ASEAN Foundation and USAID PROSPECT Join Forces to Support ASEAN Youth Drive Positive Change through Social Campaign

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Under the theme of “Community Resilience,” the workshop brought together 20 youths representing the 10 ASEAN countries as finalists to enhance their social campaign skills in a 4-day immersive learning journey.

The first day of the regional workshop was marked by an opening ceremony which was graced by the remarks from Mr. Diman Simanjuntak, Sr. ASEAN Affairs Specialist from USAID, and Mr. Mahmudi Yusbi, Head of Programme of ASEAN Foundation, who encouraged all finalists to use this invaluable opportunity to learn about how to create compelling social campaign that can drive social changes and build a friendship with other ASEAN youth.

To officially kick-off the event, Mr. Diman, Mr. Mahmudi, and Ms. Ginda Pamela from the ASEAN Secretariat were invited to the stage to hit the gong. The ceremony was concluded with a captivating traditional dance, Tari Golek Ayun-ayun, which was performed by a group of local dancers.

Following the conclusion of the opening ceremony, the first training session was immediately underway with topics around the introductory to the journalism world, mainstream media, and understanding trend. The training was then continued with discussions on campaign proposal pitching and multimedia news format. The highlight of the first day of the training was how to harness generative AI to develop campaign contents with ease.

The second day of the workshop began with a presentation session by Ms. Ginda from the Education, Youth, and Sports Division of ASEAN Secretariat who shared the importance of ASEAN Community and ASEAN Work Plan on Youth. Afterwards, the participants had a chance to learn about how to conduct research, tips on interviewing techniques, and filming and editing exercises. The second day was concluded with a sharing from Mr. Mahmudi, who presented about ASEAN Foundation and its programmes.

In the third day, the 20 finalists went to Omah Budoyo, a local art gallery and batik making shop, where they learned about the history of Batik and practice Batik techniques. The field trip day was then continued with a visit to Prambanan Temple and culminated in Merapi Mountain, where the youth experienced the Merapi Jeep Lava Tour, visiting various volcanic landscapes and Merapi’s museums.

The fourth day of the workshop was marked with learning sessions on social media content marketing, creating engagements, understanding analytics and social media livestreaming. The final day was concluded with a closing ceremony where all 20 finalists dressed up in their national costumes and received their well-earned certificates of participation.

The winners of the workshop’s Social Media Challenges and the Most Outstanding Participants were also announced in this closing ceremony. These side activities were organised since the first day of the workshop to foster stronger friendship among the participants and provide motivation for them to proactively participate in the workshop.

The winners of the Social Media Challenge were assessed based on the creativity of the video content the participants created in the 4-day workshop, while the Most Outstanding Participants award was given to those who positively contributed to the learning process and inspired other participants throughout the discussion sessions of the workshop. Below are the names of the winners:

Winners of the Workshop’s Social Media Challenge:

1. 1st Winner: Ms. Pakaimek Sirisouk (Lao PDR) and Mr. Pawarit Piamprecha (Thailand)
2. 2nd Winner: Mr. Yung Kang Lo (Malaysia) and Mr. Tharathip Sangarun (Thailand)
3. 3rd Winner: Ms. Nawwarah Hanis Mohamad Ghazali (Singapore) and Ms. Abby Grace Bermejo (The Philippines)

Winners of the Workshop’s Most Outstanding Participants:

1. 1st Winner: Ms. Naomi Silaban (Indonesia)
2. 2nd Winner: Mr. Jeffaya Basen (Indonesia)
3. 3rd Winner: Ms. Dinh Mai Huong (Viet Nam)

It is important to note that these activities are separate from the 1-month social campaign that participants will be running after they return to their respective countries. Following the completion of their social campaign, the judging committee will come together again to assess the campaigns and announce three teams that will be crowned the winners of the 3rd AYSJ 2023 Contest. The first winner of the contest will receive USD 1,000, while the second and third place winners will received USD 750 and USD 500, respectively.