be a key asset when participating or attending different conferences, events and more. Secondly, it really changed my perspective on how to tackle world issues. Often we feel or believe that there is one theory or method that could instantly solve every problem the world has faced. However, a problem that was multicausal needs a solution that is open to different ideas and thoughts. I realised how it was very important to keep an open mind when listening to the ideas of other people as the debates in parliaments could not always tackle the simplest of issues. Merely, it takes different great thoughts and ideas of people to discuss with one another in order to determine an accurate and feasible cure to worldly diseases. Additionally, the CAS journey taught me to expect the unexpected. There were definitely many surprising moments that were overwhelmingly positive as I progressed throughout these two years. Hence, it taught me that life is full of surprises and that sometimes fate could bring in something better we could never expect. Finally, what I would consider as the best part of my CAS experience were the friendships and caring individuals I met along the road. From the Youth Against Poverty Program to the Youth Empowerment Conference, I am very much grateful to meet different individuals who not only taught me skills and knowledge that are very much useful but creating a positive and sentimental impact in my life through the sense of giving me hope and happiness which I always look forward to.

Conclusion

If I were to go back in time and talk to myself one year before when I began doing the International Baccalaureate  Diploma Programme or even before that, he would see myself today as an entirely different person. Both the process of academically enduring the courses within the IB and the CAS Programmes placed me into different challenges that forced me to change, adapt and evolve into a better person. Each area of the CAS Programme allowed me to explore my different strengths and weakness in which I take note of in order to strive for better in the near future. I feel and firmly believe that I have evolved drastically from the day I started the IB course. Memories I have earned along the way play scenes of nostalgia that really shaped me to become a better and more open-minded person. The journey I had was definitely full of struggles and failures along the path. However, they were merely blessings in disguise that brought in a positive impact on my life.

As Charles Darwin once said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, but the ones that are adaptable from change”

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The Conference That Changed My Life

To be honest, life is always full of mysteries and surprises. It is very easy for us to have standards of expectations in which the endgame could either fulfil, disappoint or exceed it. Fortunately, my expectations were exceeded when I participated in the 2019 Youth Empowerment Conference organised by Progresif Sdh Bhd and Curious minds and was hosted in the JIS Arts Centre.

Initially, I had low expectations that I wanted to fulfil at the end of the conference as I have originally thought that it would be very similar to conferences I have attended in the past. The key goal takeaways I expected to get were just a few words of knowledge and information that would probably prove useful to me in the near future, and nothing else. Honestly, I was very much apathetic towards this conference as I feel that any sense of ‘motivation’ would display similar to many messages conveyed by speakers I have heard from before. Therefore, I did have feelings of not wanting to be there since there was a high probability of getting the same repeated output I have always received in past youth events or conferences. However, my initial thoughts and expectations were proven to be 100% false through the experience I had with the Youth Empowerment Conference.

Firstly, to my surprise, the conference invited a wide variety of speakers from local NGOs and social enterprises to international organisations and foreign corporations. This led me to see different perspectives on how these people executed their dreams and goals which really,  no pun intended, empowered me in many ways to the highest extent. One key speaker I am sure most participants would always remember was Mark Stone, who really gave a motivational presentation in regards to our individual worth and purpose which really strikes every participant emotionally with positivity. Therefore, the conference really unexpectedly gave me a different sense of motivation on how I wanted to drive my life towards my goals with a whole new definition of success, which I am very much grateful for.

Secondly, the people and fellow members of the youth I have met on that day gave me a strong sense of optimism for the future of Brunei. It was truly unexpected for me to meet different members of the youth who wish to bring in something new into the community of Brunei in order to push this country towards progress. This led me to see different perspectives, interests and goals the participants had which really made me realise how diverse Brunei is in regards to its youth population. This was truly an opportunity to network with different people and create new friendships that are nostalgic in many ways. To be honest, it was really quite emotional at the end of the conference, having to say goodbye to new friends who really managed to make an instant positive impact on the same day I met them. Therefore, my expectations exceeded in regards to the people I have met. The conference taught me that there were always members of the youth who are genuinely caring to work together in order to strive for a better future.

Finally, I did not really expect to do any active contributions and participation within the conference, which I surprisingly did. Throughout the conference, I continually questioned the speakers with curiosity in regards to different topics. From Artificial intelligence to diplomacy and finally on how to succeed in personal life goals. During the conference, it was mentioned that whoever asked the most interesting question would win a robot Iron Man that was worth 400 dollars. Unexpectedly, I won (as seen in the picture above) and was called up to take my prize on stage. However, I felt that I did not really deserve it and therefore, I called up a friend of mine who has a good heart on stage to give the 400 dollar robot to him since I felt he deserved it more. I then proceeded to deliver a short 1-minute impromptu speech in front of the wider audience about how true successes come from the good deeds we execute as the world very much needs more positivity and goodness in order for it to be a better place. Honestly, the action and contribution I just mentioned were very much unexpected and I’m quite satisfied that was able to take up the courage to do so.

