Two-day ‘EU-ASEAN Youth Exchange’ event in Bangkok

On March 31 and April 1, The European Union has organized a two-day ‘EU-ASEAN Youth Exchange on Sustainable Urban Development’ in Bangkok.

Representatives from several youth organizations as well as experts from the two regions participates. The intent is to increase the voice of the youth when it comes to sustainable development, resiliency and inclusivity.

As it was discussed at the convention on Friday, the two regions share a lot of common goals and face many of the same difficulties when it comes to the green transition. The two-day convention is to strengthen cooperation and to create a forum for the youth to be heard.

An important voice

“The ‘youth’ constitute of 25% of the world population. Still, the average age of politicians is 62 years old,” said Natalia Kallio, board member of the European Youth Forum. As a Fin, she was the only Scandinavian representee at the convention.

The dialogue featured collaborative sessions for selected youth and practitioners from the EU and ASEAN. These aimed at highlighting the potential of young problem solvers. Creating a forum for the youth to explore ways to actively engage in the policy-making processes.

60% of the global population is expected to reside in cities by 2030. Because of this, the younger generation is increasingly stepping up to address the challenges it presents.

The EU-ASEAN Youth Exchange, is setting the scene for the youth to be heard and be a part of the political agenda.

Wide representation

The 35 youth delegates from the EU and ASEAN participating in the event represented organizations including: the European Youth Capital (EYC), European Youth Forum (EYJ), ASEAN Youth Forum (AYF), ASEAN Youth Organization (AYO) and Association of Young Environmental Journalists (AYEJ), along with local governments, academia and NGOs.

Saturday, a campaign will be co-designed at the event. The Outcome of the work will be showcased at the ASEAN Mayors Forum in August 2023.

About Miabell Mallikka

Miabell Mallikka is a journalist working with ScandAsia at the headquarters in Bangkok.

View all posts by Miabell Mallikka

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