south asian youth congress report

8/4/2019 South Asian Youth Congress Report

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THE 1ST SOUTH ASIAN YOUTH

CONFERENCE, 2011

CONFERENCE REPORT

MAY JUNE 2011

THE 1ST SOUTH ASIA YOUTH CONFERENCE

HOSTED BY THE BLUE RIBBON MOVEMENT

23RD MAY TO 28TH MAY, 2011, AT THE INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, BANGALORE


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Message from all the SAYCians

Dear Friends,

We, the youth of South Asia have taken a

major step towards building a cohesive

region.

The first South Asian Youth Conference was

planned as a landmark step towards

greater co-operation in the South Asian

Region. It was a roaring success, with

support from all the stakeholders of the

conference - Peace Child, IIM Bangalore,

Oxfam, the participants, the press and the

community leaders.

This conference lived true to its theme of

'Peace' - over the six days of the conference,

this theme was explored in various ways.

The conference has kick started a series of

action projects, both at an individual and ata group level. Our declaration is being

presented all around the world as the voice

of what the South Asian Youth want - from

their governments and their people.

This report encapsulates not only what the

activities of the conference were, but also

the spirit of the South Asian youth that this

conference brought out.

Your thoughts, ideas and opinions about the

proceedings are invaluable. Please go

through the report and let us know your


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Participant Mix

About the Participant Selection Process

The selection of participants was done by selectors from Blue Ribbon and the national

selectors from each participating country. The national selectors were nominated by

Peace Child International.Written applications were sent in by the applicants that were evaluated using an

exhaustiveselection rubric. The selection rubric was designed by experts and ratified by Blue

Ribbon aswell as Peace Child International. The criterion in the rubric were such that applicants who

are working on the ground, have shown leadership, have the ability to bring change wereselected.

The selection ratio was approximately 1 in 5. And the double check (by Blue Ribbon andNational Selectors) ensured highest quality standard.

Participant Profile

There were 70 participants from 8

countries in the age range of 18 to25. Almost every

participant has been working at the

ground level on some

development issue. Around 20%of the participants were working

professionals who are working indifferent development fields.

Through the application we have

judged the passion and the

understanding participants have ofthe issues and problems of the

South Asian region.The participants are action driven

and have displayed this quality in

their lives. Also they are cohesive

already through the onlineinteractions and in-person

meetings and on the right path toform long-term partnerships that

will help the region of South Asia


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Snapshots

Organizing Chairperson Abhishek

Thakore addressing the participantsand sharing what one can expect in

the days to follow

Welcoming the

participants

Our esteemed Guests of Honour inaugurating the


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SAYcians

A memorable speech by IIM-B

Director, Prof. Chandra This

too shall pass.


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An outstanding & inspiring cultural

performance by visually impaired

students of Sri Ramana MaharishiAcademy for the Blind (SRMAB),

A power-packed speech by

Prof. RooshikumarPandya

Success: From Patanjali to the

Present.


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Opening address by thePresident of Peace ChildInternational Mr. David

Woollcombe

Participants raising queries and bring up pertinent topics during the

Cultural performances by

Krishnakshi, an accomplished

young dancer from Assam


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Participants and Organizers on

Opening Plenary Talks

Plenaries were speaker oriented sessions where a keynote speaker and a few other

speakers set the tone and theme of the Session

Peace Within

Speaker: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Art of Living

Sri Sri was the keynote speaker on the first thematic day of the conference, talking on

achieving Peace Within. In the middle of the session, he conducted a 15 minute

meditation (which felt like 5 minutes to many)and answered varied questions

ranging from What is meant by Art of Living? to Do you believe in God?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar


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Opening Plenary Talks

Peace with OthersKeynote Speaker: Prof. TrilochanShastry, IIM, Bangalore

Prof. Shastry gave a short talk on why the world is at odds with itself, and how one often

sees a successful crusader without realizing the years of efforts and groundwork that has

gone into making him the person that he or she is. He suggested we work towards

bridging the gap between India and Bharat, the two different parts of the country that

exist today, with the first being largely insulated from the second.

