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The 2006 SummitThe Next Generation of Leaders Gather at Groundbreaking SummitTo help facilitate a new generation of leaders, Asia Society established the Asia 21 Leaders Initiative, the Asia-Pacific community's acclaimed young leaders program, and hosted the Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit in Seoul, Korea, from November 17-19, 2006. The Summit gathered the most dynamic and innovative leaders under the age of 40 from across Asia-Pacific. The three-day event focused on building collaborative approaches to shared problems through lectures, breakout sessions, panel discussions and other exercises. Performances and art exhibitions cultivated a creative community and a web blog invited participants and the public to engage each other in lively conversation on the topics raised during the Summit. "The Asia 21 Young Leaders program seeks to do nothing less than build the network of the Asia-Pacific community's young leaders dedicated to public service and values-based leadership," said Asia Society Executive Vice President Jamie Metzl, who spearheaded the program. "This group of amazing young people will educate each other on what it means to be true leaders, and hold each other to those ideals through a process designed to last a lifetime. All who experienced the incredible creative energy at the Seoul Summit left Korea with a great sense of optimism about the region's future." With this goal of developing common approaches to shared problems, the Summit invited 200 budding leaders from 14 countries and diverse fields: business, politics, civil society, media, arts and culture, and academia. The agenda—set by a core group of Asia 21 Fellows selected in 2006 and who met last February in Hong Kong—featured keynote speeches by Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook and former Korean President Kim Dae Jung. Sessions led by the young delegates themselves explored the challenges of leadership in building peaceful, prosperous, and secure nations. "I thought I was alone fighting for change," one delegate shared, "but going through this process with these amazing young leaders has made me realize that I'm part of something much bigger and more powerful." "Participants of this Summit have the unique opportunity to collectively bring fresh thinking and identify opportunities for political and economical collaboration," said Asia Society President Vishakha N. Desai. "As the world dawns on the Asia-Pacific century, Asia Society continues its commitment to fostering mutual understanding and providing new, innovative forums for the multilateral exchange of ideas." From parliamentarians to CEOs, each delegate brought a unique perspective on critical issues. Dow Kim, former President of Merrill Lynch Global Markets and Investment Banking and Asia Society Trustee, highlighted the importance of this collaborative process. "As more markets open up in this region, this cross-sector approach to solving problems will become increasingly more important. Merrill Lynch is proud to sponsor this exciting initiative to strengthen the next generation of leadership in Asia." Seoul—a regional leader in democratic, technological and economic development—served as an important staging ground for the Summit's critical look at difficult problems. Alexander Vershbow, the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, applauded its relevance. "The development of multilateral institutions within the Asia-Pacific region is still at an early stage, and so it is important for the region's successor generations to have a forum where they can come together to exchange ideas, foster mutual understanding, and identify opportunities for political and economic collaboration." As the Summit came to a close, attendees filled the conference blog with enthusiastic comments. Remesh Chandran of Malaysia offered, "We met innovative and creative people, able to relate intellectually, as well as let their hair down and sing their hearts out. We heard inspiring stories and critical debates. Congratulations to the Asia Society team." Join their conversation at www.asia21youngleaders.org/blog.
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Summit 2006 Photos |
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