This is the 2nd part of the Youth Engagement Summit 2009 sharing.
Biz Stone - co-Founder of Twitter
a) Twitter is a 10 years in the making, and not something that happened over night.
b) It is meant to be an agent of change and solve problems. Would look at Twitter as a social innovation/social responsibility.
c) Happy mistakes are the best kind. Twitter is a happy mistake.
d) Opportunities can be manufactured. Don't wait for opportunities. Initiate it. Create the opportunities.
e) Creativity is a renewable source. Biz is a artist first, and then only techie. He started with graphic design, before moved to web design (when he started Xanga).
f) Entrepreneurship means becoming mortal. In order to have dramatic success, need to have dramatic failure. Learn it the hard way.
g) Social alchemy is taking place. From blogging to social networking and now twittering. Started blogging on catcha and write about blogging itself, and was invited to write a book.
h) From a simple tweet "I am having a cup of coffee at Logan airport." People meet up and start a conversation and meet up with new people.
i) The open exchange of information has a positive global impact. For Twitter, all the info are public info and anyone can search, and it makes people more informed and more engaged. Hence, positive global impact.
j) Really love and use the tool that you build. Build it for ownself, and you will find it useful. Build a prototype over weekend and try it out.
k) Some says that Twitter is fun but it is not useful. In essence, build something that fun and thrilling and then would only think about business aspect.
l) Is Twitter just a rudimentary social networking or something more? In Texas, food operators tweet about the location they would be at, and can move large group of people around.
m) Tiny bits of information can have a profound impact. People help one another for instance during earthquake, when quick update on Twitter helps.
n) Twitter is about the triumph of humanity and not the triumph of technology. Twitter is what people do with the service, and not what it is meant to do.
o) A rich and diverse ecosystem has emerged. Twitter provides open source for its API. Allow people to create applications. Many companies are created to build applications or Twitter-related products.
p) The potential for impact increases with a focus on mobile. Hence, Twitter is created with 140 characters (as the total limit for mobile is 160 characters). There are 1.5 billion web users, but 4 billion mobile users. Twitter offer SMS access to users in many places, with no additional cost.
q) Giving back is in Twitter DNA. TweetOut was organized in 200 cities in the world, to raise quarter million on a Thursday evening.
r) There is special pinot noir for Twitter, and the profits are used to help to build library.
s) Indirectly, Twitter helps in literacy. If you can't read, you can't tweet.
t) Twitter allow companies to spend as much money as they want, as long as they get more back.
u) To start-ups, bootstrap first and show early sign of growth.
More to come soon. Stay tuned.
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Sunday, November 29, 2009
Youth Engagement Summit 2009 - Part 2
Youth Engagement Summit 2009 - Part 1
Congratulations to Khailee and team for successfully organized Youth Engagement Summit 2009 (YES 2009) at Putrajaya International Convention Center on 16th and 17th November 2009.
A few things that really stand out in the Youth Engagement Summit:-
a) The quality of the speakers
b) The spirit of the youth across South East Asia
c) The volunteers (especially those youth)
I was lucky to be able to be there to listen to those speakers and also to meet up with 20 of our JobStreet.com job seekers, who came from Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand through the partnership with SEAChange. JobStreet.com is the Official Job Board of SEAChange and official partner of YES2009.
This post is going to be long and I will share a few points that I learn from each of the speaker.
--> Lorraine Hahn (Host)
a) Youth are now effecting and embracing the changes around. They are daring to spark a change, and many youths are already a leader today.
--> Datuk Johan Jaafar (Advisor of YES2009)
a) If youth do not speak up, the voices would never be heard and get lost in the noises.
b) There are 200 Million youths in the South East Asia region, and it is time to empower the youth. Share views or ideas around.
--> Harmandar Singh (Organizing Chairman)
a) This event is organized due to inspired by change. Hope to create new generation of leaders. If we try, we may succeed, and hence embark on this summit.
b) It is great to see 600,000 youth from South East Asia step forward and get heard.
c) This was planned 4 months ago, with the dream of getting Barack Obama to be here to address the audience. Met up with US State Department for 3 times.
d) Lets not give up on hope. Provide hope to shine and hopefully it would sparkle and the youth would be fearless leaders.
e) Get together to create miracles beyond the mission.
f) Have fun, share your experience/knowledge and learn. Hopefully the youth would go home a little wiser.
g) The duty of the organizer is not to fail the hope of the youth.
--> Khailee (Youth Asia and SEAChange)
a) Total world population - 6.7 Billion. Of which, 200 Million live in South East Asia, age between 15 and 35 and ready to bring the change in their career, education, family etc. Hence, there is this movement South East Asia Youth For Change (SEAChange).
b) The Vietnamese saw war destroyed their nation, yet the youths meet up to speak in English and this network of meet-ups spread across the nation and it is small step to make Vietnamese more accessible to the world. (Note: Speaking English Meet-ups (Malaysia) Facebook Page was just created to encourage Malaysians to practice English Language.)
c) The Indonesian youths bring together to protect the rights of the children and have their voice heard by the government. They advice and help the government to understand more about the younger generation of Indonesians.
d) The Malaysian youths get together and make a difference.
e) In total, 105,552 stories were told from various groups in South East Asia.
f) For the youth, when we don't know something, we google; when we want to spread the news around, we tweet; when we want to connect with others, we facebook. The power is now in the hands of the youth.
g) The world has passed judgment on the youth, saying that the youth are apathetic. Employers have no faith on the youth. Many businesses pay millions to buy artificial relationship with the youth.
h) SEAChange has brought together 120 organizations to make the change for South East Asia youths. Millions of words and thousands of videos were shared. It is a network of believers.
i) SEAChange Facebook group has more than 41,000 youths.
j) We have come too far to not go all the way. We should groom the talents and champion the needs of the youth. Youth should start to believe in ourselves and there is no excuse for us to go all the way. We have come too far to not go all the way.
This is the part 1 of my blogging on Youth Engagement Summit. More to come on the sharings by all the speakers.
Hopefully that this would be able to enable those of you who were not able to be there to learn a bit about what happened there.
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Monday, September 14, 2009
Asian Youth Ambassador (AYA) Dream Malaysia Awards 2009
Asian Youth Ambassador (AYA) Dream Malaysia Awards 2009. This is the 5th Annual AYA Awards.
I would first like to recognize my sincere thanks to an anonymous Malaysian who nominated me for this award. Really appreciate what you have done, although until now, I do not know who is the person who does this.
Would like to dedicate this awards to all of you who have supported many of the initiatives that I have involved over these years, and to many of you who have offered me guidance, support, listening ears, advice etc, through the ups and downs of my life.
I would like to congratulation AYA for doing this award, and I would like to congratulate all the other finalists as well. They are all very deserving winners, and the world is a much better place, thanks to many sacrifice and efforts that they have put in. To all the nominees, Congratulations for making a difference in the lives of others too!
There are 2 categories of AYA Awards.
a) Most Outstanding Youth
b) Youth Friendly Companies
For Most Outstanding Youth 2009, there are 4 finalists.
1. Edana Lim Parina, 35
"Her dream Malaysia is to see a united Malaysia that respects every race as they are and one that fully acknowledges different strengths in each culture. Edana seeks to play her role in that by hiring all races into her company and do the most with what she has and be the best she can be as a woman. Edana believes in second chances even as she received hers and thus, exercises that motto with her current staff."
2. Ellynita Hazlina Lamin, 33
"Her dream Malaysia is for people to not just be tolerant towards one another but to understand and accept each other beyond race and gender. She aspires to see the lives that she touches in some way — no matter big or small — begin to impact the lives of others. Ultimately, she seeks to create an awareness of the need in Acheh and be able to share that with anyone who is interested to listen or contribute in some way."
3. Jecyrina Nagarajah, 27
"Her dream Malaysia is to see homeless people or beggars have a purposeful meaning to life. She believes that they CAN come out from the circle of poverty and be an active contributor of society. She hopes to see that our society won’t just give them a ‘fish’ but will teach them ‘how to fish’. She is motivated by seeing lives changed for the better and knowing that she made the right choice in doing what she’s doing now."
