World Children's Summit
The World Children's Summit is an idea that involves bringing youth from a range of countries to Hiroshima to discuss peace issues. This idea, first proposed by the junior writers of Peace Seeds, is now moving forward. Although details for the event have not yet been set, we hope the gathering will be a success.
For inspiration, we looked at other international conferences for children that have been held in Japan and overseas.
The topics addressed at these conferences include environmental issues, social issues, and cultural exchange. Children ponder these problems eagerly and put their heads together to come up with possible solutions. "We want to change the world," they declare. "We hope adults will take up these suggestions for the sake of our future." At the same time, we learned that the guidance and efforts of adults who provide support behind the scenes for these meetings, as well as ample preparation, are important factors, too.
We hope you will think along with us as we consider how to realize a successful children's summit in Hiroshima.
 Euroschola  (France) |
Interview with Reimi Saeki |
| Language barriers and a lack of information |
The European Parliament has held a meeting in France for high school students every year since 1990. The name of the conference, Euroschola, was coined by combining "Europe" and "school." Participating students are chosen on the recommendation of the European Union's office in 27 EU countries. The themes for discussion vary each year and have included democracy, the environment, and social concerns. In 2005, the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, the topic was "peace." In addition to about 700 students from 25 EU countries, 39 students from Funairi High School in Hiroshima, who were taking part in an international communications course, were invited as representatives from an A-bombed site. Reimi Saeki, 20, now a student at Hiroshima City University, was a second-year high school student when she attended the conference. She recalls that the conference was held in a large hall and they discussed five topics, including "Europe and World Peace" and "Youth for Peace." The representatives of each country first presented their views and all the participants then discussed the topic freely. When it was her turn to speak, Reimi commented that Japanese youth should sincerely acknowledge the nation's role as an aggressor during wartime, not merely view Hiroshima as a victim. Her remarks were met with applause and she felt she stirred understanding in the audience. In the free discussion that followed, many students were eager to state their opinions and the students from Europe debated their views. Reimi was encouraged by their outspokenness and found the opportunity to take part in such a large international event very meaningful. On the other hand, she experienced some difficulties, too. One problem was the "language barrier." Each student used their native language, such as English, German, or French, and although simultaneous interpretation was available, Japanese was not an option. So Reimi had trouble following everything and expressing her ideas clearly in English. In addition, she and her classmates lacked information about the meeting in advance. For example, they were only informed of the five topics on the day of the conference so they had to quickly organize their presentation in English during lunch time. Although they had spent six months preparing a presentation about the atomic bombings, they found they couldn't use it at the conference. Outside the conference schedule, though, they were able to offer this presentation for others from the community. Reimi told us that being mindful of these two points would produce a more successful summit in Hiroshima with participants from abroad better able to express their ideas. Funairi High School's participation in the Euroschola has led to ties between it and a school in France. Even now, students from the two schools pay visits to each other on school trips. (Risa Kushioka, 17) |
| Youth Summit for the Environment (Kobe, Japan) |
| Interview with Shigeo Omori, the man who conceived the idea |
| International gathering gains little government support |
The Youth Summit for the Environment was held in Kobe in May 2008 ahead of the G8 Environment Ministers Meeting in Kobe. A total of 69 children, ages 8 to 15, from 21 countries and regions, attended the gathering to discuss measures to combat global warming. Over three days, the participants reported on the environmental conditions and challenges in their own countries. A group discussion on "what we can do for the environment" was also held. University students provided support for the discussion and served as volunteer interpreters. The outcome of the conference was a proposal titled the "Kobe Youth Environmental Message" which consisted of six points with potential solutions and a demand for the cooperation of adults.Citizens in Kobe initiated the summit, forming an executive committee with the Ministry of the Environment and Hyogo Prefectural Office.According to Shigeo Omori, 60, a member of the executive committee who originally conceived the idea, preparations began in June 2007 which meant they had less than a year to organize the event. There were many things to do in a tight timeframe, such as recruiting participants and confirming the summit schedule. The participants, including 39 children from abroad, were selected on the basis of essays concerning the environment.Prior to the summit, the organizers were anxious about such concerns as whether the children could follow the program that adults had made or whether the children from abroad could take part in the gathering without feeling uneasy. During the summit itself, the adults tried not to interfere, bringing in high school students to serve as chairpersons of the event.Mr. Omori has heard there is talk in Italy, next year's host country for the G8, about holding a similar Youth Summit.He said, "These young people are the future leaders of the world. I hope they recognize this important role and make good use of such gatherings to impact the international community." At the same point, Mr. Omori pointed out certain problems at the summit in Kobe, including a lack of free time for the participants to interact and the fact that the Japanese government did not provide sufficient support for the event. (Shiori Kosaka, 13 and Mako Sakamoto, 12)
