Yeo Kai Qing Joanne from NTU Asian School of the Environment represented Singapore at the 2nd Peace Summit of Emerging Leaders. Held at the United Nations Conference Centre Bangkok, Thailand, the conference gathered 500 young leaders from different parts of the world and gave them an understanding and broader perspective of peace. Joanne generously shares with us her takeaways from the summit.
How were you selected to represent Singapore at the 2020 Peace Summit?
In the midst of the final examinations last year, I submitted my delegate application to CoS where I had to write about what peace meant to me and my reasons for wanting to attend the summit. About a month later, I received the good news that I had been selected to attend the summit!
Tell us about your experience at the summit.
I attended the summit from 5th to 7th February in Bangkok. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and more than I could have ever hoped for. It’s not every day you get to attend a conference with hundreds of people from all over the world, who are so passionate about the activities they were engaged in back home; much less in a place like the UN Conference Centre! We listened to eight speakers in total, who shared their individual journeys that have shaped their own definitions of “peace”. During the Q&A sessions, there were other delegates who also shared their own experiences. I really respected all of them for their courage to be vulnerable and open in front of a large audience.
Getting to know other delegates over dinner on the first day
In between the dialogues, we had tea breaks which served as networking sessions to get to know other delegates. To be honest, it was a little intimidating at first to be going up to strangers and starting conversations. Nonetheless, as the days passed, I felt more at ease and managed to gain lots of insights from other delegates. It was interesting to hear about their different perspectives, especially since most of them were in their final years of university or already working. I also made friends from Taiwan, Australia, UK, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Kenya, US, Canada, and more! The conference ended with a peacebuilding challenge, where we were split into groups representing different countries and engaged in negotiations with other delegates.
A group photo with all the delegates in the main conference hall at UNCC
How did it feel to represent Singapore on the world stage at the summit? How did you benefit from this experience?
It was an honour to represent Singapore at the summit. I enjoyed sharing about our culture and daily life with people from around the world, especially because most of them were on their first trip to Asia and had never been to Singapore.
I think I’ve become more confident in engaging with new people and am greatly inspired by everyone’s stories. I’ve also learnt how peace encompasses many different ideas. Be it about forgiveness, advocacy, acceptance, or reconciliation, everyone has their own definitions of peace, depending on their unique circumstances and experiences. Before this, peace to me was mainly about empathy and understanding; through the summit, I’ve realised how it’s also about “listening to understand rather than listening to reply” and embracing how we are often more alike than different, on top of the absence of conflict and disturbance.
Delegates from Singapore
How do you feel you can contribute as a leader?
I think the first step to take is within the local community – identifying an area of social impact that I’m passionate about and initiating a project there or supporting current efforts. One of the speakers, Ponheary Ly from Cambodia, talked about the myriad possibilities when people have educational opportunities. Having received the benefits of education, I can use the opportunities I’ve been given to empower others in the community to support themselves. I can also create safe spaces and be willing to listen when other people show their vulnerabilities.
You’re currently studying Environmental Earth Systems Science (E2S2) in ASE. How did you find yourself in this field?
It all started with a service-learning trip to Cambodia when I was in Secondary 4. I enjoyed my time there but felt that the work we were doing was ultimately unsustainable as we lacked the proper skills to address the needs of the local communities. After the trip, I started researching about sustainable development that tackles needs in the long-run. That’s when I realised how many humanitarian issues can be addressed through tackling environmental ones, and gained interest in studying the interconnection between humans and the environment. This also led me to take up another major in Public Policy and Global Affairs, which ties in well with E2S2 in terms of nurturing multi-disciplinary perspectives on humanitarian and environmental issues.
What do you see yourself doing after graduation?
As of now, joining a social enterprise seems like an interesting way to be involved with the local community. I also hope to pursue postgraduate studies at some point and ultimately work in an environmental or international NGO focused on sustainable development or humanitarianism. I still have a few more years before graduating, so I anticipate finding even more pathways!
Any words of advice to prospective students keen to pursue Science at the university level?
So far in my first year, I’ve realised that interest and passion are huge motivating factors when it comes to pursuing any field at the university level – it’s what keeps you going when you face the steep learning curves. At the same time, everyone is on their own path in university and there are many interesting opportunities like this to challenge yourself and step out of your comfort zone. It’s a great time to delve into what you are interested in or discover new interests!
Link to the official 2nd Peace Summit video by Humanitarian Affairs Asia:
https://youtu.be/qNaIWf9ZI-4
About the 2020 Peace Summit
Humanitarian Affairs Asia hosted the 2nd Peace Summit of Emerging Leaders at the United Nations Conference Centre Bangkok, Thailand from February 5 to 7, 2020. The conference gathered 500 young leaders from different parts of the world and gave them an understanding and broader perspective on this vitally important subject. For more info, click here.