The Youth4SDG Asia Leadership Program (ALP) is a Social Business Action Learning Program that targets youth in achieving SDG. Further, the leadership program focuses on impact amplification that intensifies the passion, skills, and networks of young people for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Moreover, the program is supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and UN Agencies, curated by Youthink Center.  Youth4SDG-ALP will be held in the ADB Headquarters, Metro Manila, Philippines from 9 to 14 August 2019 in conjunction with ADB’s 7^th Asian Youth Forum held annually in celebration of International Youth Day (12 August).

The program will bring together young leaders from Asia and the Pacific with impact-driven organizations. Further, it aims to provide action-focused training, mentorship, and networking program. This allows communities to harness and benefit from the world’s greatest resource for change. Also, the program activates the largest generation of youths, to drive and lead the large-scale transformation.

Youth4SDG Asia Leadership Program: Bangladesh Program

The previous version of Youth4SDG Asia Leadership Program in Bangladesh from 19 to 26 January 2019 brought together youth from the Asia Pacific representing 18 different Universities in the region. Youthink Center and Daffodil International University with support from Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus organized the program. Under this program, the young leaders successfully created social business plans after surveying different villages of Bangladesh. They also gained exposure to the Bangladesh social business ecosystem by visiting small enterprises, social business projects, and sessions on tools such as the social business model canvas.

ADB Asian Youth Forum

The Asian Youth Forum (AYF), ADB’s annual youth conference on youth development, is Asia and the Pacific’s largest and longest-running annual event on the development of young people in the region. Organized since 2012, this event has been held in the Philippines, South Korea, Kazakhstan, India, and Japan. The most recent AYF held on August 2018 in Incheon, Korea with the theme “Building the Workforce of the Future” engaged stakeholders and demonstrate the capacity of youth in catalyzing sustainable economic growth and employment in the region. It brought together 1000 youth from more than 25 countries together with guests from Civil Society Organizations, Educational Institutions, and government representatives from South Korea to celebrate and make a declaration/agreement for the International Youth Day.

Program Highlights

• Dialogue with leading international experts from the United Nations, ADB, as well as other international organizations
• Further, engage in workshops designed in the Action Learning methodology with experienced social entrepreneurs
• Achieving concrete impact through working with NGOs to refine as well as transform their projects into sustainable Social Business models to achieve related SDGs
• Have the unique opportunity to present and speak at 7th Asian Youth Forum in ADB
• UN General Assembly High-Level events in New York will feature the project outcomes
• Building meaningful connections with young leaders from across the Asia Pacific

Benefits of the Youth4SDG Asia Leadership Program

Youth4SDG Asia Leadership Program intends to transform youth and provide them with the necessary knowledge and skills to drive towards attaining SDG. Moreover, the youth will receive invaluable experience during the program which includes:

• Training from international experts on social business, SDGs, and leadership
• Partnership opportunities with international organizations, social businesses, as well as non-government organizations
• International networking platform as well as future opportunities to participate in events with ADB and the UN.

Funding

Through the generous support of our program partners, partial scholarships are available to participants from developing countries through a Developing Countries Leadership Fund.

Who is eligible for the Asia Leadership Program?

• Participants must be 16 to 35 years old
• Further, Participants must have involvement in the entire program
• Be Passionate as well as enthusiastic to learn and advocate SDGs and Social Business.

How To Apply for the Asia Leadership Program?

Youth can participate in the Youth4SDG-ALP by completing and submitting the online application form. Moreover, the candidates must meet the eligibility requirement to participate in the program.

Deadline

The deadline to apply for the Youth4SDG Asia Leadership Program is on Friday, 26 July 2019, 11:59 pm UTC/GMT time.