South-Asian Youth Gathering and Global Citizenship Education

The Youth Participation and Leadership Development Committee of Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs gathered 35 young delegates from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and including 5 Korean youths from Raonatti Project. The program was held on 18th – 23rd January, 2012 at YMCA Training Center, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh, with the theme “The Challenges in South Asian Realities and the Role of YMCA in Empowering the Youth”. It was an initiative sub-regional program of YPLD members from South-Asia countries.

The program was well organized under the leadership and management of YPLD members. All delegates were inspired by the keynote address by Dr. Peter Halder, National Director of Bangladesh Youth First Concern; based on the theme: “The Challenges in South Asian Realities and the Role of YMCA in Empowering the Youth”. Besides the keynote address, input sessions were also provided covering the topics on ‘Understanding Concepts of Globalization and APAY Perspective’ by Ms. Eloisa Borreo, Executive Secretary of Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs, ‘Impact of Communication and Technology on Youth’ by Mr. Babu Markus Gomes, President of National Council of YMCAs of Bangladesh, ‘Achieving Gender Justice through Voices of Empowerment’ by Dr. Faustina Pereira and ‘YMCA Leadership Imperatives and Skills’ by Mr. William Proloy Sammadder. Those are the common issues that South-Asian countries have been facing. In addition, team-building activities, team-challenged games and other stimulation games related to the input presentations such as “If the world were a village of 100 people and the Trading Game” helped participants to understand more on Globalization and the realities of the world.

On the third day afternoon of the program, all participants visited to BARACA “Bangladesh Rehabilitation and Assistance Center for Addicts” where a total of 35 patients are having treatment. Not only treatment, BARACA also provides many programs such as vocational trainings and income generating projects, HIV/AIDS prevention, studies and research, networking among the drug treatment and rehabilitation center and training for the staff of BARACA and different Rehabilita-tion Centres. The young participants were so much touched by the life-story sharing from 2 addicts that drugs changed their lives and destroyed all their hopes and ambitions. But they do not give up and fighting against the drugs to start their new lives.

After learning and brainstorming on serious topics, partici-pants could have fun at the cultural night event on the last day of the program. It was very interesting that South-Asia countries have similar culture. Each country presented their culture through performances. After performances, participants were awarded certificates for the completion of the program by the President and General Secretary of National Council of YMCAs of Bangladesh and Executive Secretary of the Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs.

Overall, the program was very well and received many positive feedbacks from the participants. We thank you all the youth delegates for their active participation throughout the program and the YPLD members who had taken leadership role so that we could have a successful and meaningful youth-led program.

JULIA MUN PAN

General Secretary’s Plan for the Year 2013

Plan and schedule of 2013
This is our 2nd year of the APAY Quadrennial Strategic Plan (2012-2015). Some of the key points we have tried to seek are the following three points.
1. Movement Strengthening (Governance, Resource Mobilization, Strengthening weaker movements, Staff trainings)
2. Youth Empowerment (YPLD Committee, Youth Reps and Change Agents training, encourage sub regional youth events)
3. Issues and concerns (Alternative Tourism, Gender Trainings, Green Ambassadors, Interfaith Cooperation, and Social Economy)
Based on the above visions, the 2nd year of 2013 schedule were set as follows.

Promoting Global Alternative Tourism Network in YMCAs
“Opt Solidarity, Onset Sustainability”

The year 2012 has just passed and the APAY initiated GATN (Global Alternative Tourism Network) started to grow its treasure branches to cherish this coming Happy New Year. The treasure branches are just brilliantly glistening new hopes for us. By joining in GATN, we (1) learn and share experience more, (2) benefit the hosts as well as the visitors, (3) care for the present and future more, (4) contribute the development of local community, (5) build solidarity with the less privileged for world peace.

The GATN comprises 10 Alternative Tourism sites formed in 6 countries: Thailand, Philippines, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. They are YMCAs in Chiangmai, Chiangrai, Bangkok, Pangasinan, Gaya, Yogyakarta/Kutoarjo, Surabaya, Makassar, Birisiri and Komari. These developed Alternative Tourism themes embrace Educational Tour, Cultural and Natural Tour, Pilgrimage Tour, Civil Movement for Building Global Solidarity and Volunteerism.

These Alternative Tourism Sites were built based on CHANGE approaches;

• Community-centered
• Holistic
• Advocating Global Citizenship and Global Networking
• Nature Sensitive
• Gender (and child) sensitive
• Economically Viable and Productive

A Global Alternative Tourism Network based on such efforts and nourished by the sharing of varied experience form the ground will render YMCA a recognized player vis-à-vis tourism, a major enterprise of our times. This can only be of benefit to the YMCA hosts, visitors and travelers, and the community. In this sense, the YMCA will be seen to be engaged in ‘solidarity tourism’. The main objectives were to explore the potential of YMCAs and develop YMCA Alternative Tourism Models. The GATN International Forum on Alternative Tourism held in 2011 has likely been giving considerable inspiration for the YMCAs in our region to work on a trans-formed tourism by the YMCAs in their respective areas for the benefit of local community who are poor and marginalized.

The website that GATN established in 2012 (www.ymcatourism.org) is beneficially featuring those 10 interesting sites to visit, while Cambodia YMCA is starting its Alternative Tour testing in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh this early January of 2013. Also, other YMCAs will join in GATN soon. The website is meant also to include all contacts of YMCA hotels worldwide and enable it for direct reservation. Thus, through GATN website, the YMCA tour packages and hotel/accommodation could be marketed into global level. The Alternative Tourism sites developed will also go through GATN certification to ensure the standard quality is being achieved for worldwide marketing and service satisfaction.

The GATN travelers will get a trusty, affordable and meaningful experience during their travel and tour conducted in CHANGE principles. Soon after the local communities understood the meaning of Alternative Tourism based on CHANGE principles, they will be able to exercise control over the forms of tourism that they wish to see developed in their communities. Thereafter, in the local level the Alternative Tourism here acts as a tool to conserve and enhance local, natural and cultural heritage as well as strengthening the local economy. While, in the global level, this Alternative Tourism movement will voice solidarity for world peace and act for better environment. Thus, by conducting this Alternative Tourism, the YMCAs will benefit more from becoming a healing agent for the unfortunate community and the deteriorating ecology, as well as building up sustainability of their own and for the rest of community.

With your support and pray, hopefully GATN could continuously work in track and accomplish further objectives in this coming year. As per 31 August - 2 September 2012, the GATN Task Force also has held a Planning Meeting in Bangkok to plan of action for the next three years, as a continuity of the program movement for sustainability, the world peace community and environment friendly. The world is out there for us to reach, join now hand in hand to embrace the world and nurture the growing of better world. 

LIEM HWEE MING

Singapore New General Secretary

The YMCA of Singapore has appointed Ng Kian Seng as its new General Secretary with effect from January 1, 2013. Ng Kian Seng brings with him many years of corporate and social sector experience. Having worked in various organizations such as SAF Boy’s School, BMW, Glaxo Smithkline and Singapore Training and Development Association (STADA). Kian Seng has had served as the Executive Director of STADA, a not-for-profit organization for over 10 years.

Kian Seng graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration from RMIT, studying through the SIM Global Education program and later graduated with a Master of Arts in Education & Human Development from George Washington University.

Kian Seng is married and have two daughters. He attends Katong Presbyterian Church.

Let’s welcome him into the Y family and wish him every success in his new role.