4. Yeoh Chen Chow, 28
"His dream Malaysia is to see more youth empowerment. He believes that the youth of today has the ability and passion to make a different and improved Malaysia. Chen Chow is currently involved in a few non-profit projects to inspire more young people to dream bigger. He believes in the culture of sharing information and believes in giving back to others to pursue their education."
There are 2 ways of voting.
a) Online - Click Here
b) SMS - "AYA Y 1" (For Edana)/ "AYA Y 2" (For Ellynita)/ "AYA Y 3" (For Jecyrina)/ "AYA Y 4" (For Chen Chow), and send to 36828. There is a charge of RM0.80 per SMS. This SMS is powered and sponsored by Trio Mobile Sdn. Bhd.
In addition to Most Outstanding Youth 2009 Awards, there is also Youth Friendly Company 2009 Awards, and there are 3 deserving finalists.
1. AFS
"AFS is an international, voluntary, non-governmental, non-profit organisation that provides intercultural learning opportunities to help people develop the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to create a more just and peaceful world. Working with secondary school students, AFS activities are based on our core values of dignity, respect for differences, harmony, sensitivity and tolerance. It is not designed as a tourist program, rather it allows students to immerse themselves in a culture and country unlike their own."
2. Leaderonomics
"A social enterprise niched in the field of leadership, Leaderonomics offers a full range of solutions and services for organisations, and individuals of all ages. Its vision is to seek to grow people into leaders, build affectionate communities, and transform human societies. In training corporations and youths, Leaderonomics seeks to play an active role in helping the world’s leaders — of all ages, classes and ethnicities — to adapt and meet dramatic changes in our natural and synthetic environments and to help them grow and develop as leaders. The income generated from these activities is channeled into projects and services that enhances leadership development in underprivileged communities."
3. Theatre for Young People
"Under the auspices of The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac), the T4YP young people’s theatre programme provides a platform for young people between the ages of 16 to 25 the opportunity to express themselves by creating meaningful theatre. Essential to T4YP is the idea of building a close-knit community of young theatre practitioners who feel safe to explore and experiment within the boundaries of an established ensemble."
There are 2 ways of voting too.
a) Online - Click Here
b) SMS - "AYA CO 1" (For AFS)/ "AYA CO 2" (For Leaderonomics)/ "AYA CO 3" (For Theatre for Young People) and send to 36828. There is a charge of RM0.80 per SMS. This SMS is powered and sponsored by Trio Mobile Sdn. Bhd.
Hope that all of you would exercise your votes to vote for the deserving finalists.
The voting would end at 1pm on 2nd November 2009.
The awards ceremony would be on 8th November 2009 at KLPAC.
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Sunday, September 13, 2009
"One Young World" Summit
Calling those who are born between 1984 and 1986 and have a passion to make a change in the world.
Hopefully that more young leaders, especially Malaysians would stand forward to nominate themselves and lets look for the most suitable Malaysians to represent our country!
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What is One Young World?
- A global initiative to bring together 1500 young leaders from 192 countries
- A gathering of the brightest and best of the next generation
- Gives young people a place to engage and have their voices heard about their future
- Supported by Kofi Annan, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Bob Geldof among others as counsellors
- 1500 leaders of tomorrow born since 1984 inclusive will be elected by their peers using BraveNewTalent.com's platform
- World first event with 2 delegates from every country in the world and the remaining delegates in line with the spread of the world's population.
- First time in world history that countries such as China and India have their population fully represented at any global event.
The One Young World delegates will address six key issues at the Summit in 2010:
- Developing Political Leadership for a positive future
- Global Business and its role in shaping society through the economy
- Inter-faith dialogue
- The Environment and its protection
- The Media, its changing identity and its power
- Global Health, its polarities and impact
When is it happening?
- The Inaugural Summit will be held from 8-10 February 2010 in London - the Opening Ceremony will be held at Old Billingsgate and the Plenary Sessions will be held at the Excel Centre, which recently hosted the G20 Summit. The Opening Ceremony will be hosted by Mayor Boris Johnson with an address by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
How do I become a delegate?
Very simple: click on the stand as a candidate button, follow the instructions, and once your profile is complete, publicise the site to as many people as possible in your network and get them to vote for you. After voting your supports are also invited to pledge their financial support for you should the wish. The more votes you gather the more likely you are to be able to attend.
Delegate Criteria
To be a delegate you should be happy to demonstrate the following:
- be born since January 1 1984
- show leadership potential
- an understanding of today's environment and the challenges it brings
- a passion and commitment to make a difference to a future generation
- willingness to represent your country and the views of your generation in your country
- an interest in the global issues to be debated at the Summit
- a proven record of volunteering or extra-curricular activities
- You should be actively engaged in one or more of the following sectors: business, voluntary/charity, education, media, political, healthcare, environmental, religious, agricultural, technology.
To sign up, go to One Young World.
Endorsement Videos from:-
1. Kofi Annan
2. Archbishop Desmond Tutu
3. Sir Bob Geldof
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
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Youth Engagement Summit 2009
1. Ben Saunders - Record-breaking long-distance skier, with four North Pole expeditions under his belt. He is the youngest to ski solo to the North Pole.
2. Steve Wozniak - co-Founder of Apple
3. Neil Armstrong - Aviator and a former astronaut, test pilot, university professor, and United States Naval Aviator. He was the first person to set foot on the Moon.
4. Sahar Hashemi - Founder of Coffee Republic and Skinny Candy. One of the top motivational speakers plus author to her best selling book "Anyone Can Do it".
So, what are you thinking? Do join Youth Engagement Summit 2009!
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
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Encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I will be more than happy to post it to share
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Leaderonomics Entrepreneur Academy & Youth Entrepreneur Malaysia 5-Day Accelerated Workshop
Got this from Aidan Chew.
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Leaderonomics Entrepreneur Academy (LEA) & Youth Entrepreneur Malaysia (YEM)
would like to invite you to our 5 day-Accelerated Workshop we will be conducting on August 5th - 9th.
Learn Winning Strategies
- How to start your business with little or no money.
- How to leverage on other-people's money (OPM).
- Spend days with leaders from top multinationals(MNC's), successful entrepreneurs & Fortune 500 companies.
For extra info about this exciting event, visit here .
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog
Encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I will be more than happy to post it to share
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
Saturday, June 27, 2009
SendBobToBerkeley.com !
Thanks to Jehan from NST, Bobby's website is highlighted in NST today! Hope to see more Malaysians supporting him!
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BEING rejected for a scholarship by Khazanah Nasional did not deter a Malaysian student from trying to achieve his dreams through other means.
The idea of using the Internet to raise funds for furthering studies is not new, admits the 20-year-old creator who wants to be known as Bobby.
In 2005, then student Alex Tew, from the United Kingdom set up the Million Dollar Website to fund his university studies. The overwhelming success of the site spawned copycat sites using the same concept to earn money.
With the economic recession, many students are now also seeking micro loans and sponsorships from corporations and from alumni of their institutions online.
It provides online advertising in the form of virtual real estate.
Advertisers can “own” an office block, customise it to their liking and have the images of these structures linked back to their own websites.
“People I’ve spoken to and who have sent me emails say trying to raise the money I need in the short time I have is a crazy but interesting idea,” he says.
His parents are willing to support his first year at University of California, Berkeley, United States where he has been accepted to do Economics but the remaining cost of pursuing his four-year degree — which is nearly US$150,000 (RM525,000) — would have to come from him.
The university, being a public institution, will not provide financial aid to a foreign student like Bobby.
He hopes to raise the money by July 23, a month after setting up the site, which would give him some time to settle things before leaving for the US.
In the first 24 hours of it being online, the site had attracted about 1,000 visitors from Malaysia, Singapore, the US and other countries.
Though there may be those thinking that his website is a way of seeking charity to pursue his studies overseas, Bobby says this is not so.
“My objective is for the site to be a business transaction for all, where advertisers can buy ‘property’ to link to their own websites,” he says.
If his endeavour to earn the necessary amount fails or if he ends up not going to Berkeley, he intends to use the money as a micro-fund for start-ups, social entrepreneurship and charity.
Right after rejection by Khazanah Nasional and the setting of his site, Bobby received a call from another corporation offering him a scholarship to study at University College London, where he has also been accepted to pursue his studies.
