Say hello to Atradius, a partner of Matched! by JCI

A network event as Matched! by JCI (inspired by JCI Limburg), needs strong partnerships and so we put the spotlight on Atradius. Who is Atradius? 

Atradius Belgium is a company specialized in professionalizing the credit management of businesses by offering an appropriate solution from their range of credit insurance, guarantees, and international collection services.

Atradius provides protection against the risk of non-payment by customers and enables companies to expand their trading activities in a safe and reliable manner, both domestically and internationally. Atradius serves businesses of all sizes and sectors, helping them manage their credit risks and improve their cash flow. Discover them via www.atradius.be, or on their socials. 

 

Why did they become a partner of Matched! ? 

We asked the same question to Patrick Van der Avert, Manager Corporate Communications & Marketing at Atradius:

“We strongly believe in connecting our brand with business initiatives and events, preferably where we can reach entrepreneurs in another/pleasant setting.

JCI develops young leaders and dares to focus on sharpening those leadership skills. In sponsoring an event as Matched! by JCI (with that unique character of 1 to 1 networking), we hope to spark some nice encounters between entrepreneurs.

In our Credit Managementworld, which is often seen as a challenging field by companies, we do have some experience with predictive models … we are curious to see how Thalento’s model puts people together.”

Looking for two active young citizens in Flanders and BWB!

During the second half of April 2023, we are going to launch Matched! by JCI (inspired by JCI Limburg ) on a national level – in the centre of Bruxelles.The ingredients of the Limburg edition are the foundation for a new national version:

  • It’s a business blind date in a great restaurant. Entrepreneur duo’s are being matched based on psychological and economical complementarity.
  • We are going to work with network partners of JCI like BNI, UNIZO, Voka…
  • Also, we will find partners that want to connect their company with the unique concept.
  • And last but not least: we aim at 300 entrepreneurs (150 duo’s) and let them do business, thanks to JCI.
  • As a part of the incoming board 2023, I’m here to tell you all: I can’t do this by myself. 
    🙂
  • So we are looking for two active young citizens: 1 from JCI Vlaanderen and 1 from JCI Belgium Wallonie Bruxelles – BWB.

For JCI Vlaanderen, we have already 1 motivated JCI Member (thanks Delphine, JCI Waregem!), for JCI BWB we are looking for ‘the one’.

Do you meet the following criteria?

  • You are not a part of any regional of national board, so you can have a full focus on this project
  • The idea of Matched! by JCI makes you want to take on this challenge.
  • You have the time to invest and support this project on a level of partnerships, promotion/marketing, communications, hands-on tasks during the event and more?
  • Your vocabulary doesn’t contain words like ‘No, I’am tired, wanna watch tv now,…?

Are you the one we are searching for, to work together and make history? Send your motivation by e-mail (kenneth.dedecker@jci.be) of slides into my DM’s and let’s talk.

JCI helps with the floods in Belgium.

Over the past few days, many people in Belgium and our neighbouring countries have found themselves in need due to the heavy rains. Our JCI members, all volunteers, immediately rolled up their sleeves. Together with the municipalities and other organizations, they have provided sleeping places, food and drink, and other emergency resources. Meanwhile, they gradually started cleaning up their own homes, businesses and neighbourhoods. Often in difficult circumstances.

We at JCI Belgium are very proud of our local branches and very grateful for all the help they receive. Our JCI members can count on an incredible network. We have received messages of support from all over Belgium and even worldwide. Often followed by the question how they can help. We would like to thank you all very much. Your messages are lights throughout these special days.

The reconstruction will take time and resources. And your support is very welcome. As JCI Belgium members, we find it important to work closely together with others to create the biggest impact possible. Therefore, we coordinate regularly with the local authorities and between the JCI chapters in the entire affected area, including neighbouring countries, and decide together how to best use your support.

Together we will set up actions in the coming weeks around 3 themes that are very important to us, namely:

  1. Rebuilding the local area and especially the economy in a sustainable way.
  2. Training that helps our companies and young people to become future-proof.
  3. The mental well-being of local residents.

