Treaty of Middelburg
This is also a very basic answer, but I would love to see everyone free. As a volunteer of numerous NGOs, I am often on the giving side of help. Those on the receiving side are not always free. They must rely on the kindness of others to get by on a daily basis. This is not freedom. My fundamental belief has always been revolving around sports. In sports, everyone is the same, everyone is free. The rules are the same for all, and so are the conditions. In the future, I hope to alleviate global humanitarian crises using entrepreneurship and innovation through sports. If people can connect around the means of sport, they can be free for some moments. If people can taste freedom, they will desire it more, and most importantly, fight for it because they know they deserve it.
Team members
- ■ Emma Westenberg
Why do you want to participate?
I would love to be a part of something greater, meeting other youth that want to make a change in this world. In my daily activities, these interactions are not specifically focused on positive change, but in this conference, it will be.
What does freedom mean to you?
As someone who has worked in numerous refugee camps, what I find most devasting is the lack of choice that refugees have. They do not have the choice on what they eat, nor do they have the ability to determine what they will be doing that day. Hence, I would say that freedom is having choice. To wake up and know that you are wanted by society and feel purpose in doing so is very valuable. Freedom also means not living under bureaucratic papers and waiting on life for these to get checked by an official. Freedom is also having the choice to be a giver or a receiver of donation, but always being a receiver of kindness is not a way to live, nor is it a way in which people want to live.
What are the biggest challenges?
The biggest challenges regarding freedom for young people today, although not creative I am sure, is the influence of AI on this subject. Freedom is not a well-defined concept, with so many people having their own versions of the concept. With AI, all of this information can make the term of freedom ever more complicated, rendering it impossible to speak about. In addition, the youth will need to speak about freedom in a world full of increasing inequalities. Some people have so much freedom, if even quantifiable, whereas, others do not. This relates to the conditions in which residents of specific countries live in too. Freedom is not granted as it needed to be fought for. With democracy comes the freedom to vote. Today more than ever, we are reminded that democracy is fragile.
Do you have a message?
I love this concept of a conference, and I cannot wait to meet all the cool people that will be a part of it. Thank you to the organizers for such a great initiative - it is really motivating to see that these projects are still worth it! Wishing you the best of luck in the recruitment, and hope to hear back from you soon!