The Youth Empowerment Conference was very much not just a conference where it filled up my notebook with random and new information that may be useful or not for me in the future, but an event that truly struck me with change emotionally and mentally. A new sense of hope that was bestowed upon me at the end of the conference, in which my beliefs and perspective were changed in regards to the youth of Brunei, showing me that every person is willing to contribute in building a greater and progressive society of the future.

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An Impactful Journey Through the World of International Politics.

It is a dream for me to step onto the stage of international diplomacy and politics. It is a dream for me to be discussing, debating and defending solutions to help the world and make it a better place for everyone today and tomorrow. It is a dream for me to connect with different people to be inspired heavily in order to take initiatives with high ambitions. From January to March, I managed to get a taste of what it was like through the journey of being a part of the Borneo Issues Global Conference or BGIC.

BGIC is an annual Model United Nations simulation in which its aims are to raise awareness on serious global issues, develop confidence and skills in public speaking and to grow as responsible global citizens.

At first, the impacts I expected to gain from BGIC was minimal, seeing it as an opportunity to just simply have fun and enjoy. However, I was very much unaware of the emotional and mentally challenging rollercoaster ride BGIC has to offer as the entire journey was significantly life impacting in many ways.

Training Days (The Journey of Preparation)

Day 1

The first training day began on the 15th of January, on a Friday afternoon. Students are to enter the theatre hall of the school where the introduction was taking place. First and foremost, students and teacher advisors were briefed on what BGIC is, the theme of the conference which is the 13th Sustainable Development Goal- Climate action and its purposes in which students should take the initiatives or opportunities to start up change upon this earth.

However, what was quite intriguing was how the entire conference was very much student-led, as the Secretariat-Generals and committee chairs were made up of very passionate ISB Sixth-Form students, who were introduced gracefully during the training day introduction. 

Once that was done, all students were proceeded to go to their respected rooms where their committees were at. I was allocated into environmental forum 1, where the topics of reducing desertification and exploring opportunities in diversification and innovation in agriculture. There we met our wonderful chairs, Dayana and Ashley, who will be helping and leading all the delegates in preparation for the committee sessions and debating procedures on the actual days of BGIC.

Our chairs first brought up quite a unique game for us delegates to follow during the ice-breaking session. We were given a piece of paper where the name of a particular animal is written on it, then make the sound that the animal makes, I find another delegate who is making the same animal sounds as well. There I met other students from other schools in Brunei, which led us to have a good conversation to know one another really well.

Once that was done, our chairs taught us the basics of BGIC through powerpoints. Being a member of the JIS MUN CCA, some aspects or procedures of points and motions were familiar. However, I was introduced to some new procedures for MUN as well. One of which was the “Point of Clarification” where a delegate could request the main submitter of a resolution on the definition on particular terms within the said resolution. Another would be the “Point of Order”, where a delegate can point out a breach in Parliamentary Procedure, and the “Point of Grievance”, where a delegate can state whether the country he or she is representing is being insulted. 

Another key part of the first training day was on opening speeches, where each delegate has to write a speech about the country’s he or she is representing views upon the topics that are to be discussed as well as the theme of the whole conference. The country that I was representing was the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, a nation that has strong environmentalist views but could not actively participate in helping with the issue due to the ongoing Taliban Insurgency.

Therefore, here is my opening speech:

“Good morning honorable chairs and fellow delegates. The delegate of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is much honored in discussing issues and solutions relating to the thirteenth sustainable development goal- climate action. 

Afghanistan has suffered tremendously from climate-related disasters in the past 20 years, especially from severe droughts such as one that took place between 1998 to 2006. According to the United Nations Development Program or UNDP, droughts are likely to become the norm by 2030, leading to degradation and desertification, threatening 80% of Afghans who rely on rain-fed agriculture. However, 42% of Greenhouse Gases in Afghanistan come from cattle, emphasizing on how livestock-related emissions and monoculture farming is a major contributor to the nation’s climate change issue. 

Therefore, this delegate believes that resolutions that deal with climate change need to be immediately addressed and discussed together with other delegates. Thank you.”

Day 2

On the second training day that took place on the 8th of February, everyone was expected to complete their first drafts of their opening speech. There, our chairs introduced on the roles of delegates and whether on if we decide to become main-submitter, the delegates who will directly be in charge of submitting a resolution, co-submitter, the delegates who are responsible in helping the main submitter in producing the resolution or co-sponsor, the delegates who choose to support a resolution.

The number of resolutions to be submitted are four. Hence, the countries that were submitting a resolution are the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Ukraine, and Afghanistan.

Once that was done, the chairs then went through a mock debate that was really clear and ran smoothly for us delegates to understand the procedures well. In addition, the chairs hosted a Q and A session in order for us delegates to pick up any missing pieces of understanding regarding the procedures of the debate.

Day 3

The final training day was on the 15th of February, where us, delegates had to proceed to the theatre in which a mock debate was presented by the Secretariat-Generals, in order for all delegates of all committees to fully and clearly understand once more on how a MUN debate works.