“I am still keen on going to Berkeley though because I am really interested in technology and the university is relatively close to Silicon Valley,” he says.
He is keen on starting a technology company upon graduation.
Whatever the outcome, he holds a quote by Air Asia chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes dearly to his heart: “Never take ‘no’ for an answer”.
“My dream is to be able to pursue my studies in the US.
“And I believe that you should never give up on your dreams. You should be creative and take action to make them happen.”
Check out Bobby’s website at http://sendbobtoberkeley.com
Chen Chow's Other Posts
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Encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I will be more than happy to post it to share
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
Saturday, June 20, 2009
The 3rd Malaysian Student Leaders Summit
The 3rd Malaysian Student Leaders Summit will be held on 8th and 9th August 2009.
The details of the events and list of speakers (according to the Official MSLS Facebook Group) are:-
Third Malaysian Student Leaders Summit (MSLS 2009)
Embrace the Power of Reason
This summit will be a platform for intellectual and scholastic discourse between the prominent figures and also the Malaysian student leaders from around the world. One of the key missions of this summit is to expose the participants to Malaysians who are world class leaders, speakers and thinkers in diverse fields, encouraging an understanding of Malaysia's unique challenges.
PROPOSED Sessions and Speakers:
DAY ONE
*Officiating Address
*ECONOMIC ADDRESS:
“Sustainable Growth or Distributive Justice- Role of Monetary Policy in Building the New Economic Model for Malaysia”
Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Governor of BNM
*NATION BUILDING SESSION:
ARTS AND LITERATURE: The best way forward in building national identity?
Patrick Teoh, theatre activist; Yasmin Ahmad, film director; Kam Raslan, writer, Dato Seri Annuar Zaini, Chairman BERNAMA
*CORPORATE MALAYSIA SESSION:
The Recession Is Here: Staying on top During the Downturn
Dato’ Seri Che Khalib, CEO TNB; Dato’ Justin Leong, Head of Investment, Genting Group; Tan Sri Azman Hashim, Chairman of AmBank Group
*EDUCATION/LANGUAGE:
The Survival of Bahasa Melayu as our National Language in the Context of Education Policy Development
Dato Johan Jaafar, columnist and author, Dato’ Wee Ka Siong, Deputy Education Minister, Emeritus Professor Nik Safiah Karim, linguist
*YOUTH DEVELOPMENT FORUM:
Youth- A greater role in the electorate, a bigger responsibility towards Malaysia
Dato’ Sheikh Muszaphar, ANGKASAWAN and youth icon, Hannah Yeoh, ADUN Subang, Dato’ Razali Ibrahim, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Tai Zee Kin Deputy Chairman of UKEC
*SPECIAL ADDRESS
Malaysia Beyond 2020: Direction, Issues and Challenges
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad, former Prime Minister of Malaysia
*POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT SESSION
Transforming Malaysian Politics: Enlarging the Middle Ground in the Age of Partisanship
YB Dr Lo’Lo’ Ghazali (PR), MP, YB Datuk Nur Jazlan Rahmat, MP (BN), YB Tian Chua (PR), MP,YB SK Devamany (BN), MP
*SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
From Technology User to Leader: Strategies to Avoid Playing Catch-Up Game with the Asian Giants
Dato’ Badlisham Ghazali, CEO of MDeC; Prof Dato Ir. Dr Zaini Ujang, Vice Chancellor, UTM; Dr Daud Mohammad, Director-General of Malaysian Nuclear Agency
*LEGAL/ UNITY
Malaysian Federal Constitution: Interpreting and Understanding Article 153 in the formation of Bangsa Malaysia
Prof Aziz Bari, Constitutional Law Expert, SenatorTan Sri Dato Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, Minister in the PM Department (Unity and Performance Management), Dato’ Ambiga Sreevanesan, former BAR Council President, Ibrahim Ali, MP
*SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Civil Society’s Progress in Malaysia- Giving Voice to the Voiceless or Voice for the Middle-Class conscience?
Ong Kian Ming, education activist, Malik Imtiaaz Sawar, human rights activist, Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Jemilah Mahmood, President of MERCY Malaysia
*GOVERNANCE/CLOSING ADDRESS
‘1Malaysia: People First, Performance Now’- Towards a Strong and Responsible Government for Today and Tomorrow’
Y.A.B Dato Sri Najib Tun Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! To register, please visit http://msls09.com/ and complete the form. You will receive a notification upon receipt of your registration form. PLEASE DO NOT REGISTER MORE THAN ONCE as this would cause delay in confirming your place closer to the event.
For more information, please visit http://msls09.com/ or contact one of the organizing committee members below:
Project Director, Chairman of UKEC: Amir Fareed Rahim amirfareedrahim AT ukeconline DOT com
Deputy Chairman: Tai Zee Kin, zeekin AT ukeconline DOT com
General Secretary: Lim Boon Seong, boonseong AT ukeconline DOT com
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Saturday, June 13, 2009
Projek Kalsom 15
Calling all of you who can spare your energy, time, money, contacts for Projek Kalsom 15!
"Projek Kalsom is a motivational camp held yearly for Form 4 students who come from less fortunate backgrounds. It is run by Malaysian students enrolled in higher education institutions in the UK and Ireland under the auspices of the United Kingdom and Eire Council for Malaysian Students (UKEC).
The name “Kalsom” originated from Puan Kelthom Abdullah, a single mother struggling to make ends meet in Kelantan. Her children were forced to drop out of school, and her plight was given some media attention in 1993. Upon reading about her in the papers, a group of young Malaysian students in the UK decided to run a collection to help bear the cost of her children’s education.
For the initial group of students, it was not enough to merely collect money. They decided to take it a step further, spurred on by the conviction that they had a greater role to play. They decided that given their youth, and being students themselves, they were in an excellent position to help encourage and assist students from lesser-developed parts of Malaysia to excel in their studies. And so, during their summer holidays in the following year, they ran a motivational camp for the students of Jerantut, Pahang. It proved successful, and they decided to run it again the following year in Gerik, Perak.
Projek Kalsom has since been held annually, growing from strength to strength, and we are now running the project with the full support of the Malaysian Ministry of Education."
For more info on Projek Kalsom, go to here .
For this year, Projek Kalsom 15 will be held at Sekolah Menengah Tengku Mahmud, Alor Lintang, Besut from 21st August to 25th August 2009. You can read more of it here .
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12th June update:
Salam and hi to all,
May this letter reaches you in the best of health.
as some of you might be aware, projek kalsom 15 is less than 10 weeks away. thus, we will be needing as much help as possible from the kalsom family to make this project as success.
i have detailed below the list of tasks that we will be needing help with (apart from volunteering in the project itself in august)
if you feel that you want to contribute your energy and time to this cause, please feel free to join us and email me at
( azri.malek AT projek-kalsom DOT com) or
( alia.sidek AT projek-kalsom DOT com)
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1.SPONSORSHIPS
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* anyone who has contacts with corporate groups or individuals that are willing to sponsor this kind of project
* we will be printing t shirts, banners, booklets for the project, so anyone who knows the cheapest and most cost effective company
* we will be buying bi-lingual dictionaries and stationaries for the project, so anyone with any ideas of the cheapest and most cost effective company
* logistics, we are looking for reliable bus provider ( cost effective and safe)
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2. MODULE BOOKLETS
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* anyone who wants to share studying techniques ( e.g tony buzan mind mapping, mnemonic etc... or for certain subjects so that we can incorporate it to the module booklets)
* anyone that knows the various loans, scholarships, that are available and methods to secure them
* those who have an in depth knowledge on the different career paths available for the students and ways to pursue it
* personal stories on your life as a uni student in UK, Malaysia,Japan, Germany etc so that it can inspire the students to work harder... and get a rough idea of what can be achieved..
thats it for now, i will update you with more as time pass by.. if you have anything that you want to share with us, please do. we appreciate every single feedback.
hope to hear from you soon.
warm regards,
Azri Malek
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Hope to see more of you supporting such nobel initiatives to help the younger generation! I will be spending my few days in Projek Kalsom 15 this year, and hope to see more of you joining too!
For the promotional youtube, do check it out!
