Forty-five ASEAN Youth Fellows Share Ideas to Address Regional Challenges Together

23 November 2022

Forty-five ASEAN Youth Fellows Share Ideas to Address Regional Challenges Together

ASEAN Youth Fellowship (AYF) programme expanded to Greater Jakarta, Indonesia for the first time.

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“A better world is when everyone – regardless of age, gender, and religion – can work together to solve global problems that we have today,” said Vincent Loka, an Indonesian participant of the ASEAN Youth Fellowship (AYF) 2022.

He was speaking on 29 October 2022, when AYF kicked off its seven-day programme, in Singapore. It was inspired by the theme of Cambodia’s ASEAN Chairmanship: “ASEAN ACT – Addressing Challenges Together.”

Forty-five youth leaders – AYF’s largest cohort to date – represented the people, private, and public sectors in ASEAN. Together, they engaged in a series of seminars, dialogues, and learning journeys designed to equip them to tackle regional problems.

A key outcome of their discussions was a jointly authored manuscript called “ASEAN Playbook: How Can We Act Together; From Individual to Community.” This will be shared with the ASEAN Secretariat and distributed online to the public in 2023.

The Playbook aims to build a strong community spirit among youths by sharing sustainable development actions in eight focus areas. They include: Being an ASEAN Youth Leader, Building an Integrated and Resilient ASEAN, Driving Social Inclusions, Leveraging Technology for Growth and Transformation, and Ensuring Food Security.

The second leg of 2022 AYF took the fellows to Greater Jakarta in Indonesia where they visited a recycling facility and a landfill, managed by Waste4Change, an Indonesian service provider that provides responsible waste management solutions. They also visited the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta for a panel session that focused on ways ASEAN youth can improve cooperation in the region.

As part of the programme, Fellows attended SIF Connects! Jakarta, where some 200 SIF partners, programme alumni, members of the diplomatic community and Singaporeans based in Jakarta, met to engage with new and old friends. Guests at the event supported the Fellows by contributing their ideas for the Playbook.

Mr Chee Yik Wai, a Fellow from Malaysia, said: “The AYF programme has been a very enriching experience. It provided me with opportunities to hear and learn from other young ASEAN leaders in their respective fields.

“I enjoyed the dialogues and learning about organisations that are doing fantastic work. It is inspiring to see how ASEAN countries are moving towards a digital economy powered by innovation.

“More platforms like the AYF programme are needed to strengthen intercultural understanding and manage our differences to gradually develop a common ASEAN identity.”

The Co-Founder of Crowdsukan – an organisation that raises funds and promotes affordable participation in sports for young athletes – added: “To achieve sustainable development across ASEAN, it is essential that the various countries cooperate and forge effective partnerships to foster ASEAN centrality and build resilience against global challenges.”

The 2022 AYF is the fourth edition of the programme, which is co-organised by the Singapore International Foundation (SIF) and National Youth Council (NYC) Singapore.

Singapore’s Minister for Health Mr Ong Ye Kung taking a selfie with the 45 Fellows after the 2022 AYF Ministerial Dialogue on ‘Building a Resilient ASEAN’, held on 31 October 2022 in Singapore.
At the Enabling Village – a community space for people with disabilities – the Fellows learned how assistive technology can be used to enable persons with disabilities to live, travel, work and play independently.
The Fellows enjoyed plant-based snacks at Singapore’s Innovate 360, where they learned about food innovation and food security. Innovate 360 is a Singapore food accelerator which helps start-ups to grow and expand into Asia.
Indonesia’s Minister for Education, Culture, Research, And Technology Mr Nadiem Anwar Makarim (left) speaking at the 2022 AYF Ministerial Dialogue, held on 2 November 2022 in Jakarta, Indonesia. He underscored the importance of leadership development among the youth so that they will be future-ready. NYC Chief Executive Officer David Chua moderated the session.
The Fellows learned about waste management and environmental sustainability at Bantar Gebang, the largest landfill in Southeast Asia, in Indonesia. The visit, which was part of the Fellows’ Learning Journey, was organised by Waste4Change, an Indonesian organisation that provides responsible waste management solutions.
The Fellows participating in a fun teambuilding activity in between the sessions comprising seminars, panels, and dialogues.
At the ASEAN Secretariat, they attended a panel discussion on “ASEAN Youth Addressing Challenges Together”. The session focused on challenges and opportunities in the ASEAN region and the roles youths can play to chart the future of the region.
2022 AYF Fellows Agita Pasaribu from Indonesia and Mohammad Matin Mohdari from Singapore sharing about the AYF Playbook at SIF Connects! Jakarta. The Playbook aims to rally a strong community spirit among ASEAN youths on different ways they can address common challenges in the region.
The Fellows pose for a momento of their cohort after receiving their certificates for completing the 2022 AYF programme from Singapore Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia Mr Kwok Fook Seng. Also present were SIF Division Director, Strategic Management Mr Herk Low Ng, and NYC Chief Executive Officer Mr David Chua.