1) ASEAN must promote and support youth participation in ASEAN at the policy and decision-making levels. There must be planning and efficient implementing and monitoring, as well as evaluation
o ASEAN Youth Network must be established in order to exchange cultures and histories for a better understanding and solidarity among youth in the region
o ASEAN must promote and support volunteerism among the youth in the region
o A youth committee must be a part of the ASEAN body and there must be youth representatives from various sectors, such as schools, labor and agricultural sectors, as well as from ethnic groups etc.
2) ASEAN must strengthen and promote diversity of local cultures and give respect to humanity
o Promote and support alternative education that suits the needs of the community. The history curriculum must be reformed to be accurate for correct and mutual understanding among neighboring countries.
3) ASEAN must emphasize a people-oriented policy and allocate sufficient budget for youth empowerment.
o Promote and support sustainable social entrepreneurship for the youth
o Establish local alternative products and markets to support local communities for sustainable development.
Monday, 6 April 2009
Workshop on Diversity and Natural Resource Management (Land, Forest, Water): Alternative to Mega-Projects in Mekong Region from Youth Perspectives
Recommendations for ASEAN Leaders
1. ASEAN countries must balance pro-poor economic policies within ecology, socio-cultural values and provide communities the right to access and manage natural resources sustainably based on participation (freedom of research, information and campaigning) and local knowledge.
2. ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment (ASOEN) need to urgently allocate the key environment and natural resources issues of the region by working closely with Civil Society, NGOs, People’s Party, Mass Organizations and regional independent bodies to empower local people and youth towards livelihood securities and to develop alternative energy as strategies and implementation.
3. Environmental Pillar must be established in ASEAN with the national and regional standards by focusing on the transparency system among the governments and investors regarding business ethnics and internalize social and environment costs in their production processes based on genuine participation of people in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and Health Impacts Assessment (HIA).
1. ASEAN countries must balance pro-poor economic policies within ecology, socio-cultural values and provide communities the right to access and manage natural resources sustainably based on participation (freedom of research, information and campaigning) and local knowledge.
2. ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment (ASOEN) need to urgently allocate the key environment and natural resources issues of the region by working closely with Civil Society, NGOs, People’s Party, Mass Organizations and regional independent bodies to empower local people and youth towards livelihood securities and to develop alternative energy as strategies and implementation.
3. Environmental Pillar must be established in ASEAN with the national and regional standards by focusing on the transparency system among the governments and investors regarding business ethnics and internalize social and environment costs in their production processes based on genuine participation of people in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and Health Impacts Assessment (HIA).
Summary and Recommendations: Natural Disaster Management
From the lesson learnt among the experiences of Natural Disasters and local management for livelihood strategies in Myanmar/Burma, we found some key points which are the causes of natural disasters or causes making people more suffered, and the good experiences which peoples found and practice for emergency response or management for livelihood.
Summary
- Extraction on natural resources without conducting assessment on possible impacts is the main course of future disasters
- Lack of environmental awareness and arrangement make the impacts more severe
- Lack of sharing information, lack of proper and effective management, lack of proper policy focusing on the benefit of grass-root people in case of disaster, lack of effective infrastructure are also the causes behind the unnecessary losses.
- Peoples’ participation and rights to participate in the conservation, emergency response and rehabilitation is the most necessary and important mechanism in natural disaster management
Recommendations
In order to respond the local phenomena of natural disasters and possible impacts from ASEAN, as the peoples of ASEAN, we strongly recommend and propose the following suggestions.
• To prevent the future disasters as the impacts of unbalance extraction on natural resources, economics co-integration should have standards for the environmental impact assessment (EIA) and social impact assessment (SIA).
• To encompass the two phases of disaster management; prevention and emergency response, strengthen the functions of (ASEAN Senior Officials On Environment) ASOEN’s and (ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management) ACDM’s subsidiary bodies focusing not only on ministerial levels but also on the participation of civil societies.
• ASEAN should have the role to address and should have the standard to ensure the transparency and accountability in humanitarian efforts.