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Encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I will be more than happy to post it to share
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Saturday, May 09, 2009
UnReason.my
Thanks to the invite by Michael Teoh from Youth Entrepreneur Malaysia and also Daniel Cerventus from Malaysia Entrepreneurs to Unreason.my at Urban Attics at CapSquare.
Would have to say that I enjoyed the meet-up and it is definitely a great group of people there, who are very passionate about making the change for Malaysia. They are not just people who are talking about it, but going down to make the real change.
A few of my observations there:-
1. They are all motivated to work together to spur change for the country - Malaysia.
2. They are united, despite each of them might be having their own pet initiative. It is interesting to see they support each other's events/initiatives/projects.
3. It is all about idea and big idea, where for instance, they have those little books being placed around and for people to jot down their ideas as they speak. It is an interesting concept.
4. They are very motivated to empower others, and share. Daniel Cerventus called me up (thanks!) to share on What's After SPM .
5. One of the points said was "Youth is not the future, but now". "The future is the kid today."
The networking is great and I would like to urge everyone to support the following few initiatives, and if you have more, do let me know, and I'll highlight it here too! It is the change that we hope we can do for the country.
1. Unreason.my - UnReason is about Malaysians coming together to solve our own problems through entrepreneurship.
Three steps for it:-
a) Create idea and watch support grow for it
b) Crowd source funding for it. Anyone can chip in any amount to support an initiative.
c) Track the impact of the idea.
As of now, Unreason.my has not been officially started, but do join the Facebook group to get the latest update - here .
2. MalaysiaCrime.com - A site where Malaysians can report any crime happens in the country and share with fellow Malaysians.
This is by Kegan Gan. He started this site after he saw the robbery happened to Yang Jerng.
3. Malaysia Entrepreneurs - Daniel Cerventus has definitely done a fabulous job to motivate more Malaysians to get into entrepreneurship!
4. Youth Entrepreneur Malaysia - This community aims to be the voice of youth entrepreneurs from all around Malaysia and around the world.
Do check those up!
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog
Encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I will be more than happy to post it to share
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Article by John Lee on Unity for Malaysia
A very solid article by John Lee. This sums up what most Malaysians abroad think, and hopefully, we Malaysians, can be united!
This is quoted from here .
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APRIL 17 — It’s rather clichéd, but you don’t know how much you value something you own until you lose it. As a Malaysian living overseas, you cherish Malaysia much more than you did when you were back home. And when you finally meet up again with other Malaysians, all you can talk about is how much you miss Malaysia — and how much you wish things might change, as much as you love it.
It is rather lonely being a Malaysian studying in America; there just aren’t very many Malaysians around. If the number of Malaysians on your campus is in the double digits, you can count yourself extremely lucky. This is a big reason why a bunch of Malaysians dispersed across the northeastern United States came together and formed the Northeast Malaysia Forum in 2007 — our second annual conference, held at Yale University, concluded just under a week ago.
NMF, as we have come to call it, gives us a taste of home. Words cannot describe how comforting it is to once more be among people who look like you and your friends, talk like you and your friends, and eat like you and your friends. For a little while, it’s almost as if you really are home again.
Looking at Malaysia from the inside, it’s often hard to believe that we are actually one country, or 1 Malaysia, as the Prime Minister would have it — much like the shopping mall, I suppose. But when you go overseas, these differences really melt away. Nobody gives a crap where you’re from, what race you are, or what languages you speak — they’re just excited to see another Malaysian.
I believe that what defines a nation the best is the shared experiences which its people must go through. Regardless of what we actually think about Negaraku, the Jalur Gemilang, Rukunegara — whether we think of them as patriotic reminders of our country, or pointless propaganda — we all know what they mean, and we all care about this meaning, even if that is sometimes reflected in gripes about our government. Perhaps more importantly, we all have a favourite Malaysian food, a favourite Malaysian song, a favourite Malaysian person; we are in love with something Malaysian. And nothing reminds you more of how much we have in common than spending months separated from all you hold dear.
If you want to create national unity and nurture patriotism, cost be damned, just disperse all those kids we send to National Service across the globe — and reunite them 12 months later in a foreign land. It’s expensive, but it works. Every year, at NMF social events, it is guaranteed that you will find people randomly breaking out into patriotic song — just turn the corner and you might find someone belting out “Sejahtera Malaysia”.
Perhaps more importantly than this, because we are reminded of how much we love our country, we don’t shrink from speaking some hard truths about it. When people give us feedback on NMF discussions, there’s always astonishment at the things that came out, and a sense of regret that we could not have discussions like these back home. Last weekend, a Malay in the group I attended bluntly told us: “You know, the Malays are really very racist.” A Chinese responded: “If you think the Malays are racist, you haven’t met the Chinese yet!”
Strikingly, these conversations were not just being held in conference rooms at Yale, but in cities across the world: for what might have been the first time in history, Malaysians in places ranging from Sydney to Yale to London gathered together to watch a live webcast of speakers hosted at a studio in 1 Utama, Petaling Jaya. And then, in real time, as the speakers held forth, these Malaysians engaged in a spirited debate online, in a chatroom, leaving no controversial issue untouched — from race to religion. Almost every imaginable point of view was represented — and questions from this very chatroom were posed to the speakers in KL, also in real time, allowing for an unprecedented, jovial and amazingly civil back-and-forth between Malaysians across the globe.
Meaningful dialogue, even on sensitive issues, is very possible — and while back home, repressive laws may be a barrier, the biggest block is primarily societal: most Malaysians are not comfortable enough with each other to have these frank discussions. We are not vulnerable enough to let our guards down; we define ourselves by a conflict with some other ominous group. I have heard many Chinese over the years admit to other Chinese that most of us are incredibly insensitive and far too racist — but till now, I have never seen a single one dare admit this to someone from another ethnic group. But when your worldview changes — when you’re overseas — you’re just a Malaysian among Malaysians: you can talk about Malaysian issues as a Malaysian, instead of as a Muslim, or a Chinese, or a Perakian.
NMF actually grew out of an earlier initiative by a group of Malaysians in California, who founded the Stanford Malaysia Forum — and what both groups have in common is a desire to drive this dialogue, to build bridges between Malaysians of different backgrounds. We recognise that right now we are not quite 1 Malaysia — or a Bangsa Malaysia, or a Malaysian Malaysia, or whatever you want to call it, because these labels really all mean the same thing. But we believe this ideal, united Malaysia can be created, if only enough Malaysians can come together to make it a reality.
This year, the theme for the NMF conference was Revision 2020: rethinking our idea of what a truly developed and progressive Malaysia should look like. As much as we may disagree on what this ideal Malaysia should be, we are at least talking openly about it, and through conversations with other Malaysians, slowly making a united Malaysia — a Malaysia with a shared vision — a reality. We posed hard questions with no simple solutions, and we shared our differing ideas freely and civilly.
Can we really say the same for our members of Parliament, our Cabinet ministers, or even our simple gatherings in warungs and kopitiams across the country? When we complacently slide back into the old idea of pitting one group of Malaysians against another, it is much easier to pretend these problems aren’t really there — it is simpler to ignore the elephant in the room, or to dismiss it as a trivial problem. But until we can frankly talk about that elephant, we’re never going to make it go away: until we can talk openly and honestly to another Malaysian, regardless of who or what they are, can we really call ourselves 1 Malaysia?
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
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Encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I will be more than happy to post it to share
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
Friday, March 27, 2009
Southeast Asian Service Leadership Network
If you would like to spend a fantastic 2 weeks, learning from those who are very calibre, do consider joining Southeast Asian Service Leadership Network (SEALNet). The deadline is coming very soon. Heard that Malaysia deadline might be postponed till 3rd April, but do apply now!
The organizing committee is also looking for anyone (especially those who are familiar with Kuala Selangor) to help out with logistic etc. Last year, Nicholas Pang, Gianne and Pui Yee did a great job in Kota Kinabalu!
Another area the organizing committee is looking at would be to get sponsorship to sustain the cost of the event. If anyone can donate/sponsor to them, do let me know. Will link you with them.
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Application deadline for Project Malaysia is THIS FRIDAY (March 27th, 11:59 PM PST [March 28th, 2:59 PM M'sia/SG])!!
