Musicians, Businessmen, Techies, and Beacons of Hope Talk of Change

Themed “South East Asia Youth for Change,” the Youth Engagement Summit 2009 (YES 2009) was the first summit of its kind ever held in Asia, uniting about 4,000 youth representatives from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Brunei. Held at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC), the event brought together some of the world’s most motivational global change icons to help the new generation of young leaders to cope and rise above the many challenges of the 21st century.

The exciting event featured a superb line-up of speakers from various fields. Day One saw Sir Bob Geldof, the founder of Live Aid; Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter; and Dr Mamphele Ramphele, former managing director of the World Bank. Day Two saw Gary Kasparov, world chess champion; Nando Parrado, survivor of the fatal 1972 Andes air crash; Randi Zuckerberg, Facebook’s director of marketing; and Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes, who pioneered the domestic and international low-cost carrier in Asia spearheading AirAsia and AirAsia X. To top it off, American business magnate and CEO of Trump Organisation, Donald Trump, addressed the YES 2009 delegates via satellite live from his Trump Tower.

Prior to the event, over 600,000 youths across Asia pledged their support for YES through its official website www.yes2009.asia, as well as the YES Facebook and Twitter accounts. “It was US President Barack Obama’s inspirational “Yes, We Can” outlook that sparked the beginning of YES 2009. His charismatic approach shifted long-held perception, particularly of those in Southeast Asia, where multi-ethnic youths are concerned,” commented Harmandar Singh, CEO of regional publishing house Sledgehammer Communication (M) Sdn Bhd, who is also an advertising veteran.

Executive Director of Youth Asia, Khailee Ng said that the reason why YES 2009 is possible, is because of its network of believers. Said Twitter co-founder, Biz Stone: “Creativity is a renewable resource. And Twitter should be seen as a triumph of technology and humanity.”

In a recent press conference, Dr. Mamphele of South Africa said: “To rise above challenges is to connect with people. Those who are better off should reach out for the despairing or abused people. Always be on a lookout for the unfortunate. Social pain is just as pain as physical pain. Young people today are knowledgeable, while others still lag behind because they’re into the ‘me, myself and I’ mentality. Young people who succeeded in their continents are the ones who look beyond on what they can learn,” she added.

His need for speed started around eight, but for Narain Karthikeyan, being India’s first F1 racer is still just as thrilling as ever. “I read a lot of magazines on motorsports when I was young and it’s how it all started,” said Narain during the onstage interview with YES 2009 moderator Lorraine Hahn, an ex-CNBC and CNN presenter. “In my case, I made the impossible possible through my dedication. It can take you everywhere, if you believe in it. Focus on your goals and what you want to achieve,” commented Narain.

A live video presentation on the sufferings of African people, starvation, death, and efforts to overcome it was all it took for the huge crowd to give a standing ovation. Such was the move that greeted Sir Bob Geldof from the delegates and media people alike. “During the apartheid ruling, I realised that African people were not allowed to be free or vote because of their skin colour,” said Geldof in his opening speech. “I believe that everyone will have the exact potential, given the exact opportunity. People would rather spend 40 billion (dollars) on Barbie and lipsticks, but not for helping millions of needy people. We have to commit ourselves to change. Like Gandhi said, “first they laugh at you, then they ignore you. Later they’ll fight you and then you win,”” added Geldof.

When asked on how music might be able to change people, here’s what he had to say:

“Pop music is a global language. It’s powerful because it talks about you and about changes. The thing that unites people is pop music because everyone listens to it.”

“When ideas are out there, only rigorous argument can lead to results. Listen, respect and work cooperatively,” urged Geldof.

“We must give our youth – through their idealism and increasing dedication, the chance to share and bring out exciting opinions amongst their peers regardless of appearance, location or vocation – the correct tools to define a direction for change, that only fresh eyes can see,” commented Mr Harmandar Singh.

For more information on YES 2009, kindly log on to www.yes2009.asia