Skip to content
  • About
  • Partner with Us
  • Indonesia
  • Subscribe
  • Log In
Primary Menu
  • Home
  • Latest
  • Topics
  • News
  • Brief
  • Interview
  • Opinion
  • Figure
  • Infographic
  • Video
  • Community
  • Partner
  • Press Release
  • Youth
  • Global
  • Community Content
  • Featured
  • Partner

ASEAN Youth Conference 2024: Bringing the voice of youth to the decision-making level

At the ASEAN Youth Conference 2024, I was reminded of how youth are eager to contribute and create impacts for a better world.
by Nazalea Kusuma November 27, 2024
a group of people in a hall

ASEAN Youth Conference 2024 | Photo: ASEAN Youth Organization – AYC 2024

The world is grappling with multiple crises simultaneously, with some converging to make things worse for people and the planet. From 2024 being on track to be the hottest year on record to the atrocity happening in Palestine to the rise of living costs across the globe, it is easy to fall into despair and forget that so many people are doing their best to change the tides. At the ASEAN Youth Conference 2024, I was reminded of how young people are eager to contribute and create impacts for the better of the world.

ASEAN Youth Conference 2024

the backdrop of AYC 2024 Investing in YOUth: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience for Our Shared Future at the venue of ASEAN Youth Conference 2024
Venue of ASEAN Youth Conference 2024 | Photo: ASEAN Youth Organization – AYC 2024

Held in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 20–22 November, the ASEAN Youth Conference 2024 brought a theme aligned with Lao PDR’s Chairmanship: “Investing in YOUth: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience for Our Shared Future”.

It was a gathering of 78 young people (aged 16 to 35) with diverse backgrounds, stories, and visions. The delegates—as they called it—ranged from high school students to young professionals from ASEAN countries and ASEAN Dialogue Partners, such as Australia, India, and Afghanistan. I was one of them.

ASEAN Youth Conference (AYC) 2024 was an amalgamation of opportunity, representation, and contribution. It was a chance for a lot of learning, a lot of listening, and a lot of sharing. I learned from the insights and lived experiences of the panelists. I learned from my peers, other delegates coming from various walks of life and fields of focus. I also learned that I was still bad at understanding accented English, but it was fun to listen to them anyway.

Lessons Learned

three women panelists sitting on stage, the one on the left wears hijab, the one in the middle wears glasses, and the one on the right is signing.
The ASCC Panel | Photo: ASEAN Youth Organization – AYC 2024

The panelists brought their expertise in various topics across the three community pillars of ASEAN: ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC), ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC).

Among my favorite topics were countering misinformation, intergenerational mentorship, and championing inclusion for climate, peace, and security. One of the most insightful and exciting panelists was someone from the Deaf community FeminisThemis who talked about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

Meanwhile, the amount of Artificial Intelligence (AI) being discussed was quite surprising to me as someone who does not use AI in her daily life and is personally against the use of generative AI. While I was aware that AI was a hot topic due to its newness, rapid deployment, and lack of safeguarding framework so far, it was interesting to realize how much it had permeated the development sphere.

Informally, I learned that sustainable development remains an elusive concept. Even among highly educated individuals and youth experts, many still hold the misconception that sustainability is primarily about the environment, climate change, decarbonization, and science. When I told them I work as an editor for an independent digital media for sustainable development, a good chunk of them assumed I would not be very interested—or knowledgeable—in art and culture.

My work, along with that of other sustainability advocates, is far from over.

ASEAN Youth Vision

a young woman and a young man standing and presenting in front of the ASEAN logo
Presentation by ASCC Team Representatives at the ASEAN Secretariat | Photo: Nazalea Kusuma

One thing that the delegates unanimously agreed on was how meaningful engagement of youth is still a challenge, especially at the decision-making level. We were lamenting about youth not being seen as a whole person. Furthermore, intersectionality remains something to tackle. For instance, AYC 2024 had a not-so-insubstantial fee and happened during weekdays, significantly limiting who could be a part of the conversation.

