The APEC Junior Conference in HiroshimaFresh determination for a peaceful future
In conjunction with the APEC meeting of senior officials, the 2010 APEC Junior Conference in Hiroshima, in which 37 participants from 19 nations and regions took part, was held over four days from February 20 at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
The youth, most of them high school students, gathered from both developed and developing countries. From their own points of view, these leaders of the next generation discussed issues that the Asia-Pacific region is facing and proposed measures for dealing with them. They also encountered some new experiences at the event, such as hearing the account of an A-bomb survivor. They energetically constructed their arguments and completed a declaration of their views while choosing each word with care. These thoughts were then transmitted to adults.
The participants engaged in their discussions with great seriousness, but at the party which wrapped up the conference, their faces were full of smiles. We asked the participants what they thought about the gathering, and what they had gained by taking part. They also told us their resolutions for making a world a better place. Click "Thoughts of the participants" for more.
Sharing the thoughts of the participants
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| Group 1: | ENVIRONMENT |
A representative of each country presented the current situation involving air and water pollution and global warming. Deforestation as a result of planting and logging has become a serious problem. In Mexico, forests once covered half the country, but they have decreased to only 10% of the land and one consequence has been landslides. Indonesia is losing its habitat for orangutans. And in Malaysia, the shrinking forest has caused a decline in the number of tigers, a symbol of courage. Global warming is melting the ice at the North Pole. In Canada, polar bears are on the verge of extinction. At the same time, some countries are not yet facing such serious environmental threats. For example, in Brunei, 56% of the land is preserved as forest and people are actively engaged in planting trees to make the entire country a "garden." To replace a fallen tree, four new trees are planted. Most of the country is covered with trees. Nearly all of the governments have taken some action against global warming. In Russia, all schools take part in camps through the months of March and April to be involved in environmental protection. Since 2007, Mexico has maintained a tree planting project. Words and discussion are not enough, though; concrete action is also needed. It is important that young people make appeals for what should be done. (Yuki Sakata, 16) |
| Group 2: | EDUCATION |
Problems involving opportunities to access education as well as the quality of education were pointed out. Due to poverty in Mexico, many children work to support their families and don't attend school, though they are of compulsory school age. The Vietnamese and Thai governments put an emphasis on education and invest in it, because they believe education contributes to producing a wealth of human resources. However, there is a large gap between the rich and poor in Vietnam, and many children are unable to attend school. Thailand still lacks schools in villages. One conference participant said that for children who live in villages, far from schools, distance learning via TV and the internet should be arranged. Representatives from Thailand and Mexico pointed out that, because the salaries for school teachers are low, many competent people don't want to become teachers. An American participant said that teachers in the United States need special certification, even if they have teaching ability, and in some cases people are unable to pursue this career. Some views were connected with the health and safety of students. A participant from Mexico said that mental health support is important for students to enjoy school life. She added that school counselors should be assigned to each school for children who are troubled by bullying or violence. A participant from Australia insisted that the dangers of drinking alcohol and smoking should be taught. A participant from Japan appealed for the importance of peace education. When he lived in the United States, he was shocked at the gap in awareness about peace as a result of seeing children there playing at "dropping atomic bombs" with model airplanes. "Education is the key to peace," he said. "It's important for countries to understand each other and work together." (Chisa Nishida, 15) |
| Group 3: | INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION/UNDERSTANDING |
The participants discussed the importance of understanding others of different ethnicities and religions. Malaysia has a lot of ethnic diversity, including such groups as Malays, Chinese, and Indians. The prime minister of Malaysia says that such diversity of ethnicity and religion is a blessing for the country. Because many Chinese people live there, they celebrate Chinese New Year. The people of Singapore don't hold a special awareness of an "ethnic majority." As a result, there is a lack of discrimination and everyone, regardless of ethnicity or religion, can enter university. A representative from Taiwan introduced the Taiwanese culture, saying, "We have a mix of Chinese and Japanese culture." For example, in Taiwan you can see traditional Chinese houses while, at the same time, there are buildings that the Japanese built dating back to the time Japan occupied Taiwan. With regard to conflicts in the world, many participants pointed out that the cause of these conflicts often lies in the fact that the two sides aren't able to understand one another's different ways of thinking. A representative of Hiroshima shared how Japan and the United States hold different points of view in connection with the atomic bombs. He stressed the importance of dialogue. A participant from Brunei agreed, saying, "Nations need to make efforts to prevent conflicts. Negotiation and concessions are necessary." An American representative said, "If we could make ourselves understood through lannguage, we would be able to understand each other more. The study of history, too, is vital." (Yuka Iguchi, 14) |
| Group 4: | TRADE,FOOD AND POVERTY |
A representative of China pointed out that there are four main causes of food shortage: global warming, water pollution, production of biofuel, and a sharp increase in population. She proposed that "Financial and technical support from developed countries be provided as well as environmental protection and the improvement of agricultural technology." But a participant from Australia asked "Why isn't China adopting any policies against global warming despite emitting a large amount of carbon dioxide?" and the Chinese representative was at a loss for words. They also discussed people who are suffering from poor health and the patent system. In Thailand, around 500,000 people have HIV/AIDS, but only 20% of them can afford the necessary medicine due to the high cost. To respond to this problem, the Thai government is trying a new system called "UNTAID" that promotes increasing the supply of generic drugs which are manufactured with the same components as the new drugs they need. A participant from Thailand stressed that obtaining medicine is a human right and the health care system for patients should be reexamined. (Shiori Kusuo, 17) |
Risa Kushioka, 18, former junior writer Declaration completed in four days 
I was impressed by the fact that youth from different cultural backgrounds and values came together and completed the declaration in only four days. I felt so confident about the content of the declaration, which was grounded in reality and not simply idealistic thinking, that I didn't hesitate to hand it to the chair of the APEC Japan 2010 Senior Officials' Meeting.I was a member of Group 4, which discussed "food and poverty" and I gave a presentation about the fair trade movement. I was asked by another participant "What is the goal of the movement?" and I answered "This support doesn't have an end. There would be no point if we don't provide long-term support." Before, I thought it would be enough to only help foster the movement. So I learned the importance of gaining a new perspective on the issue. On the other hand, it was distressing to me that the discussions were all in English because it was hard to clearly express what I wanted to say. The discussion in the meetings sometimes got pretty heated. But outside of that setting, we became friends through talking about school life and music and by playing games. At Peace Memorial Museum, I felt sure that the participants saw and understood the true devastation of the atomic bombing firsthand. And I think our trip to Miyajima piqued their interest in Japanese culture. Junior writers lent support to the conference events Junior writers served as emcees at both the opening ceremony and the closing ceremony, and gave a welcoming address at the opening ceremony in English. They reflected on their experience on the international stage.
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I emceed at the opening and closing ceremonies. Before the ceremonies, I listened to a recording of my part and practiced with the help of my teacher. I felt nervous about it, but after I was finished, I felt great. (Akane Murashige, 17)
To write my welcoming address, I thought about how the children of the Asia-Pacific region can work together at the conference to make the world a more peaceful place. (Masashi Muro, 17)
I was very nervous in the rehearsals, but on the day of the opening ceremony, I was composed for my welcoming address and I saw the audience listening attentively. (Miyu Sakata, 14)
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