How can YOUth shape Sustainable Development in a post-COVID-19 world?
Be an ASEM Young Leader!
WHAT IS #ASEFYLS4
The ASEF Young Leaders Summit (ASEFYLS) is ASEM‘s official Youth platform that connects young people with the Heads of States and Governments from 51 Asian & European countries and the political Leaders of the EU & the ASEAN Secretariat.
The 4th ASEF Young Leaders Summit (ASEFYLS4) was a 10-month long youth leadership programme connected to the 13th ASEM Summit (ASEM13) in November 2021 in Cambodia. The ASEFYLS4 focused on ‘Sustainable Development in a post-COVID-19 World’ and incorporated 3 spheres for youth leadership: 1) self-leadership (you), 2) team leadership (we) and 3) societal leadership (all).
The 4th edition was a hybrid project with collaborative elements taking place virtually, in Cambodia, as well as across ASEM countries. We addressed 4 thematic areas:
- SDG3: Good Health & Wellbeing – Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages
- SDG4: Quality Education – Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
- SDG8: Decent Work & Economic Growth – Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
- SDG13: Climate Action – Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
For more details, please refer to the primary ASEFYLS4 webpage.
Leadership in Action
The ASEFYLS4 programme consisted of 3 phases – the 2nd being the Leadership in Action Phase. During this phase, participants turned theory into action, and jointly worked on 15 impactful, community projects on the Sustainable Development Goals across ASEM.
See here for an overview on the 15 projects.
Project 1: Across ASEM – “End the Stigma. Period.”
The project ‘Across ASEM – “End the Stigma. Period”’ is inspired by a UN Women campaign to break socio-cultural stigma, misconceptions, and taboos around menstruation. It supports the Bangladesh-based NGO Campaign RED that collaborates with youth to address the stigma around menstruation as a form of gender discrimination and fights for women’s rights to a dignified management of menstruation.
Watch the Video Pitch here, read the Project Brief here, and see the Presentation of outcomes here.
Read their Comparative Analysis Report on Menstruation here.
Project 2: Little Bubbles
The project ‘Little Bubbles‘ aims at promoting the achievement of SDG 3 on Good Health & Well-Being by encouraging a positive culture around hand washing and sanitation in a post pandemic recovery. The project will develop, sell and distribute soap as well as soap DIY kits with the objective to redistribute the profits and invest in health (including mental-health) and sanitation awareness initiatives in disadvantaged environments.
Watch the Video Pitch here, read the Project Brief here, and see the Presentation of outcomes here.
Project 3: The Well-being Platform
‘The Well-being Platform – You Are Not Alone (Y.A.N.A)‘ aims to provide mental health & services accessible to people in need through an online information platform. The project also sets up a blog to find relevant articles, events and personal testimonies, as well as conducts a research study to better understand the current attitudes towards and experiences of youth in Cambodia.
Watch the Video Pitch here, read the Project Brief here, and see the Presentation of outcomes here.
Project 4: The BEEP Media Campaign
The project ‘The BEEP Media Campaign’ is a promotion and outreach activity to attract drop-out-school youth in Cambodia to register for the Basic Education Equivalency Programme (BEEP) – a flexible alternative education programme for youth to complete secondary/basic education.
Watch the Video Pitch here, read the Project Brief here, and see the Presentation of outcomes here.
Project 5: Teaching & Learning during COVID-19 – “What Do You Need?”
‘Teaching & Learning during COVID-19 – “What Do You Need?”‘ focuses on empathy-based quality education. It is based on the idea that in order to create a sustainable, equitable and inclusive education environment. Through workshops, peer groups and individual counselling, it provides support to students, parents and teachers as the three main stakeholders in secondary schools.
Watch the Video Pitch here, read the Project Brief here, and see the Presentation of outcomes here.
Read their Research Report here.
Project 6: Access and Success for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
This project connects students of mixed abilities and educators in higher education for a peer-to-peer exchange and collaboration across the ASEM countries. The objective is to develop a mini comparative research study on teaching & learning experiences as well as development opportunities and support mechanism for students with ASD.
