Implementation Report Module 4 – Learning and Innovation Forum of Youth Leaders (LIFYL) SEAMEO Youth Leadership Forum Dr M R Rujaya Abhakorn Centre Director SEAMEO SPAFA

2 nd SEAMEO Youth Leadership Forum March 2016 The 2 nd SEAMEO Youth Leadership Forum was held from the 7 th to 11 th of March 2016 at the Holiday Inn, Bangkok, Thailand. The 5-day forum attracted 1,050 applicants and ultimately brought together 41 youth leaders (32 participants from SEAMEO-member countries, and 9 from the ASEAN+3 nations of China, Japan and Korea).

Rationale For SEAMEO to engage young people (aged 18 to 24 years old, born between 1992 to 1998) in the development process of the Southeast Asian region by equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and attitude that would prepare them to become effective and responsible leaders of tomorrow for the region.

Objectives 1 To develop leadership skills of young people who would be involved in positions of social responsibility. To increase youths’ awareness of socio-economic and socio-cultural issues such as sustainable development and inter-cultural understanding across the ASEAN and East Asian region. To

OBJECTIVES 2 To promote professional values and ethics through engagement with present leaders in key professions known for good governance and civic responsibility. To provide a space for youth representatives to voice their views on the current and future state of their respective communities and of Southeast Asia.

Themes Five themes covering leadership development professionalism sustainable development management intercultural understanding over-arching theme of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) especially in Education

Methodology Activities 1.Lectures by 22 speakers from Southeast Asia (Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand), East Asia, (Japan, Korea), and Australia and North America 2.Group discussions 3. Interactive workshops 4.Study visits to sites operating under SDGs 5.Study visits to a multi-faiths community

Mr. Kavi Chongkittavorn, Journalist, speaks on ‘Leaders and Mass Media’ (Session 3)

Q&A for Sessions 1 & 2: Ms. Minh Hang Tran of Vietnam

Visiting Mangrove Forest Rehabilitation at Sirindhorn International Environmental Park

Visit to Khao Krapook Agricultural Learning Centre

Visiting a multi-ethnic, multi-faiths community at Kudi Chin Community, Bangkok

Outputs Participants’ Initiatives Proposals for community projects in their countries Declaration on participants’ commitment to SDG’s Digital Platforms for sharing resources and knowledge by Forums’ Alumni

Success Measured by Growth from 1 st Forum Greater reach: A 100% increase in applications Gender balance: Improved balance among participants (52% male - 48% female compared to 64% male - 36% female for the 1 st Forum) Further engagement: A shift from a 4-day to 5-day format allowed for more activities Additional speakers: Increase from 16 speakers to 22 speakers Focus on action outputs: Community projects, alumni platforms and a joint youth declaration Sustainability: A full day of site visits linked to sustainable development practices Greater diversity: Inclusion of participants representing ASEAN+3 nations

Issues and Challenges 1.Due to shortage of staff at SPAFA, the unexpected increase of participants and enlarged Forum programme increased the Centre’s workload. 2.Difficulties in coordination with PMC team. 3.Late request for additional topics and themes from the Secretariat was difficult to manage. 4.ADB’s financial regulations are still not clearly communicated.

Recommendations for Moving forward 1.The Forums have been well received regionally because of their mixture of unique topics. The format should be continued. 2.It is preferable to conduct a research to understand better the learning characteristics of this age-group of youths. 3.SPAFA will consider recruiting a “Youth Outreach” staff to handle Youth Forums to maintain continuity and efficiency.

Centre's counterpart ADB FUND Tokyo University FUND SEAMEO SPAFA FUND TOTAL (USD) 43, , , ,955.50

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