INVITING DELEGATES ALL around the globe, the People’s Republic of China recently hosted the World Youth Development Forum 2023 in Beijing last October 30 to November 6, including a second-year Bedan student who was tasked to represent the country.
Lee Saltore, who hails from the Department of Political Science, was selected to be a delegate to the forum by the Power for Filipino Youth (PFY), an external organization partly established by Bedan alumni and students focused on empowering the Filipino youth.
In an interview with Saltore, he expounded on his insights during his time as a delegate and sharing how the organization saw him as the best fit to be a delegate for the said global conference.
At age 19, Saltore was able to represent the country on a global scale. Due to his youth, Saltore admitted that he was anxious going into the conference. Meeting a delegate from Australia, Saltore was surprised to know that he met someone who was on the Forbes 30 under 30 list.
“Ayun ‘yung dahilan kung bakit na-anxious ako. Ba’t ba ‘ko nandito? Simpleng estudyante lang naman ako sa Maynila—ayun lang naman [ang] purpose ko dito. Nagulat ako sa mga kasama ko,” he said.
However, behind this anxiety, Saltore saw opportunities ready to be taken, such as building international networks, gaining global opportunities and dreaming big as he was inspired to see fellow youth who had accomplished much before coming into this conference. He added that the opportunities really helped him “grow.” His “one in a million” experience and international exposure developed his skills, taking one leap of faith despite the nervousness and anxiety.
The forum also gave Saltore an opportunity to speak in front of delegates at Renmin University of China in order to discuss what the PFY has done for the country. He also participated in round table discussions regarding green development, discussing sustainable resources and clean energy.
Saltore further shared a few important words during their discussions about legacy, exclaiming that “It’s like planting a seed that you will never see grow.” He shared that the current generation is responsible for planting the seed of tomorrow, which will be nurtured by the youth of today, in front of people in power, leaders, and other delegates.
The forum shed light upon the harsh realities of the wordly affairs. Saltore explained that first world countries are not so troubled by the damages of the environment, yet it is those nations behind that are harmed the most.
(with D.S. Elijah de Castro)