Manila hosts Young Southeast Asian Leaders Summit

TWO- HUNDRED and fifty emerging leaders between the ages of 18 to 35 representing all 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( Asean) member- states days of advanced leadership training, collaboration, and networking at the 2017 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Summit.

The YSEALI Summit, held from October 17 to 21, was sponsored by the US Department of State and organized by the US Embassy in the Philippines and Cultural Vistas.

The third annual YSEALI Summit will equip these rising leaders with training and mentorship to address the complex and dynamic political, social, economic, and environmental issues facing Asean. In this 40th anniversary year of US-Asean partnership, the Summit delegates also focused on strengthening US-Asean relations in the next 40 years.

The Summit accomplished these goals through a combination of hands-on activities, lectures, and simulations focused on advanced leadership skills such as systems thinking; communications and negotiations; 21st century collaboration; and approaches to meaningful dialogue.

The program includes a reception celebrating both Asean’s 50th anniversary and the 40th year of US -Asean partnership. Representatives from the embassies of YSEALI Summit celebrates Asean’s 50th anniversary and the 40th year of US- Asean partnership Asean member nations to the Philippines joined US government representatives and the YSEALI Summit delegates to mark these historic anniversaries.

In preparation for the Summit, the 250 - line learning activities. While in Manila, they collaborated in multi-national teams to design service projects for implementation in an Asean-wide campaign of youthled community service initiatives, YSEALI

For the last 40 years, the United States has partnered with Asean and its member- states on economic engagement, security, rule of law, sustainable development, human rights, and people-to-people programming.

According to the Asean Secretariat, 65 percent of the population in the region is under the age of 35. These 400 million for decades to come; their participation in solving global challenges is critical to the development and prosperity of the region.

Recognizing this fact, the US government launched YSEALI in 2013 to strengthen partnerships with emerging leaders in Southeast Asia; to expand their skills as effective civic, economic and non-governmental leaders in the region; and to nurture an Asean community of leaders who work together to solve common issues.

Since that time, the YSEALI network has grown to more than 111,000 members, including almost 19,000 in the Philippines.

This year’s YSEALI Summit marks the third such gathering of YSEALI alumni. Previous summits were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (November 19 to 23, 2015) and Luang Prabang, Laos (September 6 to 9, 2016).