Global Citizens
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By Ashleigh Werner, Australia ashleighlsw@gmail.com
Zachariah Munayi, Kenya
What
does the term ‘Global Citizen’ mean? To me, it means being a soaring heart,
someone who feels comfortable everywhere and with anyone; the idea that
identity transcends geographical borders and we are all the same… we all bleed
red, and I got to meet 99 souls that align with my own.
This
past week, I was lucky enough to take part in ‘A Common Word Among the Youth’ (ACWAY) interfaith
and coexistence conference in Rabat,
Morocco. This program brought 100 of the world’s top youth leadership
together to brainstorm how we can achieve ‘World Peace’… easy task! Whilst
here, I met a plethora of people that, like me, aimed for a better world
through interfaith relations, but unlike me, had actually made incredible steps
to turn it into a reality. There were people who had started their own NGOs to
those who worked on international project consulting and even Scout leaders,
that put their hands up to volunteer on projects that would take this world
from one of hatred and anger to one of peace and love.
Recommended: Bashir Mohamed: Be empathetic to people
I
feel as though to write about how much I learnt from each and how much I
appreciated what they do and who they are, I would not have enough hours in my LIFETIME, but I wanted to write about
just one. Zachariah Munayi. I choose
him, not only because he is my Kenyan
husband, or because he is more charismatic in English, his second language,
than most people will ever be in their first, but because of the heart and soul
that was encased in the adorable Scouts uniform he wore for the first day of
conference. His incredibly wide smile
was almost brighter than the Moroccan sun and he spoke with, what I imagined to
be, the typical African accent – I was hooked before he finished
introducing himself! Sometimes two souls connect. Ours had intertwined
themselves by day one, and I was excited to see where this new partnership
would take us once truly explored.
The
following days only brought more joy. The more I understood this human being,
his motives, his passions and his life, the more excited I became about
continuing my own interfaith journey. We discussed the intricacies of
Christianity and Judaism and what it meant to our lives. Both of us believed in
the moral and ethical teachings, and Zach attended church and helped the
children of his community. The thing I remember most and definitely appreciate
was something that occurred on the second last day of conference. We had an
interfaith dialogue session where we were to write or draw our faith on a piece
of paper so we could all find someone of another faith and discuss all of our
ideas, issues, explore our queries and indulge in our interests. Zach drew an
eagle. Actually, Zach asked ME to draw an eagle, but the sentiment is the same.
Recommended: AZIZAH SYIAMI: IDENTITY & PERCEPTIONS
“You
are all mine for this session” I heard shortly after I had indulged in a
generously long conversation with a Muslim man by the name of Mohamed from
Sudan. I chuckled and sat down next to him, complementing his beautiful eagle
(heheh) and asked him why he had chosen it over the typical cross. He explained
his idea of strength and pride and I was immediately hooked. How could someone
understand life so intricately and be such an incredible human being at the
same time!? He was so positive and
warm, and if something had gone wrong, there was a lesson to be learnt and
another path to be taken.
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| Zachariah & Ashleigh |
Throughout
the conference, we got incredibly close. I honestly did not know you could love
and respect someone so much in such a short time, yet here I was, loving 100
people I had known for 5 days more than I ever imagined I could, and learning
more about myself and the world around me than I had in my previous 23 years.
He made me believe that our goal can be achieved. He made me believe that I
could change the world. He made me believe that we all could do more. He made
me believe that I was capable of much more than I gave myself credit for. He
made me understand that global boundaries mean nothing more than a stamp on
your passport.
The
point I’m trying to make is this. Sometimes
the most amazing friends come from such an unexpected place. Sometimes they
live near you, but sometimes they live on the other side of the world… that’s
okay. Experience has taught me that distance is what makes the heart
grow fonder and in this case, my heart was splintered into 74 different countries
being carried with 100 other people in their suitcases, backpacks and in their
hearts and souls.
After exchanging t-shirts (me now owning a “Kenya Kwanza” t-shirt
and Zach now owning a “No worries, Australia” t-shirt), we parted ways. I
now wear a Kenyan flag bracelet on my wrist every day, reminding myself that Africa is, and always will be close to
my heart, but more importantly to remember the man who believed in me more than
I believed in myself. to remind me that oceans do
not keep friends apart. To remind me that hatred cannot drown out love.
This bracelet makes me remember the 100 youth that changed my life for the
better. This bracelet reminds me of the 100 youth that will change the world.
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