Another discussion, but steered by Free-Discussion committee, which means everything is done by Participating Youths and we don't have any advisors or facilitators. The topics were also chosen by us, like multi-cultural communication, international problems, contemporary society and religion, international marriage, and so on.
- Chennai(India): Jan 30th-Jan 31st, 2006
- Mombassa(Kenya): Feb 7th- Feb 9th, 2006
- Port Louis(Mauritius): Feb 13th-Feb 14th, 2006
We visited National institute of Youth Development. We broke into course discussion groups and each group had a lecture from a local officer and then we had a discussion with local youths.
We also had a stop at a local village, and dropped by a Non-Government Organization and a school. The kids in school were so poor and I would like to do something for them that I kicked off UNICEF donation activity.
Picture: Indian Traditional Dance.
We paid a call for a training school for disabled girl. Girls were learning to make purses using sawing machines and small things with beads. I still can remember that they read out loud a poem "We don't need sympathy, but opportunity!" I felt that it was their real desire from the bottom of their hearts. Then they sang a Japanese song titled "Umi" (Oceans) like "Umi wa hiroina, okiina, Itte mitaina Yoso-no-kuni..." (Passing a vast and large ocean, I would like to go to foreign countries). Their voice nostalgically sank into my heart, because it reminded me of singing the song when I was a kid, and now I was in Kenya literally far far away from Japan having passed over the big Indian Ocean.
Picture: Welcome Dance by Kenyan at Mombassa port
We also called on Haller Eco-Park. They have a program for eco-system recovery. In the early 20th century people had dug out resource for producing cement until they ruined the environment. Then the government started trying to recover eco-system from the destruction; they have planted trees, brought some animals and controlled the situation. The giraffe on the picture had also been taken here for the purpose. The giraffe is not wild any more and we can feed them from our hands.
Picture: A giraffe at Haller Eco-Park
We made a peace march in the city-center of Port Louis headed by Mauritius Police.
Picture: Peace March in the very front
by Australian Delegation.
Picture: Peace March
by Brazilian Delegation
We also stopped by a museum of sugar which is a main industry in Mauritius. Fifteen kinds of sugar are produced in Mauritius. At the museum we could taste these 15 kinds of sugars. Two kinds of sugar are not exported but sold only in Mauritius. A color of sugar depends on the temperature in which water in sugar juice is vaporized. The higher temperature makes sugar browner.
Furthermore, divided into course discussion groups, we, the UN members, visited an alternative school sponsored by the United Nations Development Program. In Mauritius compulsory education is for 12 years, but 30% of children won't take education that long. The school teaches its students how to live independently in the society. They learn something very practical and essential to lead a social life such as how to make a bank account and how to withdraw money from their account.