Youth Org leads UNEP’s Encampment Confab

The University of Northeastern Philippines –University Student Government (UNEP-USG) spearheaded a three-day youth confab and gathered more than 500 student leaders and other partakers in an activity dubbed as the 2014 Organizational Encampment.

 The activity commenced Friday, February 21 and ended on February 24, Monday.  The leadership confab successfully ended with all the participants going home with the renewed vigor and enthusiasm to carry on their role as youth leaders while assuming their obligation as caretakers of the future.
 
Ace Buena, UNEP-USG President said that the event was designed to get the prevailing idea of youth leaders and share their valuable experiences to participants their age and help the young generation cope with the challenges of the modern world.
 
“We envision a circle of student leaders who will join us in our desire to increase the competency level and involvement of one another in order to become good student-leaders and become good leaders in the future.   We also want them to develop a sense of professionalism, comradeship, and a bright outlook towards development through their respective courses,” Buena stated.
 
This year’s youth confab “Unite and speak out towards Quality Leadership”, aptly described the organizers’ aim to expose the students in various discussions that will enhance their learning.
 
The following discussions or topics were carefully selected to fit the current needs of today’s youth leaders. It includes among others a forum that centered on the qualities of a transformational leader.  There were also classroom discussions regarding social analysis which later served as the participant’s tool for the evaluation.
 
Issues like the state of the LGBT community were also part of the discussion.  Tackled to give the audience a wider perspective is the transformative culture of the youth, women and children situation, responsible sexuality and cyber pornography.
 
Considered as one of the current trends that engaged the youth’s attention, the responsible use of the social media as a significant tool for networking was also given a slot during the 3-day leadership activity.
 
Other activities include the basic skills workshops which include table battles and negotiations, basic parliamentary procedures, administering student campaigns, student council management, marketing and finance management and basic correspondence, among others.
 
The organizers also understand the emotional dilemma that the youth are encountering, the reason why they also tackled on the last day of the confab talks about managing frustrations, balancing leadership and studies, decision making skills, building human relation for wider connection, group cohesion and resolution making among others.   (UNEP)
 
Lizel S. Macatangay
# 0918-5532-103