All delegates then returned to their committees to proceed with the researching and crafting of their respective resolutions. That is when the chairs finalized on who is co-submitting for the resolutions. From there, all delegates are taught how a resolution is crafted and organized. Therefore, the main submitters and their co-submitters and co-sponsors begin to research extensively on their topics to produce a well-rounded resolution.

As a main-submitter, I was fortunately given the opportunity to choose a question, which was “The need to explore alternative opportunities in agricultural diversification and innovation”.

This led to a thorough discussion with my co-submitters and co-sponsors in discussing ideas and points to craft up a potentially good resolution. Main ideas were mostly focused on themes of education within developing countries. However, this led to the development of other notions surrounding ideas of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), polyculture and permaculture farming and more. We also asked our dear chairs if we needed help with the writing of the resolution.

Eventually, we were able to think of a good layout or structure for the resolution before we are given the responsibility and independence to finish most of it before Lobbying which was in three weeks time.

The Journey of BGIC

Day 1 (Lobbying Day)

After three weeks of hard work, the four big days of BGIC was on the horizon. All delegates who arrived at the school had to go and proceed to the main theatre for a quick briefing on what to expect during the next three days. We are also further briefed on rules and regulations, which included the use of mobile phones where all delegates are to put them away during the debating sessions and how we are to wear formal clothing when inside the International Convention Centre (ICC), the building where the conference is being held.

Once that was done, all delegates are to go to their respective committee rooms. A clear but slightly incomplete resolution was managed to be written up before Lobbying Day. Within those three weeks, the resolution managed to have about six well-structured clauses. During those three weeks, I have managed to use the opportunity of studying Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS) within my International Baccalaureate course to help me with the writing of the resolution, especially when regarding polyculture and permaculture farming. I also got additional help from my ESS teacher when I need some explanations about the topics of permaculture farming or and its advantages withing sustainable farming and economic growth.

However, I was quite strict when it came to the first draft of the resolution, to the point where I excluded my team (the co-submitters and co-sponsors) from editing or participating in the writing of the first draft, an action I deeply regret. I then realized my unworthy action when one of my co-submitters pointed out on my unexcusable way on how I led the team. This made me reflect upon my actions, and accept the heavy mistake I made. Therefore, I opened up the editing of the resolution to my fellow co-submitters and co-sponsors, and let them freely express their ideas and thoughts to produce different solutions to add to the resolution document.

This led us to be the last ones to hand over our resolution to the chairs in order for it to be vetted by the vetting committee (a committee made out of teacher-advisors) so that it can be checked for any errors and finally be approved upon for the debate during the committee debate.

The day ended with a relief of stress that was managed to be put aside with a delicious meal during dinner at 6.30 pm.

Day 2 (Committee Debating)

(Photo: Bahyiah Bakir and Infofoto)

All delegates were to arrive at the International Convention Centre (ICC) before 07 30 as the Royal Patron of ISB BGIC is Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah binti Pengiran Haji Salleh Ab Rahaman who will be attending the opening event of the conference. 

I arrived at about 20 minutes before 7, where I was able to meet and talk with some of the other delegates from other forums. The opening ceremony was held at the Main Conference Hall of the ICC, where all delegates are to proceed to go to and sit at our designated area of seating. Once all of the delegates have arrived, the Royal Patron of ISB BGIC, Her Royal Highness arrived, along with the Keynote speakers- Hannah Testa and Rita Kimani.

Hannah Testa is a 16-year-old activist from the United States. Her passion and her determination in being an environmentalist who is willing to protect the Earth and reduce the negative effects of climate change as a teenager is very much inspiring to all the delegates, including me.

Rita Kimani, a 25-year-old from Kenya, is a computer scientist but is also the co-founder of FarmDrive, a social enterprise that connects unbanked and underserved smallholder farmers. She grew up in rural Kenya where the citizens of the country highly depended on farming. There, she witnessed people struggling to support herself, in which it became an inspiration to push for sustainable agriculture as a strategy for economic growth.

Both speakers spoke about their struggles and how they managed to overcome them based upon their determination to make the world a better place for the people of tomorrow. It is no doubt that both speakers were very much influential to the delegation body of students. Their efforts are very much recognized, along with the issue of climate change in which students and members of the youth should explore methods to tackle it for the greater good.

The issue of climate change was further highlighted by Her Royal Highness, who said in her Sabda, “His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam in a Titah at the United Nations (UN) Climate Summit in 2014, noted the extreme weather events and their threats, and emphasised that “failing to act decisively and collectively may prove detrimental to global development and prosperity.”

Her Royal Highness then delivered the royal declaration of the opening ceremony of the 15th ISB BGIC, before presenting certificates to the event sponsors and finally, posing a group photo with the certificate recipients.

Once the opening ceremony ended, the delegates proceeded to the dining area to have a short break before heading to the main entrance of the ICC building in order to pose a photo together.

All delegates are then to proceed to their respective committee sessions, in order to begin the debate sessions.

My committee, Environmental Forum 1, fortunately, managed to get one of the best halls in the ICC building, which gives it a very realistic feel of a UN delegation hall.

