Review YouCan Talk 4.2.2010

Let’s Move Something

With impressively simple words did Michael Jastram make his point. Tribe (a movement) functions along the following principles: You have a story Tell it and link with other people Take the leadership Achieve thus a transformation Not really new and therefore the more surprising. It seems that all movements (tribes) can be reduced to this simple formula. Let’s start a new movement – there are people out there waiting! Seth Godin, marketing pioneer, did not develop this formula in his bestseller “Tribes”. For more information on Seth Godin >here. A polarizing presentation that prompted a lot of thinking and food for discussion.

How does Africa Work?

14 students from the Max Planck Gymnasium of Düsseldorf made a trip to Marianhill, South Africa, toward the end of 2009 to help in a project of “Aktion Lichtblicke” of Düsseldorf. The aim was to build a house for the poorest of the poor. Working in high temperatures and with blisters on hands and feet, they did manage to achieve a respectable result. Still, the concept of house cannot be compared with Western standards. A simple brick hut was built, without any beautifications as we would be used to. No, bare and simple, but still much more comfortable when compared to the neighbours’ houses. It was also necessary to prevent any neighbourly jealousy from arising as, in a worst case, the “neighbours” will simply tear down the new house. One cannot really speak of “neighbours” as these single huts are spread across the countryside.

The desperate poverty of the people becomes obvious when one is told that a simple cable has to be buried deep into the earth so that it is not stolen. Huts where nobody resides for more than 14 days are taken over by other dwellers in the village.

Here possession is key: he who lives in a hut is also the owner of the hut. An excellent presentation giving an insight into an enterprise that hopefully will have many other imitators among our youth and that will give food for thought. The overall Africa Project is available online at >here (german), if you want to know more. A reflective presentation, giving much insight into an Africa that is hard for us to imagine. And therefore, the guests did not get tired even though the presentation by students Oliver Muller-Lorey and Max Paumen went over time.

Of Successful Sisters

Brigitte Klose Grigull and her partner from Cologne demonstrated the theme „Sisters“ from a totally different and unusual viewpoint. Since 1999, the association “BigSister e.V.” links “big” girls and “little” girls and successfully turns them into “sisters”. The result: girls of up to 16 years of age get a big sister. Although not a biological one in the normal sense, nevertheless like a sister with whom one can discuss everything as if she were a real sister. The big sister (one looks for a mature woman) is there for the little sister, answering everyday questions and supporting her.

The secret of the success: as a rule, the minimum age difference between big and little sister must be 6 years. Only in this way can the older sister support the younger one with the big questions of life. A moving presentation, complete with a TV report, made the engagement even more real for the excited public. And who knows, perhaps BigSister e.V. will soon be able to talk about successful brotherhoods as well. The first contacts were already made at this YouCan Talk event!

Overall, we felt that the event achieved its objectives: we tank all our guests and presenters for their participation and already look forward to the next YouCan Talk event in Düsseldorf on May 5th 2010.