Global Youth Symposium 2010

The Activity.

2010-12-14T23:52:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow will be the opening day of the GYS 2010.

Just so you know, there will be a lot of activities waiting for those who join our program.

And here, we like to show you guys on what have we planned for you.

Have you guys ever heard of flash mob?

Well, last Sunday, our team went to Bukit Bintang, KL, and organised a "pre-flash mob".

As you all know, in order to organise something for you guys, we also need to experience it all by ourselves.

We are the super team.

we stood for nearly 30 minutes.. like this.

Do you have what it takes to be the GYS's next top model?

Like seriously.

DO YOU DARE?

haha.

we shall watch and see!

20th of December 2010.

0830 - 1230 in front of Maybank and Pavillion.

Please wear WHITE!

For any inquiries, you can contact Norhafizah at 0125506673

Announcement.

2010-12-08T05:09:00.000-08:00

hi everyone.!

just want to make an announcement.

for your information, the registration for GYS 2010 is officially closed.

Thank you to those who will be participating in the upcoming GYS 2010.
Meet you guys on the 16th ok!

For right now, we are in the process of adding the last touch to our symposium.

The GYS will start on the 16th of December 2010 until the 20th of December 2010 at University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.

So.. i guess that's all for now.

Thank u!

cheers,
Admin.

Something to watch.

2010-11-14T22:18:00.000-08:00

hello people!

just want to share with u you guys about this interesting video.
its about global warming.
Weng Yee finds it very interesting, so, i lets watch it.
:)

INFOS! INFOS! INFOS!

2010-11-05T07:08:00.000-07:00

Hey there guys!

Sorry for the lame title, but i thought that i should come up with something that is relatively straight to the point but at the same time, rather important - as we are merely one month away from GYS'10!

As of now, we have heaps of participants already confirming their participation in the GYS'10! For those who aren't registered yet, what are you waiting for??

This also means that the Organising Committee is working around the clock to ensure that everything is set for the D-Day. Therefore, here's some important information regarding the fees for our aspiring and would-be participants out there!

The registration fee for participants outside Malaysia would be USD 150 (excluding flight tickets & travelling costs). The fee for participants within Malaysia would be MYR 200 (with accomodation) & MYR 150 (without accommodation) respectively.

For further information, you guys can download the documents at your right hand side. Or, you can always contact us at gysum2010@gmail.com. If you want a personal touch in terms of assistance (I hope I did not put it wrong there :P) you can always email Miss Ain Atikah Ali at moltxx@yahoo.com or our dedicated Director at mattaquinas@gmail.com.

Looking forward to see you guys!

Signing off,

THE AQUINAS

Recent News: Environment.

2010-11-04T06:47:00.000-07:00

Turning GARBAGE into MONEY…

Few weeks ago, I became a volunteer for an environmental film event, namely Eco Film Fest 2010 in UM. The event was mainly about screening environmental films for the public for free in order to raise their awareness about the importance of conserving the environment. Well, other than helping out here and there, I actually managed to watch a few films. However, there’s this one film that gave me a large impact…GARBAGE DREAMS…

Do watch the trailer below to catch a glimpse of what the film is about…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b26dBL5tQPk&feature=related

Have you ever imagined that there are actually people in this world who rely on garbage to support their life???

Have you ever think about living in a garbage village???

Well, this is what happened to 60000 Zaballeen (Arabic for “garbage people”) that live in the world’s largest garbage village situated on the outskirts of Cairo. They survive by recycling 80% of the garbage they collect, creating what is arguably the world’s most efficient waste disposal system.

Do you know that garbage contributes to global warming??? Without recycling, garbage mixed with organic waste and green waste deposited at landfills can cause the emission of methane, contributing to global warming. A molecule of methane produces more than 20 times the warming of a molecule of carbon dioxide. When you consider its effects within a single decade, methane is 100 times as powerful as carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas!

So what are you waiting for??? All you have to do is to separate your household waste into organic waste and recyclable waste. Try to do composting with your organic waste and send your recyclable waste to recycling centre. Help reduce the amount of waste deposited in landfills. Together we can make the Earth a cooler planet… =)

~yeeyee~

GYS 2010: The PROMO SERIES

2010-10-30T23:16:00.000-07:00

Hey there guys!

Hope that everyone's fine =)

Newsflash: GYS 2010 is just around the corner!!

SO far we are receiving tons and heaps of encouraging response from our friends from all over the world. Do not miss out guys, take this opportunity to voice out and make your concerns heard! We are more than happy and honoured to have you guys over in Malaysia!

As this post title reads, we are currently going on a series of a promotional drive to publicise GYS 2010 - as one of the means to raise awareness on the global issues affecting our world today!

Guys, this is the montage concerning the issues relevant to this year's installation of the GYS. Please watch the montage, and we do hope that YOU can STAND UP, for the ones much less fortunate than us.

Signing off,
THE AQUINAS

Recent News: Poverty.

2010-10-19T01:57:00.000-07:00

Around the world, there are millions and millions people living without access even to the most basic necessities such as clean water, food and shelter. Poverty leads to the deprivation of many of the necessities that will affect a person’s quality of life. The picture below shows an example of how people are living in poverty.

http://www.wallpaper7.org/cele/cele6o.php?news=effects-of-poverty-in-the-philippines

Therefore, many actions are taken by various organizations and countries to eradicate poverty. I would like to pinpoint one of the goals stated in the Millenium Development Goals by UNICEF. The goal that I would like to highlight is the goal of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger which can be found here: http://www.unicef.org/mdg/poverty.html.

The article state that reducing poverty should and must begin with children. I would like to highlight a paragraph from the article.