Apply now!Application deadline for all other projects is next Friday, April 3rd
CONNECT to a worldwide network of service leaders
Join the Southeast Asian Service Leadership Network (SEALNet) for 2 weeks as we tackle issues in 7 nations through 8 summer projects!
Cambodia: Reviving traditional arts (August 10 - August 25)
Cambodia: Advocating volunteerism (August 16 - August 28)
Indonesia: Water sanitation (July 1 - July 14)
Laos: Social entrepreneurship for English education (August 23 - September 3)
Malaysia: Environmental awareness (May 30 - June 13)
Philippines: Health education (August 23 - September 6)
Thailand: Active education (August 23 - September 6)
Vietnam: Waste management (August 23 - September 5)
*Project descriptions can be found at: here .
Team members will spend the two weeks mentoring local high school students, teaching leadership lessons, working to address an issue that affects the community, and contributing to helping our local partner organizations.
Apply today! Go to: here
Application Deadlines
*March 27, 2009 for Project Malaysia
*April 3, 2009 for all other projects
SEALNet is an international non-profit organization that was founded at Stanford University in 2004. Our mission is to promote a spirit for service in Southeast Asia and to create a cross-cultural network between students and professionals interested in Southeast Asian developmental issues. Our goal is to empower students to create positive change both by participating in service leadership projects and by inspiring other students to become leaders in their own communities. To date, we have completed a total of 15 projects in 6 different countries!
Check out our video library: here.
For more information, go to here or email recruit@sealnetonline.org.
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog
Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
World Water Youth Forum!
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Share ideas and have your voice heard! Take your part in the World Water Youth Forum (16th-22nd March 2009)!
All the way through ages, water-related problems have been one of the greatest challenges facing humanity. Following a UN survey on the important issues for the 21st century water ranks second. Following this premise, it can be said that prospects for human development are endangered by an intensified global water crisis.
The 5th World Water Forum thus aims to bring more to the world than merely ideas and debate amongst water experts; it aims to bring the world to Istanbul to improve our understanding of divergent points of view and allow us to share solutions.
Taking action is manifold. Every segment of society is responsible for the effective management of water issues. Inspired by the idea that youth should be accepted as partners for development, helping to chart a united course and shaping the expectations for everyone, many students and young water professionals are vying for being representatives of water awareness. Young people that are either affiliated with NGOs or student clubs or not tied to any organization or company, have creative ideas and are ready for making a difference. Thus in order to intone a strong voice in the water issues, active participation of youth is crucial. It is crucial that YOU(TH) participate!
If you have suggestions, ideas, knowledge, products or strategies related, then don’t lose the opportunity to tell the world! You are welcome to participate. Come to share the experience with a diverse worldwide community of experts and politicians.
Should you have any questions or comments regarding the upcoming WWYF, please feel free to contact us. We look forward to seeing you in Istanbul and your participation.To find out more about registeration please visit our web site:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://youth.worldwaterforum5.org
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog
Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
Sunday, March 01, 2009
What's After SPM? - Call For Contributors!
A lot of us care about Malaysian Education. A lot of us care about the future generation of Malaysia. We have discussed a lot in a lot of forums/blogs/seminars etc. What we need now is action, and we hope to use this following initiative, to bring Malaysians across all walks of life, to come together to support this initiative. We want Malaysian youths (age below 30) to share their stories that we hope could provide alternatives/possibilities to Malaysians, who might not be as fortunate to know of all the options.
This is an effort to build the future of our country's younger generation. An effort initiated by a bunch of youth for youth, which we hope would be able to do its bit for the sake of our motherland.
So, to all of you who have gone through some path after SPM, my plead to you is "Please share your stories. It would create dreams and hope and possibilities for hundreds of thousands of Malaysian youth!"
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Project What's After SPM: A Hundred Different Journeys
One book. One hundred stories.
For you. For hundreds of thousands of Malaysian youths.
Website:- http://whatsafterspm.blogspot.com/
Facebook Group:- http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70405181412 (Please help to spread the words around!)
For most of us, the end of secondary school education (or the lack of it) marked a turning point in our lives where we moved from studying together under an umbrella education system (SPM) to embarking upon vastly different pathways.
The transition process for the more fortunate ones would no doubt have been aided by the various resources made available to them: school counselors, advice from worried parents and knowledgeable seniors, counsel from helpful relatives, visits to campus open day sessions, mountainous stacks of college brochures, education sections in local newspapers, education resource websites etc.
The same, however, cannot be said of hundreds of thousands of kids all over Malaysia who have no regular access to the internet, are not blessed with well-informed family and friends, and who complete secondary school with little or almost no awareness of the opportunities that abound for them, as well as kids who are simply ignorant of the opportunities that surround them or just do not possess the faith and self-confidence to pursue their passions.
Therefore, we have decided to spearhead this project in hopes of reaching those kids and sending them this message: "Look, kids, now that you have completed secondary school, there are a million opportunities out there for you, a million pathways that you can undertake, a million places to visit, and you should explore those choices as much as you can. You can do anything you set your mind to. All it takes is keyakinan, a little bit of strategi, a little bit of tuah, and lots and lots of semangat dan usaha."
We are now looking for a plethoric collection of stories of young Malaysians who have pursued different pathways after SPM. The stories will be published in a book to be distributed to as many students and secondary schools as possible (tentative target: to distribute at least 2 books to each of the 5000 secondary schools in Malaysia). And we would like to invite you to participate in this project by submitting your story, or persuading your friends to submit their stories.
It does not matter whether you are a scholar with stellar results and a 3-inch thick resume, a typical student who went to a local university after finishing Form 6, or a youth who has to work in the pasar malam at night to foot your technical college fees in the day. It does not matter whether you have chosen the oft-beaten path or the road less travelled. We believe that there every education background offers its own boons and banes. And we believe that there are merits in telling any story.
Topics
Participants may touch on all or concentrate on one or a few of the following topics:
(a) What socioeconomic/education background did you come from and how did it contribute towards making you the person that you are today?
(b) What obstacles did you face in pursuing tertiary education and how did you overcome those obstacles?
(c) What prompted/who inspired you to pursue the pathway that you have undertaken/are currently undertaking?
(d) How did you find out about the pathway that you have undertaken/ are currently undertaking?
(e) What are the advantages and disadvantages of pursuing the pathway that you have taken/are currently undertaking?
(f) If you have had had a unique education background, please elaborate on your unusual circumstances (Examples: kampung boy who ended up in Yale University/home-schooled girl who faced difficulty persuading university admissions officers to admit her/student who pursued cosmological astrophysics at Cambridge under the prestigious Gates Scholarship/teenager who dropped out of school and pursued full-time modelling/youth who took a gap year after SPM to participate in humanitarian missions in Tibet/boy who has worked as a professional computer hacker since age 14/youth who entered a seminary to pursue priesthood/student who designed a new degree course at Smith College).
(g) If you have succeeded in securing a rare/prestigious scholarship/ undergone a rigorous university application process (Examples: Kofi Annan International Scholarship), please elaborate on the application process.
(h) What advice would you give to someone who hopes to pursue the same pathway that you have undertaken/are currently undertaking?
(i) How was the experience at your previous/current place of study and how has it changed your life? If you have had a non-academic pursuit (s) (establishing your own restaurant/working full-time as a social worker etc), how has your pursuit impacted other people?
(j) Is there any other issue regarding post-SPM education that you wish to discuss? What other pertinent advice would you give to someone who is about to complete SPM/secondary school?
Reminder: Remember that the purpose of submitting your story is not to flaunt your achievements, but to share your unque experiences with your readers. As you write, try to retain the relevancy between your experiences and the reader's interest.
Participation rules
1. Participants must be Malaysian citizens.
2. Participants must be of age 30 or below as of 2009.
3. Each entry will consist of a photo (to be printed in black & white), an introduction blurb written in 3rd person perspective and a main article written in 1st person perspective.
4. The introduction blurb is to be between 30-50 words, and must mention the participant's age and place(s) of study/pursuit (see below for examples).
5. The main article is to be between 600-800 words.
6. All articles are to be written in English. Participants who struggle with English may write in Malay/Chinese and have their articles translated by the committee members.
7. Articles may be edited for clarity, brevity and/or intelligibility, though the committee will strive not to tamper them.
