Asian youths share thoughts on regional future
Asian youths share thoughts on regional future
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Bangkok
When the four Indonesian students concluded their shadow puppet
play, the audience -- from several Asian countries -- in the
ballroom of the Four Seasons Hotel in Bangkok had just
experienced a real taste of Indonesia.
The four students had exhibited a portrayal of Sumatra's
legendary tale of Malin Kundang, an ordinary man who was cursed
into stone for his arrogance by his own mother.
The students -- Febi Mutiara of Jakarta's Atmajaya University,
Sherria Putri from the Bandung Institute of Technology as well as
Anggia Prasetyoputri and Theo Audiyanto, both from the University
of Indonesia -- worked together to bring the play to life as part
of the 6th Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative (HYLI) event.
They were among 24 other multitalented university students
from six Asian countries -- Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia,
Thailand, the Philippines and Japan -- who were selected to
participate as representatives of their countries. The whole
affair was first organized by Japan's Hitachi corporation in
1996.
The students each put on a performance unique to their own
cultures as one part of the whole program that included seminars
on leadership and caring for society. Malaysian and Japanese
students performed traditional dances while Singaporean students
presented a pantomime.
According to Yoshiro Kuwata, executive vice president and
director of Hitachi, Ltd., the events were designed not only to
encourage discussion but also to instill a sense of
responsibility among Asian youth, in hopes that they will
eventually take charge of their own future as well as that of
their respective countries.
The event, with Charting a New Course for Asia as its theme,
included a two-day seminar where speakers from a handful of east
Asian countries presented their views on a range of different
issues -- identifying Asia's engines of economic growth, managing
Asia's rapid urbanization for social progress and balancing
Asia's growth and environmental sustainability.
Among the speakers were Indonesia's Erna Witoelar, a regional
adviser for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP);
environmentalist Angelina Galang of the Philippines, and Ibrahim
Hasan, a businessman from Singapore-based APRIL which controls
Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP).
After the seminar, the 24 participating students discussed the
issues in small groups.
The students also took part in community work at the Christian
Care Foundation for Children with Disabilities, sharing laughter
with the disabled children as well as singing, making origami
creations and playing games with them.
Through the community work, the students were expected to
understand their pivotal role in society once they graduate.
The four Indonesian students expressed their pleasure and
enthusiasm in being invited to the event.
"We can learn a lot from them (other participants) and they
also listen to our experiences about Indonesia," Febi said.
Daily life in Jakarta, she said, often times did not make
people aware of their surroundings and environment, and such an
event helped the students understand the crucial role of their
surroundings.
Theo remarked that Indonesians, particularly Jakartans, rarely
paid attention to the greater good of their own society and often
blamed the government for any irregularities or environmental
problems.
"Why don't they start to do what they can do instead of simply
putting the blame on others, like the government?" he asked.
The students also said that their fellow Indonesian students
had to improve their English and debating skills.
Anggia said English as well as proper skills in debates would
help them survive in international events, like the one organized
by Hitachi.
According to them, the experience in debating would be the
best answer for students expecting to get a chance to take part
in a similar international event.