On 27 November, Ahmad Saber Hamcho, Vice Chairman of the Syrian National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce, delivered a keynote speech at the Asia Youth Leaders Forum 2021.

The full speech is as below.

Mr. President of China Public Diplomacy Association,

Esteemed dignitaries of Asian countries,

Fellow representatives and speakers,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning, it is with great honor that I stand before you to speak today, representing Syria, a country that is the Asian gateway to the west and to the Mediterranean and the historical tie of the silk road.

From the beginning of history, mankind and civilization has flourished where exchange of knowledge, skills, trade, and commerce took place and has dwelt in places where economies were raged with closures and wars. 

The famous Chinese philosopher and leader, Sun Tzu, wrote in The Art of War, “In the midst of chaos, there’s also opportunity.” The same we can see so true today after almost 2,500 years. Technology has made the world smaller, and without exchange of knowledge and ideas, one can no longer succeed. The quick transfer of information has rendered various industries in such a short time. It is in human nature to live in communities. Groups have formed societies. Social skills do not only strengthen human abilities, but are necessary for human survival to begin with. 

Communication between youth leaders harbor people together and create new ideas for new developments. The ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu, mentioned in his writing that a leader is best when people barely know he exists and when they feel they have done the work themselves, hence, facilitating the channels of communication. 

Communication has managed to earn a place among the important needs of life. It is without doubt that miscommunication has taken the world to conflict and disaster on various occasions, and good communication has averted misshapes plenty of times, clear evidence that the exchange of knowledge between civilization has been the catalyst that triggered the rise of nations and empires. 

It is rare, if not too scarce, to find a civilization that has not exchanged knowledge, skills and culture, or trade contracted with another throughout history. The success of mankind for the last 50,000 years has always depended on how well we were able to adapt and connect, and the survival of our species shall also be determined by it. Today, as the world gets smaller and smaller, communication is getting easier than ever, with so many tools at our fingertips, ready to use. Leaders exchanging information has become something they can do from anywhere at any time, for the better of their communities. 

Most, if not all, of the hasted actions are taken based on false or wrong information. Like Albert Einstein once said, the problem with communication is that we think it is taking place. This is where the duty of young leaders is, to build bridges for connection to keep it simple, short, and effective all at the same time, from basic food recipes to medical prescriptions, from physics and engineering to music and art. Everything, absolutely everything requires that we communicate. It was, I believe, with inventions of people like Marconi and Bell that we made the modern world possible. It is through forums like these that we nurture and grow a future that will flourish and boost cooperation between nations and civilizations. 

There is no doubt that the youth are the leaders of the future, and without young leadership, our civilization cannot flourish. It is the youth that can make the shift in mindset from management to leadership. New technology and new business need leaders more than mantras, leaders with visions, with audacity, and with the will to communication, learn and share, and give and take, just like in the old days of the Silk Road, but with new ways. 

History repeats itself. It is the wise and the sage who learn and develop. Maybe we do evolve as humans. We evolved in our communication methods particularly, and this is what made the modern civilization. Winston Churchill once said that the difference between mere management and leadership is communication. It is the job and the duty of the leaders to lead by example, to encourage them to build channels, to improve connections worldwide for the betterment of our race as humanity as a whole.

At the end of my word to you, let me emphasize that communication is what sets humanity apart from other beings on this planet and the reason for its success. Let me take this opportunity to thank you all for your time and thank the committee for this wonderful organization and commitment.