PH hosts 2017 YSEALI Summit
MANILA -- Two-hundred and fifty emerging leaders between the ages of 18 to 35 representing all 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) member states have come together in Manila for five 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, is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and organized by the U.S. 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 U.S.-Asean partnership, the Summit delegates will also focus on strengthening U.S.Asean relations in the next 40 years.
The Summit will accomplish 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 U.S.Asean partnership. Representatives from the embassies of Asean member nations to the Philippines will join U.S. government representatives and the YSEALI Summit delegates to mark these historic anniversaries.
In preparation for the Summit, the 250 young leaders completed five weeks of online learning activities. While in Manila, they will collaborate in multi-national teams to design service projects for implementation in an Asean-wide campaign of youth-led community service initiatives, YSEALI YOUnified, in December 2017.
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). PR