It’s been a long and windy journey filled with many trials and tribulations, but after 40 years, the Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has managed to brave them all, emerging stronger every time. With the recent inking of the ASEAN Charter in Nov set to bring the region even closer as one big family, it’s certainly the ideal time to release Young Southeast Asia: 40 Inspiring Youths, a book that provides a glimpse into the bright future that awaits us all.

The Young Men and Women of ASEAN

Produced by youths from the 10 ASEAN nations, the book was created to commemorate the organisation’s 40th anniversary.

Young Southeast Asia: 40 Inspiring Youths, like its title suggests, is an inspirational book containing the profiles of 40 (4 from each of the 10 ASEAN countries) of the region’s most extraordinary young individuals under the age of 35.

But rather than simply categorising these inspirational tales by order of country, the profiles which captures the individual’s struggles and triumphs, are separated instead into 4 characteristics that best define them – Courage, Creativity, Compassion and Commitment.
These 40 individuals represent and celebrate the rich cultural diversity that exists within ASEAN, with no two stories are alike despite the common characteristic that binds them together.

The book doesn’t focus on the usual rags-to-riches stories, so not all of the 40 are businessmen whose drive and sound business acumen brought them to the top of the game. There are sportsmen, social workers and numerous other individuals whose heroic efforts in various arenas befit the mentions they receive in this book.

For example, under the Courage section, there’s Akhmad Nasir, the brains behind the Angkringan newsletter, an Indonesian publication that truly provides a voice for the community especially in the face of corruption. And there’s also Jason Roy Sibug, a Filipino from the Manobo tribe whose efforts in founding the National Organisation of Young Tribal Leaders and Advocates of the Philippines with members of other indigenous tribes helps the indigenous people to empower and better themselves.

The Singaporean Fantastic 4

Speaking about the individuals, the 4 Singaporeans featured are:

Charles Wong, the founder of local shoe brand Charles & Keith, whose entrepreneurial spirit and courage led him to expand his mother’s small shoe business into a multi-million dollar empire.

Eunice Olsen, the current host of Art Central’s Front and the youngest Nominated Member of Parliament in Singapore is featured because of her volunteerism which has seen her counsel troubled teenaged girls at the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre, as well as promoting AIDS awareness.

Edward Teo, a National University of Singapore professor, is the youngest Singaporean to receive a doctorate at the age of 21. His rise in the field of Physics has been meteoritic, especially when he discovered a new way to “present the C-metric equation” (which according to his thesis, “It describes a pair of black holes undergoing uniform acceleration apart from each other,” even before he was 33.

Lee Huei Min, the world renowned violinist is noted not only for her musical talents, but also for her support of young talented musicians and her efforts for charity which has seen her raise millions of dollars.

The Contributors

It would have probably taken a single writer much longer to interview every one of the individuals featured in the book, so each country’s segment was written by a writer from that respective country, for example journalist Bridgette See was tasked with interviewing the 4 Singaporeans featured in the book.

And despite the cultural diversity that comes with having 10 different writers, the writing remains crisp, vibrant and powerful, a style certainly befitting these 40 powerful and accomplished youths.

Easy and enjoyable to read, each individual’s tale is well crafted and truly inspirational. Credit should go to first-time editor, Paolo Benigno ‘Bam’ A. Aquino IV for being able to meld all 40 stories into one cohesive masterpiece.

Design and Photography

The book is certainly well designed, filled with light colours to reflect the vibrancy and energy of youths. But overall, while the design is pleasant, it’s actually the book’s photography that is truly awe-inspiring.

When UrbanWire interviewed ASEAN Secretary-General Mr Ong Keng Yong, he said that he found the photographs taken by Filipino photographer Jake Verzosa to be brilliant, conveying the spirit and mood of the individuals well.

After having read the 248-page book a few times, UrbanWire came to the same conclusion as the Secretary-General. His pictures certainly complement the words well and help to give the book an extra-dimension.

A Celebration of Youth

At the end of the day, Young Southeast Asia: 40 Inspiring Youths is an excellent book that is able to transcend national boundaries and portray the determined spirit that embodies all of these heroes both in words and in pictures despite the wide cultural diversity that exists within ASEAN.

Solid designing, excellent writing and extraordinary photography, the book is certainly a very good book to have for light reading.

And judging by the book for those worried about the future, ASEAN’s future certainly looks to be in good hands.

Young Southeast Asia: 40 Inspiring Youths is available in all major bookstores.

Read UrbanWire‘s interview with ASEAN Secretary-General Mr Ong Keng Yong.