Table of Contents Collective Foreword
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Grand Celebration Programme
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About the ASEAN Youth Heritage Leaders Programme
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Voices of the Volunteers
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The ASEAN Youth Heritage Leaders
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Acknowledgements
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Collective Foreword One of the powerful and meaningful ways that we can bring various sectors of ASEAN people together is through community engagement and volunteerism. Volunteerism is a powerful means of engaging the region’s youth in tackling the shared challenges faced by the ASEAN community. It can benefit both the region and the youth involved in volunteerism initiatives by developing understanding, strengthening trust, enhancing community wellbeing and forging an ASEAN identity. The ASEAN Youth Volunteer Programme (AYVP) is an instrument that will create opportunities for youth across the region. This will be through the thematic areas of Rural Development and Poverty Eradication, Social Entrepreneurship, Youth-friendly Health services, Education Development, The Environment, Protecting ASEAN’s Heritage, Disaster Response, Risk Reduction and Recovery Sports and Recreation. As they do this, they learn about each other and strengthen intercultural relationships, increasing ASEAN awareness and contributing to a strong ASEAN identity – a younger generation who not only volunteer but also develop leadership qualities, coloured with the strength of humility, kindness and compassion – with strong minds and also generous souls. There will be challenges and not all volunteerism initiatives have positive outcomes. But if we do this well, developing a system for regional volunteerism to flourish effectively and recognizing the quality and merit of our various programmes/projects, we will develop and leave for the next generation a legacy for volunteerism that will have a long-lasting effect on the development of our youth and all our communities across ASEAN.
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Knowledge-driven Community Engaged projects provide invaluable opportunities for volunteers to make relevant and apply theoretical knowledge to meet real world needs. This journey requires you as volunteers to expand upon multi-disciplinary knowledge, be organised, disciplined and committed, to work in teams, understand the needs of others and respect different cultures, and empower communities as well as learn from them.” - Prof. Dato’ Dr. Saran Kaur Gill, UKM
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AYVP MANDATE AYVP’s main goal is to drive youth volunteerism and community development that involve young people with a targeted demographic age of between 18 and 30 from higher education, colleges, youth organisations, NGOs and working professionals across ASEAN.
AYVP MISSION STATEMENT The AYVP is an ASEAN youth community leaders programme. It mobilizes ASEAN youth to develop innovative solutions to the social, cultural, economic and environmental challenges of communities across ASEAN, while forging a sense of regional identity and cross-cultural understanding among ASEAN youth.
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Grand Celebration Programme Programme Emcees: Mohd Nazreen bin Mohamad, ASEAN Youth Heritage Leader from Malaysia Nazeera Mohamed, ASEAN Youth Heritage Leader from Singapore
3:30pm : Arrival of Guests 3:40pm : Arrival of VVIPs 3:45pm : Arrival of Vice-Chancellor, UKM 4:00pm : Arrival of Minister of Tourism Malaysia 4:05pm : National Anthem and ASEAN Anthem 4:15pm : Recitation of Al-Fatihah by Muhammad Siraj Munir Ahmed, ASEAN Youth Heritage Leader from Brunei Darussalam 4:20pm : Introductory Remarks by Prof. Dato’ Dr. Saran Kaur Gill, Executive Director of AYVP@AsiaEngage 4:30pm : Welcome Speech by YBhg. Prof. Datuk Dr. Noor Azlan Ghazali, Vice Chancellor, UKM 4:40pm : Presentation of Video Documentary: Brickfields and Kampung Chetty 4:45pm: “Learning the True Meaning of Volunteerism and Leadership” by Roxanne Tan Xian, ASEAN Youth Heritage Leader from Malaysia 4:50pm: Presentation of Video Documentary: Kampung Baru, Kampung Morten, Kampung Balik Bukit 4:55pm:“Sharing the AYVP Multiplier Effect” by Cheab Puthika, ASEAN Youth Heritage Leader from Cambodia 5:00 pm: Presentation of Video Documentary: Petaling Street and Baba Nonya Village 5:05pm : Speech by Mr. Nguyen Ky-Anh, Assistant Director, Culture and Information Division, ASEAN Secretariat 5:15pm : Speech by YB Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, Minister of Tourism & Culture Malaysia 5:25pm : ASEAN Dance Medley & ASEAN Song “Let Us Move Ahead” 5:40pm : Presentation of Gifts & Group Photo Session 5:50pm : Refreshments
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About the ASEAN Youth Heritage Leaders Programme Southeast Asia is a melting pot of diverse cultures and rich histories, making it a home to many interesting heritage sites that need to be conserved and enriched. Following the success of the inaugural programme on “Environment and Climate Change,” the second AYVP programme seeks to develop ASEAN youth who will take the lead in empowering local communities and educating them about our region’s heritage. This programme is jointly funded by the ASEAN Secretariat and the Malaysian Ministry of Culture & Tourism. Its site partners are the Universiti Malaya and Melaka World Heritage Office.
