Background and Motives of Research

The world has become a crazy place where the most important asset a person can have is his or her interpersonal networks. As we have faced several years of economic downfall globally more and more young people are in need of a job and the fight over jobs have been increased.

Towards one open job position there might be hundreds of skilled applicants so we are living the era of employers’ market. Today the professional career is only depended on who do you know and what is the level of your intangible capital and interpersonal networks.

But where and how can a young active citizen start to create those important interpersonal networks and relations that can help for a better future? There is a global network for young active citizens aged 18 – 40 years old called Junior Chamber International which is in the heart of this research as a platform. Junior Chamber International (JCI) is a non-profit organization for young active citizens. The members are engaged and committed to create a sustainable impact in their own communities. JCI gathers active citizens from all the sectors of the society and they do it globally. Aim is to develop leadership skills, knowledge and understanding to make informed decisions and take action in own community whether it is at work or at school.

As all members are globally minded young people they all have rights, responsibilities and shared goals. JCI members find targeted solutions to local issues benefiting the communities, the world and future of every person on earth. JCI members embrace new ideas, collaboration and diversity with passion and courage to address the critical challenges of our time. JCI as an organization differs from other non-profit organizations due to its purpose to solve local challenges globally. They do not focus just only on charity or service but to create a sustainable impact. It takes only one active citizen to change the world and JCI aims to fulfill that focus.

Main philosophy behind the leadership training of the organization is that you have one year to lead in every position. Practically defined you can hold your administrative position only once in each level of the organization.

JCI as an organization operates in four levels which are local, regional (state), national and international level. All the positions are the same in each level of the organization but leadership challenges grow larger depending on the position and level.

Even the highest position of the organization, the World President, is elected yearly as it states you have one year to lead. Currently JCI global network consists of 200 000+ members in more than 115 countries and 5000 local chapters. In JCI members can practice and develop their leadership skills to become leaders of tomorrow so JCI is a learning by doing type organization.

JCI has divided the world into four areas which are America, Europe, Asian-Pacific and Africa-Middle East. (www.jci.cc)

JCI movement was established and founded in St. Louis, Missouri, the United States of America in 1915 by one man with a vision. This man was a local banker called Henry Giessenbier Jr.

JCI founder Henry Giessenbier Jr. was able to put his dream to reality of forming an organization to study civic and business problems and provide opportunity to participate in civic community activities. JCI has inspired young active citizens to become better through participation of something which you cannot learn in school. Some of the famous alumni members of the JCI are: 7th Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan, Presidents of United States of America Bill Clinton, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and John Fitzgerald Kennedy along with Prince of Monaco Albert, Founder of Microsoft Corporation Bill Gates, Prime Minister of Japan Taro Aso, and President of France Jacques Chirac. (www.jci.cc) JFK famously stated that “Harvard gave me an education but Junior Chamber gave me an education for life.” From 1915 to 1944 it operated mainly as US based organization called United States Junior Chamber before it was re-established as an international organization of Junior Chamber International by participating members and creators of first JCI national organizations in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and the United States of America in a historic meeting taking place in Mexico City 1944. The first World Congress was held in Panama City in 1946 and it has been held ever since across the globe. Last year 2015 was the 100^th operational year of JCI and the World Congress was held in Kanazawa, Japan. This year 2016 it will be held in Québec City, Canada. (www.jci.cc)

Senate of Junior Chamber International

One of the important aspect in this Master Thesis is the formation of the JCI Senate. It was established in the 7^th World Congress in Melbourne, Australia in 1952. Senate was established through the efforts of 7^th World President Philip T. R. Pugsley, a Canadian born active member of JCI network. Idea in order to form a Senate was through the travels of World President Pugsley where he noted active members were awarded in local chapters and started to figure out reasons for awarding outstanding members of the organization globally. There came an idea where outstanding members would receive an honor of being a Senator which recognizes achievements of the individual with a lifetime membership to the JCI organization. There was also another idea behind the honorary membership as that way those outstanding members could be in touch with the organization even after their normal membership has ended at the age of 40-years-old. Therefore knowledge transfer from one JCI generation to the next became easier and young active citizens of today can learn from the tacit knowledge of the older JCI generation (www.jci.cc).

