ASEAN Youth Forum 2016: “Advancing Youth Roles in leading ASEAN”

August 22, 2016 - August 24, 2016
CSO Event

The ASEAN Youth Forum (AYF) is envisioned to be a free and empowering platform for youths to voice out their concerns and strategize for ways to achieve a better ASEAN. AYF has been working regionally to strengthening youth movement, engagement with ASEAN, and civil society.

ASEAN Youth Forum 2016: “Advancing Youth Roles in leading ASEAN”
22-24 August 2016
Siem Reap, Cambodia

Official Website: aseanyouth.tumblr.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/aseanyouthforum

• Open to all Young Southeast Asians (ASEAN + Timor Leste) 15-35 years old seeking to contribute to a youth-driven, rights-based and people-centred ASEAN
• Potential Non-Cambodian Participants may apply from Now until 21 July 2016:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/76QYD89 (There will be a separate application process for Cambodians)– Announcement of Regional participants will be 24 July 2016.
• Observers (youth from other regions and CSO friends) can also join please email [email protected] to inquire.
• Organisers will take care of food and materials for the forum. Participants have to take care of their flight costs to Cambodia. At this point, we could not assure any support for accommodation.

The ASEAN Youth Forum (AYF) is envisioned to be a free and empowering platform for youths to voice out their concerns and strategize for ways to achieve a better ASEAN. AYF has been working regionally to strengthening youth movement, engagement with ASEAN, and civil society.  Throughout empowerment and engagement towards a youth-driven Southeast Asia approach, AYF provided space for young leaders to discuss issues, dialogue with various stakeholders and define their destinies with respect to their issues and realities. In last five years, the AYF has been organized in Thailand (2009), Vietnam (2010), Indonesia (2011), Cambodia (2012), Brunei Darussalam (2013), Burma (2014), and Malaysia (2015). It has already involved more than 500 young leaders from the Region and beyond.

Despite challenges and differences, members of the ASEAN youth were able to achieve these milestones:

•     Development and initial monitoring of the Yangon Declaration (ASEAN Youth Statement 2014),
•     Meaningfully participated at the 2014 and 2015 Youth Interface Meeting with ASEAN Leaders (ASEAN Summits in Nay Pyi Taw and Kuala Lumpur),
•     Forging engagements with the Youth Division of the ASEAN Secretariat and eventually with the Senior Official’s Meeting on Youth (SOMY).

Why Cambodia? for 2016, Cambodia will be hosting the ASEAN Youth Forum in Siem Reap because it aims to coincide with the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Youth which will also be held in the world renowned heritage city. It aims to increase the visibility of Southeast Asian young people at the ASEAN level and in affairs, to forge dialogues with SOMY officials to address issues related to rights and freedoms of every young person living in Southeast Asia. It responds to the call of engaging with the ASEAN bodies related to human rights (ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights and ASEAN Commission on the Protection of the Rights Women and Children) and youth (Senior Officials Meeting on Youth.) It shall be working closely with regional and national youth organizations in forging ways to work on concrete and rights-based policies on the following issues highlighted in the Yangon Declaration (ASEAN Youth Statement 2014) which included the following issues and recommendations.

• Good Governance and Democracy
• Migration
• Decent Work
• Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
• Sustainable Environment
• Inclusive Education

In this year the Cambodian national organizing committees have already formed of 16 youth organizations as coordinating committee, Media committee, Logistic committee, Fundraising and financial committee, documentation and reporting committee, Art performance and campaign committee. They will be supported and jointly organized by the ASEAN Youth Forum team members from ASEAN member states as Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, and Laos. The Cambodian national organizing committee had already established links with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, which is hosting the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Youth (SOMY).