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Reuniting in the West Bank

Photo 1 Yes Reunion 2018 2

As the global YES community prepares for a full year of 15th Anniversary celebrations, YES alumni in the West Bank came together on January 14th to reconnect and set goals for another successful year of alumni programming. Their hope was to launch 2018 on a positive note both on a personal level and for the network as a whole.

Around 45 YES alumni from various years and cities came together in Ramallah for a day full of activities focused on the concept of refreshing one’s self to begin a new year with a clear mind and set of values. After icebreaking activities, YES alumna and trainer, Heba Tannira (YES 2006 - 2007) gave a training called “Visualize Your Future.” Heba used the opportunity to help other alumni set priorities for 2018 and for the future, considering how they can use this year to achieve their goals. 

First, Heba conducted an exercise called  “Meet Me - Ten Years From Now”. After several minutes of personal reflection, each participant introduced themselves ten years later in present tense. Every participant had to create a vision of where and what they will be doing ten years from now, and then they shared their vision with the rest of the alumni. 

Photo 2 Yes Reunion 2018 1

Heba's next exercise was about how to use the “Wheel of Life” as a tool to prioritize your time. The wheel of life is a tool used to get a snapshot of how satisfied a participant is in their life in different categories - like personal development, career, and education. Each area was rated from zero to ten, and this gave alumni an overview of their life balance and how they can improve different areas to balance their wheel. 

After those exciting activities by Heba, the alumni reunion focused on introducing the alumni to the new Steering Committee, including the body's duty, vision, mission and goals. The new 2018 YES Alumni Network Steering Committee includes ten different alumni from various YES years, cities, and backgrounds. 

Finally, a YES alumni activity wouldn't be complete without planning for concrete new projects! The alumni were distributed into small groups to work together and plan a YES activity to be held in 2018. Each group then presented their plan to the full group. 

The alumni enjoyed the day as it was a chance to reunite with familiar faces, make new friends, and re-integrate themselves in the network. 

Photo 3 Yes Reunion 2018

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