My name is Alexis, I am 23 years old, I have a twin sister (Aurélie) and I am completing the 1st year of my master's degree in business and entrepreneurship at university in Paris. I am from a multicultural family and this is why I developed a strong curiosity for other cultures at a very young age. I spent 2 years in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), I did internships in Bangalore (India) and Shanghai (China) and I did volunteering in Recife (Brazil) last summer. 2 years ago, I also became part of an amazing international youth-run organization called "AIESEC". During my free time, I dance rock, salsa and tango. I do that for 6 years now, and I love it!

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* OGX = Outgoing Exchange Programs. That includes Global Citizen programs.

AIESEC is an international non-governmental not-for-profit organization that provides young people with leadership development and cross-cutlural global internship and volunteer exchange experiences across the globe, with a focus to empower young people so they can make a positive impact on society. The AIESEC network includes over 100.000 members in 126 countries and territories. it is the largest youth-run organization in the world. It holds a consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and is recognized by UNESCO. Famous leaders such as M.Ghandi, K.Annan, J.F.Kennedy and A.Merkel have been part of AIESEC.

This organization changed my life so much that I went to volunteer with AIESEC in Recife (Brazil) last summer. I had to make a loan but the experience was amazing.

I met amazing people who were part of AIESEC in Recife (photo below):

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In particular, I built a great friendship with 4 people: Rachel, a brazilian girl responsible for the Global Citizen program there, she spoke very well French and helped me to learn Portuguese ; Anastasia, a kind-hearted russian girl who worked with me at the NGO ; Ralph, an awesome lebanese guy who made me very excited to discover his culture (from the left to the right on the picture) and Lorena, Rachel's best friend whose family hosted me during my stay (she is the girl with a red shirt below. She came in Paris for a year to teach portuguese just after my time in Brazil).

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In Brazil, I did a volunteering internship called "Global Citizen" for 2 months with AIESEC. Those internships have for purpose to gather students from all over the world with a wide range of background to implement the "Goals of the Millenium" of the United Nations locally (education, human rights, entrepreneurship etc). I worked with amazing people from different nationalities to help my NGO grow and engage the Brazilian community.

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We created a crowdfunding campaign which raised funds to pay for teachers and transportation for children from favelas.

That was a life changing experience for me and it redefined my perspective of the world. When I came back to Paris, I joigned the team which sends students to do Global Citizen programs abroad. During my time in Brazil, I also made a Lebanese friend who is involved in NGO activities in Beirut. It motivated me to go there and get involved. Moreover, the Middle-East has a great need for peace, and I feel that my impact on young people there could really add value. Two weeks ago, I met with Quentin from KissKissBankBank at the crowdfunding fest in Paris and he convinced me to use this platform to help me with the funding.

What is a "Global Citizen" internship?

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My project is to do a "Global Citizen" volunteering internship with AIESEC in Beirut (Lebanon) and to work for a month and a half (August/September) at an NGO called "Nanhoo". There, I would put my skills at work to help the NGO to grow and develop its impact.

Founded in 2009, Nanhoo is a nonsectarian and nonpartisan youth-lead organization that aspires to provide a platform for young Lebanese to engage in activites that promote self-development and self-expression and gain the skills necessary to contribute to their communities meaningfully and peacefully.

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* learn more about Nanhoo.

"Global Citizen" internships have a great impact because they give the opportunity to thousands of students to immerse themselves in foreign cultures and to work with local and internationals to solve local issues. Those internships changes not only the life of the students who shape their perspective of the world but it does so also for local people who have their lives improved. Each team of "AIESECers" has around 6 weeks to create and implement a project in its NGO. Conferences on leadership and cultural understanding also enhance the experience. Those internships are real life experiences that develop strong leadership skills.

By helping me to realize one of my dreams, you would not only contribute to my development as a global leader and citizen of the world, but you would also make possible for many young people to benefit from my commitment to improve their lives in Lebanon.

"One cannot rise to be in many ways the leading community in the civilised world without being involved in its problems, without being convulsed by its agonies and inspired by its causes". (Winston Churchill, Harvard 1943).

L'aventure Global Citizen: "The BIG Nanhoo Project"

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