Still, I’d like to acknowledge the excellent work of the ASEAN Youth Conference 2024 by delivering the voice of youth through the ASEAN Youth Vision. It contained three working papers from the three community pillars as our official recommendations to the ASEAN Secretariat approaching the review at the end of the 2025 Blueprints.

a group selfies of diverse young people
ASCC Pillar Team Pillar Team | Photo: Thomas White

It was worth the hard work and the headache to be part of young people working together toward a tangible result because we had a chance to have our voices and aspirations heard at the decision-making level. While there is much to improve, I am proud of our work with the ASCC Pillar Team.

At the ASEAN Youth Conference 2024, I met with other youth who are passionate about using their chosen crafts and fields to create a better world for all. In short, it was an ecosystem that bloomed with a sense of equality, justice, inclusion, innovation, learning, and, most of all, hope. The world is looking bleak right now, and sometimes, the future even more so. Yet, I’m not looking to stew in the feeling of doom. I’m looking to do what I can, to be the good and the stubbornness the world needs as we try to turn things around.


Subscribe to Green Network Asia
Strengthen your personal and professional development with cross-sectoral insights on sustainability-related issues and sustainable development across the Asia Pacific and beyond.
Select Your Subscription Plan
Nazalea Kusuma
Editor at Green Network Asia | Website |  + postsBio

Naz is the Manager for International Digital Publications at Green Network Asia. She once studied Urban and Regional Planning and has lived in multiple cities across Southeast Asia. This personal experience has exposed her to diverse peoples & cultures and enriched her perspectives. Naz is an experienced and passionate writer, editor, translator, and creative designer with a decade worth of portfolio.

  • Nazalea Kusuma
    https://greennetwork.asia/author/nazalea/
    Living with Less: Does TikTok’s Underconsumption Core promote sustainable living?
  • Nazalea Kusuma
    https://greennetwork.asia/author/nazalea/
    Brain Rot and Its Impacts on Mental Health and Cognitive Abilities
  • Nazalea Kusuma
    https://greennetwork.asia/author/nazalea/
    Addressing the Challenges in Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) Implementation
  • Nazalea Kusuma
    https://greennetwork.asia/author/nazalea/
    Dark Side of the Light: How light pollution affects people and the planet

Continue Reading

Previous: Asian Development Bank Unveils New Environmental and Social Framework
Next: Ending Statelessness in Thailand

Related Stories

A young man sits alone in a low light room, looking distressed while holding his phone. How the Manosphere Is Reshaping Young Men’s Identity
  • Brief
  • Featured

How the Manosphere Is Reshaping Young Men’s Identity

by Sukma Prasanthi July 7, 2025
Vegetable farming How Plant the Emirates Aims to Support Food Self-Sufficiency in the UAE
  • Exclusive
  • Featured
  • Soft News

How Plant the Emirates Aims to Support Food Self-Sufficiency in the UAE

by Attiatul Noor July 4, 2025
figure of houses and pipes that emit smoke GRI’s Updated Sustainability Standards on Climate Change and Energy
  • Exclusive
  • Featured
  • Soft News

GRI’s Updated Sustainability Standards on Climate Change and Energy

by Kresentia Madina July 3, 2025
Charcoal chip and charcoal ashes. Looking into Biochar as a Bioremediation Agent
  • Featured
  • Soft News

Looking into Biochar as a Bioremediation Agent

by Ayu Nabilah July 2, 2025
a tuvalu flag Australian Climate Visa for Citizens of Tuvalu: Showcasing cross-border partnership in light of the climate crisis
  • Featured
  • Soft News

Australian Climate Visa for Citizens of Tuvalu: Showcasing cross-border partnership in light of the climate crisis

by Kresentia Madina July 1, 2025
Small Islands in the middle of Raja Ampat seas Nickel Mining in Raja Ampat and the Widespread Cost of Natural Resource Exploitation
  • Featured
  • Soft News

Nickel Mining in Raja Ampat and the Widespread Cost of Natural Resource Exploitation

by Andi Batara June 30, 2025

About Us

  • GNA CEO’s Letter
  • GNA In-House Team
  • GNA Author Network
  • GNA Press Release Guidelines
  • GNA Op-ed Article Guidelines
  • GNA Community Content Guidelines
  • GNA Internship
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
© 2021-2025 Green Network Asia