Overall Objectives To acquire knowledge and understanding of ASEAN, its culture, values and the regional identity – areas pertinent for the development of the ASEAN sociocultural community; To be introduced to the value of volunteerism and community engagement as a mechanism to create the sense of giving, sharing and contributing to communities across the region - all aspects essential for the development of the ASEAN sociocultural community; To understand the meaning of leadership, to acquire knowledge of varying approaches to leadership and their applications in heritage conservation; To understand the need for, the challenges faced and the possible solutions for the development of impactful multi-stakeholder partnerships for volunteerism and community engagement; To gain knowledge of the various challenges and conservation efforts for Heritage@Risk issues across ASEAN; To explore, experience and learn about Malaysia’s heritage sites (Kuala Lumpur and Melaka), the different communities, the issues and challenges faced as well as conservation efforts; To gain the know-how of capturing knowledge and experiences gained and to evaluate the programme through various modes (reflective journal, social media, blogs, report writing); Based on the knowledge and experienced gained from this programme, youth leaders will conceptualise and develop projects that can be implemented in their home countries. 4
FIRST WEEK AT UKM: THE ESSENCE PHASE
Volunteers were able to tackle ASEAN from various perspectives. On the first day, they witnessed the keynote speech of Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia, at the Emerging Markets Business Conference, where he touched on the ASEAN Economic Community. Prof. Dato’ Dr. Noor Azlan Ghazali, Vice Chancellor of UKM, also shared his views on ASEAN integration in an informal dialogue with the volunteers. Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Zain Al’-Abidin ibni Tuanku Muhriz took time as well to give them a more political lens, as he emphasized the role of civil society in ASEAN development. And finally, Mr. Ky-Anh Nguyen from the ASEAN Secretariat briefed them about the history, vision and functions of the regional bloc, particularly the activities lined-up for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. Wrapping this up, Prof Dato’ Dr. Saran Kaur Gill engaged the volunteers in discussions about their ethnic and national identities, as a starting point of discourse for the ASEAN regional identity. In terms of this year’s thematic area on heritage conservation, volunteers learned from both local and international experts. Outdoors, they explored the Muzium Negara, the National Museum of Malaysia, where they were set into the historical context of the country before heading to the 2 project sites—Kuala Lumpur and Melaka. Back in UKM, they were given a global perspective of the Essentials of Heritage Conservation by Mr. Francesco Volpini, Director for Research and Development of Better World, Korea. They also listened to case studies by representatives from UNESCO Jakarta that implements a sustainable livelihood programme for the local communities surrounding Borobodur Temple. Mr. Rior Santos from Youth Sustainable Development Assembly (YSDA) in the Philippines also emphasize the role of social enterprise to sustain volunteer engagement and heritage conservation. On the aspects of leadership and community engagement, the volunteers learned several competencies that they can utilise as they implement projects for their respective communities. A Gender Equity Module was discussed by Assoc. Prof Dr. Doris Padmini S. Selvaratnam from the Economics & Management Faculty, and a leadership simulation workshop was conducted by Leaderonomics. Prof Saran engaged the volunteers in an important discussion about the roles of various stakeholders in project management, as well as the importance of community engagement principles. The final session was a project panel discussion lead by selected ASEAN Youth Eco-Leaders 2013, now alumni mentors: Bambang Sutrisno 5 (Indonesia), Nabilah Mazlan (Malaysia) and Joey de la Cruz (Philippines).
WEEK 2 AT KUALA LUMPUR: HERITAGE @ RISK The first project site is the Capital City of Kuala Lumpur. Lying on the banks of the Klang and Gombak rivers, it is home to a dynamic blend of multi-ethnic neighbourhoods, lead by the 3 main ethnic groups in the country – the Malays, Chinese and Indians. This historical and cultural heritage movement, set against rapid urbanisation, is indeed an interesting experience volunteers should look out for in Kuala Lumpur.
