JAKARTA, 27 March 2024 – The ASEAN Secretariat in collaboration with Japan International Cooperation Centre (JICE) organised the ASEAN Volunteers Report Meeting – as a culmination event for the implementation of the ASEAN Volunteers: Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction and Preparedness project. The event gathered selected volunteers and representatives from all stakeholders who contributed to the project to share and report on their experiences and lessons learned during the volunteers’ deployment in several ASEAN Member States (AMS).
Over 50 participants from AMS, including the Senior Officials Meeting on Youth (SOMY) Focal Points, the representatives from partner organisations such as Mercy Malaysia, Indonesian Red Cross, Mercy Relief Singapore and Brunei Darussalam Red Crescent, as well as the representatives of ASEAN Volunteers attended the meeting.
In her welcome remarks, Director of Human Development Directorate of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Department, Rodora T. Babaran, highlighted ASEAN’s commitment to promoting youth volunteerism and resilience building in ASEAN. “Volunteering supports character development and enhancement of skills such as leadership, problem-solving, and teamwork. Combined with the practical experiences in various ASEAN communities, ASEAN youth are prepared to be a future leaders of ASEAN with the capacity to overcome challenges and manage future disasters,” she added.
Through the ASEAN Volunteers project, youth in ASEAN experience volunteering in other ASEAN Member States for a 22-day period. Hosted by several different local partner organisation the volunteers learn about disaster preparedness as well as climate change adaptation measures in different cities of ASEAN while fostering cooperation with their fellow youths from ASEAN.
On behalf of the Mission of Japan, First Secretary Hisamichi Yamazaki underscored the power of young people in overcoming disasters. “There is no doubt that the power of young people will be important at the site of a disaster; they will also be the ones who revitalises the community,” he added.
Strengthening youth involvement and participation in building an ASEAN Community through volunteerism opportunities and leadership programmes is a sub-goal under the ASEAN Work Plan on Youth 2021-2025. The ASEAN Volunteers project was initiated towards achieving such goal. In its first year of implementation, the project also addresses ASEAN’s priority under the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) Work Programme to promote youth leadership in Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation initiatives.
The ASEAN Volunteers: Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction and Preparedness is supported by the Government of Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF).
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