She wants to be the change she wants to see
It’s late Monday evening when we sit down to talk to Sashini Gomez but the Monday blues clearly have no effect on this young lady; a whirlwind of energy she breezes in still in her office attire, but electric with zest and a vivacious smile.
Sashini as an intern at the UN headquarters
Sashini has a lot to smile about these days. A passionate young activist she has been participating in UN related affairs here and abroad. She has up her sleeve a wealth of experience and knowledge working at the Ministry of Youth Affairs, the Youth Council and was one of the 10 Sri Lankans on the organising committee for the 2014 World Youth Conference a month ago, all at the age of 22.
“A lot of people might think this is cheesy but I don’t see what I’m doing as work. I wake up in the morning knowing that I am contributing in some small way to make some change in the world, ” she says. Proof of that is in the news she received earlier in the day – that the Colombo Declaration on Youth adopted at the Conference had been presented to the Secretary General of the UN in less than a month of its release.
Taking the backseat has never been Sashini’s way. “It’s our responsibility to take action instead of sitting back and complaining,” she says earnestly. Her proactive stance on life goes back to her schooldays at St. Bridget’s Convent. A very energetic child Sashini and her sister took part in many extracurricular activities encouraged by their supportive parents. She recalls the many Shakespeare drama practices that would end in the wee hours only for prefect duty to begin a few hours later. She was the leader of the choir and debating team as well. An interest in the Sri Lankan Model United Nations (SLMUN) led her to approach her principal about participating. With approval from school Sashini and a few others took part and she won her first award.
Spurred by the growing enthusiasm of her schoolmates and Principal she went on to establish the school’s United Nations Club, which to date, helps and preps the younger students for the SLMUN conferences. Following her second Colombo MUN where she won yet another award, she was approached about joining the Executive Committee of the SLMUN where she chaired UNESCO.
A year and a half later she would be at yet another UN conference; this time at Harvard. Speaking about her experience in Boston, she says meeting the other delegates who at 18 were introducing themselves with business cards was a huge eye opener. “It was the first time I opened my eyes to that level of maturity.” It was also one of the most obvious differences she noticed between them and her peers back home. “(They) were so sure of themselves. They knew exactly what they wanted in life.” It really got her thinking about where she wanted to go.
It probably explains Sashini’s interestingly diverse resume. “When we leave school there aren’t very many options to choose from. You usually end up doing what everyone else is, ” she says. Like many, Sashini did her CIM fresh out of school. Having completed it in one and a half years and graduating the youngest in her class, she went into the corporate sector, working in the field of advertising. “That experience was also really good because my mentor allowed to me to work in the creative side of things and media.” Her job saw her working with multinational companies such as Unilever and LOLC expanding her knowledge immensely. It was during this time that she got the opportunity to go to Boston. Although her trip lasted all of five days it was enough to change her entire perspective on life. “I came back geared to be better than ever and determined about my future.”
Probably her ‘ah-ha!’ moment, it was upon her return that Sashini realised there was so much more she had to do with her life if she really wanted to make an impact in the world. With near perfect timing came her second life changing opportunity when she was chosen to be an intern as an advisor to the Permanent Mission of the United Nations in New York. Though just an internship she had the opportunity to lobby with other countries and take part in resolutions. Along with her mentor Sashini managed to win the largest amount of signatories for a resolution for which Sri Lanka was a co sponsor. While in New York she even had the opportunity to work with the Presidential delegation at the General Assembly; a task that developed her time management and precision skills. Her being there did not go unnoticed when the Ambassador of Sri Lanka asked her to get involved with the World Conference on Youth.
A sizeably smaller organising committee in contrast to CHOGM, the task of coordinating 1500 people from 160 countries was a contrast to Sashini’s previous experiences of being a delegate. Being both part of the Secretariat along with being a facilitator came with its own set of problems having to handle logistic problems while moderating sessions. This was the biggest conference she had been a part of; a feat she feels is tremendous for Sri Lanka.
All work and no play is oddly enough not the mantra of this self professed workaholic. Among her memories of the declaration, people and the presentation is her impressive collection of selfies with high profile people. Laughing at this practice which many would consider as a vain indulgence Sashini prefers to look at it from a lighter point of view. “Pictures are a universal language” she explains, they provide an ice breaker, putting people at ease. Her bubbly personality included, it’s no wonder she has such an interesting collection, which even include a selfie with her Principal.
Describing the importance of the Colombo Declaration, Sashini explained it simply as the platform for which to discuss the next Millennium Development Goals after the expiration of the current goals (which will be in 2015) which allowed youth from urban, marginalized and rural areas their say in the matter. This is where the core of her interest lies- in sustainability.
Having worked at home and away, Sashini feels that there is still much more work that needs to be done for Lankan youth, but the platform provided by the Youth Conference which was the first of its kind allowing governments and the youth to work alongside each other was a step forward on the path to progress. As always Sashini lives by the principle – be the change you want to see. She feels that at the end of the day thinking about ourselves won’t do. “It’s about our children and our children’s children. They are our legacies. It must be a scenario where they don’t point fingers at us and say- because of them we are in this situation, but rather- because of them we have all this happening ”