On August 20, 2023, a group of eager BA social work students from St. Xavier’s College, had come to NJSI to attend the session on Leadership, Critical thinking and Discovering Identity which were conducted under the guidance of Fr. Roy Sebastian,SJ and Mr. M.C. Pereira.
Fr. Roy navigated the participants through an exercise of discovering oneself in this immense universe and to become aware of one’s true purpose of being created as a human. Based on these fundamentals the students were oriented to understand individual’s role in designing and forming the future where everybody has a leadership role knowingly or unknowingly. The input on critical thinking was precisely to eliminate myths and superstitions along with misconceptions that is used by modern leaders to use citizens for their own benefits other than developing universal goodness.
Throughout the session the students learned that Leadership is a catalyst for change, a catalyst for growth, and a means to empower those in our circle. Engaging dialogues and real-world examples reinforced the idea that leadership is, above all, a responsibility to elevate our communities and better our world. Likewise he defined critical thinking as the ability to assess information, dissect problems, and make well-informed choices
Amidst these enlightening conversations, to broaden the horizons, Mr. M.C. Pereira took the example of Cambodia’s political history. Cambodia, a land steeped in cultural heritage, bore the weight of the Khmer Rouge regime’s horrors in the 1970s. This dark chapter serves as a poignant testament to the Cambodian people’s fortitude, as they’ve since rebuilt their nation and embraced optimism.
In a nutshell, the session ended with the hope of being a profound experience for the participants and help them become aspiring Social workers. Fr. Roy and MC Sir steered a transformative journey of self-discovery and empowerment. Meanwhile, the narratives of Cambodia and Afghanistan served as poignant reminders of human resilience and hope.
