AIESEC founder!

And here's our picture with one of AIESEC founders from Alumni Awards Hall of Fame!

Another day at IC - something about the events here and about my feelings :)

Pryvit, moji liubi ;)

And again I have a minute to share with you some of the things that are happening here on IC 2006 in Poland. This for surely the most diverse conference in the whole world, a really amazing opportunity to be here is given only to 550 people (and now think of how many millions of youth there are in the world, who would give everything to use this opportunity!)

You all remember all the things that Sveta told you last year about IC in India last year. Well, this IC is very different in many aspects. The main idea is that last year IC was to motivate people about our @ identity, about @ 2010, about all the things that have to be done and started, about the vision of the organization and issue-based experience. Now, this year’s IC has goals more on the level of EXECUTION. We are not concentrating on making people believe and feel all the things that I wrote above, because everyone is already motivated for the changes, for new ideas, for new – identity aligned way to work. We are now concentrating on making all these things happen, on ensuring that all MCs and LCPs are equipped to leave the IC with more tools developed for implementing all the changes. This is how it’s different. Of course not everything can be done at IC, of course you have to be a part of many many important decisions and discoveries, relevant for local reality, but here we have an incredible chance to share the best case practices, the best ideas, the best examples of how certain things work already in different countries and different LCs. And of course it’s all about people who you meet, about relationships that you establish, about growing professional and personal network, started at this conference. Apart from getting so many new diverse friends from all countries I can imagine, I also know for sure that we will keep sharing the ideas, best case practices and our experience all the way after the conference. And this is not only about IC, this is about all international conferences existing – if you haven’t tried yet, you just have to go – plan and save money for it ;)

Today in our agenda we also had the launch of DLD (Developing Leaders Day), which will be all day tomorrow. It is going on for so many years now in a row, and this year their slogan is “Starting leaders from within”. We are all expecting a lot from tomorrow’s day and with wonderful facilitators we have from the supporting partners, I’m sure it will really be great.

I have to go to sleep now, because it’s 3 am, and it was a very eventful day for me, but I just couldn’t help not share with you, guys, how I feel here.

I have to add also how I am impressed with our delegation here – Ukrainian delegation. I am very proud of the knowledge our Ukrainian MC and LCPs have and show during the congress, I am proud by our spirit, and I am very excited about our relationships as friends. It’s really wonderful to feel and to be a part of, trust me ;)

In the end I want to quote one of the partners’ representative on this IC, who has done a wonderful presentation of his company – Alcatel and simply impressed us very much a person himself, he wrote on live.ic2006.pl , you might have read it already, but anyways – this makes me feel so much proud about our organization, that I can’t help sharing it with you:

Hey, AIESEC!
What a high I’m on right now as I fly home from my short time with you at the 2006 IC.
Every day, my colleagues and I are touched by AIESECers who bring their energy, talent and vision into Alcatel. And Alcatel is proud, every day, to be an AIESEC global exchange partner.
The last two days, however, were something else. Attending my first IC, I got to experience the buzz of being at the center of AIESEC passion. And I feel changed by the experience. I feel changed by you. You are an inspiring force.
Saturday at the Alcatel Launch, I talked about how we all create our identities by writing the stories of our lives, every day. Well, for two days, meeting as many delegates as I could, I heard the beginnings of amazing stories. You made me yearn to see what will happen next for you: what you will create as you grow in your AIESEC experience, on into your careers, and throughout the full impact of your lives.
Our stories are now subtly intertwined. My colleagues and I watched you collectively writing the next chapter of AIESEC’s story, and that reinforced our desire to continue and grow Alcatel’s global AIESEC partnership. We feel privileged to have AIESEC as a part of Alcatel’s story. And we look forward to meeting some of you again, should you choose to include Alcatel in yours.
From my heart, I want to thank all the leaders of AIESEC – in other words, every one of you – for letting me make IC 2006 part of my story. If I’m very lucky, this AIESEC buzz I feel will continue, and AIESECers will be part of my story for a very long time.
Your story is your life’s project. Don’t worry too much about how it will end. Just write it with passion every day.
Every day starting today.
Houston Spencer
Vice President, Alcatel Global Marketing, Paris


Ciluju micno,
Duzhe skuchyla,
Ne movchit’!!!
Vasha Ol’ka

One more IC day..

Pryvit!!!

I have very little time, but I just really want to share one thing with you - yesterday we had Alumni Hall of Fame - Award Ceremony with awarding the most commited alumni of AIESEC in the world. It was so unbelievably great - to see 40-50-60year old people, who have been in AIESEC so many years ago, and stayed with it not only in their hearts but in the actions too, that I felt like crying of all the emotions I had at the moment. Listening them speak about AIESEC, watching their tears of happiness and proud for the organizations and imagining what it will be like to be at IC myself in 10, 20, 30, 40 years..