How can you help concretely? This can be done in various ways

  1. By supporting financially through gofund.me/6c39322a or directly on the account of JCI Belgium BE95210094119758
  2. By doing what you do best: setting up actions together, offering helping hands, finding partners & doing projects to help them.

What are we thinking about specifically?

  1. The reconstruction

Before we can really rebuild, we need to clean up. This is not yet possible everywhere in a safe way. So be sure to coordinate with the local municipalities on where you can best deploy yourself today. Once we can guarantee the safety of larger groups, we will look into starting up specific JCI group clean-ups.

In the meantime, we do need basic resources such as snowploughs, cleaning supplies and hygienic supplies as well as food and water. If you can provide this in large quantities, please feel free to contact us.

Once we can start rebuilding we will focus on the companies. The goal is to help them reinvent themselves in an innovative, sustainable way. That is why we are thinking of longer-term projects.

In addition, we also want to specifically support our schools in their reconstruction. Young people are the leaders of tomorrow in this changing world and the schools play an important role in this.

  1. Training

To prepare young people and companies for a changing world by offering them relevant training from all over the world. Our JCI network has experts in sustainability, de-construction, digitalization, financial management and many other skills that are needed now more than ever.

On the one hand, we want to organize these trainings for a wide audience and live translate them into their own native language where necessary and on the other hand, we want to open our network fully to young people from the affected areas. Therefore, we are going to offer some of them a free JCI membership.

  1. Mental well-being

From JCI we are going to set up a number of actions for local residents and their children with the aim of relaxing and escaping the daily reality. We want to make sure that the actions do not create extra work for our volunteers on the spot and therefore we will involve other local JCI chapters to coordinate this. 

If you have a good idea on one or more of our themes or if you want to help execute this, please let us know via info@jci.be or Nele.Buysmans@jci.be.

With warm JCI regards,

On behalf of JCI Belgium,

Nele Buysmans, National President 2021

Post-COVID initiatives by entreprising young leaders from JCI

Post-COVID initiatives by entreprising young leaders from JCI

Junior Chamber International focuses its efforts on projects that support the economy and well-being.

It is all too well known that the current health crisis will have an impact on many people. Belgium, like the rest of the world, will have to redouble its efforts to regenerate and rebuild itself, as well as its economy, businesses and human resources.

RISE is Junior Chamber International’s (JCI) response to the COVID-19 pandemic from an economic perspective. It is an initiative led by the members of the 47 local chapters scattered throughout Belgium, who encourage them to develop projects related to the three pillars of RISE :
1. Supporting and rebuilding economies by supporting local small businesses
For example: Chacun chez soi (JCI Mouscron), Ça existe (JCI Malmedy-Hautes Fagnes), JCI Xmas Box (JCI Dendermonde), Lockaal (JCI Hasselt)
2. Motivating the workforce through youth entrepreneurship
For example: Convincing from the start (JCI Aalst), Women in Leadership positions (JCI Namur), JCI Change your Game (JCI Brussels, Gent-Artevelde and JCI Damme)
3. Safeguarding the mental health and well-being of citizens
For example: Prioritize Yourself (JCI Ghent); Happy@work (JCI Arlon); Pour rebondir, dopez votre optimisme (JCI Pays de Herve), Positief Opvoeden (JCI Knokke-Heist)

Whether at the local, regional, national or international level, JCI offers its members development opportunities in four areas of opportunity (training, community, business and internationalism) that will enable them to create positive change in their communities.
So if you are between 18 and 40 years old and want to learn, grow, impact the world, meet inspiring people and help your community grow after COVID-19, you can join JCI. With partners like the United Nations, JCI gives you the opportunity to step out of your comfort zone, increase your skills and become a leader of tomorrow while working together on impactful projects.
In short, JCI is a good mix of a youth movement, a service club and a training school.

The year 2020 has brought us its share of reflections, trials, and the search for meaning in our lives. “What do I want to do with my life? Am I happy? Will I have the courage to change job? How can I improve this world in which I live, for myself and for others”. All these questions, each of us has probably asked ourselves at least once this year. What if JCI could help you answer them?
What better way to start this new year 2021! Interested?

