The three days repartory youths’ forum was held from 16-19 February 2009 at Christain Council of Thailand, Bangkok. This youth camp was co-organized by several organization which approximately 85 youths from ASEAN countries was participant. Mekong alumni also play an important role in the preparatory regional meeting. Long and Dang from Vietnam, P Ae and Tu from Thailand and Siphoung from Burma was participated in Mekong Youth Camp.
During three days camp we had exchange our experiences from our work and country situation, we had learned Public speaking, lively presentation, writing skill for media. In additional we had learned the linkage of ASEAN charter. We also have a half day field to the poor urban area, Labor museum and homeless and sex worker places in Bangkok. It’s help us to understanding on the real life of people in the city.
In this camp our alumni play very important role in many activities. P Ae is facilitator at the same time translator during three days in the youth camp. Long and Siphoung were interviewed by the local media about our struggle from our work and society.
In this youth camp, we also have opportunity to express our voice to the ASEAN leader through the recommendation. We also have a chance to advertise about the Mekong School program who come from Mekong region and also have a chance to observe the applicants who are already applied the Mekong School. Dang, Tu are taking response to distribute the Mekong Brochure and explain the regulation of Mekong School to who are interesting. During this three days camp was bring us the happiness, knowledge, skills and enable us to participant in the regional level of Conferences.
ASEAN Peoples’ Forum “Advancing a People’s” was held from 20 to 22 February 2009 at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok. This APF seek to strengthen civil society across the ASEAN regions through people to people engagement. 850 people were participated in this APF then develop joint action among civil society actor in the ASEAN regions. All of the recommendation was make by civil society then will submit to the ASEAN leader which held the 14th ASEAN summit in Huo Hin from 27 Feb to 1 March. SIX of Mekong Alumni Long and Dang from Vietnam, Ae, Ad and Tu from Thailand and Shining from Burma were actively involved in APF.
Ten youths from different countries was open the forum then, Ae was the announcer of the first day forum. In the first day of cultural night, all of youth and alumni were perform their tradition dance and song. Dang picture was post on the main page of APF website on 21 FEB 2009.
On the second day of APF, there were several workshops. Our alumni groups and some youth were hosting one workshop called Diversity of Communities and Natural Resource Management. Dang was presented about Song Bong Dam in Vietnam, Shining was prepared the power point about “Natural resources in Burma” then let her colleague presented it because of the security concern. In this workshop Ae was the moderator, Long was the presenter who read all the recommendation from the speakers. Tu was who given the commend for the speaker.
ASEAN People Forum brought a lot of knowledge to alumni, have a lot of space in the participation, and have a chance to give our voice to the public, gain the skill on lively presentation. But we still have some challenges in the participation of APF. As some of ASEAN countries still have political strike, some of us were not dare to have a big profile in the conference. For instead, we want to hold the panel and open the APF conference, many of us were not able to actively participant in the first day activities. In the last day of Conference we all had to change our traditional dress in order to make the media or spy attention on us. By this way we could over come all of the challenges and fully enjoy in the lively participation.
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