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GLOBAL DEPARTMENT

A BLOG ABOUT THE THINGS WE DO

Revisiting GYC 2018: Closing Speech by Teng Hao

There were so many great moments at GYC 2018, and we would like to visit one of them!

Let's look back at how Teng Hao closed the GYC 2018 with his speech.

Here is Teng Hao's closing speech.

Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Teng Hao and I’m honored to be giving the closing speech on behalf of all facilitators and delegates here today.

Congratulations everyone, on successfully bringing the 2018 Osaka YMCA Global Youth Conference to a close! I would just like to take the opportunity here to thank the Osaka YMCA Global Department, the Youth Committee members, our wonderful facilitator trainers, my fellow facilitators, and each and every one of you delegates. Missing any one of you would be like missing a piece from a puzzle and GYC would not have been possible.

This year, we came together to vote for the topics to be discussed at GYC. Together, we have agreed that the mental health of youths, an increasingly important issue today, and the rise of artificial intelligence were topics worth starting a conversation about. As a facilitator, it was extremely heartening for me to see everyone engaging with the topic so passionately despite the many different challenges you faced. I too have been personally challenged in many different ways along this journey, from working together with friends from such different cultures and backgrounds for the first time, to making sure that our workshop content was accessible for all. I am sure that each and every one of you would have been challenged in your own way, but make sure that you remember these challenges together with the good memories you have created - for what doesn’t challenge you doesn’t change you.

As I’m sure all of you would have realised, navigating these challenges is easier with friends. Take a few seconds now, and look around you. These are like-minded individuals, like yourself, who are passionate about global youth issues. The global network you make and form here will be important in the future when you all eventually become the global leaders of tomorrow. The Chinese have a saying, “多个朋友多条路”. One more friend, is one more path opened. What a single individual is able to accomplish, is tiny in comparison to what a team is able to. Much more than that however, you create the best memories with good friends by your side. I will forever cherish the memories I have made here in Japan, touring the different cities and working together with my fellow amazing facilitators.

As you depart for your home countries, I challenge you to not forget the important issues we have discussed in the past week here. If you are able to, do something about the problems we talked about! Engage your friends in discussion, spread the awareness! Even if you have opposing opinions the important thing is to be willing to discuss them, deepen your understanding and be open to a solution that may involve compromise. In this way, we can be global citizens and local leaders. I hope to see many of you leading the next batch of youths in doing the same, whether as facilitators, youth committee members or volunteers, here next year or in other such capacities.

Just before I get booed off the stage for dragging on too long, allow me to share with you a favourite quote of mine. It’s by the great writer Issac Asimov, one of the founding fathers of modern science fiction: “Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off once in a while, or the light won’t come in.” I hope that your windows are sparkling clean after this GYC, and remember to open your windows once in a while to let new ideas in!

Thank you everyone!!

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