City Zenes Focus July 2015 | Issue 11
TABLE OF CONTENTS City Zenes Focus The Official Newsletter of Junior Chamber International City Plus
Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Tasweena Girdhari 2015 Local Secretary
Messages: Main Editor...............................................................................iii Local President........................................................................iv JCI City Plus at a glance (April - June 2015)........................................................................................4 Interview of Senator Jessen Soobrayen................................................................................7 Aspiring Members’ Corner.......................................................................................9 Recognition Time....................................................................10
Editorial Team Ashish Padaruth Main Editor Vikash Beelatoo Member
New Member’s corner............................................................11 Visit of 2015 JCI Vice President Dinamalala Rajaobelison...........................................................................12 2015 JCI Active Citizenship Academy and 2015 Africa and Middle East Conference.............................................................................14
Editorial Advisors Roumesh Oomah 2015 Local President
2015 JCI Mauritius Debate Championship............................15
Kevin Andy 2015 Local Vice-President
Team Building.........................................................................17
Master of Ceremony Experience............................................16
Micro-Trottoir...........................................................................20 Save the dates........................................................................21 Official Website http://www.jcicityplus.org/
Jargon Buster,JCI Fact, Join us.............................................22 Our Sponsors and Partners....................................................23
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MAIN EDITOR Dear Readers, It is with immense pleasure that we present to you the Second Edition of the JCI City Plus newsletter. Three months have already gone by since the publication of our First Edition. In those three months, as a responsible organization, JCI City Plus hasn’t been idle. We have had a series of activities namely: The visit of 2015 JCI Vice President Dinamalala Rajaobelison, 2015 JCI Mauritius Debate Championship, and Team Building at Talents. JCI City Plus is full of amazing and passionate members and it got proven at the national and international level where • We bagged two awards at the 2015 JCI Africa and Middle East Conference. • We have been recognized for being among the first 100 Local Organizations in the world who has completed an Impact 100 project. • We won the runner up prize at the 2015 JCI Mauritius Debate Championship. I would like to seize this opportunity to thank the Editorial team members Local Secretary Tasweena and Vikash Beelatoo for their unwavering support. Edith Wharton once said ‘There are two ways of spreading light: either be the candle or the mirror that reflects it’. Let’s us all aspire to bring a positive change in our society. Let’s Act to Impact !
Ashish Padaruth Main Editor
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LOCAL PRESIDENT Dear JCI Friends, It is an honor for me to address you as the 2015 JCI City Plus President in the second edition of City Zenes Focus (JCI City Plus’s Newsletter) for the year 2015. It is already three months since we released our first newsletter and in these three months we have organized various projects and activities and we were also blessed by a lot of good news.
During the 2015 JCI Africa and Middle East Conference, JCI City Plus has won two awards namely for the Best Local Economic Development Program and the Best Local Growth and Development Program and JCI City Plus was also recognized by 2015 JCI President Ismail Haznedar for being among the first 100 JCI Local Organizations in the world to conduct a Project Impact 100 this year on the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of the JCI Movement.
One of the major held during the past three months was the visit of 2015 JCI Vice President Dinamalala Rajaobelison and during her visit the Board of Directors of JCI City Plus had the opportunity to invite her for lunch followed by an enriching working session.
Another moment of pride for JCI City Plus this year was when it featured in the Local Action Bulletin for April, which was circulated to all Local, National and International Board of Directors across the world for the Learning Made Easy and Smile Project.
JCI City Plus has also completed one national flagship projects during the past three months namely the 2015 JCI Mauritius Debate Championship and the team of JCI City Plus was the runner-up of the competition. We also committed to promote MY World Campaign and engage young people to share their voices. We also organized a joint team building, Together W e A r e O n e , w i t h a l l t h e fiv e L o c a l Organisations at Talents Centre.
During the members meeting of June 2015, we have also recognized the best board member, best member and best new member of JCI City Plus for the first six months based on the Performance Management System, which we implemented in the start of the year. I would like seize this opportunity to thank all board members, members, senators, aspiring members and partners of JCI City Plus for their continuous support. Thank you very much!
