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| Sunday, 8 August 2004 |
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An unforgettable experience in leadership Shanika Arseculeratne
Question: How did you come to be selected to participate at this Summit? What was the criteria of selection? Answer: I had obtained very good results at the GCE O/L exam last year, and was an active member of various committees in my school, Holy Family convent, Bambalapitiya. So my school principal recommended me for this summit. When I was told that I had been selected I was over the moon! I believe that the guidance and training given to me by my schoolteachers went a long way that helped me to be selected. Q: How many other students were selected along with you? A: We had 42 students in all making the Sri Lankan delegation the largest contingent at the Summit. Q: Before you left to attend the Summit, were you and the rest of the students given any kind of training for the Summit? A: We underwent six months of intensive training before the Summit, where we had various preparatory sessions under the guidance of the South Asian Representative of the Presidential Classroom, Ananda Rajapakse. Q: What kind of training did you receive? A: We were encouraged to discuss different topical issues such as Peace keeping, the refugee problem, environment, education, health and allowed to pick a subject of our choice and discuss it at length. We were also trained in different traditional dances for the Country Presentations we were expected to make on the final day of the Summit. Q: How long did the Summit last? A: We stayed at Georgetown University for a week. Q: Tell us what you did during that week? A: It was the most exciting week in my life. For one thing, this was my first experience of being away from my parents and having to make important decisions independently. We lived in students dorms and kept to a rigid daily schedule, following strict disciplinary rules. We would wake up at five in the morning , have a quick breakfast and then follow a tight program of activities, planned for us by the organisers. Q: What kind of activities? Did it involve a lot of theoretical work or was it mostly hands-on- activities. A: Both. We were given a true leadership training where we were expected to be independent and handle our various duties assigned to us independently. In the mornings we would go out visiting embassies and important public departments . In the afternoon we went back to the university and after lunch we would break up into groups and have meetings discussing various issues of our choice. I was in the group discussing nationalism. We also had delegation meetings. Q: What else did your program include? A: We got to visit several important institutions such as the World Bank, the Defence Department, the House of Representatives and White House. We were also able to meet several influential leaders and policy makers with whom we had useful and interesting discussions on various subjects. We were able to see at first-hand how the federal government worked while interacting with many leaders. From our discussions and by attending seminars, we were able to understand the importance of diplomacy when it comes to negotiations. Not only were we educated about Diplomacy and international relations, we were also educated on economic issues relevant to our countries. The World Trade Games gave us the opportunity to learn about the economic interdependence of each country in a global economy. Here we learnt about using the resources of each country for economic growth on a global level. Q: Did you get to do any fun activities like being taken on sight seeing tours? A: Oh yes. We were taken on a tour around Washington where we visited most of the important places I had only read about but never seen , such as the National Air and Space Museum ( NASA), National Museum of American History. Q: What was the most memorable event that took place during your stay in Washington? A: Making our Country Presentations. Delegations from each of the participating countries had to "present" themselves those attending the Summit, in a manner that would help us gain a better understanding of their culture . Q: How did the Sri Lankan delegation do this? A: Ours was the most colourful and most admired presentation. We presented the rich ancient culture of our country through traditional dance and song wearing our native costumes. We used this opportunity to showcase our multi racial, multi religious and multi cultural society to the world . We were so proud when our presentation was described as the Best Country Presentation of all the other countries. Q: Looking back on these experiences what do you consider to be the most important lesson you learned and the most cherished memory you have of the Summit? A: For me as well as for the rest I guess it was lesson we learned of giving something back to society for all that it has given us. At the Presidential Classroom, we learned to interact with students from different backgrounds and different lifestyles. We were able to bond and become one big family . Our lessons in leadership will be an invaluable inspiration to me in the future as I plan on spending the rest of my life doing something for the Community and not just for myself. The Presidential Classrooms helped to broaden my outlook on life and has inspired me to look for different opportunities where I can improve my leadership qualities. I will always be grateful for the people who gave me this wonderful opportunity, and I will always treasure the friends I made and with whom I intend communicating in the future. All of us consider ourselves as a "family" now. Q: What do you plan on doing once you complete your A.L examination? A: I hope to enter a university in the USA where I will follow a medical degree course and become a doctor so that I can serve my country better. Q: Any word of advice for future aspirants? A: I would say "go for it". It is an experience that will change your life forever. |
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News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
| Produced by Lake House |
Teenager Shanika Arseculeratne (16) had the privilege of joining more
than 470 outstanding students from 41 different countries at the
Presidential Classrooms of the Future World Leaders Summit held at
Georgetown University in Washington D.C. last month. Shanika talks to
Carol Aloysius about her experiences and the lessons she learned as a
participant at this global conference.