The thing that I realized last night is that no matter what problems we now have in AIESEC in Ukraine, in @ in Lviv, no matter how we criticize ourselves and evaluate our work all the time, we are still very very young, both as a country and as AIESEC in Ukraine, and we have so much ahead of us, so many things to work on, develop, strive for, so much potential, that I am sure, when I'm going to be old and will come to IC in Ukraine ;), I will be 100 times more proud of our country and changes that AIESEC does in Ukraine, than we are already.

Love you greatly,
Ciluju,
Vasha Ol'ka

From me about IC - more! ;)

Pryvit, kohani :)

Here I go again having a very short break before dinner and willing to tell you at least something about IC. There's so much I want to share with you, so many things that I will have to tell you after coming back, that it's difficult to choose something to write about, so I'll just share my personal feelings. The thing that probably amazez me most and really motivates and empowers is the discussions that we have, whatever the sessions are and whatever issue we are talking about. There's one rule here - every time when you are in a circle discussing something, you have to change and sit with the group, where you don't know a single person. It's not that hard, considering that there are overall over 550 people in the room ;) And every time, when you sit with this group of different nationalities, characters, colors of skin, having a whole room behind you filled with 90 same groups, it feels like you are really talking with the whole world. Doesn' t matter that we are all so different - we all speak the same language with each other and we are all connected with one goal, with one vision, with very similar beliefs and dreams, one of the most important of which is make positive impact on society.. Do I even have to tell you how wonderful it feels?.. I will never forget this feeling and will treasure it as one of the most precios gifts I could've had during my AIESEC life.

I really want all of you, who are not physically here, try to reach out and BE at IC virtually - on live.ic2006.pl , join the discussions, look through the pictures and videos, attend forums and online dialogues, try to see yourself what IC is like this year - don't miss this opportunity, provided by Global IS Team ;)

Have to get back to the session now,
Though there's not much time to actually be missing somebody, I do miss you all and can't wait when I get back with all the knowledge to you.
Obijmaju micno,
Vasha Ol'ka ;)

From IC 2006 in Poland!!! Up-date and news from me!

Hello, kohani!!!

I will be writing in English, as there is no Cyrillic alphabet in here.

Honestly, I don't even know what to start from, because it's all is just so amazing! Well, first of all a few things about how we arrived here for the pre-meeting of CEE (Central-Eastern Europe Region), which lasted for 3 days and was based on discussing main CEE initiatives (such as CEE CEEDs, CEE Conferences, CEE ER and ohers), searching for the ways of improvement, making cooperation or just broadening our professional and personal network with the CEE MCs and LCs and preparing ourselves for IC. We have a really awesome CEE GN Board - Yard, our Director, JC (you may remember him from WinCo) - our CEE chair, Innes - Project manager and Aghata - ER responsible. And the CEE region is also very positive, professional and exciting, a wonderful place to be in and to work with.

On the 24rd we had Official Opening, yesterday - Opening plenary with roll calls of all the countries - over 95!!! Lasted for 4 hours and was simply amazing - to see all these cultures, all possible colours of skin, all possible and existing accents in the world... I can't even describe the feeling!!!

Then we had Global Village in the center of Warshava, which lasted for another 6 hours and gave us an opportunity to really feel, touch and taste all those cultures and countries, their food, their traditions, their national costumes, their languages, dances and songs.. And of course to show our own, Ukrainian culture - you'll see later on pictures and videos from countries and all the people, at least what we tried to capture :) But believe me it was really amazing!

Later the same yesterday's evening we had a chance to talk online right there in the plenary with all PAIs since 1997, to see how changes in the organization were made and the reasons why those decisions where made, as well as how we got to this point that we are at right now. It was awesome to have this opportunity thanks to our IS team and PAI - Dey, who created the whole session and facilitated the discussion.

We are really short on time here in our breaks - I always have to choose whether to go and have lunch or check my mail :) Right now I'm sitting in the HP computer cafe with over hundred other people at the computers doing the same I'm doing right now - sharing their thougths with their LCs and countries and posting their ideas on the new IC online resource

I sent the other day a link - live.ic2006.pl -- you can see there absolutely everything about IC, participate in online discussions,, forums, see the pictures and videos from teh sessions, downloas sessions and give feedback to them. Don't forget to register first!!! And don't be sorry for extra time - cause i guarantee you are going to love this!!!!

Running now for the next session,
want to here what else you want to know while I'm here at IC,
and already miss you greatly!!

Pls, keep this voice up-dated for me to know how everything is going there for you, and I will try to do the same!

With love from Poland, IC 2006,
Yours Ol'ka

Happy Birthday to...

... Bashen'ka!!!

On this special day we have a great chance to congratulate one very very very special person in our LC!

She makes us laugh, brings in a positive note in every single thing we do and at the same time manages to stay a bright individual, an incredible personality and a very intelligent and passionate AIESECer!

No need to say that I sincerely love this Bashnia-girl and all my best wishes for her at this day! Happy Birthday!