Following the theme of Thailand's chairmanship of Asean this year, young leaders from the region chose "Advancing Partnership for Sustainability" as their own motif at a recent event.
At the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (Yseali) Summit held in Phuket this month, 150 young leaders aged 18–35 years from Asean member countries and Timor-Leste gathered to share ideas and exchange knowledge under the theme.
Yseali is the US government's signature programme to strengthen leadership development and networking in Southeast Asia, according to US Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Marie Royce, who added it is also about promoting cross-border cooperation to solve regional and global challenges.
In Phuket, the young leaders learned how to reduce plastic waste in the sea with the province's hotel association, and attended field trips to Phuket Marine Biological Centre, a pineapple eco-farm and also a local goat farm.
The idea of "Advancing Partnership for Sustainability" is represented by the Rua Hang Yao (long-tail boat) which is a feature of the Yseali summit's logo. The traditional wooden boat was commonly seen on Phuket's beaches and used to ferry tourists from island to island, and also used to bring fishermen and their supplies to their daily fishing grounds. It is a symbol of local identity, sustainability and unity.
Independent researcher Koranis Tanangsnakool, 34, who was among the participants told the media how damage to aquatic life by plastic waste motivated her to establish the environmental organisation "ReReef" to make consumers aware of the problems their habits cause.
"Plastic waste in the sea decomposes into microplastic which is eaten by aquatic creatures and causes their death. The food chain will eventually be broken by the microplastics introduced into it by humans," she warned.
She said sunblock that people often apply before going into the sea also contaminates the water. She and her partners have created their own "ReReef" sunblock which is harmless to coral reefs in Thailand.
"We must avoid the sunblock that contains Oxybenzone, Octinoxate, 4-Methylbenzylid Camphor (4MBC) and Butylparaben because these chemicals harm coral reefs," she added.
Expert input: Kyra Wicaksono, a marine research staff member at Misool Foundation in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Kyra Wicaksono, 22, a sea researcher at the Misool Foundation of Indonesia, has been working with fishermen to help them realise the role they can play in protecting the marine ecosystem.
"If coral reefs are carefully preserved, the abundance of aquatic life will return. In particular, shark populations which are a good indicator of the health of ocean environments," she said.
"The Misool Foundation is the registered charity arm of the private island resort, Misool. Based in Raja Ampat, Indonesia, our joint mission is to safeguard the most biodiverse reefs on Earth through the empowerment of local communities.
"The core of our operation is the belief that sustainable tourism and community-based conservation are mutually beneficial, adding to demonstrate to our local hosts, government, guests and ourselves that sustainable tourism can provide a better life than logging, mining, or overfishing," said Ms Wicaksono.
The Bangkok Post also heard from three hearing-impaired young adults, Chayakorn Sakornsatian, 17, Wachiraporn Thongjamnaong, 17 and Farida, 18, who had recently returned after studying abroad in America for 10 months.
They said they were honoured to have been invited to attend the summit by the US embassy and had learned about the importance of conserving the environment at the event.
They also mentioned that the story of Marium, the famous dugong that died after ingesting plastic waste, had made the news as far away as America.
The minister of higher education, science, research and innovation, Suvit Maesincee, told those in attendance that these issues, which are occurring globally, must be addressed as a matter of priority before it's too late to undo the damage.
Suvit said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha wants the public to adopt the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy introduced in 1974 by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great, to meet the Sustainable Development Goals outlined by the United Nations.
The solution to society's problems must begin with a concerted effort to change our perspective of the world from a "Me-Society" to a "We-Society", Gen Prayut was quoted as saying.
The Chargé d' Affaires at the US Embassy of Bangkok, Michael Heath, gave his support to the initiative and emphasised to those present that the young constitute 65% of the population in Southeast Asia.
He said the onus is on them to make sure they have a positive, environmentally-friendly future to look forward to when they grow up.