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In May 2002, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) held a Children's Forum to produce suggestions for the world leaders taking part in the UN General Assembly's Special Session on Children. The Children's Forum was a three-day event with 404 children from 154 countries gathering in New York. The participants were selected through schools and NGOs. Topics included child abuse, poverty, and HIV/AIDS and the young people discussed what kind of world they want to live in. The outcome of the discussion was a statement with such demands as "Stop war" and "Respect children's rights" and two representatives made the youths' appeal directly to leaders and high officials at the UN General Assembly. According to UNICEF, the Children's Forum helped raise awareness of children's rights worldwide. For instance, approximately 50 countries have initiated a domestic action plan for children's rights. A second Children's Forum was held five years later, in 2007, to discuss the progress that had been made, the changes that had taken place in the world, and the kind of effort that was now needed. This kind of second discussion seems more beneficial than a forum held only once. (Mako Sakamoto, 12)
The International Youth Media Summit was held this past August in Serbia. A total of 84 people from 22 countries took part in the nine-day event. Two reporters from "Children's Express," a news agency with children 8 to 18 years old, attended the gathering. The impetus for the summit was the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in the United States. American and Scottish teachers called for a greater exchange between different cultures with the idea of giving youth the opportunity to speak out for their own future. An executive committee was formed with teachers involved in media work and NGO staff members and the event has been held each year since 2006. This year marked the third summit and every year it is held in a different country. Participants are divided into seven groups and they discuss each topic, such as poverty or discrimination. They consider what sort of film can effectively address the situation and advance a solution. Scripts are written and footage is shot, with the final films edited down to about one minute. These films have only sound and music, no spoken language, so they are free of any language barrier. For this reason, their messages can have an impressive impact. The work of producing a film together is said to create a sense of cooperation and accomplishment for these groups of youths. (Risa Kushioka, 17)
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has organized the International Children's Conference on the Environment every other year since 1995. The purpose of the event is to raise children's awareness of environmental issues. Norway hosted the conference in 2008 and 700 children from 15 countries, 10-14 years of age, came from such lands as Japan, Russia, and Egypt. The children learned about problems involving energy and water during the four-day program and, in groups of 25, discussed what they could do for the environment. Participants for the conference are selected by schools and other organizations, based on a background of environmental activities. At the closing to the event, a Junior Board of 12 members is elected and this group is involved in the preparations for the next conference. The views of children can thus be reflected in decisions regarding the facilities at the conference and the content of the program. Actions taken after the conferences have concluded are noted on the event's website. Efforts are also made to deliver the children's messages to the world by holding press conferences and petitioning world leaders. (Seira Furukawa, 15)
The Junior 8 (J8) Summit, sponsored by UNICEF and Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was held in July 2008 in the city of Chitose in Hokkaido. A satellite event of the G8 Summit (Hokkaido Toyako Summit), the J8 Summit adopted the "Chitose Declaration" and submitted it to the leaders of the G8 nations. The declaration provides an action plan that children can pursue and calls for youth to take up this plan at schools. Thirty-nine participants from 15 countries, 14-17 years old, gave presentations on climate change, poverty and development, and global health and held discussions on these topics, one per day. Shiro Kuriwaki, 17, a representative from Japan, recalled "We felt a large sense of accomplishment when we completed the declaration in such a tight timeframe." The summit was spread over eight days, but four days were spent in discussion and on the declaration while the other four days were reserved for interaction and sightseeing. Reflecting on the event, Shiro felt that the time for discussion should be increased. Nonetheless, he told us that the serious dialogue with participants from abroad of the same age strengthened his sense of responsibility in regard to his generation taking action to help resolve the problems of the world. (Shotaro Takata, 14)
In August 2005, Africa's Wisdom Summit was held in the city of Seto as part of the 2005 World Expo in Aichi Prefecture. Twenty-eight people, Africans who live in Japan and representatives of ten elementary schools and junior high schools in Japan, attended the gathering. In the two-day event, participants gave presentations about conflict and poverty in Africa and reported the results of reading African folk tales in Japan. It was part of a citizens' project to deepen understanding for Africa. Eri Yamazaki, 26, who conceived the project, said, "It was a good opportunity for people to become aware of Africa's charms as well as its challenges." At the same time, she regrets that members of the project could only communicate with the representatives from the participating schools and couldn't interact with hundreds of other children supporting those representatives. They also didn't have a chance to hear directly from youth of the same generation in Africa. (Ryota Matsuda, 14) |
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