Dialogue with Youth Leader Program has been organized in refugee camps with an aim to promote youth’s participation in community development through learning and brainstorming for better future living.

   On September 14, 2017, COERR Mae Sariang organized the Dialogue with youth leaders in Ban Mae La Oon camp, Mae Hong Son Province. There were 40 youth, comprising 24 female and 16 male participating. The topic Dream Home was used to raise youth awareness and their ambition to think how to make their homeland a better place to live with dignity should repatriation take place.

   The activity began with a question “How long have you been here in the camp?”. The answers from youth were between 1 year up to over 10 years.

   The next question was “Who am I?”, in which youth were sitting in a circle, each spoke about the village where he or she had come from and what he or she would like to do in the future, in which most of them replied that they would like to go back and make their home better. This is the time that youth have learned about their new friends’ village, and that some lived near but some lived far away.

   Then, there was a topic about “Recalling the good old village”, in which youth were divided in 10 groups. Each group described what their village was like, i.e. a village in the forest, had water falls, near the big river in which there were many fish, had mountain view, in their village there was a primary school, bible school and boarding house, etc..

   Regarding the livelihood, the villagers made their living from growing paddy and vegetables to raising animals including cows for milk, elephants for logging; and other career like weaving. This time, youth become proud of their home village in which there was a variety of things that might be similar or different from each other.

   Then youth were asked to brainstorm and draw a picture about “What else I would like to do to improve my village?” to make their good village a better place to live in. Then a group member would present their ideal home.

   In the conclusion moment, participants had expressed how happy they felt when they shared their memory of places they had been which they wished to go back and places they had heard about which they would like to visit; as well as meeting new friends from near and far villages; including having such a good opportunity to exchange their opinions with these new friends.