Watch the Video Pitch here, read the Project Brief here, and see the Presentation of outcomes here.
Project 7: Culturetelling: Anthology of ASEM Folk Tales
This project promotes the cultural diversity of ASEM countries and is a journey through the literary heritage of Asian and European societies. The team collect and share traditional stories and folk tales from around the ASEM region and re-tell them in visual and audible ways, publishing them on various social media platforms, in both their original language and in English.
Watch the Video Pitch here, read the Project Brief here, and see the Presentation of outcomes here.
Project 8: Economic Diplomacy as an engine of growth and prosperity – A Policy Brief
The project “Economic Diplomacy as an engine of growth & prosperity – A Policy Brief” is a mini research project, emphasising the need for a renewed spirit of multilateralism, which has to be reinspired and reinvigorated through economic diplomacy. It revolves around how states can utilise economic diplomacy as a tool to enhance international cooperation and therefore attain mutual growth and prosperity.
Watch the Video Pitch here, read the Project Brief here, and see the Presentation of outcomes here.
Read the Policy Brief here
This Project was also presented at the 1st Asia-Europe Economic and Business Forum (AEEBF). Watch the recording of their presentation here.
Project 9: Econ4Life
“Econ4Life” is a training programme for youth by youth and tackles the most pressing financial literacy and economics-related issues young people and job seekers face. It provides practical information on getting a job, loans and on managing savings to help a smooth transition into “adult life”.
Watch the Video Pitch here, read the Project Brief here, read the Event Report here, and see the Presentation of outcomes here.
Project 10: The Adjustment Manual: Work From Home Edition
The project “The Adjustment Manual: Work from Home Edition” helps work from home individuals learn the essential skills and techniques to adapt better to new demands in the current scenario and to mitigate a potential negative impact on their mental health.
Watch the Video Pitch here, read the Project Brief here, read the Workshop Brief here, read the Policy Brief here, and see the Presentation of outcomes here.
Project 11: Leaders of the Future Bootcamp (LFB)
The ‘Leaders of the Future Bootcamp (LFB)’ is a knowledge-sharing platform that consists of online & on-site workshops and trainings for students and young professionals on key areas identified by the World Economic Forum’s ‘Future of Jobs’ report: these include, amongst others, analytical & critical thinking, complex problem solving or design thinking.
Watch the Video Pitch here, read the Project Brief here, and see the Presentation of outcomes here.
Project 12: Food Forests
The project “Food Forests” will showcase food forests across Asia and Europe on a new video platform to educate and inspire an ASEM audience: about their process of establishment and maintenance, delivery of benefits to the individuals and communities involved, and the science behind their contribution to increasing the amount of carbon sequestration in the ground.
Watch the Video Pitch here, and read the Project Brief here.
Project 13: Higher Education for Climate Action – Waste management on university campuses
This project will work with students from a university in Phnom Penh on a research study. The objective is to assess the adverse impacts of waste generation on the environment and climate change in general, and the university campus in particular. They also aim to design activities that could encourage local students and staff to participate in effective waste management and natural resource conservation on the university campus.
Watch the Video Pitch, read the Desk Study & Report here and see the Presentation of outcomes here.
Project 14: Turning Tides on Climate Action – An ASEF Podcast on climate action stories from the ASEM region
This project is a podcast series that aims to move beyond the facts and figures on climate change and use storytelling as a tool. The team will engage with local and national climate activists, and with projects and organisations tackling climate change on a local and regional level. As part of the podcast episodes, interviews ASEM leaders will be included to add both the practical and political perspectives of this SDG.
Watch the Video Pitch here, read the Project Brief here, and see the Presentation of outcomes here.
Project 15: Atlas-Akhyana
The Project ‘Atlas-Akhyana’ will develop an atlas consisting of 51 story maps, 1 for each ASEM country. By using free & open source geographic information systems (FOSS4G), and open data, the story maps will feature youth and young professionals and the challenges of climate change in their countries.
Watch the Video Pitch here, read the Project Brief here, and see the Presentation of outcomes here.
See the Atlas here.