31 students of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) were selected as delegates of ASEAN University Youth Summit (AUYS) 2015. This AUYS 2015 was conducted on 26-29 January 2015 at Universitas Utara Malaysia (UMM), Kedah, Malaysia. Bringing a theme “ASEAN Youth Network through Volunteerism”, this event was attended by 152 delegates of universities in South East Asia.
One of the delegates of UMY, Mahfudz Khoirul Amin (a student of International Relations batch 2012), stated that this event aimed at creating volunteerism relation in ASEAN. “The other purpose is to do networking as real action collaboration of youth in developing community to go to ASEAN Economic Community (MEA) 2015,” he told in an interviewed at the office of Public Relation Office and Protocol Bureau on Thursday (10/2).
Mahfudz conveyed that the AUYS had several activities like round table, discussion, resolution of round table discussion, sharing P2A members, and doing volunteerism in elementary school and kindergarten. “Before round table discussion, there were a welcoming remark and official opening by a minister, YAB Dato Seri Haji Mukhriz Tun Mahatir. On his speech, he emphasized the significance of youth in an ASEAN community which is getting integrated particularly in education, gender equality, and youth empowerment. Then, it was continued by round table discussion 1 discussing the main topic, The Role of Youth Volunteers as Agent of Change toward ASEAN Community 2015,” he explained.
The round table discussion, Mahfudz continued, required each delegate to tell volunteering activities in their home country. The activity was closed by resolution of round table discussion talking about “Strengthening Youth Volunteering in ASEAN.” “In the evening, we had a sharing activity about P2A members or Passage to ASEAN. Passage to ASEAN is a forum of universities engaged in P2A to do sit-in or student exchange among P2A members,” he expressed.
Moreover, volunteerism activity in elementary school and kindergarten was carried out the following day. It involved all AUYS delegates to assist teachers teach, play and clean school environment with the pupils. “There was closing ceremony and cultural performance from each stated in the evening. There was a student of International Relations, Dedy Yanuar, representing all delegates to deliver a closing remark and assert resolution of round table discussion result. One of the resolutions is that urging student organizations, especially focusing on volunteerism aspect, to share experience, discuss, and learn from other greater organizations, particularly international NGO,” maintained Mahfudz.
Mahfudz and his friends expected that young generation, particularly university students, to be more concern and care about community and to contribute to think of the community development around them. “As agent of change, students ought to get engaged in community building, especially in community education, as teaching TPA, socializing health in villages, helping to solve community issues such as irrigation and electricity, teaching, and others. Furthermore, it was hoped that the volunteerism would be carried out due to not only university duty but also personal awareness, so that it would not exist anymore apathetic and indifferent students toward the community development,” uttered Mahfudz, who is also actively involved in UKM of Aracbic, Al-Mujadid, and student regency, Unires UMY.
