From over 1,000 applications, we have selected two young leaders to receive the C asean scholarship to attend the One Young World Summit 2015 in Bangkok, Thailand. The selection process was highly competitive and we were hugely impressed by the quality of applications.
Established in 2013, C asean is a social enterprise that strengthens connectivity by promoting a high growth environment for ASEAN businesses as well as raising public knowledge about regional integration. C asean also aims to provide a networking platform for collaboration among business leaders to support the development of opportunities for young people in the ASEAN community.
Those shortlisted for the scholarship have run impactful projects that engage young people and proven their ability to affect positive change in their communities.
We are delighted to announce that the winners are Arizza Nocum from The Philippines and Sotheary You from Cambodia.
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Arizza Nocum is the Overall Head of the Kristiyano-Islam Peace Library (or Christian-Muslim Peace Library) in the Philippines. The organisation promotes community cohesion and educational opportunity in underserved areas that have experienced ethnic and religious conflict. They have provided over 50,000 books to schools in remote communities.
The initiative has built 6 libraries in areas of the country that have experienced conflict; including slum areas and mixed cultural communities. Each library provides vital books, computers and educational resources for the local population. The libraries have developed into hubs where Muslim and Christian communities come to read together, learn together, study together and make lasting friendships.
Sotheary You worked as a National Researcher at the UN Women Cambodia Country Office and founder of the Life of Women Human Rights Defenders, women's rights advocacy project. She is an avid women's rights campaigner who is influencing policies on ending violence against women, and empowering women grass-roots activists in communities across Cambodia.
Sotheary is also engaged in peace and reconciliation initiatives in the Mekong region. In 2011, she assisted with Working Group for Peace to organise the Mekong Peace Journey which gathered young people from Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and China to learn how young people can contribute to peace building in the region.
"On behalf of C asean, I would like to take this opportunity to thanks the applicants for their interest in the C asean scholarship to attend the One Young World Summit. We are hugely impressed with the quality of applications and all of the inspiring stories from different walks of life. I am looking forward to meeting the winners at the Summit this November. See you in Bangkok!"
Karndee Leopairote, Phd, Managing Director of C asean
"We are delighted with the selection of Arizza and Sotheary for the C asean scholarship. Their initiatives demonstrate how young people can drive positive change in their countries and communities. We look forward to hosting them at the One Young World Summit in Bangkok, and supporting them to have a greater impact in the ASEAN region in future."
Kate Robertson, co-Founder of One Young World
