[Music]
[Music]
my name is spongebob Amega 32 years old
I’m born in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo my mother came with my sister
brother and I from Congo to Europe my
sister stayed in France
my brother mother and I we came together
here in the Netherlands a mother applied
for asylum and we were residing in our
asylum seeker reception center it was
1994 I was eight I still remember the
way we were treated when we came to the
Netherlands it was the first time I saw
a lot of people from different countries
people from Bosnia people from
Afghanistan Iran Somalia we became
friends and I learned a lot in that
period I learn about intercultural
communication I met someone who teach me
how to box how to play soccer and the
volunteers there they teach me how to
play basketball and I won my first sport
prize in a basketball tournament as best
shooter I was eight that period was so
good for me and the way I was treated by
the Dutch society by those volunteers I
always say they gave me back my dignity
they gave me a future by teaching me the
Dutch language and teaching me English
what they actually did is they saw my
talent they gave me an opportunity they
removed the obstacles and they provided
for me a plaque
form where I could shine flourish a few
years later I came to an apartment
nearby here place called Veldhoven
and it took some years before we had a
decision on the asylum seeker
application which we did here the
decision was a negative we didn’t expect
it and now remembered that moment
because I was 11 and I saw my mother she
was very sad she was in tears with the
letter in her hands and as a 11 year old
kid it had a lot of impact for me
because I never saw my mother like that
before
and I felt that I needed to protect her
I need to protect us and from that
moment I started reflecting what can I
do I started reflecting about my life
how was it so far what have I seen so
far I’ve seen the grading treatments
I’ve seen diseases I’ve seen inequality
poverty I’ve seen restrictions in
movement and you’re right and I thought
I should do everything which is possible
to change that situation I was thinking
how is it possible and I thought that
this one is because of the policies and
the laws which was made by men so if it
was made by men then it can also be
fixed by men and I started imagining a
totally other kind of world I started
dreaming about a world a world
which is just an occlusive a world which
everyone is equally in right and in
dignity a world where it doesn’t matter
who you are where you’re born what
sexual orientation you have or which
religion you have to truly have an
opportunity and truly be entitled to a
future because that world was so clear
to me I felt that it was my
responsibility to do something to do
everything I could so I started making a
plan five years plan ten years plan 15
years plan 20 years plan and I knew that
education was the key to the future and
I knew that this going to be a long road
a hard road marathon but I had to start
today if I want to finish at the end so
I started studying in law but this law
was at a lower education studying and
studying and studying and I became 18
and that was a problem because we still
didn’t have any paper still didn’t have
any status and when when you are 18 you
don’t you’re not obliged to study
anymore
so it means that I cannot register for a
working place I cannot register for an
internship place so all of that was hard
for me and I was about to drop out but I
refused I said I’ll go to the city
center and see if there is an
organization that is willing to hire me
even though I didn’t have any assurance
and I couldn’t register and I found an
organization an organization called
dynamo
and this place is a youth place a place
where youth get a second chance when
they are excluded from society or when
they fit when it doesn’t fit
they don’t fit in a certain system I
went there and talked to people like
Vera I met her feed read and do wrong
those people were not the head of the
organization
those people were regular employees of
that organization they listened to my
story and when they listened to my story
they saw the talent that gave me an
opportunity to do an internship there
they removed the obstacles and it
provided a platform for me to shine and
flourish if it wasn’t for them I
wouldn’t finish that law school at lower
education after years of misery after 16
years of residing in a netherlands
without a paper after the intervention
of teachers friends lawyers politicians
journalists we finally managed to get a
status in a Netherland and from that
moment everything went faster because
now I could do easily an internship I
was studying law at the University of
Applied Science and there I thought that
I will do an internship at the Dutch
parliament and work for Parliament
members because I wanted to learn about
the process how they make laws one of
the policy makers name was Peter was one
of my teachers there and he learned me
about the fact that a law which is not
applicable which is not just which is
not inclusive for a lot of people it’s
no law at all so I started thinking
about that and one day
I was sitting in a room where there was
a hearing
I was sitting just like you are sitting
right now listening to a very inspiring
person
his name was case black holt he was a
director of the university asylum fund
and he was defending human rights issues
at the Parliament after he was done he
came to sit next to me and when he came
to sit next to me he started talking to
me who are you
what you doing here what is your dream
and I told him about it and he said I’m
ready to contribute to that dream I’m
ready to be your friend this is my card
let’s be friends
from that moment he invited me to places