“One than 1 billion children are severely deprived of at least one of the essential goods and services they require to survive, grow and develop. Some regions of the world have more dire situations than others, but even within one country there can be broad disparities – between city and rural children, for example, or between boys and girls. An influx or tourism in one area may improve a country’s poverty statistics overall, while the majority remains poor and disenfranchised.”

Poverty will deprive children from experiencing a good childhood which will greatly affect their livelihood and future. Poverty takes away their rights to basic education, food, shelter and healthcare that will hinder them from achieving their full potential.

In short, UNICEF has done a lot in its efforts to eradicate poverty according to the article. To solve the lack of health care that children receive, UNICEF purchases and distributes vaccines to children in developing countries. More schools are also being built to cater to them. However, more can still be done to eradicate poverty. There are still many people living in poverty and not all of them had received help in improving their conditions.

This is where youths can help out. We are the agents of change. We should reach out and lend a helping hand to those who are in need of help.

I will now end with a quote by the President of the United States, Barack Obama:

"...the United States is leading an effort to reach out to people around the world who are suffering, to provide them immediate assistance and to extend support for food security that will help them lift themselves out of poverty. All of us must join together in this effort, not just because it is right, but because by providing assistance to those countries most in need, we will provide new markets, we will drive the growth of the future that lifts all of us up..."

— President Barack Obama.

-Jia Yiing-

Recent news : Child Abuse.

2010-10-10T03:09:00.000-07:00

Something that really scares me.

Does humanity still exist in our society?
I ask myself repeatedly. As I flip through the newspaper ,cases of child abuse are all over the pages.
To my disbelief, the victims can be as young as three years old.
I ask again, ”These children are supposed to be our precious jewel aren’t they?”
So, why in the world they are being treated this way? No one really knows. Though most people will not believe that parents can abuse their own children, it is a problem that is faced by many young children irrespective to class, race, gender and country. This social defect leads abused child to grow up having personality disorder. Their future altogether turns to be a rough road.

What can be worst? Take a look at this article. [http://www.koat.com/r/24850075/detail.html ].It reads a child was found covered in dried feces. I was speechless when I come across with this article. I am sure all of us would be mad at this mother who did such an inhuman act to her own blood and flesh.

However, what is more important now is not to condemn the child’s parents. We should stop the blame game. I truly believe together we can make a difference in preventing child abuse. Please don’t let them be hurt. Keep them safe. Stop child abuse if you care.

~Angeline~

Latest Updates.

2010-09-06T22:21:00.000-07:00

Its been ages since we last updated the blog.
Sorry for the inconvenience but today, we would like to officially invite all of you to join the 2010 Global Youth Symposium.!

1. Welcome people!

Below is the informal invitation letter. (if there's any typo error, it is not my fault!)
Anyway, the formal version has been sent to respective universities / institutions.

Dear Sir/Madam,

We from the University of Malaya, Malaysia, are honoured to invite students from your university to be a part of this year's Global Youth Symposium which is to be held in the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur from the 16th to the 20th of December 2010.

The symposium is an annual conference designed to bring together youths (undergraduates) from around the globe with different ideological, religious and cultural background to openly and professionally discuss global issues pertaining to the world. It also aims to foster networks among participants especially at the international level.

This symposium is organized with the purpose of challenging youth to come together and to deal with issues faced by the world today in this era of globalisation, setting aside their differences and work towards a common goal. Recognition and acknowledgment of cultural identities, linguistic diversity and each others' social responsibilities will also be promoted.

Youth are the focus for the future and therefore we believe this event can accelerate 'youth empowerment' while at the same time discouraging 'youth apathy'.

It is hoped that in the long run, the resolution resulting from this event will assist the participants to prepare themselves in facing the
challenges ahead as potential world leaders. Through this symposium, it is hope that practical road maps and plans can be produced and implemented.

We hope to host participants from your university this year. I have attached a poster, the formal invitation letter, the participant entry forms and the participant proposal for your perusal. We hope to receive a response from you soon with regards to your interest in this event in order for us to make further arrangements. For your own convenience, please do visit us at our own blogspot www.gysmalaysia.blogspot.com as it is a place where you can get a preview on what we have so far.

Thank you for your kind attention. Hope to hear from you soon. We look forward to having students from your university at this year's conference.

Thanks again!

"Empowering Youth - Meeting Global Challenges"

Best Regards,
Ain Atikah Ali
Secretariat & External Affairs
+6012 - 2776710

done with reading?
next..

2. The Official Poster.!

take a look at it please.
: )

Click to enlarge!

3. Forms etc.!

Check out at the top-right of the widgets column.

There's a "Click Here!" section where it contains the GYS proposal, invitation letter, participant form, and also the reply form. Just click on the link.

If you need any assistance, fell free to ask any help from us.

That's all for now.

Cheers,
Admin.

Official Promo!!

2010-07-02T01:16:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! Sorry for being off the radar for a while. Like I said in the previous post, we are still in the phase of processing, updating the forms and documents and sending out invitations to your respective universities so that you guys can be a part of the GYS 2010! So, we hope that you guys could bear with us for a while =).

Anyway, here's the very first of our promotional post on the issues that we will feature on the GYS 2010. Our publicity team is currently working hard in filming commercials, designing posters and whatnot, for the sake of gaining exposure for the GYS 2010!

This is a simple video that will give you a brief an insight of the global issues that we are focusing on.

And this is the first promo poster for GYS 2010. There will be more to come, so just wait and see!

It's Around The Corner!

