ABOUT

VISION - MISSION - VALUES

OUR VISION

Our vision is that every young person gets the opportunity to experience what it means to create and add value and be a ChangeMaker. In an everyone a ChangeMaker world, there is more equality by design because the power to effect change is democratized and wide-spread. It will be a world of active ChangeMaker-citizens and not passive bystanders, a world of solution seekers, instead of problem creators.


We also aspire to open up the powerful tool of self-inquiry to more young people. It works like a razor sharp blade in inquiring into limiting and self-defeating beliefs and coming out on the other side with a clearer mind that sees a kinder world, a world of hope and possibility instead of a world of limitations.

Since our vision builds on the vision of our partner YES Network Pakistan, please find our partners vision HERE.

OUR MISSION

Our Mission is to spread awareness about the Youth Engagement Model innovated by Ali Raza Khan and help scale the method  within but also beyond Pakistan. It is the most cost effective, simple and successful approach we are currently aware of to facilitate a changemaking experience to tens of thousands of young people within a short time. It is also the only approach we are aware of that has such high success rates for the startup of ventures.

In addition to sharing awareness about the YES Youth Engagement Model, we document and share inspiring stories of young changemakers and teach and share a tool of self-inquiry, as taught by Byron Katie, with young people, that is the most powerful approach we are aware of to work through limiting beliefs and stressful thoughts, leaving the mind more balanced, clear and in a state from which positive and intelligent action can arise.

OUR VALUES

Our Values at the YES Founders Foundation are:

  • Honesty & Transparency
  • Seeing Potential in every human being
  • Caring
  • Focus on Youth Driven programs
  • Sustainability 
  • Responsibility

We measure our actions against them and use them for decision making and program design

WHAT IS NEW ABOUT YES YOUTH-LED CHANGEMAKING?

The paradigm shift established by the work of YES Network is a direct turnaround in comparison to  existing programs: ​

  1. In the new paradigm, the Youth serves vs. Old paradigm in which Youth is being served
  2. The old paradigm puts focus on problems of Youth, vs. the New Paradigm focuses on Youth engagement
  3. New paradigm is focused on low cost programs or programs with a direct positive return on investment vs. existing expensive programs
  4. The YES Network method has long term effects from its programs, whereas many programs are short lived with no or small long term results
  5. Many programs focus on academics and skill development of Youth, whereas the YES method focuses on All-Round Development of Youth 
  6. Most existing player focus on designing reactive programs, whereas  the YES methodology is focusing on designing pro-active programs

Compare here, how the YES Network model is different from existing programs HERE .

Team

Thomas Jakel

CEO & Co-Founder


Thomas is part of the YES Network Pakistan family. His aim is to spread the YES Youth Engagement model and self-inquire tools for young people as an ambassador.

Peter Engelmann
CFO & Co-Founder

Peter is consulting several non-profits and impact businesses and has decades of experience in the non-profit sector. At YES Founders Foundation he handles all administrative matters.

Ali Raza Khan
Strategic Advisor

Ali has helped tens of thousands of Pakistani students launch projects and start their ChangeMaking Journey. He is the innovator behind the YES Youth Engagement Model, founder of YES Network Pakistan

and an Ashoka Fellow.

BACKGROUND

YES Network Pakistan, founded by Ali Raza Khan has innovated a unique trust-based model to turn young people into changemakers. He has tested this model with 16000 young people from almost every walk of life. 


Thomas Jakel was inspired by the work of Ali Raza and decided to visit Pakistan to see his Youth-led Changemaking model himself in action in 2017. After spending two weeks in the field with Ali and interacting with several hundred young people and faculty members of vocational and educational institutions, he ended-up firmly dedicating himself to share Ali’s model as an ambassador and supported Ali in documenting his work by co-authering the book with him YES! Youth-led Changemaking.


Ali and Thomas believe that the idea and method should be shared with teachers, parents, policy makers, social workers and young people. The idea has the potential to revolutionize the entire youth development field and educational practices.​


It is noteworthy to mention here that YES Network Pakistan’s model of Youth-led Changemaking has been featured in more than 30 countries of the world already. International organizations such as Ashoka, Jeanne Sauvé Foundation, British Council, Innovations in Civic Participation, United States Institute of Peace, USAID, GIZ, Global Knowledge Partnership, International Association for National Youth Service and Agha Khan Rural Support Program have endorsed the work of YES Network Pakistan.

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