“Asia Youth Leaders” is one of the programs organized annually by the AEON 1% Club Foundation to promote international friendship among nations. In the program, high school students from Asian countries will discuss social issues in English, to encourage students with different educational backgrounds to learn from different perspectives and interact with diverse cultures through group discussions. This year, due to the troublesome developments of the pandemic, the program being an online conference not only protected the health of attendees but also helped “young leaders” develop teamwork skills and improvisation techniques when confronted with unforeseen crises, notwithstanding the time or place.

Representative of Vietnam participating in the “Asia Youth Leaders 2021” program.

Each year, the Organizing Committee will present different subjects of debate for young people to contemplate and exchange their views. The Organizing Committee of the year 2021 gave the students an extremely intriguing topic to pique their creativity and spread positive messages: Proposing The solutions to the world’s food waste dilemma. Within those three days, the “young leaders” experienced numerous activities and acquired plenty of practical knowledge related to the global food waste problem. In the first two days, they listened to leading professors in Japan, Australia, Austria, and many other nations, about food and food waste. Afterwards, they were divided into teams, worked together and conferred in groups through the screen to come up with appropriate solutions to the assigned issue and present those ideas to the Jury on the last day of the program.

Do Ha Linh in an online discussion with her group members

After three days of hard and enthusiastic online work and overcoming geographical barriers, the “young leaders” had demonstrated their outstanding creativity, thinking and dynamism through many novel and unique initiatives, such as: sharing food to those in need instead of wasting it, raising social awareness about food waste, recycling leftover food, et cetera. The program took place in only three days. However, not only did it raise young people’s awareness about the problem of food waste in modern society, but it also allowed them to work in a multicultural environment, develop soft skills such as cooperation skills, critical thinking abilities, flexibility in all circumstances, and so on.

The teams took a commemorative photo together through the electronic screen

Do Ha Linh—a member of class 10 Biology of Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, representative of Vietnam—shared: “This was a spectacular chance for me to learn more from fellow students as well as predecessors in other countries about working and problem-solving methods. Through the program, along with broadening my perception of social issues and learning from teachers and lecturers, I also expanded my relationships with international friends, understand more about the country, culture and life of high school students in different nations.”

“Asia Youth Leaders 2021” was a success despite occurring amid a challenging pandemic. Thanks to the program, young people from different lands had the pleasure of meeting, exchanging cultures and working in a civilized and professional multicultural environment. This was a valuable opportunity for all-rounded “future leaders” to acquire knowledge, demonstrate their abilities and best prepare for the future to become distinguished individuals and contribute to the development of their country.

Reporter: Tran Quynh Anh - Van 2124

Photos source: Do Ha Linh

Translator: Tran Linh Ngan - English 2124