Communications Manager

In May 2010, I became involved with the International Youth Council. Due to my strong technology, communications and organizational skills, I was soon requested to take on the role of Communications Manager for the planning committee. This meant I lead an amazing team of wonderful youth leaders from all over the world to prepare for the Youth Assembly. I enjoyed collaborating on all aspects of the process. There were three strands to the Communications group (Marketing, Media and Online Promotion).

We started out creating a strategic media strategy. This included prioritizing tasks, coherently deciding on our objectives, message and goals. As a result we soon created promotional materials (Goretti Rioss), a website (Saba Loftus and Jamie Ansorge), Media Strategy (Esperanza Garcia, Friendship Ambassadors Foundation, Asha Castleberry, Simin Fahandej  and Sean Flax), starting a newsletter (Simin Fahandej and Saba Loftus), Information Desk (Milvi Saarna and Goretti Rioss), increasing facebook membership (everyone) and things like that.

I am proud to have been able to facilitate the work of a team of hard working and talented youth. It would take too long to mention all the work that they put into the amazing event and there are too many individuals who contributed to list them all. But I learnt a great deal from the capable, results orientated and responsible young professionals I met through my involvement with the International Youth Council.

My experience with the International Youth Council put me in contact with a lot of youth from all over the world. This made me realize that because youth are finding it so hard to find employment a lot are taking on internships and volunteering. This made me want to ask everyone “What is your experience with employment opportunities in your community?” It is hard that the present generation. The youth who should be empowered and animated to change the world are suffering due to the economic crisis.

Gioretti has been creating promotional materials (such as our brochure on the left). She has been patient throughout my many changes and adjustments. She has shown professionalism, patience and a adeptness at understanding our collective vision for the organisation. She has also worked hard at creating the IYC materials that will be included in the 7th Annual Youth Assembly's participants orientation packs. She takes direction well and is so flexible. I am learning so much from knowing her and believe she will do really well in her future career.

I was very lucky to know Simin Fahandej. We interned together for a few months this year. I asked her to become the Editor for our weekly newsletter and she has taken on this role with amazing adeptness. She has been doing an amazing job and has created two newsletters for the organisation (see right).  The focus of the newsletter is youth involvement in the UN Millennium Development Goals. She has also interviewed NGOs that work in this area. I am so happy that she got involved because without her...I would have had so much more to do and the team has benefited so much from her active involvement. She is honest, reliable and delivers results. I respect her judgement. Her attention to detail and habit of independently investigating and verifying (fact checking) articles led to her catching a plagiarized article that a misguided individual had submitted for inclusion in the newsletter. I truly believe that she would be an asset to her chosen career of journalism and hope that she will remain motivated and keep chasing her dreams.

I have also stepped up the website www.internationalyouthcouncil.com. It is my first NING website and that has taken major adjusting to.

In consultation with the Communications team, I have come up with a time line, budget and plan. I am figuring out how to make the team work as we are sooo scattered (geographically). At the moment my focus is on recruiting a team that can work effectively together as a cohesive and formidable force to get this thing moving. Marketing. Vital.

I am surprised that so many talented young adults...the present generation....are forced to work under their capacity due to the economic crisis. I am proud to know so many youth who are not allowing the situation we live with to get them down and continue to work hard. They are innovative, hardworking and keep trying to advocate for change! I am honored to know them.