Introducing BYM Summit OC 2010
In line with its belief that young people have the power to bring about change, the day-to-day organising of Brightest Young Minds’ activity has always been implemented by students. This year’s committee consists of 11 Stellenbosch University students, undergrad and post-grad, and from a diversity of backgrounds and fields.
Introducing the Brightest Young Minds Summit Organizing Committee 2010!
New application deadline – 22 July 2010
Due to our partnership with ‘The Chosen’, 2010 MTN Business Leading CEO Council, the application deadline has now been extended to 22 July 2010!
‘The Chosen’, 2010 MTN Business Leading CEO Council is a unique annual event where South Africa’s top businessmen and women unite to discuss leadership issues and to mentor those who will succeed them. The four-day Initiative features seminars, workshops and debates where 24 of today’s top leaders will help to mould 24 Protégés – those who are the leaders of tomorrow. The Protégés will be handpicked from the delegates who are chosen to attend this year’s Brightest Young Minds summit.
For an opportunity you can’t miss out on, apply here.
For more information about ‘The Chosen’, 2010 MTN Business Leading CEO Council, click here.
Youth can still inspire
A response to Business Day column, ‘Hear youth reject Malema as role model’ published on 8 Aprilo 2010.
We are the stories we tell. And like Rhoda Kadalie [see column 'Hear youth reject Malema as role model', Business Day, 8 April], we are also deeply frustrated at the stories (and songs) that are circulating (and have been, for a while now) in South Africa: words of hatred, words of false promise, words of divisive intent.
It’s time now that the country starts to realize that these voices are not representative of the youth. Today, we write this letter not to respond in anger and despair, but to assert, like Ms Kadalie, that the youth of this country can still be a source of hope and inspiration.
The Brightest Young Minds organisation is one such case in point. Since its inception in 2000, BYM has created an inter-disciplinary, interracial group of young leaders; people who are positive and have already made significant contributions through social initiatives, scholarship and entrepreneurship. Through hard work and determination, these young people are building bridges over divides that characterise our history.
But the most important thing, is that Ms Kadalie and BYM are not alone: There are many others who been quietly getting on with business as usual, i.e. the business of treating others with human dignity and respect, the business of making a difference, the business of believing in and working towards a better South Africa.
It’s time we honour these young people with words and conversation that match their endeavours and achievements. It’s time we stop fueling the idea that only those who are noisy and mis-behaved enough deserve front page attention. It’s time we start looking at the real youth leaders amongst us. It’s time to start re-telling the story of A Free and Fair South Africa - a story that we’ve always believed in, but seem to have temporarily forgotten.
Let’s keep this conversation going.
GRACE KIM (2010 BYM Summit Organising Committee President), and RALPH BAUMGARTEN (BYM CEO)
* An edited version of the post appeared as a letter in Business Day of 15 April, read here…
Applications for BYM Summit 2010 Now Open
SA’s brightest young minds sought to be the turning point in 2010
The tenth annual Brightest Young Minds summit will be held from 7 – 11 September 2010 in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, and university students and recent graduates are encouraged to apply to attend.
The Brightest Young Minds organisation aims to channel the hearts and minds of young people into initiatives that can affect societal improvement and the annual summit is their flagship activity. One hundred delegates, representing the brilliance and diversity of our country, will be selected on criteria of innovation, leadership and academic accomplishments.
At the summit the 100 delegates will get the chance to interact with some of the top thinkers and most inspiring individuals in the country as well as have the opportunity to develop new ideas and innovative solutions to some of the challenges facing our society. The best of these ideas will be presented on the final day to a high-profile audience of business and public sector leaders.
Past alumni of the summit have included numerous Rhodes and Fulbright Scholars, thriving entrepreneurs and the founders of successful social initiatives. Ideas developed at the summit have been published in a book, been profiled in national media and lead to an award winning business idea.
