The A SEAN ISSUE 04 | AUGUST 2020 YOUTH AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT BUILDING BLOCKS FOR BETTER COMMUNITIES

ISSN 2721-8058 CONVERSATIONS VIEWPOINT INSIDE VIEW ASEAN’s Young and Inspiring Singaporean Olympic Education, Training and Sports Social Entrepreneurs Champion Joseph Schooling for Youth Development s of ight R n and n and G ome Wome ender W en hildr are C L elf t ab W en or ial pm oc elo ACW S ev D nd ACWC a SLOM nt e on m ti SOMSWD C p a iv o ic i l d l S ve ra e e E rvi D y c l rt e a e r v u o AMMW R P SOMRDPE SOM-ACCSM d n AMMSWD ALMM a

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AMRI-ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information AMMDM-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting SOMRDPE-Senior Officials Meeting on Rural on Disaster Management Development and Poverty Eradication AMCA-ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Culture and Arts COP-AADMER-Conference of the Parties to the ASEAN SOMSWD-Senior Officials Meeting on Social AMMY-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Welfare and Development ASED-ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting Response ACWC-ASEAN Commission on the Promotion AMMS-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Sports AMME-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Environment and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children AMRDPE-ASEAN Ministers on Rural Development and COP to AATHP-Conference of the Parties to the ASEAN ACW-ASEAN Committee on Women Poverty Eradication Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution SLOM-Senior Labour Officials Meeting AMMSWD-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Social Welfare SOMCA-Senior Officials Meeting on Culture and Arts SOM-ACCSM-Senior Officials Meeting and Development COCI-The ASEAN Committee for Culture and Information on ASEAN Cooperation on Civil Service Matters AMMW-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Women SOMRI-Senior Officials Meeting Responsible for SOMHD-Senior Officials Meeting on Health Development ALMM-ASEAN Labour Ministers Meeting Information ACDM-ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management ACCSM-The Heads of Civil Service Meeting SOMY-Senior Officials Meeting on Youth ASOEN-ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment for ASEAN Cooperation on Civil Service Matters SOMED-Senior Officials Meeting on Education COM to AATHP-Committee under the Conference of Parties AHMM-ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting SOMS-Senior Officials Meeting on Sports to the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution

ASCC Magazine March 2020 IBC_AR_Edt v3-Chosen.indd 1 4/28/20 6:52 PM Contents 3

In this issue

18 49

Secretary-General of ASEAN Dato Lim Jock Hoi Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN Impact for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Kung Phoak Higher Education for a Competitive 14 ASEAN Workforce EDITORIAL BOARD Building Globally Competitive ASEAN 17 Directors of ASCC Directorates Rodora T. Babaran, Universities and Students Through the Ky-Anh Nguyen SHARE Scholarship The Inside View: Assistant Directors of ASCC Divisions Youth and Skills Snapshots Ferdinal Fernando, Jonathan Tan, Skilled Youth Today, Stronger ASEAN Tomorrow 6 ASEAN Celebrates 53rd 45 Mary Anne Therese Manuson, What is the ASEAN Youth Development Index? 12 Anniversary Virtually Mega Irena, Sita Sumrit, Vong Sok Preparing ASEAN’s Youth for the Labour Market: 18 ASEAN-China Cooperation: Alleviating 48 A Look at the Role of In-Company Training Poverty Caused by the COVID-19 EDITORIAL TEAM COVID-19: Sports for a Stronger ASEAN 21 Pandemic Editor-in-Chief Mary Kathleen Quiano-Castro Footballers Urge Fans to Stay Healthy and Active Arts and Culture Tangible Impact of COVID-19 on 49 Associate Editor Reimagining the Power of Sports in ASEAN 25 Joanne B. Agbisit Intangible Cultural Heritage ASEAN Impact Challenge: Young Social 31 Staff Writer Entrepreneurs Imagine a Sustainable A Look Back at Southeast Asia’s 52 Novia D. Rulistia Economic Future for ASEAN Traditional Games Senior Officer of ASCC Analysis Division Kiran Sagoo

EDITORIAL ADDRESS The ASEAN Secretariat 28 34 40 ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Department Jalan Sisingamangaraja 70A Jakarta 12110, Indonesia Tel: 62-21-7262991 E-mail: ASCCAD@asean.org

ISSN 2721-8058

Interviews

Lao Youth Union Secretary 10 Conversations Shifting Currents General Alounxai Sounnalath Louise Mabulo 34 Technology, A Boon for the 40 FIFA Secretary General 22 Joseph Phan Van Quyen 36 ASEAN Workforce? Fatma Samoura Lim Chong Tee 37 Literacy for All in ASEAN 43 Joseph Isaac Schooling 28 Aung Myint Myat Kyaw 38

Cover Illustration by Jojo Limpo 4 A Note from the Editors

A Note from the Editorial Team

The ASEAN celebrated its 53rd anniversary century skills; vocational education and A SEAN ISSUE 01 | MAY 2020 in a low-key virtual ceremony training; and social entrepreneurship. on 8 August. This year’s theme In our Conversations section, we hear is a call to build a cohesive and from four young innovators who resilient community amidst the empower their communities. COVID-19 pandemic.

A Shared Identity We also focus on the role of sports Becoming ASEAN ISSN 2721-8058 SHIFTING CURRENTS THE INSIDE VIEW SNAPSHOTS COVID-19: A Collective Unity, Diversity ASEAN Heritage Park Conference Many young men and women in the development in building up our youth, Response in ASEAN and ASEAN Identity Highlights Sustainability and Innovation region have been stepping into action: even as many sporting events are put frontline workers, implementors and on hold. The Tokyo Summer Olympics Issue 1 volunteers in social welfare projects, will now be held in 2021, and Olympic https://bit.ly/ innovators in digital technology and swimming gold medalist Joseph TheASEAN_V1 services, and social entrepreneurs. Schooling shares how he is preparing for it. ASEAN’s football players and fans But these are indeed challenging times will be pleased to learn more about The for everyone; our youth today face ASEAN-FIFA’s collaboration to ISSUE 02 | JUNE 2020 uncertainty the likes of which we improve the sport in the region. ASEAN have never encountered. The editorial team would like to In this issue, Lao Youth Union thank all those who submitted their Secretary General H.E. Alounxai entries to the Youth and Skills Art Sounnalath, Chair of the ASEAN Competition. While no winner was The Fourth Industrial Revolution, Pandemics, and The Future of Work

ISSN 2721-8058 Ministerial Meeting on Youth, selected for this issue’s cover, the IMPACT THE INSIDE VIEW SHIFTING CURRENTS ASEAN Builds Digital Transformation COVID-19 Response a Village and The Civil Service Enhanced Cooperation talks about the need to address magazine team chose two artworks vulnerabilities that the youth are to be featured in the inside pages. Issue 2 exposed to during these volatile times. Find the work of young Filipino https://bit.ly/ The pandemic is only one of the major artist Ramchad Tiongson on our TheASEAN_V2 disruptions in their lives, as they Shifting Currents page. The illustration try to carve out their futures. by Vania Djunaidi from Indonesia opens the Conversation section. ASEAN’s Head of the Education, Both budding artists expressed The Youth and Sports Division, Mary the need for resilience, as young A SEAN ISSUE 03 | JULY 2020 Therese Manuson, underscores how people like them face many disruptions provide an opportunity challenges of today. for ASEAN to help youth build skills that are adaptive to future risks. There was a point in our lives As ASEAN Human Development when we were the youths of our Department Director Rodora Babaran previous generation, but none of Social Protection for All in ASEAN ISSN 2721-8058 SNAPSHOTS THE INSIDE VIEW SHIFTING CURRENTS The 36th Social Protection and How ASEAN The State of Informal explains, ASEAN’s partnerships to us encountered this kind of global ASEAN Summit Seeks to Leave No One Behind Employment provide Higher Education for the youth disruption during our time. While the will help build a more competitive youth will determine the environment Issue 3 workforce. Our contributors also of their future, it is part of our legacy to https://bit.ly/ highlight the importance of other tools ensure that we have equipped them TheASEAN_V3 needed for the future such as 21st- with the right tools to take them there.

The ASEAN August 2020 Inside View Education, skills training, and sports development

Night view of The Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay, Preparing ASEAN’s youth Singapore for the future © freezuan/Shutterstock Photo Credit: 6 with “apleasingpersonality.” lines inanewspaper,andtypicallysoughtcandidates Those adswouldnottakeupmorethanthreeorfour There wasatimewhenjobadswerelotshorter. Prior to thecrisis, young peopleglobally hoursreducedworking by 23percent. continue to beemployed have hadtheir onset ofCOVID-19. Young workers who people have since stopped the working that morereports thanoneinsixyoung The International LabourOrganization a trulychallenging timefor young people. The COVID-19 pandemichasbeen COVID-19 Needs Skills andShifting far.very no longergetyoung jobseekers will along withapleasingpersonality academic orvocational qualifications demands.reshaping Minimum skills migration andclimate changeare as technology, intelligence, artificial employable. Globalmegatrends such neededfor youngskills workers to be significantly expanded theuniverse of The landscapeofwork has fast-changing work ethic. intercultural awareness andastrong teamwork, to leadership, prioritisation, communication thinking, critical and ranging from problem-solving skills, andcompetencies a hostofvitalskills employment vacancies today spellout qualifications and experience, from therequisiteApart educational Inside View The to beunemployed compared to adults. were already three times more likely TOMORROW STRONGER ASEAN SKILLED YOUTH TODAY, ASEAN SOCIO-CULTURAL COMMUNITY DEPARTMENT HEAD, EDUCATION, YOUTH AND SPORTS DIVISION BYMARY MANUSON ANNETHERESE Youth andSkills

for GlobalEducation Gordon Brown As as2017,UNSpecialEnvoy early having beenaffected. 152 millionchildren andyouth as alone, estimates place more than development. theASEANregion In threat to continuity andskills learning training institutionsposesaserious universities andtechnical andvocational The worldwide closure ofschools, employment, education ortraining. resulted inmassnumbersofyouth notin Delayed school-to-work transitions have

COVID-19 hascompelled ASEANyouth becoming more commonplace, and work-from-home arrangements by the pandemic. With remote learning coping withthedisruptionstriggered how young peopleintheregion are ASEAN Youth 2020investigated Survey The World Economic Forum’s recent and theworkplace. altered environments learning how theCOVID-19 hasdramatically crisis We needto takealong, hard lookat required to access thejobmarket. will nothave theappropriate skills 2030 around 800millionyoung people had warnedthat iftrends continue, by ASEAN youth to contribute to rebuilding development.youth we skills If expect to create momentum foran opportunity The COVID-19 could crisis beusedas youth to embrace thenewnormal. essential to enablingallASEAN willbe provide fundingsupport access, promote digital and skills, forward, Going to expand digital efforts gig economy, andyoung entrepreneurs. digitally included, young workers inthe thosewhoare less behind—particularly young peoplethat are atofbeingleft risk also found that there are segments of to generate income. However, thesurvey and innovate newbusinessstrategies a growth mindset, develop resilience, to increase theirdigital footprint, nurture The ASEAN August 2020 August

Photo Credit: ©Snowing/Freepik Premium Photo Credit: ©Odua/Freepik Premium “ a widerange ofoccupations andcontexts. Transversal are transferable skills to routine andjob-specific. thatfalling demandforare skills or technical skills. There isalsoa decisions over academicbackground inhiring factor solving asacritical communication, teamwork andproblem- candidates’ suchas transversal skills of theworld’s top employers—considers Google—one fact, transversal In skills. technical know-how, butalsocrucial not onlyfoundational and knowledge employability hasexpanded to include recentIn years, theconcept of by anera ofconstant change. Globally, needsare beingdisrupted skills the Future of Work Building Transversal for Skills realities andfuture disruptions. needed to adaptto rapidly evolving we willneedto equipthemwiththeskills societiesandeconomies,post-COVID-19 skills such as self-awareness, empathy, empathy, socio-emotional as perseverance. self-awareness, well thinking, and as as of such critical as skills such combination be problem-solving, a to skills and order requires workers highlighted higher which young have today’s adaptable, reports for need the international Various

naturally suited for self-employment. those whoare youth, particularly becoming aviablecareer optionfor Entrepreneurship isincreasingly needed by thelabourmarket. named assomeofthefuture skills are adaptive likewiseoften thinking social intelligence, andnovel and environments. Transdisciplinarity, changing technologies andwork in thistimeofpandemicaswe navigate in young workers takesonanewmeaning empathy, andperseverance. Adaptability suchasself-awareness,emotional skills and problem-solving, aswell associo- thinking, suchascritical higher order skills which requires acombination of young workers to beadaptable, highlighted theneedfor today’s Various have international reports their lifetime. transition to multiplecareers over today’s volatile where jobmarket workers significant in areThese particularly skills

the four pillarsoflifelong learning UNESCO’s introduced report 1996Delors as keyto young people’s employability. been frequently cited by employers dispositionhasalso A solidlearning transformational benefits to society. drive about socialchangeandbring developing innovative solutionsthat entrepreneursSocial arefor known gainingground inASEAN. quickly is oneform ofentrepreneurship that is motivation. entrepreneurship Social innovation, andself- taking, risk exhibit strong of characteristics it isgenerally agreed that entrepreneurs or what constitutes itscore competencies, as to thedefinitionofentrepreneurship Whilst there isalackofglobalconsensus ASEAN youth. andvalues amongst promoting skills alsoplays role acritical in Sports that concern them. ASEAN youth shapethepolicies makers, weleaders andpolicy help spaces for interaction withtheregion’s development.community providing By people to enablethemto contribute to of volunteerism amongstouryoung entrepreneurship. We are fostering a sense andpromoteand digital social skills programmes, we seekto buildtransversal Through ASEAN’s youth development for fivepriorities the next years. dialogueas inpolicy participation development andwideningyouthskills young peopleto be ‘future-ready’ through The ASEAN youth sees supporting sector the region. innovators and influencers of role offuture leaders, changemakers, our young peopleto takeonthe demonstrate to prepare theurgency and 34years old. These numbersalone of young people, agedbetween 15 A third ofASEAN’s population consists Investing inASEAN’s Future Investing in Youth Development, Skills adapt to arapidly globalisingworld. andattitudes to knowledge, skills young peoplewiththenecessary and theirsignificance inequipping tolearning do, to learning live together) to(learning be, to learning know, The Inside View The Youth andSkills

7 8 The Inside View Youth and Skills

Increasingly, sports is being recognised as region’s youth leaders, enabling them to young people have access to the skills a tool for peace and social cohesion. advocate for healthy lifestyles and combat development they need to achieve the Sports and physical activity help prevent youth crime. By harnessing the power of future that they want and deserve. The crime and minimise risky behaviours for sports, we empower ASEAN youth to be peace, prosperity and progress of our at-risk youth. It promotes the values of healthy and active peacebuilders in the region will rest on a foundation of a skilled respect, inclusion, fairness, and unity. ASEAN Community. youth population: highly adaptable and resilient lifelong learners, equipped with It is in this context that ASEAN works to Skills will be the currency of the future. transversal and digital skills, and with develop leadership skills amongst the A stable ASEAN Community is one where good physical and mental well-being.

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM’S ASEAN YOUTH SURVEY 2020 The survey involved 68,574 youth respondents from ASEAN, aged 16 through 35 years old

Use of digital Resilience and Gaps in digital tools during growth mindset skills and the pandemic 41% reported having learnt digital 87% increased usage new skills infrastructure of at least one digital tool 31% found new business 69% found it difficult to 42% picked up at least models and new ways to work or study remotely one new digital tool improve income 64% reported using online Common constraints cited Some of these tools include education tools more actively, were weak internet quality, social media (51%), online 30% of whom were high internet costs, household education (45%), first-time users distractions, lack of e-commerce buying (42%), motivation, and difficulties virtual meetings (40%), Key lessons from the crisis with team management/ e-banking (34%), and include hand-washing, budget coordination food delivery (34%) prioritisation, need for emergency savings, and the value of family time

Source: ASEAN Youth Survey 2020 Edition (COVID-19–The True Download the survey results from: Test of ASEAN Youth’s Resilience and Adaptability), World Economic Forum, July 2020

The ASEAN August 2020 The Inside View Youth and Skills 9 © By Chaay_Tee/Shutterstock Photo Credit:

QUICK FACTS

There are over 213 million youth in the ASEAN region, aged 15 to 34 years old

Youth population is expected to reach over 220 million in 2038 10 The Inside View Youth and Skills

Viewpoint: H.E. Alounxai Sounnalath

Secretary General, Lao Youth Union © Lao Youth Union Chair, ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth Photo Credit:

With the ASEAN Work Plan on Youth 2016 to 2020 about to wind down, what would you say are the major accomplishments of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth (AMMY) in the past four years? Despite being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in this final year of implementation, ASEAN’s youth sector has successfully addressed more than 80 per cent of the programmes under the ASEAN Work Plan on Youth 2016-2020 through ASEAN-driven activities led by ASEAN Member States, Dialogue Partners and Partner Organisations.

