V | Rashed Anwar, Shamsa Saif, Faiza Marzooqi & Hanan Al Jefri | TEDxKhalifa Bin Zayed Al Awal Youth
Makoud Cruz frames volunteering as a cumulative effort, arguing that small, deliberate acts build strong communities and compassionate futures. He emphasizes that true leadership requires personal choice and that effort must transition from mere idea to decisive action to prevent missed opportunities. Ultimately, the concept of "luck" is defined as preparation meeting opportunity, requiring continuous self-development. ## Speakers & Context - **Moderator/Facilitator:** Opened the session focusing on "impact" through volunteering. - **Makoud Cruz:** Chairperson of the National Human Rights Institution; promoted dignity, inclusion, and empathy in the UAE. - **Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan:** President of the United Arab Emirates; declared **2025** the year of community. - **Rashid Anoi:** Speaker; made history as the youngest TEDx speaker at age **12**. - **Ahmed:** **13**-year-old; tutored kids for free because he wished someone had helped him when he was younger. - **John C. Maxwell:** Author/Source cited; stated, *"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way."* - **Shamsal Mansuri:** Speaker; shared that transformation begins with a single step and a giving heart. - **Miss Fisa:** Dedicated social worker and community service leader; shared field stories. ## Theses & Positions - Volunteering is defined as giving one's time, skills, or energy to something greater than oneself, which builds *"stronger communities and more compassionate futures."* - The essence of community building is that the greatest accomplishment is *"nothing but a total sum of different small rocks that build that mountain."* - Leadership is not inherent; it is about decision and choice within a specific moment and context. - No single leader can operate alone; group effort, team spirit, and communication are essential for true volunteering. - Volunteering is not accidental or based on chance; it is a *"deliberate process of you wanting to make a difference."* - The theory of self-determination suggests three basic psychological needs: Autonomy, competence, and connection. - Action is paramount: *"if you don't act, if you don't decide, decisions will be made for you and action will be taken out of the context and therefore it will be a missed opportunity."* - Opportunity can be created when unprepared, provided one is ready through preparation and learning. - Small, consistent acts of service, such as helping siblings with homework or organizing a library, count as valuable contributions. ## Concepts & Definitions - **Volunteering:** Giving time, skills, or energy to something greater than oneself to build *"stronger communities and more compassionate futures."* - **Leadership:** Defined by decision and choice in a particular moment/context; *"you decide that you lead or you don't."* - **Team spirit:** The ongoing dynamic required in a group setting, necessitating communication and conflict resolution. - **Luck:** Defined as the moment when *"preparation meets opportunity."* - **Self-determination theory:** Psychological framework identifying three basic needs: Autonomy, competence, and connection. ## Mechanisms & Processes - **Mountain analogy:** A large mountain is the cumulative result of many small, seemingly insignificant rocks. - **Volunteering Process:** Follows a clear progression: Idea $\rightarrow$ Emotional Response $\rightarrow$ Behavior (Action). - **Leadership Growth:** Development can come from rigorous training or self-initiated challenges, suggesting the real question is the *desire* to lead. - **Opportunity Creation:** Preparation (training, reading, learning) allows an individual to *create* an opportunity when one is not spontaneously present. - **Community Improvement:** Is achieved through concerted group effort and solidarity, moving forward "hand in hand, shoulders by shoulders." ## Timeline & Sequence - **2025:** Year declared by the UAE President to be the year of community. - **Last year during Ramadan:** Miss Fisa's friend invited her to the NMA initiative. ## Named Entities - **National Human Rights Institution:** Organization represented by Makoud Cruz. - **United Arab Emirates (UAE):** Location where Makoud Cruz has promoted dignity, inclusion, and empathy. - **Dubai:** Location where a girl initiated a clothes collection campaign during winter. - **NMA initiative:** Specific charity event referenced by Miss Fisa. ## Numbers & Data - **2025:** Designated as the year of community by the UAE President. - **12:** Age of Rashid Anoi when speaking. - **13:** Age of Ahmed. - **Three (x3):** The three things Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan tasked the population with: to unite, grow, and contribute. - **Three (x3):** The three basic psychological needs from self-determination theory: Autonomy, competence, and connection. ## Examples & Cases - **Rock vs. Mountain:** A single rock, no matter how small, contributes to the greatest mountain. - **Beach Cleanup:** Speaker was covered in seaweed while chasing a plastic bag, leading the team to exclaim, *"Whoa, we did that."* - **Ahmed's Tutoring:** A **13**-year-old tutoring kids for free because *"I wish someone had helped me when I was younger."* - **Dubai Campaign:** A girl starting a campaign to collect clothes for workers during winter. - **Book Fair Dilemma:** Miss Fisa signing up for the book fair, feeling lost, and following therapy advice to *"Just go"* to experience growth. - **Tomato Packing:** Miss Fisa making a "great sacrifice" to become a tomato packer at NMA for the sake of the mission, leading to new connections. ## Tools, Tech & Products - **WhatsApp group:** Used to organize the book fair, leading to the dilemma. ## References Cited - **John C. Maxwell:** Cited for the quote: *"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way."* - **Self-determination theory:** Psychological model cited for understanding motivation. ## Counterarguments & Caveats - On Leadership: The question "are leaders born or made" is misleading; the critical question is *"do you want to lead?"* - On Passion/Leadership: Having passion or being a leader is insufficient; one must acknowledge support groups. - On Volunteerism: It is not accidental; it is a *"deliberate process."* - On Activity: Volunteering does not need to be a long, serious commitment; helping siblings or teaching grandmas emojis counts. ## Conclusions & Recommendations - **To lead:** One must first make the choice to lead. - **For volunteering:** Focus on group effort, team spirit, and leveraging collective support. - **On Luck:** The primary action required is preparation, which enables one to create opportunity. - **General Advice (Rashid Anoi):** Start small, dream big; volunteering can be organizing libraries or helping siblings. - **General Advice (Miss Fisa):** Put oneself in challenging, anxious situations and *"just go"* to ensure personal growth. ## Implications & Consequences - Failure to act or decide results in decisions being made *for* the individual, leading to a missed opportunity. - Embracing volunteering connects one to a purpose larger than oneself, actively shaping a better future. ## Verbatim Moments - *"No matter how this rock thinks it's small, insignificant, meaningless, or have no purpose in life, the greatest mountain of all mountains, no matter how big or magnificent that mountain is, it is nothing but a total sum of different small rocks that build that mountain."* - *"Leadership is about decision, is about choice in a certain moment, in a certain context."* - *"No single leader can operate on themselves."* - *"Luck is when preparation meets opportunity."* - *"This is a deliberate process of you wanting to make a difference."* - *"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way."* - *"Whoa, we did that."* - *"I wish someone had helped me when I was younger."* - *"Just go."* - *"If I had not put myself in that situation that made me anxious, I wouldn't have grown to be this person."* - *"If you leave here today and start helping others, remember you may not have a cape, but someone somewhere will always call you their their hero."*