The One Young World ASEAN Leadership Forum is a gathering of youth changemakers from the region that took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 22nd June 2024 at Menara Maybank. The forum brought together over 200 youths in person from 16 nationalities, and 150 virtually from 20 nationalities. Into its second run since 2023, the Forum aimed to inspire action amongst fellow youth as we hear how these changemakers transform their communities across the topics of: Climate and Ecological Crisis, Artificial Intelligence, Health, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. There were 16 youth speakers, with representation from every ASEAN state.
The Forum was sponsored by Maybank, and co-supported by Seastainable, Adrenalin Group, New England Biolabs, and City Developments Limited.
The One Young World ASEAN Leadership Forum was honored to welcome Dato' Khairussaleh Ramli, the President & Group CEO of Maybank, as a Guest of Honour, who gave a welcome address to participants. Furthermore, Datuk (Dr) Nora Abd Manaf, Maybank's Group Chief Human Capital Officer provided a Leadership Keynote, including an exclusive mentorship session for 13 selected delegates around the globe, focusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
Key Takeaways
- Use for ethical AI can be binary, starting with the user’s intent. If our intentions are good, AI can be a force for positive change such as improving productivity.
- In nature, nothing exists alone. The work we do will support ourselves and our future generations. We should create our ecosystems to better support our impact. Moreover, the climate crisis cross-cuts various topics, we have better influence over change when we can have conversations that link the environment with health, and the economy.
- Dealing with the climate crisis gives us opportunities to create new jobs that were not previously available in our parents’ generation. ·
- Victimizing ourselves cannot change our story, but being a change agent can change the story for ourselves and others.
- It is important to give spaces for people to voice their stories, what they need and feel, and spread the word. We have to give non-privileged communities space to talk about their needs and be heard.
- It is important to acknowledge if we are not the right systems to support others, but something as simple as listening can help. ·
- When demanding change, it is important to gather data to justify our cause and to better influence change.
Delegates’ feedback to the forum:
- “The One Young World ASEAN Forum 2024 was a wonderful experience. I was fascinated to see the passion of the other participants to share their experiences and work. The activity corresponded exactly to allowing everyone to feel in their place, to feel important and valued. The committees were very helpful. I commend their leadership and their confidence in us. We are the young people of tomorrow, we are already acting in our communities with and without support because we are aware of our responsibility to make this world a better place.” Lihak Va, Cambodia
- “Attending the One Young World ASEAN Leadership Forum was a fantastic experience. I had the chance to meet and connect with many fellow leaders from the region, which was incredibly inspiring. The panel discussions were very informative, offering a lot of useful insights and ideas. It was great to learn from the experts and engage in meaningful conversations. I'm thankful for being chosen as a sponsored delegate and appreciate the organizers for this amazing opportunity.” Norerni Irwani Niah, Brunei
- “The One Young World ASEAN Leadership Forum left me deeply inspired! particularly the DEI session, which energized me to amplify my efforts as a co-initiator. The opportunity to connect with speakers and participants enriched my experience further.” Shafira Rizki, Indonesia
- “I really enjoy the forum and am grateful that they took a great effort to provide accessibility and make sure all participants get the benefit of the forum. The panelists have diverse backgrounds, and it's inspiring to hear their work to overcome the world's issues. Also, the committee gives time for networking with other participants. Hopefully, I can join other One Young World events again in the future!” Michelle Layanto, Indonesia