The commitment of ASEAN Member States to support youth across the region was also shown through some notable achievements of the ASEAN youth sector, namely: • The launch of First ASEAN Youth Development Index and the ASEAN Declaration on the Adoption of ASEAN Youth Development Index adopted by ASEAN Leaders, both in 2017; endorsement and support of the ASEAN Therefore, ASEAN youth should be • The adoption of the ASEAN Declaration Senior Officials Meeting on Youth. able to adapt to ways of learning under on the Adoption of ASEAN Youth in these new circumstances. The challenges Climate Action and Disaster Resilience In the forthcoming plan of action brought about by the Fourth Industrial Day in 2018; on youth, what will be the goals Revolution may be addressed by • The commitment for the annual and priorities of AMMY under technological innovation through contribution to the ASEAN Youth your leadership? revolutionising methodologies in Programme Fund (AYPF) in 2019; The ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth human capital development. • The regular convening of the ASEAN has agreed to structure the Post-2020 Youth Day Meeting and ASEAN Youth ASEAN Work Plan on Youth based on How has the youth sector been impacted Expo; and the five domains of the ASEAN Youth by the COVID-19 pandemic? What • The Interactive Webinar Series on ASEAN Development Index, namely: Education; initiatives has AMMY pursued to Youth and COVID-19. These webinars are Health and Well-Being; Participation respond to this crisis? What policies and the ASEAN youth sector’s contribution to and Engagement; Employment and programmes are needed to prepare the the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community’s Opportunity; and ASEAN Awareness, youth for a post COVID-19 future? How COVID-19 Webinar Series initiative. The Values and Identity. We also identified the can the youth sector be more engaged in webinars are organised by the ASEAN Post-2020 strategies on the ASEAN Youth the process of shaping these initiatives? Secretariat in collaboration with the Development Initiative, which will focus The main impact has been on the ASEAN Foundation, the International on fostering future-ready ASEAN youth education sector and there could be Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent through digital skills development and the greater challenges ahead. We have seen Societies, and the ASEAN Centre for institutionalisation of youth engagement innovative approaches in support of Biodiversity. These youth and COVID-19 mechanisms, including in the region’s education and training continuity. Distance webinars are made possible through the policy discourse. learning solutions have been developed.

The ASEAN August 2020 Photo Credit: © Lao Youth Union get the youth leaders and youth experts of of get theyouth leadersandyouth experts conferences. Through we theseactivities, platforms suchasthe webinars andvideo COVID-19 pandemicthrough digital youth leadersinthecontext offighting the among Organization, ande-conversations healthy lifestyles from the World Health through ASEANnews/information on for thenewnormal, andskills of knowledge and we mustencourage thedevelopment ASEAN awareness amongtheyouth fivein thenext years. There mustbe oftheASEANyouthto thepriorities sector education, aswell aslivelihood are relevant faced by ouryouth interms ofaccess to economy andentrepreneurs. The issues youths more inthegig fundingto support capabilities,digital andproviding skill digital access, investing inpromoting inimproving public-private-partnership recommendsurvey thestrengthening of new businessmodels. Findings from the creatively thinking skills, anddeveloping increasing digital new adoption,learning caused by COVID-19 by significantly youth have beenadaptingto challenges Adaptability The True Test ofASEANYouth’s Resilience and Forum’s onthekeyfindingsof (WEF) a presentation from the World Economic Youth whichthere 2021-2025,during was ontheASEAN Meeting Expert Work Plan on July,In inthe LaoPDRparticipated Virtual it isimperative behind. that nooneisleft education, new modesofdelivering quality shape thefuture andadaptto oflearning ofeducation andtraining.and types As we strengthen across theflexibility alllevels improved training innewmethods, and theteaching profession support with should offer employability programmes, forParticularly vulnerable groups, we enabling environment, to access learning. youth affected by lackof resources, oran dropouts. This istruefor children and lossesandpreventinglearning school Therefore, we shouldfocus onaddressing the needsofthoseineducation sector. to caregovernments for andkeypartners and educators, of andtheduty reminded oftheessential role ofteachers by various stakeholders, we are constantly education provision. Thanks to responses continued are supporting partners We, asAMMY, thegovernments and WEF ASEANYouth 2020:COVID-19– Survey . Basedonthesurvey, ASEAN

the region’s COVID-19 pandemicresponse ASEAN, for theirvaluable contributions in showed itsappreciation to youths across International Youth Day andSOMY On 12August, we celebrated and resilient amidst thepandemic. onhow toknowledge bemore adaptive and mentors canexchange views and followed by another sessionwhere youth ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity. This willbe Federation Cross, oftheRed andthe ASEAN Foundation, theInternational Secretariat incollaboration withthe wasseries organised by theASEAN COVID-19 Response. The webinar #ASEANYouth at theForefront of speakers from different fields,on an enlightening discussion,withyouth on Youth was a commentator in (SOMY) Meeting The Official Chair oftheSenior how to they react thispandemic. onhowperspectives theycope, and pandemic, suchastheircontribution, ideas, exchange experience gainedfrom the to discussand ASEAN andourpartners “ and anxiety during these challenging times. challenging stress these avoid youth during our important social of anxiety help of to and promotion dissemination crisis. information the the and to include to support development respond areas we crucial youth as key is It are from health stakeholders, attention livelihood mental and requiring education, that physical and view the of am I

navigate times. through thesetrying behaviorharmful aswe helpthem spread ofthecoronavirus, andavoid adversities, prevent andcontrol the youth sothat theyare ableto manage should beavailable for ourASEAN Information through allforms ofmedia anxiety, alcohol smoking, anddrugs. andvulnerabilitieswith risks like stress, messaging may includehow to cope challenging times. The content ofour these stress during andanxiety information to helpouryouth avoid and dissemination ofimportant include thepromotion ofsocialsupport as we respond iscrucialto to thecrisis. It from youth development stakeholders, health are keyareas requiring attention livelihood andphysical andmental I amoftheviewthat education, volunteers andinnovators. social welfare implementors, project of theresponse, asmedicalworkers, young peoplewhoare onthefrontlines wasto aboutmany inspiring learn It despite thechallengestheyface. The Inside View The Youth andSkills

11 12 Infographic

WHAT IS THE ASEAN YOUTH DEVELOPMENT INDEX? The ASEAN Youth Development Index (YDI) is a tool designed to keep track of the level of development and wellbeing of the region’s The YDI is a score that ranges from 0 to 1, youth in the following domains: education; health and well-being; with 0 as the lowest and 1 as the highest level employment and opportunity; participation and engagement; and of youth development. It is computed by ASEAN awareness, values, and identity. Each domain is composed of combining the indicators from all of several indicators or measures. The data for these indicators were the domains of youth development. obtained from international sources, such as the World Health Organization, Gallup World Poll, and UNESCO. The first YDI was published in 2017.

EMPLOYMENT PARTICIPATION HEALTH AND AND AND Domain EDUCATION WELL-BEING OPPORTUNITY ENGAGEMENT

• Literacy rate • Youth mortality • Percentage of • Percentage of • Secondary rate youth not in youth who education gross • Mental disorder, education, volunteered time enrolment rate years of life lost employment, • Percentage of Indicators • Tertiary • Alcohol abuse, or training youth who education gross years of life lost • Youth helped a stranger graduation rate • Drug abuse, years unemployment • Percentage of of life lost ratio digital natives • HIV rate • Adolescent • Prevalence of fertility rate sexually • Percentage of transmitted youth with an infections account at a • Percentage of financial institution youth using • Rate of child sanitation facilities marriage among females

Health and Employment Participation and Domain Education Well-being and Opportunity Engagement Scores Score Score Score Score

Note: ASEAN is still in the process of generating data for the fifth domain: ASEAN YOUTH DEVELOPMENT INDEX awareness, values, and identity

The ASEAN August 2020 Infographic 13

ASEAN YOUTH

DEVELOPMENT INDEX ASEAN YOUTH DEVELOPMENT INDEX:

1.0 SINGAPORE 0.597 BRUNEI 0.8 MALAYSIA VIET NAM VIET Brunei 0.758 MYANMAR PHILIPPINES

0.6 INDONESIA Cambodia 0.383

THAILAND Indonesia 0.533 Lao PDR CAMBODIA 0.365 LAO PDR LAO 0.4 Malaysia 0.729 Myanmar 0.56 Philippines 0.554 0.2 Singapore 0.94 Thailand 0.481 Viet Nam 0 0.667

Health and REGIONAL DATA FOR EACH INDICATOR Well-Being Indicators

97% 112 per 100,000 100 Education Youth mortality rate Indicators population 77% 80 Literacy rate Mental disorder, 529 per 100,000 Secondary education years of life lost population 60 gross enrolment rate Alcohol abuse, 32 per 100,000 Tertiary graduation gross graduation rate years of life lost population 40 36% Percentage of digital Drug abuse, 194 per 100,000 natives years of life lost population 20 18% HIV rate 0.2% 0 Prevalence of sexually 15,425 per 100,000 transmitted infections population Percentage of youth Employment and 77% Opportunity Indicators using sanitation facilities

Percentage of youth not in education, employment, 11% 50 46% Participation or training 40 and Engagement 31% Youth unemployment ratio 6% 30 Percentage of youth who helped a 37 births per 20 Adolescent fertility rate stranger 1,000 females 10 Percentage of youth who volunteered time Percentage of youth with 0 an account at a financial 53% institution Download the YDI publication from: Rate of child marriage among https://asean.org/storage/2017/10/ASEAN-UNFPA_report_web-final-05sep.pdf females 15% 14 Impact Higher Education

Impact for a Competitive ASEAN Workforce

BY RODORA T. BABARAN DIRECTOR, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORATE ASEAN SOCIO-CULTURAL COMMUNITY DEPARTMENT

Higher education plays a vital role in developing a highly-skilled workforce.

It fosters research and innovation, and stimulates policy discourses on important issues such as poverty eradication and sustainable development. It hones individuals for civic participation and produces many, if not most of the countries’ leaders. Its value in the overall goal of human capital development is clearly indispensable.

Since its founding in 1967, ASEAN has placed strong emphasis on education cooperation, and reaffirmed it in the ASEAN Charter in 2008. In recognition of higher education’s catalytic role in accelerating ASEAN’s economic, political and socio-cultural development agenda, the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Higher Education was adopted in 2015. This, along with the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and its Blueprints, other relevant ASEAN declarations, and the Sustainable Development Goals guide regional cooperation on higher education. The long-standing aim for freer movement of skilled workers and professionals within the region, the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and its impacts on the future of work, and a host of other issues such as ageing societies and the COVID-19 pandemic among others, highlight even more the higher education sector’s important mission to develop a future-ready, adaptive, and resilient workforce.

The ASEAN education ministers provide overall leadership on higher education cooperation in the region. It is supported by the Senior Officials Meeting on Education (SOMED), in partnership with stakeholders such as the ASEAN University Network (AUN), Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation, affiliated entities to ASEAN, international organisations, and dialogue partners. ASEAN’s higher education cooperation aims to

uphold the quality of higher education and foster its role in © Nopphon_1987/Shutterstock socio-economic development.

A robust quality assurance mechanism at national and regional levels is

important in upholding the quality of higher education, and encourages Photo Credit: greater student mobility. It builds confidenceamong students and the higher education community that programme offerings and courses

The ASEAN August 2020 Impact Higher Education 15

Scholarship programmes have been a SHARE supports the implementation of the ASEAN Quality Assurance Framework (AQAF) mainstay in ASEAN’s regional cooperation, and the ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework in recognition of its potential to raise the (AQRF). SHARE published studies that investigated expertise and competitiveness of human regional developments in qualifications framework resources, thereby helping in the home (QF) and quality assurance (QA) and organised “ a series of national dissemination workshops countries’ socio-economic development. aimed at raising awareness for the AQAF and AQRF. These workshops convened experts, policymakers, university leaders as well as representatives from the labour market. A regional Peer-Multiplier- Training was also conducted to create a pool of “champions” to sustain the work at national level. SHARE also included the review of selected external QA agencies and the institutional assessment of 10 universities across eight countries to pilot the AQAF and to stimulate benchmarking according to regional principles. © photofriday/Shutterstock

To boost student mobility, close to 500 undergraduate students from a network of 32 public and private universities across ASEAN Photo Credit: were funded to study for one semester in another university within ASEAN. Meanwhile, over 100 ASEAN students were provided scholarships to spend a semester in Europe. Tools to support a common platform for online credit transfer were developed as an integral part of the programme. SHARE is also supporting the work of the Ad Hoc anywhere in the region meet quality standards. Working Group on ASEAN Higher Education Mobility, which seeks to assess The ASEAN Work Plan on Education 2016-2020 the compatibility of the SHARE credit transfer system vis-à-vis other systems therefore commits to strengthen the higher currently operating within the region and eventually transfer it to an ASEAN education sector through the implementation institution. In order to further intra-regional student mobility, a “Study on of robust quality assurance mechanisms. Enhancing Intra-ASEAN University Student Mobility” was commissioned by SHARE to determine the availability of data with which to monitor regional One major initiative is the EU-SHARE Programme student mobility, assess the provision of student visas within the region with or the European Union Support to Higher a view towards making it more consistent and easier to navigate, and consider Education in the ASEAN Region, a multi-year, a more coherent approach towards scholarship provision. 10-million-euro programme that started in 2015. It supports the harmonisation of higher education China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea also cooperate with ASEAN on in the region by contributing relevant experiences internationalisation and mobility of students. Through the ASEAN Plus Three and expertise from the European Bologna Process Working Group (APTWG) on Student Mobility and Quality Assurance of Higher and the creation of the European Higher Education Education, ASEAN Plus Three (APT) countries, in collaboration with other Area. It aims to strengthen regional cooperation as regional education entities like SEAMEO and AUN, share information on well as enhance the quality, competitiveness, and projects and programs related to higher education quality assurance and internationalisation of ASEAN higher education mobility. It also promotes capacity building related to quality assurance systems, institutions, and students. and strengthens the network of policymakers and those involved in higher education. The APTWG developed the APT Guidelines on Student Exchange The programme’s support to regional policy and Mobility in 2016 and its accompanying monitoring mechanism in 2017 to making on higher education has so far brought provide a basic framework for quality-assured student exchanges and mobility together 1,288 practitioners, specialists, policy among the APT countries. As a follow-up to this effort, the APTWG developed makers, and representatives from regional and the APT Guidelines on Transcripts and Supplemental Documents for Academic international organisations in ASEAN and beyond Records of Exchange Students in 2018 that outlined recommended information through policy dialogues. Students’ representation to be included in transcripts and/or supplemental documents for exchange was also ensured to provide a platform for the students. With a view towards promoting transparency and mutual students to share their experiences and ideas understanding, ensuring the safe mobility of students, and contributing on how to further internationalise higher towards the further harmonisation of higher education within the region, education in the region. these guidelines were adopted by the APT Education Ministers in 2018. 16 Impact Higher Education

Scholarship programmes have been a mainstay efforts are needed to in ASEAN’s regional cooperation, in recognition enable students to actually of its potential to raise the expertise and participate in mobility competitiveness of human resources, thereby programmes, at a scale helping in the home countries’ socio-economic that’s significant enough development. Currently, several scholarship for regional integration. offerings are available for ASEAN students The COVID-19 pandemic also

supported by dialogue partners namely China, serves as a wake-up call for © Asada Nami/Shutterstock Republic of Korea , Canada, United States, India, the higher education sector Japan, and Hungary. These are designed to promote to speed up its adaptation human resources development, enhance people to to the digital transformation. people exchanges, and support achievement of The ongoing development Photo Credit: B national, regional, and global development goals. of the ASEAN Work Plan on Education 2021-2025, The cooperation on higher education in ASEAN can which is complemented by be considered robust and provides meaningful the Roadmap of the ASEAN engagement of higher education stakeholders. Collaboration with non- Declaration on Human Resources Development education sectors is also strengthened, such as with labour, business and for the Changing World of Work, the industry. However, there is room for improvement in terms of speed, scale, and Comprehensive Strategy for the 4IR, as well effectiveness of these efforts. While quality assurance, credit transfer systems, as the ASEAN Recovery Framework and scholarship support for mobility programmes are all important components of Implementation Plan provide an opportunity for a regional higher education space, there are many other elements that must be the higher education sector to make meaningful put in place to support a sustainable ecosystem for student mobility. More contribution and stay relevant.