Summary
- Extraction on natural resources without conducting assessment on possible impacts is the main course of future disasters
- Lack of environmental awareness and arrangement make the impacts more severe
- Lack of sharing information, lack of proper and effective management, lack of proper policy focusing on the benefit of grass-root people in case of disaster, lack of effective infrastructure are also the causes behind the unnecessary losses.
- Peoples’ participation and rights to participate in the conservation, emergency response and rehabilitation is the most necessary and important mechanism in natural disaster management
Recommendations
In order to respond the local phenomena of natural disasters and possible impacts from ASEAN, as the peoples of ASEAN, we strongly recommend and propose the following suggestions.
• To prevent the future disasters as the impacts of unbalance extraction on natural resources, economics co-integration should have standards for the environmental impact assessment (EIA) and social impact assessment (SIA).
• To encompass the two phases of disaster management; prevention and emergency response, strengthen the functions of (ASEAN Senior Officials On Environment) ASOEN’s and (ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management) ACDM’s subsidiary bodies focusing not only on ministerial levels but also on the participation of civil societies.
• ASEAN should have the role to address and should have the standard to ensure the transparency and accountability in humanitarian efforts.
ASEAN Youth Statement
We are the youth of Southeast Asia—young persons from different organizations in eight ASEAN countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam—plus South Korea). We would like to make our voices heard, as the youth of the region, the next generation who will eventually inherit it.
We met in Bangkok from 16-19 February 2009 to learn and share about ASEAN, and about issues and concerns that we face in our respective countries, the ASEAN region and as young persons. We discussed about the issues we are already working on: natural disaster management, peace-building, human rights and democracy, natural resource management and food security, and globalization and gross national happiness (GNH).
We affirm our common identity as the youth of the ASEAN, bound by a shared destiny as neighbours. We are united as young persons who are bound by a common concern for our countries, the region and the peoples. We celebrate the diversity of our roots, which are a source of our strength that serves to highlight the need for solidarity and unity as a region.
We, as youth of the ASEAN region, would like to assert that:
As ASEAN transforms itself into a more formal organization of states, it must set and lead in higher standards and mechanisms which will promote the welfare of its peoples. These standards and mechanisms need proper and full implementation so that words and ideas become reality.
ASEAN, as a regional organization, must address all forms of oppression of peoples in different countries in the region, who continue to endure curtailment of freedoms and violations of human rights different forms and degrees.
ASEAN, in order to be a true community of caring societies, must be based on a framework of human rights, sustainable development and peace-building.
ASEAN and its members must recognize and support the role and involvement of the youth in social development at the community, national and regional level.
We also commit ourselves to work together as young people in the Southeast Asian Region, and form a growing network of individuals an organizations who will engage ASEAN as young people on various issues and concerns.
Particularly, we would like to make the following specific recommendations:
On Environment and Natural Resource Management:
We urge the ASEAN Senior officials on the Environment (ASOEN) to work transparently with civil society (NGOs, people’s parties, mass organizations and independent organizations) in giving pressure on investors to practice business ethics and internalize social and environmental costs in their projects and production processes based on sound environmental and social impact assessment (EIA and SIA).
We propose ASOEN to set up standards for its member countries to empower local people to raise awareness, for livelihood development, alternatives and participatory natural resource management.
We demand governments of ASEAN countries to enforce balanced economic policies consistent with ecological and socio-cultural values, which will improve the right of local people to access and manage natural resources based on local knowledge.
On Human Rights and Democracy
We want an ASEAN Human Rights body that is independent from member governments, in order to have a fair and unbiased investigation of violations in member countries.
We demand that the ASEAN Human Rights body must protect and promote the rights of youth and students (for example, the rights to organize and conduct human right campaigns, to form student governments and organizations, to freedom of political beliefs and participation, to expression, to peaceful assembly, to access to education, academic freedom, to decent work, and to human rights education, among others)
We urge ASEAN and its members to protect and promote all human rights, which requires greater participation of peoples in Democracy.
On Globalization and GNH
We urge ASEAN to promote and support youth participation in ASEAN policy-making, and decision-making.
