Youths invited to join ‘Billion Dollar Challenge’
Posted date: May 03, 2013
By Danial Norjidi
ASIA Inc Forum announced the “Billion Dollar Challenge” yesterday, which is being convened in the lead up to the upcoming 6th National Environment Conference (NEC).
The Billion Dollar Challenge seeks to provide a platform for young people in Brunei to participate in contributing ideas towards resolving global challenges, Asia Inc Forum explained in a press release yesterday.
The challenge will see participants gather in a one-day workshop on May 18 and work in teams of five on different issues pertinent to the upcoming conference, such as global warming and climate change, sustainable development, energy, water, education, health, population growth, scarcity and consumption.
The shortlisted teams will then get to present their Billion Dollar ideas to a panel of judges on a later date.
Asia Inc Forum’s Programs and Research Executive, Fatin Arifin, is quoted in the press release as saying, “The objective of the challenge is to provide young people in Brunei with the opportunity to decide how they would solve the world’s biggest problems if they had One Billion Dollars.
“We would like to instil a sense of ownership to global challenges facing our generation and future generations, and inspire them to take up a more proactive role. The one-day workshop will be filled with interactions, discussions and debate of challenges faced by humanity which is aligned with our theme this year, ‘Responding to Climate Change: How can Brunei Darussalam make a difference?’”
She highlighted that engaging youths has always been a core element of the National Environment Conference, having already organised the eco video documentary awards, green initiative awards and the eco schools competition in previous editions of the conference.
Last year’s NEC saw a young Bruneian from Sayyidina Ali Secondary School deliver an oration on how fragile our planet is.
“This year we are looking to push the envelope a little further by learning what young people would do if decisions were in their hands,” Fatin added.
The Billion Dollar Challenge is open to students and individuals between the ages of 14 and 21, and will judge the participants based on factors including clarity of vision, appropriateness of solution, impact and influence, innovation and relevance to Brunei.
The top three teams will be invited to attend the National Environment Conference on June 4 and the winning team will present their Billion Dollar Idea during one of the conference’s sessions.
The deadline for submission of interest in the challenge is May 9.
Source: http://borneobulletin.com.bn/index.php/2013/05/03/youths-invited-to-join-billion-dollar-challenge/