where I could speak to former Prime
Minister’s where I could speak to the
Queen where I could speak to high
officials of the United Nations and I
learned from them by speaking to them
how they try to have impact in society
what people like Peter and case did to
me is to see the talent give me an
opportunity remove the obstacles and
provide me a platform where I could
shine well after all this time I finally
had my law degree I was happy and people
were also happy for me because they knew
my life and they said Pan you should
focus on yourself now you have your law
degree just go for a big firm you can
make lots of money with your brains
everything will be okay and you don’t
have to save the world it’s not your
responsibility
and I started thinking about it because
there were a lot of people telling me
this it’s not your responsibility
the world sort of thinking about it and
when I was organizing a party because I
wanted to celebrate that I finally have
a diploma I was organizing a party and a
lots of friends a family came and my
sister who was living in France and now
have moved to the United States because
she had her husband there was planning
to surprise me when she was on her way
to me to the Netherlands she sent me a
text message because she wanted to
surprise me so she told me that she
won’t be there but she was on her way
and when she got to the border in the
United States she got arrested for no
clear reasons even though she had a
French passport even though she had a
ticket she got arrested and she was put
in detention
she had a met
for heart disease and this medication
was taken from her a few days later I
received a phone call that my sister
passed away in a cell alone in border
detention a lot of ideas went through my
mind at that moment I felt a tremendous
energy through my body
shall I reach for revenge shall I use
all of my talents to destroy those
people who treated her in the grading
manner those people who made her suffer
those people who led her to her death
just at that moment I thought about her
last message she sent me she said I
won’t be able to make it but I want you
to know that I believe in your dream and
that you should pursue it and make it a
reality
your sister who loves you very much
this
happening was the answer
the answer to the question which all
those people ask me is it my
responsibility to save the world
no it’s not only my responsibility to
save the world it is also your
responsibility to try to save the world
it is our responsibility to try to save
the world not only for ourselves but
also for the future generations
I remember what Martin Luther King once
said injustice anywhere is injustice
everywhere and the fact that we are all
connected if there is one person in
other side of the world who’s suffering
we should feel responsible for that and
I believe we have to do something I try
to apply everything that I can by
becoming a jurist I try to help people
individually by me becoming an activist
I founded a movement called Inc leaders
inclusion leaders network and I became a
politician here in the city of aunt /
member of council this beautiful city
which we call the smallest region of the
world the economic wonder of the
Netherlands the place where we make the
future not only for ourselves but also
for others this place is where I became
politician in 2014 we had an issue there
was a refugee crisis and a lot of you
know the society was polarized there are
people who are welcoming refugees and
people who are not welcoming refugees
what I tried to do is try to apply
everything I’ve learned I tried to
explain to the people what I experienced
and why I’m standing here because people
saw my talent because people gave me an
opportunity remove the obstacles and it
gave me a platform and if you do the
same to those refugees who are coming
here they will flourish they will shine
and Athiya council we managed to build
bridges between those two people and to
me my friends this is the best example
of a democracy as I’m ending my talk I
want you to close your eyes please close
your eyes and imagine this imagine a
world which is just an inclusive a world
where every human being is eco in right
and in dignity a world where the
potentials of people is fully used a
world where it doesn’t matter who you
are where you’re born what is your
sexual orientation or what your religion
is to equally have opportunities
and to also be entitled to a future a
world where illegal persons don’t exist
a world where there’s no poverty and
where diseases such as cancer can be
healed now open your eyes I would like
to know who of you would like to live in
such a world which you’ve seen I would
like to see the hands all of you and I
believe if we combine our strength
together that we can make that world I
believe we can create that world if we
start to be inclusive persons if we
starts to be in cleaners and try to
apply the principles of being an
inclusive person which is see the talent
give opportunities remove obstacles and
provide for a shelter for place so
another can flourish and I want you at
least find five people and do the same
like for instance case did to me five
strangers talk to them and see their
talent try to see their talent try to
see how you can give them an opportunity
remove their obstacles and how you can
make sure that they get a platform so
they can flourish and you don’t need to
be a director or someone high for fishel
you could be a regular person like case
or Peter or I met or read order on did
to me and if we do so and if we do so I
do believe together we can reach and
just an inclusive society I guarantee
we can do that I had a lot of light bulb
moments in my life I hope today will be
one light bulb moment for you thank you
[Applause]
[Music]
