Transcript The 8th Asia Economic Forum

The 8th Asia Economic Forum
Plenary Session IV
The Voice of ASEAN Youth: ASEAN’s
Priorities and Challenges
Chheng Kimlong
March 18, 2012
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
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Youth Matters?
 YOUTHS = The Young Transforms Human Society
 Youth needs Inspirations (hope, self-esteem, and direction)
 Youth needs Experience
 Youth needs to use reservoirs of Talents and
Energy
 “Working with youth, for youth, and by youth is
what inspires me. Being surrounded by youth
makes me feel young.” (Unknown source)
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3 Priorities ASEAN Leaders Should
Consider
1. Redefine youth roles, Youth Engagement and
Reengagement, and youth leadership for
positive change in the process of deepening and
streamlining of the ASEAN regional integration
and globalization
2. Redesign ASEAN Governments’ Plan for
Investment in Youth Impacts and Youth
Employment
3. Review Youth Empowerment through
Development of ASEAN Youth
Government/Community
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ASEAN Youth
Government/Community
 Youth Governance Structure and Leadership.
 Policy Research and Debates (e.g.: AEC, ASEAN Vision)
 Complementarities of Development Policymaking by Youths for
Youths, Women, and Environment.
 Alignment and Harmonization of Regional Youth Associations.
 Incentives and Tax-exemption for Youth-Led Profit-making
Organizations/Enterprises.
 Incorporation of ASEAN Youth Debate Forum in classrooms.
 Transfers of resources from urban to rural areas and urban-rural
youth exchange. Likewise, richer ASEAN members to poorer
ASEAN members.
 Youth Capital Formation, Youth Values Addition, and Youth
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Economy.
‘Upside-Down’ Paradigm
 Youths take the lead in educating youths and
communities about health impacts of pollution,
climate change, human trafficking, child labor
exploitation, prevention of communicable diseases and
drug use, etc.
 Youths make policy for youths, society, and the region
of supranational significance.
Youths should be able to express voices:
(i) what they do not like.
(ii) what they want to see happened.
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Examples of Youth Contribution
• Youths make and build peace; youths build and strengthen crossborder relations; youths empower the marginalized and the
disadvantaged; youths fight social injustice; youths advocate
gender equality; youths promote green economy.
• Youths are good-will ambassador spreading cultures of love,
caring, conservation, protection, and meaningful development
(inclusive, sustainable, and respectful).
• Youths can be active change makers helping to fight human
rights abuse, domestic violence, child sex exploitation, slavery of
all forms, hunger, climate change, and corruption.
• Youths speed up democratization and development processes.
• Youths provide a momentum for social, economic, political, and
cultural change.
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Challenges ASEAN Leaders Should
Address
• Rising information access gaps and digital divides, nationally and
regionally (Internet, mobile communication, etc): a cause of
concern.
• Rampant drug use, sex rape, gang violence, and stringent poverty.
• Youth traditional role of “breadwinners” being an obstacle to their
personal-growth and self-development opportunity.
• Limiting constraints for youths in and from rural areas and in and
from urban poor communities to compete for employment and
opportunities that are usually won by youths from richer families,
stronger networks, and greater access.
• Growth and development remain biased towards urban, more
developed regions, exacerbating opportunity gaps.
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Opportunities for Youth: AEC by 2015 and
Beyond
• ASEAN governments get richer, more integrated, and more open,
allowing youths to benefit from regionalism, globalization, and
democratization through exchange and development platforms.
• Some % of national government budget can be devoted to youth
capacity development, youth engagement in development, green
technology research and innovations, young entrepreneurship and
CSR promotion, and youth government/community.
• ASEAN youths are enthusiastic about being part of the solutions
and not part of the problem. They are change makers.
• Diversity among ASEAN members is an advantage.
• Cheaper means of communication, i.e. social media and internet
access as medium of information exchange that equalizes and
maximizes youth access to minimize regional gaps (yet domestic
gaps within an ASEAN nation have widened).
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Possible Partnership Priorities
• ASEAN Youth Exchange among ASEAN member states: 3-month
course at college/university (shorter or longer).
• Youth internship program at local/sub-national/national
government entities.
• ASEAN Youth Creative Innovations Festival with Private
Sector/Research Institute/University/state collaborations.
• ASEAN+ 3, ASEAN+6, ASEAN+8: Partnership for Future Leadership
Development through youth exchange, scholarship, and fellowship
programs.
• ASEAN-U.S. Youth Development Partnership to fill international
development gaps.
• ASEAN-EU Youth Development Partnership to fill international
development gaps and to share experience.
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Lastly,
3 Tiers of Regional Engagement
• Government-Government (international)
• Government-Private Sector
(domestic/international)
• Youth-Community (domestic/international)
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Useful links
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www.aseansec.org/20949.htm (Youth)
www.aseansec.org/8724.htm (AUN)
www.aseansec.org/
www.aef.org.kh
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