Virtual, 29 August 2025: To showcase the power of digital storytelling and regional solidarity, ERIA’s Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris, together with the Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), brought together youth from across ASEAN. The online event was organised to announce the winners of the Youth Short Video Challenge and Youth Speech Challenge, which had run concurrently since April 2025.
Recognising the crucial role of youth in driving lasting solutions to the region’s mounting plastic waste problem, the Knowledge Centre and CSEAS launched the initiative ‘Our Future with Plastics’. Young changemakers across 10 ASEAN countries were invited to use their creativity and digital storytelling skills to promote sustainable practices, community-led innovations, and policy recommendations from the 2024 ASEAN Conference on Combating Plastic Pollution (ACCPP), with a focus on behavioural change through the 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
The event opened with a panel discussion on ‘The Power of Storytelling: Plastic Pollution, Social Media, and Youth Advocacy’. Speakers included Mr Reo Kawamura, Director of Environmental Policy and the Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris; Dr Arisman, Executive Director of CSEAS; Mr Mahmudi Yusbi, Head of Strategic Planning and Business Development at the ASEAN Foundation; and Ms Nor Baizura Basri, Deputy Executive Editor at the BERNAMA Economic News Service. All four also served as judges for both challenges. The panel emphasised the growing influence of youth-led digital content in raising public awareness and mobilising collective environmental action.
‘One of our Centre’s missions is to engage and empower the young generation. We believe that youth are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but they are also today’s changemakers. With their creativity and passion, they can collectively become a driving force that makes a real impact in their communities and beyond,’ said
Mr Reo Kawamura.
A total of 366 entries (204 short videos and 162 speeches) from eight ASEAN countries were submitted, with eight finalists in each category advancing to the final round. These finalists were recognised for their exceptional creativity, insight, and commitment to the issue. The event concluded with the announcement of the four winners:
Short Video Challenge: Duong Thi Bao Ngoc (Viet Nam) and Fina Ismaatur Roihana (Indonesia)
Speech Challenge: Rasita Srivilaived (Thailand) and Min Kaung Htet Ko Ko (Myanmar)
The winners also spoke about the impact of plastic pollution in their communities, underscoring that this is not a distant concern but a critical issue demanding timely and sustained action.
'In my country, plastic waste has become one of the biggest environmental challenges. Through this competition, I believe young people can spread strong messages that we are not just witnesses – we are also changemakers,' said Duong Thi Bao Ngoc (Viet Nam), Winner of the Short Video Challenge.
‘This achievement is not mine alone; it reflects the support of so many people around me – my family, friends, mentors, and team – who always encourage me to give my best,’ said Fina Ismaatur Roihana (Indonesia), Winner of the Short Video Challenge.
'We may never live without plastics, but we can learn to live with them wisely. Let’s save our oceans from plastic waste for the future we share with plastics,’ said Rasita Srivilaived (Thailand), Winner of the Speech Challenge.
‘I felt like this competition was a full-circle moment. I was able to use my knowledge from my research few years ago, topped up with insights from the report, to share my findings and propose a solution to the plastic problem,’ said Min Kaung Htet Ko Ko (Myanmar), Winner of the Speech Challenge.
By amplifying youth voices and fostering digital engagement, ERIA promotes sustainable mindsets and reinforces regional collaboration in addressing marine plastic debris. The ASEAN Youth Short Video and Speech Challenges 2025 highlighted the crucial role of ASEAN youth as active changemakers shaping a more sustainable and resilient future for the region and beyond.
Communications and Knowledge Management Intern
Virtual, 29 August 2025: To showcase the power of digital storytelling and regional solidarity, ERIA’s Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris, together with the Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), brought together youth from across ASEAN. The online event was organised to announce the winners of the Youth Short Video Challenge and Youth Speech Challenge, which had run concurrently since April 2025.
Recognising the crucial role of youth in driving lasting solutions to the region’s mounting plastic waste problem, the Knowledge Centre and CSEAS launched the initiative ‘Our Future with Plastics’. Young changemakers across 10 ASEAN countries were invited to use their creativity and digital storytelling skills to promote sustainable practices, community-led innovations, and policy recommendations from the 2024 ASEAN Conference on Combating Plastic Pollution (ACCPP), with a focus on behavioural change through the 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
The event opened with a panel discussion on ‘The Power of Storytelling: Plastic Pollution, Social Media, and Youth Advocacy’. Speakers included Mr Reo Kawamura, Director of Environmental Policy and the Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris; Dr Arisman, Executive Director of CSEAS; Mr Mahmudi Yusbi, Head of Strategic Planning and Business Development at the ASEAN Foundation; and Ms Nor Baizura Basri, Deputy Executive Editor at the BERNAMA Economic News Service. All four also served as judges for both challenges. The panel emphasised the growing influence of youth-led digital content in raising public awareness and mobilising collective environmental action.
‘One of our Centre’s missions is to engage and empower the young generation. We believe that youth are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but they are also today’s changemakers. With their creativity and passion, they can collectively become a driving force that makes a real impact in their communities and beyond,’ said
Mr Reo Kawamura.
A total of 366 entries (204 short videos and 162 speeches) from eight ASEAN countries were submitted, with eight finalists in each category advancing to the final round. These finalists were recognised for their exceptional creativity, insight, and commitment to the issue. The event concluded with the announcement of the four winners:
Short Video Challenge: Duong Thi Bao Ngoc (Viet Nam) and Fina Ismaatur Roihana (Indonesia)
Speech Challenge: Rasita Srivilaived (Thailand) and Min Kaung Htet Ko Ko (Myanmar)
The winners also spoke about the impact of plastic pollution in their communities, underscoring that this is not a distant concern but a critical issue demanding timely and sustained action.
'In my country, plastic waste has become one of the biggest environmental challenges. Through this competition, I believe young people can spread strong messages that we are not just witnesses – we are also changemakers,' said Duong Thi Bao Ngoc (Viet Nam), Winner of the Short Video Challenge.
‘This achievement is not mine alone; it reflects the support of so many people around me – my family, friends, mentors, and team – who always encourage me to give my best,’ said Fina Ismaatur Roihana (Indonesia), Winner of the Short Video Challenge.
'We may never live without plastics, but we can learn to live with them wisely. Let’s save our oceans from plastic waste for the future we share with plastics,’ said Rasita Srivilaived (Thailand), Winner of the Speech Challenge.
‘I felt like this competition was a full-circle moment. I was able to use my knowledge from my research few years ago, topped up with insights from the report, to share my findings and propose a solution to the plastic problem,’ said Min Kaung Htet Ko Ko (Myanmar), Winner of the Speech Challenge.
By amplifying youth voices and fostering digital engagement, ERIA promotes sustainable mindsets and reinforces regional collaboration in addressing marine plastic debris. The ASEAN Youth Short Video and Speech Challenges 2025 highlighted the crucial role of ASEAN youth as active changemakers shaping a more sustainable and resilient future for the region and beyond.
Communications and Knowledge Management Intern
