Young Liberals Release First Book
2006-08-09

The Young Liberals and Democrats of Asia (YLDA) will mark August 12, International Youth Day, with the release of its very first book. "Young Liberals on the Move" is a compilation of reports written by young liberals about political youth initiatives from the region. The book is published by Liberal Philippines and supported by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.

The book is the result of the "Strengthening Youth Wings of Political Parties in Asia" seminar held last January 2006. In organizing the activity, the Young Liberals of the Philippines (KALIPI) and YLDA noticed that there was little material on current Asian youth movements. "Young Liberals on the Move" is YLDA's response to the lack of material. It outlines specific initiatives spearheaded by youth from Cambodia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Taiwan to assert themselves in an political arena dominated by "traditional politicians".

"This book is a valuable resource today for those who want to learn more about what Asian youth are doing in politics. The authors are political party youth, and they speak honestly about their motivation and experiences. If you want an actual picture of the Asian youth movement, this is as real as you're going to get," says YLDA Program Officer Anne Elica?o.

View the table of contents of "Young Liberals on the Move", and find out how to avail of your free copy.

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...