• The Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED) Program started in 2018 and provides students from ASEAN Member States (AMS) with • ASEAN University Network short-term exchange opportunities for study or research in Member universities of AUN provide Canadian post-secondary institutions at the college, undergraduate scholarships under the AUN Student Exchange and graduate levels. Programme to promote intra-ASEAN student mobility at both undergraduate and • The ASEAN-China Young Leaders Scholarship Program (ACYLS) started graduate levels. in 2019 and provides full scholarships and allowances to support nationals from AMS to study for Master or PhD degrees, undertake short-term With support from ASEAN Dialogue research programs, and participate in training courses in China. Partners, AUN has also been implementing the China-AUN Scholarship since 2008, the • The Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Programme started in 2017 AUN Southeast Asia Engineering Education and provides full scholarships to students from AMS to study in Hungarian Development Network (AUN/SEED-Net) universities, primarily in the fields of Economics, Culture and Liberal Arts, which has been providing scholarships Natural Sciences, Engineering, Technology and Medicine and Life Sciences. for graduate studies and fellowships for industry-academe projects in various fields • India has been providing support for students to undertake a two-year of engineering since 2001, and the AUN Masters Programme at Nalanda University since 2015. Initially available Disability and Public Policy Network for students from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam, it was made (AUN-DPPnet) Scholarship since 2016. available to students from all AMS in 2019. This year, the ASEAN Master in Sustainability • The Higher Education for ASEAN Talents (HEAT) Programme Management was launched by Universitas Programme, funded by ROK, provides three-year scholarships and Gadjah Mada in Indonesia and the allowances to faculty members from higher education institutions in ASEAN University of Agder in Norway with funding who want to obtain a doctoral degree from a ROK academic institution. support from the Norway-ASEAN Regional Integration Programme. • The Fulbright U.S.–ASEAN Visiting Scholar Initiative started in 2012 and offers scholars from AMS an opportunity to carry out 3-4 month research at U.S. universities on a wide range of subjects of importance to ASEAN.

The ASEAN August 2020 Impact SHARE Scholarship 17

BUILDING GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE ASEAN UNIVERSITIES AND STUDENTS THROUGH THE SHARE SCHOLARSHIP

BY JOANNE B. AGBISIT BAND THE ASEAN EDITORIAL TEAM

Breathing life into ASEAN’s Fernando admitted that he had a lot of adjustments to make because of the language, weather, food, and the weight of intersecting commitments on academic expectations. He said that the language barrier was higher education and the youth is particularly tough, but he managed to overcome this with the an overwhelming task, but thankfully, help of Google Translate and “a bit of courage to speak up and interact with people despite this language issue.” ASEAN has found a partner in the European Union. He made the most out of the study programme by making friends and exploring Viet Nam in between classes. “I travelled with them (friends) around the city to enjoy The SHARE Scholarship, a component of good food, attractions, museums, etc.,” he the EU Support to Higher Education in the said. By the time the programme ended, ASEAN Region Programme, gives college Fernando had formed lasting friendships students an opportunity to study in a and connections with students from neighbouring ASEAN country or an EU Viet Nam, Laos PDR, and Myanmar, country for one semester. It is meant to and fellow Indonesians as well. © Fernando support the practice of mutual credit recognition—an important step towards After completing his bachelor’s degree, the internationalisation and increased Fernando applied for and was admitted competitiveness of the region’s higher Fernando Fernando spent into the Master of Science in Aquaculture Photo Credit: educational institutions—while at the a semester at the Vietnam Science and Technology programme at James same time, instill the value of cultural National University of Science under Cook University, Australia. He said that his understanding and a global outlook the SHARE scholarship experience as a SHARE scholar has prepared among the youth in ASEAN. him for this new academic milestone. He noted, “SHARE allowed me to experience More than 500 scholarships have been awarded living and studying abroad for the very first time. This equipped since the SHARE Scholarship was launched in 2016. me with the skills to adapt and thrive in different settings.”

One of these scholars is Fernando Fernando of Indonesia. Fernando looks forward to using his education to contribute He was in his final year in college when he chanced upon to his country and community. “In 10 years’ time, I would like a SHARE Scholarship post on Facebook. He saw the to become a technopreneur in aquaculture (i.e. fish farming),” scholarship as an opportunity to see the world beyond he said. He hopes to apply science in fish farming and “produce the confines of his community. “I do not want to live inside nutritious and sustainable fish protein for the wider community.” my own bubble. I always know that there is so much more to explore and learn out there even at a young age,” he said. Similar inspiring stories of SHARE scholars have been documented by the EU SHARE Programme and can be Fernando chose to spend his semester at the Vietnam read from the publication, Faces of SHARE. National University of Science in Hanoi, Viet Nam. He enrolled in its International Standard Program in Biology (Bachelor’s level) and took courses on ecology, animal physiology, and Download Faces of SHARE from: biochemistry to complement his undergraduate major, https://admin.share-asean.eu/sites/default/files/FoS%20FA.pdf?_ aquaculture technology and management, in Bogor ga=2.185460398.646856051.1598339946-1777456935.1598339946 Agricultural University, Indonesia. 18 The Inside View Youth and Skills

PREPARING ASEAN’S YOUTH FOR THE LABOUR MARKET A look at the role of Pin-company training

BY FRANZISKA SEEL SENIOR TECHNICAL ADVISOR DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT FÜR INTERNATIONALE ZUSAMMENARBEIT (GIZ) GMBH

Transitioning from school to work is an important stage in a young person’s life. Matching what young people learn at school with the skills employers need helps youth to transition more quickly and into a better job. Increasing the share of training taking place in companies can help to strengthen the matching of skills, facilitate the integration of youth into the labour market, and prepare ASEAN’s economy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Many youth in Southeast Asia struggle to gain employment after leaving A transformation of learning in ASEAN Member school. A major obstacle to finding an entry-level job is young people’s States requires more responsiveness to the demands lack of basic competencies. Outdated and often overloaded curricula and of the labour market. In times of rapid digital a focus on memorising theoretical knowledge do not prepare the youth transformation, these demands are constantly adequately for the world of work. Performing effectively at a workplace changing. The best—and possibly only—way to requires the practical application of knowledge, 21st-century skills (such as respond to such a fast-changing labour market critical thinking, collaboration, and resourcefulness) and a professional attitude. is by reconsidering the role of the private sector Overcoming the skills gap is particularly relevant for young people graduating in education.

from technical and —vocational education and training (TVET) institutes, © Regional Cooperation in TVET as TVET is widely considered inferior to a university education across Germany’s Dual Training System as a Model the ASEAN region. In countries such as Germany, active private sector involvement in education, particularly in TVET, has a

Beyond the issue of youth unemployment and long-term effects for the long history. Germany’s dual training system features Photo Credit: individual young person (such as lower salaries that persist for years into two places of learning: companies and TVET schools. one’s working life), ASEAN’s skills gap also represents a significant economic Trainees are hired by a company for the duration of opportunity cost for the region. Improving learning and strengthening young their training (usually 2-3.5 years) and receive a people’s employability is a critical issue for ASEAN’s social and stipend. They spend 70 per cent of training time at economic community. the company embedded in a real-life work

The ASEAN August 2020 The Inside View Youth and Skills 19

A TVET student learns digital skills in Myanmar

environment. Theoretical training at a publicly funded TVET school Improving learning and constitutes the remaining 30 per cent of training. strengthening young Germany’s dual training model is highly recognised worldwide for its contribution people’s employability to low youth unemployment and high skill levels. Copying this model may not be is a critical issue for feasible for ASEAN Member States, but a steady increase of the share of in- ASEAN’s social and company training would help address the region’s skills gap, facilitate the “ integration of youth into the labour market, and prepare ASEAN’s economy economic community. for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Benefits for Companies In recent years, ASEAN Member States have While many ASEAN companies remain reluctant to actively engage in the recognised the importance of public-private development of a skilled ASEAN workforce, research shows that companies cooperation for the improvement of learning benefit in numerous ways from investments in the training and development of outcomes. The German government’s Regional students and employees. Among the benefits are lower recruitment costs, higher Cooperation Programme for TVET in ASEAN or productivity and competitiveness, reduced staff turnover, higher employee RECOTVET supports ASEAN Member States in their engagement and loyalty because employees feel valued and appreciated, and numerous efforts to strengthen the involvement of a higher reputation which helps to attract the best talent in the labour market. the private sector in TVET. In cooperation with labour 20 sector representativesector from eachcountry. The work States andiscomposed ofonepublicandprivate The committee together brings nineASEANMember of thestandard at theregional andnational levels. overseeing thepromotion andimplementation Since 2015,aregional steering committee hasbeen ASEAN Countries developed the and Viet acollaborative Nam.In process, theyjointly Cambodia, LaoPDR,Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and othereducational andtraining institutionsfrom sector,business andindustry aswell asuniversities and education ministries, standard authorities, the The group from consisted labour of60experts essential competencies ofin-company trainers. addressed theneedto defineabenchmark for the 2014and2015,aregionalBetween group working in ASEANCountries The Standard for In-Company Trainers oftheapproach. at theheart These in-company trainers are employees intheircompany. apprentices, andother who train ormentor students, technicians andsupervisors to alarge degree ontheskilled of in-company training depend The outcomes learning in-company training. and improving of thequality a focus onpromoting, expanding, GIZ,hasput development agency is implemented by theGerman associations, RECOTVET, which chambers andbusiness and education ministries, Inside View The “ Community Kung Phoak. Phoak. Kung Community Socio-Cultural for ASEAN ASEAN of Secretary- General Deputy said usefulness,” testament its a to is its since inception the level at national training in- as company regulate to standard basis a this having adopted States ASEAN Member several With

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and artificial intelligence.and artificial in aworkforce that isincreasingly atofbeingreplaced risk by robots to elevatemore important theemployability oftheyoung—and old— and withittherole oftraining that takesplace incompanies, willbecome even influence how we (need andwhatto)we learn skills acquire. Lifelong learning, core ofRECOTVET’s work intheyears 2020to 2023—will continue to significantly has onlybegunandcannotstop here. The digital transformation—which isat the recognised inASEANasameansto address theregion’s gap. skills Butthework As thesehigh-level commitments show, in-company training isincreasingly companies investing resources training, inskills internships andapprenticeships.” declaration callsfor private leadershipand sector “incentives andrecognition to Work Declaration onHuman Resources Development for theChanging World of jointly craftedthe theacademia,andbusiness sector partners, tripartite Similarly, of undertheASEANChairmanship Viet Namthisyear, governments, calls for thestrengthening ofin-company trainers. document, the from across ASEANdeveloped 45recommendations that are compiled inthe championsfrom chambers,of 20 businessassociations, andcompanies TVET States. amongASEANMember oftheprocess,in group As part aworking TVET facilitated aregional cooperation process learning aboutbusinessandindustry too: From from RECOTVET 2018to 2019,theASEANSecretariat withsupport Calls for more investments inin-company training canbefound elsewhere Calls to Invest inIn-Company Training States. amongASEAN Member sharing translation ofthestandard into ASEANlanguages, andknowledge the development oftraining materials andassessment instruments, the trainers (trainers ofin-company trainers) from across theregion andfacilitated the standard, trained over anditscooperation RECOTVET 200master partners To oftrainings for theroll-out in-company trainers according support to for companies that invest inthequalification ofin-company trainers. Commerce andIndustry. In Thailand, thegovernment provides taxincentives , whichwas adopted by the36thASEANSummitinJune2020. The https://asean.org/?static_post=standard-company-trainers-asean-countries https://asean.org/?static_post=standard-company-trainers-asean-countries The Future ASEANAgenda forTVET Standard can be accessed be can at: cooperation withthe Vietnamese Chamberof programme for in-company trainers inclose has initiated in2019thedevelopment ofatraining the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training regulation for in-company trainers. In Viet Nam, Development approved Authority atraining the Philippines’ Technical Education andSkills based ontheregional standard. 2018,for In instance, have introduced regulations for in-company trainers At thenational level, authorities several public TVET of ASEANin2018. Labour Practices to Enhance theCompetitiveness Meeting’sOfficials on Progressive Group Working Education Labour in2017andtheASEANSenior on Meeting standard by Officials theASEANSenior the StatesASEAN Member withtheendorsement of of thesteering committee hasbeenrecognised by . Oneoftherecommendations The ASEAN

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Photo Credit: © Regional Cooperation in TVET The Inside View Youth and Skills 21

COVID-19 SPORTS FOR A STRONGER ASEAN: Footballers Urge Fans to Stay Healthy and Active

The COVID-19 pandemic has put The videos were produced through close collaboration between sporting events on hold. Stadiums and FIFA, its member associations, SOMS and the World Health football fields are empty, but for ASEAN, Organization (WHO). promoting sports development and “More than ever, especially now, one thing must be clear to healthy lifestyles will not stop. everyone, health comes first,” stressed FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “FIFA is pleased to join forces with ASEAN and the WHO “We are diverse, but if we stick together, we are stronger. in order to raise awareness of the need to stay active and to Be active today, tomorrow and always!” continue to follow WHO guidance concerning hygiene and social distancing in the face of This is the key message the ongoing coronavirus from ASEAN football stars pandemic. COVID-19 who joined the #BeActive poses multifaceted video campaign jointly challenges to our launched by ASEAN and societies, but due to our the Fédération partnerships with ASEAN Internationale de Football and the WHO we are Association or FIFA in July encouraged that the 2020. Football players football community can

© ASEAN Secretariat/Kusuma Pandu Wijaya © ASEAN from the ASEAN Member also play an active role in States, speaking in their ensuring these important local languages, messages are promoted encouraged citizens to in the ASEAN region and

Photo Credit: lead healthy and active globally. For the first time lifestyles amidst the ever, we are all on the COVID-19 pandemic. same team and together, with team spirit and The campaign is the first positive energy, initiative for ASEAN and we will win.” FIFA since signing an ASEAN-FIFA #BeActive video campaign agreement in November This campaign supports the 2019 on the sidelines of the implementation of the 35th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok to implement joint activities. ASEAN Work Plan on Sports 2016-2020, particularly in promoting The priority areas in the ASEAN-FIFA agreement include the healthy and active lifestyles and engaging sports ambassadors to promotion of healthy and active lifestyles, FIFA’s Football for encourage the growth of the sports sector in the region. Schools Programme, and professional capacity-building in relation to safety and security at football matches, all of which require Guided by the ASEAN sports ministers and in line with the United effective multi-stakeholder cooperation. The cooperation Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) will be carried out through ASEAN’s Senior Officials Kazan Action Plan on sport policy development, the ASEAN sports Meeting on Sports (SOMS). sector will focus on promoting Sport for Development and Peace and other key programmes in the next five years. “The ASEAN sports sector is currently focusing, among others, on strengthening the contribution of sports to “Football and sports in general have the power to bring people ASEAN community-building. During this pandemic, it is together through a shared interest, promoting an active lifestyle important for us to work hand in hand with our key partners. and bringing ASEAN together as one community. They are We are pleased to collaborate with FIFA in this campaign to instrumental in enhancing camaraderie amongst the youth who leverage the role of sports in social development,” said the are the future of our ASEAN community,” said ASEAN Secretary- Chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission, William Ramirez, General Dato Lim Jock Hoi. “The campaign will raise awareness in his capacity as the Chair of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting amongst football fans and our larger community on the on Sports. importance of leading healthy and active lifestyles.” 22 of FIFA’s Football for Programme, Schools whichwillaimto foster with astrong focus oneducation through theimplementation coversThe abroad partnership range ofcollaboration areas among allnations andpeoplesofASEAN. and solidarity changes intheregion, that echoASEAN’s visionofunity ASEAN, to usethebeautifulgameto aboutpositive bring in football andwe handinwith lookforward to working ASEAN hasayoung andvibrant population withgreat interest education, better health,equality, andsocialintegration. the power offootball to address challengessuchasaholistic agreement willseebothorganisations work together to harness address at the2019ASEANSummitinBangkok. The ASEAN-FIFA which GianniInfantino, theFIFA President, referred to his during contribute to achievingsocietaldevelopment and growth as well asto aboutpositive bring canalso socialchange. It Samoura: What are itsmaingoalsandobjectives? Why to forge was itimportant theASEAN-FIFA agreement? pandemic, andelevatingthesportinregion partnership withASEAN, stayinghealthyandactiveduringthe On theFédérationInternationaledeFootballAssociation(FIFA) FIFA GENERAL, SECRETARY FATMA SAMOURA FOOTBALL FOR POSITIVE CHANGE HARNESSING THE POWER OF VIEWPOINT: Inside View The girls inschools across Asian theSoutheast region. andphysicallife skills education through football for boys and Football hasthepower to unite andinspire people, Youth andSkills

