YLDA Program Officer Trains with FNF Regional Staff
2006-04-07

Workshops and seminars don't fall into place overnight, especially not those of the Young Liberals and Democrats of Asia (YLDA). As an organization that wishes to raise socio-political awareness and promote liberal values though training, it takes these activities to heart. Behind each YLDA event are weeks of careful planning from the secretariat.

Last February, Program Officer Anne Elica?o joined Friedrich Naumann Foundation's (FNF) staff and regional partners in Pattaya, Thailand for facilitation training to boost the quality of YLDA workshops. Conducted by the FNF Southeast and East Asia office, participants learned different moderation techniques on running a two-day course on liberalism and local government. Throughout the workshop, all were expected to moderate and design sessions.

"I learned that training need not be dull even when serious issues are being tackled. In this workshop, my colleagues and I were truly learning through exercises like role-play, debate, and metacards. I?m excited about bringing more of these into our YLDA workshops," said Ms. Elica?o.

Garda Bangsa Garda Bangsa was formed in 1998 following the successful political reform spearheaded by students and other campus activists to depose the tyrannical regime of President Suharto. The organization was founded by Abdurram Wahid, a former adviser of President Suharto who resigned following an escalation in government corruption and political management by the administration. He championed "Responsible Openness" within the government system and proposed the establishment of a Reform Committee in order to mitigate poor governance within the administration. His calls were left unheeded and so he eventually withdrew support for the government and joined the efforts advocating for reform in the government. Read more...