Long Yongtu

THE Youth Engagement Summit (YES) 2009 which will be held on Monday and Tuesday (Nov 16 and 17), is set to be an inspiring event to mobilise youths from eight Southeast Asian countries to move for change.

The event aimed at mobilising about 3,000 youths towards changing their lives, communities and countries towards betterment, will be held at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre.

YES 2009 organising chairman and strategy director Harmandar Singh said the summit will feature 12 personalities from around the globe to offer insights and inspire participants towards "change".

The speakers will now include former Indian finance minister Yashwant Sinha, former Chinese trade vice-minister Long Yongtu (pix), and David Magliano, commercial and marketing director of England 2018 which is bidding for England to host the 2018 Football World Cup.

They join nine others – Live Aid founder Sir Bob Geldof, world chess legend Gary Kasparaov, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, Andes plane crash survivor Nando Parrado, AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes and Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachan, CNN/ CNBC news anchor Lorraine Hahn, Facebook marketing director Randi Zuckerberg and former World Bank managing director Dr Mamphele Ramphele.

Harmandar said Sinha and Long were chosen for their knowledge and vision as they have served two of the largest economies in the world.

"They will be able to impart wisdom and experience to youth especially in these difficult time," he said.

Among other things, Sinha was the first Indian to be elected development committee chairman of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) and one-time chairman of the G-20 group of industrialised and developing nations.

Meanwhile, Long who was at one time chief negotiator for China’s succession to the World Trade Organisation, administers multilateral economic and trade affairs between China and the United Nations development agencies.

Harmander said Magliano, will be able to teach youths the art of winning as he was the marketing director of London 2012, the organisation which successfully bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games.

"Apparently, he devised and directed the crucial final presentation in Singapore described as the fiercest competitive pitch of all time for the Olympics to be held in London," Harmander said.

"Magliano will be able to teach youths the art of convincing people in order to be successful," he said of the man who was awarded UK Marketer of the Year twice in 1999 and 2005.

YES 2009 is supported by key partners Youth Asia and The London Speaker Bureau Southeast Asia.