Manila, November 22, 2021—On November 19 and 20, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and The Asia Foundation, through the Youth Leadership for Democracy (YouthLed) project, held the inaugural National Youth Leaders’ Summit.
During the summit, more than 1,000 youth leaders from across the country heard from subject matter experts about the merits and challenges of democratic governance. They also engaged with fellow youth on key issues such as democracy, citizenship, the state of the Filipino youth, and their role in national and global leadership.
USAID Philippines Acting Mission Director Sean Callahan joined Pasig City Mayor Victor “Vico” Sotto and other representatives from the Philippine government and local organizations at the event.
“As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and the Philippines, and the 60th anniversary of USAID in the Philippines, the U.S. government remains an enduring friend, partner, and ally in supporting the growth and development of Filipino youth as we strive to build a better future together,” said Callahan. “Our combined efforts to strengthen the capacity and provide platforms for young leaders will bring meaningful change and inspiration to many countries worldwide.”
The summit, which will be held annually, served as the culmination of the local youth assemblies and the start of a sustained action toward strengthening youth participation in democratic governance processes.
The summit served as a follow-up to USAID-sponsored local youth assemblies, attended by more than 2,400 youth across the country, and coalition-building activities that reached more than 60,000 youth. The event was livestreamed on the YouthLed PH Facebook page.
Since 2020, USAID’s YouthLed has been working with national government agencies, local government units, civil society organizations, youth organizations, and the private sector to help build the capacity of emerging young leaders nationwide.
For the past 60 years, USAID has worked with the Philippine government and local organizations to achieve shared development goals, investing more than $5.1 billion to support the Philippines.