8. All participants must use their real names. Pseudonyms will not be allowed.
9. About 100 entries will be selected for publishing. The committee's decisions will be final.
10. The photo may be of any style as long as it shows the participant's face. Black & white photos are prefered, as the book will be published in black & white.
11. Participants will retain the copyright of their photos and articles.
12. All entries are to be sent to whatsafterspm@gmail.com.
Deadline
March 31 2009
Diversity
We encourage young Malaysians from all walks of life to participate in this project. We strive for inclusivity and diversity in terms of:
(a) Socioeconomic, ethnic and geographical background of participants
(b) Secondary school background of participants (national schools, vernacular schools, international schools, private schools, religious schools, boarding schools, home-schooling, apprenticeship, dropouts etc)
(c) Pre-university education background of participants (STPM, matriculation, A Level, IB, SAM, ICPU, AUSMAT, ADP, foundation program, diploma, home-schooling etc)
(d) Tertiary education background of participants (local public/ private university, foreign public/private university, polytechnique, vocational school, technical school, ACCA, college, twinning program, external program, self-study etc)
(e) Countries where participants pursued tertiary education (Malaysia, US, UK, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Korea, Egypt, Taiwan, China, Indonesia, France, Germany, India, Brunei etc)
(f) Education funding methods (parents' sponsorship, bank loan, PTPTN loan, JPA scholarship, Bank Negara scholarship, Petronas scholarship, ASEAN scholarship, US schools financial aid, MARA scholarship, GIC scholarship, private school scholarship, study grant, bursary, personal savings, part-time jobs, busking, own salary earned during gap year etc)
(g) Fields of interest of participants (pure sciences, arts & humanities, social sciences, medicine, law, engineering, entertainment, culinary arts, business, entrepreneurship etc)
Samples of introductory blurbs
(a) Mohammad Ghazali, 18, is currently setting up his own football memorabilia business at Berjaya Times Square with his ex-classmates after completing SPM at SMK USJ14. He spends his free time coaching orphans in football for free. He also owns a personal collection of jerseys autographed by over 50 Manchester United players, and wants the Devils to reclaim the English Premier League.
(b) Tee Le Yin, 26, a former national swimmer and philately enthusiast, studied A Level at Hwa Chong Institution, Singapore under the ASEAN scholarship prior to pursuing War Studies in King's College, UK. The former national swimmer is currently pursuing her MBA at INSEAD, France under the Maxis scholarship.
Book specifications
1. The book will be printed in black & white to minimise production cost and market price.
2. The book will be between 200-300 pages thick.3. The book will be published by end of 2009.
Royalty/payment
1. As this is a community service project, none of the participants, project committee members and project advisors will receive any form of royalty or payment.
2. A fund raising campaign will be held later to raise money for the project. However, all excess funds will go towards distributing the books to students and secondary schools for free.
Contribute
1. We would greatly appreciate anyone who wishes to contribute towards our publishing fees.
2. We also welcome anyone who wishes to help in translating the book into Chinese and Malay after the first edition of the book goes into print.
Enquiries/contact
The organising committee members Charis Loke, Gabrielle Chong Yong Wei, Goh Jing Pei, Kimberley Ho Mei Kay, Tara Thean and Yeoh Chen Chow are not committed to any organisation. They were simply brought together for this project and are bound by their sincere enthusiasm for community service.
Participants, parents, interested sponsors and translators, as well as general inquirers may contact committee at whatsafterspm@gmail.com.
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog
Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Speakers at the HSBC 2nd National Youth Entrepreneur Convention 2009
Today (10th January) was the HSBC 2nd National Youth Entrepreneur Convention 2009 at Putra World Trade Center.
It was launched by YB Dato' Seri Ismail Sabri, Minister of Youth and Sports.
There were a list of 14 speakers.
I was unfortunately not able to be at the seminars, as I was attending friends' wedding (Bernard & Jaime) and also ReComers' gathering there.
What I would do is to summarize some of the unique ideas/advice that I have read about from each of those speakers, so my blog readers would have some learning points from there. The points below are mainly quoted from the booklet "The Story" that YouthMalaysia.com produced.
1. Henry Goh Chee Heng (27 Years Old) - Co-founder and COO or Macro Kiosk Berhad
- Winner of Ernst & Young Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2006
- He always believed that when you are young, you have nothing much to lose at that point. Even if he had failed, he could always go back - it's not really a big deal at all.
- No one is a perfect businessmen, therefore he always set new targets for himself. These goals, no matter short term or long term, become the drive for him to achieve better things in life.
2. Dato' Ricky Wong Shee Khai (27 Years Old) - Founder & CEO of Asia Media Sdn Bhd
- The winning streaks that he has is partially contributed by the competitors who tend to underestimate them.
- Highly focused and goal oriented.
- Success and winning is important to aim for both in life and in business. Swim against the tide and play against the odds, success belongs to people who dare to try. The process of climbing to the top of the mountain and the magnificent view on top is worth every sweat.
- Identify your niche and positioning and when you're up and running, never assume your competitors are standing still.
3. Ganesh Kumar Bangah (29 Years Old) - CEO of MOL Access Bhd
- As an entrepreneur, you're never successful enough and you have to keep creating things that will change people's lives.
- He never tells his business partners his age because they would view him as being not mature enough to do business. Luckily he looks a lot older than his actual age, so he gets away with it.
4. Aidan Aquinas Chew (25 Years Old) - Director - TRAFFIXED, Winner of Nescafe Kick-Start Season 1
- You have to believe not only in yourself, but your mindset. Never be afraid to open up your mind and go beyond.
- He wanted to save the world, by solving the problems the world is facing.
- It was a stepping stone for him until he found the larger purpose in his life - to solve the bigger problems that the world is facing now.
- The turning point during that time was when he realized, ironically, that he had nothing to lose anymore. He managed to overcome all the grief by going beyond who he was.
- He went into the core of his being and found out the answers of everything. It was as if he was enlightened by his own conscience - and everything suddenly makes sense. Until now, he believed that that was the reason that defined what he is.
5. Ng Khai Lee (24 Years Old) - Co-founder of YouthSays.com, Winner of KLUE Blue Chilli Awards, HSBC Young Entrepreneurs Award 2006
- Starting up a good business requires more than brains - you'll need the right mindset too.
- People tend to over-emphasize innovation on the business idea.
- The real innovation happens in your mind. If you want your company to grow, you've got to grow. And to grow, you've got to be prepared to change how you think and what you believe in.
6. Jeffrey Ong (30 Years Old) - Director of Markentsia
- You can never have the perfect business plan. Even if it is perfect enough for you, there will always be a loophole where money problem gets in the way.
- There are other elements in life. Academic educaiton is very important as it teaches you the foundation, but if you want to excel and gain the edge above others, you need to go out there and learn more than what's in the books.
7. Aimann Faiz (24 Years Old) - Co-Founder of Don't Panic
- During university days, work a range of jobs, for the sake of experience.
- By his final semester, he was already earning more than his lecturers as a sales representative for a company selling high-end home appliances.
- His break was when he got offer from Rudy Rozaidi, Managing Director of Don't Panic Asia
- He made up for his lack of knoweldge and experience with energy, passion and an insatiable appetite to learn
- His first break was with a sponsorship project with Petronas.
- His father turned from pessimistic of his venture to admiration.
8. Joyce Wong (25 Years Old) - Blogger, KinkyBlueFairy.Net
- Blogger for 4 years
- Managing Editor of Tongue In Chic in August 2008,
- Everyone should have their own styles.
- She loved everything about her job, and it gives her a lot of self-satisfaction when she sees the ideas going up on the blog.
9. Joel Neoh (25 Years Old) - Founder of YouthMalaysia.com
- Youngest participant in The firm.
- I was in a playground with no set of rules, no limit to what I can do and a whole load of fun ahead of me - but no one to play with
- Youths must embrace change, taking charge of their lives and be leaders of themselves.
10. Ninie Ahmad (26 Years Old) - Founder of Be Yoga Sanctuary
- Believe in what she does and the perpetual optimism.
- You really have to know what your strength is and see if there's a business prospect to it. You have to use any media possible, to see how a business can be derived from your interest or strength. And you really need to do market research to know what other people think of you, your interest and strength.
