“If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.” A quote His Excellency Dr. Sok Siphana left us at the closing ceremony to urge us to give our all in furthering development of education and leadership in the region
~ By Claribel Low, a Youth Corps Singapore Leader
Perhaps for many, the notion of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) brings to mind regional conferences, political leaders, treaties and the likes of those. They may be right in many ways, to be honest, but after attending the Second ASEAN-China Youth Exchange Visit in Siem Reap, Cambodia (which was held from 26 to 30 June 2016), I learned that ASEAN is much closer to home than it seems.
New ideas and collaborations
Photo: Some of the Singaporean delegates at the Opening Ceremony of the Exchange Visit Photo Credits: Claribel Low
We began our visit with discussion sessions, where youth leaders from all over ASEAN and China gathered together to share developments in their respective nations. We also collectively provided suggestions for collaborations between ASEAN and China for the betterment of the region. Some of these suggestions included increasing the number of grants for youths to learn more about the region, as well as the number of collaborations between voluntary initiatives across the region. It was through these discussions that I started appreciating ASEAN’s role in our lives. In fact, I realised that ASEAN can actually be a platform where youths like us can voice out issues close to our hearts and lead collaborations with our neighbouring countries!
Having Passion and Knowledge
Throughout these discussions, I was also struck by the passion and knowledge that our ASEAN and Chinese counterparts demonstrated. It was heartening to know that there’re many youth leaders having the passion to further education and leadership causes all over the region.
Photo: Singaporean and Cambodian delegates posing in an ancient Khmer temple Photo Credits: Serina Sng
Lessons from heritage
We also had the amazing opportunity to tour Angkor Wat and other ancient Khmer temples! The grandeur of the ancient architecture not only taught us how rich Cambodia is in culture and history, but also demonstrated just how vast the world is and how there’s still so much we’ve yet to explore!
Friendship beyond borders
Photo: Delegates from China, Malaysia, Cambodia & Singapore posing at dinner! Photo Credits: Malin Leam
That, coupled with the international friends we made, definitely made this exchange an unforgettable experience. During the closing ceremony, all participating countries put up captivating cultural performances that showcased our own unique cultures. We also exchanged gifts with each other as a token. This whole episode reminded me of how our differences can fade away when we come together as friends. In fact, just as there’s beauty in the kaleidoscope of cultures in ASEAN and China, there’s an even greater beauty when our unity triumphs our differences. I’m sure if we all work together and put our differences aside, we can become the change our society needs.
~ Claribel Low attended the ASEAN-China Youth Exchange Visit 2016 in June 2016. She’s also an active youth leader with Youth Corps Singapore.