2010-06-21T02:53:00.000-07:00

Hi guys!
Haven't posted anything for a long time. Hope everyone's in the pink of health. There are a few announcement to make actually.

The official date for this year Global Youth Symposium is 16th - 20th of December 2010.
So be prepared guys. GYS is just around the corner!

Next, we are currently in the phase of processing and updating all the forms and documents.
That is why we can't give you guys much details about GYS 2010 at the meantime.
What we would to like to say is that please be patient for a while as we will post any changes or latest infos in this blog and also in our facebook page.

Sorry for the inconvenience and thanks for showing your interests towards GYS!

Cheers,
Admin.

the camp parte dos

2010-06-11T00:31:00.000-07:00

Wednesday.

It is the time to keep the ball rolling=)!

The publicity team, as usual, update the facebook group and blog. some of the team members finalized the design for the advertisements and name cards.
Mr. Director, went round and round checking every team just to make sure that all of us did our jobs. You guys seriously had no idea how we got panic everytime we saw him striding towards us!

Realizing that people were getting stressed from day to day, he suggested that all of us should go out for a movie on that day. Love it!

Zuraiha did the booking and at 9.00pm, we happily sat in the cinema, watching Shrek 3. Love it double!

U need energy before you watch Shrek. location: Pizza Hut, Mid Valley Megamall.

After the movie: everybody seems happy right? yup.. just wait untill tomorrow.. haha.

If you read Martha Stewart's Blog, she did mention that Malaysians eat every two hours. Being real Malaysians, we went off to Bangsar, to find a place where we can eat and chat. At 12am. -_-''

It's hard to keep in shape if you live in Malaysia. Just ask Zuraiha. I think she gained more than 5kg that night. haha.

Thursday.

Today is Orange Day! Back to reality, facing the same people and same place again, burying our faces in the sand dunes of tasks.

the Operation Room for GYS. Chuck(in white), the Head of Tours and Logistics looks kinda busy.

compare the above with this one....

caught them chit chatting! when we came closer, they acted like they we doing GYS stuff!

Friday.

Thank God its Friday! (not T.G.I. Friday's ok!) It was the last day for the GYS working camp! Everyone seems excited to finish their job for the week. So on the last day, Christine, our lovable ex-officio came to see our progress and gave us a healthy dose of motivation.

Talking about hyperactivity! I wonder where did she get all that energy?

is this a rocking camp?

Look at the eye bag. He needs a vitamin c injection!

As the working camp came to an end, we realised that we need to cultivate the spirit of togetherness and cooperation for the sake of making GYS 2010 a reality. Yes, the seas may not always be calm and the ship may not always sail smoothly, as we brave through the rough seas and tribulations ahead. Nevertheless, it came upon us that we should put our differences aside and work hand-in-hand to show that we, today's youth, are capable of making our efforts noticed and our voices heard with respect to the pressing issues in today's global community. To sum things up, we, the Organising Committee of GYS 2010 hold on to the positive hope that this spirit of togetherness and kinship will sustain among ourselves. Hopefully, this spirit of togetherness may emanate to the aspiring participants and everyone involved, in making our concerns and voices heard to show to rest of the world that we, the youth of today's generation, CARE.!!!!

Cheers,
Admin.

the camp parte uno

2010-06-05T05:02:00.000-07:00

It is semester break here in University of Malaya (UM).

Students get a chance to go home and rest in peace. Not literally “rest-in-peace” (read: DEAD). What I mean is that, they can go for a holiday, or even just stay at home and sleep happily.

As for myself, I had plans to go to Langkawi; a beautiful tropical + DUTY FREE island located at the northern peninsula of Malaysia. Everything seems to be well. That is UNTIL I got a message saying that we, the Global Youth Symposium Committee, will have to attend a 7 day working camp in UM! Sigh. There goes my holidays. I owe you one, Mr Director=(.

Anyway, as a “professional” committee member, my fellow friends and I had to sacrifice our precious time just for the sake of the GYS.

The camp starts from 23^rd of May 2010 until 29^th of June 2010. The first day was a team building camp. The purpose behind the working camp was to incorporate the spirit of togetherness and friendship within the committee members, so as to ensure that we are able to gel with each other towards making the Global Youth Symposium 2010 a successful reality.

Christine and Feli.

This is.. erm.. -__-"

"America's-Next-Top-Model-ish" kind of photo. Tyra Banks at the back. LOL! (ampun Feli!!)

Monday.

They say that Monday is the most hated day of the week. Well, that is not exactly the case for our GYS team, as we look forward to kick start our working camp with a smile on our faces and a leap in our steps=).

What we had for the working camp was, everyone in the committee had to dress according to the daily theme. To make things more exciting, Monday was Pink day (thanks to our Deputy Director I, Zuraiha), so everyone at least had to wear something pink. (not exactly “in-the-PINK-of-health”!)

The Publicity and Media team. luckily all were in the pink of health.

Basically, each bureau would have to do their respective tasks as per our tight schedule. For example, the Publicity and Media team are to edit the name cards, update the Facebook group and also the blog. The Food and Accommodation Bureau needed to find the suitable caterer for GYS and the Sponsorship Bureau were required to submit the proposals to companies.

Tuesday.

Day Two of the working camp.The Tour and Logistics team did some research on places of interest for GYS. I hope they choose Langkawi (crossing fingers). The Secretariat and External Affairs aka SEX (think positive!) prepared the rules of conduct for the participants .

Caught them gossiping about something.. When we entered the room, they pretended to do their job. haha.

We are not machines. Yup, as you could see, we dedicated our mind, body and soul towards GYS (ahh.. so cliche). We even spent our nightlife doing some stuff for GYS. But for that night, we held a surprise party for the Head of Food and Accommodation team, Jiha. Happy Birthday girl!

