CHANNELBALI Kuta | The United States Consulate General in Surabaya held the 2019 YSEALI Impact eXL Regional Workshop in Bali, Indonesia from March 24-28, 2019. This workshop was a five-day program for 55 young leaders from around ASEAN and Timor-Leste, which connected social enterprises and startup incubators in Bali to motivated young entrepreneurs interested in responding to environmental challenges in Southeast Asia.
For five days, the participants have learned from the Expert and Peer-led about innovative eco-enterprises. This YSEALI workshop brought the participants all together environmentalists and entrepreneurs from across ASEAN to combine skills and passion to work on shared solutions.
Said “Those shared solutions, and that shared commitment is what makes the United States feel so optimistic about our shared future. We firmly believe that the young people of Southeast Asia are leading the way toward a brighter future for themselves, for their communities, for their countries.”
“Because of the importance of ASEAN to the Indo-Pacific region and to the United States, the U.S. has significantly increased its engagement with ASEAN and the region in recent years, guided by principles of mutual benefit for all countries,” she added.
To date, 2,458 Southeast Asian leaders have participated in YSEALI events around the ASEAN region, including workshops and summits. Moreover, 1,727 have travelled to the United States via YSEALI’s academic and professional exchange programs.
In partnership with the East-West Center, YSEALI Impact eXL provided professional development to existing entrepreneurs to improve environmental performance, and showed environmentalists how to incorporate entrepreneurship and modern business practices in to their activities. This training incorporated sustainable development, innovation, leadership, strategic philanthropy, and other topics to emphasize how entrepreneurs and businesses can improve their environmental performace.
Launched in 2013, the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) is the U.S. government’s signature program to strengthen leadership development and networking in Southeast Asia. Through a variety of programs and engagements, including U.S. educational and cultural exchanges, regional exchanges, and seed funding, YSEALI seeks to build the leadership capabilities of youth in the region, strengthen ties between the United States and Southeast Asia, and nurture an ASEAN community. YSEALI focuses on critical topics identified by youth in the region: civic engagement, sustainable development, education and economic growth.
Programs like this bolster the 70-year relationship between the U.S. and Indonesia, across a range of issues, including education, sharing expertise, and innovating to create a stronger shared future.
For more information about this program, or other Consulate programs, please contact PASsurabaya@state.gov.
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