Inspired by the poverty he saw around him growing up, Emmanuel Mirus Ponon founded Asean Youth Advocates Network to galvanise young people to find their advocacy and participate actively in society. With chapters in Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, the organisation has mobilised tens of thousands of volunteers and reached 300,000 beneficiaries. In 2022, Emmanuel was the youngest speaker at the United Nations Global Climate and SDG Synergy Conference.