The victim, Jiha. You look old btw. haha.

La familia del GYS.

I think it is better for me to stop until Tuesday. I'll give you guys time to digest this post first, then I will present you guys the next post ok. adios amigos.!

Cheers,

Admin.

An Overview to GYS 2010 : Part 3.

2010-05-28T00:07:00.000-07:00

Environmental Protection & Sustainable Development

Imagine having to wear masks all the time because the air is too polluted.

Or what about having to wear protective outfits because the atmosphere is full of toxic.

Or even living in a surrounding full of rubbish with no trees or flowers in sight.

This issue has always been a hot one because of the importance of the environment to us humans.

Do you know that there has been a 35% increase in the global carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels since the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1992.(from Environmental Action Defence Fund)

Every 20 minutes the world adds another 3500 human lives but loses 1 or more entire species of animal or plant lives – at least 27 000 species per year.(from PBS)

These are all but a few of the statistics regarding to the deterioration of our environment. A new term – sustainable development – has been coined as a solution to this issue.

Basically, it means that development is being carried out to meet human needs without compromising the environment for the sake of our future generations.

Do you want your child to know how a lion looks like by showing them the picture book?

Do you want your grandchild to live indoors?

Let’s not let our future generation suffer from our inaction.

Stand up now and be counted.

Join us GYS and together we can make a difference.

Cheers, JY

An Overview to GYS 2010 : Part 2.

2010-05-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

Well, the second topic for GYS will be World Peace and Violence Against Children.

VIOLENCE...a word that may brings to your mind a gruesome scene of an angry person hitting an innocent individual.

Or it may give you an image of a woman crying helplessly after being raped by an unknown man.
What if it brings you to a scene where a little kid is sitting at the corner of a room sobbing quietly after being beaten and scolded by his drunk father???
Violence against children is an issue that has been discussed since a long time ago and continuous efforts have been done to help free these children from this kind of suffering. Various campaigns have been done globally but cases regarding violence against children still happen until today.

Do you know that violence and neglect against children is reported - on average of every 10 seconds?
Because of there are many cases of child violence and neglect that go unreported, it is estimated that the actual number of child victims is 3 times greater.
Even in the USA, children are more apt to die from violence and neglect than from accidents.
Child violence permanently disables 18,000 children and youth every year and seriously injures 565,000 children every year.

So, what we can do? Are we just going to close our eyes and keep our arms folded?

Definitely not!!! We should join hand in hand in the name of GYS to bring back colours to the life of these little ones...

~yeeyee~

An Overview to GYS 2010 : part 1.

2010-05-26T01:15:00.000-07:00

Hi guys,

Well, as mentioned in the previous post, Global Youth Symposium 2010 will place the limelight on 3 global issues.

The first one is…

Global Economy & Global Poverty

Imagine this…

While you are wondering what’s for dinner …

Pizza?

Fried chicken?

Something delicious?

….There are people out there who will have to sleep through the night with an empty stomach.

While you are complaining about having to go to school….

….There are people out there who can’t afford to go to school even if they really want to go to

This is an issue that has existed for a long time but sadly, these saddening facts still come exist..

* Almost half the world population live on less than $2.50 a day.

-They can’t even own a pair of proper shoes-

* About 25,000 people die every day of hunger or hunger-related causes, according to the United Nations.

* 640 million children worldwide live without adequate shelter

A huge gap exists between the wealthy and the poor.

A few hundred millionaires now own as much wealth as the world’s poorest 2.5 billion people.

In 2009, according to World Bank, the economic crisis is set to drive 53 million more people into POVERTY

The world map shows the population suffering from hunger, World Food Programme, 2006.

Poverty can lead to many other things such as hunger, illiteracy, diseases and death.

With the advance of technology, wealth, and skills available to us now, maybe we can now finally solve this problem.

So guys, let’s not WAIT.

Do something NOW

Join us now and make a difference to their lives.

Cheers, JY

A Blast Through the Past.

2010-05-25T23:51:00.000-07:00

Hello guys,
oh sorry, i forgot to post about something important.. what is GYS?

GLOBAL YOUTH SYMPOSIUM

[this is a copy-paste article with some modifications]

Global Youth Symposium (GYS) was originally a vision of a young, local undergraduate who was studying in University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This undergraduate went on to successfully lead the first installation of this project in 2007. This event embraces young people or youths as the focus for the future, thus aiming to accelerate ‘youth empowerment’, by providing a platform for a meeting of young minds around the globe. Its purpose is to challenge youths to come together and discuss issues faced by the world today in an open manner. We can only achieve this aim by setting aside all differences yet recognizing the cultural identity, linguistic diversity and social responsibility as unique in their own respect.

So basically, this is not a "save-the-cheerleader-save-the-world" kinda mission. This is where we, the youth, the future leader, express our thought in order to find the way to curb the issues.
And of course, you don't need to be a superhero (or a cheerleader). We just need you, yourself.

OBJECTIVES

[copy paste... again..]

1. To encourage the meeting of minds of the undergraduates to openly exchange and evaluate viewpoints related to global issues.

2. To promote global co-operation between the participants by celebrating a culture of openmindedness and intellectual discourse.

3. To enhance the level of understanding and respect of different cultures, values, beliefs and religions of the world among the participants.

4. To provide an opportunity for youth to cultivate soft skills be it communication, leadership, management, or networking.

Just to add on something..
Open your Google search engine and type "youth symposium".

