SEOUL, 21 August 2014 – Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Raul S Hernandez called on the 80 participants from the Philippines, and 42 other nations in Asia, Europe and the Americas, to become visionary leaders for their respective countries at opening ceremonies of the 25th International Youth Forum in Seoul on 20 August 2014.

The Forum, organized this year under the theme “Youth and World Peace” by the National Council of Youth Organizations in Korea (NCYOK), headed by President Hahm Jong Han, aims to facilitate interactions and discussions among young participants on global issues and solutions to existing conflicts around the world.

Ambassador Hernandez shared the Philippine government’s experience in its peace efforts in Mindanao for the last five decades and the solution through patient talks to the longstanding conflict with the Islamist separatist rebels with the recent conclusion of a peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

“Like the Philippines, some delegates here may come from countries facing similar challenges. The bigger the problems we face, the more creative and comprehensive should be the solutions we should propose to solve them,” he told the participants at the International Youth Center Conference Hall in Gangseo-gu in Seoul..

“The youth are the future of the world,” he added. “One day you will be called upon to lead and inspire others into moving toward one direction to achieve a common goal. Let every undertaking you make from this day forth serve as a preparation to becoming the transformational leader ready and able to answer the call for peace.”

Ms. Georgia Drinkwater, a delegate from England who was chosen to represent the group to express their words of appreciation to the organizers of the Forum told the audience.

“I’m sure lessons learned during this eight-day forum will have a lasting influence. If a common identity can be forged through a great globalized youth, surely toleration and understanding and acceptance of all is possible,” she said.

“World peace is obviously a long way off, but the challenges of our generations are different from previous generations, we now have an important tool to address the issue, which is the social media which now place a huge role in our lives today,” she concluded.

Established in 1965 under the auspices of the Ministry of Gender and Equality (MOGEF), the NCYOK aims to gather annually, youth participants from ages 18 to 26 from different sides of the world to discuss various issues affecting their rights as well as their role in this era of globalization.

During the program, the participants had Korean language lessons and culture, as well as participate in a Seoul City Study Tour.

During the ceremony, the audience, also composed of the members of the diplomatic corps and academia, MOGEF officials, and 20 Korean youth volunteers, listed to traditional-modern fusion music through “Queen”, a three-woman music band which played a rendition of the Beatle’s “Let It Be” and Abba’s “Dancing Queen” using Korean traditional instruments.