US Ambassador Ted Osius: 'Never too young to lead'

During a discussion with young people in Hanoi, Ambassador Ted Osius emphasized that the US "supports young leaders and their great work, not only in Vietnam but throughout the region."

"Stay connected and share your passion with friends, family and colleagues to make the world a better place," US Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius said at the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) conference held in Hanoi.

YSEALI organized the workshop "Little things matter" to raise awareness among young people about environmental issues in Vietnam and the need to take action to improve the ecosystem of the S-shaped country.

At this event, Vietnamese youth also had the opportunity to discuss directly with Ambassador Osius about volunteering and the power of youth in bringing about positive changes.

"We are proud to support young leaders"

At the workshop, Ambassador Ted Osius assessed that the Vietnam YSEALI network is not only strong in quantity but also has the most active, dynamic and talented members in Southeast Asia.

"The United States wants to see a prosperous, successful Vietnam, and one of the ways to make that happen is to tap into the potential of young people, help them call attention to the community, and promote positive things," said Mr. Osius.

The Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative is the U.S. government's signature program to strengthen leadership capacity and networking in ASEAN, deepen engagement with young leaders on key regional and global challenges, and promote people-to-people ties between the United States and young Southeast Asian leaders.

With the motto "never too young to lead," Ambassador Ted Osius told YSEALI members in Hanoi. "We are proud to support young leaders and their great work, not only in Vietnam but throughout the region."

Mr. Osius also said that the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative will continue to be maintained in the following years, even after President Obama's term ends.

Ambassador Ted Osius takes a souvenir photo with members of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) on December 2. Photo: An An.

16 community projects simultaneously implemented in 9 provinces and cities

On December 3, 16 YSEALI teams in 9 provinces and cities across the country will simultaneously carry out 16 community projects, typically with activities such as "Running with the visually impaired" in Hanoi, "Reading green, living green" in Nam Dinh, "English festival for high school students in rural areas" in Thai Nguyen... This is the largest YSEALI event in Vietnam to date, attracting 1,000 participants.

The workshop "Small things matter" taking place on December 2 is the opening activity for this series of events.

Pham Thi Thu Thao, 23, leader of the "Little Things Matter" project, said the discussion with Ambassador Ted Osius today helped YSEALI members in Hanoi have a chance to understand more about the US's long-term policy towards the region as well as towards Vietnam.

"Ambassador Osius has inspired and given us more enthusiasm about the mission of the young generation, how to turn small actions into big changes," Thao shared.

Pham Thi Thu Thao, leader of the initiative "Meaningful little things". Photo: An An.

These YSEALI activities in Vietnam are part of a larger campaign called YSEALI YOUnified held in 10 ASEAN countries to celebrate the network's third year.

During his historic visit to Vietnam in May, President Obama had the opportunity to talk with 800 young leaders at a meeting with members of YSEALI in Ho Chi Minh City.

The black president has said he will work to keep the YSEALI program going. “One of the things I want to do when I retire is continue to work with young people.”

According to Zing.vn