One Young World Asia Caucus Roundup

The "Increasing Accessibility for Mental Well-Being" session was joined by James Chau (International Broadcaster and Host at The China Current) and moderated by Aashraya Seth (OYW Ambassador & Founder of The Intelligent Indian (TIIx)).

The session addressed how today’s leaders, both experienced and young, can increase accessibility for mental wellbeing in the region. Both James and Aashraya drew attention to the impact of COVID-19 in the region, stating that "the pandemic is far from over", as reflected by factors such as low vaccine efficacy. Most importantly, the session discussed the stigmas surrounding discussing mental health on the continent, with James stating that "the culture in Asia associates (mental illness) with failure and inability to move forward sadly.". Ultimately both argued that health and mental health must be viewed in relation to each other, and not in silos, to promote meaningful change. James also drew attention to the leading role One Young World has played in discussing mental health, "speaking about it consistently since 2011".

A key takeaway from this discussion was that health needs to be related to mental health, emphasising the need for one to take care of themselves and others around them. 

The "Everyday Guide to Combat Climate Change" session was joined by Eric Kawabata (APAC General Manager of Terracycle & Loop) and moderated by Robin Lewis (OYW Ambassador & Co-Founder of mymizu).

The session addressed what young leaders, as citizens of their countries, can do to combat climate change. Both Eric and Robin spoke of the growing significance of sustainability, and the ways in which climate change is negatively affected due to how waste is approached. Ultimately Eric argued that one needs to "fundamentally change the way they think about waste", focusing on the need to "create a new paradigm – (and) design for durability."

Eric spoke of his role at Terracycle and Loop, discussing how the idea of shared value is "not just to do good for society but also to drive economic purpose within your organization". Throughout this dicussion, there was an emphasis on sustainability endeavors, and how there is an increased emphasis on ESG (Environmental, social and corporate governance) within major financial companies. The discussion additionally centred around sustainability efforts, finding satisfaction in helping others, and how young leaders can be empowered to tackle climate change in their communities.

A key takeaway from this discussion is that we have to focus on 4Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle AND refuse, only consuming what we need and not only what we do not need.

The closing remarks of the Caucus were delivered by Mr. Kimihito (Kimy) Okubo (Chairman of One Young World Japan), who delivered an inspirational word to the Caucus attendees to end the Caucus on.

Speaking of the Caucus, he mentioned that "bringing people together from across cultures and encouraging them to meet and talk and brainstorm is a spark that ignites revolutionary innovations." With the inspiration gathered from the sessions of the day, Mr. Kimy encouraged the Caucus attendees to hold onto the discussion points brought up in the Caucus, keeping their visions in tact and passions ignited, to create sustainable action and change in the future.