The first resolution that was presented was submitted by the delegate of the United Arab Emirates in regards to the question of, “The need to address the causes and effects of desertification”.

Fortunately, during the debating session of the resolution, I was able to actively engage in arguing and bringing up relevant Points of Information. For example, one thing I brought up during the debate as the delegate of Afghanistan is how there is mention of an increase in tax and the restrictions made upon private businesses, with the ironic part being on how the United States of America was co-submitting the resolution. I felt this directly contradicts with the main philosophy of the United States, which is Free Market Capitalism and the loosening of restrictions placed upon businesses. In addition, it should be noted that Donald Trump is a firm disbeliever of climate change and is very pro-business, is currently (as of 2019) the President of The United States of America. 

The next resolution was submitted by Nigeria regarding the question of  “The need to explore alternative opportunities in agricultural diversification and innovation”. I asked a few “Points of Infomation” to fill in any gaps of confusion I have in regards to the resolution. However, it was very much an interesting resolution with very clear and comprehensive points. Hence, why a majority of the house voted upon it.

With that, the first day concluded well, as I have fortunately managed to participate well during the debating procedures, at the same time being able to have fun very much.

Day 3 (Committee Debating)

The night before the third BGIC day, I was preparing a ‘For Speech’ for the resolution that I submitted along with my co-submitters and co-sponsors.

The ‘For Speech’ I wrote: 

“A very good morning/afternoon chairs and fellow delegates. As the main submitter, this delegate encourages the delegation body to vote for this resolution as it is very clear and comprehensive with its points and purposes.

In clause 4 for example, this resolution promotes the idea of permaculture, the development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient. This is where agricultural ecosystems have diversified in which land, resources, people and the environment work together through mutually beneficial synergies. One such example is when Honduras in the 1990s changed from a ‘shifting agricultural’ strategy to the Quesungual system, where an area of land, that was formerly used for agriculture, was cleared by hand, in order to make way for the planting of indigenous crops such as fruit trees, beans, and maize. Local animals that were local to the ecosystem, such as birds or spiders, were brought in as natural pesticides and any waste, such as pieces of wood, were turned into compost for the soil. This led to the increased organic content in the soil, improved soil structure resulting in higher soil moisture retention, increase in soil nutrient levels, increase in carbon dioxide consumption by plants and more sustainable agriculture with an increase in food production. Hence, a strong example of how permaculture is very beneficial to all areas of food production, the environment, and capital.

Furthermore, this resolution encourages the reduction of the use of drugs and pesticides in farms, as stated in clause 1, subclause a), sub-sub clause i) and ii). This delegate is fully aware of the dangers of pesticides such as glyphosate, which is banned in the Netherlands and Brazil as it has links to cause kidney failures among consumers. Furthermore, drugs such as antibiotics that are used in livestock, may lead to human infection. Hence why regulation of these drugs and pesticides are highlighted. 

Therefore, this resolution does not only fulfill the 13th Sustainable Development Goal or SDG, but it also fulfills the 11th, 12th and 15th SDG, which are sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, and on land respectively. This delegate believes that resolution should be voted upon by the house and is open for any amendments from the floor to improve it if necessary. Thank you.”

Looking back, my ‘For Speech’ was much simpler at its first draft. Therefore, the opportunity to have an extra evening was much delighting and fortunate. However, to see whether it is effective or not is whether to see if the speech is very persuasive.

When returning back to the ICC on Sunday, all delegates are to go straight to the Main Conference Hall as we get to have a Panel and Q and A session with the keynote speakers. This is very prestigious as it enables the delegates to interact and ask questions with such inspirational people.

The panel session began at 8.00 am, where some delegates asked interesting questions especially in regards to pieces of advice in life such as on having a strong sense of determination and how to balance life in general. 

I was quite ecstatic when I managed to ask a question to the keynote speakers in regards to finding a ‘middle ground’ with someone who opposes your views to the highest extent, with the addition of whether being diplomatic and pragmatic or firmly believing in your views.

They answered with the idea on it depends on the overall situation where it is best to be very diplomatic, but to stand your ground when those who disagree with you are quite stubborn or have no intentions in working together.

Once the panel finishes, we had a 30-minute refreshment break before going back to the Main Conference Room for a workshop that was hosted by Anna Oposa, who was one of the keynote speakers in the 14th BGIC last year. She gave a workshop in regards to how us, young delegates should step up and take the opportunity as young people to make a significant impact in this world today. She mostly took note on how creating such huge impacts could be executed with small steps (the idea of ‘Teaspoons of Change’) as she wants us, young students, to stop being ‘global whinners’, and to start making an initiative to make a change. This very much relates to the ‘Pledge Against Plastic’ during the last day of BGIC, where we are to edit a letter that is to be sent to government officials in order to help with the environment. Additionally, it is also for us students to reduce our daily plastic usage.

We are then to proceed to our respective committee rooms to continue the debating sessions. That is where my resolution is going to be discussed and debated. 

