THE President of Junior Chamber International (JCI) has been in Cyprus this week to attend the third Mediterranean Leadership Academy at The Golden Bay Hotel in Larnaca.
Kevin Cullinane told the Cyprus Mail that, “the academy will give our members from Cyprus, Malta and Lebanon a phenomenal opportunity to meet, learn and grow. There will be formal training, group and outdoor activities including team-building skills. We are hoping that by taking part, people will grow in leadership capabilities, management competencies and will grow as individuals in order to become more effective leaders, managers and entrepreneurs.”
Cullinane said that he had been in Cyprus in 2002 for the first Mediterranean Academy, so felt that “it was only right to come back to the island as JCI President.
“We have a growing network in Cyprus including five branches and nearly 150 members. One of my goals this year has been membership, and Cyprus has lived up to its undertakings to increase its membership base and has added one new branch which we officially inaugurated on Saturday night.”
Tasos Coucounis, Junior Chamber Cyprus National President, explained that, “the aims of the branches in Cyprus are to promote JCI’s goals in creating new and better leaders and to face the problems in our society. Through their leadership skills, members can benefit both themselves and the general good. We want to fill the vacuum of true inspirational and effective leadership, something which is absent nowadays.”
Cullinane, who was elected World President in November last year, said that one of JCI’s current catchphrases is: “We create better leaders to create better societies.” He added: “JCI has been one of the world’s best-kept secrets. The work we do often goes unnoticed. A lot of our events and training programmes go on very quietly in the background. We currently have over 5,000 local branches in 120 countries, with over 200,000 members. Over the 90-odd years of our existence, we’ve estimated that over five million members have passed through the ranks, including Kofi Annan, Bill Clinton, Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon and Jacques Chirac.”
Cullinane, who holds a bachelor’s degree in business studies from the University of Limerick, is employed as International Marketing Manager at Heineken Ireland in Cork. When asked how he got into JCI, the 39-year-old said that, “after I finished university, I moved from Cork to Dublin and didn’t know anybody there. On the day I opened a new bank account, the teller introduced me to JCI and told me that the Chamber was a good way to get to know people. From a social point of view, it was great. I then discovered the benefits of being part of a vibrant, national and international network. I joined in 1989, when I was 21 years old and kept accepting opportunities and worked my way up. I would encourage every Cypriot, particularly people starting out in their careers, to join JCI Cyprus,” he said.
The offices of the branch are located at the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce, who JCI Cyprus is affiliated with.
Coucounis said that, “we need to make sure people are aware of our organisation’s goals and our values and opportunities. We’re non-political and non-religious and have members from all walks of life. Every February, we run a presentation to new and aspiring members.”
JCI is a worldwide federation of young professionals and entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 40.
Their mission is to contribute to the advancement of the global community by providing the opportunity for young people to develop the leadership skills, social responsibility, fellowship, and entrepreneurship necessary to create positive change.
JCI was founded in Mexico City on December 11, 1944, when representatives from eight nations met to create an organisation that would address global concerns. JCI headquarters were established in 1951 and were located in Coral Gables, Florida. In 2002, the headquarters were relocated to Chesterfield, St. Louis, Missouri, where the first local organisation was founded in 1918. A professional staff of 20 full-time employees provide services to JCI members.
The 60th JCI World Congress was held in Vienna, Austria, between October 24 and 29. The winners of the Outstanding Young Persons of the World programme are announced each year at the JCI World Congress. The programme honours up to ten young individuals who best exemplify the finest attributes of the world’s young people.
JCI is also an international Non-Governmental Organisation with active participation in the United Nations system. In this context, JCI has relations with the Office of the UN Secretary-general and a consultative status with the Economic and Social Council.
Furthermore, JCI has co-operation agreements with the International Chamber of Commerce, International Association of Students in Economics and Management, the Pan American Health Organisation, Conference of Non-Governmental Organisations, NGO Committee of UNICEF, the United Nations Department of Public Information, and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