Kampung Baru was established as a “Malay community” by the British government since 1899. Kampung Baru’s traditional houses are overshadowed by the impressive skyline in the centre of Kuala Lumpur, but it’s community is still very vibrant. Notable buildings include the Sultan Suleiman clubhouse and the Jamek Mosque. In this sub-site, the volunteers were able to understand the structure of the Malay Traditional House through documentation and interviews, create a cultural map of potential heritage houses in the area, and learn the forms and ways of Pencak Silat, a traditional Malay Martial Arts. In 1881, a flood swept through Kuala Lumpur following a fire which engulfed it earlier. Frank Swettenham, the British Resident of Selangor, re-constructed the buildings out of brick and tile, developing the eponymous Brickfields. Today, Brickfields is one of the pioneer settlements in Kuala Lumpur, more famously known as “Little India.” In here, the volunteers learned the rich and vibrant Indian history and culture of Brickfields through their visit to the Temple of Fine Arts. They also learned the art of henna tattoo and kolam-making and tasted Indian Cuisine. Moreover, they were able to experience and practice Indian traditional dances. Petaling Street, or “Chinatown,” is one of the oldest parts of Kuala Lumpur. From late afternoon the pavements fill with plastic tables and chairs, while mobile kitchens are set up along the street, serving an astonishing array of Chinese dishes. The volunteers assigned here were able to experience Chinese Malaysian Culture as they created a food cultural map of Petaling Street, interview food stall owners, and learn Chinese Martial Arts of Wushu and Tai-Chi. 6
WEEKS 3-4 AT MELAKA: HERITAGE @ RISK The whole historic inner city of Melaka and George Town have been listed as a World Heritage Sites since July 7, 2008 recognised as a place of outstanding value by the World Heritage Committee for their roles as a setting for social history, multiculturalism, town-planning and architecture. They represent exceptional examples of multi-cultural trading towns in East and Southeast Asia, forged from the mercantile and exchanges of Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures and three successive European colonial powers for almost 500 years, each with its imprints on the architecture and urban form, technology and monumental art. For the 1st week, the volunteers were oriented to the rich and diverse heritage of Melaka. Aside from the introduction and the tours to the iconic places in Melaka, the volunteers were given a chance to learn from the masters of Jonker Street, Kampung Balik Bukit and Kampung Duyong to learn the processes and traditions of their crafts and trades. The volunteers were able to experience Joget, bullock cart making, kompang-making, calligraphy, contemporary art, paper-cutting, seal engraving, wood carving, coffee-making, and clay pottery-making. For the 2nd week, the volunteers immersed with the communities in Melaka and promoted ASEAN Community and Regional Identity. They were able to visit and interact with the Kampung Chetty Community and tour around Melaka’s Little India. In Kampung Chetty, they were able to learn the Indian-Malay traditions and cuisine of the community. The volunteers were able to make decorations, learn how to cook Chetty Food anddo kolam-making. In Melaka’s Little India, they were able to observe and compare the district with their experience in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur’s Little India. During the Merdeka celebrations in Melaka, the volunteers attended as the ASEAN Delegation and joined Malaysia’s festive celebration of its 57th Independence Day. While at Malacca High School, the 2nd oldest school in Malaysia, they inculcated ASEAN Regional Identity and Community to the secondary school students through interactive and games and activities. Also, the volunteers were able to learn basic urban archeology and do site 7 cleaning to preserve the artefacts at the site.
WEEK 5 AT UKM: LAST WEEK The 3 groups will present their group reports, each in the form of a Video Documentary and Written Report. A synthesis of all 3 reports will be presented at the Grand Celebration (GC), in front of VVIPs and all the stakeholders. The GC will also see the volunteers performing their production of various dances and songs around ASEAN and from the local communities. The last 2 days will be spent for consultation and planning of community-based heritage conservation project proposals. There will also be workshops on relevant skills such as social media and proposal writing.