1. ASEAN must support the formation of Youth networks, exchanges and solidarity.
2. ASEAN and its members must promote and support youth voluntarism.
We urge ASEAN to strengthen and promote the respect and diversity of local culture.
ASEAN must promote and support alternative education and local knowledge curriculum.
ASEAN must support people-driven policy and increase spending for youth social services.
ASEAN must promote and support sustainable youth entrepreneurship.
ASEAN must protect and promote local product markets from the impact of globalization on food production.
ASEAN must protect the local youth workers from exploitation resulting from globalisation.
On Peace-building
We believe that ASEAN’s peace-building efforts must be based on human rights framework.
- ASEAN should promote and set up a Youth Network for peace-building and peace education (curriculum that stimulate youths to respect diversity, multiracial perspectives)
- ASEAN should promote fully the participation of ASEAN people, especially young people, to shape their future and respect their self-determination at all levels with compromise.
- ASEAN’s role should control foreign intervention in terms of militarization and free trade. ASEAN should insist each country’s regional to use peaceful settlement to their internal affairs.
On Natural Disaster Management
In order to respond the local phenomena of natural disasters and possible impacts from ASEAN, as the peoples of ASEAN, we strongly recommend and propose the following suggestions.
• For Implementation of Socio-Cultural Community, there should be the program for Environmental awareness and education for grass-root people.
• The economic co-integration should have a standard for the environmental impact assessment (EIA) and social impact assessment (SIA)
• To empower the activities of ASEAN Senior Officials On Environment (ASOEN) Focusing on civil society rather than ministerial levels and revise the agreement on “non-interference among internal affairs of member states” which is the great block for implementing the ASEAN’s mechanisms.
22 February 2009
Bangkok, Thailand
We met in Bangkok from 16-19 February 2009 to learn and share about ASEAN, and about issues and concerns that we face in our respective countries, the ASEAN region and as young persons. We discussed about the issues we are already working on: natural disaster management, peace-building, human rights and democracy, natural resource management and food security, and globalization and gross national happiness (GNH).
We affirm our common identity as the youth of the ASEAN, bound by a shared destiny as neighbours. We are united as young persons who are bound by a common concern for our countries, the region and the peoples. We celebrate the diversity of our roots, which are a source of our strength that serves to highlight the need for solidarity and unity as a region.
We, as youth of the ASEAN region, would like to assert that:
As ASEAN transforms itself into a more formal organization of states, it must set and lead in higher standards and mechanisms which will promote the welfare of its peoples. These standards and mechanisms need proper and full implementation so that words and ideas become reality.
ASEAN, as a regional organization, must address all forms of oppression of peoples in different countries in the region, who continue to endure curtailment of freedoms and violations of human rights different forms and degrees.
ASEAN, in order to be a true community of caring societies, must be based on a framework of human rights, sustainable development and peace-building.
ASEAN and its members must recognize and support the role and involvement of the youth in social development at the community, national and regional level.
We also commit ourselves to work together as young people in the Southeast Asian Region, and form a growing network of individuals an organizations who will engage ASEAN as young people on various issues and concerns.
Particularly, we would like to make the following specific recommendations:
On Environment and Natural Resource Management:
We urge the ASEAN Senior officials on the Environment (ASOEN) to work transparently with civil society (NGOs, people’s parties, mass organizations and independent organizations) in giving pressure on investors to practice business ethics and internalize social and environmental costs in their projects and production processes based on sound environmental and social impact assessment (EIA and SIA).
We propose ASOEN to set up standards for its member countries to empower local people to raise awareness, for livelihood development, alternatives and participatory natural resource management.
We demand governments of ASEAN countries to enforce balanced economic policies consistent with ecological and socio-cultural values, which will improve the right of local people to access and manage natural resources based on local knowledge.
On Human Rights and Democracy
We want an ASEAN Human Rights body that is independent from member governments, in order to have a fair and unbiased investigation of violations in member countries.
