A family of 60 000 young people in 110 countries

Translated version of a blog post from Marta Orias Hidalgo from Costa Rica



Those who know me have heard me talk about AIESEC a lot but I still think that many don't understand even half the things I say or why I do what I do.


It is always difficult to explain to those interested or those just entering AIESEC why am involved. 
It is difficult to explain why I decide to spend my evenings, mornings, nights, days, months and even years in an organization that does not pay me or give me something tangible to show as a result of my work.


It is even more difficult to explain what makes the simple fact that a young man who lives hundreds of miles from where I am and die thousands of miles away from where I am affect me that much. And not just me ... thousands of young people around the globe are mourning this fact.


I come not to speak of the accident, I am speaking of that passion that makes thousands of young people move around the world under one purpose. This passion makes me mourn a young man who sought the same purpose as mine and was only 22 years but wanted to change the world. It is this passion that makes it not matter if we know him or not. We treat them like family and our doors are always open for all those 60 000 young people no matter where they come from. No matter where I go I know I have a home somewhere in the world. When something happens in one country, the network gets activated and we all care about this country as if we had family there. In fact, we do. This is really just global awareness.


Ladies and Gentlemen this is what makes me get up every morning and not wanting to give up even though everything seems impossible. This is what makes me want to continue working so that our network grows, so more have the chance to develop. It is this inexplicable passion that unites us that makes me proud to say "I am an AIESECer." This is something you can't buy and that they will never teach in a classroom.









R.I.P Elmer Perez Requiz, President of AIESEC in Bolivia 2011-2012