“Youth Becomes Leader?”

Answering a Challenge to be A Leader among Youth

(Omah Jawi, Kaliurang, February 1-3, 2013)

Leadership problems always become an interesting topic to be discussed. Having a quality and honest leader is people’s demand and expectation. However, the reality shows that some leaders who exist nowadays have not been responsible yet. Leadership is not enough only in the level of knowledge about how to lead, but it is also important for a leader to have  communication and interaction skill.

Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta as one institution for youth and college students to have different learning experiences, took a part in preparing the young leaders in the training of Leadership, Teamwork, and Fun Game, which was held on February 1-3, 2013 held in Omah Jawi Kaliurang with the theme “Youth Becomes Leader?” This theme challenged each participant to be a good leader in their young age.

Rev. Bambang Sumbodo, M. Min opened the training by inviting the participants to do self-reflection both as an individu and as a student with their own passion. Being a leader is such a life call in one condition which needs a leader to promote prosperity. A leader is born because there is reaction from his/herself against injustice, poverty, despotism, or ignorance which happen in the surroundings.

Personal Mapping and Building Leader Character session was delivered by Rev. Novembri Choeldahono, M.A. The participants were bitten by sailing bug when they were asked to make fire oration because youth movement has to be colored with new ideas and enthusiastic spirit. In this session, they learned about self mapping and their own leader character. They were also asked to make vision and mission for the guidance to future.

Leadership and Building Christian Character session was led by Rev. Dr. Tumpal M.P.L. Tobing who invited the participants to rethink their faith strength and motivation to do good things. He gave an analogy of King, Ear, and Mouth. King is the thought which is connected with what we hear. Then, what we think is what we do. Ear is whom I listen. Mouth is a tool to tell others about the King. As what is delivered by Samuel Smile, “Sow a thought, and you reap an act. Sow an act, and you reap a habit. Sow a habit, and you reap a character. Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.” As the pioneer of Stube-HEMAT, Rev. Tumpal also noticed the participants to take advantage from this institution to get optimal result.

In the Sunday morning devout, Rev. Mathelda Yeanne Tadu, S.Si invited the participants to re-observe the theme, “Youth becomes Leader?” The using of question mark can mean “Is youth proper to be a leader? Through this training, Christian youth is expected and prepared to be future leaders.

Leadership and Social Care which is delivered by Esaol Agustriawan M.A increased the participant’s care and awareness about social situation and problems surroundings. Leadership cannot be separated from the situation and reality in society. Therefore, a leader must interact constantly, become a part of the society, and have empathy to the problems.

One interesting thing in this training is the presence of a participant coming from Bangladesh, Shanta Akhter Sheema, a magister student of UNY. She opened other participants’ knowledge with a perspective about how Bangladesh youth increases self quality through non-formal education like what Stube-HEMAT does in Indonesia.

Fun Game session, the last but not the least in this session, is also very unforgettable. Through some games which were done in groups, the participants learned how to cooperate and to compete. VIVA Youth! ***