Nation Building School was the supporting partner of 2nd Kuala Lumpur International Youth Discourse (#KLIYD2017) for the second time!

We had a star-studded line-up with Prime Minister Dato' Seri Najib Razak, Defence Minister Dato' Seri Hishamuddin Hussein, Youth & Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin & Menteri Besar Perak Dato' Seri Zambry speaking at KLIYD!

It was held on Sunday 3rd December 2017 in Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) in Kuala Lumpur.

The 2nd KLIYD was themed "Embracing Total Security: Why It Matters". As our global populations grows to 9 billion by 2050, we are straining our world's limited resources. Our activities are changing the climate and destroying our biodiversity. As obesity is on the rise in developed countries, 1 billion around the world are malnourished. With the advent of the digital revolution, more than half of the current jobs will be lost to automation. We are more likely to be threatened by cyberattacks on our digital devices than from being hit from a bullet. These issues are nonconventional threats. Total security goes beyond traditional threats (e.g. conflicts, terrorism) and include nontraditional ones such as food security, climate security and cybersecurity. KLIYD intends to explore security holistically to prepare youths for the future.

Our speakers included:

1. YAB Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak (Prime Minister of Malaysia)
2. YB Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein (Minister of Defence & Minister of Special Functions)
3. YB Khairy Jamaluddin (Minister of Youth & Sports)
4. YAB Dato' Seri DiRaja Dr Zambry Abd Kadir (Chief Minister of Perak)
5. Ambassador Dr Dino Patti Djalal (former Indonesian ambassador to US, diplomat, author, academic)
6. Dr Shashi Jayakumar (Senior Fellow, Head of Centre of Excellence for National Security, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS))
7. Dr Hezri Adnan (Panel Member, United Nations International Resource Panel)
8. Alex Ellison (Education Consultant, College Planner)
9. Eddin Khoo (Founder & Director, Pusaka)

It was a wide-ranging forum on topics such as ASEAN security, fighting extremism, sustainability and climate change, job security and race relations. 

Our leadership team moderated two of the sessions. Principal Nafis Nazri moderated the session with Prof Dr Shashi Jayakumar and Dr Dino Patti Djalal on extremism amongst youth. Our Managing Principal Marques moderated the session with The Honourable YB Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, Minister of Defence.

As a Community Partner, our leadership team prepared a series of articles on 2nd KLIYD 2017:

1. Pixie Cigar (Principal): Our youths today are facing unprecedented threats, says defence minister (2 December 2017)
2. Pixie Cigar (Principal): It is not a matter of if, but when a terror attack happens, says Dr. Shashi Jayakumar at KLIYD 2017 (4 Dec 2017)
3. Leyna Kareem (Guru): Dr. Dino Patti Djalal on Extremism amongst the Youth (4 December 2017)

#LetsBreakTradition in #Employability and #Entrepreneurship by #FYP#ICP students at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak, Nation Building School and TEGAS Digital Innovation Hub.

Assistant Secretary at Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia Syed Nizamuddin Sayed Khassim (1989) started by sharing that sometimes you have this sense of achievement where you could be proud of, but could never share. His explained this through a Kingsman scene: "The point is, Eggsy, nobody thanked me for any of them. Front page news and all these occasions are celebrity nonsense. Because it's the nature of Kingsman that our achievements remain secret."

Founder of Kuala Lumpur's My Studio Works Ivan Heng shared the power of AR taking over the world, and thus the importance of keeping up to date with technology.

Founder of Sarawak's NOMS On Street Phua TK Avertino (1995) revealed what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. He asked, how much you want to make? If you want to make small money, you can do it by yourself. If you want to make big money, you need a team. That is to say, no man is an island. No matter how strong you are you only have 24 hours a day. You need a team to build an empire.

Founder of Saudi Arabia's VisionRENEWABLE Huzaifa Mubarak raised the importance of standing out given that degree and experience are common. So how do you do that? Be aware of expectations. Be bold. Be different. Deliver solutions. Enthusiasm. Life long learning.

