SERVE THE CITY INTERNATIONAL FORUM 2019: «SERVE WITH WHY»
The 2019 Serve the City international forum has been a valuable occasion to have a better understanding of the global dimension of the Serve the City movement.We are part of a global community, which shares common values and goals and expresses them in the most diverse, challenging and transforming ways.School teaches us that positive energies attract each other and beyond science this universal law applies to human being as well: through positive energy and determination, we motivate people and transform reality. Each one of us has a reason to serve, an answer to the question «Why?». We probably never really answered this question but we all feel a driving force inside of us, allowing us to share and put our values in action: this is the first step towards a real revolution.
«Kindness and revolution start with me»
Serving is not only a way to care for other people, especially those in need, but it also paves the way to a personal revolution, to empowerment and self-awareness, having a huge impact on our lives. It makes us aware of the potential impact of a small act of kindness, which can trigger a domino effect in other people’s life. A small act of kindness, YOUR act of kindness, might be the only one in someone’s day or week, his/her only chance to smile or feel relieved, where he/she realizes that someone still cares about them. The silent revolution starts with a simple but very important shift in paradigm: in a society where we are constantly asked to get (money, power, goods) we can receive a lot by GIVING. For this to become reality, we need examples, not words. People feel empowered by examples, by our «why» we serve and our energy.Spending three days with people from all over the world, who share our values and engage in amazing projects, gave us the positive energy and motivation to put even more effort in what we do.
«The power of giving»
We heard about professional trainings being given from Serve the City to young people in Haiti,preserving them from unemployment, addictions and helping them find the right path in their lives,about Serve the City in Nairobi, that helps people in slums set up businesses or Serve the City in the US, where volunteers accepted the challenging task to support foster families.We heard stories about young children, coming from disadvantaged families and environments dominated by violence, being grateful for the opportunity they have to spend afternoons in premises run by Serve the City volunteers, where they can get help for their homework, good meals, clean clothes and a lot of love.Kindness generates kindness and this spreads hope. We learn to practice kindness because we experienced that, because someone took care of us.Let’s show people that a small act of kindness can mean a lot to someone. That person, in turn, will learn what kindness means and he/she will probably pass it to the children, the neighbors, his/her friends. A silent revolution is going on and we would be thrilled to accomplish it with you.