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Voices of the Volunteers A Tale of Two Chinatowns: Binondo x Petaling Street by Clara Buenconsejo, ASEAN Youth Heritage Leader from the Philippines
We were at Guan Di temple, a few meters away from the main stretch of Petaling Street, as our guides from Kaki Jelajah Warisan discussed the history of Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown. They explained how the proposed MRT project plus a new high-rise development is putting not just the heritage buildings in the area at risk, but the community itself. It’s at this point that I realized how the same issues hound heritage conservation in the ASEAN region. After all, this issue is very similar to the issues we’re tackling on the ground in Manila. Different Cities, Same Story Back in Manila’s Binondo district—our own Chinatown—a number of heritage buildings along Escolta Street have been abandoned. Once the high street of Manila, Escolta was home to upscale department stores, two massive stand-alone cinemas, and numerous banking institutions. And it is home to some of the finest examples of Philippine architecture. Today, rumors that some of these architectural gems will be demolished abound, simply to make way for new condominium buildings and other mixed-use properties. Sadly, other buildings in the district and elsewhere in the city were not as lucky, falling prey to the wrecking ball. And the construction of the elevated LRT line in the 1970s has been cited by some heritage advocates as one of the many causes of the area’s decline. It is said that due to this construction, coupled with the creation of new business districts elsewhere, foot traffic slowed down in the area. This has forced many businesses to transfer or close completely. So while Binondo remains a vital commercial district today, Escolta Street has lost its prestige. Heritage advocates in Kuala Lumpur fear that the same thing will happen to Petaling Street, especially considering how the MRT was to be constructed. Established businesses, such as Hotel Lok Ann, have already closed. Hence, they are trying to prevent the decline of the area by highlighting its heritage to draw more travelers—local and foreign alike—into the area and drive business. Capitalizing on Heritage Tourism Unfortunately, while Petaling Street is already known among tourists, its heritage trades are not benefitting from this attention. In particular, most people associate Petaling Street with its night market, which is unfortunately flooded with cheap knock-offs. Not a lot of tourists, especially foreign travelers, know where to find its good eats. Couple that with a limited local market— very few food items available here are certified as halal—and you’ve got a tremendous challenge. 9
Voices of the Volunteers It is much unlike Binondo, where many Manila residents know that it is a place for authentic Chinese food at great prices. There are even guided food tours that travelers are willing to pay for, just to sample these delicacies. So while our built heritage is in peril, at least the Filipino-Chinese community’s traditional food is kept alive. As for Escolta? We’re going to fight to revive the area as part of Heritage Conservation Society -Youth. Together with the Escolta Commercial Association, the 98B artist group, and ICOMOS Philippines, we have formed the Escolta Revival Movement. So far, the movement was able to coordinate with various government agencies to find solutions to the area’s problems. And by bringing the area’s issues to media outlets, the local government has finally started to notice this street they have long since neglected. We have also organized events such as #selfiEscolta: The Manila Street Heritage Festival to encourage people to visit the area. But admittedly, so much more still needs to be done. However, I am preaching to the choir here. (I suppose that one reason you’re reading this is you’re already interested in heritage.) What’s needed, whether back home in Manila or here, is for the heritage community to reach out. We should create a dialog between stakeholders; inform and educate the general public. In the Philippines, there is a flawed perception that heritage conservation, especially for built heritage, is either boring, only for old people, or only for the elite. I don’t know if that’s the same for Malaysia (I definitely hope not!), but it’s only when we’ve made heritage conservation as everyone’s concern that change will happen. After all, it’s our heritage—no one else would take care of it except for us.
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Voices of the Volunteers Watching my ASEAN friends in Malaysia by Qairunnisa binti Ahmad, ASEAN Youth Heritage Leader from Malaysia
Amazed and enjoyed. These were among the feelings that my ASEAN friends have experienced throughout their stay in Malaysia, and as a Malaysian it makes me proud that they have these feelings for my home country. I still remember the time where I brought some of my ASEAN friends to the Independence Square (Dataran Merdeka). Throughout the visit, I played the role of a tour guide, sharing with them as much as I know about the buildings around the Square and a brief history of Malaysia independence. Then we decided to go to the KL Art Gallery, where we were amazed by a display of lights that were being directed to a miniature model of the KL city. In addition, an informative 3D projection about KL as well as the plan that the Malaysian government has for its future accompanied the display as well. Simple words cannot describe the magnificence of the show, and we definitely were left amazed after the show ended. After watching the display, my friends said to me that I must be proud to be a Malaysian. Indeed, they are right. I am proud to be Malaysian and a KL-ite, but I am happier to see my new-found friends amazed by the development of a city I have learned to call mine—Kuala Lumpur. Another good memory of my ASEAN friends being happy was in Malacca, when my group was required to document bullock cart making at Kampung Balik Bukit. At the end of our first day, a kind villager invited us to have a drink at his house, even though we were just served our lunch. The villager and his family were very hospitable and this made our day. One of them even asked whether he could have some take away, and our host was more than happy to grant his wish. In the end, my friends were upset when they found out that they have to leave the house in order to do our next task. The look on their faces were simply precious. I explained to them that the concept of inviting someone that you just knew to your house is part and parcel of Malay culture, as well as Malaysia in general. Since it is a culture, it means it is also part of an identity of a Malay/ Malaysian, Indeed, these are some of the instances where I hope I could capture and store in my memory forever. Behind the happiness that I saw on their faces, there was a feeling of pride that rushed to my heart. As a Malaysian myself, these simple memories have brought me an irreplaceable sense of national pride and joy which I will always be thankful for.