Under 20FIFA World Cups. ofexperience willprovideThis kind a FIFA competitions at youth level, suchasourUnder 17and in theregion, sothat we willseemore teams from ASEANreach FIFA develop football wants to thispassionandfurther harness from around theglobe battle itoutfor eWorld Cup glory. the onlineversion oftheFIFA World Cup, gamers where skilled inefootball through theFIFA part teams and taking eWorld Cup, people from theregion passionately following European club Samoura: how isFIFA helpingto promote anddevelop it? you intheregion and thestate describe ofthesport players intheregion make itto thebigleagues. How would Asia football iscrazy about ofSoutheast butfewMost increased awareness raising ofmatch manipulation anddoping. football, aswell integrity via astheadvancement ofsports cooperation willbethepromotion ofchildsafeguarding in for women andmarginalised communities. areas ofthe Other infootball,lifestyles andinclusive participation particularly on theimplementation ofstrategies to promote healthy The joint initiative willalsoseeASEANandFIFA work together Southeast Asia is crazy aboutfootball Asia withmany Southeast iscrazy The ASEAN August 2020 August

Photo Credit: © FIFA ; © user6624752 / Freepik Premium Photo Credit: © ASEAN Secretariat/Kusuma Pandu Wijaya in thisfield for theprotectionat ofeveryone football matches. and guidethem towards maintaining thehighestglobalstandards confederations interms ofsafety to andsecurity, buildcapacity isthrough thesemeasuresIt that FIFA canhelpMA’s and • • •  •  via: and security MA’s to improve andmaintain consistent levels ofsafety long-term results, ourconfederations andwe support and programme capacity-building and security delivers thebest FIFA’s experience hasshown that awell-structured safety offans,and maintaining thesafety players, andsecurity etc. personnel play arole inprotecting ofparamount importance environments andtherefore stadiaandtheirsafety andsecurity Samoura: at football matches? capacity-building, inrelation to safety andsecurity Can you expound ontheneedfor professional ASEAN football hasmany exciting years aheadofit. region andtheexpansion of theFIFA World Cup to 48teams, programme to meetthespecificneedsofour MA’s intheASEAN offootball,positive impacts theFIFA tailoring Forward We believe thatwithASEANto by highlight the working the development offootball. oversight offunds sothat theyare usedresponsibly andgoto tailor-made plansto meetspecificneedsofeach MA, andmore associations’ (MA) footballaccompanied by activities impactful through increased investment indevelopment for member development programme tostructure deliver astate-of-the-art provides resources and The FIFA Forward programme talent to thefore. football andASEANfootball we hopeto ASEAN bring our FIFA Forward programme, associations into account, and of thenational football theindividualneeds taking across theASEANregion, development programmes Through tailor-made football Women’s FIFA World Cups. competitions, theMen’s and qualify for theultimate FIFA gateway for ASEANteams to providing subject-matter expertise andsupport providing subject-matter expertise identifying points gapsand agreeing action oncritical field ofplay protection, zoning) player andofficialsecurity, venueoperations centre work, plansforsecurity keyareas (e.g. crowd flows, ingress, egress, facilitating theformulation of frameworks ofsafety and Regulations andrelevant local/regionalSecurity regulations planning, inaccordance withtheFIFA Stadium Safety and inthefieldofsafety sharing andsecurity knowledge Football shouldalways beplayed insecure andsafe

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ASEAN andFIFA and best practices ofthe and bestpractices in World HealthOrganization (WHO) •  •  compliance requirements) via: through asystem ofcombined grants andloansunderstrict men’s andwomen’s professional, youth andgrassroots football, dollars available to assistthefootball (including community COVID-19 Plan Relief whichwillsee atotal of1.5billionUS addition,ASEANcountries willbeabletoIn benefitfrom FIFA’s WHO amidsttheCOVID-19 outbreak. lifestyles by following therecommendations ofthe encouraging ASEANcitizens to leadhealthy andactive featuring regional ofajoint campaign football starsaspart we launchedthe#BeActive videosat theendofJuly2020, key healthmessagesto thewiderpopulation. Together, teamed upto launch asocialmediacampaign to helppass themidstofCOVID-19 crisis,In ASEANandFIFA ongoing travel restrictions. a physical meeting, whichwas notpossibledueto the Secretariat andFIFA. We were ofcourse hopingto hold from States, allASEANMember participants theASEAN Annual Collaboration Plan took place withroughly 50 e-Workshop August, early In theofficial ontheASEAN-FIFA immediate implementation. on finalisingthe roadmap with concrete projects for from bothsidesremains strong. We are currently working cooperation between ASEANandFIFA ishighandenthusiasm Despite theongoingpandemicsituation, of thespirit should onlyholdmatches when itissafe to doso. alifeno football rightnow, risking match isworth andpeople and onthispoint, Iechothewords oftheFIFA President, inthat matches andtraining sessionshave beenaffected by COVID-19 order to slow thespread ofthediseaseandsave lives. Football being madeavailable to allMAs interest-free loans ofupto 5millionUSdollars dollars specifically for women’s football football,to protect andrestart andanadditional500,000US each FIFA MA benefitting from a1million USdollars grant

The Inside View The Samoura: COVID-19 ReliefPlan? the youth? And the lifestylesactive among promote healthy and that you launchedto initiative, a videoproject us more thefirst about agreement? Can you tell implementation ofthe the planningand pandemic affected How hastheCOVID-19 to follow theguidelines believe that itisessential the globeandat FIFA, we elsearound everything football impacted like COVID-19 has COVID-19 has

Youth andSkills

23 24 The Inside View Youth and Skills

aim to help facilitate the planning and resumption of football after health authorities and national governments in the relevant countries have considered it safe to do so.

The 2021 FIFA U-20 World Cup is scheduled to be held in Indonesia. How has the planning for this event been affected? Samoura: As with other FIFA tournaments, due to COVID-19, the overall planning and milestones had to be reviewed for Indonesia 2021. Discussions and preparations for the tournament have so far been very positive and FIFA and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) are working closely with the government authorities in Indonesia to finalise the host cities Secretariat/Kusuma Pandu Wijaya © ASEAN and venues as well as the exact dates for the tournament.

Women’s football has grown in popularity around the world. Does FIFA see any opportunities to work with Photo Credit: ASEAN and FIFA signed a Memorandum of Understanding ASEAN in promoting women’s football in the region? at the sidelines of the 35th ASEAN Summit in 2019 Samoura: In line with the FIFA Women’s Football Strategy, FIFA has a long-term vision for the development of the women’s game and is working with MAs and confederations to build on the momentum generated by last year’s FIFA The fund will be supervised by a steering committee led by Olli Women’s World Cup and to further develop the sport. Rehn, the Deputy Chairman of the FIFA Governance Committee, who is also the Governor of the Bank of Finland, a Member of Along with other upcoming women’s football development the Governing Council of the European Central Bank, and initiatives that will be announced very soon, this additional a former Vice-President of the European Commission. financial investment will provide MAs in ASEAN and other regions with an opportunity to access dedicated funding Sporting events are on hold or postponed and stadiums to support women’s football during the COVID-19 pandemic will likely be empty for the foreseeable future. How and further develop it once football begins to restart. has football been affected by the pandemic? How can young footballers in the region use this time to We also believe that the ninth edition of the FIFA Women’s keep fit and prepare for future sporting events? World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2023 will act as a Samoura: Right now FIFA wants to ensure that football is only springboard for women’s football across the entire Oceania played when safe to do so, and although this is tough, with many and Asia regions. training sessions and matches being postponed or cancelled, we are encouraging football fans to look at other safer and more How do you see the post-COVID 19 future of football socially distant ways to be involved in the game. in the ASEAN region? Samoura: Right now, it’s difficult to say and if the The #BeActive campaign encourages people to try to lead a COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it is that planning healthy and active lifestyle during the COVID-19 pandemic and looking to the future is difficult until we get this disease and includes advice and practical guidance from football stars from under control. Football is not immune to these impacts across ASEAN and encourages fans to stay active during lockdown and FIFA’s top priority has been and will remain the health, phases through a range of activities like: safety, and wellbeing of all those involved in the game. • online exercise classes • dancing  At this stage, our first priority is health and FIFA is • stretching and conditioning committed to supporting football— particularly MAs, • jumping rope including those in the ASEAN region—to overcome the • muscle strength and balance training challenges they are facing. FIFA through a range of measures, including the COVID-19 Relief Plan, as well as various initiatives In addition, FIFA— together with the WHO—published in and campaigns to support football and fans in these difficult May 2020 a risk assessment tool, alongside draft medical times, will help football in weathering the storm that is COVID-19 considerations for all 211 MAs and six confederations, which until brighter and safer days of football are here.

Further information on the #BeActive campaign can be found here: https://www.fifa.com/who-we-are/news/asean-fifa-and-football-stars-launch-beactive-campaign

The ASEAN August 2020 The Inside View Youth and Skills 25

REIMAGINING THE POWER OF SPORTS IN ASEAN BY LARASATI INDRAWAGITA SENIOR OFFICER, EDUCATION, YOUTH AND SPORTS DIVISION, ASEAN SOCIO-CULTURAL COMMUNITY DEPARTMENT AND THE ASEAN EDITORIAL TEAM

When we think of sports, we immediately think of our favorite athletes and their physical prowess, and the excitement we feel as we watch them play and compete. We do not often think about sports in the same breath as peace- and community-building, or see it as a development tool. © imtmphoto/Shutterstock Photo Credit: 26 The Inside View Youth and Skills © Blanscape / Shutterstock; torwaiphotos/ FreepikPremium Photo Credit:

But the history of sports, going back Games, ASEAN School Games, or ASEAN In 2019, ASEAN Member States in to the ancient Olympic Games in the Football Federation’s Championships. On collaboration with the Government ninth century BC, tells us that sporting this basis and in alignment with the global of Norway and the nongovernment competitions have been used time and commitment on promoting sports for organisation, Right to Play, began again to stop wars and (re)establish development and peace, the Philippines as implementing the ASEAN Youth Sports diplomacy between hostile communities. the Chair of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting for Development, Peace and Leadership on Sports aptly announced “One Vision, One (S4DPL) project. This ongoing project Sports has also evolved into a trillion Goal, One Community: Strengthening Unity aims to develop life skills among ASEAN dollar global industry to date, employing Through Sports” as its chairpersonship youth leaders. These youth leaders are not just athletes and coaches, but millions theme for the period 2019-2020. also empowered to take the lead in of people involved in managing and marketing professional leagues and clubs, manufacturing sporting goods, producing sporting events, and other sports-related activities.

ASEAN is cognisant of these multiple facets of sports—its unifying power and development potential—and has made it a priority under the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025.

Community-building and Sports In ASEAN, we have seen firsthand how sports fosters unity in diversity and strengthens mutual understanding, be it through the SEA Games, ASEAN Para

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be needed to ensure improvement of and complementarity among physical education modules in schools, local/grassroots sports programmes, and recruitment process for professional sports. There is also a need to create a © h9images/ Freepik Premium decent work environment for athletes, and address issues of pay gap within and across sports and between genders, Photo Credit: unstable income, and inadequate social protection, to draw more young people to a sporting career.

Technology has impacted sports over the past few decades in terms of improving the design of sport apparel (e.g. swimwear) promoting a sense of ASEAN Community, Except for a few countries, the contribution and equipment (e.g. concussion advocating for healthy lifestyles, and of sports industry to ASEAN economies— helmet) and analysis of an athlete’s physical supporting crime prevention through and the world of work—has been largely fitness and performance. Technological sports projects at the community level. overlooked, or has yet to be hassessed. advancements in the Fourth Industrial A systematic reckoning of the economic Revolution will only intensify technology’s In light of ASEAN’s commitment to advance value of sports at the national and regional role and likely lead to new types of sports for development and peace and levels and an assessment of the welfare and businesses and jobs. Artificial intelligence against the backdrop of the Tokyo 2021 wellbeing of workers in this industry may in coaching and training as well as Olympic and Paralympic Games, ASEAN is be necessary to unlock the sports industry’s virtual reality in game simulations and also working in partnership with Japan to full potential. Such an initiative is consistent e-sports are some examples that promote the participation of women and with the Declaration on Human are worth exploring. girls in sports and a forthcoming initiative Resources Development and the on the capacity development for physical Changing World of Work, in which the Sports in ASEAN will bring people education teachers. ASEAN Leaders pledged to enhance the closer together and offer more leadership of business and industry in opportunities for all in the years The Fifth ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on human resources development and craft ahead. As it has been successfully Sports in 2019 agreed that in the next cohesive labour and economic policies that applied to tourism and culture, it is five years, ASEAN will focus on multiple will lead to job creation and enterprise timely for development actors to also dimensions in sports, namely, sports for competitiveness. shift their narrow perspective of sports development and peace, sports for all, as merely recreational, and reimagine sports integrity, as well as sports science, The development of promising athletes how to harness its power to contribute sports tourism, and sports industry. remains an important aspect of the sports to ASEAN’s socio-economic The composition of priorities signals that industry and as such, a grand roadmap may development. ASEAN perceives sports as a platform for social development and as an industry.

Sports, Livelihood, and Development Sports in ASEAN will bring people closer Sports does not only offer a lucrative together and offer more opportunities for career path for professional athletes, all in the years ahead. As it has been successfully but generates business and creates applied to tourism and culture, it is timely employment as well. Coaches, referees, for development actors to also shift their team managers, trainers, sports medicine “ and sports science practitioners, facility narrow perspective of sports as merely managers, ticket sellers, security staff, recreational, and reimagine how to harness sports commentators, production staff, and its power to contribute to ASEAN’s socio- merchandise sellers are just some of the people who populate the world of sports. economic development. 28 The Inside View Youth and Skills

Viewpoint: Joseph Isaac © Joseph Isaac Schooling JSchooling Photo Credit:

JOSEPH ISAAC SCHOOLING won the first Olympic gold medal for his home country Singapore in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. He beat legendary American swimmer Michael Phelps in the 100m butterfly, and broke the Olympic record that Phelps previously held. Schooling started swimming at an early age and has won in many other international competitions. He is a philanthropist and public figure who has promoted swimming in Singapore and the rest of the region. The 26- year- old swimmer talks to The ASEAN about what it takes to be a world class athlete and how he is gearing up for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

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Determination, passion, and hard work is what keeps me going. Those “ sound very cliché, which they are, but in reality, it’s hard to put in those three things day in and day out.

me as a person— how you treat other people, your manners. All that come into

© Joseph Isaac Schooling play and my parents have always given me the opportunity to discuss and make the decisions for myself. They’re not too constricting and guide me along the right

