Changemaking is a natural and universal human ability: it is in our DNA. It is a power granted by God that no one can take away from a person. Every person has it inside of them: it is not like some people have it and others do not. It cannot be acquired as it comes from within. It comes out of you. It emanates from the heart and mind of each individual. This is what enables a person to think and imagine new possibilities and solutions, so it is contextual: it can take many forms, all of them having in common that they involve a person’s particular talents and creativity in response to specific social needs and conditions. Changemaking power has no date of expiry. This is a power that can be set in motion at any time in our life. It requires only a minimum amount of societal openness, tolerance and freedom, which is reattributed in extraordinary things. To put it shortly, changemaking is about using the God-given abilities within you to produce something valuable for others.
Changemaking can be understood as consisting of four parts.
| Definition | Explanation |
| Changemaking | It is a process rather than an outcome. It involves a change both on the inside (developing a new belief system) and on the outside (for example, going from consumers to producers or from observers to agents). It is a set of changes in a young person’s mental and physical state: to feel, think and act differently. To embrace changemaking marks a new beginning and constant conscious effort. It is aimed at moving away from the current norms and practices: a way to restructure social rules that are considered “written in stone” (despite hindering development and human happiness), opening up to the possibility of changing our environment instead of being “trapped” in our present set of circumstances. |
| Using abilities within | Your God-given abilities, or your “personal, intrinsic abilities”. It is about relying more on changemaking power to feel, initiate, imagine, create, collaborate, express, reflect and empathize, using these abilities in a changemaking journey. The intention is to remind young people that they are not “lacking” or “limited”: that they can get ahead in life and follow their dreams through their own means, and that their personal development and well-being are more important than academic degrees. No title or degree defines a person. No exam can measure their most valuable, God-given abilities. In connecting with these abilities, young people will find a source of power coming from within them. |
| Produce something valuable | Changemaking aims at producing something that is missing in our social environment. This could take the form of a product or service. Success is attracted by those who produce something. Poverty instead is attracted to those unable to produce. When young people produce something they attract interest, resources and opportunities. Producing something, whether a concrete or abstract work, is required for changemaking. |
| For others | That which is produced begins in a reflection about the needs and problems of others: being connected to society, young people are able to find out what is missing, what needs to be improved and what is still undone. It could be seen as the first conscious effort of young people to take ownership of their social environment and society at large. Changemaking grows out of a sense of connection, belonging and usefulness towards the collective. |
Youth Changemaking Power: Society’s Greatest Missing Link
In a world with an unprecedented youth population, it’s disheartening to see that a vast majority of these young people are growing up in an environment that fails to recognize and utilize their incredible changemaking power. This societal blind spot has far-reaching consequences, not only for the young people themselves but for our entire society. It’s a missed opportunity of monumental proportions – a failure to tap into the wellspring of changemaking potential residing within our youth.
Our focus on education and services often blinds us to the true well of changemaking power within young people – their innate ability to spark profound transformation. Imagine the impact we could have if we shifted our perspective from traditional success measures to activating young people as changemakers. The untapped changemaking power of our youth is like a sleeping giant, waiting to awaken and reshape our communities and the world as a whole.
By solely concentrating on education and prevention, we inadvertently disregard the very heart of progress – the audacious ideas and daring initiatives that only young changemakers can offer. To truly harness and embrace the changemaking power of our youth, we need a seismic shift in our approach to education, empowerment, and societal advancement. The future belongs to those who enable their youth to become changemakers now, breathing life into innovative solutions and pushing the boundaries of possibility.
In the midst of this paradigm shift, Ali’s organization emerges as a guiding light by changing the game. Ali’s groundbreaking changemaking model specifically targets and nurtures the changemaking power inherent in every young person. Through a “trust first, evaluate later” approach, Ali’s organization liberates young people from the clutches of skepticism and uncertainty.
Ali’s model is nothing short of a revolution in youth development. It challenges conventional norms and propels young people into action, equipped with trust, innovation, and an unwavering belief in their capacity to make a difference. With Ali’s model, education transforms from a mere learning experience into a dynamic platform that ignites creativity, empowering young minds to embark on a journey of self-discovery and societal impact.
Ali’s visionary model exemplifies the paradigm shift required in our approach to youth development – from uniform solutions to personalized, trust-based frameworks that nurture the unique changemaking power within each young individual. In a landscape that often underestimates the changemaking power of youth, Ali’s organization stands tall, showcasing the transformative potential that comes to life when we tap into the changemaking power of young people. Through Ali’s model, we witness the evolution of education into an empowering force for change, guiding young minds towards a future enriched by their perspectives and transformative endeavors. Ali’s Changemaking Model is a beacon of innovation, paving the way for a generation of young people who will not just inherit the world, but actively shape it for the better.