Hear me speak to you “Word Warrior” style. 

When my 4 year old stopped talking in Nepali

My well meaning Nepali friends and family didn’t realize that she opened herself to the world of dinosaurs and more

But then I teach her to sing “Jun ta lagyo taaraa le”, now she would sing it anyday

What point am I trying to make, you say?

Our expectations of learning for those coming after us should not be the same as ours or those who came before

Jon Dewey said “If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow”

Today, all you need is some guidance and some mentorship

Then there’s no limit to how far you can stretch

So today I speak to you, directly to you

There’s much to be done

There’s much to be solved

There’s much to be enjoyed

And there’s much to be loved

All the concern and the sleepless and troubled nights that have gobbled me till date

earthquake, blockade, hatred, and inequality till date

I only recently realized that I was missing the mark

I was knocking on doors and ears that feared both uncertain future and losing the past

It took me time, introspection, and learning about and listening to Ujjwala, Prakriti, Shristi, Malala, Kelly, Scott, Kristen, Stephanie, Bibeksheel, AYON, TEDx, Search for Common Ground, Serena, Shahrukh, Oprah, Thich, Sugata, Mark, Sheryl, little Ishita, many many others, and my daughter Ishika

To realize that I should be talking to you, directly to you

Not your parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, or even elder brothers or sisters

I should be talking to you

Yes, you the millennials and the post millenials

You are one if you were born after 1980

You are empowered, you are strong, your are the present and the future

You hold immense potential, mostly untapped potential

You don’t scare easily

You tweeted, you called

You gathered around to break the fall

You walked the distance

You cared and you dared

You brought new life, new hope after the earthquake hit

You brought new voice when everything was just noise

We need a movement

Your movement

A movement that is creative

A movement that is inspiring

A movement that are filled with small movements

A movement that moves people with love

A movement that moves people with awe

A movement that gives people hope

A movement that fulfills dreams

A movement that can only be fulfilled if we work as teams

So please, ……. hear me when I say

We need you, all of you

We need you to work together

We need you to think

We need you to throw all prejudices down the drain

We need you to see everyone as equals

We need you to give a new voice, a fresh voice

We need to break the barriers

We need you to innovate, recreate, reach out, help around, make a difference, leave your mark

We need you to speak up, but be courteous

We need you spread the word

We need to hold each other’s hands

We need you to build a new world

We need you to spread the love

We need you……………