See that? We are at the top 2 spot.! Oh ok, it is not like we are trying to brag or something, but we just wanted to show you guys that this symposium is one of the most well-known youth symposium in the world. In other words, this is the best platform for you guys to share your thoughts on how to curb the issues.

Who knows your little voice might change our future?

cheers,
Admin.

Get Busy

2010-05-25T01:41:00.000-07:00

After the very first meeting, several other meetings were held once a week. Its the only time that we had as all of us came from different faculties, which also means different time schedule.

Something caught Ahmed's (far right, our Deputy Director 2) attention. Whatever that was, it better be good =P

And if you guys realize (pictures do tell a thousand words, don't they?), our committee members are of a diverse racial and cultural background. For instance, Ahmed is a Somali. Zuraiha (Deputy Director 1) is a Malay, Mathew is a Bidayuh and Christine, the ex-officio, is a Chinese. This shows that despite of our differences, we have come together in order to achieve the aim of promoting student activism with respect to the pressing global issues in our world today. Even before the "global" thingy starts, we already have a "global" team here in UM. Well, sort of..~

Ain Atikah - Secretariat and External Affairs~

Having ice cream with a wonderful woman-what more can you ask for?

Glued to their seats.. because i told them that i will post their pics in the blog. -__-"

Anyways, that is all I can tell for now, as I have another meeting to attend. Meetings can be so demanding at times... (actually i did not attend a few meetings). sigh.

cheers,
Admin.

The Ride Has Begun

2010-05-24T18:35:00.000-07:00

As they said, everything has a beginning.
The Global Youth Symposium 2010 (GYS 2010) Committee found their humble beginning when the first meeting was held a few months ago at Bilik Mesyuarat Perdana 3, Kompleks Perdana Siswa, Universiti Malaya.

The previous committee members (GYS 2008) also attended the meeting and gave some advice to the newly appointed committee.

everyone's favourite, Christine =) - Ex oficio of GYS 2010~

Affendy and Felicita~ (gotta love the red phone=P)

On that very meeting, the current board of committee was appointed by the previous GYS 2008 committee. It was a joyful affair as the committee members, both previous and new, mingled with one another in kinship.

The new Director - Mathew~

the new committee~

Not many task were assigned on that week (that's a relief), so I guess that's all for now. : )

cheers,
Admin.

The Poster.

2010-05-23T19:43:00.000-07:00

Hello guys,
so this is the unofficial poster for this year Global Youth Symposium.
Currently we are having a working camp in University of Malaya.
If there's any changes, we will post it a.s.a.p.

cheers,
Admin.

GYS 2010.

2010-04-05T05:55:00.000-07:00

The 2010 Global Youth Symposium Committee.

Ex Officio
Christine Chai En Ning

Director
Mathew David

Deputy Director 1
Zuraiha Yusof

Deputy Director 2
Ahmed Abdulrahim

Secretary
Patricia Albert

Deputy Secretary
Nurul Natasha Abdullah Sani

Treasurer
Norhafizah Binti Abu Bakar

Deputy Treasurer
Shazliana Idris Shah

Asst Director for Food & Accommodation
Nur Husna Najihah Mohd Rosli

Asst Director for Programme & Protocol
Tan Hooi Ping

Asst Director for Publicity & Media
Muhammad Khairul Anwar Bin Mansor

Asst Director for Secretariat & External Affairs
Ain Atikah Ali

Asst Director for Sponsorships
Nor Marlisa Binti Noorhalidi

Asst Director for Tours & Logistics
Ng Chuck Chuan

For further details, you can either e-mail us at:
gysum@gmail.com

or to the GYS2010 director:
mattaquinas@gmail.com

or send us a snail-mail at:
GYS Secretariat, Aras 1, Blok D, Kompleks Perdanasiswa, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Passing the Torch

2008-11-01T01:37:00.001-07:00

Dear all,

A couple of weeks ago, GYS had their 3rd AGM and the new board has been formed. I am personally very happy to pass on the torch to Chuah Sim Mei, the new director of GYS 09.
I know that she'll do a good job leading the team.
She has the same surname as Choi Kian You(Dir 07) and me..ahaha..the chai legacy rules!

It s been a really good experience leading such a big project, one that i ll never forget. Here, i d like to thank everyone, especially to my Deputy I, Firdaus Husni for being my rock. She s now the Ex-Officio for GYS 09 and i m glad she ll be there to overlook the whole project.

Although I m no longer the director, GYS will always be close to my heart. It s a growing baby and I d like to see it grow steadily and maturedly as time goes by.

To the OC of GYS 09, all the best to u! Make me proud yeah! will see u guys soon!

From the Old hag of 08,
Christine Chai
wow..now i can say this...
EX-DIRECTOR

SELAMAT HARI RAYA!

2008-09-30T08:34:00.000-07:00

To all GYS Muslim Friends,

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI!

Greetings,
Chris & gang
:)

THE DECLARATIONS ARE HERE!

2008-09-13T00:35:00.000-07:00

DECLARATIONS I ,II, AND III ARE FINALLY HERE!

SORRY FOR THE DELAY.

BUT, PLEASE, DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE DECLARATIONS.
DON'T THROW ALL YOUR EFFORTS AWAY.
YOU CAME TO THE SYMPOSIUM WITH AN OBJECTIVE : TO TRY MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.
SO, FULFILL YOUR OBJECTIVE NOW.
TRY MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

KEEP IN TOUCH!

REGARDS,
THE GYS GANG BACK HERE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA

WE MISS U GUYS TERRIBLY!

Pictures taken during the closing dinner

2008-08-30T11:17:00.000-07:00

slide show

2008-08-25T22:31:00.001-07:00

Christine's Funky faces!

