The project seeks to address the lack of awareness of ASEAN among its youth through an interactive exchange among campus journalist/leaders of each ASEAN member country.

The youth comprises more than half of the ASEAN population. Considering that their knowledge of ASEAN or the lack there of will define the future of ASEAN, it is imperative that they be made aware of ASEAN, its activities, its role in ensuring regional peace and stability amidst the onslaught of globalization and their role in determining ASEAN’s future.

Communicating ASEAN to the youth requires a venue or strategy that the youth could relate to and thus could understand. It also requires a more focused strategy that would utilise and maximise the vast potentials of youth for ASEAN’s sustainability and development.

In recent times, student publications or campus newspapers have been instrumental in instituting change in the academe and even in the political and social landscape of countries.

In the Philippines, the campus press has been working side by side with the mainstream media in securing the future of its people. It has been in the forefront in the struggle for freedom dating back to the Spanish occupation to the present. Campus publications or newspapers are found in almost all universities. Among these are the Philippine Collegian of U.P, the Varsitarian of UST, Guidon of Ateneo De Manila University and a host of others.

In Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam and Thailand, the campus journalists play an important role in educating their readers about events taking place in society.

Communication and Journalism courses are offered in almost all ASEAN member countries. These courses aim to train students across a broader range of media related academic discipline, preparing them to be standard bearers of media profession. Specifically, these courses help to create and maintain a high quality of independent journalism and media management that will serve the needs of its people. In Cambodia, a new four-year journalism class is being offered by Royal Phnom Penh University.

Campus journalism is thus a potential and readily accessible medium that can carry the message of ASEAN, especially to the youth. If properly channelled and tapped, it could contribute immensely in promoting ASEAN awareness among a specific group – the college student body. Hence, a Campus Journalist/Writer’s Exchange Programme is proposed.
The Hanoi Plan of Action specifically mandates to “organize art and cultural immersion camps and exchange programmes for the youth and encourage their travel to other ASEAN member countries” in order to promote ASEAN awareness and its standing in the international community.

The exchange will facilitate the creation of awareness among the student journalists/communicators of ASEAN and mobilise them to promote ASEAN in their respective campuses.

In order to maximise valuable resources of ASEAN, participants to the exchange will be thoroughly screened by the nominating member country. After the project, each participant is required to publish an article or produce an information material on ASEAN based on their experience. The ASEAN Secretariat and the ASEAN National Information Desk of each member country shall be furnished copies of published or aired information material on ASEAN. Likewise, each member country’s ASEAN National Information Desk shall continually coordinate and supply relevant ASEAN materials to these campus publications and media outlets.

From this people to people exchange, it is hoped that a network or pool ASEAN young journalists/communicators would emerge and spearhead the putting up of an ASEAN youth magazine or newsletter to be circulated amongst the ASEAN Member Countries and explore other areas of cooperation in the future.