Fourth LEAD Summit Virtually Convenes Asia’s Young Democracy Leaders
The following is a joint web story by the International Republican Institute, the United States Agency for International Development, World Learning, and the United States Embassy in Ulaanbaatar.
On July 24-25, The International Republican Institute, in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development and World Learning, held its fourth annual LEAD Alliance Summit, for emerging leaders from Mongolia, Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar.
The event is part of the Leaders Advancing Democracy in Mongolia (LEAD) initiative that aims to strengthen Mongolia’s position as a beacon of democracy in Asia and cultivate the next generation of democracy champions by hosting educational exchanges and programs between young leaders in Mongolia and their regional peers, with a focus on the key policy issues of urbanization, poverty alleviation, anti-corruption, and environmental degradation.
U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia Michael S. Klecheski commenced the summit with introductory remarks, followed by a panel discussion on Mongolia’s peaceful democratic transition featuring former President of Mongolia Elbegdorj Tsakhia and former Member of Parliament Undraa Agyaanluvsan.
To conclude the two-day summit, attendees adopted the LEAD Alliance Declaration encouraging the emerging leaders to see their potential as democracy champions both at home and in the region and engage as a functional network of young changemakers.
When delivering the Summit’s welcome remarks, U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia Michael S. Klecheski congratulated the LEAD Fellows on their accomplishments throughout the program, which has included community projects, virtual exchanges, and technical workshops: “your involvement in this program is just the beginning, so we all hope that you will utilize this experience to engage more with your communities for years to come. You are well positioned to shape your countries future. I hope very much that you seize that opportunity.”
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