2008-08-25T07:45:00.001-07:00

Rumah Hope Multimedia presentation

2008-08-25T06:19:00.001-07:00

closing dinner multimedia presentation

2008-08-25T05:34:00.001-07:00

TERIMA KASIH! (thank you in bahasa malaysia)

2008-08-25T04:03:00.000-07:00

It's been a wonderful journey. No amount of thank you s can i ever say to everyone who were involved in Global Youth Symposium 2008; committee members, participants, panelists, sponsors and our advisers. Although the OC went through lots throughout the 5 months of preparation, we are indeed still in a daze that GYS 08 has ended this quickly.

As we were cleaning up the secretariat and shifting things back to the old one on Sunday(24.08.08), we started recalling those dark days when we almost wanted to give up on things and we were amazed that we pulled it through. We were overjoyed when participants told us that we did a good job but we cannot thank the participants more for having so much faith in us. It was definitely a booster to call for an AGM to put together the new Board of Director of GYS 09 soon.

Just barely a month to the symposium, I almost gave up. Things were not looking good and there were people out there who told us that we will not be able to do it. Being silly, my feelings and thoughts were influenced by them. I wanted to give up. I was exhausted, juggling between work and GYS, I needed a rest, and walking away seemed to be the only way possible. It took me 2 days to realise that I cannot possibly walk away and leave the planning hanging in there. One night, when I was driving alone and was deep in thoughts, suddenly, faces of my committee members started flashing across my mind. They have worked so hard and some were very excited about the symposium. I could not possibly cancel it and leave the project.I could not possibly disappoint them. I had a talk with my advisor, Yung Tat and he gave me lots of support. Not to forget, Choi, director of GYS 07, who was also there to lend me a hand. Hence, I owe all my committee members, especially the Central Committee, a BIG one, for being my rock to continue on the journey till the very end.

To all participants, each one of u made our day! We were anticipating your presence to be with us right from the very beginning. I hope that all of you benefited in one way or another from this project and no worries, the contact list, and the declaration will be up soon. We should all keep in touch via facebook and I hope you can help us spread news about GYS! Be here next year! I personally have made quite a number of good friends within that 5 day agenda! and i think that facebook is one of the ways for us to keep our friendship. It was definitely a relief to hear that almost everyone had a good time here with us. We, the OC, though tired, we had a great time too!

Dear friends of GYS o8, could you also please fill up an evaluation form which will be sending to you soon? Do us this favour please as we need your feedback to show our Vice-Chancellor because we want to 'fight' for the independence of GYS from the students' council of UM. So, please do help us. Thanks! ;) TWO CLAPS FOR EVERYONE ;)

On behalf of the GYS 08 OC, I would also like to take this opportunity to apologize for any wrongdoings throughout the symposium. Thousand apologies!

Dont wanna be a grandma, so here once more, THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Am missing all of you very much already:)

cheers,
Christine Chai
Director
GLOBAL YOUTH SYMPOSIUM 2008

Read up before coming!

2008-07-17T17:19:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

Here are some useful links for you to read up on our topics before coming. Just do a little bit of research and reading before GYS starts so that you'll be able to contribute more in discussions.

For the environment:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/asia/0,9263,501080428,00.html
http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/environment/global-warming/gw-overview.html

For economics:
http://www.weforum.org/en/media/Latest%20Press%20Releases/PR_Davos_Gates
http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/Facts.asp

For the media:
http://www.medialaw.org/bloggerlawsuits
http://reid-on.com/archives/000020.htm

For general information about countries around the globe, try this link:

http://www.theodora.com/wfb/abc_world_fact_book.html

An example of what we hope to achieve through discussions:
http://www.earthcharter.org/

May this be a starting point for a well-needed change for our world!

Yours,
Grace

A change in Panellists!

2008-07-03T18:31:00.000-07:00

Dear All,

Prof Lim Chong Yah is not able to come for the symposium due to unforseen circumstances. Do not worry though for we have another respected, renowned and wise panellist, Prof Tan Khee Giap from NTU, Singapore.

Dr Tan has extensively advised and guided multinational corporations leading to public listings in the Singapore Exchange, especially for those companies from Mainland China and Taiwan. He is also currently a Lead-Independent Director of the publicly listed Hi-P International and Chung Hong International, and will be on board in 2008 as an Independent Director for Artivision Technologies.

He has also served as a consultant to multinational corporations including Las Vegas Sands and Kerzner International for their bidding of integrated resorts at Marina Bay and Sentosa Singapore. He further contributed to policy formulations and participated in activities by international agencies such as the Asian Development Bank, Asian Development Bank Institute, United Nations Industrial Development Group, World Gold Council, ASEAN Secretariat, Central Policy Unit, Hong Kong Special Administrative Zone, China.

Dr Tan has consulted extensively with the various government ministries, statutory boards and government linked companies of Singapore government including Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Trade & Industry, Ministry of Manpower, Housing & Development Board, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Singapore Tourism Board, Trade Development Board, Ministry National Development, Maritime Port Authority, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, Singapore Design Council, Media Development Authority, Singapore Press Holdings, Yayasan Mendaki, StarHub and Capital Land on policies concerning financial, fiscal, trade, tourism, public housing, labor, telecommunication, tourism, creative industries, media, urbanization, airport and seaport activities.