my name is spongebob Amega 32 years old
I’m born in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo my mother came with my sister
brother and I from Congo to Europe my
sister stayed in France
my brother mother and I we came together
here in the Netherlands a mother applied
for asylum and we were residing in our
asylum seeker reception center it was
1994 I was eight I still remember the
way we were treated when we came to the
Netherlands it was the first time I saw
a lot of people from different countries
people from Bosnia people from
Afghanistan Iran Somalia we became
friends and I learned a lot in that
period I learn about intercultural
communication I met someone who teach me
how to box how to play soccer and the
volunteers there they teach me how to
play basketball and I won my first sport
prize in a basketball tournament as best
shooter I was eight that period was so
good for me and the way I was treated by
the Dutch society by those volunteers I
always say they gave me back my dignity
they gave me a future by teaching me the
Dutch language and teaching me English
what they actually did is they saw my
talent they gave me an opportunity they
removed the obstacles and they provided
for me a plaque
form where I could shine flourish a few
years later I came to an apartment
nearby here place called Veldhoven
and it took some years before we had a
decision on the asylum seeker
application which we did here the
decision was a negative we didn’t expect
it and now remembered that moment
because I was 11 and I saw my mother she
was very sad she was in tears with the
letter in her hands and as a 11 year old
kid it had a lot of impact for me
because I never saw my mother like that
before
and I felt that I needed to protect her
I need to protect us and from that
moment I started reflecting what can I
do I started reflecting about my life
how was it so far what have I seen so
far I’ve seen the grading treatments
I’ve seen diseases I’ve seen inequality
poverty I’ve seen restrictions in
movement and you’re right and I thought
I should do everything which is possible
to change that situation I was thinking
how is it possible and I thought that
this one is because of the policies and
the laws which was made by men so if it
was made by men then it can also be
fixed by men and I started imagining a
totally other kind of world I started
dreaming about a world a world
which is just an occlusive a world which
everyone is equally in right and in
dignity a world where it doesn’t matter
who you are where you’re born what
sexual orientation you have or which
religion you have to truly have an
opportunity and truly be entitled to a
future because that world was so clear
to me I felt that it was my
responsibility to do something to do
everything I could so I started making a
plan five years plan ten years plan 15
years plan 20 years plan and I knew that
education was the key to the future and
I knew that this going to be a long road
a hard road marathon but I had to start
today if I want to finish at the end so
I started studying in law but this law
was at a lower education studying and
studying and studying and I became 18
and that was a problem because we still
didn’t have any paper still didn’t have
any status and when when you are 18 you
don’t you’re not obliged to study
anymore
so it means that I cannot register for a
working place I cannot register for an
internship place so all of that was hard
for me and I was about to drop out but I
refused I said I’ll go to the city
center and see if there is an
organization that is willing to hire me
even though I didn’t have any assurance
and I couldn’t register and I found an
organization an organization called
dynamo
and this place is a youth place a place
where youth get a second chance when
they are excluded from society or when
they fit when it doesn’t fit
they don’t fit in a certain system I
went there and talked to people like
Vera I met her feed read and do wrong
those people were not the head of the
organization
those people were regular employees of
that organization they listened to my
story and when they listened to my story
they saw the talent that gave me an
opportunity to do an internship there
they removed the obstacles and it
provided a platform for me to shine and
flourish if it wasn’t for them I
wouldn’t finish that law school at lower
education after years of misery after 16
years of residing in a netherlands
without a paper after the intervention
of teachers friends lawyers politicians
journalists we finally managed to get a
status in a Netherland and from that
moment everything went faster because
now I could do easily an internship I
was studying law at the University of
Applied Science and there I thought that
I will do an internship at the Dutch
parliament and work for Parliament
members because I wanted to learn about
the process how they make laws one of
the policy makers name was Peter was one
of my teachers there and he learned me
about the fact that a law which is not
applicable which is not just which is
not inclusive for a lot of people it’s
no law at all so I started thinking
about that and one day
I was sitting in a room where there was
a hearing
I was sitting just like you are sitting
right now listening to a very inspiring
person
his name was case black holt he was a
director of the university asylum fund
and he was defending human rights issues
at the Parliament after he was done he
came to sit next to me and when he came
to sit next to me he started talking to
me who are you
what you doing here what is your dream
and I told him about it and he said I’m
ready to contribute to that dream I’m
ready to be your friend this is my card
let’s be friends
from that moment he invited me to places
where I could speak to former Prime
