U.S. Department of State Special Envoy for Global Youth Issues Abby Finkenauer will travel to Bali, Indonesia, from May 1 to 5 to participate in the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Women’s Leadership Academy. During the trip, the Special Envoy will provide key remarks, facilitate workshop discussions, and engage with emerging women leaders, advocates, and leaders from Southeast Asia to support their work to address the climate crisis and challenges in four areas: Environment, Ecology, Energy, and Equity.
Special Envoy Finkenauer’s travel underscores the United States’ commitment to youth leaders and the importance of partnering with them to develop innovative solutions to address cross-regional challenges. Since December 2013, YSEALI has been the U.S. government’s signature leadership development and networking program for youth across ASEAN countries and Timor Leste. Building connections within and beyond the region is a vital part of the United States’ Indo-Pacific strategy, and YSEALI is a key component of developing those connections. The YSEALI Women’s Leadership Academy is one of many special events that commemorate the 10th anniversary of the YSEALI program.
YSEALI participants are youth leaders committed to leading positive change in the areas of civic engagement, economic empowerment and social entrepreneurship, education access, and environment and sustainability in Southeast Asia. YSEALI members represent the breadth and diversity of ASEAN, but they all exemplify the YSEALI motto: You are never too young to lead. Look for #YSEALI10 online to learn about events leading up to and through YSEALI’s 10-year anniversary celebration.