4December 2023, Seoul. Philippine mentor Dr. Joeffrey M. Calimag and delegates Diana Kassandra Almarez, Albertine June Din, Symon Dela Cruz, John Axel Orencia, and Christine Joy Pacilan, participated in the 2023 Youth Camp for ASEAN & Friends' Engagement (YCAFE) held from November 27 to December 2, 2023 in Seoul and Busan, South Korea.

Organized by the Republic of Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Asian Exchange Association, YCAFE was established to "promote closer ASEAN-Korea partnership through increased understanding and awareness among the youth in the region, raise awareness on the common challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region and identify the role of youth in promoting peace and prosperity, and build networks and facilitate exchange and communication among the youths of ASEAN, Korea and the United States." Now on its second run, around 52 delegates from South Korea, ASEAN countries and East Timor participated this time.

Dr. Calimag, who also serves as the President of the Council of ASEAN Professors in Korea, mentored the delegates and guided them on key insights which could further strengthen the role of the youth in pursuing a "free, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific." The result was an exhaustive Youth's Manifesto which tackled various critical subtopics including education, language, sustainable community development, gender equality, cultural diversity and inclusivity, cybersecurity, use of artificial intelligence and disinformation, conflict resolution and diplomacy, food security, regional payment connectivity, digital and creative economies, and sustainable energy, to name a few. Dr. Calimag said that the Manifesto is representative of the youth's ability to think out of the box and focus on addressing the "important gap" between policies and the realities on the ground.

On the side, the delegates experienced Korean culture first-hand and visited important sites of Korea-ASEAN exchange and cooperation, including the ASEAN Culture House and Nurimaru APEC House in Busan.

The youth camp was capped by a Farewell Dinner, which was attended by Third Secretary & Vice Consul Jill De Dumo-Cornista, and featured the reading of the Youth's Manifesto, and awarding of outstanding teams and certificates of participation. The next run of YCAFE is expected to begin in August 2024. END