No.200-2@
14th International Friendship Youth Retreat
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photo: Takayuki Hashinaga's presentation on UNESCO
using self-created illustrations.
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Dates: July 31@ Aug. 2, 2003
Place: Meguro Citizens' Nature Village (Wada-mura, Nagano Pref.)
Organized by: Meguro UNESCO Association / Youth Activity Committee - Chairperson: Nozomi Imahata, Vice-Chair: Takeshi Kusuhara
Sponsored by: Meguro Board of Education, Komaba Student House, National Federation of UNESCO Associations in@Japan@(NFUAJ)
Participants: 33 students and adults from 7 nations (Japan, Yemen, Korea, Taiwan, China, Nepal, and Czech), 6 advisors and UNESCO School
instructors, and 6 UNESCO School students for a total of 45 participants
Theme@"Let's make another best friend in the world"
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Summary of Activities
First Day:@Leaving Meguro at 7:30 in the morning, the bus ride to Nagano was smooth, arriving at our destination at noon, pretty much according to our plan.@After having lunch, the opening ceremony, including national flag presentation and self-introduction took place.@As ice-breaking activities, sporting events such as finding a person matching the description written on a piece of paper, 4-legged race of threesome, soccer, badminton, etc. were held.@
In the evening we enjoyed (?) a barbecue dinner despite struggling to light the dampened firewood and eating in the dark.
Second Day:@At 6:30am, a little over 10 people participated in the radio exercise and some people took morning walks in the woods.@After breakfast, Takayuki Hashinaga gave a presentation on UNESCO.@His illustrations were well received.@From 9:00am, we broke into 6 groups for debate sessions.@We took time off for lunch and continued until 3:00pm.@At 3:30pm, Mr. Hirata, the vice president of our organization, gave a lecture on globalization.@ He included simple explanations to induce interest in the subject matter.
At night, we enjoyed a campfire and fireworks.@As in previous years, a lighting ceremony was conducted by the "God of Fire", Mr. Tajima, our advisor.@Each group presented a program and we ended the evening with the campfire dance.@6 middle school students from UNESCO School, ex-superintendent's grandson, Hiroki Kobayashi, and his friends joined in for a wonderful evening of fun and laughter.
Third Day:@In the morning participants gave talks about their country, wrote messages on the flags for exchange, took group photos, had lunch and departed at 1:30pm.@We returned to Nakameguro at 7:00pm and disbanded.
Wrap up:
Perhaps due to a small number of participants this year, overall the activities were well organized.@The leader and staff deserve a big applause for their efforts.@(It had been the first time for some of the staff)@The debate session, organized for the first time was a good program involving everyone.@We were fortunate with the weather during the retreat (although we could not see any stars), and with no major problems, it was a successful retreat.
Reported by Shimizu, in charge of PR
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Appreciation to my friends for their gentle help @@@@@@Choi Youngeun, Korea / female
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This summer, for my first summer vacation trip after I came to Japan, I joined the 14th International Friendship Youth Retreat held on the theme, "Let's make another best friend in the world".
With a trip, it is important where to go, but much of the fun of trip depends on who you go with. So I joined, with hope, this Retreat which enabled me to go on a trip with friends about the same age from many countries. On the first day, we gathered at a meeting place and got on a bus. At the beginning, we didn't know each other well, and I was too nervous to talk because my Japanese was not good. So I worried how on earth to spend 3 days with 2 nights stay. But while I was on the bus, the load was taken off. As we spent time together on
the bus and playing sports, the ice began to break and we came to talk a lot, as if we were long-time friends.
On the debate of the second day, though I tried to talk about what I wanted to say in a foreign language, it was hard for me to do it well. But I could finish it successfully (?) because everybody gently helped me out. After that, at a campfire, I had plenty of fun and a sense of achievement in having accomplished many things with them.
On the last of the third day, we answered a questionnaire on this Retreat. And there was a question on it as follows; "Is there anyone who is likely to be your friend over here?" A friend will be made as a result of sharing and accumulating memories for a long time. So I couldn't say they had already been my friends. But if they say "likely-to-be-friends", of course, everybody is. So I wrote "yes". I will make an effort to realize the theme, "Let's make another best friend in the worldh with friends Ifve met during this Retreat.
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