The Challenge

Southeast Asia has a diverse backdrop of ethnic, religious, and political backgrounds. While progress has been made, some tensions remain today, contributing to challenges such as marginalisation and instability in certain areas.

Most of the region’s population is under 30 years old, yet young people may not be actively involved in the decision-making processes. This disengagement may potentially lead to feelings of disconnection. While Southeast Asia’s rich cultural and religious diversity is a strength, it also presents some challenges. Misunderstandings and the lack of dialogue between different communities can lead to mistrust and conflict. Furthermore, the region faces environmental and economic challenges, from climate change to poverty, which may undermine social cohesion.

Given these challenges, there is an urgent need to empower young leaders as agents of peace and positive change. By equipping young leaders with the skills, resources, and platforms they need, the Champions for Peace programme aims to address the root causes of conflict, foster mutual understanding, and build a more peaceful and inclusive Southeast Asia.

Goals & Objectives

Our overarching goal is to create a more peaceful, inclusive, and sustainable future for Southeast Asia, driven by the active participation and leadership of its youth. We aim to do that in five main ways:

Strengthen Youth-Led Peacebuilding Initiatives
Promote Intercultural Dialogue
Advance Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Enhance Regional Collaboration
Develop Capacity and Leadership Skills

Activities

We will achieve these goals through the following activities:

Develop and kick off a training programme on building a peaceful and sustainable future for young leaders in the Philippines.
Establish a regional platform for mutual learning, networking, and joint action among youth-led organizations in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, through online meetings and a regional gathering in Singapore.
Equip young people from diverse backgrounds across the five countries to lead peacebuilding initiatives.
To inspire further action, share lessons and recommendations resulting from this experience at regional and international levels.

Projected Impact

600
Strengthen the capacities of at least 600 young people in Southeast Asia to tackle peace and sustainability challenges
Support 20 youth-led initiatives, mobilizing 1,000 young people across the region
1,000
1 million
Raise public awareness about solutions for building peaceful and sustainable futures, reaching at least 1 million people