Speaker: Ranjan Malik, Erehwon Consulting

Ranjan presented a brilliant take on Innovation, with a social change perspective. Titled

The Fools Innovation, his session spoke of how a person who is foolishly optimistic in

seeing possibilities where none exist, asks new questions, thinks radically, and is self-

entitled in taking initiative, is often viewed by others as a Fool, but it is Fools that really

bring about change in the world. His illustrated slides gave a framework for radical

change in any system that they call Orbital Shift.

Peace with the Environment

Round-table conferenceOur Speakers:

AnuradhaBhavnani, Shell Foundation David Woolcombe, Peace Child International SeethaAnanthsivan, Bhoomi AkshayHeblikar, Eco-Watch Achyutha Sharma, Sulochana Trust Ravi ThejaMuthu, CleaIN

Each person made a small presentation of about 7-8 minutes on their organizational or

individual take on the issue of climate change and their environmental initiatives to

counter it. The themes ranged from (ask Ravi to send this)

After the presentations, there were break-out sessions with each speaker interacting with

a smaller group of participants on their own initiatives. The speakers summed up their

own observations from the interaction and concluded the session.


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Thematic SessionsThematic sessions were expert led sessions where participants were introduced to concepts

regarding the theme of the day, and engage with ideas surrounding the same.

I. Thematic Session I: Peace WithinSpeaker:VinodSreedhar, Journeys with Meaning

Vinod led an interactive session with the audience, going deeper into the causes of

inner conflict and disturbance. Through questions, dialogue, and probing, he got

the participants to explore their own sources of conflicts and come up with

alternatives towards establishing peace inside.

II. Thematic Session II: Peace with OthersSpeaker: Ranjan Malik, Erehwon ConsultingRanjan anchored a practical brainstorming session on the concrete steps

participants can take towards peace in the region. He used a unique model ofcollective ideation. With chart papers, marker pens, set on table, participants

rotated and jotted down in a minute, ideas triggered by the mentioned theme.These were then collated at a family level to come up with two radical new

approached towards peace in the region. Several new insights and practicalaction emerged that set stage for future collaborative projects.

III. Thematic Session III: Oxford Union style debateFacilitator: David Woollcombe, Peace Child International

Motion:"This house believes that a completely peaceful South Asia is not a realistic

possibility in our lifetime."

In this passionate debate, two participants each spoke for and against the motion,

after which the debate was thrown open to the house before allowing the two sides

to give a concluding address. A show of hands at the start showed more people for

the motion, disbelieving in the possibility of peace in our lifetime. However, a vote

in the end proved a majority against the motion, showing faith in the real possibilityof peace, and the motion was defeated. This session saw vociferous arguments

from the brilliant, articulate speakers who were on stage representing the two

sides.


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Workshops

There were two different kinds of workshops conducted at SAYC one by experts in differenfields, and other by the participants themselves. These workshops ran in 6 parallel slots

through the 3 days; participants had a choice of which ones they wanted to attend.

Workshop slot I

1.Meditation as the way to absolute peace (through Vihangam Yoga)Facilitator: Naamdeo Singh

2. Success story of peaceFacilitator: Prahasitha, One World Academy

3.Bridging the gap between policy and implementationFacilitator: Simren Thomas

4. Theatre workshopFacilitator: Peace Child International

Workshop slot II

1. Introduction to Falun DafaFacilitator: Bharat Valecha

2. Individual Action PlanFacilitator: Peace Child International

3. Think like an entrepreneurFacilitator: Anand Gupta

4. Cross-Cultural Dialogue for Peace, Friendship and Sustainable Development Youthare Leaders of Today

Facilitator: Anugraha John, Center for Environment Education

Workshop slot III

1. Theatre workshopsFacilitator: Peace Child International2. Antarctica and the rest of the world

Facilitator: Divya Nawale

3. Paper talk


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5. Paper talkFacilitator: Mathew Jose, CEO, Paper-Man

