GNML.Session #8 "Elevator Pitch".

The most important thing you learned in our GNML online program.

In this last section I would like to tell how thankful I am to the all GNML team, who helped me in that online course. Global New Media Lab opened my eyes on a new perspective of how today’s social media can be used. I learned a new way to interact with people from all over the world and share my ideas and suggestions through personal blog. People can find the ways their voice to be heard. People can give a hand to those, whose voice needs to be heard. The social networks, media and platforms are significant ingredients in the cup of success. Nowadays it became much easier to reach people’s attention for the issue and get support in providing better social change. Young people have all opportunities to be involved in that and reach their goals. Today is a time, when young leaders from all over the world can gather and find solutions on the problem together. Today is a time to become one of those leaders. So, thank you, GNML, for giving such grate sessions and suggestions, that just like small seeds in the future will grow and bloom into flowers of international joy, peace and beauty.

The most challenging experience of our GNML online program.

As I have told to my GNML classmates in the first session I’m really slow and bad in understanding and using new technologies. You may ask: “Is it still possible for our 21 century generation?” And I will reply: “As you can see on my example”. I’m very sarcastic about myself in this area. So, before doing all the Tech Lab sessions I already knew, how challenging it will be for me. But I still decided to try and see if by some miracle I can improve the relationships between my brain and laptop. Honestly, doing a blog was like nightmare for me. I went to wrong links, couldn’t find Google Alert, had troubles with RSS and I even broke one of the keys on my keyboard. How? Incomprehensible to me too. But I had a social issue of my home community I really wanted to talk about, so I gathered all the nerves, that was left and finished the blog. It was very significant moment of my day. No, really. I know that for other students that could probably take a day and for me it took almost a week, but before my GNML online program, I wouldn’t believe I could do something like that on my own. So that was the most challenging moment, and know what? I am really proud of me.  J

The most rewarding experience of our GNML online program.

 In my personal experience, Global New Media Lab was one of the most useful and interesting online programs, I’ve taken before. I always had some ideas of projects, that could be meaningful in different areas, but honestly they have never crossed the border between my mind and the real world outside. In some point, it was because of teenage laziness, but it also was because of diffidence. I always thought that to change something in society or find any kind of support for your fresh ideas you have to spend enormous amount of time in looking for people, who will understand you. That seemed to be impossible for me. And then one day, GNML literally appears in my life and says: “Hey, you know what? It’s not as horrible as it seems, I’ll show you”.  And it helped. This course opened my eyes on how easy it can be to reach the target. It showed me a new way of how human mind can cooperate with technological advance, and how this cooperation can promote the real changes and development. The most rewarding part I’ve taken from GNML was making my own blog, which helped to represent my own voice and thoughts to a big audience of people, who may care about the same social issue.

Construction of “Kok Zhailau” ski resort.

My home country Kazakhstan is a land of green values, deep rain forests and beautiful mountain ranges. It is a place that leaves a huge impression on your heart from the very first sight on its wild and spellbinding nature. I can’t explain all indignation I felt, when I heard that one of my favorite peaceful places is in danger. Kok Zhailau is a part of protected nature reserve and national park that contains large amount of high biodiversity. Here are 3 reasons why I and lot of other citizens are against new tourism project:

1. National park provides clean water and fresh air not only for our country, but its existence and live is important for the sustainability of the whole planet. Such places as Kok Zhailau and Ile-Alatau park or any other world’s big national parks keep our Earth in the important for survival temperature range.

2.Moreover, according to  Kazakh Olympic silver medalist and 2011Asian Winter Games ski champion, Yelena Khrustaleva: “Kok Zhailau  is not suitable for professional track racers,” since the runs are of insufficient length and the terrain is unsuitable.” Why did head of tourism than choose such a wrong place for building a huge stadium? Maybe there were there any others “hidden” reasons?

3. According to lot of local people opinions, the real reason of building that resort not an “economic development for the whole country”, but a privatization. That business can’t be successful because of the high price of skiing in Almaty, too low slopes too receive enough snow and already existence of 10 other ski resorts. Soon after wild nature will be irrecoverable destroyed and roads in the mountains built, that project will be dropped and the lands will be bought by people, who are interested in the private residences there.

So will you let that people destroy something that helps our planet to breathe? Will you silently watch others killing that fragile live? I am not going to stand aside waiting miracle, I’m going to act and that is what I’m asking you to do with me. Let’s not pretend to be deaf on our nature’s “help” scream. Let’s save the live!