The History Makers Journey

Who makes it into the history books? Whether for good or evil, it is those people who are agents of change. Ever dreamed it could be you? Two weeks ago, 30 participants at the History Makers Journey Conference dreamed of being able to have a positive impact on history.

The young people met in Bakuriani for the second annual gathering in Georgia. This year’s group included participants from Georgia, Azerbaijan, India, Uzbekistan, and Iraq, all of whom work or study in Georgia and have some kind of leadership role in their communities. Differences in language, background and age did not seem to hold anyone back but, on the contrary, created a place where ideas and diversity could be shared.

The History Makers Journey

The History Makers Journey is a week-long course taking place across Europe aimed at inspiring young people to believe they can makes changes in their communities, work places, and nation’s history. Targeted at young leaders aged 18-35, the training hopes to raise up the next generation to influence whatever sphere of society they are most active in, be it social, political, or spiritual; the training material covers what a successful leader’s character and style should be. Topics include visionary leadership, overcoming obstacles, stewardship of time and money, integrity, family priority, and goal setting. The interactive teaching style involves small group discussion, personal testimony and team building activities. The trainers flew in from America and around Europe just to encourage leaders in Georgia that they can be agents of change.

Throughout the week, many students voiced their discontent about social injustices, gaps in development, or simply how the systems in place could be managed more efficiently.

Easy to say, harder to do

It is always easier to recognize problems than to make real change come about? What might be the best part of the History Makers Journey week is the individual attention trainers and leaders give to students to help them write specific action plans toward achieving their goals. The visionary leadership section of the training explains how to write “SMART” goals. The acronym stands for setting goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time targeted. Without this, trainers say, people can easily become discouraged because goals seem distant and impossible to reach. There is also time set aside to share personal stories and analyze the lives of people in the past who made positive changes in history. The training material shows participants that, ironically, most history makers come from humble beginnings but are persistent enough to overcome their surrounding situations and utilize every resource possible, just to inch a little closer to their dream. And, of course, the conversation would not be complete without mentioning a few names from Georgian history.

Identifying your dream or vision

Trainers ask questions to help participants get a clearer and more concise idea of what direction they are heading in. What are you most passionate about? What is that future situation that you cannot seem to stop dreaming about? What are your natural gifts and talents? What change would make society a better place? Since great things are rarely accomplished alone, group work is highly emphasized. The conference is also meant to be a place for people to network with others who might be walking in the same direction. Time for breaking into groups for brainstorming and envisioning the future plays a large part in the schedule. Participants are not only asked to think on a large scale about goals for their communities, but personal goal-setting is also emphasized in areas including physical, spiritual, intellectual, and financial. The idea is to help leaders develop themselves as a whole, which in turn gives them the ability to live intentional and influential lives.

The heart of the History Makers Journey is to inspire belief that the world can be changed and give young people the tools to take the first steps. Have a dream? Dissatisfied with what you see around you? Want to start something new? Consider nothing impossible, but be that person crazy enough to move forward each day towards making a change. Not just for the sake of having your name in a history book, but to make a positive impact on the world around you.

Rachel Hardgrave