In summary:

• Do not put all your eggs into one basket. Diversify.
• Life is all about problems.
• Entrepreneurship is about solving problems.
• Money is not everything, but everything needs money. Money is therefore an enabler to everything.
• Opportunities do not wait for you, so take them, hustle and innovate to deliver its solutions.
• There is no age limit to success. In fact, the younger you are the better because you will have less commitment, so use your youth to your advantage.
• Let go of what is unproductive.
• If you want to go fast, go by yourself. If you want to go far, go with a team.
• Respect comes when you give, not when you take.
• When you do things, keep yourself in silence. Let your success do the talking!

#mySwinburnestory #InnovateSarawak #TN50 @ TEGAS Digital Innovation Hub

Words by Principal Dr Marcus Lim

On 17th May 2017, we held a forum on statelessness in collaboration with UNHCR (The UN Refugee Agency) at BAC PJ Campus.

We invited the following speakers to talk about 'Malaysia's Invisible Problem: Statelessness': 
1. Illy Kamaludin (Assistant Protection Officer (Statelessness), UNHCR Malaysia)
2. Maalini Ramalo (Senior Manager for Social Protection, DHRRA Malaysia)
3. Syahredzan Johan (Human Rights Lawyer)
4. Marques Jeevan Menon (Principal, Nation Building School) [Moderator]

According to UNHCR, every 10 minutes 1 stateless child is born somewhere in the world. Today, at least 10 million people around the world are denied a nationality. Illy Kamaludin said as a result, they often aren’t allowed to go to school, see a doctor, get a job, open a bank account, buy a house or even get married. 

Stateless people may have difficulty accessing basic rights such as education, healthcare, employment and freedom of movement. Without these things, they can face a lifetime of obstacles and disappointment. Maalini Ramalo from Development of Human Resources for Rural Areas, Malaysia (DHRRA) shared personal stories of engaging with stateless people in Malaysia, particularly the Indian and indigenous Sabahan Dayak Laut peoples. 

Syahredzan Johan, a prominent human rights lawyer explained the constitutional law on citizenship - how can one attain a Malaysian citizenship, its rights and how can one lose it. He shared verdicts of court cases on stateless people. He noted Malaysia is a long way to go in addressing stateless people from a legal standpoint. 

The forum ended with a workshop conducted by UNHCR whereby participants were split into 5 groups and had to do present on statelessness. While statelessness is a complex issue requiring legal and policy prescriptions, citizens have a role in understanding and championing the rights of these invisible people. 

Read more about statelessness at http://www.unhcr.org/stateless-people.html.

We promised fireworks and we delivered fireworks at the last event of Nation Building School yesterday night!

We had a open and honest discussion on a tough topic in Malaysia—human rights. It was intense, it was heated, it was passionate, it was worth it. 

Dr Lin Mui Kiang (ex-UN specialist) gave us a comprehensive overview of international human rights and the situation back home. 

Prof Azmi Sharom (law professor) delivered an impassioned, earnest defence of human rights. He called on the powers that be to uphold human rights. As Azmi puts it, ‘human rights are the shields for the powerless.’

We journeyed with King Chai (former student activist) on his #UKM4 experience. They challenged the draconian AUKU and won—fundamentally changed the way tertiary education students engage in politics on campus. He suggests the changes to AUKU may have killed the student movement as independent student activists have given way to student politicians aligned to their political masters.

Amir Fareed Rahim (political analyst) asserted the language of human rights must be inclusive. He posited the rise of populist politics—Trump, Duterte—as failure of the liberal notion of human rights. Amir pointed out we cannot assess Malaysia in a vacuum but must consider global politics. He had a bleak outlook on future of human rights but called on Malaysians to get out of comfort zone and do something. 

Special thanks you to UK in Malaysia - British High Commission Kuala Lumpur or supporting this event. Masala Wheels food was good!

Watch out for #NationBuildingSchool in 2017!

On 15th October 2017, we held our 2nd forum entitled 'What's Happening Lah Malaysia?'. We wanted to discuss the increasing pessimism and cynicism amongst Malaysian youth regarding their country's future. We invited 3 prominent youth figures from various backgrounds to share their thoughts and ideas. More importantly, we asked them to share their suggestions to address the problems we were facing. A total of 70 attendants participated in this forum.

