Young leaders off to US

TWO young Papua New Guineans are attending the three-day Young Pacific Islands Leaders Conference which started on Tuesday in Hawai’i.
Banga Chris and Salome Kair Aba are among a diverse group of young professionals who are making changes in their communities across the Pacific.
Other conference participants are from Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa and the United States state of Hawai’i.
They were chosen from a pool of more than 700 applicants.
“Leadership is not only about learning. It is about living a disciplined life that leads a community or organisation into realising their full potential,” Chris said.
“I’m looking forward to learning from the experiences of other young leaders and conference participants. I’m content that exposure can be a good teacher as well.
“I also look forward to sharing my experiences and to foster lasting relationships and initiate changes to positively impact the community and organisation I represent.”
The conference reflects the United States commitment to democracy, rule of law, human rights and regional stability in the Asia-Pacific. It also presents an opportunity for the United States to better understand issues and priorities for the Pacific Islands from the perspective of the region’s future leaders, and to reflect on them when shaping its own policies.
The conference is one of the many examples of United States’ long-standing and enduring commitment to the countries and peoples of the Pacific Islands region.
Elsie Bong, a participant from Vanuatu said: “The most important quality in a leader, in my opinion is humility.
“I’m looking forward to developing my skills to work with local communities and the larger Pacific region.”