This was the resolution that my co-submitters and I wrote:

I briefed my co-submitters and co-sponsors on the definition of key terms within the resolution as well as who is doing a for speech and in what order before the committee session starts.

When the committee session started, it started out very smoothly as I was able to answer the Point of Clarifications clear and concise. When it came to the I started to feel very much confident with the resolution as my co-submitters, co-sponsors and I worked hard on the development of the resolution and the for speeches for it. Unfortunately, it did not get passed with a good majority of the delegation body voting against it. I was quite disappointed as my co-submitters, co-sponsors and I worked very hard on the resolution and the ‘for speeches’ to support it. At first, I was very much perplexed and admittedly, slightly distraught. However, I was very much happy that my wonderful chairs and secretariat general, Hadi, were there to assure and comfort me along with my co-submitters and co-sponsors, in I am very grateful for.

The day ended quite well as I put my emotions aside and focused on the conference, in which I maintained my professionalism and my confidence in debating, when the final resolution submitted was discussed. 

There were some obstacles when summarising this day, but that is where the opportunity of learning and to overcome them is succeeded.

Day 4 (General Assembly and Closing ceremony)

The days of BGIC were about to set, as day four begins the as each committee will come together to the General Assembly, depending on your forum. Since my committee was Environmental Forum 1, I was to join the General Assembly for all forum 1 committees. That is where I was able to meet other delegates from the other committees and it was very interesting to meet more different individuals with different political opinions.

When all the delegates settled down, the day started with a moment of silence in respect to the victims of Ethiopian Air Flight 302, which tragically crashed between the countries of Ethiopia and Kenya. Some of the victims were affiliated with the UN, which included seven members of the agency staff who were traveling to Nairobi for the annual assembly of the UN Environment Programme.

The General Assembly begins in discussion with the BGIC Congress of Students- Pledge Against Plastic. Here, delegates were to represent themselves and their schools to make a personal pledge against single-use plastics, by co-operating with each other in order to write letters to government officials to bring change, with the addition of returning to their schools and making them plastic free and also have personal pledges by reducing the use of single-use plastics.

Then the debating of resolutions begins. The first two resolutions were from the human rights and political forums respectively. I was able to actively engage during the discussions of these two resolutions. One example is when I asked a Point of Information (POI) on the resolution submitted by the delegates from the Human Rights Committee regarding the question on improving climate change education on school-aged children, where I pointed out how the resolution had some issues in funding, with its suggestions on organizing charities and urging governments to subsidies on technologies being not feasible to all countries. I suggested a possible amendment where developing nations could ask for loans or aid from the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank.

Furthermore, when the resolution submitted by the delegates from the Politics Committee was to be debated upon, I asked more POIs regarding the nation’s stance on the question of imposing a standardized framework for climate change policies and implementing it on a national level, especially towards the delegation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (taking note that the DPRK has blamed the issue of their nationwide famine on to their environmental issues, even though they have used their national budget in the building of nuclear weapons and Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) instead of helping their own citizens).

The morning session of the GA was where I was able to really prove myself as a speaker and a debater, and I am very much quite pleased on how I was able to actively engage in debating and asking questions along with the other delegates. Although I was not that active during the afternoon session, I was very much satisfied with how I was at least able to demonstrate myself in front of the wider audience.

Finally, once the General Assembly Debate came to a close, all delegates, chairs, Secretariat- Generals, teachers, advisors, and others were to proceed to the main hall for the closing ceremony of the 15th ISB BGIC.

Everyone there celebrated the hard work of those behind the scenes and brought BGIC to fruition and success. The Secretariat Generals, the chairs and the floor secretaries managed to execute the annual conference really well, proving how exceptionally talented and hardworking these young people can be, and without them, the memorable experience that is treasured among the hearts of the students who came from almost every high school in Brunei can never be fulfilled. Their hard work of those behind the scenes of BGIC was recognized honorably by every individual in the main hall.

The Secretariat- Generals of each committee then took the stage to distribute such marvelous awards to the Most Diplomatic Delegate, the Best Delegate, the Most Well Spoken Delegate, the Best Resolution, and the Most Improved Delegate in each of the Committees.

To my surprise, I was awarded as the Most Diplomatic Delegate from my committee, an award that I did not really expect to earn but an award that truly made me more grateful and reflect on the memory I have of BGIC.

The closing ceremony ended emotionally with a delicious high tea provided by Saffron Cafe and photo taking with our respective committees and newfound friends.

Impacts and life lessons I have gained throughout the journey

My journey through BGIC was something I had never expected. The memories I gained and earned from the training days in January to February and the actual four days of BGIC, was tremendously impactful.

At first, expectations were not that high. I have honestly signed up for BGIC as a what I thought as something small I can learn from, with the added addition of my interest in MUN and politics. When I first walked in into the training sessions, I had my interest and mindset of politics taking the wheel at the front of my head, with the only thought of joining is for the sake of fulfilling a personal interest. Honestly, I never thought at first that I would gain such memories in which I will treasure forever. As always, my first thoughts were wrong.

