WASHINGTON – Cultural Vistas is pleased to welcome eight young leaders from Southeast Asia to participate in a study tour of the United States from September 12-24, 2016.
Sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, the tour includes participants of the YSEALI Generation: Oceans workshop, which took place this past March. The workshop was held in Jakarta, Indonesia, bringing together sixty-four young ASEAN leaders to discuss marine and coastal environmental advocacy.
Two teams were selected to participate in the U.S. study tour for their exceptional post-program project plans. One team created a plan to empower local farmers to install seaweed bio filter facilities at aquaculture farms. The other team outlined a project to install mooring buoys to prevent anchors from crushing coral reefs in Singapore. All of the YSEALI Oceans teams, including the two selected for the study tour, are eligible to receive up to $1,000 in matching funds.
The tour will begin in Washington, D.C., where the participants will take part in the Our Ocean, One Future: Leadership summit at Georgetown University. They will continue to Pensacola and Miami, Florida to meet experts in marine and coastal environmental issues.
The tour includes meetings with representatives from the Ocean Foundation, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, and interactive activities at the Chesapeake Bay, Potomac River, and the Gulf of Mexico. Participants will be required to present about their projects to the Maritime and Science Technology Academy and to local residents of Pensacola.
Cultural Vistas staff has designed the tour and will travel with the group for the duration of the program, receiving programming support from Global Ties Miami and the Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council during the Florida leg of the tour.
FAST FACTS
YSEALI Generation: Oceans Regional Exchange
Workshop: March 2016 | Jakarta, Indonesia
Study Tour: September 12-24, 2016 | Washington, D.C., Pensacola and Miami, Fla.
Study Tour Participants:
| Chanbormey Im | Cambodia |
| Gene Adhiyasa | Indonesia |
| Swietenia Puspa Lestari | Indonesia |
| Mardhiah Ainil | Indonesia |
| Chanthavong Sirimanotham | Laos |
| Zhi Yi Teoh | Malaysia |
| Crystle Wee | Singapore |
| Quynh Anh Ngo | Vietnam |
About the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI)
Launched in 2013, the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) is the U.S. government’s signature program to strengthen leadership development across ASEAN, deepen engagement with young leaders on key regional and global challenges, and strengthen people-to-people ties between the U.S. and Southeast Asia. Recognizing that over 65% of ASEAN’s population is under the age of 35, YSEALI is a critical investment in the next generation of Southeast Asian leaders. Learn more at yseali.state.gov.
About Cultural Vistas
Founded in 1963, Cultural Vistas is a nonprofit exchange organization promoting global understanding and collaboration among individuals and institutions. We develop international professional experiences that create more informed, skilled, and engaged citizens. Our programs empower people to drive positive change in themselves, their organizations, and society. Cultural Vistas is headquartered in New York with regional offices in Washington, D.C. and Berlin. Learn more at culturalvistas.org.
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