Students learn to address global issues

Four hundred university students from 33 countries worldwide actively involved in sustainable development gathered in Bali to discuss global issues concerning their future during a five-day symposium.

This third annual University Scholars Leadership Symposium organized by Humanitarian Affairs UK, a London-based social enterprise, brings college students from outstanding universities around the world together to learn about, explore and address global issues concerning the plight of those suffering from extreme poverty.

Janice Leong, regional director of Humanitarian Affairs Asia, said in the opening on Thursday that the event would give these promising future leaders the opportunity to meet and build a network with youth from around the world, working toward the same goal of alleviating the plight of the poor in developing countries.

“Our aim is to challenge them to play their roles in achieving the Millennium Development Goals and to motivate this next generation of leaders to be agents of change for the world they would like to see.”

Discussions during this symposium are expected to provide the necessary skills and understanding for the students to learn how to plan, manage and implement a successful humanitarian service project in their own local community and around the world.

“This training course is a knowledge-based program that will provide them with the proper planning skills needed in humanitarian service projects. These skills range from the screening of volunteers to the successful project management in the field,” Janice said.

Pavarit Manchanda from Silpakorn University in Thailand, said he expected to learn a lot of things about humanitarian activities.

The undergraduate student majoring in hotel management said he had done two humanitarian projects in his home country.

“We went out to build a house for the poor, and it’s something I really enjoyed doing. One of every six persons on the planet is suffering from poverty, so it becomes the duty of the five others to help them, and it becomes my duty as a privileged one to help the rest,” he told Bali Daily.

He put special concern on education issues, because illiteracy rates in Asian countries are still very high. “What we must focus on is education for all the underprivileged Asians, so they will be able to compete with others globally.”

Veron Requejo, a fourth-year student of Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines majoring in legal management, said that she was interested in fighting for the rights of laborers.

“That’s what I really want to do in the future. I came to this symposium hoping to broaden my perspectives to help out and change the world, not only in my country but also the other parts of the world,” she said.

On the first day, keynote speaker Arthur Gillette, the former secretary-general of the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service and retired director of UNESCO’s Youth and Sports Division in Paris, shared his volunteering experiences in many countries and talked about voluntary services around the world. He also talked about how to link volunteering with education.

Geraldine Cox, the president and founder of the non-profit organization Sunrise Children’s Home shared the challenges she encountered while setting up a children’s home in Cambodia.

On Friday, the symposium will start with a presentation by Raoul Wijffels, founder and executive director of the One Dollar For Music Foundation in Bali. He will share his creative concept of getting youths off the street to create music for their future.

Robin Lim, founder of the Healthy Mother Earth Foundation and the CNN Hero of the Year 2011 will talk to the delegates about her inspiring story of helping the poor to deliver healthy babies.

Also, each of the 400 delegates will write a postcard to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, expressing their thoughts on the future they would want to see.

The planned circular routes for Trans Sarbagita feeder buses to operate in September:

1.  Ngurah Rai Stadium-Jl. Kamboja-Jl. Angsoka-Jl. Melati-Jl. WR Supratman-Jl. Nusa Indah-Jl. Narakusuma- Jl. Moh Yamin-Bundaran Renon-Jl. Tukad Penet-Jl. Tukad Balian-Jl. Puputan-Jl. Sudirman-Jl. Dewi Sartika-Jl. Diponegoro-Jl. Hasanuddin-Caturmuka-Jl. Surapati-Jl. Kepundung-Ngurah Rai Stadium

2. Jl. Matahari Terbit-Jl. Danau Buyan-Jl. Tukad Yeh Aya-Jl. Waturengong-Jl. Diponegoro-Jl. Sanglah-Simpang Teuku Umar-Jl. Pulau Kawe-Jl. Nusa Penida-Jl. Pulau Bali-Jl. Pulau Nias-Jl. Diponegoro-Jl. Serma Made Bil-Jl. Sudirman-Jl. Waturengong-Jl. Yeh Aya-Jl. Danau Buyan-Jl. Matahari Terbit

3. Jl. Pulau Nias-Jl. Pulau Bali-Jl. Pulau Lombok-Jl. Pulau Komodo-Jl. Pulau Tarakan-Simpang Enam Teuku Umar-Jl. Pulau Kawe-Jl. Pulau Bungin-Jl. Pomogan-Jl. Bypass Ngurah Rai-Simpang Benoa-Jl. Diponegoro-Simpang Pulau Moyo-Jl. Suwung Bantal-Jl. Kendal-Jl. Pendidikan-Jl. Sidakarya-Jl. Pulau Nias

4. Suci-Jl. Hasanudin-Jl. Sutoyo-Jl. Sudirman-Jl. Waturengong-Jl. Tukad Pekerisan-Jl. Raya Bedugul-Dewata-Jl.Sidakarya-Jl Sesetan-Jl. Diponegoro-Suci