2016 IJR Candidate Questionnaire - Sebastian Jaramillo

2016 IJR Candidate Questionnaire: Seb 1. Introduce yourself to CISV 2. The position of International Junior Representative is one for a two-year term. Over the course of those two years, what do you expect to learn and how will that help you grow in your everyday life?

3. What does being an International Junior Representative mean to you?

4. International Junior Branch is structured with 3 Regional Junior Branch Teams and 1 IJB Team. What are your thoughts on the contribution of those Teams to the development of CISV and how they should work together to achieve this goal?

5. It is anticipated that in 2017 the Junior Branch Review Team will put forward proposals to improve the integration of Junior Branch in the organisation. As International Junior Representative, how do you see your contribution in this process?

6. At the end of 2016, International Junior Branch will have run yearly projects on the 4 content areas of CISV. What do you think these projects brought to our organisation and how could International Junior Branch continue to contribute to CISV’s approach on those 4 content of areas?

7. To you, how is Junior Branch contributing to the development of our organisation?

8. Write your #CISVstory: a short text about your story (or a favourite memory) with CISV and the impact that CISV has had in your life, with a photo of one of your CISV experiences.

2016 IJR Candidate Questionnaire: Seb Hey there, fellow CISVer and JBer! I am Sebastian Jaramillo but you can call me Seb. I was born in Graz, Austria in July 23, 1993 to Colombian parents from Medellín, Colombia. I currently live in this beautiful city called Medellín where we say we have eternal spring, and you can see it here at IJBC 2016!

I’ve been a member of CISV since 2007, yet I’ve been completely active since 2013. I am currently the Senior NJR for CISV Colombia, Leader Trainer for CISV Medellín and Training Specialist for the IJBTeam. My passions regarding CISV and Junior Branch are training, project management and volunteer work, including HR Management.

I am finishing my studies in Culinary Arts, I love cooking (obviously), traveling, meeting new people and gaining all possible skills and knowledges that enable me to become a more competent and complete person. I’ve been tailoring my life to include and involve CISV in all possible ways, I believe it has greatly influenced how I am an who I am today.

1. Introduce yourself to

CISV

2016 IJR Candidate Questionnaire: Seb I am looking forward to grow as a person and CISVer in the following two years. I believe my set of abilities and traits can be greatly benefited by the work and objectives set for the role. I am positive that through my personal formation and experience in Human Resource Management I have the necessary skills and knowledge to tackle the tasks that will arise from being IJR. Altogether, I think that there will be a great amount of growth on both ends of the equation.

In the same way as I expect to grow, I expect to be able to give back to the organisation, develop strategies and networks that allow for continuous flow of work and communication. I’d love to develop a stronger IJB that can branch out and be sustainable, at the same time that I grow and gain Attitudes, Skills and Knowledges that will give added value to my personal identity and profile. Finally, I expect to advance in leadership skills and gain experience that will allow me to work in other areas of the organisation without leaving my current passions and drive.

2. The position of International Junior Representative is one for a two-year term. Over the course of those two years, what do you expect to learn and how will that help you grow in your everyday life?

‘’In the same way as I expect to grow, I expect to be able to give back to the organisation, develop strategies and networks that allow for continuous flow of work and communication.’’

2016 IJR Candidate Questionnaire: Seb Being an International Junior Representative means having a set of skills and traits that allow for management of the International Junior Branch and representing it at an international level within the organisation. All of this while maintaining a constant stream of communication with the regional and international teams, National Junior Representatives and the rest of the organisation.

I believe that a successful IJR has to combine creative and administrative skills, which involves areas such as project managing, team managing and group work, budget administration and facilitation. Nonetheless, I believe that an excellent IJR must have open streams of constant communication without leaving any area in the dark, that leads to lack of motivation, and loosing our focus and drive.

I see myself as a good candidate seeing as I have the capacity and knowledge on administration of both human and financial resources, facilitation and training (gained in TTT Training and experience in projects and programmes), and the creativity to develop projects, activities and trainings useful for IJB.

3. What does being an

International Junior

Representative mean to you?

‘’I believe that an excellent IJR must have open streams of constant communication without leaving any area in the dark, that leads to lack of motivation, and loosing our focus and drive.’’

2016 IJR Candidate Questionnaire: Seb International Junior Branch Teams (AJBTeam, EJBTeam, APJBTeam and IJBTeam) are tools and assets for CISV. How? We are human resources, capable and qualified for training, leadership, execution of tasks, budget management and execution, communication, infrastructure, and soooooo much more.

I think that through further coordination inside the IJB and with CISV will provide us with a great amount of resources, tools and abilities that will benefit all sides of the organisation. I like to look at IJB as an integral part of the organisation, although we have a set of goals and essentials that grant us different (but similar) traits than those CISV has, we have all the necessary channels to work together.

