Mirror Magazine

Mirror Magazine

Lankan future leaders return world-equipped
Each year, the Presidential Classroom brings together over 500 student leaders from 35 countries to the Future World Leaders Summit in Washington. D.C. to explore issues such as International Relations, Diplomacy and the changing world economy.

The Presidential Classroom is the oldest civic education organisation in USA and was founded in 1968 in the tradition of President John. F. Kennedy, who challenged the young Americans to be committed to public service. This July, Sri Lanka sent the largest foreign delegation for this summit with 47 delegates from 11 schools.

At the summit these student leaders who are aged between 16 to 19 years experience better debating skills in a democratic environment, learn how to ask smart questions, how to become better listeners and how to appreciate diversity by debating current world issues with peers from a variety of backgrounds and cultures.

Participation at this summit gives young Sri Lankan delegates an advantage when it comes to gaining admissions to American Universities on scholarships.
The high command of English displayed by the Sri Lankan delegates was an advantage when it came to being elected to many leadership roles at the summit. Adam Flamer Caldera, Chanchala Gunewardena and Swatthika Krishnamoorthy, all from Asian International School (AIS) were elected by their respective working groups to make oral presentations in English and present the final recommendations of their group to the 500-delegate summit.

All three of them spoke with such confidence that it stunned the audience who were impressed with these youngsters’ eloquence. Of the 12 presentations made, three at the final summit were made by these Sri Lankan teenagers making Sri Lanka proud of her teachers, school heads and parents. The Sri Lankan delegates elected Adam Flamer Caldera as Head of State and Hussain Akbarally of AIS as Deputy Head of State to lead them through the week, that made Sri Lanka the most outstanding country delegation out of the 36 nations at the July 2005 Future World Leaders Summit.

On her return to Sri Lanka Swatthika Krishnamoorthy summarised her experience as follows, “It was amazing how teenagers from different cultures, traditions and backgrounds got along with ease. We made friends while dining, on bus rides and even while in lifts. The working group meetings were the most challenging where delegates of each country would voice the issues faced by their respective countries, regarding that particular communiqué topic. The ultimate goal was to come up with a resolution that enhanced the existing system providing solutions favouring all countries.

These small working group meetings saw various points of view, disagreeing, cajoling, threatening and finally uniting as we succeeded in getting our communiqué passed.”

She went on to say, “The week in Washington taught us the most valuable lessons that would most certainly make a life-altering experience. I gathered that teamwork means more of ‘us’ and less of ‘I’. Memories of that week, I know that I will always cherish. I did not realise what the Presidential Classroom meant to me until the last day when a girl from my working group voiced all our thoughts that blurred our eyes, “thank you guys for making PC my second home”.

The Presidential Classroom provides the next generation of civic leaders with an extraordinary academic and leadership development experience at the Future World Leaders Summit in USA. Many delegates mark their week at this summit as a turning point in their search for their future role in our society. During their one-week stay in Washington. D.C these aspiring young leaders gained a better understanding of the importance of active citizenship, how individuals can make a difference in our society, enhance leadership with critical thinking and consensus building while experiencing life on an American campus. Another outstanding delegate Shehani Gunesekera who was the last to return to Sri Lanka after an extended holiday in USA shared her experience in Washington, “It taught us and showed us the good things in life and that if you work hard anything is possible.

It also showed me how all the other teenagers around the world think and behave. To my delight we were alike. After getting to know them I learnt that we all wanted similar things, a prosperous life ahead of us filled with happiness peace and joy. No one wanted to begin a war, no one wanted to kill any one and no one wanted to fight each other in greed for money or power. If we did fight we did it fair with no cheating, no corruption or bribery. I was happy to see a great world, a better world ahead of us, because I saw such great leadership skills within each one of my fellow delegates and their ability to create a better world. I have realised that it is my duty to play an active role in the civic life here in Sri Lanka to make this land of ours a better place for the coming generation.”

Sri Lanka has been participating in the Future World Leaders Summit as a full country delegation since the year 2000 and 243 Sri Lankan student leaders have attended this summit and all have returned to Sri Lanka after the summit.Of them, 167 students have since obtained financial scholarships and are now completing their higher education in American, British and Australian Universities.

The climax of the summit was the graduation banquet held at the conclusion of the summit with the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps of the US Army chaired by Ambassador Bruce Laingen, President of the American Academy of Diplomacy with an over 500 multi cultural international audience. Sri Lankan Tanya Rajendra of AIS was elected one of the four delegates from among the 500 to speak at the Banquet. However Tanya opted to dedicate a song to her fellow summit participants. She thrilled the audience with her rendition of, “Wind Beneath My Wings,” for which she received a standing ovation from the audience.

We asked Tanya Rajendra for her comments and she summed it up saying, “I was euphoric and my excitement was boundless when I was nominated Banquet speaker on the last day. Then came the climax of the conference for me when I was selected as Banquet talent and was asked to sing “Wind Beneath My Wings.’ I was proud and happy to be recognised and chosen to sing to such a prestigious gathering.” She went on to explain, “As you meet people all over the world and you make friends with them. I still do keep in touch with them and it’s amazing as they are all over the world – US, Thailand, Germany, Honduras, Switzerland and so on. After my week at Washington I do believe my friends, it was truly the best week of my life. I know it seems hard to believe but trust me it is true. The Presidential Class-room like a dream has changed my life.”

All the delegate have now returned to their schools with more confidence and richer in knowledge wishing that the summit could have lasted for a few more days. The next summit is from July 22 – 29, 2006 and applications are available by Email futureworldleader@eureka. lk or from School Principals who recommend the delegates to participate in the summit.

Chedliya Ishak shared her views on the activities during the week in Washington. She said, “We visited our embassy and then went to Union Station, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam and Korean War Memorials . Our seminar with Mr. Nader a former Presidential candidate was amazing.

The day out at Capitol Hill was fascinating. We had a seminar there as we sat in the seats of US parliamentarians! We also visited the US Department of State for a seminar. The World Trade Game that gave us a first hand experience on how the world economy works was the most memorable experience that no photo could even capture.”

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