We demand that the ASEAN Human Rights body must protect and promote the rights of youth and students (for example, the rights to organize and conduct human right campaigns, to form student governments and organizations, to freedom of political beliefs and participation, to expression, to peaceful assembly, to access to education, academic freedom, to decent work, and to human rights education, among others)
We urge ASEAN and its members to protect and promote all human rights, which requires greater participation of peoples in Democracy.
On Globalization and GNH
We urge ASEAN to promote and support youth participation in ASEAN policy-making, and decision-making.
1. ASEAN must support the formation of Youth networks, exchanges and solidarity.
2. ASEAN and its members must promote and support youth voluntarism.
We urge ASEAN to strengthen and promote the respect and diversity of local culture.
ASEAN must promote and support alternative education and local knowledge curriculum.
ASEAN must support people-driven policy and increase spending for youth social services.
ASEAN must promote and support sustainable youth entrepreneurship.
ASEAN must protect and promote local product markets from the impact of globalization on food production.
ASEAN must protect the local youth workers from exploitation resulting from globalisation.
On Peace-building
We believe that ASEAN’s peace-building efforts must be based on human rights framework.
- ASEAN should promote and set up a Youth Network for peace-building and peace education (curriculum that stimulate youths to respect diversity, multiracial perspectives)
- ASEAN should promote fully the participation of ASEAN people, especially young people, to shape their future and respect their self-determination at all levels with compromise.
- ASEAN’s role should control foreign intervention in terms of militarization and free trade. ASEAN should insist each country’s regional to use peaceful settlement to their internal affairs.
On Natural Disaster Management
In order to respond the local phenomena of natural disasters and possible impacts from ASEAN, as the peoples of ASEAN, we strongly recommend and propose the following suggestions.
• For Implementation of Socio-Cultural Community, there should be the program for Environmental awareness and education for grass-root people.
• The economic co-integration should have a standard for the environmental impact assessment (EIA) and social impact assessment (SIA)
• To empower the activities of ASEAN Senior Officials On Environment (ASOEN) Focusing on civil society rather than ministerial levels and revise the agreement on “non-interference among internal affairs of member states” which is the great block for implementing the ASEAN’s mechanisms.
22 February 2009
Bangkok, Thailand
Sunday, 18 January 2009
4. Diversity of Communities and Natural Resource Management
Rational:
The
Obviously seen that political problem is one of the main factors of natural resource exploitation in our countries. Particularly when Mekong Region has been opened for the world market and liberization in the name of ‘development’. Various economic cooperation such as Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), Ayeawady- Chao Phraya- Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMEC) has been driving economic changes in our region dramatically. Trades and investments have been attracted from through out the world by abundant resources, cheap labor, weak environmental protection standard and poor governance. Not only those transnational companies (TNCs) from other regions, but also demands of raw material from industrial sector in China, Vietnam and Thailand become one of the factors of rapid changes. Mega development projects have been constructed through region such as roads, dams, power plants, mining, navigation, gas pipeline and so on. Current destructive practices including conversion of forestland to large-scale mono-crop or agri-business plantations areas which have affected to the livelihood of local communities. Including illegal logging has become both national and regional issues when forest products from Lao PDR,
According to ASEAN will be another mechanism to accelerate economic force in our region together with other international financial institutions and organizations such as World Trade Organizations (WTO), World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB) that has been driving our world economy. As youth will play a very important role for further development of our region, we will take part of this opportunity to learn more from each other. In order to build up understanding and awareness of different issues regarding development and natural resource management. With the aim that we will be able to seek for alternatives to development in our region, the Region of Diversity that can not use only ONE mainstream model to deal with our problems. Toward genuine sustainability and justice in our motherland, Mekong Region.
Host Organizations:
1)
2) Lao PDR: Dokchampa Group, Lao Youth Network (LYN)
3)
4)
5)
Objectives
- Youth are able to share situations and experience on natural resource management and development issues in their own countries
- Youth are able analyze the problems and identify possible areas for collaborating and networking among each other
- Youth are able to recommend development direction and alternatives to development and natural resource management at individual, national, regional and ASEAN level.
