Tuesday, December 20th, 2005

Kids Initiative Peace Program

Children in Hiroshima, East Timor and Philippines Connect to Discuss Peace

A "Kids Initiative" Peace Program, sponsored by the World Bank, was held on December 20, 2005, allowing children from Hiroshima to share their city's tragic experience with their counterparts in East Timor and the Philippines. The TDLC facilitated the connection between Hiroshima University, the venue in Japan, and GDLN Centers in East Timor and the Philippines. Students from the University also cooperated in preparations for the event.

In Hiroshima, 34 children from Saijo Elementary School in Higashi Hiroshima City gave a presentation on the A-Bomb and fielded questions about the incident. Under a Ministry of Education program, all children at the School study English, enabling them to answer questions directly without an interpreter.

Children in the Philippines described their country's history, and in East Timor, children sang a song about peace.

Before participating in the event, Saijo Elementary School children visited the Peace Museum and conducted research using the internet to prepare for their presentation. Afterwards, all wrote a short essay about their experience. Some commented that they learned that "different countries have different characteristics", while others said they were "eager to learn about more foreign countries".

The Kids Initiative is an international exchange program which incorporates videoconferencing to promote an understanding of cultural diversity and development challenges.