As Brunei is aspiring to urgently transform the nation into a well-diversified economy, youth as the engine of transformation must be equipped with the skills to be resilient and the ability to prepare and plan for, cope and recover from, and importantly successfully adapt to adverse events such as unemployment, economic shocks and pandemics among others.

Our youth today are living through an unprecedented global crisis. COVID-19 is forcing students out of the classrooms; forcing entrepreneurs out of businesses and forcing youth out of jobs with no clear end in sight. The devastation of the pandemic — millions of deaths, economic strife and curbs on social interaction — has already had a marked effect on people’s mental health. There is no doubt that young people are the most affected by the crisis which has brought rise to anxiety and depression which may take years to recover from. It is ever more important to help young people to develop resilience to face the challenges and adapt to changes brought by the pandemic. The session shall discuss skills that youth can develop to be resilient.