ACT TO IMPACT
Roumesh Oomah Local President iii
JCI CITY PLUS AT A GLANCE (APRIL - JUNE 2015)
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INTERVIEW OF SENATOR JESSEN SOBRAYEN had to convince (bully) me to accept the post of Local President in 2010… JCI is about accepting challenges, taking opportunities and solving problems. And like Helen Keller rightly said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Dear members, rest assured that it has been the honor of my life to be your President. And I will be forever grateful to have been given this life changing opportunity. Senator Jessen Soobrayen
2. Throughout your JCI experience, what has been the biggest obstacle you might have encountered? And how did you manage to tackle it? The biggest obstacle was members!
1. You're the first JCI City Plus member to have become the 2013 JCI Mauritius National President. What was the one thing in JCI that motivated Bio-Express you to occupy such an esteemed position ? In one word, People. ★Local President in 2010
★ National President in 2013 ★ Senator 73849 as from 2014
Throughout my JCI career, I was fortunate enough to meet the right people at the right time – Members, Senators, JCI Officers, JCI Presidents… who drove me on, worked on challenges with me and helped me to tackle and solve problems. When I joined JCI City Plus in 2008, it was never in my plans to take leadership roles as a Local or National Officer. I just wanted to contribute and work in community projects. I still recall the day when our founder President Senator Veena
In a non profit environment, it is most difficult and often counter intuitive to drive people with different personalities and objectives.
And in JCI, you will find that the most precious resource is time; you will never recover the time you spend, or the time you waste. I have passionately invested countless manhours to work on projects and take leadership responsibilities, towards intensive personal development, introducing innovation into each project I could take part of, and meaningfully engaging people into the vision of our organization. However (unfortunately), a lot of 7
those hours were spent (wasted) in dealing with conflict. As for innovations I brought in, some have thrived, but many died!
4. You have been the President of JCI City Plus in the past. What are the take-aways of being at the helm of a local organisation?
3. JCI is celebrating 100 years of impact this year. According to you, what is the biggest impact JCI has made to your life?
The lessons learnt were mostly about people management in a non profit environment.
I have learnt more in my 8 year stint as member than in the 27 years before that. Every step you take in life defines who you are as a person. Learn from your mistakes and don’t be afraid of failure because each experience teaches you the important lessons to succeed in life. You should learn to accept both failure and success, and view each obstacle as a stepping stone to the latter. Don’t be disappointed by what you couldn’t accomplish; move on to the next thing you’re passionate about and make the most out of it. Do what you love and always challenge yourself to Be Better.
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” Charles Swindoll
JCI is all about leading by example. It’s about taking over people with different personalities and objectives, and building a strong team with a common vision. In my humble opinion, this is essential for the positive progression of the chapter as a whole. A hard-working and dedicated executive team will result in motivated and loyal members who collectively, will contribute to the overall development of the organization. 5. Your best piece of advice to JCI members who aspire to become future Local or even National Presidents? Being a leader can be daunting, but it is because you chose to be a leader that will inspire others to do the same. Believe in your abilities. Challenge yourself to go outside your comfort zone and expand your experiences. Do not be afraid to fail and learn from failures. Do not fear to question the status quo. But most important, always have a purpose behind everything you do.
6. What fun fact most people would not know about you? After my 8 year stint in JCI, I do not have bad hair days anymore.
