‘Elevating Our Region Through Youth Leadership’ networking event on 27 August, 2024, at the Investment Centre, Melbourne

By Melissa Jardine and Celia Tran

The curiosity, enthusiasm and thirst for new knowledge and experiences among young people are an under-utilised resource for increasing Australia’s leverage and opportunities in and across our region.

In the last week of August, the Australia Vietnam Leadership Dialogue (AVLD) hosted its signature Young Leadership Dialogue for 20 young leaders over five days in Melbourne. To mark the 50th anniversary of Australia-ASEAN diplomatic relations we also hosted a special networking event, ‘Elevating Our Region Through Youth Leadership’ with about 100 attendees from a range of Australia-related young leader and professional networks.

They included ASEAN-Australia Strategic Youth Partnership, Australia-Indonesia Youth Association, Australia-China Young Professionals Initiative, Asia Society Australia Gen A, Asia Society Asia 21 Next Generation Fellows, New Colombo Plan, Vietnamese Australian Professional Network, Global Citizen, Study Melbourne and Study Geelong, just to name a few…

Among the delegates were members of Australia’s Vietnamese diaspora, including individuals from the "1.5" generation (those born overseas and arrived young), second-generation Vietnamese Australians, and former international students who have since gained permanent residency. These young leaders provided diverse perspectives, highlighting how diaspora communities contribute to Australia’s multicultural identity and can strengthen bilateral relations between Australia and Vietnam.

An increasing number of young people with dual heritages are stepping up to foster connections between nations and local communities. With their unique cultural and social insights, they have the potential to act as bridges in areas such as cultural diplomacy, policy innovation, economic contributions, and international education within the region.

Addressing the multicultural leadership gap

The election of Dai Le to the federal seat of Fowler in western Sydney marked a significant milestone, not just for Australians of Vietnamese heritage but for multicultural communities more broadly. While there are more than 300,000 Australians of Vietnamese heritage, Dai Le remains the only Federal Member of Parliament from this community. State parliaments also suffer from a lack of diverse representation.

This underscores a larger issue: the under use of multicultural and diaspora communities, particularly young and emerging leaders, in political representation and broader regional engagement. While governments are crucial partners in engaging and harnessing multicultural communities and diaspora – it takes much more than that.

This was underlined in Dai Le’s contribution to the Asia Agenda project last week where she argued that both governments, at all levels, and members of multicultural communities need each take responsibility for finding practical new ways to bring multicultural communities into decision making.  Belle Lim argued that the country was missing out on a new reserve of workplace talent because some Asian employees tend to mask their identities to fit into workplace norms.

In addition to the longstanding diaspora communities in Australia, the Asia Agenda contributions drew attention to two emerging new diasporas. Elena Williams identified how graduates of the New Colombo Plan constitute a new resource for engagement and Peter Cai said graduates of Australian education institutions who returned to their countries of origin should be engaged more.

Building platforms for youth leadership

Curating and building platforms for young leaders to learn, grow, connect and innovate demands a lot of effort, especially from young leaders themselves.

The strength and success of many young leader initiatives are achieved through the hard work, long hours and essential collaboration, cooperation and teamwork of people who share a vision. The vision is one of optimism and harnessing aspirations to make a positive impact on our communities, locally and abroad. 

AVLD team with Executive Director, Huong Dang (centre)

A marker of success for young leadership initiatives, is when alumni or former participants acknowledge the work of the teams who make them possible, and then go on to support the next generation who follow in their stead.

Successful youth initiatives also demand business and community leaders to support and contribute in a range of ways, through financial sponsorship or in-kind contributions, mentoring and coaching, delivering inspiring keynote speeches or simply sharing their stories about the diverse and non-linear pathways to success, however it is defined.

Unlocking the potential in young leaders

It is clear that Australia’s multicultural and diaspora communities, particularly young leaders, are a valuable yet under-used resource for increasing Australia’s leverage across the region. By supporting youth leadership initiatives, leveraging the expertise of multicultural and diaspora communities in diplomacy, business, trade, and cultural exchange, and fostering an inclusive environment, Australia can build stronger relationships within the Asia region and create a more multicultural society that empowers future generations.

Melissa Jardine, PhD., is the Board Chair of the Australia Vietnam Leadership Dialogue. She is also an Asia Society Asia 21 Next Generation Fellow.

Celia Tran is Founder and Co-President of the Vietnamese Australian Professional Network, and Manager at the Scanlon Foundation Research Institute. She was a delegate in the 2024 Young Leadership Dialogue.

AVLD acknowledges Global Victoria for being the Headline Sponsor for the 2023 and 2024 Young Leadership Dialogues, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, especially for supporting the event ‘Elevating Our Region Through Youth Leadership’

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