Help this young diplomat become the leader of tomorrow

Dear Donor,

My name is Anis Takieddine. I am 17 and I come from Morocco. I am the founder of the redefy Maghreb movement, and currently, I live in Casablanca as a student at Lycée Chawki.

Since I could recall, I was always the boy who volunteered at family occasions or school events, participating in the organization and helping out even with the simplest tasks, such as arranging the chairs or cleaning plates. This subservient nature earned me as a primary schoolboy belittlement and teasing from peers as it was a sign of being less manly and being unable to think for myself, which only made me disdain my subservience.

However, in the past few years, I’ve decided to instead embrace said component of my personality. The truth is I still don’t grasp the reasons behind it, whether it comes from a desire to always fit in or from feeling like an outsider because of my sexual orientation. Regardless, I became adamant to utilize my abilities to lead as a facilitator.

Following this path enabled me to first discover debate, then MUN, and now Activism.

As a moderator/secretary general in debate club, I mediated opposing stances with the aim of enabling everyone’s ideas to be voiced in lieu of having a particular one tyrannizing the discussion. These discussions are on topics, related to equality and women's rights (abortion, polygamy, equal pay, France's ban on the burqa) and religion (theological coexistence, atheism, secularism). Through this devotion, I learned how to be more open to other mindsets whose religious or ideological beliefs may be completely opposite to mine. I saw myself fathom a new part of who I am that I never had the chance to explore; Ergo, I evoked my sense of dialogue to solve the world’s most intricate problems. I, hereby, acquired the capacity of being a true listener and a wild thinker, which in turn led to my discovery of Model UN.

In MUN, I coordinated between delegates and their respective countries, set up meetings, and picked topics as Secretary General, but more importantly, I represented the country’s views as their delegate, drafted resolutions, debated and lobbied to pass them through the committee. I attended several MUN national Conferences, and I have gained plenty of experience through our MUN club’ MOC sessions. Putting all my motions on the floor, this pursuit frees me from all the cords that keep me mute. By giving facts and examples, I could not only prove myself correct but I could also expand my knowledge. The truth has distinct versions, and fighting for our own beliefs while exposed to others’ is the way to find the proper one. Living on this belief, this keenness towards international politics has even culminated in organizing AddiMUN, a National MUN conference that was held in the Moroccan Parliament.

Today, I have been chosen to attend ALAMAU.

African Leadership Academy Model African Union (ALAMAU) is an annual leadership conference for young leaders around Africa and across the world, simulating the activities of the African Union. ALAMAU was established in 2013 as a platform for young leaders to develop implementable solutions to African development challenges through diplomacy and international cooperation, in a format inspired by the Model United Nations and the African Union. I realized It is time to gain an international MUN experience. However, my parents don’t have the means to afford such an opportunity.

Through attending this conference l will meet a diverse pot of leaders hailing from all around Africa, who will enrich me with their different experiences and perspectives. I want to discover the true sense of being African; by attending ALAMAU I can have the lifetime opportunity to immerse myself in a full-flavored African Culture through a diverse group of leaders. By assuming the role of an African leader, I will empower myself to model international cooperation for development while celebrating diversity, and engage in peer learning to advance my knowledge of my continent, Africa.

Two weeks ago, I have been waitlisted by the African Leadership Academy, an excellent school based in South Africa with the aim to develop the next generation of next leaders with an acceptance rate of nearly 4%. Please note that attending this conference will not only be an opportunity for me to earn an international MUN experience and a deeper knowledge about the current African political situation, but it could also be a great opportunity for me to meet the school faculty and higher my chances of gaining admission to the Academy. Which is why I am here reaching out to you today.

In a house of six people, My father is the only individual earning a living. My mom is blind and diabetic, which makes her dependent on an everyday plan of insulin and medication. This costs my family about 400$ a month, yet it is not fully covered by medical insurance. My two younger brothers need a monthly school fee that has to be paid and with only a salary of 800$, my dad can’t even afford the luxury to pay for my tuition fees for College. With my mom’s monthly 150$ retirement money, my dad can only help cover some other fees, and me, I only need a yearly 20$ for my school fees. As a first-generation student in my family, attending this Academy has always been my dream and I really don’t want my financial situation end up any opportunity I can have to gain admission or even acquire a new experience. Therefore, I humbly ask for your help.

Please note that the conference will take place from the 21st to the 25th of March. Therefore any donation before the 28th of February I will be always grateful for. Thanks for taking the time to read my voice and thank you all for helping me!

With lots of love,

Anis Takieddine

Websites:

ALAMAU: http://www.alamau.org/

African Leadership Academy: http://www.africanleadershipacademy.org/