Photo Credit: path and so I definitely have my parents to thank for instilling all the right values and belief in me. The ASEAN: You started swimming at go for another session in the afternoon and a very young age, 4-5 years old, why did add to that, sessions in the gym as well. Day I am also very fortunate to have the you choose that sport? What motivated in and day out. But it’s all about the passion opportunity to work with some of the you to get into the pool every day and how badly you want it. best coaches who knew how to get the to train for hours? best out of me and how to help me Schooling: I started swimming when You had to move to the United States achieve my goals. I was 4 and started competing at 5 years to train and compete, why was it old. I have always been interested in all necessary for you to make the move? Describe to us your journey to the types of sports. I come from a sporting What were the challenges you faced 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Did you family. My granduncle, Lloyd Valberg, during those times? How did you ever think that you could beat your was the first and only athlete manage to balance school work, childhood idol, Michael Phelps, in the to represent Singapore at the London training, and competing? 100m butterfly competition; beat 1948 Olympics and both my parents Schooling: We made the huge decision an Olympic record; and bring home represented their countries as well in together as a family to make the move Singapore’s first Olympic gold medal? international sporting tournaments. to the US when I was 13/14 years old. Schooling: My journey to 2016 was an So you can say that sports is in my blood. At that time, it was the only choice to be up and down roller coaster but I learnt a I also enjoy golf, tennis, table-tennis, made if I was really serious about taking lot of lessons along the way. Lessons that badminton, and when I went to school, my swimming to the next level or a few also had to be translated into my daily life. we had to choose only one sport. stages of where I was at that time. It was But regarding having the confidence to I chose swimming and I guess the hard—hard leaving friends, very hard beat Michael in the 100m Butterfly and rest is history. leaving family members, and to be in breaking the Olympic record, I would a boarding school in the first two years. say yes. I had raced him a couple of times Determination, passion, and hard work is Moving away from home at such a throughout the year (in the lead up to what keeps me going. Those sound very young age meant I had to grow up the Olympics), I knew that if I could be cliché, which they are, but in reality, it’s hard and learn to be independent. ahead during the in-season competition, to put in those three things day in and day I would have a really good shot when the out. Not many people will want to wake up My parents laid a very strong foundation Olympics came around. So I was always for morning practice at 5 in morning, then and have a great part to play in building confident and never gave up hope. 30 The Inside View Youth and Skills

Laszlo Cseh (HUN), Chad le Clos (RSA), Michael Phelps (USA), and Joseph Schooling (SGP) at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics

You have donated your time, celebrity status and funds to several charities. Why do you believe that it is important ©Leonard Zhukovsky/Shutterstock to give back? Schooling: I believe it’s important to give back because you always have to go back to your roots. My journey to the Olympics, Photo Credit: while it was mostly enabled through my Mum and Dad and also on my own accord, Many people say that was the pinnacle an extra year to get physically and we did have a lot of help from external of your career. How did that defining mentally stronger, working on the parties. Whether it’s through organisations moment change you as an athlete and things that can get me to where I want or scholarships to help fund me through as a person? What are the next goals to be in 2021. Although we’ve had to do my school and my training. Being a you have set out for yourself? things a bit differently, “different” doesn’t world-class athlete is not only time Schooling: I remember going through mean we can’t do other things to get consuming but also very expensive and a gamut of emotions when I realised I’ve me to the same spot I wanted to be in. you always need strong support behind won the gold medal. That was probably So I’m looking at the extra year as a you at all times. Right now, being in the one of the best feelings ever and one that positive boost for myself. position that I am, I think it’s fundamentally I will cherish forever and will always spur important to give back to budding athletes me on and keep me focused on achieving For the young people who and also the athletes who might not be in future higher goals. There is still some way look up to you and would like to follow as lucky position as I was and try to help for me to go in my career. I am focusing in your footsteps, what will you tell them them realise their hopes and dreams. on the Olympics for next year to defend about how to deal with challenges and Not everyone is going to be an Olympic my title in the 100m Butterfly. I am also achieve their goals? What would you champion but I believe it’s amazing to focusing on qualifying for other events, advise them to do while sporting help as many people as possible realise especially the relay event. It would be the events are on hold and they are their potential, whether it being gold first time the Singapore’s men’s relay team unable to train and compete? medals or different breakthroughs (swimming) will feature in the Olympics Schooling: I’d tell them to love what in other avenues of life. if we qualify. you do, be passionate about it. If you have that mind-set and that perseverance, What do you hope to see for the The Tokyo Olympics have been nothing can really stop you, or anyone. development of sports, not just in postponed to 2021 because of the I’d say just keep working at it. There are Singapore, but in the rest of the COVID-19 pandemic. How has that always ways to work around these Southeast Asian region? How can affected your sport, your physical situations. The environment or athletes and sports be given more and mental training? circumstances may have changed but support? Schooling: Despite the Tokyo Olympics your goal hasn’t changed, so keep working Schooling: We have a huge population in being postponed, I think you can find towards it and be creative. Work hard, Southeast Asia, and within that there are positives out of every negative. It gives me never give up. obviously different facets of talent that can be tapped and nurtured. I believe everyone is talented in a different way and in their I believe it’s important to give back chosen sport, be it golf, tennis etc. I believe because you always have to go back to athletes need a solid atmosphere, good your roots. My journey to the Olympics, foundation and obviously strong support pushing them, allowing them to elevate while it was mostly enabled through themselves to the level they need to be “ my Mum and Dad and also on my own at, to compete against the world’s best. accord, we did have a lot of help from external parties. Whether it’s through The ASEAN thanks the Sports Division of the Ministry of Culture, Community and organisations or scholarships to help fund Youth Singapore for making this me through my school and my training. interview possible.

The ASEAN August 2020 The Inside View Youth and Skills 31

ASEAN IMPACT CHALLENGE: Young Social Entrepreneurs Imagine a Sustainable Economic Future for ASEAN

BY ASEAN-USAID PROSPECT two-month accelerator programme, receiving mentorship (PARTNERSHIP FOR REGIONAL OPTIMIZATION WITHIN THE through selected partners to help them prepare for the Regional SOCIO-CULTURAL AND POLITICAL SECURITY COMMUNITIES) Finals. Through the process, innovators are matched with multi- sector actors from government, private sector, and academia who provide guidance and support, particularly focusing on how innovations deliver on achievement of the SDGs. The Imagine a world where economies put a programme also facilitates cross-border collaboration among participants to build knowledge and promote a spirit of premium on sustainability through the volunteerism amongst those who want to contribute to elimination of waste and the efficient achieving the social impact that the ventures aim to achieve. use of resources. Young entrepreneurs At each country level, teams compete to become regional finalists where they can pitch their proven in ASEAN are not only imagining such innovations and impact models. a world, but coming up with innovative ideas to take advantage of the new To date, the AIC has garnered a digital reach of over 70 million impressions, discovered more than 1,000 innovations, galvanised principle of “circular economy.” over 80 partnerships, and awarded 60 finalist innovations. Impact Hub Kuala Lumpur, the lead organiser and host of the AIC, has both a private sector as well as social The 2019 ASEAN Impact Challenge motivation. While these innovations (AIC)—an annual programme to stemming from the AIC contribute to identify, engage, and support the economies within ASEAN, they also innovators from ASEAN—provided a provide a growing number of platform for entrepreneurs to develop promising innovations and product ideas intended to build a interventions that can change more resilient economic system the world.

© ASEAN-USAID PROSPECT © ASEAN-USAID aimed at eliminating waste and reuse of resources. Last year’s challenge ASEAN’s Senior Officials Meeting presented opportunities to identify on Youth (SOMY) in collaboration and strengthen innovations with A BIOPS representative answers a question with United States thorough the

Photo Credit: proven impact, specifically targeting from Mr. Abri Eko Noerjanto, representative USAID-ASEAN Partnership for Regional achievement of the United Nations from SOMY Indonesia Optimization within the Socio-Cultural Sustainable Development Goals and Political Security Communities (SDGs). Under the theme “Circular (PROSPECT), Impact Hub Kuala Futures: Innovations for a Circular Economy,” the AIC emphasised Lumpur, and the ASEAN Foundation hosted the 2019 future-proof innovations to promote the ASEAN development AIC Regional Finals in Bangkok on 31 October– 4 November 2019. agenda and commitment to strengthening cooperation on For the first time , the AIC was officially endorsed by an ASEAN regional and global challenges embodied body, the SOMY. It also specifically targeted young innovators or by the SDGs. Start Impact Innovators from the region to tap into business expertise of potential investors, and pitch their sustainable Now in its 5th year, the AIC engages local partners across all 10 business ideas—ranging from high-protein cricket powder ASEAN Member States, inviting them to nominate innovators who to incentivising recycling through a lucky draw raffle. In 2019, have developed both early- and scale-stage innovations to 20 entrepreneurs representing all 10 AMS were shortlisted to participate in the challenge. Selected finalists join an intensive participate in the AIC Regional Finals. 32 The Inside View Youth and Skills

circular economy. Panelists highlighted the importance of building trust, learning from failure, and supporting the larger circular economy and social enterprise community.

SOMY representatives who PROSPECT © ASEAN-USAID attended this workshop have stated that this type of youth social entrepreneurship platform was

effective in empowering youth Photo Credit: social entrepreneurs in their efforts to support the development of their countries. In particular, the SOMY representative from the Philippines, Mr. Juan Carlos Dr. Shariha Khalid Erichsen, co-founder of Impact Hub (far Marquez, stated that it “was a very good opportunity for young left), grants the Start Impact Challenge award to BIOPS entrepreneurs to showcase their business concepts which are representatives, Mr. Fahri (middle-left) and Mr. Dally. Also in innovative and sustainable. It gives recognition and drives our photos are Mr. Setio Soemeri, Program Manager of ASEAN-USAID young entrepreneurs to do more. Continue to establish the PROSPECT (middle-right) and Ms. Tongja Thanachanan, Director strong involvement of SOMY in future activities.” of C-ASEAN (far right) On 3 November, Start Impact Innovators were also invited to the first day of the 2019 World Environmental Education Congress, an international meeting point for all public and To help finalists prepare to pitch their ventures to potential private stakeholders involved with education for environment investors and partners, the first two days of the Regional Finals and sustainable development. At the congress, AIC finalists focused on skills and knowledge building, including how to pitched their concepts and connected to a wider audience of effectively communicate their sustainable business concepts. corporate social responsibility representatives, UN agencies, The workshop featured presentations from experts on the circular and universities. economy, impact-based storytelling, scaling strategies, and how to effectively partner with private sector players. During the AIC winners were also announced at the congress— workshop, the 20 Start Impact innovators also had an opportunity BIOPS Agrotekno from Indonesia (Start Impact category) to meet entrepreneurs from Digital Big Bang and the ASEAN and Bambuhay from the Philippines (Scale Impact category). Start-up Hack-a-thon, who shared practical guidance from their BIOPS Agrotekno is the brainchild of six young tech students, own successful start-up journeys. including graduates from the Institute of Technology Bandung. This agritech start-up aims to harness the power of data to After the workshop, on 2 November, all AIC 2019 regional finalists help Indonesian farmers. BIOPS Agrotekno started when three from both Start-Impact Innovators (early stage) and Scale-Impact of its founders—Nugroho Hari Wibowo, Dally Chaerul, and Malikul Innovators (ventures older than 2 years with minimum working Ikram—saw an opportunity to use technology solutions to increase capital of 100,000 US dollars) delivered demo pitches of their farmers’ agricultural productivity amidst a changing environment circular economy start-ups to a panel of judges comprised of with unpredictable weather patterns. They helped farmers improve representatives from SOMY, the United Nations Environment irrigation practices on their farms. BIOPS Business Director, Dally Programme, and the private sector. The teams also had a chance to Chaerul, explained, “One farmer told us he used songs to decide hear from start-ups as well as established private sector players, how long to water his fields. But what if one day the song is very such as Unilever and SCG, about their initiatives related to the long, and another day, the song is very short?” BIOPS solution was to develop a device that ensured optimal water supply for plant growth. By connecting weather stations with an automatic While these innovations stemming irrigation system, BIOPS “Encomotion” device uses a patented from the AIC contribute to the algorithm to calculate specific water needs for a farm. Initial prototypes were refined with a grant from the Indonesian economies within ASEAN, they Ministry of Research and Technology Business Incubation also provide a growing number programme. Now, the devices are being adopted by farmers of promising innovations and across Java and East Nusa Tenggara.

interventions that can change ASEAN and USAID will continue collaborating to support the world. young social entrepreneurs in the region.

The ASEAN August 2020 Conversations Youth Profiles 33

“In today’s world, young people are facing

© Vania Djunaidi more pressure in their life. The artwork reveals the versatility of the youth in today’s world to adapt to present pressures and meet challenges.” Vania Djunaidi, Indonesia Photo Credit: Conversations Young innovators and entrepreneurs who empower their communities 34 Conversations Youth Profiles LOUISE MABULO Social Entrepreneur

At just 21 years old, We were looking at cacao Louise Mabulo is an award- because after the storms winning chef, farmer, and you could see that they public speaker. Her culinary were still standing, career started after joining the Philippine version of the trees still had their the popular tv show, “Junior pods on them, which was Master Chef.” surprising, considering the strength of Mabulo shifted to agriculture the storm. advocacy, after witnessing the devastating impact of Typhoon Nock-Ten on her hometown, San Fernando, Camarines Sur. She founded the “Cacao Project,” a social venture that supports farmers in sustainable that people would actually buy them agriculture. Mabulo is a Young from the farmers and they would be Champion of the Earth under United assured of a market. And it had to be Nations Environment Program, something that was suited to our Outstanding Farmer of the Year 2018, ecosystem. and a Friend of Humanity Awardee © Louise Mabulo under Friendship Ambassadors “With the Cacao Project, our aim is to Foundation. In April 2020, she landed a promote regenerative agriculture and spot in the prestigious Forbes Asia its resilience for livelihoods. We have Under 30 list. been doing training programmes that Photo Credit: train farmers on sustainable farming and In her own words: growing cocoa, and teaching them about farming practices like “My town was an agricultural town and I had always been natural farming practices or bringing back traditional methods, adamant about advocating farm to table food and promoting and promoting that in general. In the end, what we do is we local produce for Filipino food and it’s been something that’s kind consolidate and connect the farmers with international buyers or of always on my mind. So, from Junior Masterchef, I got launched local buyers who are looking for cacao. We make sure they get unexpectedly into a culinary career at a very, very young age. I paid a fair price and we show them how to value their product, was looked at by a lot of chefs and mentors who wanted to kind how much their product is worth. Because a lot of farmers here of develop this young culinary prodigy and I felt that it wasn’t are kind of taken advantage of by middlemen or people who just enough to just be a chef. want to get the cheapest crops and harvests that they can.

“I decided to buy cows and then slowly integrated other things, “Well, we’ve worked with over 200 hundred farmers and we’ve grew my own ingredients and food. I was just so passionate about planted over 85,000 thousand trees over a span of 85 hectares agriculture and growing things yourself. And that was what of land. And thanks to this, a lot of the soil fertility has been I noticed when Typhoon Nock-Ten came in, that was why I knew improving throughout the town. We’ve seen revivals of streams I had to help the farmers because I was affected by that, and and water sources because of the tree planting efforts and I saw how devastating that impact would be, especially if because of diversifying the crops. your livelihood was fully dependent on producing food. Agriculture is considered one of the most unsustainable “We were looking at cacao because after industries because it has a lot of greenhouse gas emissions, it the storms you could see that they were still standing, the trees pollutes a lot of areas, and it causes a lot of deforestation. But still had their pods on them, which was surprising, considering with sustainable and regenerative agriculture, we’re integrating it the strength of the storm. And not just that but we had to look at into forests and towards sustaining land caves so that it’s crops that were profitable with a high demand in the markets, intrinsically sustainable. Food is something necessary and we’ve

The ASEAN August 2020 Photo Credit: © UN Environment Programme; © Louise Mabulo really close toyou. people andworkonissues thatare to beonthegroundand empathisewith able tomakeagreat impact, youhave you havetoserve,andinorderbe of stewardship.Inordertobealeader, wherever theyare—istheimportance talks, nomatterhowoldtheyare, always tellpeople—whetherit’sin “One ofthemainmessagesthatI to agriculture. these stereotypes andnegative stigmas we associate often in it—and to seethemselves differently and to disassemble it’sagriculture—that profitable, that there’s somuchopportunity about thepossibilitiesof here. it’s So teaching farmers stereotypes around farming credibility becausethere are takemewithmuch exactly people won’tup onafarm, because, ifagirl likemeshows see thevisioninlongterm, what ourmissionwas andto togetting farmers understand onourchallenge was“Early chemicals. anduseof mass production unsustainable becauseof that agriculture hasbecome just inthepast50years or so forbeen farming ages, butit’s

Interviewed byInterviewed themselves, aswell. they seeanewvisionfor andfor itspotential in the country career. Butnow, they’re ofencouraged to kind continue itand associated withpoverty. They want to getoutofanagriculture their viewoftheindustry. here Alotofthefarmers are often it’s empowered to alotoffarmers viewthemselves andchange “One ofthethingsthat theseawards have really doneis, in thePhilippines. for communities thefarming here inASEANandhere So, it’s ahugehonorandit’s agiant step notjustfor me, butalso associated withbillionaires andthereally elite classof people. magazines, especiallysince that’s something that’s often towards us, andchooseto putusonthefront pageoftheir potential. I’m really that Forbes overwhelmed would come come to viewagriculture asanobleprofession withlotsof “I thinkfor thewholeregion, Ihopethat more young peoplecan I thinkthat’s oneofthethingsthat really motivates people. soil sothat itproduces more income for themandmore harvest, diversified crops and teaching themhow to regenerate and revive

