Thai voluntarism to expand beyond ASEAN

BANGKOK, November 16 (TNA) - University personnel and concerned officials on Friday gathered in Bangkok for brainstorming their ideas on how to systematically encourage university students to acquire volunteer experience across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in order to become grown-up professionals with firm knowledge, experiences and the sense of sympathy towards ASEAN neighbors. Organised by Thammasat University and other six partners, the seminar cum exhibition was aimed at promoting students voluntarism in the 10-member ASEAN bloc, based on one of the main objectives of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community or ASCC Blueprints, “exploring the establishment of an ASEAN volunteers programme with the help of young professionals working towards rural development, while instilling the sense of self-sufficiency to the communities. The event’s key panelist, Professor Dr. Piyawat Boon-Long, Director of the Knowledge Network Institute of Thailand, told TNA that ASEAN youth volunteers can take part in addressing and tackling regional development issues and other challenges, covering disaster relief. The program is a long term regional effort with expected results over the next two decades, pertaining a current objective of incorporating such idea into universities’ policies so that today's younger generation can grow to become quality ASEAN professionals in the future. Leading many youth programmes for more than 25 years in and outside Asia, one of the seminar's key Speakers, Lee Sun–Jae, stressed that voluntary works should not only cover in rural and underdeveloped areas, but also in big cities, where many pending issues require urgent attention. Lee suggested that meeting new people of different cultures, together with other campaigning challenges, could help bring about the spirit of volunteerism among the ASEAN youths. (TNA)