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| The young ASEAN leaders at the ASEAN Secretariat. |
December 5, 2012 -- A leadership summit attended by more than 130 young leaders from different ASEAN countries took place in Jakarta, Indonesia, gathering people from diverse cultures but united by one vision, one heart, one ASEAN. A phrase that could surely describe the proud moment as these leaders stood side-by-side with each other amidst their differences is "Truly ASEAN by heart".
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| SEAYLP Alumni getting together after some years |
After having already six batches of Southeast Asian Youth Leadership Program, more and more members are welcomed to the growing family of SEAYLP Alumni and as well as to a much bigger family of State Alumni. This year, a summit was organized to evaluate and monitor each country group regarding their follow-on projects after having enough time to work with after their SEAYLP programs had concluded. Country groups from Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, MalaysiaPhilippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam were represented by SEAYLP Alumni to discuss country follow-on projects for the following year. Each country had already ran different projects since they went back from their own SEAYLP programs.
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| SEAYLP Spring 2010 |
The summit was more than just a reunion for all the past batches but the opportunity to meet other young leaders and recollect what we have been doing and where we are right now. It was a chance to create a greater network of friendships and relationships with other participants from ASEAN countries -- diverse but complementary. No matter the differences these young leaders had, just one "Hi" and "Hello", indescribable ASEAN connection really do exist.
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| The participants learning the Angklung (Indonesian instrument). |
The summit was a five-day convention which includes talks and from US Department of State and Indonesian International Education Foundation and panels ran by the participants themselves. Also, they were able to learn Indonesian culture by having a session on playin the "Angklung", an Indonesian instrument from bamboo. No words were needed, just the sound of traditional music that the participants learned to play was more than enough to unite their hearts and enjoy the activity as a group of ASEAN leaders.
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| Philippine delegates at the ASEAN Secretariat |
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| The participants dancing over the music played by a live jazz band. |
The participants were also able to visit the ASEAN Secretariat for some discussions and team workshops. It was indeed an overwhelming privilege to be with these selected young leaders with all those endless potentials to be future diplomats and ambassadors, who knows, right? The visit was concluded with a reception party at the residence of the US Ambassador to Indonesia Scot Marciel. It was a party for the alumni with jazz street band which played really nice song throughout the night. It was the same day for the commemoration of Human Rights Day where every alumni wrote their campaign supports for human rights. The participants enjoyed the rest of the night with dancing and singing on the dancefloor. Everyone was uber enjoying the atmosphere of joy and music.
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| The participants during community outreach. |
Simultaneous community outreaches were also part of the program where participants went to different communities of children, person with disabilities, old people and other indigents which they've spent a day with to help and give out Christmas presents. They got a chance to help other people in their daily activities such as cleaning and cooking. They shared their own culture to the community and interact with people belonging to each community.
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| Alexandra and I with an Indonesian kid from Wisma Cheshire. |
The whole summit was indeed a great venue for us young leaders of ASEAN to meet and build eternal network of understanding with one another that will really affect the future of ASEAN countries as a whole letting it be that we, the youth is the "future of our Fatherland". More than all learning and laughter we have shared, is the timeless friendship we will forever treasure. We will always be one big family of young dreamers and young bearers of future. We are all blessed to have brothers and sisters across nations in Southeast Asia. Words aren't enough to thank the US Department of State and all other heads and hands behind these programs that ASEAN youth are privileged with.
We truly are, one family, one ASEAN.
Photo credits to USMission2ASEAN and delegates of the summit who I grabbed the photos from. :)
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