No good idea becomes a reality in an instant and the Centre for Youth and International Studies, an idea which has been in development for the last decade, was no exception to this rule.
Ever since I can remember I have always dreamed of changing the world for the better.
However, while my motivation was ever-present; there were many hurdles I had to overcome to materialise this dream.
As a next logical step, I had to ask myself some basic questions:
- What do I want to achieve?
- Why do I want to achieve it?
- How do I want to achieve it?
- To whom do I want to achieve it?
Little did I know that I would embark on a year-long journey to find the answers to these seemingly simple questions.
What do I want to achieve: the beginning
In 2011, I left my hometown Bucharest, Romania and moved to Vienna, Austria for high school.
Around this time, this first question ‘what do I want to achieve?’ sprang to mind again.
As I deconstructed my idealisms, such as, achieving world peace or solving inequality, this question became gradually more difficult to answer.
I needed to be more specific.
I wanted to achieve something that would be meaningful and impactful; something that would resonate with so many others, as it does with myself.
Little did I know that when I moved to Vienna, I would find the answer.
I remember the first day of high school clearly.
It was a completely different cultural and linguistic environment and, given the cultural barrier, it was very difficult for me to integrate.
I felt constantly alienated from my colleagues, teachers and everyone else: my voice did not carry the same weight.
This left me dealing with severe anxiety from early on in adolescence.
Despite my inner turmoil, I never stopped myself from pushing my ideas forward.
It felt wrong not to express myself.
Once I had fully embraced my diversity of thought, and learned that being different is something positive, I was motivated to aim as high as possible.
With this newfound power, I decided to create my first start-up – ProjectUni – a platform that aimed to connect youth with universities.
Why do I want to achieve it: the reflection
I moved to the United Kingdom in 2015, entering into the world of university for my Bachelor’s degree.
It felt as though the sky was the limit in terms of what could be achieved.
I now had the perfect chance to launch ProjectUni – at least that’s what I thought.
Starting this new chapter also meant growth in my self-awareness.
At university, traditionally, you are supposed to find out what you are good at and why you are doing what you are doing.
Yet, this question: Why do I want to achieve it? led me down an endless rabbit hole.
I could not give so simple an answer as ‘to help people’.
It had to be something authentic; something which meant a profound deal to myself and others.
Over the next years, I reflected upon this crucial question.
I came to the conclusion that the most impactful way to help people would be to create a system for inclusive and equitable education that promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all.
This realisation was partly a product of the university environment I came to be in, where I witnessed a myriad of socio-economic inequalities.
It was a continuous loop: while some young people did not have the option of pursuing higher education snatched away from them, with no choice but to take up a minimum wage job to support their families; others took out university loans leaving them in mountains of debt, the pressure of which led them to soul-crushing jobs to help them stay afloat.
Not to mention, the normalisation of the unpaid internship put the middle-classes at an inequitable advantage.
This prompted me to finally launch ProjectUni which would enable equitable access to education for everyone, with the long-term goal of reducing poverty and increasing human capacity.
The only issue was my response to the question ‘how do I want to achieve it?’ was too complicated.
Additionally, I did not have anyone around me that I could get to commit to the idea and therefore ‘with whom do I want to achieve it?’ was left unanswered.
Soon ProjectUni failed and I decided to put my passion aside to focus on getting a ‘real job’.
How do I want to achieve it: the structure
I soon became fixated on finding something that would make me financially independent.
My family had supported me long enough and it became necessary for me to get a job.
Day in and day out, I focussed on looking for jobs.
Whether it was in or outside of my domain, it was only important to get something that pays.
Fast-forward to the submission of my dissertation; working for a think-tank; and a brief but stressful experience in London to secure any job I could get, I was completely burnt-out.
I left defeated back to my hometown in Bucharest.
At home I reflected upon everything.
I soon noticed that this survivalist obsession blinded my passion to have a meaningful and impactful contribution to this world.
I started over and began thinking long-term rather than short term.
By applying for opportunities I am passionate about, I was able to begin shaping my response to the question that had been playing on my mind for so long: how do I want to achieve it?
Who do I want to achieve it with: the people
In January 2020, I received an email from the European Commission confirming that they wanted me on board for a traineeship.
It seemed that once my priorities changed, so did my luck.
Without hesitating I accepted the offer and eagerly awaited for my contract to start.
Arriving in Brussels felt like a new beginning.
I was in a good place with so many talented and passion-orientated young people.
My contract began in the first week of March of 2020 and we all know what happened afterwards.
Two weeks later all this happiness would become diluted with WHO announcing the COVID-19 pandemic.
The world went into lockdown and everything got a bit confusing.
Luckily I managed to adapt in the new online world.
In the brief two week period before the pandemic started I joined the Trainees’ Committee: a committee of fellow trainees working together to organise events.
As part of this team, I worked very closely with two individuals: Rebecca Gaff and Stefano Consoli.
They were my colleagues and friends during this period and helped me organise career opportunities for our hundreds of trainees.
Our work chemistry and friendship would be the basis of something great.
After concluding many of my projects, I needed to escape Brussels for a while and reflect on everything I had learned in the past months which felt like an entire year.
In my journey of escapism, I landed in Luxembourg at an Airbnb.
Everything was so quiet and calm, it felt that there was no chaos in this world.
All of a sudden I felt zapped by an idea which brought all the puzzle pieces from the last 10 years together.
I finally got all the answers to my questions:
What do I want to achieve?
I wanted to build a youth-orientated think-tank in Brussels which would provide a platform for youth to engage in cross-generational dialogue on global security, economic-environmental and humanitarian threats.
Why do I want to achieve it?
I want to give a voice to all youth, being instrumental in driving social change, thus bringing development and security in the world for the next generations.
This would give equitable opportunities to youth to fulfil their passions and contribute to our society.
How do I want to achieve it?
Create an NGO with a structure on three main research dimensions, Politico-Military, Economic-Environmental and Humanitarian, which encompass many political priorities of IGOs.
With whom do I want to achieve it?
Evidently with Rebecca and Stefano. Rebecca’s empathy and focus on communication combined alongside Stefano’s problem solving and detailed-oriented abilities would create the pillars of the organisation.
It was also clear to me that I was presented with a unique opportunity to get the talented and determined trainees from the directorates of the European Commission on board, each focusing on their respective political priorities.
The Completed Puzzle: the launch of CYIS
With all these questions answered, all that remained was to put them into practice.
Naming the organisation the Centre for Youth and International Studies (CYIS) and – after creating a rough website and presentation – I had to convince Rebecca and Stefano.
They were both on board, and I am eternally grateful for them supporting my idea from the very beginning.
We all put so much hard work to lay the foundation of the Centre in the next period.
During the recruitment process, we were taken aback by the wave of applicants that strongly believed in our mission, and we are now a team of 30 exceptional youth.
The scariest part was our launch in October.
I did not want to repeat the same mistakes as with ProjectUni.
To my surprise, there was a high level of support from our colleagues at the European Commission and wider network.
Over the last few months, we have developed a wide portfolio of relevant research articles and events, amplifying the voices of youth in decision-making processes.
Every week, our website visits and event attendance would grow, culminating in our eventual establishment as an officially registered NGO in Brussels.
After a very successful session, we are now more determined than ever to deliver our goals for the second session of CYIS.
We will build our community and diversify our content.
What are my lessons learned?
1. Never give up on your ideas
2. Reflect on how to be purposeful and impactful
3. Always follow your passion
4. Never start a journey alone