The YSEALI Boot Camp 2021, a collaboration between the U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur, The Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI), Biji-biji Initiative, and Mereka, was a ten-month initiative spanning from 2021 to 2022. This program focused on empowering youths from East Malaysia to engage in civic participation and amplify their voices on national and global platforms. Through three phases of recruitment, engagement, and mentoring, participants attended five Civic Engagement Webinars in Phase 1, a 3-Week Virtual Boot Camp in Phase 2, and a 3-Month Mentorship with PACOS TRUST and HAUS KCH in Phase 3. The initiative aimed to equip young leaders with the skills, expertise, and resources to effectively engage in civic issues and advocate for their communities’ pressing challenges.
According to UNDP and ASEAN reports in 2014 and 2017, Malaysian youths under 30 years show low social and political participation and engagement. Furthermore, a 2015 report found 89% of Malaysian youths on social media are apathetic towards social and political issues2. The program aims to provide the necessary skills for inclusive and effective civic participation to empower the broadest possible range of youths.
The YSEALI Boot Camp 2021 by the U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur, The Young Southeast
Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) and in partnership with Biji- Biji Initiative, and Me.reka was
a ten-month initiative that took place over the course of 2021 to 2022.
This year’s program focused on youths from East Malaysia with the aim to create awareness in
civic engagement and empower aspiring leaders to take their voices from the community stage to
national and global platforms. The ten-months initiative aimed to empower a community of
young leaders with the skills, expertise, and resources to become effective civic participants in
Malaysia along with harnessing passionate participants who are ready to advocate for pressing
issues faced by their communities.
The Boot Camp consisted of 3 phases which concentrated on recruitment, engagement, and
mentoring the participants. Phase 1 of the Boot Camp focused on 5 Civic Engagement Webinars
to educate youths about Civic Engagement and their role, Phase 2 focused on a 3-Week Virtual
Boot Camp and Phase 3 was a 3-Month Mentorship with PACOS TRUST and HAUS KCH.
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