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ASPIRING MEMBERS’ CORNER
an organization that understands the true meaning of the “brotherhood of man, which transcends the sovereignty of nations”. I always look forward to the exciting meetings, trainings and projects in JCI City Plus. JCI city plus gives me the opportunity to keep empowering my leadership skills and be a better global citizen. Yashim Dauji Aspiring Member
I am from Nigeria and I have always known and heard about JCI. When I came to Mauritius to study I was thrilled to hear about JCI Mauritius, so i sent a message on the JCI website and Miss Asha Auckloo the national Vice President of JCI Mauritius, called me the next day inviting me to attend a meeting. She actually took the time to come pick me up and took me to the venue. My 1st meeting was on 25th February 2015 and it was exciting for me because I was fairly new to Mauritius as a whole. I met with a lot of interesting people, who have actually treated me as one of their own. Mr Yudhish Rama, who actually makes local meetings quite interesting and funny. Mr Roumesh Oomah the 2015 JCI City Plus president, he is actually the calmest person I know. I was given an opportunity to be part of the organizing committee for the JCI National Debate competition it was exciting to work and bond at the same time with this new found family. As the essence of JCI made it clear that it is not bound by boundaries, tribe, race or colour. It’s
Hi I'm Nidhi and it has been two months since I joined JCI City Plus. I first came to know about JCI through my cousin Darshini Servansingh who was the 2013 local Vice President of JCI Curepipe. I was impressed by how she was engaged in all the activities of the organisation. Few months ago, I decided to join JCI City Plus along with my friend Varuna Govinden. My first interaction with the other members was at a get together at Flic en Flac. I really enjoyed everyone's company and was given a thorough explanation on the functioning of JCI by the Local President Roumesh Oomah. Two weeks later, I participated in the JCI Mauritius Debate Championship which was a first for me. It was a truly enriching experience which helped me 9
overcome my fear of public speaking and taught me the meaning of team spirit and time management. Winning the runner up price made me felt a sense of achievement. JCI City Plus also helped me in broadening my network. Being in the medical field, I am most of the time surrounded by medical and paramedical people. By joining JCI, not only did I meet like-minded citizens but I was introduced to people from different background and workplace with whom my path would not have crossed if it was not for JCI.
Recognition Time During the Fifth Members’ Meeting of JCI City Plus held on 24th June 2015 at Lambic, PortLouis, the Best Board member, Best member and Best new members were announced and rewarded for their hard work, dedication and
JCI helps young adults like me encounter various opportunities to learn and interact in a stimulating environment. I have a strong belief that my active involvement in this organisation will enable me to consistently help others in need and continue my passion for community service. More importantly, it will enable me learn and apply valuable skills like communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills. Such life long skills will also enhance my ability to become an effective individual. As an aspiring member of JCI City Plus, I would strongly suggest young people to join JCI which will help them to actively engage with one another through the process of sharing ideas, and thus become empowered to create positive change. Dr Nidhi Servansingh Aspiring Member
commitment to JCI City Plus during the first six months of 2015. Best Board Member – Local Vice President Varsha Boodhoo Best Member – Ashish Padaruth Best New Members – Geetanjali Ramkishore & Nitin Collapen 10
NEW MEMBER’S CORNER It was through the Local President Roumesh, that I discovered JCI. When he first contacted me, I was not so sure about it, but then I went to do some re s e a rc h a n d saw all the projects that JCI had been doing and was very eager to join this great family. It all began in November 2014 when I joined as aspiring member, and in April 2015 finally sworn in as member. For me joining JCI is a dream come true. Having been engaged in social work since my college days, JCI was a means to carry on the good work.
should admit I was very nervous with all the board members in front of me and I had to be nothing but perfect. They were amazingly professional and did everything to make me feel at ease.
For me the best thing was having been able to talk about a project that I hold very close to my heart, is doing something for the welfare of animals. This was also one of the reasons of joining JCI. The swearing in ceremony was one of the best days of my JCI journey so far. It was a matter of honour and great pride to have sworn in the presence of the 2015 JCI Vice President Dinamalala Rajaobelison. The interaction with the senators were very enriching, I considered myself very lucky to form part of this great family. I was very much inspired and hoping to keep the good work going. I strongly believe that you cannot have an impact if you do not act. On an ending note, ‘it’s not about what you want to do, it’s about what you actually did.”
