Main Video:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1H0SGGwXv_s3s8Y44k3E6Xb_XrDPYyBXX
Where is your learning going? How will you apply skills, qualities you’ve developed outside of IFP?
I believe the things learnt in IFP are very relevant to what is going on in the world right now. We have learnt not only about the different types of conflict and what they mean and the ways we must address them, we also found out more about ourselves and our importance in a team and the ways in which we can be useful. This relates to the sessions we had about positive peace and negative peace, most conflict resolutions should aim to be positive peace as positive peace attacks the deep and underlying problem and can potentially end the conflict and prevent it from occurring again. We recently had a session about the ways to have a proper conversation and the ways to know that the conversation is either one sided or non directional. We learnt the many characteristics of a good conversation, how we should make someone feel as though they are being heard. The way I see the skills and knowledge I have gained from IFP going is, in the case that I see a conflict going on I know how to address the issue without making the person I am talking to feel as though their issue is any less than what it is.
What have you learned about collaboration? Have you learned to be more effective when working with others? What’s your biggest obstacle when asked to contribute to a team?
I have learnt that when collaborating with someone you should never listen to answer, you should listen with the intent to listen and only to listen so that the person who is talking to you does not feel as though they aren’t being heard. This relates to collaboration because when you are working with someone you should talk to them as well as listen to them with the intent to hear their ideas and potentially implement them. I feel that the most effective way to work with others is to actually listen to the ideas they are talking about and show interest but, also to give critical feedback so that you show that you understand what they are saying but feel like it could use more work because IFP is also about learning from each other.
In what ways have you been a mentor to others this year? Where and when have you shown initiative?
I feel as though during the Joint Training Session I was able to conduct most of the session or if the session was not productive I was the one who would try to get people to work again and get the session going again. I feel as though I showed initiative during the Joint Training Session as I eel as though I gave a lot of ideas to the group and I tried my best to keep our group on track and I tried my best to keep al of the ideas we had on the issue related to IFP and though provoking. I feel as though after the Joint Training Session I got a much better understanding about what I will be doing during the actual conferences we facilitate.
Which session has done the most to address your areas for improvement as a peace builder? How did that session encourage growth?
My biggest takeaway from IFP
What have you learned about leadership & what qualities and skills have you developed in IFP to help do this?
My IFP Public Speaking experience
What has your engagement in IFP looked like your peers? What makes you say so?
I feel as though my engagement in IFP is shown through my multiple posts as well as the amount I contribute during sessions. I also think that others can notice that I am passionate about IFP and the sessions that happen during IFP. I always have engaging conversations with everybody who is in my group. Every time I exit an IFP session it is very apparent that I have come out with something new I have learnt, something that interests me enough to go home and tell my family, enough for me to speak to my classmates, my teachers, and my friends about. I always feel rewarded after an IFP session and I know what Ive learnt in IFP will go with my to college as well as life in general.
After going to Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts for almost 5 years I finally successfully finished the Junior and Secondary arts programme. Completing this programme has shown me the different skills I have in relation to art. I have always deemed myself quite good at art. However, upon doing this programme I have come to realise that there are certain mediums and certain concepts that I am able to draw well. When it comes to drawing humans and faces I am really not that skilled, but, when it comes to drawing flowers and landscapes I believe I am quite skilled and I am able to draw such things quite well.
In terms of mediums that I am good at working with, I believe I am good at working with watercolour as well as acrylic and oil. What I have realised is nobody is good at doing art with every medium, everybody is more skilled at one medium than another. This has made me more likely to do watercolours and acrylic painting rather than making sculptures or doing print work. From time to time I enjoy doing paper-mache but, if I am bored and feel like doing art I would preferably do watercolour painting or acrylic and oil painting.
This does not mean that I will not work with any other medium than the ones I am relatively better at working with, at any chance I get I will try to further develop my skills in sculpting and print making. I only wish to explore more mediums and different artistic concepts to allow myself to further my knowledge of art as an expression.
Boxing/Muay Thai happens every Friday from 3- 4:30pm, we usually start off with a warm up, either running, or a warm up in place that the instructors give us. After that we go into technique, we figure out how to properly do certain moves without injuring ourselves. Once our instructor feels as though we have got the technique down and our muscles are all warmed up we go down to the stairs. During our stairs routine we have to run up the stairs do a circuit of moves and then run back down. If we are not doing the stairs routine we will go down to the large area in the basement and do circuits with our partners, often these circuits are given to us by our instructor however, these past 2 weeks the instructors have handed it over to us and asked us to create the circuits ourselves.
I have now completed almost half a year of boxing and I could not be prouder of myself. I can feel myself getting stronger and better at the boxing technique. The best part about boxing is once you are done you feel satisfied, you feel as though you’ve worked every muscle in your body. As a first timer to boxing there were many instances where it got too hard and I felt like quitting the activity, there are times when you just cant do anymore and you’re weak. However, these instances are what show you that you are getting stronger, these are the indications that you are working and that you are not lazing around.
Whenever I feel like quitting I tend to think of the feeling I will have once the session is over, it motivates me to continue and not give up. I would like to continue boxing as it not only makes me feel fit, and makes me fit in itself but, it is also fun and engaging to learn the new moves and learn the techniques. Boxing is a useful tool when it comes to self defence, and it is always useful to know a few moves to defend yourselves in a time of need.
Unfortunately Culturama has come to a close, after hours and hours of practicing and perfecting each move we as a group finally performed in front of the much anticipated 300 people. Going through the experience of Culturama made a more sociable person overall, I not only made new and closer friendships with those who are in my grade but, I also managed to close knit friendships with those in the grades above and below me.
Originally, I was afraid my stage fright would get the better of me and performing in front of a large number of people would cause me to forget the steps. However, what I found was that I am actually quite good at dealing with performing infront of a large group of people, I managed to remember all the steps from both my dances and I successfully did both dances.
During dress rehearsals I figured out another obstacle I had to overcome, this was changing in between dances. I was in the USA dance as well as the India dance, this meant I had to change in between, however, the most difficult thing was that there was only one 3 minute dance in the middle of both the dances I was in. Which in essence meant I had little over 3 minutes to change out of my India costume and into my USA costume. In one of the runs I was not able to change in time and get across to the other end of the stage to enter and this resulted in me not performing during that run. Due to that debacle the entire show day was an extremely stressful time.
After finishing this years Culturama, it has made me even more excited to take part in next years. Luckily I gained a skill during this time, I was able to smartly deduce what to wear first and where to put my costumes to ensure I get changed before the dance begins. This years Culturama introduced new difficulties and weaknesses on my part but, after completing Culturama I feel as though I have acquired new skills and if in the future I am to do something of this sort again I will be prepared and the overall stress I will face will be less
