Veronica Colondam

Curriculum Vitae of Veronica Colondam
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of YCAB (www.ycab.org)

Veronica Colondam established Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa (YCAB which translates as the "Loving the Nation's Children Foundation"), an independent non-profit, social foundation in 1999. It was founded out of deep concern for the increasing drug abuse problem among youth in Indonesia. With the objective of saving the lives and minds of Indonesia's youth YCAB gives education, awareness and primary prevention of narcotics abuse. Veronica initiated the YADA (Youth Against Drug Abuse) Club in 2000 and within the first decade the Club graduated more than 30,000 members. Under her leadership, YCAB trains close to three hundred thousands youth nationwide annually and mobilized the mass media in shaping public opinion on drug abuse and advocating the government on the urgency of and the strategy for primary prevention.

Co-authored a manual book for youth on "Enhancing Life Skills on Drug Abuse Prevention" (published by the Colombo Plan, Drug Advisory Program, 2004), she works extensively with and serves as an expert advisor to the Indonesian National Narcotic Board. She received the National Gold Award from the Indonesian President in 2003. In 2004, she was commissioned by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC- Vienna) to become the Regional Coordinator of the Global Youth Network (GYN) for the South East Asia and the Pacific; in 2007-2008, YCAB plays major role in the region as the main regional coordinator of NGOs under Vienna NGO Commission. In late 2007, YCAB received a Special Consultative Status from the UN Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. She published her first book "Raising Drug Free Children" in July 2007. She also writes in Media Indonesia daily and kickandy.com.

Appointed as Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2006 and she also served as the Fellow of Asia Society 21 Young Leaders, class 2007. In November 2008, she received a Social Innovator Park Fellow Award for her contribution as social entrepreneur in Indonesia. She studied mass communication and public relations for her undergraduate degree and awarded MSc. in Drug Policy and Intervention from the Imperial College, University of London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicines. At 29, she was the youngest recipient of the United Nations - Vienna Civil Society Award (2001)