6. Peace is togethernessFacilitator: Prahasitha, One World Academy

Workshop slot IV

5. Solar SolutionsFacilitator: C.B. Jagadeeshwara Reddy

6. Social Media 101Facilitator: Arpit Mundra, Airtel Young Leaders Program

7. How the movement of human resources brings peaceFacilitator: Simren Thomas

8. Community Action PlanFacilitator: Peace Child International

Workshop slot V

4. Institutional Governance for SustainabilityFacilitator: Peace Child International

5. Introduction to Road to Rio+20Facilitator: Peace Child International

6. Food and Carbon CreditsFacilitator: Seetha Ananthsivan, Bhoomi

Workshop slot VI

5. Ambrosiayou can make a differenceFacilitator: Chitranshu Tiwari

6. Organic/Natural Farming and the EnvironmentFacilitator: Manish Kumar

7. Ten Guntha experiment

Workshops


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9. Ten Guntha experimentFacilitator: Dr. Anand Ahankari

10.Environmental security for a peaceful and sustainable futureFacilitator: Akshay Heblikar, Director, Eco-watch

Workshop slot VII

5. Transforming your Idea into Reality through practical actionFacilitator: Syed Sultan Ahmed, CEO, Edumedia

6. Systems for Personal EffectivenessFacilitator: Akshay Cherian, CEO, Career Craft

Special Sessions

5. Youth and Active CitizenshipFacilitator: Ms. Nisha Agrawal, Head, Oxfam India

6. Road to Rio+20 and World Youth CongressFacilitator: David Woollcombe, Peace Child International

Workshops


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Round Table: Change Makers DilemmaThe round-table discussion on Day 5 of the conference brought together a panel of

exceptional achievers, people who had made a mark in the social space while balancing

their personal needs. The speakers first took turns in talking of their personal journeys,

moments that made a difference in their lives, and how they approached the dilemma of

balancing social contribution with personal aspirations and material goals. Some of them

also shared how they dealt with family expectations and peer pressure. The question of Is

an MBA really worth pursuing in the context of being a change-maker? was also covered by

many.

This was followed by an open Question and Answer round. Participants found this session to

be the most inspiring and stimulating one, perhaps because of the immediate relevance of

the themes covered, and the sheer brilliance of the people present on the panel. They alsohad an opportunity to engage with speakers after the session over a networking dinner,

SAYC night, to continue the intense discussions stirred at the round-table.

Panel Speakers:

1. Syed Sultan Ahmed: CEO, Edumedia2.Jayaram Krishnan: Consultant, Development sector3.Anil Kumar Yerra: Marketing Professional, associated with AkshayPatra Foundation4. Pramod Joshi: Senior Advisor, Shiv Nadar Foundation5.Vishal Talreja: Co-founder& Executive Director, Dream A Dream, Ashoka Fellow6.Amitabh Shah: Founder & Chief Inspiration Officer, Yuva Unstoppable7. LalithaVaidynathan: Managing Director, FSG Impact8. ChandrikaBahadur: Advisor to the Chairman, Reliance Industries


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Action ProjectsDay 5 was kept aside for stepping out and getting the participants hands dirty,

literally. Half the group went to the Art of Living Ashram. The Art of Living Foundation is

a not-for-profit, educational and humanitarian NGO (Non-Governmental Organisation)

engaged in stress-management and service initiatives. The participants here initially

were made to clean the weeds. They were later explained on how organic farming is

carried out in acres of land of ashram. One of the teachers briefed them about the Art

of Living and its meditation courses. This was followed by a visit to the Ashram.

The other half went to Bhoomi, on outskirts of Bangalore city. Bhoomi is an NGO

working on organic farming and sustainable living initiatives, including running a

magazine on the same. Here, the participants split into different groups and engaged

in activities ranging from making tasty, healthy salads, to picking out produce from an

organic garden to understanding Bhoomis waste water processing facilities, tolearning to make bricks out of mud-blocks. It was interesting to see how small, eco-

friendly initiatives were integrated into the running of the entire place


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Culture, Fun, and Mingling of Minds: The

Informal Events

Family Time

Participants were divided into families with 12-13 members each, led by a family

leader. Family time was a space for participants to collectively reflect on the days

theme, sessions; share their thoughts, experiences, concerns; and jointly work

towards the Action Based Change Declaration.

This was the building block of the conference the one that brought participants

together with a common agenda in a warm, intimate space. There were alsomeditations, ice-breakers, and group exercises done in families. Some families

even awarded nicknames to each member for the duration of the conference!

