WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., issued the following statement commending the president for speaking with youth gathered at a town hall style discussion in Burma today.
The discussion underscored the importance of youth engagement in political reform and highlighted the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI), an initiative the administration established to cultivate young leaders in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) which includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma, Philippines, Laos, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam:
“With 65 percent of the Southeast Asian population under the age of 35, young leaders will tackle the region’s most pressing challenges. The president’s commitment to these promising young leaders will only help improve outcomes for their communities. The young people who met with the president today represent countries with their own unique needs, opportunities, and challenges and would benefit from participating in the president’s leadership initiative. Moving forward, it is vital that President Obama ensures that participants in YSEALI truly reflect the ethnic, socio-economic, and cultural diversity represented within the ASEAN community.” As part of YSEALI, emerging leaders from Southeast Asia come to the United States to receive leadership training opportunities at some of America’s top universities in order to expand their leadership skills and knowledge in key issues such as economic development, environmental protection, education, and civic engagement.