A majority of young people in Southeast Asia are confident and optimistic about the future, according to an online survey commissioned by the World Economic Forum and released Friday at an international gathering in Cambodia.
The Asean Youth Survey showed that 69% of respondents in the six countries polled - Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam - had a better life than their parents, while only 13% foresee the opposite.
The World Economic Forum's Asean Regional Strategy Group, in partnership with the Singapore-based internet company Sea Group, surveyed nearly 24,000 young people aged 16-22 for their views on Asean and their prospects.
"Most young people in Asean feel confident that their lives will be successful ... and they feel there are opportunities to make a difference and to improve their lives," said Justin Wood, a member of the World Economic Forum's Executive Committee, in presenting. The results to reporters on the sidelines of a three-day meeting of the World Economic Forum on Asean that ended Friday.
Mr Wood said the results are somewhat expected as Asean, which also includes Brunei Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, "is a region of strong growth and reasonably good prospects."
About three-quarters of respondents - 30% of people were women and about half have university degrees - felt their countries are better off as part of Asean. Two-thirds thought Asean membership benefits themselves in terms of improved job prospects, while only 5% thought it would make their lives worse.
"These results suggest that the countries of Asean have done a great job building awareness around regional integration," Mr Wood said.
"It also suggests that this is the time for policymakers to shift gear away from awareness and towards action." He added.
Also among its other results, the survey showed a third of respondents spend more than seven hours a day on the internet and more than half spent over five hours a day.
"So this is a generation really living their lives online and through digital platforms ... and increasingly that's where they get their information ... rather than the traditional sources of news," Mr Wood said.
In contrast with the evolving situation in parts of Europe and the United States, the survey showed that "many of them feel that globalization is a force for good, they feel that the flow of information and goods and the world is positive for Them and positive for their society. "
The forum brought together more than 700 business, government and civil society leaders from 40 countries.
At its closing session, Jin Liqun, president of the Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, said, "The vision for Asean countries in the next decades is to have a truly integrated economy."
"The fundamental guarantee is the commitment of leaders to build such an integrated economy." I am struck by the consensus of the leaders on this dream. "I hope it will be carried forward by the younger generations," he added.
In closing the meeting, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen cautioned the participants that they should help focus on "obstructing protectionist policies and increasing the spirit of integration and globalization".
The theme of the meeting was "Youth, Technology and Growth: Securing Asean's Digital and Demographic Dividends".
More than half of the 630-million population of Asean are under 30 years old.
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