Politically Incorrect

Politically incorrect involved spontaneous, informal discussions amongstparticipants on any issue they chose, to bring out off-the-record controversial andcounterpoints in the open. One of the sessions that happened outside the hostel

blocks was on Mahatma Gandhi. Another interesting one saw delegates from

Afghanistan, Pakistan, Srilanka, Maldives, and India talk about their countries for a

few minutes. In a span of an hour, the people present rose to join 5 different

national anthems that preceded each presentation!

Social Shutterbugs

This event used the visual medium to present issues, ef forts, successes. Some of

the videos were made by participants themselves, talking of their own work.

There was much celebration of each others initiatives!

Comedy Night

A night for participants to unwind, Comedy Night saw Bangalore-based stand-up

comedian Sanjay Manaktala and his team tickle the funny bones of the participantsThe 3-act series which also picked on some front-row seaters had the audience in

splits!

VIBGYOR

VIBGYOR was a celebration of the vibrant cultures of all the countries present.

Participants teamed up according to their countries or regions and performed

dances, songs in their own languages, videos from their homeland and so on. Therewas also a good bit of poetry, drama (evolved from the theater workshop by Peace ChildInternational) and dedications through a fun game of fish-pond. Delegates from different

countries came dressed in their traditional outfits. The Srilankan team performed a beautiful

native song with strong beats, which caused many of the Indian participants to stand up and

perform a traditional Gujarati garba dance to causing quite an eclectic mix! The cultural

night ended in a traditional Bhutanese way of dancing in a large circle. Needless to say, endless

photo clicks followed!


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Annex 1 :A Snapshot of Press Coverage


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Annex 2: The Action Based Change Declaration

A Summarization

Adopted at the 1st South Asian Youth Conference, Bangalore, IndiaThis declaration has been adopted by the delegates of the 1st SAYC andreflects the aspirations, ideas and commitments of youth in the region.

The declaration is focused on specific actions that are relevant to the South

Asian context and are grounded in the theme of Peace within, with others

and with the environment.

Key Themes

The key emerging themes of our discussions, over and above those

reflected in the Istanbul Action Plan are:

1. Peace Within

A) Individual Sense of Peace and Balance the role of individuals and the

need to adopt a spiritual and humanitarian approach to our social actions.

B) Education as a vehicle of social change educational reform that

ensures equal access, holistic learning, infrastructural improvements,creating a South Asian University, leveraging digital technology and

innovative schemes to meet low resource situations.

C) Integrating the Self with the Planet small changes and awareness ineveryday living, practices like bio mimicry and composting and the

understanding of connectedness in nature.

2. Peace With Others

A) Building a strong South Asian community using arts, sport, culture,social media, conferences and joint action to blur the boundaries between

countries and kick-start the process of co-operation

B) Nurturing Entrepreneurship leverage social entrepreneurship,

implement green business ideas, create access to capital and nurture native

low-cost solutions

C) Leveraging the power of youth take charge and responsibility for thecurrent situation and move towards creating a cohesive union in South Asia,

connect and learn from each other and build a community of leaders


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3. Peace With Environment

A)Influencing governments to invest in sustainability Lobby forsustainable infrastructure, develop sustainability indices, conduct eco audits

and hold governments accountable for their commitments

B)Empower with information Create access to information aboutgovernment policies, implications of climate change and impact of joint action

to the population at large using innovative media

C) Support Istanbul Action Plan and align our actions with the global

youth movement

The Way Forward

The SAYC had committed to be an action oriented conference - the results of

the conference are also a whole lot of action points. Some of these are:

Individual Action Plans

The IAPs are an integral part of the conference since these reflect the

individual commitments of participants. Grounded in the belief that individualaction is the key to social transformation, hundreds of actions have been

committed by participants. These will be actively shared on the internalgroup to inspire each other

SAYCx : The extended conference

To make sure that the knowledge generated in SAYC goes beyond the

conference there will be opportunities for participants to organize 'miniSAYCs' - we will provide participants access to videos, facilitator guides and

training to facilitators. The aim is to extend the knowledge of the conference

and create a build up for the next SAYC

The Center for Peace

SAYC participants felt the need for a center for peace on the border of India

and Pakistan and Wagah. We will be aligning with other such efforts and

lobby for the center. A core team of volunteers from India and Pakistan are

already working on this project.