Upon graduating with a PhD from University of East Anglia, England, UK in 1987, he joined the banking sector as a treasury manager and served as secretary to the Assets and Liabilities Committee for three years, there after he taught at the National University of Singapore. Dr Tan’s has published in international refereed journals including Applied Economics, Asian Economic Papers, Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies, Competitiveness Review in the area of capital flows, economic forecasting, financial sector liberalization and macroeconomic competitiveness. His current research interests include econometric forecasting, financial reforms and liberalization of ASEAN 10 + 5 Economies, and competitiveness analysis on 31 provinces in China, 35 states in India and ASEAN-10 economies.

He is currently an adjunct senior fellow of the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and Institute of South East Asia Studies (ISEAS), Singapore, the coordinator for PECC Singapore Structural Specialists Meeting, PECC Finance Forum and Deputy President of the Singapore Economic Society, 2004. He served in the 2002 Economic Review Committee (ERC) and as Chairman of the Task Force on Portable Medical Benefits (PMB), served as the Deputy Chairman of the IPS Forum for Economic Restructuring (IFER) in 2003 and served as a member of the Resource Panel of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport and Government Parliamentary Committee for Finance and Trade since 2007.

NEWEST SPEAKER LINE UP

2008-06-25T00:39:00.000-07:00

Here is the MOST updated list of panellists for GYS 2008

Re-branding Capitalism

1. Professor Jomo Kwame Sundaram
Assistant secretary general for economic development in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the UN

2. Professor Lim Chong Yah
Professor of Economics and Director of Economic Growth Centre of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

3. Tan Sri Dato Azman bin Hj Mokhtar (suggested)
Managing Director of Khazanah Nasional, Malaysia

Environmental Responsibilities vs. National Development

1. Assc Prof Dr. Alastair S Gunn
Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy
University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

2. Prof. Dr. Khairulmaini Osman Salleh
Lecturer in the Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in the University of Malaya

3. Professor Dr Mahani Zainal Abidin
Director General of Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS), Malaysia

Media and its Evolving Role

1. Ms. Sabina Inderjit
Executive Committee Member of the International Federation of Journalists Asia-Pacific

2. Mr. Edmund Bon
Bar Council Human Rights Committee Chairperson

3. Mr. Johan Farid
Head of Regional Youth Projects of Youth Dynamics, ASTRO

To all particpants and participants-to-be

2008-06-19T23:23:00.000-07:00

In order to prepare yourself for the symposium, we encourage you to read up on the three topics. Of course, you can focus only on the one you like but because you will be attending all three forums for the sub-topics, it is good to have some knowledge about it.

visit this website http://www.earthcharter.org/ and have a look around. Such a working plan is what we hope that you, as the future of this world, would be able to frame.

All the best no matter what you're doing!

Looking forward to seeing you in August!

Yours truly,

Grace Lim,
Head of Programme and Protocol.

p/s i will be putting the list of panellists up soon.

Just wanted to say Hi!

2008-06-19T15:54:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

It has been a long trip for the committee of GYS 08 and today, the 20th JUNE 2008, will mark another historical moment for us in our path with GYS. What is important today is that it will be the closing date for participants' registration. However, we will still receive participation forms after this, and will try to fit in as many participants as possible. So, if you are interested to join us, do email/sms/call us beforehand to check with us, how long an extension will be given to you.

I would like to personally thank all participants-to-be of this symposium for taking the time out to complete all the forms and corresponding with us through emails, smses and telephone conversations. It was our pleasure to answer all questions and we hope that we have helped you much. We will be getting back to you soon once we sort out some admin work. Do wait for our replies!

This past week has been all good for the committee as we have received good news from international panelists! Our Asst. Director for the Bureau of Programme and Protocol, Grace Lim, will update as soon as all the other admin works are done. She will soon put up a blog post to share with everyone a little about our confirmed panelist. So, do check the blog from time to time for the latest update about the symposium.

If there are still questions which you will need to ask regarding the symposium, feel free to email, sms or call me. I would gladly help:)

Working for a better tomorrow!

Cheers to GYS '08,
Christine Chai
Director
Global Youth Symposium 2008
The University of Malaya
Malaysia
gysum2008@gmail.com
+6012 - 636 1502

An Undate on Panellists

2008-06-04T18:39:00.000-07:00

Great news,

We have received confirmation that Professor Lim Chong Yah has agreed to be a panellist.

Professor Lim Chong Yah is an Emeritus Professor of Economics based in the National University of Singapore. He holds the Albert Winsemius Chair Professor of Economics and is the Director of the Economic Growth Centre in Nanyang Technological University.

For more information on Professor Lim's numerous contributions and publications, do visit
http://www.hssapps.ntu.edu.sg/faculty/econ.asp?u=ACYLIM

In A Nutshell

2008-06-01T21:26:00.000-07:00

I love putting things in a nutshell.
It makes life less complex. less complicated
Simplicity is elegance, they say. Elegance = Refined, Finest, Beautiful.

Enough with MY philosophies, moving on to the nutshell . . . .

3 topics to deal with . . .

-Rebranding Capitalism
-Environmental Responsibilities vs. National Development
-Alternative Media & Its Evolving Role

All three issues are well phrased and straight to the point.

Why? We are facing these issues in the present day.
Why now? Simply because we are experiencing the product of this phenomenon we label as 'globalization'
Why bother? Like it or not, these are the realities YOUTHS have to deal with for the sake of the SUSTAINABILITY of HUMANITY.

Allow me to stuff more into the nutshell. . . .

2 of the said issues (Rebranding Capitalism & Environ. Responsibilities v. National Dev) must be discussed under the huge umbrella of economics. In discussing Alternative Media & Its Evolving Role, the social, political and legal implications must be dwelt into.

On capitalism, the question is whether it is still relevant in this globalized stage?
Some suggest that 'pure' capitalism no longer exist as the capitalism exist in the present is built on the fundamentals of a hybrid of economic system. The collision between globalization and capitalism leads to a new branding of capitalism.