Mary Kathleen Quiano-Castro Mary gave them. The ideaof work ifIhadn’t withfarmers I wouldn’t have beenableto but alotofthecrops that we to see, andnotjustfrom cocoa, profits that theyare expecting encouraged by theincreased in “A are lotoffarmers really circle that you work with. orwithinyourcommunity withinyour impact to you, buthave agreat issues that are notonlyclose And it’s to work on important because Igrew my own crops. able to empathise withthem been livinghere, andbeen Conversations Youth Profiles

35 36 Conversations Youth Profiles JOSEPH PHAN VAN QUYEN Multimedia Art Entrepreneur

For 25-year-old entrepreneur I founded Ethnicity to bridge Joseph Phan Van Quyen, being the gap among urban and young means having endless rural youth, and promote opportunities to contribute mutual understanding to communities. among them, which is He established Jos Creative (www. fundamental for a more joscreative.com) to channel his passion for multimedia art. His interest in sustainable collaboration human-centered design that creates solutions and social impacts prompted him to set up Ethnicity in 2018, a digital conservation project that preserves the traditional brocade weaving to the tourist patterns on the ethnic minorities’ textiles. to preserve this tradition as well as With this, he aims to promote mutual increase income. understanding among rural and urban communities to create positive change in “My team and I organise field trips to my the lives of ethnic minorities in Viet Nam. hometown to do research on the patterns. We started with the K’Ho and Ma people © Joseph Phan Van Quyen In his own words: who account for over 25 per cent of the “I was born and raised in Lam Dong With Ethnicity, Joseph Quyen preserves province’s population to get a deep province. Growing up among the ethnic cultural heritage while promoting mutual understanding of the message behind each groups gave me a deep understanding understanding among rural and urban youth pattern. We have around 400 patterns in our Photo Credit: about their struggles with life due to digital library. We mix the shapes and poverty. I established ‘The Fingerprint colours to create new patterns for the Volunteer Group’ when I was a high school student to raise money modern creative industry and design ready-to-use templates for to help the ethnic minorities improve their living standards and CV and business cards, for example. We also have illustrations on education. But I think the circle of giving and receiving is not cultural activities of the ethnic minorities. I want these patterns to sustainable for future generations. appear more so people can learn about the patterns as they learn about the culture. The ethnic minority people are also happy as “After graduating from high school, I stayed in the village to they get noticed more. become a coffee and tea picker. But after a year, I started to think about who I wanted to be in life, and what I wanted to change. “COVID-19 affected my works too. But I took this as an opportunity I decided to move to Ho Chi Minh City when I was 21, and this to expand digital skills. I launched Jos Foundation during the decision is my biggest accomplishment to date. I worked for about pandemic to support young people who want to make changes to a year in the city to save money for my studies. I graduated from the communities. Young people have lots of energy and ideas, but college and got a diploma in multimedia, and established Jos they do not have funding or mentorship to do it. The Foundation Creative. During my studies, I started to learn about the world is a platform to give such mentorship to young people. Ethnicity and discover myself. I participated in many ASEAN programmes is also now supported by Jos Foundation. It is a challenge for me for youth and was chosen to represent Viet Nam to meet the now to balance my business and social projects. I would love to former US President Barack Obama last year for a roundtable focus on community projects, but I need money to fund them. discussion organised by the Obama Foundation. “Many people told me that I should take care of myself, focus “Then I noticed how youth in the city are influenced by other on my study before taking care of others. But as young people, cultures; that their own cultural identity is fading away. I founded we have a lot of energy and can do a lot of things. We just need Ethnicity to bridge the gap among urban and rural youth, and support, and we want to be recognised about what we are doing. promote mutual understanding among them, which is If our voices are heard, we can do more than what we have done. fundamental for a more sustainable collaboration. Through the We can dedicate more to the communities.” promotion of online libraries of brocade’s patterns, we pull the urban and rural closer together and indirectly introduce the Interviewed by Novia D. Rulistia

The ASEAN August 2020 Conversations Youth Profiles 37 LIM CHONG TEE Environmental Engineer and Water Consultant

Lim Chong Tee, 29, is the Right now, we try to co-founder and Chief give opportunities to our Marketing Officer of teammates to be able to WateROAM, a Singapore-based travel around, go on the social enterprise that develops ground, and get first-hand portable water filtration solutions which provide quick experience on why it needs access to clean water for people to be a water provider or in rural communities and water consultant. disaster-relief sites.

Lim met with the other two co-founders, an ecosystem that allows for innovation, David Pong and Vincent Loka, at a water and we were shamelessly applying for initiative programme in the National Lim Chong Tee shows children how grants. We got rejected more than we were University of Singapore. Sharing the same WateROAM’s portable water filtration works accepted for some of the grants, but we

© Lim Chong Tee passion, the trio founded WateROAM in at a project in Cambodia never stopped. We took the feedback 2014. Some of their projects include and improved our designs. helping the communities affected by Typhoon Haima in the Philippines, floods in Lao PDR, and Lombok “When I started, I was 23 years old, had no credentials as Photo Credit: earthquake in Indonesia. So far, their innovations have reached I was just a student. People had doubts, and it might be hard 100,000 people across 38 countries. WateROAM focuses on for organisations to trust you wholesale. But slowly we earned developing technologies to help improve the livelihood of the trust. There are people who do not trust us, but there are individuals, and ultimately ending prolonged thirst in the world. advisors who offer their knowledge and experience. Where we are today is thanks to these people and organisations. In his own words: “I like traveling around Asia, being on road trips, and backpacking “One of the most enjoyable parts of WateROAM is where I can to different areas. During my journey, I saw children not going to travel and feel very alive. Traveling can be tiring, but when you school for various reasons. Often, it is because they are sick as see the works being done, it is rewarding. Right now, we try to they drink water that is not clean. I really wanted to do something give opportunities to our teammates to be able to travel around, about it, as I have always had a strong passion with water. Together go on the ground, and get first-hand experience on why it with David and Vincent, we decided to develop a simple tool that needs to be a water provider or water consultant. can purify water. “But we had to stop traveling due to COVID-19. We have taken “The first few years were really challenging; it was about this period to reorganise and re-strategise. We develop virtual identifying the needs on the ground and developing our first educational content that can help bridge the gap on the ground, solution. We had to find the financial resources and technological such as simple instructional videos on how to deploy the system expertise to develop a water filter. It has never been so personal and fix up the water filter easily. During this time, we want to be for us until we started working on the ground and we started able to provide clean water to more communities with no proper feeling that there was a great need out there. We talked to the sanitary and water infrastructure to keep them safe. communities to understand their needs, we started developing the prototypes, and went through many rounds of product “Six years on, we’re still thirsty for more. Climate change is iterations. Instead of building a simple machine, the prototype still one of the biggest threats, whether you believe it not, and was kind of clunky and hard to transport around. So, we underprivileged communities will feel the brunt of it. WateROAM streamlined our design to create simple, portable, durable, is committed to developing technology that can help tackle this and affordable systems. issue, and help improve the lives of those impacted. If we can have more collaboration, this problem could be well managed within “We were using any available resources in the beginning. We were our generation”. thankful that our professors allowed us to build up prototypes and test them so long as we submitted our assignments. Singapore has Interviewed by Novia D. Rulistia 38 Conversations Youth Profiles AUNG MYINT MYAT KYAW Programmer and Cyber Security Specialist

Aung Myint Myat Kyaw People need to know is a fourth year university how their data in the student with a passion Internet are obtained for all things digital. and how many types In 2019, he was selected by the of data they are giving ASEAN Foundation to receive training away to different on computer science education under its ASEAN Digital Innovation Internet sites. Most Programme (ADIP), a partnership people don’t know the programme with Microsoft which aims amount of personal data to create a generation of future-ready they make available on youth in the region. This training allowed him to conduct similar social media. training courses for scores of Myanmar youth who lack digital skills.

In his own words: “When ASEAN Foundation sent me “When I was child, my father bought an invitation to serve as a trainer a computer for business and this under ADIP, I was very excited. It is my started my interest in computers. greatest achievement so far. I became I started learning how computers a trainer for online ASEAN coding work and I became interested in Aung Myint Myat Kyaw has made it his mission classes. This programme is very good computer software. At first my parents to teach Myanmar youth about programming and for Myanmar youth who want to learn © Aung Myint Myat Kyaw didn’t like me spending a lot of time on cyber safety a programming language, especially the computer. They wanted me to now that many are staying at home focus on my studies and pass my due to COVID-19 situation. exams. After I got some scholarship on programming from the training center, New Horizons, they began to “I also work as a teacher, handling Grade 11 Mathematics and Photo Credit: support my interest in programming. I started learning Physics, while I study. I got high marks in Mathematics and Physics programming in 2017. in my matriculation exam and so my neighbors asked me to teach their children. I began working as a home teacher. I have been “Aside from programming, I am also knowledgeable about Internet teaching for three years now. I have some passion for teaching security and privacy. I started learning about cyber security and and I love to give my knowledge to others. data privacy in 2019. The movie The Great Hack and Do not Track Me made me interested in them. I love to educate people about how “In Myanmar, there are many young people with a university to safeguard their privacy on the Internet and about digital tools. degree but they don’t know what to do for work or profession. It is a major problem for the youth in Myanmar and a challenge “Currently, I am creating a chatbot for digital security as well for the educational system too. As for me, I tried self-learning as a digital helpline. The chatbot for digital safety and security on the Internet and attended other training centers. that I am working on is a project for a nongovernment organisation called MIDO. People need to know how their data “If ASEAN wants to support the youth in Myanmar, it should in the Internet are obtained and how many types of data they are provide training for professionals and conduct livelihood giving away to different Internet sites. Most people don’t know workshops for the youth. In addition, it should encourage the amount of personal data they make available on social media. youth cultural exchanges between ASEAN countries since it In Myanmar, 97 per cent of Internet users use Facebook. Many leads to personal development and it is an effective way to also experience cyber-bullying, blackmail, etc., everyday. learn about neighboring countries in the region. We are focusing on giving digital knowledge and help through this project. Interviewed by Joanne B. Agbisit

The ASEAN August 2020 Shiting Currents 39

“The youth of today are equipped with a variety of skills; if used and honed properly, they © Ramchad Tiongson will propel and help build a better future for all Filipinos.” — Ramchad Tiongson, Philippines Photo Credit: Shifting Currents New study on managing technology’s impact on ASEAN’s workforce Improving literacy in the region 40 Shifting Currents

TECHNOLOGY, A BOON FOR THE ASEAN WORKFORCE?

BY JOANNE B. AGBISIT AND THE ASEAN EDITORIAL TEAM

Millions of jobs will be Not necessarily, according to a new ASEAN manufacturing, services, and retail sectors. study titled “Managing Technology’s Technologies such as 3D printing, cobots lost across industries Implications on Work, Workers, and (collaborative robots), and sewbots (sewing in ASEAN as we hurtle Employment Relationships in ASEAN.” robots) are now prevalent in many manufacturing subsectors, such as towards the Fourth The study noted that there are three electronic and electrical as well as textile, Industrial Revolution technological trends and disruptions that clothing, and footwear. Cloud computing (4IR). Numerous studies ASEAN governments must address to and artificial intelligence are also now ensure that their workforce is prepared for increasingly used in the business process have predicted this, 4IR. These trends are changing the global outsourcing industry. but is it an inevitable work environment and provide a preview of what could be in store for us on a larger While these automation technologies will disaster? Will it derail the scale in the 4IR era. increase productivity and profits, they are development trajectory of also expected to erode the region’s First is the automation of routine-intensive traditional competitive advantage: low-cost less developed economies? work which has begun impacting the workforce. Fifty-six per cent of all jobs in five © Sergey Nivens / Shuterstock Photo Credit:

The ASEAN August 2020 Shifting Currents 41

ASEAN Member States, As more industries turn to automation can emanate namely, Cambodia, from technological Indonesia, the and digitalisation and with the emergence advancements. The rise Philippines, Thailand, and of frontier technologies, the demand for of the platform economy Viet Nam, are said to be at portends this third risk of automation in people with abilities to design, build, operate, important trend. Platform the next decade or so. manage, troubleshoot, and upgrade various economy refers to © Tom Wang / Shutterstock Among the most technologies will increase. commercial transactions vulnerable are workers in mediated by digital or the garment industry of internet-based platforms. Indonesia and Cambodia, the automotive These platforms act as matchmakers

Photo Credit: and auto parts manufacturing in Thailand, between buyers and sellers, or clients/ and the business process outsourcing contractors and service providers. sector in the Philippines and Malaysia. troubleshoot, and upgrade various technologies will increase. The International In Southeast Asia, the most popular Second, the shift to a knowledge-oriented Labour Organization (ILO) estimated that homegrown platforms are Grab and Go-Jek, economy requires a technologically ASEAN economies will create 14 million which both started as ride-hailing apps competent workforce. As more industries new high-skilled occupations by 2025. but have since branched out to become turn to automation and digitalisation Whether ASEAN workers can match the skill multi-service platforms. Apart from these and with the emergence of frontier requirements of these occupations remains location-based platforms, cloud-based technologies, the demand for people with to be seen. An ILO survey of 4,000 platforms such as Freelancer.com—in abilities to design, build, operate, manage, enterprises in 2016 painted a bleak which work could be solicited and done picture—the region has a shortage of remotely—are also gaining traction available skilled workers to operate among young people in the region. Top new technologies, hampering More business process outsourcing technological adoption. Platforms present a conundrum to companies are poised for automation in governments as they do not conform the coming years, potentially displacing Ominous warnings about job displacement to traditional forms of employment that thousands of low-skilled workers often fail to highlight the new forms of are governed by existing laws. Platform employment and work arrangement that companies are not regarded as employers 42 Shifting Currents

since payment to service providers comes traditional employer-employee relationship, Other measures include recognising from clients and a portion of the fee goes to is ideal. However, given the different fiscal the rights of platform workers to organise the platform. Yet, some platform companies capabilities of Member States, some should and enter into collective bargaining in act like employers in that they set the base consider a “hybrid strategy that entails the absence of legislation governing pay, provide bonuses or incentives, and can universal provision of some benefits, while platform employment, and ensuring discipline erring service providers. On the holding employers or technology that female platform workers have equal other hand, service providers also do not intermediaries, and workers themselves access to work opportunities and are strictly qualify as self-employed workers accountable for others.” not discriminated in terms of work

because their fee is often determined by conditions and pay. © findracadabra / Shuterstock the client and/or platform and their ability Another measure is to treat formal to secure more work and receive incentives education and skills training as part of For Member States to develop informed depends on customer reviews and ratings a continuum rather than as two separate policies on the platform economy,

which are often posted on the platforms. activities. This system requires the the study further recommended that Photo Credit: Given the peculiarities of platform work, integration of digital and 21st-century governments generate relevant data on the following worker-related issues have emerged: Who should take responsibility for workers’ social protection and welfare? Do platforms entice workers away from formal employment which is regulated and guarantees social protection, or do they give otherwise fragmented, self-employed workers an opportunity to connect, organise, and bargain collectively? Does platform work benefit only those with access to technology and have digital skills?

The study mentioned several ASEAN declarations that provide the broad strokes of how Member States intend to respond to these ongoing technological developments and challenges. In the ASEAN Declaration on Strengthening Social Protection, for instance, Member States expressed their commitment to expanding the coverage and improving the quality of their social protection programmes. Grab and Go-Jek drivers are among the platform workers, such as their working Similarly, in the Vientiane Declaration emerging category of workers in ASEAN’s hours, earnings, occupational safety, on Transition from Informal Employment platform economy and health. This may be done through to Formal Employment towards Decent data-sharing arrangements between Work Promotion in ASEAN, Member the public and private sectors and by States committed to strengthen their including a new module in the country’s human resources policies and programmes, skills in basic education and industry-led labor force survey. The data collected particularly in the areas of technical programmes for skilling, reskilling and can be the basis for establishing formal vocational education and training, skills upskilling workers. This will ensure that legal categories for platform economy development, and lifelong learning. workers can quickly adapt to shifts workers and determining the effectiveness in technology. of using platforms as a site for collecting The study said that Member States appropriate revenue and social security must hunker down to translate these Meanwhile, to maximise the gains from contributions from platform commitments into concrete actions the rising platform economy and minimise users and workers. and must be pursued in cooperation the adverse effects on workers, the study with businesses, trade unions, and civil said that Member States must carry If Member States carry out these society in order to succeed. out a number of interventions. One interventions, they can turn technological of these is to explore the possibility of threats into opportunities and offset One action that Member States can imposing taxes on the platforms’ profits the potential negative impact of take is to delineate the responsibility for which can be earmarked for workers’ technology on the labour and welfare provision. A universal model of welfare, and/or the viability of mandating employment sector. social protection, one that is not tied platform firms to contribute to social to a person’s employment status or on protection schemes for platform workers. The study is set to be released this 2020.