Minister’s where I could speak to the
Queen where I could speak to high
officials of the United Nations and I
learned from them by speaking to them
how they try to have impact in society
what people like Peter and case did to
me is to see the talent give me an
opportunity remove the obstacles and
provide me a platform where I could
shine well after all this time I finally
had my law degree I was happy and people
were also happy for me because they knew
my life and they said Pan you should
focus on yourself now you have your law
degree just go for a big firm you can
make lots of money with your brains
everything will be okay and you don’t
have to save the world it’s not your
responsibility
and I started thinking about it because
there were a lot of people telling me
this it’s not your responsibility
the world sort of thinking about it and
when I was organizing a party because I
wanted to celebrate that I finally have
a diploma I was organizing a party and a
lots of friends a family came and my
sister who was living in France and now
have moved to the United States because
she had her husband there was planning
to surprise me when she was on her way
to me to the Netherlands she sent me a
text message because she wanted to
surprise me so she told me that she
won’t be there but she was on her way
and when she got to the border in the
United States she got arrested for no
clear reasons even though she had a
French passport even though she had a
ticket she got arrested and she was put
in detention
she had a met
for heart disease and this medication
was taken from her a few days later I
received a phone call that my sister
passed away in a cell alone in border
detention a lot of ideas went through my
mind at that moment I felt a tremendous
energy through my body
shall I reach for revenge shall I use
all of my talents to destroy those
people who treated her in the grading
manner those people who made her suffer
those people who led her to her death
just at that moment I thought about her
last message she sent me she said I
won’t be able to make it but I want you
to know that I believe in your dream and
that you should pursue it and make it a
reality
your sister who loves you very much
this
happening was the answer
the answer to the question which all
those people ask me is it my
responsibility to save the world
no it’s not only my responsibility to
save the world it is also your
responsibility to try to save the world
it is our responsibility to try to save
the world not only for ourselves but
also for the future generations
I remember what Martin Luther King once
said injustice anywhere is injustice
everywhere and the fact that we are all
connected if there is one person in
other side of the world who’s suffering
we should feel responsible for that and
I believe we have to do something I try
to apply everything that I can by
becoming a jurist I try to help people
individually by me becoming an activist
I founded a movement called Inc leaders
inclusion leaders network and I became a
politician here in the city of aunt /
member of council this beautiful city
which we call the smallest region of the
world the economic wonder of the
Netherlands the place where we make the
future not only for ourselves but also
for others this place is where I became
politician in 2014 we had an issue there
was a refugee crisis and a lot of you
know the society was polarized there are
people who are welcoming refugees and
people who are not welcoming refugees
what I tried to do is try to apply
everything I’ve learned I tried to
explain to the people what I experienced
and why I’m standing here because people
saw my talent because people gave me an
opportunity remove the obstacles and it
gave me a platform and if you do the
same to those refugees who are coming
here they will flourish they will shine
and Athiya council we managed to build
bridges between those two people and to
me my friends this is the best example
of a democracy as I’m ending my talk I
want you to close your eyes please close
your eyes and imagine this imagine a
world which is just an inclusive a world
where every human being is eco in right
and in dignity a world where the
potentials of people is fully used a
world where it doesn’t matter who you
are where you’re born what is your
sexual orientation or what your religion
is to equally have opportunities
and to also be entitled to a future a
world where illegal persons don’t exist
a world where there’s no poverty and
where diseases such as cancer can be
healed now open your eyes I would like
to know who of you would like to live in
such a world which you’ve seen I would
like to see the hands all of you and I
believe if we combine our strength
together that we can make that world I
believe we can create that world if we
start to be inclusive persons if we
starts to be in cleaners and try to
apply the principles of being an
inclusive person which is see the talent
give opportunities remove obstacles and
provide for a shelter for place so
another can flourish and I want you at
least find five people and do the same
like for instance case did to me five
strangers talk to them and see their
talent try to see their talent try to
see how you can give them an opportunity
remove their obstacles and how you can
make sure that they get a platform so
they can flourish and you don’t need to
be a director or someone high for fishel
you could be a regular person like case
or Peter or I met or read order on did
to me and if we do so and if we do so I
do believe together we can reach and
just an inclusive society I guarantee
we can do that I had a lot of light bulb
moments in my life I hope today will be
one light bulb moment for you thank you
[Applause]
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