Youth Meet is an international youth development conference dedicated to the moral, spiritual, and intellectual upliftment of college-age leader aspirants that draws youth participants, speakers, dignitaries, and resources from over 35 countries. Approximately 5000 people were in attendance for the 5-day event.
Mr. Sheehan's presentation on visionary leadership covered the capacities and approaches to innovation and transformational change of globally recognized leaders as diverse as Steve Jobs, Nelson Mandela, Mohandas Gandhi, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
His speech emphasized the power of commitment to high principles as the foundation for transformative leadership that can have broad implications to improving society and the way people see their world. In addition, he discussed personal transformation and character building as the fundamental building blocks of modeling leadership and the kinds of change that are critical to addressing the problems of modern society, which are becoming more extreme.
He suggested that the founders of the United States sacrificed for new and transformative ideas that had yet to be articulated for humanity. "That all men are created equal" and "governance by the people and for the people" are examples of innovative ideas, he said, that leaders of the American Revolution championed and that would have broad and positive impact and implications over many decades of the American experience "creating waves of unparalled peace and wealth in their wake for many generations that followed after."
Commitment to high, civilizing principles, Mr. Sheehan explained, creates high level leadership and our capacity for improving the lives of millions of people.
Similarly, he suggested that South Africa's Nelson Mandela's willingness to sacrifice for and embody the principles of freedom for a people was the catalyst for the freedom of millions of people in South Africa.
"Most people would be broken by 27 years in prison," he said. "Mandela left prison lit like a Christmas candle, because he became the freedom of millions of people--first on the inside-- through internal transformation and focus on justice and freedom as foundation principles on which to lead and rely."
A parallel World Music Event carried the Youth Meet week and featured celebratory music from world class musicians from locations as varied as Africa, Greece, Turkey, Italy, and Mexico.
It was a privilege for the youth leadership development work of Hope Collaborative to be featured at this global event, and we are thrilled to share some photos and memories here.