JCI Vision, Mission and Values

Vision of the Junior Chamber International is to be the leading global network of young active citizens. Its mission is to provide development opportunities that empower young people to create a positive change. It is up to individual to make his or her career in the network by attending and learning from internal election processes of the leadership positions on different levels of the organization. The values of the organization or the “JCI Creed” as it stated internally was created by Past President of JCI Ohio and the National Vice President of the JCI USA C. William Brownfield during the national convention of the JCI USA in 1946. He noticed there was no commonly agreed values between the members of the organization so it was through his contribution that led the creation of JCI Creed as it is known even today. The process of creation happened during a 75 minute ride from his home to the coal mine he owned.

In 1946 JCI Creed was created as follows: “the brotherhood of man transcends the sovereignty of nations. Economic justice can best be won by free men through free enterprise. Government should be of law rather than of men. Earth’s greatest treasure lies in human personality and service to humanity is the best work of life.” In 1950 another line was added to the JCI Creed as the first line stating as follows: “We believe that faith in God gives meaning and purpose to human life” (www.jci.cc).

Since it was written all JCI members globally recite the JCI Creed in local, regional, national and international meetings

There have been in early times and even today a debate on the interpretation of the Creed. The author C. William Brownfield noted that “each member is free to interpret the Creed in the light of his own conscience”. In order to understand the values how they are supposed to I will examine each value deeper according to how the author understood them and how the organization of JCI network operates peacefully around the globe. The first sentence refers to believing and it is required by every person to believe in some ideal, philosophy or principle.

The term of God does not refer to any specific religious God but something supreme omnipotence. It is required for a member to believe in something no matter what your God is.

C. William Brownfield interpreted the Creed as follows: “The Junior Chamber membership, drawn from many religious backgrounds, is united by a common bond of faith; that man lives by the will of (his/her) God, that God's will for man is good; and that the life worthwhile is lived in harmony with His eternal plan."

Second line in the Creed focus on the brotherhood of man transcending the sovereignty of nations. It is about breaking all the boundaries which have been imagined by humans. The core is that every men and women are equal respecting the alignment of country but hints a person being citizen of the world. Author defined this value as: “Man-made boundaries have been drawn and redrawn, separating the human race into many nations. But across these unnatural divisions there has been an intercourse in art, science, commerce and religion; evidence of man's universal brotherhood; proof that man himself, not his territorial divisions, is of basic worth."

Third value states economic justice can be best won by free men through free enterprise.

Operative words here are “can be best won” as members believe everyone should be free to use his or her skills and abilities to the limit in order to improve his or her economy. As stated by the author: “where economic improvement has been greatest, man has been free to follow his dream of making a personal fortune by doing something never done before, or by doing it better.

The system of self-development through private enterprise could be adapted with variations to suit local conditions in many parts of the world.”

Fourth sentence states government should be of laws rather than of men. This paragraph is based on that nobody should be above the law and the law should be the same for every person no matter the status they have in their society. The government should be based on the constitutive law accepted and ratified by majority of the people and the right to change the law

or elect new governments should remain with the people. 16^th President of United States of America, Abraham Lincoln, spoke of a government “of the people, for the people and by the people” which crystalize this paragraph of JCI Creed as it should be in a free society.

The fifth paragraph refers that we are all unique individuals and personalities which is the richness to the world since it cannot be duplicated. Brownfield justified this statement as: “True treasure lies in the hearts of men. There is about us a vast field of opportunity for cultivation of the human personality. It is not the quantity nor the length of life that gives it zest, but the quality of living, the achievement we make in terms of human progress.” Finally the service of humanity is the best work for life as it will be for those who believe in the JCI Creed.

Interpretation of Brownfield is "The life lived unselfishly grows richer, deeper and fuller. Joy is more enduring and peace of mind, more certain. The world looks at the contribution such a life has made and marks the one who lived it as a benefactor of the race; yet he knows in truth the greater benefit has been his own." There have been debate of the content of the JCI Creed to be changed in some parts but it has kept the organization solid globally and many current and alumni members have taken the JCI Creed as their guide in life (Cheung 2013).

Organization has created their own methodology in order to impact to local community and it is called as “Active Citizen Framework” (ACF). Every planned project within the global network should be done according to the ACF as it provides sustainable solution to the challenges communities face around the world. Aim is to identify the root causes of problems so that solution is not like a “bandage to the wound”.

Figure 1 JCI Active Citizen Framework (www.jci.cc)