Symbiosis - "a mutually beneficial relationship between different people or groups"
Our world is burning. War is raging. AI is coming to eclipse us all.
This doomsday rhetoric on what is to come for humanity is so prevalent that for many of us, the volume and severity of issues we face can seem insurmountable. We might all be forgiven for the temptation to throw in the towel and resign ourselves to impending doom.
But all is not lost.
Enter: youthful idealism; a group of 28 women from across Europe convening in Valencia to discuss world issues and the solutions they wish to see implemented. I was delighted to represent Ireland in their midst, excited to see what the week had in store, and yet, in the back of my mind was a question that many might ask upon reading about this undeniably admirable initiative;
How could twenty-eight young women solve even one of the issues global leaders are puzzling over in a mere week?
The answer is that of course we did not instantaneously achieve world peace and prosperity in Valencia. Instead, through their ambitions, their altruism and their actions, the inspirational young women I came to know in Valencia have restored my sense that these challenges can and will be overcome, and for that reason I wish everyone could have the opportunity to witness the summer school in action.
On our second day in Valencia, during an interactive session, we were asked to write down key things we were invested in improving in the world. We each put pen to paper and the post-it notes brimming with ideas began to accumulate. The range of issues was so extensive that I questioned how it could be possible to keep spinning all those plates at once? More vivid than the blue tiles and stained glass of our beautiful setting in Valencia, there was a palpable sense of desire to change the world for the better. But in a world with so many just causes, how can we determine which to prioritise? I found myself completely and utterly overwhelmed by the breadth of issues presented. I pointed out that whilst some people feel a distinct calling, for some of us our desire to do good is at risk of becoming overshadowed by the conflicting sense of being pulled in all directions.
On some level this went against the atmosphere of a room buoyed with idealism and visions of a better world. Perhaps it’s the Irish in me that wants to remain grounded, but I would hate to see ambition turn jaded in a world with conflicted messaging on how to leave a mark. The summer school opened my eyes to how many ways there are to make a positive impact on society, but it also reassured me that despite the best intentions and the skillsets at our disposal, we occasionally feel lost in a tangled web of all the things we might hope to achieve. I imagine similar doubts plagued Berta before ELA was made a reality, questioning how this could all be possible? Through dedication the summer school has become a reality, meaning that ELA provides self-evidence of the message it hopes to impart to participants: evidence of the change we are all capable of.
If anything has a chance to overcome the many challenges we face over the next century, it must be a collaborative, international and multi-disciplinary approach to problem-solving. This initiative has fostered that among a group of talented women who I have no doubt will pass on this ideology to the broader networks they encounter. There is power in acknowledging that we do not have to shoulder all the world’s burdens on our own backs. It gives me not only inspiration, but peace of mind, to know that in choosing a cause of my own to pursue, I can be confident that there are driven women working in tandem across Europe on their own areas of interest. We can divide and conquer to ensure none of the pressing issues we identified will be neglected!
We each have our own roots – our academic backgrounds, nationalities and life experiences. The summer school in Valencia brought these roots together, forming a sturdy trunk: a central location to share and nourish one another. Now we will each forge our individual journey onwards in branches that spread far and wide, supported by the ELA trunk, and occasionally entangling branches as we cross paths with one another. Our network of branches will continue to grow with past and future schools, and our paths will intertwine even as our individual growth persists. Just as a tree interacts with and gives to its surroundings through symbiosis, we will all play a role in maximising ELA’s contribution to the wider world.
Sara Rafter on 02/10/2023