It had become clear that we were running out of time.
There we were in the mountains of Ecuador, with a group of North American school-aged children, helping to build a school for a local community. We worked feverishly for two weeks but were growing increasingly worried that we would not be able to finish. Hauling lumber and cement mix by mule up the treacherous mountain passes ate up most of our time and we were scheduled to return to Canada in a few days.
Feeling disheartened, we visited the village chief to break the bad news to her. She was a small woman—the oldest person in the village—and was sitting alone in her simple hut. We explained our problem and, through a translator, she said in a calm voice "No problem, I'll just call a minga."
We were dumbfounded. A minga? What was that? Suddenly she stood up, walked to the door of her hut and bellowed in a giant voice "Tomorrow… there will be a… minga!" And that was it. Neither of us had any idea what had happened. After going back to tell our team the bad news, we went to bed feeling dejected—we had failed.
The next morning something miraculous happened. The village square was filled with hundreds of people. Men, women and children came from miles around to help us finish the school. They asked for nothing in return and even brought food for everyone. Together we accomplished in a few hours what it would normally take weeks to finish. By the end of the day, the school was done and we were all ecstatic. It was truly one of the greatest things we had ever been a part of.
That night we asked the village chief what had happened. She explained that a minga is a call to action—a coming together of community for the benefit of all. Our translator asked us what this was called in English. Volunteer work? Not exactly. Missionary work? Not quite. We thought it was something like a barn-raising, but surely you don't see too many of those in downtown Manhattan. After some struggle, we concluded that a minga was like a riot, but for good. That was the best we could do.
In our decade of charity work, we have learned many lessons and have had many wonderful experiences—from participating in high-level conferences with dignitaries and heads of state to sharing simple meals with poor families in the developing world. But few things have stuck in our minds as much as that minga. In fact, the idea of a "coming together of community for the benefit of all" has become central to our lives.
We are the founders of Free The Children, the world's largest network of children helping children through education. Our youth-driven programs have built more than 450 schools in 16 developing countries, giving more than 40,000 young people the chance for an education and a brighter future. Our organization also provides medical supplies, water sanitation and alternative income programs to hundreds of thousands of people in need.
Through this work, we have learned that reaching out to others is the true path to happiness. Of course, that doesn't mean we all have to quit our jobs in favor of international charity work; it can be as easy as everyday acts of kindness and goodwill in our own neighborhoods. By helping others live better lives, we can improve our own lives.
We call this Me to We.
In essence, Me to We is a way of life. It redefines happiness and success by recognizing that fulfillment does not come from nice cars and big houses, but through compassion, togetherness, gratitude and empathy. It calls for us all to focus less on "me" and more on "we"—our communities, our nation and our world.
It is time for the "Me" Generation to make way for the "We" Generation. Every individual on this Earth is part of something larger than themselves. What we need is a fundamental shift in how we view who we are and how we relate to the people around us. In this world of uncertainty, by dedicating ourselves to making positive contributions to other people and to our planet, we can learn to trust again and to stand together.
Today's fast-paced material world leaves many people feeling unfulfilled, so Me to We offers an alternative path to happiness. Sure, it may not allow us to retire to a beach house in Hawaii, but it can give our lives new meaning and greater value.
Isn't that what we are all searching for?
In our next two columns, we will show you the value of Me to We, as well as the key to living the philosophy every day. We would like to invite you on a journey of self-fulfillment by joining this worldwide movement and beginning down the path of a better life.
International child rights activists Craig and Marc Kielburger are the co-authors Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World. They are also co-founders of the organizations Free The Children and Leaders Today. www.metowe.org, www.freethechildren.com, www.leaderstoday.com.
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