Participants from Malaysia, other ASEAN member states, and Timor Leste celebrate the launch of the YSEALI Regional Workshop: Diversity, Inclusion, and Youth.
ATTENTION: EDITORS
August 18, 2022
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – In partnership with Cultural Vistas, the United States Embassy in Kuala Lumpur is proud to present the Young Southeast Asian Leaders (YSEALI) Regional Workshop: Diversity, Inclusion, and Youth. The workshop will foster conversations on diversity and inclusion among young leaders from Malaysia, other ASEAN member states, and Timor-Leste, and build their capacity in implementing diversity initiatives within their workplaces.
This three-day workshop will be held in Kuala Lumpur from August 18-20 and will bring together approximately 80 participants from across Southeast Asia. Cultural Vistas will guide participants in using different frameworks and tools to identify challenges to diversity and inclusion, develop strategies, and determine best practices for managing diversity efforts and fostering inclusion in their workplace environments. Participants will learn how to apply human-centered design thinking to diversity and inclusion initiatives as well as utilize the Global Diversity Inclusion Benchmark Tool to measure progress on diversity and inclusion practices. By the end of the workshop, multinational teams of participants will develop and present their strategic action plans to expand diversity and inclusion efforts for their chosen organizations and communities across the ASEAN region and Timor Leste.
On behalf of the Minister of Youth and Sports, Dato’ Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu, Deputy Secretary General(Strategic) of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ramona binti Mohd. Razali jointly launched the YSEALI workshop with U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur’s Deputy Chief of Mission, Michael Newbill.
Deputy Secretary General Ramona binti Mohd. Razali said, “Malaysia is very proud and honored to host this Workshop as Malaysia is the best example to showcase the theme of embracing diversity and inclusion in our national development agenda. The Ministry applauds the YSEALI DIY initiative for providing the platform for our young leaders to not only understand but also to educate, discuss, share best practices, and develop action plans to further strengthen diversity and inclusion in our societies. The Ministry believes that meaningful and effective participation by diverse youth is essential to national development. Malaysia is happy to lead regional initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion. We hope to continue working with the U.S. Embassy and other partners from the region to strengthen our efforts in helping youth meet their professional and personal goals.”
Underscoring the significance of promoting diversity and inclusion, U.S. Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission, Michael Newbill, said, “Conversations on diversity and inclusion are very important for Southeast Asia. The U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur is proud to facilitate such conversations as well as the frameworks and tools to realize your diversity and inclusion goals. We named this Regional Workshop “YSEALI DIY,” which stands for Diversity, Inclusion, and Youth but also encourages a “do it yourself” or DIY outlook. If you are not seeing the kind of action on these issues that you would like, we hope to provide you the toolkit to model best practices in your home countries. ”
Achieving a diverse and inclusive community requires long-term and sustainable solutions that involve multiple stakeholders, systems, policies, and also an environment in which the members are confident about raising these sensitive but critical issues. The U.S. Embassy is committed to advancing diversity and inclusion, and it will continue to prioritize initiatives that help us meet our goals.
For further enquiries, please contact Fiona Teo at teofa@state.gov.
Link to photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/usembassykl/
About YSEALI
What: 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, 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 of leaders who work across borders to solve common issues.
Why: Approximately 65% of people in the ASEAN region are under the age of 35. YSEALI is an effort to harness the extraordinary potential of youth in the region to address critical challenges and expand opportunities.
Who: The YSEALI community consists of bright young leaders, 18–35 years old, from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam who are making a difference in their communities, countries, and the region. Learn more about the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative at yseali.state.gov and join the official YSEALI social media communities on Facebook and Twitter.
The 2022 YSEALI Regional Workshop: Diversity, Inclusion, Youth is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and is funded through a grant from the U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Cultural Vistas serves as the implementing partner.
   
