APEC International Youth Camp Builds Entrepreneurial Spirit
Over 200 students from around the Asia-Pacific attended the 2004 APEC International Youth Camp on 5 and 6 August in Taipei. Under the theme of 'Youth Entrepreneurship' the camp's aim was to promote international exchanges and cooperation, facilitate cross-cultural friendships and enhance the competitive abilities of the youth as global citizens. Activities at the camp emphasized the aspects of adventure, passion, entrepreneurship and community development.
"The competitive abilities of youths are the foundation of a country's competitive advantage," Minister Li-Chiun Cheng of the National Youth Commission told the camp.
"The future development of a country lies on the youth creativity and innovation. As the 2003 APEC Ministerial Statement declared, the youth is the future of APEC. How to empower youths to face new global challenges and further encourage them to devote in the regional cooperation beyond national borders have been top priorities. It is the challenge as well as the opportunity for all APEC economies to pursue developments with better human resources in deeper cross-cultural understandings and mutual consensus.
"As the Asia-Pacific region has become the economic hub of the world, APEC has recognized the importance of capacity building and start-up sponsorship, which will ultimately contribute to activity and innovation of youths, the main impetus to ensure the sustainable development."
To inspire creativity, the participants were organized into 15 groups for field trips around Chinese Taipei. Participants were given greater insight into creative industries and exchanged thoughts and ideas at brainstorming sessions.
As well as the students, also attending the camp were 14 speakers drawn mainly from young entrepreneurs and 5 chairpersons of APEC discussion groups, the Lead Shepherd of the Human Resources Development Working Group (HRDWG), Dr. Chira Hongladarom and the Program Director responsible for youth matters in the APEC Secretariat, Mr. Joseph Doraisamy.
The Camp was officially opened by the Honorable Dr. Li-Chiun Cheng, the Minister of the National Youth Commission, Chinese Taipei. The Lead Shepherd of the HRDWG and the Program Director of the APEC Secretariat provided remarks at the opening ceremony.
The culmination of the Youth Camp was the signing of a 'Youth Development Declaration' by representatives of the 15 APEC economies present.