The Action Based Change Declaration

The ABCD is the primary output of the conference - it reflects the opinions


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and aspirations of the youth. Post the conference, the declaration is going tobe shared in conferences in Singapore, China, Gahana, Slovenia, Belgium,

Germany, South America and finally to the UN in New York.

SAYC 2012

Three countries have expressed interested in hosting the next SAYC -Afghanistan, Bhutan and Nepal. Based on our internal consensus, the next

SAYC will be planned.

The Asian Youth Conference

It is proposed to organize a conference in India that involves the entire Asian

Community, as a step towards hosting a larger global level conference.

Apart from this, there are several projects that have emerged out of the

conference, as a ripple effect of the event.

* In conclusion - closing message - ABHISHEK

We believe that a closely connected and peaceful South Asian region is not a

distant dream - if we, the youth take concrete and aligned action. It is an

urgent need for us to do this - not only for our sake but the sake of the future

generations.

We are going to put in every ounce of effort that is required to make this

happen - in doing this we need the support and alignment of everyone whoshares this dream. Governments, civil society, NGOs, youth and corporates -

its time to align!!

Come, lets weave a stronger South Asia!


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Annex 3: Sponsors and Partner Organizations

Peace Child International

Peace Child International is registered in the UK as an

educational charity, and since its founding in 1981 has grownto unite more than 1,500 affiliate groups and networks in

over 180 countries. Peace Child's mission is to empoweryoung people to be the change they want to see in the

world.

This theme is at the forefront of each of their projects and

programmes, and is the standard by which they work. PCI

supports young people around the world to producebooks, musicals, educational materials, workshops and

training courses on their major generational challenges:

climate change, peace, human rights, poverty, andsustainable development. PCI also funds young people to

undertake community based action projects of their own

through the "Be the Change!" programme, and hosts thebi-annual World and European Youth Congress series.

Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore

Established in 1973, IIM Bangalore has since then built on its

base of highly accomplished faculty, world class

infrastructure and motivated student body to emerge asone of the premier institutes for management education

and research promoting managerial excellence in thecountry. Located in Indias high technology capital, IIMB is

in close proximity to some of the leading corporate

houses in the country, ranging from information

technology to consumer product companies, giving it theadded advantage of integrating classroom knowledge

with practical experience.

IIMB strives to achieve excellence through partnerships

with industry, and leading academic institutions, the world

over. IIMBs mission is to build leaders through holistic,

transformative and innovative education.In keeping with this mission statement, IIM-B is playedhost to the first South Asian Youth Conference, 2011.

Oxfam India

Oxfam is celebrating its 60th year in India this year. It is

fitting that in this historic year for the Oxfam family, Oxfam


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India has just been inducted as a fully independent, Indianorganization (with Indian staff and an Indian Board) into

the Oxfam International Confederation.Oxfam India is the newest and 15th member of this

Confederation. The other members of the confederation

are Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, GreatBritain, Hong Kong, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand,Netherlands, Quebec, Spain, and the US)

The Oxfams are rights-based organizations that fightpoverty and injustice by linking grassroots programming

(through partner NGOs) to local, national and global

advocacy and policy-making. All of Oxfams work is

framed by our commitment to five broad rights-based

aims: the right to a sustainable livelihood, the right to

basic social services, the right to life and security, theright to be heard and the right to equality: gender and

diversity.Oxfam Indias vision is to create a more equal, just, and sustainable world. The overarching vision of

Oxfam India is right to life with dignity for all. Oxfam

India will fulfill its vision by empowering the poor and

marginalized to demand their rights, engaging the nonpoor to become active and supportive citizens,

advocating for an effective and accountable state and

making markets work for poor and marginalized people.

Edumedia

EduMedia is an exciting phenomenon that is bringing about

a positive change in the educational arena by creatinginspiring and innovative media ventures.

EduMedia constantly strives to create progressive learning

avenues for the schooling community by leveraging the

powerful impact of media events, print, films, internet,

television, mobile, gaming and emerging media to effect apositive change in the educational environment.

