December 3, 1013

Today marks the first day of the Asian Youth Forum (AYF) 12 in Cebu City. It is a week-long event that gathers college-aged students and young people from all over the Asia to an international forum and 'share their ideas, views and knowledge on culture, language, leadership, social and global issues especially those affecting the youth'. AYF has been promoting international friendship and regional understanding, initiating academic discussions on social and global issues, and providing venues for the participants in planning localized solutions on their chosen concern issue.

Participants to AYF 12 are from Pan-Asian Conference (PAC) sponsored university students as well as independent applications from selected countries. I applied independently for this event and luckily, I was accepted.

AYF 12 wants participants to use English as the international language for communication. This does not mean however that we will forget our own national language. The forum is a venue to learn and understand other participants' languages. Since language is interrelated to culture, values, perceptions and history of one's nation, this forum can bridge the gap and create an atmosphere of "awareness, understanding and tolerance amidst differences".

So why am I attending?

As a Tunza Eco-generation ambassador, I want to spread this environmental platform we are using. I hope to encourage the participants to visit and register here.

Another goal of mine is to raise environmental issues to these active youth leaders in Asia. AYF is a place to brainstorm solutions which have global impact but the actions are local and can be done in our respective communities upon our return home.

Conveying the importance of environmental ownership is a key to spark debates on ecological and economic sustainability.

p.s. Thank you Eco-generation Team for the promotional goods.