Launched in 2013, the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) is U.S. President Barack Obama’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. The YSEALI Oceans Workshop will be one of several workshops that have taken place in the region centered on one of the four YSEALI themes – environment and natural resources management, economic development, civic engagement, and education.

 

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.

 

The YSEALI Oceans Workshop is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and is funded through a cooperative agreement award from the Embassy of the United States in Jakarta, Indonesia.

 

Coast 2 Coast participated in the 5-day workshop as a workshop facilitator on how storytelling can be used to promote ocean conservation.