Phnom Penh: The U.S. Embassy in Cambodia is hosting the first Regional Young Southeast Asia Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Civic Engagement Alumni Summit in Phnom Penh from January 9-12, 2025. This important regional workshop comes as the United States and the Kingdom of Cambodia kick off a yearlong celebration of their 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
The Southeast Asia Changemakers Summit: Empowering Alumni for Impact convenes 175 youth from across ASEAN countries and Timor-Leste in Cambodia to exchange ideas, learn from each other’s models for community participation, build their capacity, and collaborate on local and regional civic work projects. The forum will also provide experiential learning opportunities through site visits at the U.S. Embassy, Cambodian government offices, and civic and social enterprise organizations throughout Phnom Penh.
Implemented by the University of Nebraska at Omaha with its partner institutions, Arizona State University and Portland State University, the Southeast Asia Changemakers Summit highlights the strength of our people-to-people ties and the United States’ commitment to the socio-cultural pillar under the U.S.-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Chargé d’Affaires Bridgette L. Walker said: “The YSEALI Southeast Asia Changemakers Summit is a reflection of the United States’ longstanding support for youth leadership development in the region, marking the first event to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cambodia in 2025. Through YSEALI, we continue to empower the next generation of leaders, fostering stronger connections to build a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future for Southeast Asia, the United States, and the world.”
Launched in 2013, YSEALI is the U.S. government’s signature program to strengthen leadership development and networking in Southeast Asia, having grown to 155,000 regional members. YSEALI aims to build the leadership capabilities of youth in the region and promotes cross-border cooperation to solve regional and global challenges.
Through U.S. educational and cultural exchanges and fellowships, regional exchanges, summits, workshops, and seed funding, YSEALI empowers youth leaders, strengthens ties between the people of the United States and Southeast Asia, and nurtures development within the ASEAN community.
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