It was a pleasure traveling to Sharm El Sheik with the the YES Leaders. it was a shame that not everyone could go. Let me just mmention some highlights of the Forum:

On Day 1 of the Forum, I saw most of the YES participants gathering in the the session focuse don The Power of Youth in promoting Peace moderated by Ashok Regmi (Program Manager, YouthAction Net, International Youth Foundation) where I managed to hear about the experiences of other young people working towards peace around the world. The stories they shared and the perspectives they come from certainly enriched my views on life. It not only made me feel a kinship forming among the youth that were in the forum, but it added fuel to my burning desire to do more - to help more.

Jen's session on Buildding Bridges across Geographical Boundaries showed us the extent of the role ICT plays in fostering peace. I also appreciated the point Gbenga Sesan made about access to ICT. He said that it's time for us to take step up and take responsibility in providing ourselves access to ICT - and access to anything if you go by his train of thought. Hee said he had never had a computer until 3 years ago, but that never stopped him from doing his work - from helping others and helping foster peace. We have to stop waiting for governments or other people to provide us with resources, but instead be creative in seeking those resources ourselves. The issue is not access, but the issue is are we prepared to do everything to achieve what we want to happen?

I think it was also durign this day that I finally ahd the chance to spend some time with Jennifer, who is so busy changing the world one country at a time through TakingITGlobal. And we love you for it, Jen! I look forward to seeing you again for that thing you talked to me about over lunch. I'm really looking forward to it.

I must mention it here that I haven't realized that I have not thanked Jennifer enough for getting me in touch with the Global Knowledge Partnership. I was looking for opportunitiees for the Philippine Youth Employment Network one day and TIG directed me to GKP's website. Because of that, I received the GKP Youth and ICT Award in 2005. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, Jennifer! It opened doors for me!

Day 2 was quite eventful. There were fantastic sessions to attend. MCIT, Hewlett Packard and Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak's Women's Movement gave me an all-in-one printer from HP for "Creativity in ICT4Peace Award." Unintentionally, I went for the walk which turned out to be a run which turned out to be a walk for peace and planted trees. I didn't know that we were supposed to leave our name tags on the trees we planted so I still have mine. :)

During the Closing Ceremony of Day 3, several YES Country Leaders were given the chance to give our thoughts about the conference and provide some solution points to the issues brought up in the sessions. The Forum ended with a song written by Mrs. Mubarak and all the participants sang and hugged and got to know each other.

From the first to the last day, I made some new acquaintances who will hopefully be friends during my whole lifetime.

What stuck to me was a response one of the panelists made during the plenary on day 2 - WE ARE THE AMBASSADORS OF PEACE.