According to Ralph Baumgarten, CEO of Brightest Young Minds, the theme for the 2010 summit is ‘2010: The Turning Point?’: “2010 is South Africa’s year. While the rest of the world has their eyes fixed on every single decision we make, the platform has been set for South Africa to enter the world stage. At the BYM Summit 2010, South Africa’s brightest young minds are sought, who’ll take initiative to tap into the extraordinary promise of South Africa’s entrance onto the world stage. It is up to our generation of young people to provide leadership that will remark 2010 as the turning point in our country.”
Applications for the summit are available on the BYM website (www.bym.co.za) and the closing date is 11 June. Successful applicants will be able to attend the summit free of charge.
The 2010 BYM summit presents a unique opportunity for anyone with a bright mind and passionate heart looking to do the exceptional.
See what Generation (B) Y (M) has to offer
Magda Wierzycka, the CEO of Sygnia Asset Management, writes on Moneyweb’s blog about Generation Y and their characteristics. Generation Y are those born between 1982 and 1995 of Generation X and Baby Boomer parents.
She describes this generation as growing up amidst ‘unprecedented prosperity’ with access to ‘better, more rounded education’. Furthermore they are: ‘extreme[ly] technology savvy’, ‘very family orientated’, ‘demanding and outspoken employees’ with an ‘overdeveloped sense of entitlement’, they ’struggle to deal with failure or criticism’ and ‘flounder if left unmanaged or unsupervised’.
I’ll agree with the technology savvy.
The rest of the description might ring true for young people in the USA or some other homogenous, developed country, but it sounds a little off-tone for the vast majority of young South Africans.
One only needs to look at the tragic outcomes of our school system that fails the majority of its learners and the extremely high levels of unemployment among young people to see that this generation is not some privileged class.
It is also important to remember that the South African Generation Y has been growing up in times of major transition: a political transition with profound social impacts, accelerating urbanisation (lagging the rest of the world) and widening and deepening globalisation.
In my opinion, all these transitions present exciting opportunities, but they most definitely also bring new challenges. The SA Gen Y is the group that has to build a unified, non-racial society bridging the prejudices and mistrust of previous generations. They also have to develop and maintain their own cultures and customs while being integrated with and relevant in the global society. And while globalisation affords this generation with more opportunities, they need to more competitive and more adaptable as a consequence of international competition.
Don’t get me wrong – not for a moment do I wish to exchange the challenges faced by South African young people with those faced by their parents. But, we need to acknowledge that the environment and challenges are different and that this generation will inevitably do things in a different way. And they’ll have to, because much of what they inherit in terms of the economy, environment and global stability is not looking pretty.
So the real important question is: Will Generation Y, specifically in South Africa, falter or will they besides ‘gallingly emerging as a more powerful force in the workplace’, Wierzycka’s words, rise up to be a powerful force for good?
My bet is placed.
Over the last nine years Brightest Young Minds have identified, developed and channelled the ideas and passion of young people into making a positive contribution in our society. Every year we have been impressed not only with the remarkable talent but with the inspiring optimism and commitment of these young people. At every summit the majority of conversations are about how to make the biggest positive impact on the community. And it doesn’t stay with talking. These young people have gone on start businesses, create universities and schools, initiate social upliftment programmes, invent new products and services and ploughed their talents and energy into all manner of businesses and organisations.
The next BYM summit will take place in July 2009 and we know it will once again be an inspiring showcase of what Generation Y has to offer. If you are part of Generation Y, I encourage you to apply for the Summit and if you are or an older generation, I invite you to come and engage with these young people.
The experience will not be galling, but enlightening.
New BYM website launched
Finally!
After months of being off-line, BYM is re-emerging in the virtual world. And as with our physical world re-launch, we hope you will find the new BYM website very exciting.
We will regularly update news on our projects, have information about the annual summit and share our views on matters affecting youth leadership and social justice.
We would appreciate your feedback and comments.
BYM Team