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Voices of the Volunteers Don't Mess with Melaka: A cosmopolitan citizen's recount of sweet village experience by Nazeera Mohamed, ASEAN Youth Heritage Leader from Singapore
Yesterday I fell in love... We visited Kampong Balik Bukit as part of our field work and were told we would be preparing for and will partake in a mock wedding. As soon as the bus went into the village area, I was immediately stunned by the infrastructure and was as excited as a little child. I don't have a kampong and have had barely any experience in a living environment filled with intense beauty, so my excitement was quite one of its kind. When we arrived, it really felt like a wedding was being held. Our host welcomed us so very warmly and before I knew it I was already trying to stir dodol, a traditional delicacy, in a huge wok. It's no easy feat - but it's great workout for a week long of delicious steaming hot rice served with Melaka asam pedas, sambal belacan and my favorite ulam raja. After passing on the tough deal to someone else, I sliced some ginger after which I got distracted watching another group shave coconuts and I really just wanted to try every little thing so I went over to try that before I went back to continue with my ginger slices. There was another group weaving ketupat and I never knew how to do it so I approached this makcik to teach me how to do it. After numerous attempts we grew tired and I moved to ask another person to teach me and again we failed because he was still learning too. We were then sent to our foster families to freshen up before we grace the mock wedding that was to happen later. We took a walk through the jungle with our host to his house and we were greeted with so much love and warmth it was amazing. As we entered we were introduced to the family and served with my favorite coconut jellies. Our host reared buffaloes behind his home so we went over to see how they were being bathed. In the meantime, our host's wife was frying some bananas for us while the others took a shower. It was during this time we had a chat while I assisted her in the kitchen and because I hardly feel this way with anyone it was so beautiful to just feel like myself when I'm with her. I got ready in one of the rooms and got a chance to get to know the eldest daughter of the family and my goodness she was so lovely! While we were chatting up I noticed how the others from other countries were so comfortable in their home. It felt so nice to watch them. After I got ready the host offered to take us to his fruit stall after I told him how I love coconuts. We got on a pick-up, windows down and heads out in the night breeze, soaking in full village spirit. It was wonderful. When we arrived at the stall we were treated generously with sweet sweet coconuts. The delight of being able to devour them got us carried away in time that we had to hurry a little to get to the "wedding". 12
Voices of the Volunteers Just as we were about to leave, the daughter of our host gave me a peck on my cheek after which I found difficult to hide the lump in my throat. She clung on to me throughout the event and offered to accompany me while I had my food. It felt as if we were family since the beginning. She kept asking when I would see them again and I said I would like to have my wedding held there - if ever possible. There were no distinctions visible amongst the villagers. Everyone was ONE. The youngest to the oldest.... Everyone came together to contribute for the wedding although they may not be directly related by blood. My experience there truly lived up to the spirit of "gotong-royong", and everyone seemed so happy to be doing what they were doing! The stars of the wedding weren't the bride and groom but the villagers themselves. They gave us the best experience of being in the village and made us like theirs... It was such an honor. Everything was top notch. They put pride in serving the best for us - so that we may also realize perhaps the value of the lives they have been living. Everything they did for us came from the heart so it became really difficult at the end of the day for me to head back. I was overwhelmed by the sincerity and love from these people who previously would have been strangers to me. I particularly felt intensely heartened when I remember the affection of Hanis, the girl I had mentioned earlier. Her affinity to my soul was admirable and I won't forget her hugs and kisses for a long time. While we played some traditional games as we mingled with the community I held hands with Aunty Santhadevi and she hugged me by my waist. As we walked along the village she left me with some words of wisdom. "We need to be humble in this world... We can fly high but always remember to keep our feet on the ground. If people are friendly like you it will be easy to blend with people... We need to keep our hearts open." I smiled my way through as I held her words close to my heart. Kampong Chetti, unlike Kampong Balik Bukit however, was surrounded by urban development - the aspect of nature was a little mellowed, but still preserved by the trees around which served various purposes for the community. The surrounding elements of nature - the trees, forest, river complimented the lives our Kampong Balik Bukit villagers had. I'd like to think their souls flow in symphony with their environment. Even if some of them have not had comfortable, or easy lives, there was a glow on the faces of these people. It was a kind of glow that brought about a simple radiance, of happiness, of satisfaction... And most prominently, gratefulness; appreciation. My village familys' generosity, sincerity and love will be what inspires me in our days to come. Everywhere here I've been seeing slogans with the words "Don't mess with Melaka". They were right. Don't mess with it - or you'll fall so deeply in love! Miss the villagers already!
