Sabah, Sarawak Jaycees hold joint Virtual Academy

DUE to the Covid-19 pandemic, Area Sabah and Area Sarawak of the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Malaysia 2021 teamed up recently to host the first-ever Virtual Academy for members.

The two-day combined event attracted 112 youth leaders from 14 and 12 Local Chapters in Sarawak and Sabah respectively.

2021 JCI Malaysia Area Sarawak Digital Transformation director Henry Lee said to deliver an effective academy, the joint hosts invited 12 experienced speakers from across the country to motivate and share information.

The programme management team and speakers, led by head trainer JCI senator Velvet Ooi, came up with various ice-breaking and practical sessions to promote engagement and interaction among the participants.

JCI Malaysia Area Academy is an annual event where renowned speakers help members acquire knowledge, motivation, and empowerment.

Lee said it’s a learning platform to help young Jaycees become leaders and initiators of positive changes through acquiring knowledge and skills applicable not only within JCI but also to their daily lives and careers.

 

Sixth Leadership Summit

Lee pointed out that despite the challenges of Covid-19, JCI Malaysia also held its Sixth Leadership Summit early this month via Zoom to promote leadership among internal members that is essential during the pandemic, build up active and responsible citizens, and impart positive values to the community.

The summit was attended by 470 JCI representatives, including those from Hong Kong, the Philippines, USA, and Nigeria. Among the international speakers were 2016 world president JCI senator Paschal Dike and 2017 world president JCI senator Dawn Hetzel.

It started with 2021 JCI Malaysia national president JCI senator Chew Hooi Mei’s address and the ceremonial welcome.

 

Training opportunities

Chew said JCI Malaysia was ready to provide training and development opportunities to the 73 local organisations in Malaysia to help them produce resilient leaders during the pandemic.

She encouraged members to become active citizens and create positive changes in the local community, saying she was confident they could inspire others to do likewise.

In her speech, organising chairlady JCI senator Ellen Lu, who is also the 2021 JCI Malaysia national deputy president, emphasised that through the summit, JCI Malaysia aimed to connect JCI leaders in making a big positive impact on society through the current national president’s theme – ‘Enabling Leaders’.

Lee said the mission of JCI Sarawak Area is to provide development openings and empower young people to create positive changes through the four pillars of JCI windows of opportunity – personal development, business networking, international approach, and community development.

“JCI Malaysia Area Sarawak stays in close contact with young Sarawakians, understands the needs of the community and brainstorms to create solutions for a better future. We welcome more young Sarawakians to join our movement and become active citizens to help make the world better.

“JCI’s goal as an international non-profit organisation is to achieve world peace by building a leading global network of young active citizens. To achieve this, JCI aims to provide development opportunities, empowering young people to create positive change,” he said.

Lee pointed out JCI has been moulding and empowering young people across the globe to become better leaders for over 100 years.

“Our founders knew wisdom does not just come with age but also through knowledge and emotions. They knew young people have the passion and access to information they need to make a difference – they just need the right resources.

“World challenges, community issues or personal shortcomings, we shouldn’t have to wait to make changes. We shouldn’t be bystanders, observing development taking place from the side-lines. The world belongs to young people today, and we certainly play a very crucial role to make this world better,” he said.

According to him, JCI offers opportunities such as valuable training, a platform and framework to solve problems in the community, and a global network of more than 200,000 passionate young leaders to support every step of the way.

Lee said JCI’s programmes stemmed from four areas of opportunity – business, individual, community and international – whereby members could acquire or refine leadership skills and benefit society.

Necessary contact

On the business aspect, he said JCI provided members with the necessary contact as well as leadership and personal business growth opportunities through numerous forums and programmes to develop themselves as young entrepreneurs and business executives.

“The JCI Business Academy allows members to certify their business skills and is the first worldwide JCI programme, operated totally from the web. It strongly supports business development in all lands as a means to eliminate poverty and human suffering.”

He added that activities within the Junior Chamber were geared towards increasing individual members’ personal development and helping them to reach their full potential.

“The Junior Chamber provides members with many opportunities to develop skills as officers and project leaders of local and national organisations and communities. To provide the best personal and development training, JCI offers many programmes and certifications from its International Training Institute.”

He noted that by helping members acquire experience as decision-makers, JCI was contributing to the development of tomorrow’s community and business leaders.

On the community aspect, he said JCI believed its members were an investment in the present and future well-being of their communities, adding that Junior Chamber members strongly endorsed the philosophy of think locally and act globally.

“Members and community sponsors alike know that helping their community has an impact on their state or region, that a regional project will benefit their nation and that works performed at a national level can have a tremendous impact internationally.”

Affirming the final line of the JCI Creed – that service to humanity is the best work of life – he said members planned and carried out thousands of projects each year in thousands of communities, impacting positively on society at large.

 

Interdependence

Lee stressed that in an increasingly interdependent world, JCI members realised the need for international collaboration, tolerance, and peace.

He added as such JCI offered members many opportunities to understand global issues and get involved.

Through international conferences, academies, programmes, twinning arrangements (sister-chapter relationships) and business exchanges, he said the Junior Chamber enabled members to promote goodwill and attain a deeper understanding of global challenges.

He also mentioned JCI supported The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by UN member states in 2015 to provide a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet now and the future.

“At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership.

“They recognise that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies to improve health and education, reduce inequality and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

“We stand out because we stand together. JCI brings together like-minded individuals aged 18 between 40 years from across the world to overcome the toughest global challenges.”

Lee said when JCI members acted as one and spurred business leaders, government officials and civil society towards common goals, they could do anything, adding that together, they could build a better future and inspire the next generation of leaders.

“JCI creates an unparalleled bond of international fellowship. Here, you’ll find people to help you build on your skills and amplify your innate talents. You’ll receive support not only at a local but national and international levels as well.”

He added that JCI members believed in their mission and collective ability to create positive change, and invited more young people to sign up.

For more information, contact Junior Chamber Malaysia national executive vice president and area Sarawak chairlady Emily Bong (016-5595449) or visit the JCI Malaysia Area Sarawak Facebook page.

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