I heard about JCI for the first time few years ago. I didn’t exactly know, what it is all about, but anyway it sounded interesting and fun but seemed still a bit vague for me. I have to honestly say, that it also sounded a bit like insider’s bustle and some rumors I heard I didn’t like so much.. I hadn’t heard so much about the JCI projects but more about parties and that kind of stuff. Didn’t impress me that much.
Last autumn things changed, as I got an opportunity to jump in to ”JCI world” as I was asked to join the board of new JCI United. Something caught me right away, when I heard what had been planned and what kind of vision and values the new chamber would have: my first impression was that this is going be something different (and so it is!). I heard, what JCI is really about: about projects, education, training, twinning, business, networking, social good and so on.. After digesting all information I was honored, excited and also felt a bit insecure: How can I be a part of creating something totally new, an international JCI Chamber, if I do not know almost nothing about it?
The answer is: Easily. JCI is place for exploring, learning, developing. This is what I have noticed from very beginning. There are no stupid questions, every crazy idea can be a seed for something big and most important: JCI people are always there for you. When you success, when you fail, when you suffer and when you party like hell. Even JCI United is just taking its baby steps, we have experienced a lot together.
Today I know a lot more about JCI than last autumn and my mind is totally changed, but I still have a lot to learn about JCI and how all works. I’m really happy to be a part of the new chamber as we can also create a lot without any preassumptions or models. One thing I’m sure about, is that this is all about the people. I can say this even though I have had not an opportunity to get to know a lot of JCI people outside of our chamber: JCI wraps people from different kind of backgrounds together around the same, shared interests. JCI people share a passion, interest and ambition to combine business and social good. Some people want to make more business and some more social good, but in my opinion that is just perfect balance. All ideas are shared, discussed and refined. There are students, entrepreneurs and a great variety of people with different kind of jobs in different fields. There are people with with different kind of cultural backgrounds.
We all bring our ideas, knowledge, values and experiences together, and the result of that is something amazing.
JCI United is an open-minded, ambitious, curious and humble chamber full of enthusiasm and great passion to do things. Together. And in my opinion that is all that counts.
Now I would say that JCI (atleast JCI United!) is something that is hard to describe. Maybe it could be called JCI magic, what we are experiencing? You have to feel it, experience it.
This has been a great adventure already so far. And we are only at the beginning! I think we are going to experience a lot of JCI magic, even this year: EC in Tampere in June and more events becoming in autumn. Woop!
– Tiikku