The ASEAN August 2020 Shifting Currents 43

LITERACY FOR ALL IN ASEAN

BY KIRAN SAGOO, PhD, AND THE ASEAN EDITORIAL TEAM

As we move into a new technological age with new challenges, the ability to read, write and understand information has become a crucial component for survival. In addition, our rapidly changing world demands that we embrace new forms of literacies, such as digital, financial, and cultural literacies. © atlascompany/Freepik Premium

The definition of literacy continues to youth. Functional literacy, which is evolve and is now defined as a way to the ability to comprehend written and identify, understand, interpret, create, numerical material beyond basic skills, Photo Credit: and communicate in an increasingly digital, is also low. text-mediated, and information-rich world (UNESCO). Vulnerable Communities Older women—The intersecting ASEAN has made impressive gains over the forms of discrimination and decades, with adult literacy rates over 80 per inequality that girls and women cent in all 10 countries. Literacy rates exceed endure have resulted in lower literacy 90 per cent in seven countries. This has rates experienced by older women. contributed towards empowering the people Due to older women being of ASEAN, enabling them to participate fully marginalised from education in society. It also allows access to higher during their younger years, quality jobs with better pay and working between a quarter to more than half conditions, thus improving living standards. of women above the age of 65 in seven At the national level, a well-educated ASEAN countries, are unable to read or write. workforce lowers poverty rates, contributes to economic growth, and increases social The benefits of socio-economic development well-being. have resulted in longer life expectancy. It is important, therefore, for older women to Nevertheless, despite these impressive be provided an opportunity to develop gains, pockets of illiteracy, which include literacy skills through culturally relevant the inability to read or write basic sentences, and learner-centered literacy programmes. continue to exist in the ASEAN region. Most affected are older women, minorities and Minorities and indigenous communities— indigenous communities, persons with This sector tends to experience low rates of disabilities, and out-of-school children and literacy due to social exclusion and a sense 44 Shifting Currents Analysis ofdata from 49countries). (UNESCO 2018, Education andDisability: illiterate, compared to oneinfour men high, withoneintwo women likelyto be among personswithdisabilitiesare also ratesThe inliteracy gender disparities rates compared withthegeneral population. persons withdisabilitieshaving lower literacy years ofschooling. This contributes towards education, thus having fewersecondary or school are lesslikelyto complete primary likely to attend school. Those that doattend barriers, personswithdisabilitiesare less Persons withdisabilities insociety.participation cultural andenablingfull identity a balance between buildingasenseof well-being. There isaneedto strive for identities and develop socio-cultural languagehelps in arespective minority insociety,participation whilebeingliterate such asincreased access to jobsand andpoliticalbenefits better socio-economic the officiallanguageofsociety provides For populations, minority beingliterate in multilingual societiesisachallenging task. of alienation. in Developing literacy thus improving access to education and advance inclusive educational systems, (2018) with Disabilities Mainstreaming ofPersons theRights ASEAN EnablingMasterplan 2025: children inthecontext ofmigration. education to address theneedsof strengthen national systems, including (2019) Children intheContext ofMigration ASEAN Declaration of on theRights formal, non-formal, andinformal systems. regional andglobaltrends through andtraininglearning to respond to in ASEAN(2019) Agenda for SustainableDevelopment inEducationPartnership for 2030 Bangkok Declaration onAdvancing literacy ratesliteracy for personswithdisabilities. IMPROVING LITERACY IN ASEAN COMMITMENTS TOWARDS recognises theneedto provides for lifelong —Due to social to—Due social seeksto

taken to ensure that thismarginalised group education. Effective measures need to be oftheregion whorequireparts access to of outschoolchildren and youth insome recognises that there isasignificant number Children andYouthOut-of-School ofliteracy,intersection andgender. disability persons withdisabilitiesneedto address the Programmes to improve among literacy (2017) Sustainable Development Goals ASEAN Community Vision 2025and Responsive Implementation ofthe ASEAN Declaration ontheGender- and youth. education for children out-of-school inclusivity, equity, accessibility to and Youth(2016) ChildrenEducation for Out-of-School ASEAN Declaration onStrengthening social inequalities. andreducegender equality ASEAN (2017) Women, Peace in andSecurity Joint Statement onPromoting analyses onallSDGs. disaggregated databases and sex-of national andsub-national supports thestrengthening supports pledges to promote strives to implement

—ASEAN —ASEAN

special needs. children andwith withdisability and/or indigenousgroups aswell as children, includingchildren ofethnic education andschool enrollment for in education andgender equality improvement of ofthequality and Children (2010) Development ofASEAN Women Enhancement of Welfare and Ha Noi Declaration onthe language andBraille. communication includingsign education andalternative meansof disabilities to education, especiallybasic for personswith equal opportunities ASEAN Community (2011) Persons inthe withDisabilities of theRoleandParticipation of DeclarationBali ontheEnhancement various declarations andmasterplans. These literacy,functional through theadoptionof core ofimproving function basicand commitment towards education withits ASEAN Leaders have demonstrated their by 2030. andnumeracy literacy of adults, bothmenandwomen, achieve that allyouth andasubstantial proportion for all.” Target ofensuring 4.6setsthepriority 4 callsfor “inclusive education andquality Sustainable Development (SDG) Goal education. At theinternational level, to right personhasthe thataffirms every Declaration ASEAN HumanRights Improveto Regional Efforts Literacy their education. has access to, remain andcomplete and improve access to data. being addressed learning, through life-long that theneedsofvulnerable populations are equality, reduce socialinequality, ensure include acommitment to promote gender supports the supports The ASEAN seeks

August 2020 August

Photo Credit: © education_free/Freepik Premium Photo Credit: © OPgrapher/Shutterstock Virtually 53rd Anniversary ASEAN Celebrates AND BY NOVIA D. RULISTIA THE ASEAN THE EDITORIAL TEAM Snapshots

ASEAN 53rd AnniversaryASEAN 45 46 Snapshots ASEAN 53rd Anniversary

The ASEAN Secretariat organised for the first time an online celebration to mark ASEAN’s 53rd founding anniversary on 8 August 2020.

Under the theme, ASEAN’s cohesive journey to resilience, the Secretary- General of ASEAN Dato Lim Jock Hoi opened the virtual ceremony by highlighting the significance of international cooperation in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

“No single country can wrestle © asean secretariat/Youtube; C Consonant/Youtube any crisis alone. Tackling the pandemic and its socio-economic impact demands solidarity and action at all levels across

the international community,” he said. “ASEAN has led regional efforts in Photo Credit: fighting the COVID-19, innovated our The ultimate task would be for ASEAN operations, and further deepened our to have a robust, holistic, and practical external relations, thus elevated ASEAN’s recovery framework to minimise the international standing.” socio-economic effect of the pandemic while propelling the economic trajectory, A special tribute was given to ASEAN’s the Secretary-General said. front-liners, who put their lives at risk to save others and help stop the spread of Indonesia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Retno Marsudi rallied for all ASEAN Member States to continue to work Youth from ASEAN Member States together in fighting the pandemic. also conveyed their dreams for ASEAN, in video clips they filmed and “ASEAN must always cooperate to contributed for the occasion. maintain our regional peace and stability, and not to be dragged into the storm There were expressions of hope for an of geopolitical tension or being forced ASEAN that involves more young people to choose sides. Therefore, the region in its policy-making process; that is free of must stay ahead of the curve to maintain human trafficking; and provides quality To mark ASEAN’s 53rd anniversary, a our centrality, maintain our relevance, education and health care for all. 50-minute video was produced by the and be at the driving seat in turning ASEAN Secretariat, featuring messages rivalry into cooperation, distrust into Viewers were entertained with traditional from key officials and top diplomats as strategic trust,” she said. dances from all ASEAN Member States well as showcasing the region’s traditional and music performances by ASEAN dances and a special music video Viet Nam’s Deputy Prime Minister and traditional music group Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said C asean Consonant. that as a community of 650 million people with a combined GDP of 3 trillion US dollars, ASEAN would continue to promote both the interest of the peoples, No single country can wrestle any crisis alone. peace, and prosperity in the region. Tackling the pandemic and its socio-economic Under Viet Nam’s chairmanship this year, impact demands solidarity and action at all a cohesive and responsive ASEAN has taken well-coordinated measures to levels across the international community. protect the health of ASEAN people and revive the economies, he said.

The ASEAN August 2020 Photo Credit: © C asean Consonant/Youtube, © babayuka/Shutterstock ASEAN ThroughTraditionalSounds “ASEAN asOne”SongUnites the ASEANDay onlinecelebration. throughparticipate, amusicvideo, in apart. The group thengot anoffer to challenging timesthat keepthem ASEAN remain united despite the a reminder onhow thepeopleof as said that thesongcould serve andcaring, ofsharing spirit Nujjaya Taking inspiration from ASEAN’s performance,”next shesaid. something interesting for their I want to makesomethingnew, themplayAfter hearing online, the pandemicwas at itsworst. “I wrote when thesonginApril thelockdown.moods during jamming sessionsto brighten their Consonant’s musiciansto doonline shegatheredcame upafter Casean said that theideato write thesong The song writer, SutthipunNujjaya, Chinsamran, andtheSuanpluChorus. Maigue, Thailand’s singerKittinant featuring Philippines’ singerLara a musicvideo, titledASEANasOne, group celebration, ASEANtraditional music At the53rd ASEANDay online C aseanConsonant https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQjGJZXcMSA View themusicvideo “ASEAN asOne” by CaseanConsonant: launched

10 ASEANcountries to co-create musical prodigies chosenfrom Consonant isagroup of10 Founded in2015,Casean with eachother’s sounds.” trust eachotherandare familiar said. “That’s Nujjaya produce suchaunifiedharmony,” music even whentheyplayedefforts; “I admired their(themusicians) Consonant isbased. Thailand, where Casean put together inastudio countries. The tracks were later intheirrespective their parts different countries, they recorded As themusicianslive in10 anniversary concert. concert. anniversary China Music Week, andASEAN-EU ASEAN- ASEAN SummitinBangkok, the openingceremony ofthe34th in numerous ASEANevents, suchas celebrations, andhasalsoperformed at ASEANDay performer C aseanConsonant isafrequent musical instruments. withtraditional performances separately, theystillcould because they

regional organisation. out theaimsandpurposesof establishment ofASEAN andset Declaration) thatdeclaredthe sign theASEAN Declaration(Bangkok Khoman—gathered inBangkokto Foreign MinisterofThailandThanat of SingaporeS.Rajaratnam,and Narciso R.Ramos,ForeignMinister Foreign MinisterofthePhilippines Minister ofMalaysiaTunAbdulRazak, of IndonesiaAdamMalik,Foreign Founding Fathers—ForeignMinister On 8August1967,theASEAN Cultural Community. Economic Community,andSocio- namely Political-SecurityCommunity, anchored onthreecommunitypillars, was established.ASEAN isnow In 2015,theASEAN Community be established. that anASEAN Communityshall resolved atthe9thASEAN Summit In 2003,theASEAN Leaders community ofcaringsocieties. dynamic developmentandina bonded togetherinpartnership in peace,stability,andprosperity; nations thatisoutwardlooking;living It outlinedasharedvisionofASEAN the regionalblocfor21stcentury. Vision 2020wasadoptedtoprepare On its30thAnniversary,theASEAN up theASEAN. Today, these10MemberStatesmake 1997, andCambodiaon30April1999. 1995, LaoPDRandMyanmaron23July 7 January1984,VietNamon28July Brunei Darussalamjoinedon Snapshots OF ASEAN BRIEF HISTORY ASEAN 53rd Anniversary ASEAN

47 48 Snapshots ASEAN-China Cooperation

ASEAN-CHINA COOPERATION: ALLEVIATING POVERTY CAUSED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

BY KIRAN SAGOO, PhD AND THE ASEAN EDITORIAL TEAM

ASEAN’s impressive Addressing the theme of “Joining a number of new industries and business Hands and Fighting against COVID-19, forms, such as the digital economy, progress in reducing Promoting Poverty Alleviation,” which should be harnessed. Deng Xijun, poverty is currently under participants shared key initiatives on the Ambassador Extraordinary and poverty reduction undertaken by their Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic threat of being reversed respective countries due to the pandemic. of China to ASEAN, called for expanded due to COVID-19. Initiatives included providing economic cooperation in emerging industries, such stimulus at the local level, promoting as e-commerce, clean energy and 5G. digital inclusion and entrepreneurship, With growth estimated to decelerate to establishing village funds, as well as other Joining Hands only one per cent in 2020, there is a risk of measures to empower communities, Su Guoxia, Director-General of the those lifted out of absolute poverty falling including women and youth. General Affairs Department and back into poverty. One-third or more of Spokesperson of the State Council the working population in seven ASEAN It clearly emerged that timely and Leading Group Office of Poverty countries are in vulnerable employment, decisive actions made are crucial for Alleviation and Development of China, facing the risk of unemployment. Also safeguarding the life and well-being affirmed that the Chinese government at risk are youth who will be unable to of poor and vulnerable groups. There is will continue to strengthen cooperation join the workforce due to decreasing also a need for increased and sustained with ASEAN Member States to jointly economic growth. investment in social protection, human promote international exchanges and capital development, knowledge- cooperation in poverty reduction in The positive pace and trend in poverty building and targeted interventions the post-pandemic era. reduction, which was expected to to tackle the multi-dimensional nature nearly eradicate poverty in most ASEAN of poverty. Using ASEAN platforms, such as the countries by 2030, appears to be derailed ASEAN Plus Three Summit, ASEAN by COVID-19. Two-thirds of the seventeen Fighting COVID-19 countries and China have been providing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) The forum noted ASEAN’s development of valuable support and assistance to adopted in 2015 to improve people’s lives a recovery framework and action plan that each other in combating the COVID-19 by 2030 also appear unlikely to be met. will steer the direction of recovery from the epidemic. The Joint Statement of the crisis. Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN Special ASEAN Plus Three Summit on Against this background, the 2020 for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, Coronavirus Disease 2019 issued in Extraordinary ASEAN-China Social Kung Phoak, shared that “… a common April 2020, reaffirmed ASEAN and China’s Development and Poverty Reduction understanding and ensuing actions commitment and strong partnership. Forum was held on 29 July, 2020 to on multi-dimensional and non-income address the poverty dimension brought poverty at the regional level will help us ASEAN Economic Ministers and the about by COVID-19. The online forum was to effectively address deprivation and Minister of Commerce of the People’s co-hosted by the State Council Leading vulnerabilities”. He also looked forward Republic of China have also issued a Joint Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and to the development of the ASEAN Rural Statement on Combating the Coronavirus Development of China (LGOP) and the Development and Poverty Eradication Disease and Enhancing ASEAN-China Free ASEAN Secretariat, and organised by the (RDPE) Masterplan to which the wealth Trade Area Cooperation. International Poverty Reduction Center in of experiences and expertise from China China (IPRCC). can be of tremendous relevance. As no country alone can effectively deal with the complexities of the pandemic Promoting Poverty Alleviation The unprecedented challenges in and its devastating effects, cooperation Eighty officials from relevant agencies poverty reduction for ASEAN countries and partnership must be sustained. in China and ASEAN countries, and and China, due to the pandemic, was also representatives from international noted by ASEAN-China Center Secretary- ASEAN Secretariat’s Poverty Eradication organisations and non-governmental General Chen Dehai. Nevertheless, he and Gender Division contributed to organisations participated in the forum. shared that the pandemic has resulted in this article.