Speakers:
1. Danni Rais — Youth leader; Organisation For National Empowerment (ONE)
2. Wesley Chan Wenzhen— Trainer; Peak Performance Masterclass Trainer, Vision Alliance
3. Kal Joffres — Social entrepreneur; Co-Founder & CEO, Tandemic

We started the forum with an introduction to the Nation Building School. Our first speaker, Wesley Chan, a trainer from Vision Alliance got us on our feet with his physical and mental exercises. He talked about the importance of self-improvement. Wesley noted that citizens tend to blame external factors for their problems without doing any self-reflection. Ultimately, our problems start with us. We have to make a choice to own it or blame it on others. Responsible citizens will be accountable to their country's challenges. 

Danni Rais, a youth NGO leader called on the participants to get their hands dirty through turun padang (going grassroots). To understand the problems the people are facing, we need to meet them in person. He shared about his initiatives via his NGO, Organisation for National Empowerment (ONE). ONE has been active in organising forums and sessions with young people. One can visit their website to take part in their activities.

The final speaker, Kal Joffres, a social entrepreneur gave us a presentation to the innovative solutions to the world's problems including extreme poverty and climate change. Kal argues that disruption is happening at a rate we couldn't imagine. For young people, it's incumbent upon us to take advantage and be part of the process. Kal says one doesn't need to be an entrepreneur to be entrepreneurial. Even employees can be intrapreneurial at their workplaces to add value to their employer. Ultimately, entrepreneurship can solve the problems we face. 

Unfortunately, Nadira Yusoff couldn't attend the event as she was ill. 

Nation Building School was launched on 3rd September 2015 during our inaugural Assembly (forum). During this occasion, we invited 5 prominent young leading figures in business, entertainment and politics to talk about the future of youth in Malaysia. Impact Hub Kuala Lumpur was gracious and generous to host us at their lovely and hipster venue in Sentul East Design Centre.

 The speakers were as follows:
1. Michael Teoh Su Lim — Youth icon & Founder, Thriving Talents 
2. Caprice (Ariz Ramli) — Founder,Classruum.com & rap artist Caprice Official Group
3. Jazz Tan — CEO & Founder, YouthsToday.com
4. Zaidel Baharuddin — Barisan Nasional Youth Executive Secretary
5. Edry Faizal Yusof — Coordinator, Roketkini & DAPSY - Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth 

We asked them to explore the topic of ‘Young Malaysians and Our Future: Looking Beyond 2020.’

The panel kicked off the session by introducing themselves. They, then, proceeded to talk about the subject.

Youth icon Michael Teoh noted in his 7 years working with youth, he has witnessed the explosion of young people volunteering and taking direct action. He expects more NGOs and movements to organise on key issues in the coming future.

Young entrepreneur Jazz Tan concurred with Michael's observation. Jazz, leading a sponsorship matching platform for students, says young people are dabbling in entrepreneurship at a rate never seen before. She believes more youth participation in business bodes well for the country as young people rely less on government aid and hand-outs.

Rapper-turned-entrepreneur Caprice (Ariz) encouraged aspiring entrepreneurs and activists to take up causes and solve them. There is money and impact to be made. He shared his experience in creating a platform to democratise access to high-quality education through online tutoring, Classruum.com.

Young politician from the ruling party, Zaidel took a different turn. He talks up of a brighter future for all Malaysians with the government's national transformation policy. However, he acknowledges a number of people would fall in between cracks, as with any ambitious grand scale policy. His mission is ensure nobody is leave behind in the country's journey to be a high-income nation by 2020. Most importantly, he called on Malaysians to be active citizens and be part of the decision-making process.

His counterpart from the Opposition, Edry agreed with Zaidel's clarion call. Edry introduced the concept of socialist democracy as another to nation-building. He says a socialist democratic system ensures economic development is more even and equal for the benefit of all Malaysians. Edry believes government should play a more proactive role in people's welfare. He talks about his initiative Sekolah Demokrasi in encouraging youth to be active citizens. 

All in all, all speakers agreed the future of young Malaysians beyond 2020 is optimistic. There are challenges abound but we should see opportunity in crisis - and seize them. The 5 speakers also called on young people to be actively involved in the nation-building process.