When working with my co-submitters for our resolution that will be discussed and debated, the mindset I had was to ‘just work on it, and make sure it is great’. At first, I thought of it as the most reasonable and practical way to work on the resolution. ‘A politician would only care to get it done and make it as perfect as possible to the point where it is unarguable,” was what I thought to be right and true. However, this led me to be very strict and quite a perfectionist, not including my team’s remarks and opinions about. Which made me rethink my the way how I approach the task. One of my co-submitters managed to advise me and made me realize that I need to just be myself to work with the others and on the task. This made me think and become aware of that sometimes, thinking like a politician even when working on a task that is very much involved in politics may not be the best way to approach it.

Furthermore, BGIC to me had its ups and downs. However, I was very much grateful to have my committee’s chairs and secretariat- general, to support me with their kindness and how they were able to help me overcome those unexpected obstacles that were faced along the path. This made me feel very undoubtedly grateful to have such caring individuals within my committee. In addition, it made me realize that very sentimental friendships could be made out of normal events where likely you are able to meet these people once in your lifetime.

Finally, I honestly never expected to be awarded as the ‘Most Diplomatic Delegate’ within my committee. As the delegate of Afghanistan, I try to present myself as someone who can show a sense of strength and authority in the idea of representing my country with pride and the idea of defending its rights. Therefore, during the debating sessions, I felt I debated with a sense of power and would only pursue anything that is within the interest of Afghanistan and its allies. Hence at first, I never knew the true reason why I was awarded as the most diplomatic. However, after talking with one of my chairs, I then realized the reasons why I was given such an exceptional award.

According to one of my chairs, Dayana, she mentioned that I have demonstrated quite a number of times as a delegate that I was quite different, in terms of showing critical thinking and thinking globally as I argued and debated on the basis of different perspectives of different countries, both developed and developing. Furthermore, I have managed to overcome the obstacles I encountered professionally. At first, these were aspects I have not realized, which shows that the best traits may not be revealed to us at first, but may happen when we work towards it.

Overall, the experience and journey I had through BGIC were very much overwhelming, but life-changing. I learned a lot within these past months working on the resolution, working with different individuals, enduring different obstacles along the path and starting new and everlasting friendships. The memories and lessons I have gained from the conference were very much unexpected and impactful. It really forced me to think differently and act more diplomatic when representing as a nation or just being me. Hence why such an event is very much treasured within my heart, as the biggest lesson is how I was able to find myself during the entirety of the journey.

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The Birth of Project E.A.S.Y (Engaging in Adventure and Socialisation for Young Children)

The 9th of December marks a big day for the Children of JAPEM as Buzzsquad, a group of 5 Youthful people brought about their Project that has the sole purpose of raising the confidence and to empower underprivileged children. Fourteen volunteers joined to bring about the project into action, four from Jerudong International School and the rest are students from IBTE (Institute of Brunei Technical Education).

The project began early in the morning at half past eight with the members of Buzzsquad, the volunteers and the children taking part in an early warm-up session to get everyone active. BuzzSquad member Khairul (Pictured at the first row, last to the left), was the main instructor leading the warm-up session. His enthusiastic and ecstatic personality lightened everyone’s hearts, minds and bodies, as everyone felt not tired, but full of energy to start up the extremely busy morning.

A few games were then hosted for the children. These included an ice-breaking game in which the children were sat down in the circle and had to introduce themselves along with their personal interests. We all then played hot-potato, where the group of children had to pass a bottle of water to the person next continuously as music is being played. The person who holds the bottle when the music stops has to stand up and sing or dance. Year 12 student Arif Ibrahim (Pictured at the far right of the first row), unfortunately, had the bottle landing at him when the music stopped. As he stood up, he sang the annoyingly catchy ‘Baby Shark Song’ which enlightened the hearts of the children who sang along.

Once that was done, we had a short break where the children of JAPEM had to go back to their living quarters and eat. Whilst this was happening, the volunteers had their refreshments and were getting ready for the 1-hour long game- The Amazing Race. The purpose of this activity was to build the teamwork skills of these children, a mandatory skill they require for the near future.

When the children came back, they were placed into groups named after fruits, facilitated by at least one volunteer per group. The groups were Team Durian, Team Salat Durian, Team Mango, Team Kiwi and Team Pineapple. All the teams need to endure obstacles that BuzzSquad placed around the JAPEM facility. Games include Minefield, Islamic Religious Knowledge Quiz, Riddles, balancing a ping pong ball and Chinese Whisper. In the end, team Kiwi took the throne of being champion of the Amazing Race.

Once that was done, we proceeded with our next activity- a fashion show. The purpose of this activity was for the children to let out and fulfil their sense of creativity, and showcase it to a wide audience. Each team had to produce an interesting design of clothing made out of recycled newspaper and coloured paper. We gave the children one hour to produce their clothing based on their enthusiastic sense of creativity. In the end, the results were outstanding. The children designed such interesting and complex pieces of closing inspired by Disney Princesses and Comicbook superheroes.

