With the theme of Uniting Nations for a Peaceful and Sustainable Future, on the 17th of October 2019, the TF LEaRN Young Asian Leaders Forum was held at Shaw Foundation Alumni House (NUS) for scholars across the four universities – NTU, NUS, SMU, and SUTD. TF LEaRN scholars were blessed to have the opportunity to attend, speak, and deliver their inquiries on social issues surrounding them. As much as the phrase “the young generation today will be the leaders in the future” has come up now and again in recent times, it does have some truth and an awakening reminder in it. Expecting everyone to become the leader, the lead entrepreneur, or something similar to it might be a bit overwhelming to us, but we did–no, do—have the agency to advocate changes. We were and are responsible for the outcomes in the future. With this realisation, this Forum took on more significance and importance in shaping the mindset of the young people, who would then be the leaders in a few decades to come.
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| Mr Amrin Amin during his keynote speech |
The TF LEaRN Young Asian Leaders Forum had an outstanding quality of speakers and moderators lined up as part of the programme. From the keynote speech by
Mr. Amrin Amin, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Ministry of Home Affairs & Ministry of
Health in Singapore, to the three outstanding youthful role models: Ms. Annalie
Edday, Ms. Cynthia Cheung, and Mr. Lim Chong Tee who not only advocated but
also took real actions to give their time and efforts for the betterment of the community. Of course, as a representative of the government, Mr. Amrin Amin presented the changes and
development in our societies in positive light, but that did not stop the young participants to
critically assess the presentation and pose questions that challenged the status quo. To his credit, Mr. Amrin did not shy away from
the questions but instead gave out thoughtful and candid answers. Through the keynote session, the Forum
managed to bring the focus to several social issues, including public service,
labour, and privileges. This, in my opinion, is highly insightful for the young
leaders attending the Forum.
The panel discussion in the second half of the Forum also shed some light on the power of youths in advocating for causes, and how youths can navigate through fights to create a better world for, at least, their community. The three speakers of the panel discussion were so outstandingly resilient in each of their respective struggles to improve the quality of life of people, many people in fact. In a time where we usually have huge doubts about our capabilities in bringing about changes, especially when the situation back home is not the most ideal, we are reminded of our potential strength and how we can hold the future in our own hands. The TF LEaRN programme has given us the time, place, and environment to be critical to our respective circumstances, and to have the tiny bit of courage to think about the possible changes we can bring in the future.
Through the Forum, it serves as a reminder to the scholars that as future leaders, while we talk about making a change, we also need to find ways to address issues on unequal privileges and capabilities in the society. Many others in this region are not accorded equal privileges or capabilities, and as such may not have sufficient opportunities to achieve the desired social mobility that we dream of. I hope that in time to come or in future events, we would be able to tackle and discuss in depth about issues like these with our fellow youth leaders.
The panel discussion in the second half of the Forum also shed some light on the power of youths in advocating for causes, and how youths can navigate through fights to create a better world for, at least, their community. The three speakers of the panel discussion were so outstandingly resilient in each of their respective struggles to improve the quality of life of people, many people in fact. In a time where we usually have huge doubts about our capabilities in bringing about changes, especially when the situation back home is not the most ideal, we are reminded of our potential strength and how we can hold the future in our own hands. The TF LEaRN programme has given us the time, place, and environment to be critical to our respective circumstances, and to have the tiny bit of courage to think about the possible changes we can bring in the future.
Through the Forum, it serves as a reminder to the scholars that as future leaders, while we talk about making a change, we also need to find ways to address issues on unequal privileges and capabilities in the society. Many others in this region are not accorded equal privileges or capabilities, and as such may not have sufficient opportunities to achieve the desired social mobility that we dream of. I hope that in time to come or in future events, we would be able to tackle and discuss in depth about issues like these with our fellow youth leaders.