Date: 24 September 2013 | Time: 11.30AM to 1.00PM | Venue: Office of Malaysian Youth Council | Theme: “Social Innovation for Youth Leaders”
“I think peace is not just the absence of war,” said Jonathan, a Singaporean delegate of the Friendship Express programme organized by Singapore International Foundation (SIF) and hosted locally by the Malaysian Youth Council. “For me, peace means more than not having wars but solving existing misunderstandings among us.”
Nicholas Lee, Director of Programs & Youth Development and the founder of Power of 10 Sen was invited to address the youth leaders from Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, China and Vietnam at the Engagement Session of Friendship Express. Nicholas introduced Power of 10 Sen Campaign as a form of social innovation for the Greater Good that all youths should give it a try.
“Yes, I’m a peacemaker. So are you guys. In fact, all of you are agents of peace!” says Nicholas.
Through collective efforts, the power of 10 cents can be amplified to help those who are underprivileged. Since 2008, the Power of 10 Sen Campaign has channelled funds to support 3 main causes; inclusive of 1. providing education to underprivileged children through Ajar-Ajar Project 2. providing clean water supply to rural villages in Cambodia through Communities Unite for Purewater (CUP) Project and last but not least 3. emergency relief funds for children, such as Gaza Dibela Campaign back in 2009 for the children in war zone Gaza.
Nicholas also explained that the Power of 10 went viral and was adopted and championed in several countries other than Malaysia.
MONGOLIA
The Power of 10 Tugrik was established and funds were collected from 26,000 families in the capital of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia for a mass tree-planting project on addressing the severe issue of desertization.
INDONESIA
The Power of Rupiah quickly became one of the signature projects for youth volunteers. In 2009, the Indonesian youths channelled funds via Power of Rupiah to champion for the eradication of poverty and hunger in Indonesia.
KOREA
The Power of 1,000 Won was launched in South Korea and the funds were channelled to a bread factory in North Korea to provide healthy and wholesome breads to malnutrition and starving children in North Korea.
“I have been to places that I did not imagine I would be via Power of 10 Sen. I did not know back then it will brought about such great impact. I have high hopes for all of you. You are young and all of you are leaders. You will certainly be able to bring about more good and positive impact and change to mankind. The recipe? Start small, think BIG!” says Nicholas.
Global Youth Fest 2013, part of the upcoming Global Peace Celebration (GPC) 2013
At the Friendship Express Engagement Session, Nicholas also took the opportunity to extend the invitations to all the youth leaders to attend the Global Peace Convention 2013 happening from 5 to 8 December at Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The GPC is an annual convening engaging leaders from the government, faith-based organizations and civil society to advance efforts for peace and development. It serves as a platform for the sharing of best practices and expertise, as well as developing innovative peace-building models. GPC 2013 will feature high-level plenary sessions, discussion and working groups focusing on specific peace-building topics, global-networking opportunities and a vivid local experience of Malaysia with the cultural exchange program.
2013 GPC Malaysia Promo video from gpfmalaysia on Vimeo.
A GLOBAL YOUTH FEST 2013 will be held on 6 December, 8pm onward at Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur. The Fest, themed “Youths for Social Good” is part of the GPC 2013. The Fest aims to celebrate and bring together youths across different countries and backgrounds, who have committed themselves to service and volunteerism. For more information on the Global Youth Fest 2013, you can email Johnson at johnsonlee@globalpeace.org.my (So that we can extend an invitation to you to join the Fest and keep you posted on the program updates!)
For more information on Global Peace Convention 2013, please visit http://2013.globalpeaceconvention.org
About Friendship Express (FX) and Singapore International Foundation (SIF)
Launched in 2012, the Singapore International Foundation’s (SIF) Friendship Express (FX) programme seeks to build relationships among student leaders and with communities in the region, nurture the spirit of social responsibility and encourage the application of knowledge to uplift lives.
The ‘expedition for good’ takes the form of a journey that begins in Singapore and continues to two other countries. In the inaugural year, it travelled from Singapore to Malaysia and Thailand. Friendship Express 2013 will travel from Singapore to Malaysia, and then Indonesia. In the course of the journey, the multinational participants will live with and learn from each other, harnessing the power of new friendships and working with local communities on projects to enhance their livelihood and well-being.
