ASEAN-IPR Training: Enhancing the Role of Youth in Peacebuilding
ASEAN-IPR UPDATE/RELEASE
ASEAN-IPR Training: Enhancing the Role of Youth in Peacebuilding
29 July – 2 August 2024
South Tangerang, Indonesia
Thirty-four (34) young leaders participated in the ASEAN-IPR Training: Enhancing the Role of Youth in Peacebuilding, which was convened from 29 July to 2 August 2024 in South Tangerang, Indonesia. Participants came from ASEAN Member States, Timor-Leste, and Japan. The Training aimed to build the capacity of youth in their role as peacebuilders; and was convened with the generous support of the Government of Japan through Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF).
The Opening Day of the Training was attended by Members and/or Alternates of the Governing Council (GC) and Advisory Board (AB) of ASEAN-IPR, as well as representatives of the JAIF Management Team (JMT). The Training’s opening was officiated by H.E. Adam Mulawarman Tugio, Representative of Indonesia to the ASEAN-IPR GC, who highlighted the immense potential of youth in peacebuilding, noting the significant number of young people in the region; and H.E. Khamfeuang Phantaxay, Representative of Lao PDR to the ASEAN-IPR AB, who echoed the belief in the potential of youth as future leaders of tomorrow.
The opening remarks were followed by a Keynote from Prof. Akiko Yamanaka, the International Consultant for the Training and former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. In her Keynote, Prof. Akiko shared her perspective on the challenges youth and women face in peacebuilding from a global context in connection to the Sustainable Development Goals.
Following the Keynote, the ASEAN-IPR Secretariat also presented to participants a brief on the Institute’s on the youth – which included, among others – the Youth Conference on Peace & Tolerance (2018), Youth & Technology Training Workshop (2021), Dialogue on Peace & Multilateralism (2022), ASEAN Youth Peace Essay Competition (2022), ASEAN Youth Peace Figures (2022) and the Workshop on Youth, Peace & Security (2022). This laid the foundation to the Training, providing participants with a rationale on how the Training came to be, as it follows previous activities of the Institute which were oriented/focused on the youth as target beneficiaries.
The Training consisted of three main activities: Youth Expert Panels, Training Sessions, and a Study Visit to PeaceGeneration Indonesia in Bandung. The Panels were delivered by four experts: Capt. Sherhannah Paiso-Bahjin Prof, a Military Professor of Psychology and Social Anthropology; Ms. Fatimah Zahrah, Regional Coordinator of ASEAN Youth Forum; Ms. Rizka Antika from ASEAN Rising Leaders; and Mr. Irfan Amalee, Co-Founder and Executive Director of PeaceGeneration Indonesia. The Trainers/Experts delivered topics relating to peace and conflict based on their own experiences in their respective fields.
The Training Sessions focused on three themes: conflict analysis and transformation; peace(building); and peace education, campaign, and advocacy. Each of these sessions was delivered based on a syllabus designed by the trainers: Mr. Agus Nahrowi, Learning & Development Manager at Earthworm Foundation, Ms. Fitriani Bintang Timur, Senior Analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Cyber, Technology, and Security Program, and Mr. Dody Wibowo, Assistant Professor at Gadjah Mada University. These sessions were designed to be an interactive learning process by combining lectures with group exercises and role plays based on hypothetical cases. In between these lessons, a guest speaking session was delivered by Mr. Masayoshi Mita, Regional Humanitarian Affairs Advisor for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Office in Indonesia, who spoke about humanitarian efforts in post-conflict situations in connection to the works of ICRC.
The study visit to PeaceGeneration Indonesia was attended by all participants, along with some ASEAN-IPR GC and AB Members, a representative of JAIF. The purpose of the visit was to expose the participants to the practical aspect of peacebuilding with a particular focus on how peace education is organised institutionally, how it is sustained, and how it is designed to create impact.
The main deliverable for this Training is an action plan designed by the participants in groups according to nationality. Based on the materials they learned during the Training, the participants worked together to put forward ideas on how to promote the meaningful participation of youth in peacebuilding through programs or initiatives.
The official conclusion of the Training on 2 August saw closing remarks from Mr. I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja, Executive Director of ASEAN-IPR, H.E. Kiya Masahiko, Ambassador of Japan to ASEAN, and Ms. Carolina Tinangon, Secretary of the Directorate General of ASEAN Cooperation, on behalf of the Director-General of ASEAN Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia. The end of the Training saw bonds of friendship and network established amongst participants, brought together through a performance of participants’ talents which accompanied the closing dinner.
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