2020,undoubtedly, is a one-of-a-kind year that has redefined a lot of things for us all. There were moments filled with  uncertainties, worries, and sorrow. However,  we can’t undermine moments that were filled  with relief, hope, and gratitude. The emergence  of the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to halt  all of our plans and required us to adapt to the  circumstances in no time.  

We begin assembling the Annual in August, with  the help of the AIYA National team. We want  to express our sincere gratitude, especially  to Clarice and Anita, for always guiding us  throughout the journey to create this Annual for  the AIYA community. The Annual would also not  be complete without the touch of the graphic  design team! They have successfully delivered  the core theme of the Annual through their  design, which we hope you can enjoy as well. 

With all of the team scattered between  Australia and Indonesia, we conducted all of our  discussions online. Regardless, we were able  to contribute to the Annual and overcome the  obstacles that were present. Through the whole  process, the purpose of AIYA—to strengthen the  relation of both of our countries through youth  engagement—is realised. Therefore, it is safe to  say that the 2020 AIYA Annual is the creation of  Australian and Indonesian youths, which reflect  our passion and love for both nations.  

Despite all of the extraordinary challenges we  are up against this year, AIYA’s presence and the  organisation’s essence to its members do not wither away. Reading through what the chapters  have been up to in the past year was truly  inspiring and hopeful. Before the pandemic, the  chapters kicked off the year with various events,  including AIYA Kongres, AIYA Goes to School and Language Exchange. When the pandemic  started to take a turn for the worse, events and  agendas were moved online. All of the chapters  have shown a really impressive response to  the shift by keeping engaging with members. It  is also great to see how a lot of chapters are  collaborating with each other in the past year! 

On top of all that, we had the honour to read our  members’ wonderful submissions, which you  can see in the Annual! We received numerous  writings and art creations, and we were amazed  by the creativity and effort that were put into  each piece.  

The 2020 AIYA Annual is created to celebrate the  wonderful things that happened throughout the  year. It has been a rather difficult year for all of  us, so we hope this Annual will give you a sense  of comfort and consolation by looking back  at all the things we did in these extraordinary  times. To all our readers, don’t forget to pat  yourself in the back once in a while for pulling  through and remind yourself of all the wins you  have achieved, no matter how small they are.  Let’s enter 2021 with a new spirit and hope! Until  then, please stay safe and healthy. 

The AIYA Annual 2020 is available for download in both an English version and an Indonesian version