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Voices of the Volunteers To learn the true meaning of leadership and volunteerism by Roxanne Tan Yu Xian, ASEAN Youth Heritage Leader from Malaysia
Being here allowed me an opportunity to work alongside people coming from various cultural backgrounds. Perhaps due to the diversity, everyone believes in different methods of working things out. Some may also have different ideas about the definition of volunteerism and leadership. Throughout the duration of this programme, we had a lot of miscommunications and there have also been numerous complaints coming from the volunteers of various nationalities. I have had my own share of grumblings. People are difficult to satisfy and despite of the efforts the organizers and facilitators put in, there would still be someone complaining about something. At some point, some of us began questioning our tendency to blame everything except ourselves. We have focused so much energy on our situation that we forgot our main purpose of being here. The best thing about having rotating roommates is that I got the chance to chat about the programme with different people. My recent roommate had been asking herself the important questions: why are we here? Have we been giving back to the communities as volunteers? Are we actually performing in alignment with the mission statement of this programme? I ask myself these same questions. Why am I here for this programme? What is the main purpose of the programme? This programme is titled ‘ASEAN Youth Heritage Leaders – through volunteerism and community engagement’. Almost like a mother’s constant gentle reminder, the name tells us that the core purpose of this programme is to lead and serve through volunteerism. I observed the way fellow participants worked and I noticed how leadership and the spirit of volunteerism shone differently through the fellow participants. I noticed how leadership can garner negative responses while it could sometimes gain admiration and respect. I realized that leadership does not have to be done through commands; one can lead others without ordering people around. When I think of leadership and volunteerism, Mother Teresa immediately came to mind. She led people through few simple words and she served others selflessly. I believe that leadership and volunteerism can find its answer in the life and works of Mother Teresa; to work with others in peace, to be willing to endure adverse situations and serve others without murmuring. While it isn’t easy to achieve this effortlessly, I believe that by keeping this in mind, volunteerism and leadership can be extended to various communities despite the locations we are in.
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Voices of the Volunteers As I have noticed throughout the duration of this programme, the communities we were raised in affected the value systems we instill. As people coming from various locations around the region, we tend to uphold certain things differently, and we may also respond to certain situations or matters in disparate manners. Working in such a diverse environment is indeed a great training ground to sharpen our communication and cooperative skills. Lest I forget, another volunteer reminds me yet again during one of our meandering conversations about the spirit of giving back to communities. She mentions that empathy is vital amongst the younger generation and I believe that is also the essence of working in any environment which involves a large number of people originating from very dissimilar backgrounds. The ASEAN spirit cannot be found upon forceful intervention. The spirit of volunteerism is putting someone else’s needs before one’s own. To build the ASEAN spirit on the foundation of volunteerism is then to create an identity of working together in harmony; when one puts others before one’s self, and when one is able to think in the perspective of others, this synchronized movement towards one goal will be much more easily attainable.
