Global Youth Summit 2016, the biggest youth festival yet powered by AIESEC Philippines, hit off with a bang last Feb. 6, 2016 with over 10,000 delegates. With the theme “One World,” this year’s Global Youth Summit’s goal was to help the youth activate their potential to become leaders and better citizens and build a future together by learning to embrace difference, feel empathetic towards other people than themselves, and instead of having prejudice, to seek build understanding of one another. This was achieved through the vast array of notable speakers and presenters during the event that talked about Peace and Youth Volunteerism in 2016, Sparking Young Potential and Passion, and One Youth for the World.
The program started with the delegates being welcomed by AIESECers dancing to a few AIESEC dances to set the festive mood of the event. Welcoming remarks were then given by Royce Cabunag, Program Director for SM Cares Youth Development and Children’s Welfare, Lenard Faustino, President for Global Peace Youth Philippines, Dr. Florida Labuguen, President for Philippines Society of the National Service Training Program Educators and Implementers, and Ton Sewell, President of AIESEC Philippines.
The event’s morning program was divided into three sections: The Inspire Block, where speakers gave talks that would influence and inspire the youth to build stronger relationship with the world and its different citizens by talking about the realities of the global environment and how the youth can contribute to a peaceful, sustainable, and resilient world.
Speakers for the Inspire block included Jinsoo Kim, Regional President of Global Peace Foundation Asia Pacific, Bai-Rohaniza Sumdad-Usman, Chairperson for Teach Build Peace Movement, and Rena Dona, United Nations Fund for Population Activities.
The Engage Block where speakers gave talks on how to discover one’s advocacy and how to find the right drive and achieve their goals through the speakers’ own stories of their journey in achieving their goals and passions in life.
Speakers included Joyce Pring, Radio Jock and Youth influencer, Stella Sy, President of MINT Clothing, Mika Tan, President and CEO of MTF Company, Lott Sylwander, Country Representative for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and Francis Kong, Motivational Speaker, Author and Business Consultant.
The Activate Block where speakers help the youth realize their role in society today and how to put what they’ve learned into action. The block focuses on how each person can create impact in this world and how one can start with doing little things for the community.
Speakers for this block included Mike Miatari, Regional Director for Department of Education where he talked about the Youth Initiatives of DepEd, and Ambassador Roberto Mayorga, Chilean Ambassador to the Philippines to talk about the Filipino Youth for the World where he also launched the contest of Calidad Humana in partnership with AIESEC Philippines and Global Peace Foundation.
There was also a joint question and answer part wherein the youth were given a platform to voice out their opinion and ask questions for further understanding of each of the topic.
The morning was then closed by Christiane Billones, Organizing Committee President of Global Youth Summit 2016 and Bea Luna, VP for Advocacy of AIESEC Philippines. AIESEC Philippines also launched their advocacy campaign, Come Alive, as follow-through from the event.
‘We are launching this campaign because we believe that young people have something unique to offer to the world,’ Bea Luna, their VP for Advocacy, said during the event. ‘And we want to give young people the chance to find and do something that makes them come alive. [In launching this campaign], we want to provide opportunities to do that through AIESEC’s Global Exchange Programs.’
After a short break, the event then turned into a Youth Festival where the delegates were able to enjoy the culmination of the event through the music of the bands Lunar Lights, The Ransom Collective, Lenses, and the much awaited Up Dharma Down.
Global Youth Summit 2016 definitely made its mark on the youth delegates at the end of the event, helping the youth to find their advocacies and passions, helping the youth of today come alive and becoming a part of a better world.
After Global Youth Summit, young people can choose to do powerful experiences in AIESEC’s Global Exchange Programs. The Global Youth Summit would not be possible without our friends from Global Peace Youth Philippines, National Youth Commission, Calidad Humana, Commission On Higher Education, Philippine Society Of NSTP Educators, Mall of Asia Arena, and of course, SM Cares.
GYS would also like to thank our co-presenters for this event, Jack N’ Jill Mang Juan (Packed With Sarap ng Pinoy), Jack N’ Jill Maxx (Basta Menthol, Do It To The Maxx!), Zalora, Warner Music Philippines, our official media partners, Inquirer.net and ClicktheCity.com and Grab– the official transpo partner of GYS 2016.
