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Youth summit builds friendships, talks security
Youths matter: Waiting their turns to make keynote speeches on Monday at the opening of the first India-ASEAN Youth Summit, which runs from Aug
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span class="caption">Youths matter: Waiting their turns to make keynote speeches on Monday at the opening of the first India-ASEAN Youth Summit, which runs from Aug. 14 to 19 in Bhopal, India, are (from left to right) Indian Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Indian Ministry of External Affairs East Secretary Preeti Saran.(JP/Sebastian Partogi)
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs, in cooperation with the India Foundation and the state government, has just launched the first India-ASEAN Youth Summit that aims to enhance friendships among youth in the South Asian country and the countries of the Southeast Asian bloc.
“The youth summit seeks to boost people-to-people interactions with ASEAN; not only would we like to familiarize the youth of ASEAN with the dynamics of India, we would also like to bridge friendships among them,” the ministry’s East secretary, Preeti Saran, said at the opening of the conference on Monday.
“India and ASEAN have had their cultural civilizations linked for thousands of years and it is time to address the current situation involving political security, the economy and cultural aspects,” she added.
Saran said the involvement of youth is vital in preserving the multilateral relationship between ASEAN and India, as young people are future policy makers and leaders who will determine the shape of the future India-ASEAN landscape.
Conducted from Aug. 14 to 19 in Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh, the event brings together about 250 delegates from India, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
The event itself is part of a series of activities organized in conjunction the 25th anniversary of India and ASEAN’s dialogue partnership, which started with the second international conference on ASEAN-India cultural and civilization links, which was held on Jan. 19 in Jakarta.
Indian Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh, meanwhile, highlighted that both India and ASEAN had a big cohort of youngsters in their populations, thanks to a demographic bonus.
“We are one of the most youthful regions in the world. In India itself, for example, 50 percent of our population is below 25 years old and 60 percent of them are below 35 years old,” Singh said during the opening of the conference.
The five-day forum itself consists of various programs, including panel discussions, site visits, engagements and immersion experiences with locals, as well as cultural presentations, to help participants exchange best practices and learn about innovations and new strategies so they can implement them back home. Furthermore, it also serves as a networking forum among the youth of ASEAN and India.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the forum focused on issues like women’s empowerment, welfare, violence and climate change.
Saran echoed Chouhan, saying that political security — in a world where radicalism, the ideology of hatred and violence spread unfettered — has become a key part of India’s partnership with ASEAN.
