HARI Foundation, Inc. (HFI), the social corporate responsibility (CSR) arm of Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), in partnership with the Institute for Global Education Exchange and Internship, Inc. (IGEEI) held a conference with delegates to the Youth Policy and Action Project, a European Commission-funded initiative that aims to promote strategic cooperation among youth organizations, government, and private bodies in the area of youth policy making.

Said HFI President Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo, “The Europe-Asia Visit of the Youth Policy and Action Project is timely. As we gear up for our high-profile engagement as Mobility Partner of the ASEAN 50 Summit, we continue to express full support for the ASEAN road map of ‘Prosperity for All’ by inspiring young people to collaborate with Government and private business to work for inclusive growth. The youth will certainly find in Hyundai, through HFI, a strong partner in fulfilling their dreams for a better Philippines.” Ms. Agudo likewise expressed optimism that this meeting would yield more meaningful and relevant collaboration with youth-focused development partners.

It is the first time for the said group, composed of 26 youth leaders from eight European and Asian countries, to conduct a three-week training with selected government and private institutions and to interact with their youth counterparts in the chosen host countries. “We want to give the participants a view of how multi-stakeholder collaboration (for CSR) is done in the Philippines,” explained IGEEI Vice President Misael Santos, “and we thank Hyundai Philippines for sharing best practices on how their programs directly benefit communities.”

Ms. Agudo, HFI and IGEEI representatives, and scholars of HFI’s flagship program, the Hyundai New Thinkers’ Circuit (HNTC), led the inter-cultural dialogue on the youth’s involvement in sustainable development at the local, national, and regional levels. The day’s session likewise introduced HFI’s innovative and comprehensive youth development programs in the Philippines.

The Youth Policy and Action Project visit is an offshoot of a previous engagement of HFI and IGEEI at the Asia-Europe Corporate Social Responsibility and Youth Conference held on October 11, 2017 in Warsaw, Poland. The conference gathered CSR practitioners from the private sector and youth from Asia and Europe to share best practices in involving and mainstreaming youth participation in their respective countries’ programs and projects.