Process:
· Presentations 5 topics (10-15 minutes for presentation and discussion)
1) Fishery resource in
2) Dams in
3) Eco-authoritarian conservation and ethnic conflict in
4) Youth and Community Base Forestry Management in
5) Overview of Mega-development and Impacts on Local Peoples and Environment
· Big group discussion
· Analysis by resource person
· Conclusion
Participants: 50 participants
- Youth and students
- Peoples’ organizations
- NGOs workers
Logistics arrangement: LCD/projector
Translator: NEEDED
3. Impact of Globalization and GNH Youth Movement
Rationale
As our world is facing with the Globalization stream that is driving towards Neo-liberalism for the unlimited modernity in development, the influences of consumerism is slowly integrating into our lifestyles in almost every aspect, especially to those young people in Southeast Asia that has been growing up under the challenging changes of two cultures. One is the world of local wisdom and its emphasis on values, spirits and collectivism, and the other world, that emphasize on materialism and individualism. Amidst the transitions of the two contrasting cultures, the social paradigm as well as lifestyles of young people has inevitably shifted and accidentally fallen into being slaves for materialism and consumerism, as they might or might be not fully aware of the issues.
So it is necessary that the youth of today empower themselves and recognize the social problems in local, national and regional level, so that they will together search for the ASEAN identity and issues of the youth of ASEAN, who are facing the challenges that comes with various forms of development. The most important key is that the youth must have roles and participation for crating the fair, just and peaceful society in local, national and regional level.
Objectives
1. To exchange and discuss about the youth movement and experiences among different countries
2. To together analyze the problems, issues, causes and come up with solutions that encourage and strengthen the young people’s participation in every level of social development.
3. To gather the proposals for the just and fair society and the ASEAN’s roles on empowering young people.
4. To promote friendship and cooperation among young people in ASEAN.
Workshop methods
1. Brainstorming among the workshop participants on the impact of globalization and the youth movement/ young people’s current situation in each country.
Method using the flash cards for brainstorming, and grouped according to issues. Open the floor for discussion for on causes and impacts of the issues. (30 minutes)
2. Exchanging experiences in regards to the role of the young people and social changes from 3 perspectives; the student movement, the volunteerism for community and society, the local wisdom for self-immunity and globalization.
Method 3 representatives from the 3 movements presents their experiences, roles, lessons learned and policy suggestions, then open the floor for discussion. (1 hour)
3. Gathering the youth proposals for the ASEAN summit (30 minutes)
Target groups
1. Students 15 participants
2. Youth for Local Wisdom 10 participants
3. Volunteers 15 participants
4. General Public 10 participants
Total number of participants 50 participants
Co-organizing organizations
1. Thai Volunteer Service Foundation (TVS)
2. Youth for Local Wisdom Network (YLWN)
3. Cambodian Volunteer for Society (CVS)
4. Student Federation of Thailand (SFT)
Logistics Arrangement Needed
LCD/Projector
Contact detail
Email to: happyseed.movement@gmail.com
Web blog: www.happyseedmovement
As our world is facing with the Globalization stream that is driving towards Neo-liberalism for the unlimited modernity in development, the influences of consumerism is slowly integrating into our lifestyles in almost every aspect, especially to those young people in Southeast Asia that has been growing up under the challenging changes of two cultures. One is the world of local wisdom and its emphasis on values, spirits and collectivism, and the other world, that emphasize on materialism and individualism. Amidst the transitions of the two contrasting cultures, the social paradigm as well as lifestyles of young people has inevitably shifted and accidentally fallen into being slaves for materialism and consumerism, as they might or might be not fully aware of the issues.
So it is necessary that the youth of today empower themselves and recognize the social problems in local, national and regional level, so that they will together search for the ASEAN identity and issues of the youth of ASEAN, who are facing the challenges that comes with various forms of development. The most important key is that the youth must have roles and participation for crating the fair, just and peaceful society in local, national and regional level.
Objectives
1. To exchange and discuss about the youth movement and experiences among different countries
2. To together analyze the problems, issues, causes and come up with solutions that encourage and strengthen the young people’s participation in every level of social development.
