1. Dear Joana, I know that you participated in a lot of youth exchanges. Can you tell us briefly about that? Would you share with us, how does that affect you as a young person who still creates her life? What are the most significant lessons from those experiences that you learned?
I could write so much about this… Literally. I am doing my Master’s thesis on the role of international projects in breaking the cycle of inequalities for youth. So I guess it starts there, on what I like to call “the magic of mobility”. Being away from your reality, even if for a week, surrounded by new and different people who make you aware of your prejudice and stereotypes has a huge potential to transform you. On one hand, in simple actions like choosing the condiments for their food, people challenge your beliefs and show you there is so much more to the world than what you know. On another hand, equally simple things like speaking in a different language or trying new foods, and the opportunity to explore a new country on your own and do things you never did, really impacts your self-perception and often makes you realize you are much more *insert adjective* than you thought. I have discovered my own bravery, ability to make connections with others, the capacity of understanding, developed my self-esteem, public speaking… After a long time thinking otherwise, I learnt I was much more to me than an interesting talk active but insecure girl. I found the fun extrovert part of me, who makes everyone dance in the intercultural evenings or sing around a campfire. I discovered a leader whom people trusted, without me even being aware of it, when a whole group and facilitators voted me for president in a role-play. And I also learnt to be sensitive to how hard these experiences can be for others and to make time and space for everyone, in spite of my enthusiasm. Last but not least, I met all these amazing people who I learnt from and had a great time with, who broke my bias on the world and myself, I hugged them like old friends when we said goodbye… I have even reunited with some and I can’t wait to do so again!
2. How important is youth activism for young people? As someone who is really experienced in it, what are the advantages and disadvantages of youth activism or volunteering?
I think youth activism is not only important for young people themselves but as well for society. In social entrepreneurship, there’s the concept of “creative destruction”, to explain that to innovate and build better, you need to not only have skills and knowledge but really be brave enough to break and even destroy what exists. Young people are often the ones who do this through activism and participation, not only by voicing their beliefs but also by “walking the talk”, actually going against the current for what they consider best for the world, even if it’s hard or tricky for them to do so. One of my best friends is a vegan activist who did a whole journey from getting informed, to change a lot in her lifestyle and then also join protests and speak on social media. I would consider myself an activist in the making, as though I am an advocate for social inclusion, particularly in the fields of youth and education, most of the change I create is through my own work/volunteering and not so much raising my voice publicly. This is the only disadvantage I can think of, that your future can be affected by any reckless acts you do. But then again, creative destruction is needed and you don’t want to work for someone who stands against your beliefs.
Regarding volunteering, I have done it for most of my life, from a few hours a week in a local youth group to a full-time volunteering experience abroad for a year and I consider it’s fundamental to one’s self-development, to get to know yourself, and, I would even say, for your amusement and well-being. I believe this so much I am starting a podcast about volunteering with a team in an organisation I am part of. One of the things we want to talk about is how volunteering is actually “selfish”, in the sense that most people I know do it because it gives them a chance to do things they love (that they often can’t do professionally), learn and share knowledge with people who also have a strong belief on the importance of what you are doing. It’s much more than developing skills or networking because you can collect a unique sense of accomplishment and fulfilment from it. It’s quite a big reward in exchange for your time and energy, I’d say. Of course, like in everything, there are people trying to take advantage of others’ goodwill so please be careful when you commit to a project – make sure you are a volunteer (that you have a voice and a say on what you do) and not an unpaid worker (with an overwhelming amount of work pre-scheduled for you).
3. You mentioned that you are doing more things than you have time to do because you enjoy a lot of different things. How good a time manager you are and do you have some tips and tricks on how to “save time” for other active young friends? 🙂
Well, I most definitely need to work on my time management! But something that helps me a lot is to have an agenda divided into 30 mins time slots (the Passion Planner), which really makes me aware of the time I have on the day and makes me reflect on how long tasks will take me. Speaking of tasks, to-do lists are great friends. Try to divide it into categories and break it down into smaller tasks so you can fit them more easily into your schedule, keep my work one in the office so I don’t think about it at home and a virtual one on Trello, divided into categories (studies, volunteering, projects, errands, etc.) so that I always have it with me, on my phone. Also what really helps me be aware of how I spend my time is to colour-code the things in my agenda (blue for work, green for projects, yellow for obligations, and pink for personal time). This way, when I look at it, I can quickly see if some balance is needed and what I have to prepare for or look forward to. Easier said than done but always make sure you keep time to rest and enjoy yourself in your schedule!
CONTACT:
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Previous parts of Joana’s interview:
Interview PART 1/4: https://bellspiration.blogspot.com/2021/05/bellspiration-club-joana-freitas.html
