Inspiring youths to make a difference to the ASEAN community

1. Good afternoon. Thank you for having me, as you mark the conclusion of the first SEAMconference.
   

Inspiring change in ASEAN

2. Well, the reason why I'm here today started four months ago, when I was in New York attending a United Nations Youth Forum in January. So there, I met Eugene Lim – he's our Singaporean youth delegate and also an undergraduate studying at Yale University. He is one of the co-founders of the Southeast Asian Movement – the people who made this conference possible. He had an inspiring vision – to bring together a group of youths in the region to discuss how you contribute to your countries, and we progress together as an ASEAN community. This is especially important, given that we are living in an increasingly complex and interconnected global community threatened by ideological divides. We need our youths to look beyond themselves, see the needs of their communities, and work together towards building a stronger and more cohesive ASEAN.

3. Indeed, you have the power to make a change in your country. Through the conference, you have come up with ideas on how to tackle issues such as social inequality. You have engaged in lively discussions, heard from renowned international speakers, and saw how certain issues in Singapore were managed in a concerted and collaborative manner, with the involvement of citizens. So I hope that this experience has given you some inspiration on how you can also do your part to contribute to your society in your home country.
   

Building a better Singapore together

4. Let me share two ways in which our youths in Singapore can make and, in fact, are making a difference in our community. For our ASEAN friends, you might also be able to find similar opportunities back home.

5. First, Singaporean youths have been sharing their ideas. Last November, the Singapore government launched the SGfutureengagement series to bring Singaporeans together to discuss ideas; but more importantly, to come up with concrete suggestions which could become projects that serve the community.

6. In February, I attended one such session, which is organised by Changebug, a youth social enterprise. We discussed how to solve some challenges facing people with disabilities in Singapore. I saw how passionate the youths were in coming up with ideas for new initiatives and prototypes. Some ideas they discussed include strategies to improve transcribing and captioning services for the deaf, as well as the setting up of an access map to show wheelchair accessible routes in public spaces. Their suggestions have helped improve these initiatives, which are currently being implemented.

7. Second, youths in Singapore have been actively contributing to the community by volunteering their time and energy. A couple of months ago, I joined more than 300 youths who were doing their part for nature at two of our islands – Pulau Ubin and Coney Island; there, they picked up trash, replanted trees, and built bird boxes. This was all part of Outward Bound Singapore's conservation efforts.

8. So beyond volunteering, we also have the Youth Corps Singapore that connects community partners and youth volunteers. These volunteers embark on projects to address community needs – whether at home in Singapore, or overseas. They also receive leadership training and they are mentored by experienced community leaders to tackle a variety of problems, ranging from environmental degradation to mental well-being, and many, many other issues. So joining the Youth Corps is a lifelong journey of service, and we encourage our alumni – young people who have gone through Youth Corps Singapore – to stay active and continue serving the community.
   

Giving back to the ASEAN community

9. Our Youth Corps members also contribute to communities overseas. For example, one of our Youth Corps teams travelled to Kampong Cham province. Anyone knows where's Kampong Cham province? Yes, that's right, that's in Cambodia. They went to set up a computer lab in a school called Chun Nat High School. Does it sound familiar? They also taught computer and internet skills there, both to the students and teachers at the school. So we are very thankful to our community partners in Cambodia, and also in ASEAN for giving our youths these opportunities to learn and volunteer in these countries.

10. These are just a few examples of projects that you can undertake to make a difference, not only in your local community, but also within the ASEAN community. You might also be interested to know that there is a Singapore-ASEAN Youth Fund which supports projects that encourage the ASEAN spirit of community-building. So if you have ideas on how we could work together as one ASEAN, you can contact my colleagues at the National Youth Council or check out their website at www.nyc.gov.sg to find out more. So we're happy to support these projects, so that you can meet together again, work together on projects, make more friends, but most importantly, is to make a difference in your community.
    

Conclusion: Call to action

11. In conclusion, I hope this conference has enabled you to learn more about the issues our region faces today, and what you – as future leaders of ASEAN – can do to tackle these challenges, so that they do not become big problems for tomorrow. You can be role models for other ASEAN youths, and I urge all of you to work together, keep that passion burning, and inspire other young people to join you. More importantly, get to know one another well, and keep these friendships going and growing even after the programme has ended.

12. As you return to your home country, I hope you can look out for ways to make a difference in your communities, and shape the world that you want to live in. The future is yours to make, and I have every confidence that you will make it a great one.

13.  Thank you very much.