Krayon, School Cinema, Mentor and Activity are its brands

that hold aloft the vision of the company by providing

innovative solutions for schools, students, teachers,

principals and parents. From events to training topublishing to films, EduMedia is constantly striving tobring about a positive change in the educational space.

White Light

White Light refers to the innate and often untapped energy

or 'potential' possessed by every individual.

Organizations, essentially aggregations of several


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individuals and teams, possess significant White Light -untapped energy that can be leveraged for the joint

benefit of the system as well as the individualworkingwithin the system. This energy can be discoveredand released with the help of structured and

focusedinterventions. This metaphor forms the centralphilosophy of White Light Solutions which offers threeinterrelatedsolutions clusters - Transforming

Organizations, Transforming People and ProvidingInsights throughAction Research.

United Cottage Industries

United Cottage Industries is a handicraft shop at Bangalore. They

have unique collection of Indianhandicrafts.

Knowledge Partner

Infosys Limited (NASDAQ: INFY) was started in 1981 by sevenpeople with US$ 250. Today, it is a global leader in the "next

generation" of IT and consulting with revenues of US$ 6.04billion (LTM March-11).

Infosys defines designs and delivers technology-enabled

business solutions for Global 2000 companies. Infosysalso provides a complete range of services by leveragingour domain and business expertise and strategic

alliances with leading technology providers.

NGO partner

Touching Lives Welfare Trust

Online Media Partners

Yourstory.in

Yourstory.in is the fastest growing online platformcommitted to providing visibility and meaningfulnetworking opportunities to first generation Young Indian

Entrepreneurs, Start-ups and all the self-madeprofessionals.


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Youthkiawaaz.com

Youth Ki Awaazis one of the most prolific website/blog around,presenting youth views, opinions, analysis and reports on issues

that matter. Since its inception in March 2008, it has had

thousands of young people write for it, and millions of otherscontributing by reading, commentingand more.

Annex 4: Participant Testimonials

NischalGadhavarjula, India

My first step aftrSAYC .. I ll b goin to my school to give small presentation

about peace and green tech to 9th and 10th class students..Hopinatleast 1

to adopt the green techniques :) :)"

Saunak Bhatta, Nepal:

Hello SAYCians

""15 days of Experience"" has been days to cherish and ever remembered.

The SAYC came up with expectations and went back leaving new hopes,energy, enthusiasms and insights. 4 of Nepalese Delegates reached Nepal

on June 3 (Aniruddha reached early). All the way we experienced the

inexperienced and SAYC remained on our eyes all the way. I am sure our

team will be able to flourish South Asians Leadership. And yes Youths are

not useless, they are just used less. Similarly, South Asians are not PEACE

LESS they are just PEACE CONFERENCE LESS. Thanks and Regards. Saunak

from Nepal"

Gorky Tyagi

AWESOME time at IIM B....hats off to the organisers for making SAYC'11

such a success...let's carry on the initiative...cheers:)"

OmaidSharifi, Afghanistan

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is just the start/establishment of a platform of

cooperation and friendship among SA Youth. Lets work for it with hearth

and make it a symbol of unity, peace and harmony.

I am seriously following to have you guys in Kabul for SAYC2012 :-), dont

get excited, we are just taking some baby steps. But, you will get the newsin advance. And one final note, I want to thank the organizers for makingSAYC2011 a success."

OmaidSharifi, Afghanistan

Dear SAYCians,

It was a very few good days with all of you. Very important for me is

meeting you all and having such wonderful friends. Afghanistan delegation


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and personally me and Lima Ahmad have committments with Blue RibbonMovement, Peace Child International, VinodSreedhar, Maeed Mohamed

ZahirSf, friends from Nepal and Sri Lanka and I am damn committed tocontinue our discussions."

"PuranGurung, Bhutan

I never thought this conference of few days will be our conferenceforever... I miss all of you N soon I hope I can see you in Bhutan for the nextconference N hope u all will be still youth except for Abhishek haha"

Prakhar Jain, India

Hi all..Ijus want to share an incident with you...one of our fellow

delgedageHussain Mohamed Haneef from Maldives had gited me a 10

denomination note (INR 30)...ll i was travellng in Pune and i had to pay to a

driver..so unintentionally i gave that note to him...he cam running and said

...(bhiaya ye kyahai)""whats this""....then I wished...hope we had samecurrency for south asia..:)...like EU has.."

