Four participants from Bangladesh will join their youth peers from India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Malaysia, and Myanmar in the Asia Regional Youth Festival 2019.
Youth advocates, and activists from eight countries including Bangladesh will join a regional youth festival in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur from September 11.
The festival themed “Building the Next Generation Movement for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” will start from September 11.
Regional NGO Asian Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (Arrow) said that the festival aims at empowering young people in Asia to hold governments accountable to international human rights commitments, read a press release issued on Friday.
Malaysian Deputy Minister of Women Hannah Yeoh Tseou Suan, Deputy Minister of Education Teo Nie Ching, and ARROW's Executive Director Sivananthi Thanenthiran will formally open the three-day festival in Kuala Lumpur on September 12.
“Our region –Asia Pacific – is home to the largest number of young people globally, about 700 million,” said Thanenthiran.
She said: “Adolescents, and young people in Asia continue to make their transition to adulthood without adequate information, especially on matters of Sexual and Reproductive Health, and Rights (SRHR) adversely affecting their physical, social, emotional health, well-being, and development.”
The three day festival will have trainings, workshops, group discussions, and leadership trainings. It will also provide creative spaces so young people can express their ideas through art exhibitions, poetry slamming, and music.
Kuala Lumpur-based “Arrow” is a regional feminist non-profit women’s organisation having consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (UN Ecosoc) of the United Nations.