The ASEAN August 2020 Photo Credit: © Jerome Quek/Shutterstock measures imposedtocurbthespreadofvirus. to agrindinghaltwiththeCOVID-19pandemic and the classified asintangibleculturalheritageorICH—came watching culturalperformances.Butalltheseactivities— celebrating festivals,partakingintraditionalfeasts,and Just afewshortmonthsago,wewentaboutourlives Of Covid-19 Tangible Impact Heritage Cultural On Intangible NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD OF SINGAPORE DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE, POLICY AND COMMUNITY BY LI TAN ALVIN Backstage beforeaperformance at theChineseGhost Festivalin Snapshots Chinese TeochewOpera. Singapore, August 2019 Arts andCulture 49 50 particularly hard-hit. However,particularly UNESCO that have traditional craftspersons been by theDutch Centre noted for ICH,further This survey, together withanothersurvey cultural lives ofmany. anddisruptingthesocial practitioners ICH events, thelivelihoods ofICH impacting scenario, obliterated, theglobalcalendarof COVID-19 hadupset, orintheworst case andnoted that of itsongoingonlinesurvey Recently, UNESCO shared the findings onICHSector Impact and country. to ourcommunity strengthen ourconnections and rootedness, aswell as oursenseofidentity preserve ICH practitioners, butalsoto understood notonlyto help which needsto be to thissector, theextentof of sustainedandsevere blows The pandemic hasdealtaseries for ICHpractitioners. employment andgenerates income generation alsoprovides to generation. It that are andpassedonfrom practised expressions, knowledge, andskills is composed oftraditions, rituals, crafts, ICH, alsoreferred to asour heritage,”“living Snapshots accurate assessment oftheeconomic conceded that itisstill too to early obtainan Arts andCulture

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able tomodifytheirpractices and adapttochangingtimes. is nothingbutresilient,and

Fortunately, theICHsector Their key concerns include attracting Their keyconcerns include attracting overhead costs ofworkers inthesector. revenue, cancellation of jobs, and continued form oflossincome dueto in reduction ofCOVID-19The comes mainimpact in the in thesurvey. were amongthose who participated and thosewhoprepare traditional food arts, oftraditional performing practitioners severe.”“very Traditional craftspersons, respondents rated as theimpact “severe” or that more than70percent ofthe22 andstakeholdersrevealed ICH practitioners ofCOVID-19 on recent ontheimpact survey Singapore,In theNationalBoard’s Heritage worldwide. sector ofCOVID-19 ontheICH impact

As mostICHexperiences are communal or affected by COVID-19-related measures. are andpractices practitioners also from economic losses, Apart ICH and financialsustainability. postponement orcancellation ofprojects, audiences orcustomers back, significantly,” andthemeasures whichhad orpractice craft “significantly” or “very the current measures their hadimpacted 70 percent ofrespondents shared that According to NHB’s survey, closeto theircraft. practise or perform how ICH practitioners measures affected andare stillaffecting implementation ofsafe-distancing suspension oflarge gatheringsandthe orpresence,physical participation the innatureperformative require andoften of digitalcontent practitioner forthecreation traditional performingarts A videorecordingofa performances, while traditional whiletraditional performances, media platforms to live-stream alsousedsocial arts traditional performing of worship. Likewise, inthe ICHpractitioners by places ofsuchservices live-broadcasting from March to June 2020 resulted inthe and gatheringsinSingapore services For instance, thesuspensionofreligious their audiences. as ameansof(re)connecting with embraced towards theshift digital most evident inhowhas thesector adapt to changing times. This isperhaps products inorderproducts to evolve and able to and modifytheirpractices havepractitioners always been nothing butresilient, and Fortunately, is theICHsector Embracing Shift theDigital and live performances. the suspensionofworkshops capacity, and safe-distancing, to group sizepertaining andcrowd are theones the mostimpact The ASEAN August 2020 August

Photo Credit: © Indian Heritage Centre, Singapore Photo Credit: © National Heritage Board, Singapore knowledge and skills. andskills. knowledge and spedupthetransmission ofICH content beyond itstraditional audiences, so, ithasalsoexpanded theaccessibility of documentation ofICHelements. doing In digital records that contribute to the Second, ithascreated of arepository emerged inthewake ofCOVID-19. modified elements that may have research on,alongwiththe further out organisations andscholarsto carry elements, whichmay for beworthwhile previously unexplored orunderstudiedICH phenomenon. First, ithasopenedup There are several benefits to this more venture practitioners online. made available for thefirsttimeasmore and digital content heritage-related that isbeing to betheunprecedented amount ofIiving that hascome outofthepandemic, ithas Having saidthat, ifthere’s onethinggood orBane? Boon Digital: Going andculture sector. for thearts support digital specialists)to provide one-to-one deployed apoolof “tech champions” (or Cultural whichhasemployed Network and fromcould learn perhaps theUK’s Digital staff.skilled In thisarea, ASEAN countries the lackoffunds, technical know-how, and shared that theyfaced challenges, suchas However, have localICHpractitioners audience andcustomers. websites, to reach outto theirtarget such asFacebook, Instagram, andtheirown they have beenableto usedigital platforms, respondents to NHB’s indicated that survey more fact, than70percentIn of products, etc. traditional recipes, makehand-crafted on how to prepare food according to onlineworkshops conducted craftspersons

thing is certain. In times of uncertainty and and timesofuncertainty In thing iscertain. spite ofthevariousissuesraised, In one Turning to ICHfor Comfort andStrength customs andpractices. what are essentially evolving cultural paradoxically leadto the “fossilisation” of the concern that these digital records could and know-how. The second revolves around by the lackoftechnological infrastructure may some practitioners bedisadvantaged problem concerns thedigital divide, as a plethora ofproblems aswell. The first digitalisation ofICHelements could post However, itshouldbecautionedthat the dance practitionerfortheSingapore A recordingsessioninvolvingalion Heritage Board,Singapore’sonline #RamadanTogether campaign Key visualsfortheNational Heritage Festival2020 Bottom Top and possiblyother future threats. ballast againstthe threat of COVID-19 ofICHasaform ofcultural importance More importantly, ithasreaffirmed the the resilience oftheirpractitioners. adaptive nature ofICHelements and demonstrated thedynamicand emergencies, ithasconversely vulnerabilities ofICHintimes pandemic may have exposed the Consequently, whiletheCOVID-19 stories ofconfinement andsafe distancing. basedon stagedperformances Lanka Sri and techniques puppeteers whilestring in created face masksusingtraditional designs instance, inPeru craftspersons andChina reinforcing publichealthmessages. For and fight against by supporting COVID-19 alsocontribute practitioners to theongoing keeping communitiesBesides together, ICH fasttogether.included breaking #RamadanTogether campaign, which inNHB’s andparticipated of Ramadan together thefastingmonth onlineduring For instance, many familiescame Muslim even thoughtheymay bephysically apart. keeps communities andfamiliestogether asa evident inhow itacts “social glue” and The key role played by most ICHisperhaps and shore upresilience. more tolerable, retain asenseofnormalcy, first-aid to boosttheirmorale, makelife and healthrelated options)for cultural toturning ICH(besidesotherentertainment stress, peopleall around theworld are Snapshots Arts andCulture

51 52 ( Philippines ( ( Myanmar dok ( Malaysia, Singapore Indonesia, Countries: resulted inspace restrictions, hindering games. Rural to migration urban hasalso andcommerciallyelectronic produced have beencastasideandreplaced with Unfortunately, many traditional games community buildingandcognitivedevelopment. by childrenandadults,thesegameshaveservedastoolsfor incorporating culturalknowledge,values,andskills.Played games areshapedbylocalcultureandtheenvironment, some datingbacktoasearlythe8thcentury.Thesetraditional Countries inSoutheastAsiahavearichtraditionoflocalgames, Asia's TraditionalGames A LookBack At Southeast Snapshots SEPAK TAKRAW takraw sepak raga ); LaoPDR( ); Viet Nam( ching loong ); Cambodia ( Brunei Darussalam, Brunei Darussalam, Arts andCulture sipa BY KIRANSAGOO, P ka-taw ); Thailand ); Thailand cau may ); ); ); ); sey sey ) h D was played intheAyutthaya also noted that thegame Melayu of in thehistorical text asmentioned the 15thcentury in the royal ofMelaka courts canbetraced to history Its throughout Asia. Southeast regional forms ispopular takraw Sepak

(Malay Annals). It is is (Malay Annals). It rural communities. showcase oronspecialoccasions in are ofacultural played eitheraspart These days, many traditional games games. to playthe ability certain and its various and itsvarious ONE . AGBISIT B. JOANNE Sejarah Sejarah

regions, thegameis to certain theiropponent. In themselves andover thenet head to passtheballbetween their feet, chest, and knees, woven rattan ball. Players use The game isplayed witha century. inthelateKingdom 16th

contribute towards buildingasense played countries inneighbouring Asia. between games Similarities to thecultural ofSoutheast heritage Traditional gameshave contributed to various countries inthe region: traditional gamesthat are common generation. Below are someofthe for theyounger particularly inthesegames, participation for more active opportunities to create isimportant new It of regional andidentity. community

body for thesport. be theworld administering Federation was formed to International Sepaktakraw the years andin1992,the grewof sepaktakraw over game inAsia. The popularity formed in1965to oversee the FederationSepaktakraw was woven ballin Thai. The Asian in Malay, and name of andgivenGames), theofficial to EastAsian theSouth Peninsular (precursor Games into East the1965South This gamewas incorporated keep theballincontrol. allowed onlythree to kicks, any ofitsthree players being players oneachside, with the gameconsists ofthree The standardised version of being acompetitive sport. graceful ways, rather than increasingly interesting and form in to keeptheballaloft considered more ofanart sepak The ASEAN takraw , meaning kick , meaningkick August 2020 August , meaning

Photo Credit: © Bonma Suriya/Shutterstock Photo Credit: © Yanawut Suntornkij/Shutterstock; © Su Noto/Shutterstock; © Evri Onefive/Shutterstock with anenlarged hole at the three to ninecircular holes, contain two rows ofbetween intricate cravings. Boards or teak sometimes with generally madeofmahogany are boat-shaped blocks, drawn onthe floor.Boards played, eitherwithaboard or forms ofthisgameare Asia, Southeast various In in Cebu inthe17thcentury. form ofmancalawas played indicate that thePhilippine played today. Records games to still bewidely is amongtheoldestknown century,back asthesixth it are Dating to inserted. asfar where smallstones orseeds withrows ofholes a surface Common features include similarfeatures.sharing for abroad group ofgames Mancala Viet Nam( Thailand ( Philippines ( with regional variations); ( Indonesia Cambodia ( and Singapore ( Darussalam, Malaysia Countries: MANCALA is a generic name isageneric mak khom o anquan congklak Brunei bay khom sungka congkak ); , ) );

);

);

young children. to mathematical skills be promoted to teach games. For can example, It Asia’sSoutheast mancala be doneto revive interest in showcase it, more needsto competitions are stillheldto purposes. Whiledecorative usedforoften display or boardsMancala are now their possession. have themostseedsin in ways that enablethemto that theymove strategically to ensure skills observation employ mathematical and as possible. Players needto opponent’s stones orseeds is to steal asmany ofthe ofthegame the objective Played by two people, used to filltheholes. seeds, seedsare ortamarind cowrie shells, marbles, saga seeds collected. Stones, to “house” thestones or of therows, whichare used existence ofholesat theend AsiaSoutheast isthe feature ofthegamein ground instead. Adefining squares are drawn onthe where noboards are used, end oftheboard. places In

made outofwood. spinning tops are mostly today. Asia, Southeast In tops continue to beplayed in size andmaterials used, one oftheoldesttoys. Ranging 1300 BCandare considered Spin tops date backto Thailand ( ( Singapore ( Malaysia, and Indonesia, Countries: the Buffalo Racing the Buffalo Festival. played onoccasions such as Thailand, are town heldduring fiestas.In Philippines, celebrations, whileinthe ofitsindependence day as part climbing competitions are held Indonesia, In difficult. grease to maketheclimbmore The covered poleisoften in aprize placedcollect ontop. pole, to usuallyatree trunk, climbingupalong participants orgroup of participant The gameinvolves a Thailand ( pinang Countries: SPINNING TOPS POLE CLIMBING tuj lub ); Philippines ( ), Philippines ( been saonam-munbeen ba kang wo been saonam-munbeen gasing Brunei Darussalam, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia ( Indonesia palo sebo ); Lao PDR ); LaoPDR trumpo palo sebo ) contests pinang panjat panjat

); ); is is

)

), ), or hittheiropponent’s spintop. boundaries spin withinmarked to maketheirtops participants ofthe assess theability longest, whileothercontests are thosewhosetops spunthe competitions, winners certain Competition rulesvary. In top withanattached string. ground whilecontrolling the spinning top toward the the hurling with participants events. The competition begins festivals harvest orothersocial competitions heldto mark The gameisplayed at Snapshots Arts andCulture 53 54 Snapshots Arts and Culture

TUGGING GAMES against women, men AND RITUALS against women, or other Countries: Cambodia mixed teams. The games (teanh prot), Myanmar (lun are mostly fun and not hswe), Philippines (punnuk), too competitive. They are Thailand (chak-ka-yer), meant to build solidarity and Viet Nam (kéo co) a sense of belonging among community members, Tugging games and rituals and instill the importance are largely recognised as of cooperation. games played by rice farmers in festivals held to mark the In Cambodia and Thailand, beginning of the agricultural tugging games are played cycle. This ritual has both right after the New Year in CHESS characteristics of an ancient a spiritual and social mid-April to mark the start Countries: Brunei Darusalam army, which are chariot, significance, and is of the rice cultivating season. (catur asli), Indonesia and elephant, cavalry and infantry. participated by children, Similarly, in Viet Nam, tugging Malaysia (catur), Cambodia (ouk The war strategy approach women, and men. Using games are held as part of the chatrang), Myanmar (sittuyin), remains strong in the versions a rope which is made from spring festivals within villages. Singapore (xiangqi), Thailand played in the region, with chess either dried rice stalks, jute, They mark the beginning (makruk), Viet Nam (co ngu oi) pieces consisting of a minister bamboo, or leather, two of a new planting season or general, a chariot, and teams pull from each end and express wishes for Different forms of chess have an elephant, among others, of the rope with the aim of good crops, prosperity, and been played in the region since in some versions. tugging it from the other. happiness. In the Philippines, the 8th century. The traditional it is held as the final ritual versions of chess in Southeast Other forms of traditional Tugging games are held with after the rice is harvested, Asia, which are still played chess played in the region men against men, women which signals the end of the today, originated from the include xiangqi, also derived agricultural cycle and the Indian board war game from chaturanga. It is played beginning of a new one. called chaturanga. The lexical in Singapore and Viet Nam. similarities give away their Traditional chess played in The tugging rituals of origin: catur in Brunei Viet Nam includes a colorful Cambodia, Philippines, Darussalam, Indonesia and human chess game known © evantravels/Shutterstock; Nguyen van vien/ Shutterstock; Anandhu A/Shutterstock; Jordan Tan/Shutterstock and Viet Nam, together Malaysia, and chatrang in as co ngu oi. Despite the with the Republic of Korea, Cambodia. The term sittuyin, as diversity of traditional chess are listed in UNESCO’s used in Myanmar, is related to forms, the objective of all

Representative List of the the meaning of chaturanga: sit these forms remains the same: Photo Credit: Intangible Cultural Heritage in Myanmar means army and to force the opponent’s king of Humanity. sittuyin represents the four into a checkmate.

SAGA SEEDS FIVE STONES Countries: Malaysia, Singapore Countries: Brunei Darussalam (simban), Popular until the 1960s, Indonesia (gatheng), Malaysia the game involves schoolgirls (seremban), Philippines collecting saga seeds, or if none (siklot) are available, tamarind seeds. The objective of the game is to Another game popular win as many seeds as possible. seeds. She flicks a seed and with schoolgirls is five players throw and pick up Two or more players sit in a gets it to clash with another. If stones. Using either five stones through a sequence circle and pool their seeds. the seeds clash, the player picks stones or five triangular of rounds. The winner is the The player then make an them up; otherwise, the player cloth bags filled with dried person who completes imaginary line between two loses a turn. beans or uncooked rice, most rounds.

The ASEAN August 2020 The ASEAN is deeply grateful to the Government of India, through the Indian Mission to ASEAN, for its support to the magazine.

This collaboration reflects the shared commitment of ASEAN and India to disseminate knowledge and information on socio-cultural development in ASEAN.

The A SEAN © Sakdawut Tangtongsap/Shutterstock

Wat Arun Temple in Bangkok, Thailand Photo Credit: The ASEAN Secretariat ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Department Jalan Sisingamangaraja 70A, Jakarta 12110, Indonesia