On Environmental Responsibilities vs National Development, there must be a balanced equation between awareness on environmental sustainability and awareness of the needs and reality of development.
As for now, the equation is far from balance. My authority by saying so?
GLOBAL WARMING, FOOD INSECURITY, LAND DEGRADATION, POLLUTION.

Alternative Media & Its Evolving Role is another interesting topic.
However, I shall put it in another nutshell for another day.

TAMAN PERTANIAN MALAYSIA

2008-05-19T05:56:00.001-07:00

Discussion Board

2008-05-15T20:37:00.000-07:00

GYS : AN OVERVIEW

Global Youth Symposium (GYS) is an international conference aimed at making a difference. First held in 2007, GYS deals with vital and pressing issues that affect the entire globe. Participants will produce roadmaps and strategies through intellectual and open discussions which are, most of all, practical and workable. It is no ordinary undergraduate conference that ends when participants leave because its impact is far-reaching and long-lasting as the resulting GYS Declaration will be sent to ruling governments, NGO’s and international agencies as we believe that youth have a right to speak up and the ability to provide fresh perspectives to the various problems which plague the global community.

Last year, GYS 2007 was organised by the Undergraduates’ Representative Council of the University of Malaya. This year, the University of Malaya’s Undergraduates Representatives’ Council is the organiser once again but GYS is breaking new ground because we are collaborating with UNESCO Club (UM) to make this event an even bigger success. We have set our sights higher, aiming for increased international participation and intensive dialogues. As the GYS Organising Committee president, Christine Chai says, “We not only aim to lift UM in the eyes of the world but to also create awareness among undergraduates of their roles as global citizens.”

In line with this year’s theme of Globalization, Global Youth Symposium 2008 will focus on three subtopics, namely:

Re-branding Capitalism
Environmental Responsibilities vs National Development
Media and its Evolving Role

As many as 150 well-versed and knowledgeable undergraduates from all around the world are expected to participate in this symposium and to be part of the GYS family. For six days, participants will be exposed to forums, discussions and cultural experiences which will broaden their minds and expand their horizons. Panellists of high calibre, knowledge and insight such as Professor Michael Northcott will be invited to share their opinions and expertise which will benefit the participants and guide them in their discussions.

ISSUES TO TACKLE

Re-branding Capitalism

Capitalism had triumphed in the socio-economic systems battle of the 20^th century and is now practiced practically worldwide. Global capitalism has increased the standard of living of many. Millions of jobs have been created, goods are abundant and food aplenty – up till now. This laissez-faire economy has caused a dramatic increase in inequality between the rich and the poor not just amongst countries but also within a country itself.

It is becoming increasingly clear that the lack of certain values is threatening the global economy as well as the welfare of mankind. There is a dire need for a virtuous, moral or ethical dimension in global capitalism which hitherto were sorely lacking because the very notion is foreign and deemed unacceptable in the doctrine of the primacy of the market. Bill Gates, perhaps the most successful capitalist in the world has pushed for creative capitalism which he described as: “a hybrid engine of self-interest and concern for others”. However, would this ‘hybrid’ still be true to capitalism? We face a minimum of two alternatives: firstly, to modify capitalism and its practices and secondly, to search for an alternative way for the global economy to function. Where will globalization take us?

Environmental Responsibilities vs National Development

For the past decade, the global community at large has begun to feel the impact of global warming especially on food production, health issues, poverty, natural disasters and so on. Accordingly, nations have come together at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to sign the Kyoto Protocol and most recently, APEC members concluded the Sydney Declaration, which attracted sceptics who question its implementation and effectiveness.

There are those who are concerned with the risks of future human-caused climate change while there are those who seek to avoid the risks posed towards economic development and growth. A balance has to be decided upon and adhered to if the earth is to have any hope for the future. However, not all nations are prepared to fully commit to this cause. Furthermore, there is no guideline to ensure each country suffers loss equitably. Aside from formulating protocols and agreements, perhaps it is timely for other alternatives to be identified to tackle this problem.

Media and its Evolving Role

The role of media is to disseminate objective information to the general public. However, the media is unable to carry out its full responsibility due to restrictions imposed upon mainstream media as well as the pursuit of self-interest. In response to this, the global community has both created and changed the role of alternative media to fill in the void. It has now become an effective ‘check-and-balance’ tool against mainstream media and an accelerator towards greater freedom of speech. However, not all mainstream media are mouthpieces of governments and neither are all alternative media responsible or independent. The emergence of blogging, for example, has brought a range of legal liabilities and unforeseen consequences: releasing proprietary or confidential information leading to political danger, defamation and loss of employment. Therefore there must be a balance between freedom of expression and responsible journalism which will lead to the question of how far does the freedom of speech hold and if laws should be put in place to curb abuse.

Note from the Director of GYS '08

2008-04-10T22:23:00.000-07:00

This symposium is organized with the purpose of challenging youth to come together and to deal with issues faced by the world today in this era of globalisation, setting aside their differences and work towards a common goal. Recognition and acknowledgement of cultural identities, linguistic diversity and each others’ social responsibilities will also be promoted.

Youth are the focus for the future and therefore we believe this event can accelerate ‘youth empowerment’ while at the same time discouraging ‘youth apathy’.

It is hoped that in the long run, the resolution resulting from this event will assist the participants to prepare themselves in facing the challenges ahead as potential world leaders. Through this symposium, it is hope that practical road maps and plans can be produced and implemented.

On that note, do not miss out this worthwhile opportunity to be part of the global youth community!