29 September - 3 November 2018, Atlanta, United States - The International Training Centre for Authorities and Leaders in Atlanta (CIFAL Atlanta) jointly with Kennesaw State University (KSU), hosted 21 young leaders from Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam who participated in the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI).

The YSEALI is a U.S. State Department Program that aims to build the leadership capabilities of youth in Southeast Asia and promote cross-border cooperation to solve regional and global challenges. In collaboration with the U.S. State Department, CIFAL Atlanta and KSU are proud to contribute to strengthen leadership development and networking in Southeast Asia.

The 21 students spent a four-week academic residency on the KSU campus, where they developed a deeper understanding of human and civil rights through the study of U.S. history—most notably the civil rights movement, as an example of civil society empowerment and leadership.

At the end of this Program, participants were capable of designing and implementing their own needs-based community service projects in their home communities, they also participated in community service projects, leadership and ethics training sessions and met and learned from numerous distinguished guest speakers.

During the fifth week, the participants had the opportunity to visit Boston, Massachusetts, Washington, D.C. and New York City, which included a tour of the United Nations by UNITAR staff.

Photo: Photo group of 21 students during the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) in Georgia, United States.