Youth Defined : Hey Listen

Date : Dec, 10-12, 2011
Venue : The Palace Golden Horses

Hello everyone!

You could be forgiven for thinking that Youth Defined: Shape Our Future’s break-out sessions were an iteration of the Performance Delivery and Management Unit’s (PEMANDU) series of labs. After all, they seemed to possess all the ingredients of one: healthy debates, piles of scrunched-up paper, tight deadlines, late nights and copious amounts of coffee.

But this is where the similarities end. Unlike their lab counterparts, the participants happen to be university students, fresh graduates and young professionals hailing from all parts of the country.

Spread out across 15 groups representing the National Key Results Areas (NKRA) and National Key Economic Areas (NKEA) selected by their peers at previous Youth Defined gatherings, participants launched into in-depth discussions on how Malaysia can march even closer to the targets of Vision 2020 and the assistance that they can contribute.

They are then required to present their ideas to an audience of some 500 of their peers. If this already sounded daunting to you, the various groups have the added impetus of having their reports personally read by the Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Razak who will be gracing the closing dinner on the final day.

No wonder then, the gravity of the tasks at hand. One could feel the palpable sense of tension and excitement in the air as participants feverishly create solutions, conduct research, convince facilitators, cheer on groupmates, revise their work and rehearse presentations.

I hope everyone learnt a whole lot during the Workshop and the Summit. Its time we learn that we should take responsibility over complaints. But the work doesn't stop there. Now when you see a new government policy or have an idea that you want to voice out, discuss them out and run ideas with friends.

Remember, you, me, us, we make up to 12 million, and half of Malaysia! Our voice counts!

Have a great day guys! Thanks for attending! ;)