The Raja Muda of Selangor Tengku Amir Shah Ibni Sultan Idris Shah, yesterday officiated the launch of #MyButterflyEffect & Youth Week at the Malaysia Pavilion in conjunction with Expo 2017 Astana, in Kazakhstan.
The themed-week aims to inspire youth to assume leadership roles in securing a green future for the world and create a Butterfly Effect for green growth emanating from EXPO 2017.
At the launch, Tengku Amir Shah reported that Malaysia’s #MyButterflyEffect and #Wattif messages have reached over 20 million people on social media, helping to create a Butterfly Effect of green growth ideas emanating from all over the world.
“This week will be the start of a new burst of energy, inspired by the youth of Kazakhstan and Malaysia to exponentially expand our Butterfly Effect to include new audiences around the world. Our Butterfly Effect campaign has taken a serious conversation about Future Energy and Climate Change and empowered youth of the world, on their terms – Socially – to lend their voice. That, to me, is what social media is for. And we will be working hard this week to keep the conversation and posts going strong,” he said.
In her welcoming speech, Datin Badriyah Ab Malek, Deputy Secretaty-General (Energy and Green Technology), Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water, Malaysia, was pleased to inform that the Malaysia Pavilion had surpassed its visitation target, with a total of 434,712 visitors as of August 20.
She added that the #MyButterflyEffect & Youth Week is expected to contribute further to the energy-filled programmes at EXPO 2017, particularly as it targets youth who are key drivers of our future sustainable growth.
“Through this week, we hope to inspire the youth to be more responsible in creating a better future. Their small actions today will have a big impact for tomorrow,” she continued.
At the event, Tengku Amir Shah and the other dignitaries also witnessed the signing of two Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs). One was between Future Innovation Council (FIC), a Malaysia-based NGO network of global change-makers and leaders driving future transformation and disruption in their ecosystems, and MOST Business Incubator, a private incubator in Kazakhstan that supports start-up entrepreneurs in all stages of their business development. The MoU will see both organisations collaborating on future innovation and game-changing initiatives that create a sustainable and positive impact, as well as connecting entrepreneurs and industry leaders within both networks.
MOST Business Incubator also signed another MoU with Techstars, a US-headquartered leading global accelerator and venture fund focused on early stage startups. Through the MoU, Techstars and MOST will help foster the startup ecosystem in various cities across Kazakhstan. Techstars will also support MOST through corporate innovation initiatives, community building initiatives, and connecting the local community with Techstar’s global community of entrepreneurs.