As the session was coming to an end, BuzzSquad awarded the children with gifts and goodies as a relic and reminder for the spectacular day they have all experienced. The volunteers then said their final goodbyes to the children as they all went back to their living quarters of the JAPEM facility- a tearful moment for both the children and the volunteers.

Overall, the session that my team and I organised was executed wonderfully. The transitions and how we brought about the activities throughout the session was a breeze, as if it was a walk in the park, a good opening for Project EASY.

Although, we felt that our preparation was quite hectic as gathering volunteers was one of the many issues we had to face when bringing about the first session of the project, in the end, the first phase of the project was executed smoothly with smiles on the faces of the children and happiness in the the minds of everyone. The volunteers were exhausted, yet were very much delightful for participating in the project and are willing to volunteer again in the near future.

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Youth Against Poverty

On the weekends of 13th to 14th and 20th to 21st of October, I participated in the Third Youth Against Poverty Project where I was allocated into a group and that we had to pitch a project that has the potential to reduce poverty in Brunei. The program was both fun and exhilarating where I learned many skills in leadership, project planning, organisation, teamwork and more!

The program was organised by Scot (Society For Community Outreach and Training), a non-governmental organisation that aims to alleviate poverty in Brunei and to help underprivileged youths in Brunei and Cambodia. The organisation is lead by Salimatul Sa’ada Salleh, the president of the organisation and a primary school teacher and the project itself was managed by Universiti Brunei Darussalam Student, Ahmad Syauqie Bin Satia, who participated in last year’s Second Youth Against Poverty Project, with his group winning third place earning a grant of four hundred Brunei Dollars to begin their own pitched project, Woman Empowerment- a project focused on helping underprivileged single-mothers who are living in poverty to become entrepreneurs as a way to break the cycle of poverty. His project was successfully executed this year as he and his group managed to help five single mothers to start up their own businesses respectively. The aim of the Third Youth Against Poverty Project was to provide an awareness of poverty among the youth community and to provide training for the participants in their skills in leadership, project management and organisation.

The program began with a symposium in the UBD Chancellor Hall where I learned about the two main types of poverty, relative and absolute. I also learned about poverty in other countries, such as Bangladesh and the Philippines and how it differs from the poverty we have here in Brunei. Once that was done, participants had to go to the ILIA building, where we were showered with wonderful and educational workshops, the first one being the EpiPeople Consultant, a workshop lead by Reuben Chin where we learned that there are four types of people in the world- Dominant, Influential, Stable and Comprehensive- and how in a team, each person plays a vital role to work together. Another workshop was lead by Stuart Lee and his organisation, Articulation. From his workshop, we learned how it is really important to cease opportunities and when we speak on stage or give a presentation, it is important to have persuasive elements of rhetoric as a way to give the speaker validity and the ability to pull the audience to listen. Once that is that we then had a learning journey to visit families living in poverty, an overwhelming part of the project where we met families living in poverty and donate goods such as rice and water to them. One of the families we visited was a family of five, consisting of an elderly grandmother and her four grandsons. It was really sad to know that the family’s main and only source of income was from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and that they were living in a dilapidated house within an area prone to violence, drugs and crime. The grandmother even said that she fears that she and her family would be attacked by drug addicts and robbers.

From the experience of the learning Journey, the participants were then allocated into groups of fives and had to plan out a pitch of a potential project that can help reduce poverty in Brunei. The top three picked will win grants worth of BND 400, BND 600 AND BND 1000 respectively. My group consists of a Zatul, a UBD Arts student, Suzy, a UNISSA student, and Zikree, an A Level graduate who is currently taking a gap year, Anderson, a financial planner who works for Great Eastern and myself. We named our group ‘Buzzsquad’, a way to reflect our cheerful and active inner personality. We were also assigned mentors to guide us through our planning. The mentors that were assigned to my team were Agee Ahmed Sellah, a youth leader who is currently running a project called Projek Bina Ukuwah, with its sole purpose to provide goods to the underprivileged and it is also being funded by His Majesty, the Sultan himself, Another mentor was Yang Berhormat Iswandy Ahmad, a very well known Youth Leader in the community and a Member in Brunei’s Legislative Council. As we were planning out our pitch, my team and I were a little stuck. We originally had the idea to have lessons on Financial literacy to teach children living in poverty how to save money or begin a career in entrepreneurship, as a strategy to end the cycle of poverty. However, some team members including myself were a little sceptical with the whole idea. One problem with the first draft of our pitch was that it was not specific, or it does not focus on a particular area. Hence, for it being too vague. Another problem is the fear of it being what the children do not want, since they are children, and teaching complicated stuff such as financial literacy may be a hassle. Even our mentors were sceptical with our initial planning. They gave us the advice to try to think about what if we were children living in poverty. That is when I brought up the idea of giving opportunities to have fun as a child, such as going to the local amusement park or working for the wider community. That idea was fortunately accepted by my teammates and mentors, but it needs to be moulded. Therefore, we all worked together on the idea and eventually came out with the idea to start a project that provides fun activities to the children living in poverty.

