Forty-four Southeast Asian youth leaders gather for the sixth edition of the ASEAN Youth Fellowship (AYF) from November 3 to 10. — Photo courtesy of the AYF

SINGAPORE — Forty-four Southeast Asian youth leaders gathered for the sixth edition of the ASEAN Youth Fellowship (AYF) from November 3 to 10.

They came from the 10 ASEAN member states and Timor-Leste, which was represented at AYF for the first time.

The programme is co-organised yearly by the Singapore International Foundation (SIF) and National Youth Council (NYC) Singapore. It seeks to connect and grow emerging young leaders with a focus on public, private and people sector collaboration.

AYF 2024 took fellows to Singapore as well as Vientiane and Luang Prabang in Laos. During the programme, topics were discussed such as digital transformation, inclusivity and sustainability in the region with prominent thought leaders from diverse sectors. They also shared perspectives on possible solutions to address common challenges in these areas.

To encourage fellows to further their collaboration after the programme and create greater impact in the region, the AYF Impact Fund was introduced to support ground-up initiatives which promote youth development, community building, and other related causes. It provides S$5,000 for each Fellow’s initiative, or up to S$20,000 for each project that Fellows organise as a team.

One such project was the ASEAN Women Empowerment Portal. AYF alumni from Singapore, Myanmar, Việt Nam and the Philippines created the platform for women across ASEAN to exchange ideas and experiences and learn from one another on issues unique to the region.

David Chua, Chief Executive Officer, NYC, said: “The AYF is a key youth leadership programme that cultivates and connects established young leaders from diverse sectors across ASEAN. Our youths play an instrumental role in strengthening regional ties and AYF provides a launchpad for regional impact and opens up opportunities for youths to gain insights and valuable networks to navigate the complex challenges facing ASEAN.” — VNS