| Ishan Ibrahim |
PARTICIPANTS of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) shared their personal and educational experiences in the United States and Indonesia with the media yesterday.
They were sent across various states in the US and Indonesia and had undergone intensive short-term academic courses at institutes to have a deeper understanding of the United States and at the same time, enhanced their own leadership skills.
Halimatul Hanisah binti Haji Nasir and Muhammad Firdaus bin Haji Ismail followed the YSEALI Generation: Oceans Workshop that took place in Jakarta, Indonesia on March 16-20.
Both participants took part in lectures that focused on regional and global marine and coastal issues, as they interacted and had discussions among the other 60-plus participants that came from the South East Asia (SEA) region.
Halimatul Hanisah in particular talked about the degradation of mangroves that thrive on coastal lines and how these growths are important in the protection of the environment.
Muhammad Firdaus relayed his concerns on the rising sea levels and related the importance of protecting coastal lines, especially during a natural disaster.
To put what they learnt in perspective, they went on a field trip in the Thousand Islands archipelago and strived to promote the sustainable growth of a healthy ecosystem.
Both participants said they will pursue efforts to apply what they learnt in real-world situations, as they generated and developed plans on possible ways on how to address the marine and coastal issues, and consequently jointly carry out the solution across the region.
Participants of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) with Edward Findlay, Public Af-fairs Officer from the United States Embassy. – ISHAN IBRAHIM
Halimatul Hanisah and Muhammad Firdaus both said they will try to create plans of action that can help local communities to prepare themselves to the changing conditions of the oceans through a more collaborative approach on environmental sustainability.
Awangku Mohd Izwan Shafuan bin Pengiran Md Daud attended an International Civil and Human Rights course under the YSEALI Academic Fellowship on Civic Engagement in the United States.
He said he learnt on the non-violent movement of Martin Luther King Jr, a leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the struggle against segregation in the United States during the 1960s.
He and his fellow peers from across the SEA region learnt on civic engagement and focused on its development in the US, and topics such as citizenship, community building, economic development, grassroots activ-ism, political leadership and volunteerism were explored.
They also met community leaders, entrepreneurs and representatives of non-profit organisations and visited Washington DC as they learnt political issues that incorporated and formed the culture of politics in the US.
Haji Abdul Azim bin Haji Mohd Said attended the YSEALI Academic Fellowship on Social Entrepreneurship and Economic Development in the United States, where he learnt entrepreneurial approaches that are employed to address social issues.
He also discussed several issues among his peers that came from the SEA region. They also focused on the development, history, challenges and successes of social enterprises and community leaders in the US and globally.
The topics they learnt also included trade, investment, financial literacy, banking, microfinance, organisational development and management, emerging markets and risk analysis and many others.
Haji Abdul Azim also touched on the history of the natives of the United States and their culture that formed a colourful rendition of the US. He also touched on social issues such as the level of knowledge that the participants know of Brunei Darussalam; he said only those that came from neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia know about Brunei but the others were sketchy on what they really know about the country.
The media meeting at the Starbucks Mabohai Shopping Complex was also attended by Edward Findlay, Public Affairs Officer from the United States Embassy. He also touched briefly on the significance of the YSEALI programme that has the capability to forge and enhance relationships and leadership across the SEA region.
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