- If the dream is big enough, the facts don't count.
11. Fiona Jane Gomez (25 Years Old) - Founder of Talent Hub
- She didn't take salary for first 3 years
- There were times that she wanted to give up and quit, because being your own boss, there is no one there to motivate you when things don't turn out the way you imagined. It is the belief and preseverance that gets her through.
- One must be sure that they are doing this, because they want to learn and share the art as it is.
12. Anna Rina Rahim (28 Years Old) - Photography Entrepreneur
- Winner of CLEO's Young Achiever Award
- Record the moment for her clients at their best, so that they can look back on some of the most important and special days of their life and relive sweet memories through the pictures.
- She has shot 36 weddings and numerous portrait sessions.
13. Shan Tan (25 Years Old) - Founder of Rackin' Reptiles Sdn Bhd
- Should set the bar as high as you think is realistically possible. In that way, if you fall short of it, you will still be successful.
- her vision is not just to sell shoes, but to create a RR experience from the moment you enter the shots until you are wearing the product and the after-care service you are provided with.
- hope to build an ever-growing number of RR fans, through honesty and hard work.
- you need to be focused in what you really want in a business. Pick yourself up from all hiccups and trials, remembering that sooner or later, you will get there. If you give up after attempting only once or twice, you will never get there. Running a successful business is all about learning from your mistakes and moving forward.
- Live your dream. Don't just follow it - Chase it. Don't be afraid to chase your dream. What she had when she first started was that she was fearless and extremely stubborn in focusing on her goal.
14. Joe Flizzow (30 Years Old) - Founder of Kartel Records
- Started Kartel Records to take care of Too Phat's material.
- Plans to revolutionize Malaysia's music industry, by having product placement in his music videos.
- There would be people who would tell you that your ideas are out of this world. You should use these criticisms as a motivation.
- If you're honest and have integrity, you'll be alright. Just be humble and don't forget your roots.
All these entrepreneurs are 30 years old or less and yet they have achieved what most people would hope they could achieve within their lifetime.
The main reason I blogged on this, was to hopefully share what those amazing entrepreneurships have. One thing I observe spanning across their profiles are always their focus, passion and integrity. They try their best, dare to fail and strive forward. And very importantly, they are willing to give back to community, by sharing their experience.
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog
Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
Thursday, January 08, 2009
World Youth Report 2009: Youth and Climate Change
To all of you who are passionate of Youth and Climate Change, do submit your thoughts/ideas etc to United Nations.
Do read it here at United Nation's website.
Do spread the words to your friends.
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In order to expand the scope and coverage of the "World Youth Report 2009: Youth and Climate Change", we are seeking input from experts in the field of youth and climate change, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as from young people. Submissions may be academic research, case studies, publications, best practices, effective interventions, as well as national youth policies currently being implemented .
The chapters of the "World Youth Report 2009: Youth and Climate Change" are as follows:
(Please note: The chapter titles are working titles and not final)
Introduction: Youth, Climate Change and the Social Development Agenda
This chapter looks at the relationship between climate change and social development, and the implications of these interactions for youth. It addresses the vulnerability of young people to the negative effects of climate change and highlights the circumstances of the most vulnerable youth populations.
Chapter 1. Climate Change, Youth and their Well-being
This chapter expands on the vulnerability of youth to climate change within the contexts of health, livelihood and conflict, and pays specific attention to the issue of geographic location.
Chapter 2. Indigenous Youth and Climate Change
This chapter shows how Indigenous youth are an especially vulnerable youth population across geographical areas. It highlights Indigenous cultures and practices as a means to finding solutions for global sustainability. In particular, it will elaborate on strategies for action informed by Indigenous knowledge and the youth perspective.
Chapter 3. Addressing change at the roots: youth consumption patterns
This chapter expands on the role of youth "culture" and lifestyle factors as key determinants in the future of climate change, with a particular focus on youth consumption patterns. It discusses youth consumption and lifestyles, and how young people can make more sustainable choices.
Chapter 4. Reforming Education for climate protection
This chapter looks at the role of education in developing a multidisciplinary understanding of the social, cultural, economic and environmental dimensions of climate change. It discusses reforming education to allow for the inclusion of climate change education in schools curriculum geared to help young people develop into responsibile global citizens.
Chapter 5. Adapting to climate change: Is youth employment at risk?
This chapter looks at the impact of climate change and mitigation measures on employment for youth - how it can both be a potential source of new employment opportunities, as well as create changes in existing jobs.
Chapter 6. Positioning Youth for Adaptation and Mitigation: the role of civil society
This chapter highlights best practices and strategies, as well as examines the potential contribution of youth-led organizations to advancing action on climate change in the key areas covered in the preceding chapters – education; consumption and production; employment; leisure time activities; poverty; health, HIV/AIDS; and armed conflict.
Chapter 7. Moving Forward: Placing youth at the centre of the response to climate change.
This chapter will look at how the impact of climate change can be better addressed to reflect youth concerns. It will also provide policy recommendations so that Governments can act to ensure that mitigation and adaptation measures they choose can guarantee that young people and future generations have a sustainable future.
We encourage your participation to enhance the discussion. The editors of the publication will make final decisions on the inclusion of submissions. Material included in the report will receive due acknowledgement. Please send us your input (by 23 January 2009) via email to youth@un.org with "Suggestions for World Youth Report 2009" in the subject line or write to us at: World Youth Report 2009, United Nations Programme on Youth, DC2-1310, 2 UN Plaza, New York, NY 10017.
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Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share!
Youth '09 - 9th to 11th January 2009
This weekend, Friday to Sunday, 9th to 11th January 2009, Youth '09 would be happening at PWTC!!! Kudos to Joel and Khailee's team for bringing it to live!!!
I would be there twice this weekend.
a) Saturday 9am - Thanks Khailee for inviting me to the opening ceremony, which would be done by Youth & Sports Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri
b) Saturday 3pm to 5pm - ReComers Gathering - There would be open microphone there, where ReComers and others would network and discuss on education issues.
My colleagues from JobStreet.com would be there too:-
Sunday 4pm to 6pm - JobStreet CAMPUS Resume Workshop, where you can get tips on preparing your resume, in preparation for JobStreet.com Malaysia Career & Training Fair from 16th to 18th January 2009. You would learn about 2009 Job Outlook too!
Do be there!
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Hi there,
This weekend, thousands of youths are meeting up!
Where?
Malaysia's Largest Youth Lifestyle Festival, Youth '09 !
From 9th - 11th January, 2009 at PWTC
Youth '09
Free Entry.
What's going on at Youth '09 ?
Malaysian youths are organising over 100 exciting activities, including an Indie Shopping Bazaar, Extreme Street Dance Challenge, The 2nd National Youth Entrepreneur Convention, Battle of the Bands "Beat the Buzzer", Youth Community Meetups, Automobile Showcase, Foosball tournament, Photography 1 on 1 Shootout, Caged Futsal, Cosplay Competition, Open Mics, Paintball, Gaming, Graffitti, Private sessions with over 50 local Celebrities, Workshops and performances like breakdancing, Capoeira, Popping, Locking, Nu Jazz, Hiphop, Pole Dancing, Jazzercise, Yo-yos... Over 100 activites!
See the full schedule:
Click on this link: Youth '09
Youth '09 Entrance is free.
Don't miss out.
Share the experience with thousands of young Malaysians. Kickstart 2009 with something unforgettable!
After all, this weekend of Youth '09 only happens once a year.
See you there!
Youth '09
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Click here to read more of Chen Chow's posts
Subscribe to my blog
Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
ReComers Gathering at Youth '08 (10th January 2009) 3pm to 5pm at PWTC
Youth Malaysia will be organizing Youth '09 from 9th to 11th January 2009 at PWTC.
Quoting the write-up of the event
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YOUTH'09, Malaysia's largest youth lifestyle event is a 3 day festival to be held on 9th-11th January at the Putra World Trade Centre, bringing together youth communities from all over Malaysia for a range of exciting activities. Themed "Malaysia's Largest Youth Lifestyle Revolution", 50,000 young Malaysians aged 16 to 28 from different backgrounds and youth communities will be coming together to organize and participate in over 100 activities involving fashion, dance, music, entrepreneurship, personal growth, career and other youth interests.
