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Leadership: How Can Youth Walk Their Talk?

Saturday, March 04, 2023, @ 2 a.m. (GMT+3)

I was scuffling at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya, to find a taxi home. I had confirmed to my team at the Story Book that I would join them for the ‎22nd Kenya Model United Nations (KMUN) Annual Conference at United Nations, Gigiri. We received a last-minute confirmation that the Story Book would partner for the event. Moreover, I would speak during the opening ceremony.

Who is KMUN?

Model United Nations (MUN) is a global student-run initiative that mirrors the activities of the United Nations among youth to build understanding about the United Nations, global cooperation and diplomacy. The Kenya Model United Nations is the premier MUN entity in Kenya, with over ‎20 years of experience equipping over 500 young, intelligent and energetic university students and students in institutions of higher ‎learning in Africa with leadership and diplomacy skills.

The KMUN Conference occurs annually ‎ at the United Nations (UN)Complex in Nairobi. The 22^nd edition occurred from 6th to 10th March, bringing together over 800 participants; 30 universities, colleges & institutions of higher learning; 15 Partners; and 25 ‎high-level speakers.

The value-packed week comprised an in-depth simulation of the UN General Assembly and its committees, the United Nations Security Council, the International Court of Justice, the International Law Commission and a few other UN Specialized Agencies, Funds, and programs. Apart from the core deliberative business, the week is set to have Global Village celebrations, High-Level plenary sessions, SDG Case Study Challenge, International Law Essay Competition Award Ceremony, and capped off with a Diplomatic Dinner Night.

The event was held under 1 overarching theme: The Future We Want, and 5 sub-themes: #youthempowerment, #transformingeducation, #genderequality, #goodgovernance & #climatechange

When I founded the Story Book, the vision was to provide a creative enterprise with a social purpose – to inspire, ‎educate, mentor, entertain and influence the youth in Africa to ‎make informed decisions on their healing, growth and ‎‎development. So, this opportunity aligned with the vision, and I was excited to witness our first collaboration for a physical event of this magnitude.

Beyond watching the partnership play out throughout the week, I learned much about leadership. Here are five takeaways I believe will benefit a young African who aspires to emulate a healthy, productive leadership culture.

Here are five takeaways I believe will benefit a young African who aspires to emulate a healthy, productive leadership culture.

Collaboration is multiplication

The success of the ‎22nd KMUN Annual Conference‎ was a fruit of collaboration – it was evident. The main plenary hall was fully packed, well-branded and partners present in plenty.

Representatives from partner organisations, including the Story Book, gave remarks about their mission, objectives and available opportunities for engagement the delegates in attendance could leverage. In one sitting, we were all exposed to knowledge of existing avenues for growth and development across Kenya and beyond –the power of collaboration.

The Story Book’s partnership package included handling the media coverage and producing a conference documentary. We took the opportunity to continue filming our series #PackingItAway: Diplomacy Edition, seeking to hear from the youth delegates in attendance what they had to pack away to succeed in diplomacy/international relations. We also helped some local TV stations collect footage, leading to the Story Book being featured on the local news in Kenya. Yaay!

On International Women’s Day, there was a beautiful event led by UN Women and Plan International, for which I was invited to deliver opening remarks. I learned I would play this monumental role roughly 10 minutes before taking the stage. Thankfully, one of my prominent roles at the AU Commission is to write official statements for the Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development and the leadership under her; therefore, as a walking bank of talking points, I just pulled some lines on women and girl empowerment from my mental archives.

The KMUN organising committee could certainly not have done it all by themselves. When people collaborate, each takes on reasonable weight, and everyone shines.

Africa’s youth arise

I am a better writer than a speaker – or so I believe. Whenever I have to make a public address, friends, I sweat, but I speak boldly and own the stage. During the ‎22nd KMUN Annual Conference, I was not the only one stepping out boldly and expressing myself confidently; so were the youth in the room.

The subjects of discussion ranged from humanitarian crises, climate change, security, law, health security, diplomacy and more. Nevertheless, for each agenda, a bold champion shared their personal and, at times, community experience and asked questions to prompt reflection. A young lady spoke about surviving female genital mutilation (FGM), ensuring that her children were not mutilated and founding an organisation that empowers her fellow Somali women to beat the FGM norm.

There was also an exciting session where Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives to the UN or Kenya described their journey through their role and the attributes that make them succeed. I particularly loved how they generously responded to questions from the audience about what makes a good diplomat. I saw how young people in Africa would gather in masses to listen, learn and freely raise their voices ‎‎over what matters to them if given a youth-friendly platform. ‎

I enjoy my job at the African Union Commission; however, as a young person in that high-level, highly political space, I often have to go miles to prove my worth. Being in the youthful space felt so naturally befitting and fulfilling – like slipping into a perfect fit of a dress that’s just the right length and colour. Ladies, do you feel me?

Leadership is action

Being in that space also reminded me of what being a leader who walks their talk means. I met many young leaders blessed with mighty responsibilities in the Government of Kenya and beyond, who were graceful and generous with their time and stories about their leadership journey.

Hon. Mohamed Umulkher Harun, Nominated Member of the National Assembly for Youth Affairs in Kenya, narrated how tough navigating the campaigns was and how she had to step out of her comfort zone and approach other leaders and rally for their support which did not come easily to her before.

In a separate frontier, I could see how the conference’s organising committee, under the Secretary General’s and his Deputy’s leadership, moved around coordinating the proceedings, carrying an atmosphere of fatigue but managing a welcoming smile and professional attitude.

Even more impressive were all the young people who volunteered to be interviewed by the Story Book on various topics. Despite shyness and discomfort in front of the camera, they believed in what they knew enough to share with the rest of the world. I hope you catch all the interview episodes on www.thestorybook.whitneymwangi.com/podcasts

As I massaged my tiny toes from slaying in heels at the end of each day, I would remind myself that I set out from Addis Ababa, where I live to lead and lead well enough to inspire the young generation coming after me. Therefore, I had to remain astute and think on my feet whenever I had to make quick strategic decisions.

Passion vs career

I end my lessons with this conversation about passion vs career, which seems to be causing conflict among many young people as I got many questions about the topic through the conference. Are they separate worlds, or should they build on each other?

For me, it is apparent that my passions and career paths intertwine. While I was at the conference as the Founder of the Story Book, I was only good at playing that role because, in my regular job, I am in the business of telling stories, international relations, diplomacy, youth empowerment and so on.

I can understand why achieving a balance would be problematic for someone not making money from their passion and sticking to a career path they do not find fulfilling. However, I believe that the act of leadership is profoundly rooted in the ability to understand the place of our passion and career paths. A healthy perspective on life where we can sacrifice temporary, instant gratification for long-term fulfilment is important to living a purposeful, productive life.

While chatting with some peers, I gave a specific example of a colleague who does government relations during the day and in the evening,  sings in a band and makes an extra income. The latter could one day – who knows when- be enough to outweigh their day job, but as long they find fulfilment.

We can permit ourselves to live fulfilling lives by making room to enjoy our passions that fuel our enthusiasm for life and thrive in a career that butters our bread. We have the power of choice.

In summary, an influential leader creates an environment for collaboration, youth engagement, and accountability; and understands a healthy balance between passion and career.

I hope you enjoyed the read! Head over to the Story Book to listen to the podcast and view the images from the event 🙂

www.thestorybook.whitneymwangi.com