Like all members I had to go through the interview to be able to swear in as member. I
Jaya Mulloo Member 11
VISIT OF 2015 JCI VICE PRESIDENT DINAMALALA RAJAOBELISON
Lunch with 2015 JCI Vice President Dinamalala Rajaobelison
Cher President Local Roumesh, Chers membres du bureau local, Chers amis Jaycees, membres de la JCI City Plus, Je crois fermement que l’éducation est le foundation de la société ! Félicitations pour vos engagements citoyens afin d’apporter des i m p a c t s p o s i t i f s d u r a b l e s d a n s v o t re communautés. Commit - Connect - Care Bien a vous tous et gros bisous
On Sunday, 19th April 2015, some hours before the Banquet in honor of the 2015 JCI Vice President Dinamalala Rajaobelison, the Board of Directors of JCI City Plus invited her for lunch followed by a working session.
JCI VIce President for Africa and Middle East Dinamalala Rajaobelison
It has been a fruitful encounter sharing about JCI especially at international level and how to use tools available locally to us to empower young people to create a better Mauritius.
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VISIT OF 2015 JCI VICE PRESIDENT DINAMALALA RAJAOBELISON Banquet in honor of 2015 JCI Vice President Dinamalala Rajaobelison
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2015 JCI ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP ACADEMY & 2015 AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST CONFERENCE
Akwaba from Accra. On my arrival to Accra three brothers from the gold coast gave me a warm Ghanean welcome "Äkwaba"; a great start to the Active Citizenship Academy and my first Area A adventure. Brotherhood of Men transcends the sovereignty of Nations:
of the solution; be not a spectator, be an actor of change.
One message: Act to Impact. And do it NOW. We all have qualities, using these qualities to bring a positive change is our responsibility. We all have fields where we could improve, using the network we have and by acting together will enable us to overcome these and to create a greater impact. Synergy is the what that will bring an exponential rise in the magnitude of the IMPACT to our actions.
We were 32 delegates from 17 African countries attending the academy and from the very first day of the 3 days training we immediately connected, exchanging our various views and really understanding that we are facing the same challenges while sharing the same
As a closing note, I would advise anyone in the organisation to seize an international opportunity to really experience the I in JCI - I for international. values. We were very lucky to have as our chief trainer the present JCI Secretary General Arrey Obensson - a keynote speaker and a very inspirational figure who urged each one of us to IMPACT and to IMPACT NOW. "Ïf there's anything in your locality, community, or country that needs to be changed, be that change and ACT. ACT to IMPACT. And be part
It is Only by going to the international platforms that you'll experience our network, build friendships, and bringing the local to the international. Looking forward in seeing you in Johannesburg for 2016 JCI Africa and Middle East Conference. Damien Veerapatren 2015 Local Vice President – Business 14
2015 JCI MAURITIUS DEBATE CHAMPIONSHIP This year, JCI City Plus has been entrusted the responsibility of organizing the 2015 JCI Mauritius Debate Championship, one of the National Flagships projects. The Championship was held on Saturday 23rd May 2015 at the Municipal Council Room of Port-Louis.
There were four teams that participated in the Debate Championship and 2 reached the final. The Debate team from JCI City Plus was 1. Ashish Padaruth (Team Captain) 2. Dr Nidhi Servansingh ( Second Speaker) 3. Varuna Govinden ( Third Speaker)
“I had a great experience being the Project Director for the 2015 Debate Championship 2015. The objective of the project was to provide a platform to debate on social issues in alignment with the JCI goals. I felt privileged to be able to bring together the resources to make the event happen. The success of the event goes to the dynamic team having worked on this Project. The highlights of the event were the enthusiasm, teamwork and bonding of the JCI City Plus Board & members.” Project Director Lutchmee Gongapodans
Lutchmee Gongapodans Project Director
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MASTER OF CEREMONY EXPERIENCE As Ashley Ormon rightly said; “We cannot expect to grow if we are too afraid or unwilling to change and face challenge. When we exit our everyday, mundane lifestyles to do something different we can experience growth, undiscovered strength and new abilities within ourselves.”
Emcee…Me. What? No way! On the 23rd May 2015, I was the Master of Ceremony (Emcee) for the first time. This was for the 2015 JCI Mauritius Debate Championship held at the Municipal Council of Port-Louis. When you are in JCI, you will constantly see some members enthusiastically taking on responsibilities like being Project Director, Master / Co-Master of Ceremonies, hostesses, etc… Over time, you actually become accustomed to this well-oiled machinery. But, there also comes a time when the little voice inside your head challenges you to get out of your comfort zone and take up one of these roles.