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Voices of the Volunteers Identity? I think not…. by Charmaine Liew, ASEAN Youth Heritage Leader from Singapore
We have talked about what we can do as heritage leaders and what governments can do for the committee, which leads me to our next point, what ASEAN can do. Because of the wide network that ASEAN has built up, it would make sense that they would potentially be able to reach the governments across ASEAN to help facilitate efforts to pull best resources, expertise and volunteers to help conservation of tangible and intangible heritage, just like what we’ve done here. So it doesn’t just become a local effort to study and conserve, for example, Melaka, but rather an ASEAN effort. Sounds ambitious, but so did trying to gather 50 people from across ASEAN to be in one single place. And we suggest that ASEAN move towards a “shared vision”, rather than a “shared identity”. During my first week here, I realized so many things that were similar amongst us. Most of us eat rice. Some of our countries have similar games and most of us generally don’t like being in the sun. Yet, amongst the similarities, there are differences. Like how the tofu in Myanmar tastes different from that in Malaysia, about how in Laos, they haven’t really got KFC or Starbucks like we have in Thailand, about how the pace of life in Hue, Vietnam, is so different from that in fast-paced Singapore. And the more I learnt about how we were different, the more I loved our region. We live in such close proximity to each other, yet in one way or another, we are so different. But make no mistake, there is nothing wrong with being different. The point is not for us to obsess over trying to build a “shared identity” but it should be to embrace what is so beautifully different and celebrate it. Having said that, what we can share, is hope. Hope that somehow more people will care about the dying trades. Hope that somewhere someone is also interested in protecting the crumbling façade of the old cathedral in Singapore. Hope that our cultures and traditions will not be lost to the hands of time. Because that, ladies and gents, is why we are here. We are from Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia; the Philippines, Myanmar, and Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia and Brunei. And we are here. Because we share that hope. And we propose that ASEAN be the champion for that hope. A shared hope. This was supposed to be a closing, but isn’t. It can’t be. This, is the beginning of a new generation. A generation of heritage conservation leaders. Of us.
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The ASEAN Youth Heritage Leaders Brunei Darussalam Dayang Siti Norain binti Haji Mohd Yusuf Muhammad Siraj Munir bin Ahmad Cambodia KHIEV Kanal CHEAB Puthika ENG Dalin TANG Sokunthea Indonesia Nicko Valendra Muhammad Iqhrammullah Gayuh Mustiko Jati Fifi Faustina Pribadi Sam Michael Nugraha Rusna Meswari Isti Toq’ah Laen Sugi Rante Tandung Siti Nurrohmah Laos Viyada Itthiphone Vilak Inthavong Malaysia Fahrur Razi bin Nasuka Farah Yasmin Abd Radzak Saidatul Eliya binti Rasman Midmilisa Oddy Anak Lidam Noor Nadia Bt Hazeman @ Hazman Nurdeena binti Anuar Qairunnisa binti Ahmad Noor Ridi Roxanne Tan Yu Xian Jisha Liang Chay Yi Khairul Farhah Khairuddin Jason Cheong Kar Seng Mohd Nazreen bin Mohamad Mohd Zainul Ariffin bin Mohamad Noor Amalina Aini Abdul Karim
Myanmar Than Toe Aung Kyu Laie Thu Seng Moon Ja May Mrat San Philippines J.P. Leo Asong Aidel Paul Belamide Clara Angelica Buenconsejo Elaine Tagudando Singapore Nazeera binte Mohamed Charmaine Liew Shengmei Thailand Pimolpan Tirangkul Nutthawut Naowabutra Pinhathai Chunharas Vietnam Truong Si Le Minh Nguyen Thi Minh Luan Ho Thi Ngoc Tram Duong Hoang Thao Ngoc
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Acknowledgements We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all those that have provided support, assistance and encouragement to make this programme a success. We sincerely apologise to those whose names may have been inadvertently omitted from the list below. ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia Ministry of Youth and Sports, Malaysia Ministry of Education, Malaysia The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya Kuala Lumpur City Hall Museum Volunteers Melaka World Heritage Office Melaka State Council Department of National Heritage Local communities at Petaling Street, Brickfields, Kampung Baru, Kampung Morten, Baba Nonya Village, Kampung Cetty, Kampung Duyong, Kampung Balik Bukit, Cheng Ho Tea House, Jonker Walk, Temple of Fine Arts, Kaki Jelajah Warisan and Melaka High School Kolej Ungku Omar, UKM Kolej Dato’ Onn, UKM Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, UKM Corporate Communication Centre, UKM Panggung Seni, UKM Department of Development Management, UKM Bursar’s Office, UKM Safety Department, UKM Health Centre, Bangi UKM Cultural Centre, UKM Medical Centre, UKM International Youth Centre, Cheras Syaz Meridien Hotel, Melaka 17
ASEAN Youth Volunteer Programme (AYVP) Secretariat Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
ASEAN Youth Volunteers
43600 Bangi, Selangor, MALAYSIA Tel.: +603 8921 5779 Fax: +603 8921 4660 Email: ayvpsecretariat@asiaengage.org Website: www.asiaengage.org
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