Youth leaders, experts discuss ASEAN Awareness, Values and Identity

JAKARTA, 6 September 2021 – The ASEAN Secretariat organised the Unpacking the Fifth Domain of ASEAN YDI: Awareness, Values and Identity webinar, as part of the newly launched publication, Understanding How Young People See ASEAN: Awareness, Values and Identity. The webinar took place after the launch by ASEAN Youth Ministers on 30 August.

The youth-led public webinar featured a panel discussion moderated by Agatha Lydia Natania of the ASEAN Youth Organisation. On the panel were Jufitri Joha from the Committee of ASEAN Youth Council; Fatimah Zahrah from the ASEAN Youth Forum; Senior Research Associate of Owl and Badger Research and Alumni of ASEAN University Student Council Union Mohd. Harith Ramzi; and Horea Salajan, Media Specialist of ASEAN-USAID PROSPECT.

The expert team of ASEAN Youth Development Index Phase II Survey, as well as Dr. Eric C. Thompson, Principal Investigator of ASEAN Youth Development Index Phase II Survey, National University of Singapore and Apichai Sunchindah, Project Manager of the survey also joined the panel to support the discussion.

Youth leaders and experts exchanged views and perspectives on the report findings, including how stakeholders can benefit from the publication, particularly in designing policies, programmes and message formulation.

The speakers discussed how to expand the sampling of study in its next iteration to ensure inclusivity, ideas on content creation to better communicate with the youth and how to keep engaging the youths from ASEAN Member States amid various challenging circumstances.

“On the next YDI, we hope that apart from the students in urban dan rural areas, we can dig more from other youth targets, such as youth activists, or perhaps youths from marginalised community which might lead us to a holistic and complex picture on what happens with youths in the region,” said Fatimah Zahrah.

Participants actively engaged during the Q&A session. Discussions covered the methodology of data collection and interpretation of findings, how to better incorporate the value aspect in measuring the fifth domain of ASEAN YDI, and the importance of using national or local languages in delivering information on ASEAN.

At the end of webinar, panellists agreed that ASEAN should keep providing more open and safe spaces for youth to exchange views and experiences, and create more opportunities for youth to work together with stakeholders in ASEAN Community-building efforts.

ASEAN conducted the study to complete components covered in the First ASEAN Youth Development Index launched in 2017, which addressed the first four domains of the Index. 

Over 2,000 students from 14 universities across ASEAN Member States participated as survey respondents. ASEAN Youth Ministers launched the publication on the same day.

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For more information, please go to this link .

The webinar is available through this link

Source: ASEAN Secretariat