I therefore decided to venture into the unknown. When I was preparing for the big day, I actually went through several instances of Oh gosh, is it not a bit too big for a step? Will I live up to the challenge? What if everything goes wrong? But, each time I brace up and tell myself that if it’s not worth the risk, then why am I still in JCI. After all, it was the most enriching experience as JCI member so far. For the first time, I got to stand alone with everyone’s eyes on me, waiting what to come next. Throughout the event, I was the facilitator especially trying to ensure that everyone be welcomed, comfortable and respected. Being the Emcee was indeed a great honor for me. To you all who never experience being Emcee, opportunity is always knocking. You want to enhance your experience as speaker and leader and above all to get out of your comfort zone. Take a chance, be an Emcee! Trust me, it’s going to be fun Tasweena Girdhari 2015 Local Secretary
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TEAM BUILDING JCI - Together We Are One! On the 20th June 2015, the JCI family participated in a tailor-made team building activity. The proposition based on our strategic plans was prepared by Talents, one of the foremost providers of Tr a i n i n g , L e a r n i n g a n d Management Development in Mauritius.
It was a joint team building organised by all five Local Organisations of JCI Mauritius with JCI City Plus being the leading organization for the event. It has been a very good opportunity to interact with members and aspiring members of Local Organisations and hence consolidate our bonding.
The first activity was La Riviere Tanier where each team designated one team member to play the role of “Grand Mama” who had to “La Peche Cabot”. The second activity was “Letan Lontan” where each team was given a list of “Sirandanes” to be solved.
The final activity was the Sketch where each team was asked to make a five-minute presentation in front of the whole group and one Major Mauritian Famous Personality was to be involved.
The participants were broken down into three teams with a specific typical Mauritian name; 1. Tangaley 2. Savate Dodo 3. Allime dife 17
TEAM BUILDING JCI City Plus Team building at Talents
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TEAM BUILDING
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MICRO TROTTOIR What do Non Members think about JCI?
Nessen Cangamalay, Law student “Motivation. Fulfilling one’s inner potential’
Marie Michelle Ramsamy, Team Leader, Ceridian “Its an NGO for young entrepreneurs and doing social things’
Anushka Kureemun, HR professional “A group of people under the same roof having one aim’
Janick Lazer, HR professional. “Social Work and young professionals in action to make things better and help around”
Akhilesh Parbhu, Software Engineer, Ceridian “Young people doing awareness around different factors affecting society”
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SAVE THE DATES
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JARGON BUSTER Let’s face it, when it comes to say what we exactly m e a n , i t ’s s o hard not to use jargons, especially after a looooong week of JCIng here and there. The acronyms are just going to slip out no matter what!
SENATOR
A lifelong member of JCI. Recognition is given by a LOM to members who have significantly contributed to the JCI mission and vision.
JCC
JOIN US, HERE’S WHY! 1. Leadership At work, it can take you years to occupy a leadership position but in JCI, the moment you join in, you start directing projects and in the long run even occupy a position on the executive board. With the challenges, responsibilities and proper training, you get to learn what it takes to be a leader.
2. Entrepreneur How many of us actually know how an organization works? In JCI, you will learn how to work as a team, how to Did market for an event, how the you know? fi n a n c e s w o r k a n d h o w Charles Lindbergh, the first fundraising works. Here is an person in history to travel on a opportunity for you, solo flight across the Atlantic entrepreneurs to learn and ocean, collaborated with other apply it for your business. Jaycees to develop the current mail system ; The Airmail 3. Culture Mauritius is famous for its cultural diversity and so is JCI. Working with people of different cultures is a key to building diverse communities that are powerful enough to achieve significant goals.
Junior Chamber of Commerce (Old branding name of JCI)
QUORUM
Sufficient number of people to make a vote at a meeting
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OUR SPONSORS AND PARTNERS
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