Silliman University will host the first National Youth Development Summit (NYDS), the most holistic and progressive youth conference in the Philippines yet on December 16-19, 2012.
The summit is co-organized with the Kaakbay Youth Development Initiatives (KYDI) Inc.
“KYDI is a newly founded organization dedicated to youth empowerment and development. The organization is composed of the youth and individuals from different walks of life and backgrounds; from professionals, students, the academe, government, civil society, etc. The NYDS is our first major event.” said Juan Valeriano Respicio IV, KYDI Chairman.
Youth delegates from all over the country are expected to join, learn, compete and participate in talks, workshops and competitions about what they can do for the country and humanity. Student councils, youth organizations, youth leaders, and all other young individuals are encouraged to join.
“It is a call for idealism to create a better future amidst the cynicism and negativity prevalent in our society and the world today. Let us discover the potentials we all hold and inspire others to act and together create the social change we need” Marian Vanslembrouck, Silliman University Student Government President adds.
With the theme “Reclaiming the Past, Imagineering the Future”, the NYDS aims to make the youth more aware about the different social realities present in our country today by combining various aspects of the youth development portfolio in a single event. The Summit aims to make the youth proactive in discussions and analysis of national and global issues. But ultimately, it seeks to empower the youth for social change where it is needed.
The main activities in the Summit are plenary talks and workshops on various topics relevant today, such as human rights, the environment, governance, entrepreneurship, social media and social responsibility. Various speakers from a wide array of expertise and professions are invited to inform and facilitate discussions on these topics. Among those who have confirmed are Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Etta Rosales, Negros Oriental Representative Jocelyn Limkaichong, Valenzuela Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian, Gawad Kalinga Founder Tony Meloto, Megawide President Edgar Saavedra, Professor Liling Briones, Historian Xiao Chua, Mae Paner a.k.a. Juana Change, social entrepreneur Bam Aquino, and environmentalist Anna Oposa.
No less than President Benigno S. Aquino III is invited to be the keynote speaker for the Summit.
Along with the Talks, participating youth delegates are also encouraged to join the summit’s competitions on Elocution, Essay Writing, Photography, Poster Making and Song Writing.
The NYDS 2012 is supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), the National Youth Commission (NYC), Social Watch Philippines, Pipol Power Institute, National Association of UNESCO Clubs in the Philippines (NAUCP), British Council, Friedrich Neumann Foundation, and the Office of the First District Representative of Negros Oriental.
The Summit is endorsed by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Department of Education (DepEd), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
“We aspire to inspire because inspiration is a very important thing, especially in a day and age where so much needs to be done for the Philippines. In an age where cynicism becomes too easy, it is all too easy as well to give up and let humanity wither. It is this perseverance to preserve our sense of humanity- a totality of knowing friendship and love for humankind- that pushes the NYDS to become an avenue for social change and empowerment for the Filipino youth.” — KYDI.
For more information on the Summit, go to www.nydsph.org. Interested participants may register on the site’s Registration page, www.nydsph.org/registration/. For competition details and guidelines, please visit http://www.nydsph.org/competitions/.
