JAKARTA, 24 August 2020 – ASEAN youth leaders and veteran experts exchanged experiences in overcoming challenges and building resilience amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Youth across the ASEAN region participated in the two-hour online event titled “The #ASEANYouth and the Wise on Resilience in Adversity” via Zoom and Facebook on 24 August. The webinar was the second instalment of a four-part Interactive Webinar Series on ASEAN Youth and COVID-19, organised by the ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN Foundation, the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, and the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and Red Crescent Societies.
Nur Diyana Nasriah binti Suhaili (Project EduSparks Leader, eMpowering Youth Across ASEAN programme 2019), Jaryll Pao Sng Ong, (Asia Pacific Region Volunteering Officer of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies), and Channimol Ky, (2019 ASEAN Youth Biodiversity Leader for Cambodia) participated in the the intergenerational discussion titled The Conversation as youth representatives.
Meanwhile, senior experts representing ‘’the wise’’ included: Dr. Shanti Divaharan (Associate Professor at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore); Suhana Sidik (National Executive Board Member of the Malaysian Red Crescent Society); and Dr. Sivananthan Elagupillay (honorary member of Global Tiger Forum of Malaysia and retired division director of Malaysia’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks).
Adapting to technology
Dr. Divaharan, an educator for 20 years, advocates for the optimal use of available technologies in today’s teaching and learning practices, and not necessarily chase after new ones.
“While COVID-19 has unsettled us in so many ways, it has pressed us forward in looking for what is possible,” she said. Dr. Divaharan added that with the majority of students having mobile devices at their disposal, teachers can reach out to students by using social networking tools.
On the other hand, Nur Diyana, an active Bruneian student currently pursuing an International Business Master’s degree in China, described how learning at home can be challenging. She recommends students to set up a manageable schedule and conducive workspace in order to overcome setbacks.
ASEAN youth have made various efforts to ensure equal access to education across gender lines and age differences. Diyana also shared her experiences in Project EduSparks –– a project aimed at providing equal opportunities in education for children in Battambang Province, Cambodia. Her team helped build a youth training centre equipped with desktops and laptops, offering computer courses and educational materials and supplies to the community.
Changing volunteerism
Jaryll Pao Sng Ong, an active volunteer since 13, said the landscape of volunteerism has changed over the years in response to modern-day scenarios: the changing nature of work, the global climate, and now the ongoing pandemic.
“We have to relook [at] the ways by which we approach volunteering. There are many innovative things in the way we mobilise people. We have to engage with different partners and develop systems for the people to volunteer online, and we can tap digital skills like designing, data analysis, programming, and development of applications,” Ong said.
Suhana Sidik, with 15 years of work experience before joining the Malaysian Red Crescent board, shared how technology can be maximised in ensuring transparency and effectiveness of aid delivery.
“We were able to engage people – including prison inmates – to volunteer, to sew Personal Protective Equipment. We used technology at its best to be more effective in the distribution of aid,” she said. Her organisation was able to identify blind spots or unserved areas by using data analytics.
The webinar featured interactive activities in the form of live polls, virtual Q&A, fun lecture, a light exercise, and a WordCloud quick survey. Thirty three percent of the audience noted that volunteering opportunities are fewer due to the pandemic. Meanwhile 32% of the audience found more opportunities via online volunteering platforms.
Ong noted that the poll results might reflect the disparity in understanding the volunteering concept. “Volunteering can be formal and informal. It could be simple acts like helping your neighbours,” he added.
During the short workshop, coordinator of the ASEAN Youth Biodiversity Programme Mika Tan guided the audience to identify wise mentor figures in their own lives and make plans to connect with their potential mentors.
Re-examine relationship with nature
Channimol Ky, an official of the Ministry of Environment in Cambodia, called for a strong action plan with a new perspective and scenarios over the next ten years. “We need to think about what will happen in the next ten years if we use up all our resources. We need to think of innovative ways to reduce our impacts on the environment,” she said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Elagupillay, a devoted researcher on tigers, said that the pandemic calls for a re-examination of our relationship with nature. “We have to look at involving the youth and the public in appreciating our wildlife. By understanding our nature, we will be better prepared for future pandemics”, he said.
The interactive webinar series is part of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) COVID-19 Webinar Series with the overarching theme “The Impact of COVID-19 on ASCC Sectors and Post COVID-19 Strategies,” co-led by the SOCA Viet Nam and ASEAN Secretariat.
This cross-sectoral initiative will contribute to the implementation of the ASEAN Work Plan on Youth 2021-2025, the ASEAN Working Group on Nature Conservation and Biodiversity Action Plan in mainstreaming biodiversity in human health and well-being, and the ASEAN Working Group on Environmental Education Action Plan in fostering active participation of empowered youth in promoting environmental protection. The initiative also fosters IFRC-ASEAN Cooperation in the field of Youth Engagement.
The next webinar is scheduled on 28 September and will focus on “#ASEANYouth in the New Normal: Skills and the Future of Work”. The second episode is available on ACB’s Facebook page: https://web.facebook.com/263771733581/videos/294417898521510