This project is called ‘Project EASY (Engaging Adventure and Socialisation for the Youth), where its main purpose is to provide activities for underprivileged children as a means to give them the opportunity to develop skills in socialisation and teamwork and empower them to have confidence within themselves. The project is a year-long process, starting from February with the activity of bringing the children to the national day parade to watch it. Other activities included bringing the children to ‘Bandarku Ceria’ and take part in outdoor activities there, and having a book club in the national library where we would teach the children English through story-telling and interactive games that can boost their vocab and speaking abilities. By the month of December, the Children would have a  ‘Graduation’ session where they would receive certificates and awards to validate their involvement in the project. Therefore, as they grow up, they would have a unique mindset and have abilities that are able to hopefully bring them out of the cycle of poverty.

With that being done, we now had to give each other roles when it comes to the presentation. Suzy, Zatul and Zikree were in charge of the slides. While Anderson and I were responsible for the presentation itself and had to answer the questions asked by the panel of judges during the actual day.

(Me giving the introduction for our presentation)

(Anderson explaining our project to the judges)

(Questions and Answer sessions with the panel of judges)

The presentation and the questions and answer session went quite well. Through our hard work and practice, everything was fluent with the judges giving us suggestions to further improve our project. Once every group finished with their presentations, the anticipated announcement of who will win the grant was to be announced.

My teammates and I were at the edge of our seats, waiting as the host was about to announce the winners. I remembered how Agee reminded us on how we should not feel any discouragement if we were to not win the grant. However, to our surprise, we won in third place, earning a grant of 400 dollars from the judges to start our project. It was almost unbelievable. All of our contribution, passion, sweat and efforts were paid of. Our confidence in starting Project Easy was out of the roof as all of was were feeling both ecstatic and extremely grateful as we walked onto the stage and the Guest Of Honour giving our check.

(Team Buzzsquad, the name of our group, taking a photo together with our mentor Agee and the check of Four-Hundred Brunei Dollars to begin our project)

Everyone in my group, including our mentors, were really happy at our achievement. However, we felt that our project is what mattered most. Something our passions could lead to. Therefore, in the end, we are excited to initiate Project EASY by early next year 2019.

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An Adventurous Hike Through Bukit Shahbandar

About three weeks ago, I joined the Bukit Shahbandar club as an effort for myself to lose some weight and be more active outside, experiencing the fresh air and the sound of nature.

Personally, I was proud that I managed to hike through five hills at the Bukit Shahbandar Recreational Park as I test my limits to the fullest. I have to admit that it was tiring as I lose each breath and my asthma takes hold of my lungs. However, as I completed the hike and finally reached the bottom of the hill, I was relieved with happiness and a sense of pride as I managed to push myself through progress and defied my athletic abilities.

But this week, I am proud to say that I have moved on from five hills to seven during my latest trip to Bukit Shahbandar. I had to endure every tear and sweat as I climbed up and climbed down each hill until I complete it, putting a smile on my face.

I am hoping that I will be able to maintain my progress of hiking through seven hills as I push myself to become more fit.

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A New Challenge In Gavel

(The Usual Sight Of A Gavel Meeting)

Quite recently, on the 16th of September, I attended my usual Gavel meeting that happens on a fortnight. With my role as the Sergeant Of Arms within the Executive Committee of Gavel, I have the responsibility to open the meeting with an introduction, which I am glad that I have improved compared to earlier meetings.

Additionally, I have to provide the meeting with gut consuming refreshments which is not a problem since a quick trip to the nearby supermarket was all I needed to complete my task.

However, there was something that made this particular meeting unique as it was my first time evaluating a speech! Throughout the past year of being a Gavelier (It is what members are called), my life has always been about delivering prepared speeches, blubbering out my thoughts into words of impromptu during Table Topics, and taking on minor roles during meetings. Although, I have never ever actually evaluated a prepared speech before. Therefore, that meeting was nothing but an exciting challenge to tackle.

As an evaluator, it was my job to evaluate one of the prepared speeches and give feedback on stage at the second half of the meeting (First half being the speeches and table topics). The speech I had to evaluate was an icebreaking one where the speaker has to deliver a speech about herself in front of everyone. I was nervous at first as my evaluating skills are not up to standards as my public speaking ability. However, I pulled all of my courage together and went for it.

(Me Evaluating the speaker’s icebreaker speech)

In all honesty, when I evaluated, I could tell what I thought of my evaluating skills earlier was definitely true. So many areas of improvement I need to work on as an evaluator. The General Evaluator (The evaluator who evaluates or gives feedback to the role bearers and evaluators at the second part of the meeting) pointed out that I did not merely focus on the actual main purpose of the speech and that I strayed away and focused on other aspects of the speech. However, he did say that my evaluation was encouraging and motivating towards the speaker, which is the key part of any Gavel speech evaluation.

In the end, my role as an evaluator was a challenge and already, being it my first time, I have a lot to learn to sharpen it up. I hope that in the near future I am given the opportunity to evaluate more speeches in order for me to improve and become better.