[PR] First ASEAN Blogging Exchange Participants

Tomorrow bloggers from around the region arrive in Jakarta to participate in the first-ever exchange bringing ASEAN bloggers together to discuss the digital landscape in Southeast Asia. On Saturday the bloggers will attend ONIOFF, Indonesia’s largest national blogger and onliners gathering. The bloggers will share insights and experiences from their home countries with hundreds of their fellow ASEAN online citizens from Indonesia. Following Indonesia’s successful hosting of the ASEAN Summit and related meetings in Bali last month, this program aims to promote online media as a tool for promoting a region-wide awareness of ASEAN and facilitate the exchange of ideas among ASEAN youth.

Before attending ONIOFF, the program participants will enjoy the hospitality of representatives  of Jakarta’s blogger community, who will host an informal dinner arranged by the United States Embassy to Indonesia. After ONIOFF, they will attend a reception hosted by the U.S.  Ambassador to ASEAN, David L. Carden, at his residence. On the morning of December 4, the ASEAN bloggers will participate in a panel discussion at the @america venue in Pacific Place.  They will return to their home countries on Sunday.

“The United States is honored to help welcome these ASEAN citizens to Jakarta to participate in these important programs. We are committed to supporting the vision of an integrated ASEAN Community by 2015,” Ambassador Carden said, “ASEAN made great strides during Indonesia’s Chairmanship this year, and we would like to do our part to help sustain the positive momentum. Out reach, especially to young people and using new media tools, will be essential to this effort.”

The ASEAN Secretariat, headquartered in Jakarta, will support the presence of an “ASEAN corner” at the ONIOFF venue to help promote awareness of ASEAN community building efforts among Indonesia’s bloggers. Durudee Sirichanya from the ASEAN Secretariat’s Public Outreach and Civil Society Division said, “Realizing the vision of a true ASEAN Cmmunity requires an informed and engaged youth. The availability of new communications technologies and online literacy of youth in the ASEAN region give us a golden opportunity to increase awareness and interconnectedness between young audiences in ASEAN member countries.”

These ASEAN participants, each well-known in their home countries for their talented and insightful online postings, will be in Jakarta from December 2-4. This blogger program is a collaborative effort of the U.S. Mission to ASEAN, U.S. Embassy Jakarta and U.S. Embassies throughout the ASEAN region.

To follow the bloggers please visit http://seasianbloggersxchange.onoffid.org.