Every year, a new team of volunteers helps all Belgian JCI members achieve their goals. In 2021, the Limburgese Nele Buysmans and her team, composed of Flemish, Walloon and Brussels members, will focus on helping society recover from COVID-19.

TOYP

TOYP 2020

On the 24th of November, we announced our 10 Outstanding people of 2020:

  1. Thomas De Groote – Moral and/or environmental leadership
  2. Jean-Philippe Vrijghem – Humanitarian and/or voluntary leadership
  3. Adil El Arbi – Cultural achievement
  4. Inti De Ceukelaire – Business, economic and/or entrepreneurial accomplishment
  5. Jonathan Holslag – Academic leadership and/or accomplishment
  6. Karel Decaestecker – Medical innovation
  7. Amaya Coppens – Political, legal and/or governmental affairs
  8. Hanne Gaby Odiele – Contribution to children, world peace and/or human rights
  9. Jasna Rokegem – Scientific and/or technological development
  10. Laurence Cordonnier – Personal improvement and/or accomplishment

Do you know any other outstanding young persons that really made a difference? Then don’t hesitate: click the button below to nominate them.

Every year JCI Belgium recognizes individuals between the ages of 18 to 40 for their outstanding contribution towards the betterment of society through the Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) Awards program. This international awards program celebrates promising individuals who, by way of their artistic, academic, technological skill or by means of their entrepreneurial, environmental, moral leadership and human rights activism have made a sustainable positive impact in our communities.

History of JCI TOYP

The original program of TOYP was developed by Durwood Howes, President of The United States Junior Chamber of Commerce during 1930 – 1931. He conceived the idea of recognizing outstanding individuals by publishing a yearbook entitled “America’s Young Men” which highlighted the work of twelve exemplary leaders each year. The United States Junior Chamber officially adopted the program in 1938. Since 1952, numerous JCI National Organizations have established their own Outstanding Young Persons Programs. In 1983, JCI officially adopted the JCI Ten Outstanding Persons of the World Program. Since then JCI has honored hundreds individuals from more than 50 nations as well as JCI Belgium with this 2020 edition.

General rules

  1. Nominees must between the ages of 18 and 40 year
  2. Nominees must be Belgian or have lived for at least 10 years and are planning to stay in Belgium for the next 5 years,
  3. Nominees do not have to be members of JCI Belgium, as long as they meet the previous two requirements and register through a JCI Local Organization. So anyone including friends, family and colleagues can be nominated.
  4. Nominees must be willing to promote the ideals of JCI for the year after winning the award.
  5. Following submission, the nominee shall receive a copy of the nomination form from the Awards committee to verify that the details and facts contained in the form are correct and provide consent for his/her details to be published for public viewing.
  6. Photographs, audiotapes, videos can be used during the judging process for certain categories & as proof of the nominee’s work.
  7. Each nominee must be entered in one (and only one) of the following ten categories:
    • Business, economic and/or entrepreneurial accomplishment
    • Political, legal and/or governmental affairs
    • Academic leadership and/or accomplishment
    • Cultural achievement
    • Moral and/or environmental leadership
    • Contribution to children, world peace and/or human rights
    • Humanitarian and/or voluntary leadership
    • Scientific and/or technological development
    • Personal improvement and/or accomplishment
    • Medical innovation
  8. All nominee forms must be completed by October 31th 2020.

Judging process

After the deadline for submitting nominations has expired (31 October 2020), all nominations will be screened by the board of JCI Belgium. The boardmembers will be asked to base their decisions on three general criteria:

  1. How well the nominee exemplifies the principles of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) and JCI Values
  2. How the person’s achievement may have benefited his or her community or even nation
  3. How the person’s achievement or leadership may have inspired others.
  • Judges will select the top ten finalists (regardless of the category!) by assigning 10 points to the top candidate, 9 to the first-runner-up, 8 to the third-runner-up and so on. The nominees with the most cumulative points will be recognized as the honorees and a maximum of 10 honorees will be awarded.

 

Previous Belgian winner of a JCI TOYP award in 2017

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Developing leaders for a changing world