Article from GYF Delegate Joe Fahed

Being selected as a representative of my country_ Lebanon_ in People To People International’s 2007 Global Youth Forum thrilled me! I have always been fascinated by President Eisenhower and PTPI organization, and participating as a panelist on the International Student Panel at the GYF made me feel as a prince in a fairy tale.

Attending the Global Youth Forum was like a dream come true.
I came back from the GYF and took a decision that after gaining all this body of knowledge and skills from the Conference, there is no way that I stay the way I was before I participated in it.
The first day I went back to school was on the 21st of November, which was one day before the Lebanese Independence Day. In this occasion, while the annual festival we celebrate at school was held, I decided to share my GYF experience with the whole school, so I had a direct speech in front of my classmates, my teachers, all the students and their parents:
“The GYF is a prestigious program I will never forget. This honorable experience made me feel proud of myself and my country that few people know about and all they remember is its war.
I am glad because I made all the GYF-ers change their main impressions of Beirut as a metropolis ravaged by civil war and made them know that Lebanon is more than a country affected by regional conflicts we hear on CNN and other TV channels.
Beirut is the Jewel of the eastern Mediterranean and Lebanon earns the reputation as the Switzerland of the Middle East.
Lebanon is full of magic and you have to explore it to really know what it’s all about!”

I told them about all the sessions I attended.

I can’t forget what Mr. Josh Parolin said about how he decided not to live anymore his life for himself but to live it for all the people who are in deep need.
I remember what he said about how very little things can make difference and cheer the poor children in Uganda: A simple high five could change people!
I was sad to hear what a girl he met in Uganda told him, “that’s life, you live and you die.” I wish we could, one day, change that pessimistic opinion that many Lebanese children also possess.

The speech of “Arun Gandhi” never leaves my mind; it was a great honor for me to be able to hear him lecturing about my idol, Mahatma Gandhi:
“Keep your thoughts positive because thoughts become words,
Keep your words positive because words become habits,
Keep your habits positive because habits become values,
Keep your values positive because values become destiny.”

He made me believe that,
“We’re not born by accident,
We’re not here to live then die;
We’re here for a purpose.”
And I think that everyone of us should find his purpose in order to achieve what’s better for the community and the whole world.
“We need to teach people to respect others not just teach them to tolerate.”
Gandhi said that his generation, people have messed up. We, the new generation, need to work against violence and promote peace.
That being explained in one of President Eisenhower quotes,
“I like to believe that people in the long run are going to do more to promote peace than our governments. Indeed, I think that people want peace so much that one of these days, governments had better get out of the way and let them have it.”

I loved all the stories Arun talked about describing the special friendship he had with his Grandfather.
I remember him talking about how Gandhi used to sell his autograph for 5 USD to help India, and when Arun asked one without paying he refused saying that he doesn’t make exceptions for anyone, even his grandson. Well, he never did give him the autograph.

“Peacemakers are like farmers who plant peace in people.”
I wish I could become one day an efficient farmer in this world that, day after day, lacks the human rights and in which governments rarely answer the citizens’ essential needs.

Former child soldier, Madeleine taught me a lot and gave me the strength to move forward and don’t let any obstacle I face in my daily life influence on my goals I plan to achieve.
Her wonderful smile brings hope and promises a great future for her and every suffering child wherever he is.

The GYF cannot be described in few pages and the impact it had on my life cannot be summarized in few words.
All I can say is that this experience will still engraved in my heart, all my life and I will never ever forget all the great friendships I made and everything I learned.
I would like to thank Ms. Mary Jean Eisenhower for everything she’s offering to the world by promoting peace.
Thanks to all the leaders, especially: Sarah Houston, Katherine Phipps, Kristine Knutter, Barb Capozzi, Steve Ferringer and Brandon Wiley.
Thanks to all the GYF-ers who are my real friends!
Thank you my family, PTPI! I hope to see you soon!

Joe Fahed.