{"id":12105,"date":"2009-10-03T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2009-10-03T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/wordpress\/2009\/10\/03\/youth-clamouring-for-change-to-meet-in-kl\/"},"modified":"2009-10-03T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2009-10-03T00:00:00","slug":"youth-clamouring-for-change-to-meet-in-kl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.rakansarawak.com\/?p=12105","title":{"rendered":"Youth Clamouring For Change To Meet In KL"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Salmy Hashim<\/b><\/p>\n

WASHINGTON, Oct 2 (Bernama) — US President Barack Obama's
\ncampaign message of Change is driving the youth across Southeast Asia
\nto the cause of organising a summit called "Youth Engagement Summit
\n(YES)" in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 16 and 17.<\/p>\n

Nearly 180,000 youths throughout Southeast Asia have already
\nregistered their support for change in the run-up to the inaugural
\nsummit, which prides itself as a true engagement event.<\/p>\n

Their focus is tolerance, the environment, education, truth and destiny.<\/p>\n

Themed 'South East Asia Youth for CHANGE', YES 2009 will be the
\nfirst summit of its kind in Asia, uniting youth representatives from
\nMalaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Laos
\nand Brunei.<\/p>\n

Organising chairman Harmandar Singh said: "This movement is about
\nthe youth of Southeast Asia. This movement is apolitical, non-religious
\nand, as one youth puts it, aprotocol."<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who promotes the
\n"1Malaysia" concept, is encouraged by the upcoming event and supports
\nthe effort.<\/p>\n

The two-day event is expected to kick off with an opening address
\nby Najib, and will feature a line-up of well-known speakers including
\nSir Bob Geldof, the Founder of Live Aid; world chess legend Garry
\nKasparov; Biz Stone, co-founder of online network Twitter; Nando
\nParrado, whose survival of a tragic plane crash in the Andes became the
\nbasis for the critically acclaimed movie Alive; timeless Bollywood Icon
\nAmitabh Bachchan and Datuk Tony Fernandes of AirAsia.<\/p>\n

Noting that YES 2009 will begin immediately after the Asia-Pacific
\nEconomic Cooperation (Apec) conference in Singapore, Harmandar Singh
\nhoped to attract at least one more world-renowned agent of change as a
\nkeynote speaker.<\/p>\n

"This movement was inspired by Obama's call for change during last
\nyear's election campaign. His charismatic approach has influenced a
\ndynamic shift in long-held perceptions, particularly for Southeast
\nAsia's next generation of leaders," he said.<\/p>\n

Organisers of the YES 2009, including Harmandar Singh, were in
\nWashington last week to promote the event and to meet with high-level
\nState Department officials in Washington.<\/p>\n

YES has a partnership with The Global Democracy Video Challenge,
\nwhose partners include the Centre for International Private Enterprise,
\nthe International Youth Foundation, the Motion Picture Association of
\nAmerica, the National Democratic Institute, NBC Universal, NYU's Tisch
\nSchool of the Arts, the Recording Industry Association of America,
\nTakingITGlobal, USC's Annenberg School for Communication, the U.S.
\nDepartment of State and YouTube.<\/p>\n

Expected to be the largest gathering of youth ever in the region,
\nYES 2009 will connect young people across SEA via satellite link-up to
\ngiant screens across five leading Southeast Asian universities with
\n6,000 summit participants in Kuala Lumpur.<\/p>\n

The organisers have engaged Global Vision, which delivered the
\nAustralian Youth Forum in February with the Australian Minister for
\nYouth hosting a live national discussion simultaneously in 10 locations
\naround the country.<\/p>\n

Khailee Ng, Director of Youth Asia, a key partner of YES 2009,
\nsaid: "The format is unconventional — it is designed with youth
\nengagement in mind.<\/p>\n

"The idea is to bring global attention to the need to engage a
\ngeneration of youth who believe in change. And the youth of Southeast
\nAsia are more connected, ready for change and forward looking than
\nbefore. These youth will lead their countries in the next five years.
\nWe have to engage them now."<\/p>\n

The organisers are rallying the involvement of over 1,000,000
\nyouths between the ages of 15-35 years to share their thoughts by
\ntaking part in an online Youth Survey to produce the Sea For Change
\nYouth Report.<\/p>\n

They are asked three questions from now until Nov. 16:<\/p>\n

* What change do you want to see in your personal life?<\/p>\n

* What change do you want to see in your community and country?<\/p>\n

* What ideas of campaigns or programmes would you support?<\/p>\n

Participants stand to win over 500 trips to the summit in Kuala
\nLumpur. Plans are afoot to invite 10 of America's most promising youth
\nleaders to attend the event to gain new insights and take their
\nimpressions back home.<\/p>\n

Youth Asia is a youth powered organisation which connects business
\nleaders, governments, and media with youths from Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n

As a result of the event, The SEACHANGE report will continue
\ndiscussions with governments, business leaders and media about what the
\nyouth have to say.<\/p>\n

SEACHANGE is a network of 200 youth organisations comprising 1
\nmillion youth members who want to see change in their personal lives.
<\/font><\/p><\/div>\n

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