You can view the trailer, event details, and meet youths who are going at Youth '09
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What is much more exciting is that Youth Malaysia is offering to give a slot for ReCom.org - The Worldwide Malaysian Students Network to organize a grand ReComers Gathering there at Youth '09.
I have tentatively submitted a booking with Youth Malaysia for our ReComers gathering to be held on Saturday (10th January 2009) 3pm to 5pm at Putra World Trade Center.
Now, a mission for ReComers would be:-
1. Gather all ReComers who are interested to attend!
2. Come out with an event plan on what we want to do during that 2 hour slot.
Please throw any idea you have here ! Lets make this our largest gathering of ReComers!!!
Ideally the activities could help us spread the words of ReCom.org to others, as well as create funness for the members to have a gathering!
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Click here to read more of Chen Chow's posts
Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Asian Youth Ambassador (AYA) Dream Malaysia 2008 Awards
2 days ago, Sunday night, 9th November 2008 was the award night of Asian Youth Ambassador (AYA) Dream Malaysia Awards 2008. It was a fantastic occasion, seeing many hundreds of young Malaysians, who see themselves as united Malaysians. Definitely bring me a lot of hope, seeing how all these people are.
ReCom.org - The Worldwide Malaysian Students Network did not win the coveted AYA Dream Malaysia Awards, but it is still a great exposure. Good to see both our founders - Syamsul Hasran and Mohd Yusuf came down all the way from Penang for it!
For the Youth Friendly Company of the Year 2008, the winner is Smash . It was founded by 3 friends, aiming to build something with a lasting impact. SMASH strives to provide the youths a better alternative to smoking, clubbing, "Mat Rempit" activities, drugs etc. This non-profit-focused hybrid dance and martial arts studio believes in changing the world one youth at a time.
For the 2 runner-ups for this category, they are Life College and Spices .
Life College was not driven by profits, but was birthed out of the desire to see young people's lives transformed through education. They see young people as the future leaders and are committed to develop their minds, skills, emotional strength and character, through the day-to-day classes, camps and talks. They aim to equip the students for life, not just academically. Life College also exhibits her compassion by offering scholarships to orphans and single-parent students, as well as partnering with Beautiful Gates to offer financial aids to the disabled.
SPICES (Support for Parents, Infants and Children through Early Services) was founded by the late Mabel Tan in year 1997, convinced that the solution to help children effectively was by playing purposeful attention to children with special needs, as these were the ones who were often neglected by the community. Since then, SPICES has been providing education to children with special needs - most of them are challenged with learning disabilities - across races, religions and cultures throughout Malaysia.
And both ReCom.org - The Worldwide Malaysian Students Network and ARTS-ED made up the remaining 2 finalists.
ReCom.org, is the Worldwide Malaysian Students Network, founded by Syamsul Hasran and Mohd Yusuf Abdul Hamid in year 2003. ReCom.org emerged out of a dream to contribute to Malaysian students. Creating a platform for a community of students to exchange ideas and experiences in students-related issues, many have benefitted with regards to their scholarships applications, through useful tips and tricks and the various connections buildt with campuses overseas.
ARTS-ED or better known as Anak-Anak Kota, is a community-based arts and heritage program that seeks to explore and provides innovative and non-formal arts and heritage education for young people through collaboration with local and regional arts educators, artists and local communities via visual arts, drama, music, video etc to interpret their notion of heritage. Noted to bridge the young people with the local wisdom for the past 8 years and running, ARTS-ED provides free education and recruits students through schools, colleges and universities.
It is very touching to hear all those award winners to dedicate all the awards to all those nominated. It was a very friendly competition, where everyone is celebrated for their contribution to community. It is interesting to see how everyone is so passionate to give back to community. To me, that kind of spirit is definitely laudable. That's the spirit of AYA Dream Malaysia 2008.
The other award given is the prestigious Most Outstanding Youth of the Year 2008.
The winner is Dhinu Dhanveer Singh, a 24-year-old guy, who was brought up in a family that's on-the-go, he has traveled to various countries, which include Papua New Guinea and Cambodia to build and sow into the local community. Serving as co-founder of a youth-run non-profit organization - SOLS24/7, he provides life skills education to the poor and disadvantaged young lives in these areas. A social worker wokring in East Timor and Cambodia and through sacrificial living that involved the trading of personal possessions, he strives to improve the quality of life and education through means of providing free education, which includes teaching the English Language to the rural folk.
The 1st runner up is Nyanamambiga A/P Ugjayan, a 23-year-old, who was the oldest of 3 children. She sought to help with the financial burden in her family by offering tuition classes, despite being physically challenged and stricken with muscular dystrophy. Putting her passion into action, she also makes a side-income from her arts and crafts. Currently studying in College MCS (Moral Competent Success) for a Diploma in Office Administration, she dreams to pursue her passion for art in Germany and opens an art gallery to provide a better life for her family.
The 2nd runner up is Indrani a/p Kopal, a 29-year-old. She was raised in the city of Kuala Lumpur and the eldest of 4 siblings. She has been afflicted with a hormonal imbalnace in her system that resulted in hair loss since she hit puberty. Despite having a poor self-image, she presevered and gained her confidence through the art of dancing and the inspiration of her dance teacher. Now, an award-winning video journalist famed for She's My Son, she seeks to abolish slavery and strives to improve the social and living standards by capturing the heart of the destitute and bringing these issues to light.
The other 4 equally high credential candidates include:-
Anisa Nishat binti Mohamed Ismail, a 23-year-old, who was born and bred in Malaysia. She grew up with her eyes wide open to the polarization in the local community. Completing her studies overseas and as the former President of the South Asian Students Association, she worked closely with various student associations and was awarded the prestigious Carlton Savage Award by American University in Washington for her contributiong towards intercultural understanding. Since returning home, she is now pursuing a career and is working towards promoting racial harmony and advocating the spirit of excellence in Malaysia.
Michael Teoh Su Lim, a 21-year-old from a small town boy from Penang, who was ridiculed and rejected in school for being weak. He presevered through the odds that were against him - winning and representing the country in 2 international competitions. Currently pursuing a major in Marketing and International Business in Auckland University of Technology (AUT), New Zealand, he raises the Malaysian flag proudly being hand-picked to the Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR) Business Conference. Aside from topping the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) competition twice, he continues impacting the lives of many through global youth and leadership conferences and community projects.
Prakash a/l Suriyamurthy, a 26-year-old, who came from an average family background and suffered from visual impairment. He struggled to secure a job and was turned down on countless occasions. A gifted translater renown translating the Indian epic, Thirukulai, and a couple of psychology textbooks written in Tamil by Dr. Kadir Ibrahim into Braille, it was evident that he didn't allow these circumstances to deter him from setting his sights on a brighter future. With a Bachelor of Malay Studies from Universiti Malaya under his belt, currently he is studying Masters of Translation at Universiti Malaya and a member of Malaysia Institute of Translation. He dreams to learn and translate in international languages, ultimately run his own translation agency.
Ummul Khairiyah binti Abdul Rahman, a 21-year-old, who was born and raised locally. She defied the norm by stepping out to work at the early age of 18. Despite objection and denunciation of family and friends, she remained focused and at a young age of 19, she began earning a 5-figure salary and even establishing her own company "Innovate Smart" - selling marketing strategies. Currently an undergraduate at MMU pursuing her Bachelor's Degree in Accountancy, she actively promotes entrepreneurship through SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) while juggling her job. She also teaches at AMPAC(Az-Zahrah Multi-Intelligence Academy), impacting and inspiring many young people to pursue nd achieve their dreams.
After reading all these outstanding youth, I would say that we should definitely give full credits to the organizing team from AYA for bringing this event to fruitation. As what Kenneth Chin, Organizing Chairman and Founder of Asian Youth Ambassador, AYA hoped to have tall Malaysians with big hearts. As Malaysia moves forward in knowledge and technology, their hope and mission is that we will also move backwards to the days when we did not judge each other by our race, religion or skin colour.
To all Malaysians, lets unite for a better Malaysia! "Bersatu Teguh, Bercerai Roboh!".
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Click here to read more of Chen Chow's posts
Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share!
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