Following her passion of diplomacy and her eagerness to practice her public speaking skills, Bermonica was motivated to join ASEAN Foundation Model ASEAN Meeting (AFMAM) 2019. “Public speaking in particular was my weakness,” she confessed. “I know that AFMAM would be a great platform to help me overcome my weakness.”

Before she joined AFMAM, she had very little knowledge about ASEAN. Soon, however, she started to do research and read a lot about what she will face in the future. Through the process, AFMAM taught her a lot about the process of decision-making. “I learned about the importance of ASEAN-Australia partnership in terms of building mutual security and prosperity and enhancing regional stability to be more exact,” she explained.

During AFMAM, however, she did encounter some challenges. “I had to act as both Minister and Senior Official of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia,” she said. Regardless, she managed to surpass that by sticking to her goals: to learn and have fun. She also gained inspiration from the fellow participants, who pushed her to do the best she can do.

As a result, not only she did gain knowledge about how diplomacy works, but also that the idea of “inclusion” requires you to know and understand everyone; you represent not only the country, but also the interests of the community. Most importantly, she concludes: “AFMAM impacted me by making me feel empowered as youth.”

“Join AFMAM with a purpose of learning and having fun,” she advises future delegates. "This is the perfect platform to learn and practice at the same time, so what needs to be done is to make the experience worth it. You must be active, be prepared, and be as social as you can be in order to achieve the best results."

In the end, she highly recommends people to join this program, as it was a very unique opportunity for her to learn and practice her knowledge as well as an avenue to connect with incredible youth across ASEAN.

Written by: Fernanda Rizkianita

Edited by: Beatrice Riingen