Skip to main content

SOCDEM Asia Conducts Training for Young Politicians in Southeast Asia

Wednesday, 4 February 2015

SOCDEM Asia gathered 20 young politicians from Indonesia, Malaysia, Timor Leste and the Philippines for Political Management Training. The program, in pilot run, was a 5-day training for young progressive leaders that aimed (1) to provide capacity-building training on political management for young progressives; (2) to provide a platform for sharing and shared-learning of young progressives in the region; (3) to provide a common venue to foster strategic connections among young progressives.

The training included key areas of political management: deepening understanding of different political ideologies; party organizing and development; leadership; political communications and negotiations. The interactive training involved analyses, group work and simulation to be able to hone and practice skills in decision-making, strategizing, argumentation, and communication. The training tapped experts and practitioners from different fields to serve as resource persons/mentor-coaches. These include Professor Nathan Quimpo of Tsukuba University, Mr. Alexander Grandt Petersen, President of the Social Democratic Youth of Denmark and Mr. Percival Cendana, Former Chairperson of Akbayan Party and current Assistant Secretary at the Philippine National Youth Commission, Mr. Vincent Pozon, President of advertising company Estima, Member of Philippine Congress Arlene “Kaka” Bag-ao and Mr. Josel Gonzales, and Mr. Augutus Cerdena, Program Coordinator of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Manila.

The young leaders are members of parliament, local government unit officials, young professionals in government service, and youth leaders in political parties or unions from 18-35 years old, who see politics as their mission and appreciate politics as a means to change society. Through this first political management training, participants acquired knowledge and skills to be able to train fellow young progressives in their respective countries using new content and methods. The participants also recognized the partnership and cooperation built among them during the training which could yield cross-country sharing and solidarity work.

Socdem Asia Secretariat
Unit 3E Suite 122, No. 122 Maginhawa Street,
Teachers Village East, Diliman 1101 NCR, Philippines
Email: secretariat@socdemasia.com
Tel. No.: (+632) 7903 2396