APEC Voices of the Future 2009
December 31st, 2009
Contributed by Julius Eleazar Tan and Natalie Morris
Julius, as NYAA participant, was on the APEC Voices of the Future 2009 Youth Organising Committee, which was chaired by Natalie.
APEC Voices of the Future 2009 (APEC VOF 2009) was held in Singapore from 9 to 15 November 2009, in conjunction with the APEC 2009 summit meetings hosted by Singapore this year.
APEC VOF 2009 was an invaluable opportunity for 114 outstanding youth leaders from 18 APEC economies to be exposed to the movers and shakers of the APEC world - be it heads of state or heads of industry. It allowed these future leaders a peek into an otherwise exclusive and lofty event, helping not only to bridge the gap between current and future leaders, but also to understand what exactly drives the decisions these people make.
The APEC VOF 2009 programme was ingenious in the way it gradually exposed participants to business leaders and people in decreasing levels of controlled environments, starting with a training session by Mr Viswa Sadasivan, who led a session on interview techniques, continuing with some pre-arranged interviews and culminating in unbridled access to delegates at the APEC CEO Summit, to meet and mingle with them and hold ad hoc interviews. This ensured that the participants were as equipped as possible and were able to squeeze the most they could out of their APEC VOF 2009 experience.
Some highlights of the APEC VOF 2009 programme included a visit to the Youth Olympic Games Learning Centre, where the young delegates got to meet and speak with members of the International Olympic Committee; as well as a thought-provoking dialogue session with Jet Li, during which Jet Li spoke of his One Foundation, and the power and importance of starting small with a view to making a significant impact in anything. The delegates visited the Istana, where they were hosted to tea by H.E. President S R Nathan, and even had lunch at Tiong Bahru Market as part of the APEC VOF 2009 programme. Some of the young delegates also got to attend a few Meet-the-People’s Sessions, which was an eye-opening experience for them!
At the APEC CEO Summit proper, security checks were tight but the delegates also knew the procedure and everyone had their targets in mind. It was Showtime. The two days at the APEC CEO Summit proved to be extremely hectic but productive. At the end of it all, the delegates were physically exhausted but mentally enriched with new knowledge and experiences gained from this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The APEC VOF 2009 programme officially concluded with a closing ceremony at the Villa RainTree Resort at Labrador Park during which the delegates attended in national costume, set up carnival-style booths, and staged cultural performances. It was a super-charged night and everyone was happy to have the time to celebrate their new friendships forged over the course of the 7-days. It was a bittersweet evening, punctuated by the exchange of contacts and photo-taking.
All in all we believe the APEC VOF 2009 programme achieved a great many things. The aims of exposing youth leaders to high-level engagement and equipping them with the necessary skill-sets to make the best use of the opportunities for interaction were more than achieved. We hope that, through the bonds forged between delegates from the different economies during APEC week (which are only likely to grow with the help of Facebook and other social networking sites!), the APEC VOF 2009 delegates will grow to be connected leaders of tomorrow, who will be well-placed to cooperate to create a better world, much in line with the goals of APEC.
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