Creating role models in an era of reel models

In an era of instant gratification and changing definitions of who is projected as a role model, the 22^nd and 30^th of April stood out as a powerful reminder of reel vs real.

 

India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (I.I.M.U.N.), a youth-led non-profit, hosted the *08^th and 09^th edition of its much-acclaimed Role Model Series*— an initiative aimed at exposing school students to real-life inspirations. In a day an age where OTT platforms and podcasters are pushing different set of values, this series is designed to profile individuals admired not only for their professional accomplishments but are celebrated because of the lives they lead. The underlying mission? To have people from diverse backgrounds and ideologies come and share their world view and whilst documenting their life journey share common values and characteristics which make them who they are.

 

*Held in front of a live audience of over 4000+ students from 160+ schools in Mumbai*, the event unfolded in sessions with each speaker having light hearted but meaningful fireside chats. Students from schools cutting across socio economic stratas visited the venue in batches. Unlike the reel-world personas dominating pop culture, these speakers were invited to reflect substance over style. The sessions were moderated by I.I.M.U.N. Founder, *Rishabh Shah*, whose irreverently intellectual style kept it engaging.  

 

Javed Akhtar in conversation with founder of I.I.M.U.N. – Rishabh Shah

Supported by the HT Parekh Foundation, the event featured luminaries such as – Former Chief of ISRO- Dr. S. Somanath, Legendary Lyricist- Javed Akhtar, Renowned Journalists- Sudhir Chaudhry & Palki Sharma Upadhyay, Leader of Opposition and Former Chief Minister of Delhi- Atishi, business leader- Arundhati Bhattacharya, actors Bhumi Pednekar & Arshad Warsi, filmmakers Vivek Agnihotri & Jackky Bhagnani  amongst others.

One of the defining moments was when Javed Akhtar, who addressed the gathering on 30^th April, encouraged young people to question everything and everyone—to think independently and challenge the status quo. When asked about I.I.M.U.N, he described it as “a remarkable and noble initiative empowering the youth of India”

 

Founded in 2011, I.I.M.U.N. is the world’s largest youth-run nonprofit, with a vision to unite the world by spreading the idea of India amongst teenagers. With volunteers in 108 cities & 15 countries and annual engagements in all these places through concourses, literature festivals, leadership programs, MUN simulations and study tours, the organization is driven by a volunteer force of over 7,000 passionate young changemakers.  

 

They will be uploading all these episodes for public consumption on their social media platforms- www.youtube.com/iimunofficial and www.instagram.com/iimunofficial