3. To gather the proposals for the just and fair society and the ASEAN’s roles on empowering young people.
4. To promote friendship and cooperation among young people in ASEAN.
Workshop methods
1. Brainstorming among the workshop participants on the impact of globalization and the youth movement/ young people’s current situation in each country.
Method using the flash cards for brainstorming, and grouped according to issues. Open the floor for discussion for on causes and impacts of the issues. (30 minutes)
2. Exchanging experiences in regards to the role of the young people and social changes from 3 perspectives; the student movement, the volunteerism for community and society, the local wisdom for self-immunity and globalization.
Method 3 representatives from the 3 movements presents their experiences, roles, lessons learned and policy suggestions, then open the floor for discussion. (1 hour)
3. Gathering the youth proposals for the ASEAN summit (30 minutes)
Target groups
1. Students 15 participants
2. Youth for Local Wisdom 10 participants
3. Volunteers 15 participants
4. General Public 10 participants
Total number of participants 50 participants
Co-organizing organizations
1. Thai Volunteer Service Foundation (TVS)
2. Youth for Local Wisdom Network (YLWN)
3. Cambodian Volunteer for Society (CVS)
4. Student Federation of Thailand (SFT)
Logistics Arrangement Needed
LCD/Projector
Contact detail
Email to: happyseed.movement@gmail.com
Web blog: www.happyseedmovement
2.Bringing ASEAN Youths Voices to End Food Crisis
Global food prices have increased by 83 percent in the 36 months leading up to February 2008, while wheat went up by 181 percent.In the last nine months alone, food prices have risen by 40 percent. The real price of rice rose to a 19-year high in March, an increase of 50 percent in two weeks alone. Observers predict the current highs could last into 2009, and prices are likely to remain substantially above 2004 levels until at least 2015.
In many developing countries, local food production has been drastically undermined by one-sided trade liberalisation and structural adjustment programmes, leaving them heavily import dependent and nearly defenceless in the face of price shocks on world markets.
ASEAN as a role of Regional institutions as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations –have facing this problem in their region and have tried to mitigate the situation through regional efforts.
Thus, Youth will be participated and involved in responsible, challenging action that meets the effective suggestion, with opportunities for sharing and raise their voices to be heard for policies and decision-maker. On the participatory activity and the opportunity for Youths’s effort toward “End Food Crisis” goal.
OBJECTIVES
1. To recognize youth as equal partners and provide youth a space to discuss Food Crisis concerns from youths’ perspective.
2. To understand the main causes, impacts and current responses to the food crisis at the country/regional level;
3. To identify the sustainable agriculture needed at the country and regional level as an alternative solutions for food security and food sovereignty;
4. To suggest complementary policies that might be necessary to end the Food Crisis.
5. To come up with common strategies for raising the ASEAN Youths’ advocacy for food sovereignty in response to the crisis;
WORKSHOP DESIGN:
The workshop will be co-anchored by ActionAid (
.
The workshop will fall under the category, Social and Cultural Dimensions of Regionalization and Regionalism, as it provides a forum for youths to participate on policies making . The workshop title is “ Bringing ASEAN Youths’ Voices to End the Food Crisis.”
Topics for Panelists:
- Topic 1 – Causes and Impacts of the Food Crisis in the Region.
- Topic 2 – Sustainable Agriculture for alternative solution.
- Topic 3 – Proposed Policy Solutions to Address the Food Crisis from the view of young generation ( 3 speakers)
- Panel 3 – Youth Action plan to end Food Crisis.
The workshop will be divided into the following:
Part I – Opening session: (10 min)
Welcome Remarks and Introduction of the Workshop (10 min)
Part II – Panel Presentations (1 hr and 15 minutes)
The panel presentations are basically divided into three parts, 1) understanding the food crisis problem and; 2) looking at solutions to the food crisis; and 3) Action Plan: Strategies for Advocacy with ASEAN.
Panelists will be given 10 minutes each.
Part III – Question and Answer/Discussion (30 min)
Part VI – Closing session and synthesis (5 mins.)
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