4. International Junior Branch is structured with 3 Regional Junior Branch Teams and 1 IJB Team.

What are your thoughts on the contribution of t h o s e Te a m s t o t h e development of CISV and how they should work together to achieve this goal?

Teams are capable of contributing in all levels of CISV and do so today, in some more than others.

Nonetheless, I believe that through joint work and efforts there can be a vast amount of fruits to harvest and areas yet to be explored. It’s only a matter of a correct administration of HR, profile raising, and communication.

‘’We are human resources, capable and qualified for training, leadership, execution of tasks, budget management and execution, communication, infrastructure, and soooooo much more.’’

2016 IJR Candidate Questionnaire: Seb As IJR I’d attempt to work in coordination with regional structures, as I believe that regional efforts with one same objective can be more effective than independent work done at an international level. If there’s a need to further integrate IJB and CISV, I believe a starting point is integrating IJB more, creating more common projects and guidelines that allow us to fully work at a same level.

As Training Specialist on the IJBTeam I have proposed creating a joint training strategy to be used at all levels of Junior Branch, this can and should be applied to all other focus areas of the organisation. I believe that after gaining a common ground as Junior Branch, it is easier to move forward with the integration of IJB into CISV, without loosing core values and principles that identify us.

Communication, social media, profile raising, training and evaluation, projects, and activities are the core tools that I’d use to achieve this objective.

5. It is anticipated that in 2017 the Junior Branch Review Team will put fo r wa rd p ro p osa l s to improve the integration of Junior Branch in the

organisation.

As International Junior Representative, how do you see your contribution in this process? ‘’I believe that after gaining a common ground as Junior Branch, it is easier to move forward with the integration of IJB into CISV, without loosing core values and principles that identify us.’’

2016 IJR Candidate Questionnaire: Seb The yearly projects that have been run are excellent examples of integration achieved by Junior Branch and IJB-CISV. It has been a great way of creating content, activities, and raising awareness on the Four Content Areas of CISV. These projects brought necessary tools and templates that allow for anyone in the organisation to run an activity that relates to the Content Area of the Year, regardless of their involvement in JB, CISV, a Programme or Workshop.

I am positive that this is evidence of how positive of an impact Junior Branch has on the organisation and its members. Not only are these projects creating content and activities that can be used, but they are truly educating and inspiring action for a more just and peaceful world, exactly what CISV is meant to do.

6. At the end of 2016, International Junior Branch will have run yearly projects on the 4 content areas of CISV. What do you think these projects brought to our organisation and how could International Junior Branch continue to co n t r i b u te to C I SV ’s approach on those 4 content of areas? ‘’Not only are these projects creating content and activities that can be used, but they are truly educating and inspiring action for a more just and peaceful world, exactly what CISV is meant to do.’’

2016 IJR Candidate Questionnaire: Seb As previously stated, I am truly confident of the huge impact Junior Branch has on the continuous development and improvement of our organisation. All the areas of the organisation contribute in one way or another, but to me, Junior Branch has a contribution in most of them, if not all. At the same time, if we take the time to analyse the four growth areas of CISV, Junior Branch is also contributing in all of them, at all or some of the levels of the organisation (Local, National, Regional or International).

If I were to say the main areas of expertise and contribution to the organisation, I would go with Educational Content, Resources (specially Human Resources), Profile (and Profile Raising), Foundation (we develop strategic planning and have a structure that allows us to contribute to other Growth Areas), and most of all Impact. Projects, as previously stated, are to me a very good example of contribution made my Junior Branch, we are supplying vital resources that help in Impact, Educational Content and Profile, via this is that we may expand the CISV Experience and take it to a yearly basis, making it possible to link CISV with our statement of purpose rather than with Programme specific objectives and drives.

7. To you, how is Junior Branch contributing to the development of our

organisation?

‘’We may expand the CISV Experience and take it to a yearly basis, making it possible to link CISV with our statement of purpose rather than with Programme specific objectives and drives.’’

2016 IJR Candidate Questionnaire: Seb #myCISVstory started in 2007 when my mom got home with a huge surprise for me, I was going to have my first meeting with new friends from my delegation on an Interchange to Modena, Italy. 9 years later I still remember every experience and every person I’ve met along the way. CISV has given me experiences and memories for a lifetime, forged my character and made me who I am today!

Today I have strived to include CISV in all aspects of my life, it has been so important in my formation that I have dedicated great part of my personal efforts to volunteering in CISV and outside of it. Today I am the Senior NJR for CISV Colombia, the Training Specialist on the IJBTeam and a Leader Trainer for my chapter, CISV MedellĂ­n. Together with all the friends and contacts I have made, I believe global friendship and citizenship is the way to grow and live by.

Volunteering is not an act, it is a lifestyle we choose and love. CISV has taught me this, not only once, but many times over.

8. Write your

#CISVstory