By Scherzo Wahid Naiborhu

ASEAN Economic Community - ASEAN just celebrated its 49th anniversary on August 8, 2016. Within that week, 100 youths from ASEAN countries and 20 youths from Korea gathered together in Bangkok, an exact place where the Declaration of Bangkok as the mark of ASEAN establishment 49 years ago occurred. During 2-10 August 2016, the ASEAN-Korea Youth Network Workshop, a program conducted by ASEAN Studies Center of Chulalongkorn University and ASEAN-Korea Centre in order to enhance youths’ awareness on ASEAN and ASEAN-Korea partnership, expand the networks and friendship among youths in ASEAN and Korea, as well as to promote education on ASEAN through three pillars which are political-security, economics, and social-culture was conducted.

This year’s theme was Marine Conservation – Promoting the Sustainable Use of Coastal and Marine Resources as a framework of current issue in ASEAN and Korea which is to seize a sustainable marine environment and to maximize the marine resources. Scherzo Wahid Naiborhu (Batch 3) and Kristiyanto (Batch 4) were among 10 delegates from Indonesia that joined the program. During the 9-day activity, delegates participated in various activities, which were, first, partook in the 2nd Parliamentary ASEAN Community Forum and 5th Chula ASEAN Week, which was a 4-day prestigious conference involving scholars, executives, policymakers, and public servants from all over ASEAN in discussing the future of ASEAN 2025 in terms of stability, prosperity, and sustainability.

On the fifth day of the program, participants learned about the mangrove conservation and involved in planting mangrove trees in Klong Klone Mangrove Forest, Amphawa as the part of marine preservation. The following day, all youths visited Kung Krabaen Bay Royal Development Study Center, an initiative by King of Thailand in studying, developing, and preserving marine and coastal environment, located in Chanthaburi Province.

Furthermore, during the program, participants divided into 12 small groups contained of one representative from each ASEAN country and Korea to work for a particular topic regarding the theme. The finding was presented on the last day of the program at the Symposium on the Role of Youth in Lingering the Enchantment of ASEAN Community in front of distinguished ambassadors, government officials, media and press, and invited guests. Scherzo and Kris represented their group to deliver the presentation during the symposium.

During the group discussion, Scherzo and Kris implemented thinking tools that taught during XL Future Leaders Workshop. In addition, they used a Pecha Kucha presentation technique in presenting the results at the symposium.

“I am so grateful to be able to represent Indonesia in front of people from ASEAN and Korea and obtained knowledge of ASEAN three pillars as well as broaden my network with intergovernmental people, scholars, experts, and youths from 11 countries. In my view, this fascinating program enhanced the understanding, friendship, and connection among ASEAN’s future leaders which will give a huge impact in developing this region. Besides, this program gave beneficial impacts towards my future career since I was exposed with so many applicable knowledge during the event” said Scherzo.

Kris mentioned “For me personally, ASEAN Workshop means as a platform for the best youths across ASEAN to come together, discussing the most fundamental matters for the future of this highly developing region. We’ve got a chance to express our ideas and exchange it in a profound way. Beyond that, this program was a platform for stretching networks among youths in ASEAN, because the future of this region will rely on its future leaders, when the ASEAN youths become more connected and integrated, the future of this region will be easier to define, and I believe that this program was just the beginning of a brighter ASEAN in the future”

Future leaders of Indonesia need to exposed themselves in this kind of activities in order to receive wider perspective of international issues related to our country.