PuranGurung, Bhutan

First South Asian Youth Conference was held in IIM Bangalore organized by

a team of social activist, Blue Ribbon Movement on 23th May to 28th May

2011, a six day vigorous conference. The conference was supported bycouple of international organizations and prominently by an International

NGO, Peace Child International. PCI supported the Blue Ribbon Movement

in many fronts of the conference. Pankaj Chandra, the Director of IIMB

inaugurated the conference with impeccable oration about peace.

Blue Ribbon Movement: The Blue Ribbon Movement is a hybrid social

enterprise that creates youth leaders in the social space.

SAYC 2011 saw conglomeration of 120 potential youth leaders across the

South Asian regions. The sole of the conference was peace. Creating

oneness among the people of different regions despite the hatred and

borders printed in the map is seen as much efficient and easier way to bring

together millions of hearts across the South Asian regions. And a conceptthat truly exhibits that it is easier to forge friendship between people rather

than nations. Whereas governments have complex agendas and diplomatic

stances, two people can just look at each other in the eye; smile and hug.

Peace at individual level is as simple as that: No treaties. No policies. No

negotiation.

SAYC is a camp for peace warriors and a green signal to start a new

revolution right from the grassroots level. The impossibility of restoring

peace in the world was at loggerheads.

SAYC 2011 conference had six elements: Plenary, Thematic sessions,

Workshops, Round Table Discussions, Action projects and Action Based


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Change Declaration. Delegates of the South Asian declared theirdetermination to focus limelight to social issues of the South Asian countries

and design strategies to achieve it. The declaration was divided into threecategories: Peace within, Peace with others and Peace with the

Environment.

The participants were to trample across the issues and brainstorm, work ingroup and submit their ideas on how they plan on bringing about change(in

chosen area), and make full efforts to achieve it in the coming months. TheConference touched every possible emerging issues like green economy

versus brown economy (blue economy), sustainable entrepreneurships,

poverty, education etc...

All the emerging issues were discussed and tumbled down to few

resolutions to tackle the issues. More importantly the scope of theworkshop was to discuss issues on a common platform, enable the group to

arrive at desirable strategies towards achieving clean, green, stable andsustainable and peaceful future.

Bhutan to me is one of the few countries that have got it right they have

made the right choice of measurements of progress. It has become ourdream to hold a conference in Bhutan keeping happiness as the next theme

of conference for the youth leaders to trample and devise the next possible

model of development. The king of Bhutan is truly seen as the inspiration of

the youths all over the world. Blue ribbon movement will soon pave its path

to Bhutan as well, said the founder of Blue ribbon movement,

AbhisekThakore.

To my friends from Bhutan: Thank you for bringing the beauty and the

happiness of the mountain state of Bhutan to this SAYC. Though a small

state, your spirit is enormous and to power has rippled through the hearts

and minds of all who have had the privilege of meeting you have said,

David R Woollcombe, The President of Peace Child International (PCI).

The conference ended with a continuity of energy to change the world and

stuffed each delegates the rare potential to bring the change to their

respective countries from the strategies of these vigorous seven day

conference. It is the will of all the participants of the 1st South Asian Youth

conference to see the next conference held in Bhutan and Kabul. In the lightof Bhutanese society, the cause of BRM stands as hope for our youths tostep next level and contribute to our countrys peace and happiness and

truly deserve the soubriquet: The last Shangri-La.

On 30th of May, the conference hailed down to many trend-setting

strategies and a promise of every single individual to bring a change and

restore peace in their own homes and to the world. The impossibility of


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restoring peace was redefined: We dont need a stone to produce a ripplein the pond, a pebble is enough.

