On October 11, SSA supported the holding of the pre-departure concert for the 35th Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSEAYP) held at the SSA Headquarters. Some 25 Singapore youth leaders aged 30 and below were selected to participate in this year’s program that spans for a three-month period from October to December. SSA is the venue sponsor for the staging of the pre-departure concert that the participants have been preparing for the past three months.
Guest of Honour for this event was Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports Mr Teo Ser Luck, who graced SSA Headquarters for the first time. Some 500 members of the public and the participants’ family members attended the event.
The 35th SSEAYP is scheduled to be held from October 21 to December 11. During this period, the participants will visit six of the ten ASEAN countries namely Brunei (Muara), Indonesia (Jakarta), Thailand (Bangkok), Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City), Philippines (Manila), Cambodia (Phnom Penh) and Japan.
[SSEAYP is an annual program sponsored by the Japanese Government and supported by the member-countries of ASEAN. The program brings together about 300 youths from ASEAN countries and Japan, providing them with the unique opportunity to interact on board the ship Nippon Maru and at different ports-of-call for 52 days.
The programe aims to promote friendship and mutual understanding among the youth of Japan and Southeast Asian countries ; to broaden their perspective on the world , as well as to strengthen their motivation and ability in international cooperation by participating in discussions, in ob-board introductions to each country, and in various exchange activities both on-board and in the countries visited. In addition, the participating youths are expected to progress to leadership positions in youth activities, and in various other sections, in their own country after this program.]