- PuranGurung, Bhutan Delegate to SAYC"Pragya Gupta: To say that this conference was amazing would be anunderstatement. heres to all the organisers who took care of us form day 1till the end ... who chilled with us over iced teas and green granitas and

made us work on the declaration :P

to all the family leaders who were more than just a source to put the group

together... from chilling to dining to having night sessions, u guyz have

been outstanding.

and last but not the least, all the people from across south asia, who made

this conference happen.

after a lot of magical moments, a lot of fishes in the pond, laughing likemaniacs over idiotic jokes, sleeping, eating , dancing and at the same time,

working towards one common goal- we are back home. and this feeling sux.Heres hoping that , this too shall pass and we would meet again for an

outstanding time :)

Pragya, Delhi, India

Mohammad Jan Ofuq, Afghanistan

HEYYYYY SAYCians:::: ::

Wow Great!!!! Job SAYCians and congratsssss

Today is the happiest day of my entire life. It was actually my dream to havethis idea of ONE SOUTH ASIA. Before, coming to SAYC conference, I have

raised this issue that Why we cannot have one SOUTH ASIA on facebook.

Today:::::::::::WAS ::::::: GREATEST DAY OF THE CONFERENCE FOR ME

AND I THINK FOR ALL OF US.

Todays groups discussions and work proved the following points:

- South Asian Youths have the power and talent to work toward one peacefulsouth Asia

- They really want to see the change in South Asia

- Without having any idea about other groups, this idea was reflected in

every single group discussion (South Asia without border, one visa for

South Asia, One currency for South Asia) I want to add some more : (oneSouth Asian Parliament, One foreign Policy, one passport, one defendingjoint organization, etc)

- Having a YEARLY SOUTH ASIA FESTIVAL would be a GREAT step toward

one SA (South ASIA)

It might looks impossible or fool for some of us, but Come on how did the

EU made it, we are not behind from them, no lack of talents , it just needs


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HARD WORK, HARDER WORK and eventually we will make it . It is how theworld work.

Any ideas SAYCians!!!!!"

Vishnu M.j, India Missing everyone very badly.... those late nite chats which would last upto 3am.... granitas n coffees at java green..... clicking pictures..... thoselil silly gossips.... those fish n d pond activities.... those workshops for the first time which didnt sound boring..... hmmm.....nostalgia of yesterday....memories which pass by every

second....

carrying back more than what i thought of..... thanks everyone....its was not jusspecial..it was more than tat... . more than meets d eye.....:):):):):):):):):):):)"

Ranjan Malik, Director, Erehwon Consulting "amaniduniami"",

""miromiro"", ""PRING""! Were all these coined at the conference? What dothey mean folks? :) I know Pring - can you create a social media version of it

too? You can then Pring (verb?) each other (and others) on fb and mails.

Think about it."

Bharath S Valecha Action Plan was an awesome day; Thank you SAYC,

BRM and everyone involved. Abhishek has been one of the best role

models n a great great inspiration."

BidishaKalita: The South Asian Youth Conference, 2011 has been a hell lot

of an experience!!... from r sleepless nights that v spent laughin at anand n

anangsha's mimicry n chattin to David's ""amaniduniami"" n his snorin at Sri

Sri's session, the amazing workshops, family time, guitar n song sessions

widmirat, nisshal n saunak, p block n javagreen...d conference gave mesome of my best memories n frens!!...thank u organisers n all d participants

4 makin it such a huge success:):):)....**miromiro**"

PuranGurung, Bhuta: A standing ovation for the team: SAYC. The

organizers has hosted it so well creating different insights andenlightenment. I wish prosperous journey to all the members of SAYC,2011. It is a lifetime experience and a journey with leaders. Thank you ALL!!!

PRING!!!"

Ranjan Malik, Director, Erehwon Consulting: Thanks young friends.

Loved interacting with you all yesterday. Found your youthful energy

infectious;"


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Annex 5: Blog Articles

http://laugh-o-holic.blogspot.com/2011/05/soul-force.html http://mundanejourney.blogspot.com/2011/06/pakistan-in-person.html http://mundanejourney.blogspot.com/2011/06/pakistan-in-person-part-ii.html http://twinklingmuse.blogspot.com/2011/06/sayc-honest-testimonial.html http://bidishakalita.blogspot.com/2011/06/south-asian-youth-conference-2011.html http://www.opptunity.com/2011/06/sayc-mohdjanofuq/ http://www.roadtorioplus20.org/Rio-Plus20/South-Asian-Youth-Conference-recap http://ayeshailyas.blogspot.com/

south asian youth congress report

Documents