미지센터의 청소년 국제교류이야기

 2011년 8월 27일부터 28일까지 Langley, BC Canada에서 ‘Langley International Festival’이 개최되었다. 축제가 열리는 랭리는 밴쿠버에서 약 1시간 30분 정도 떨어진 곳이며 캐나다의 대부분의 도시와 마찬가지로 다민족이 모여 살고 있다. 한국인, 중국인, 필리핀인, 베트남인, 캐나다인 등 다양한 민족이 함께 서로를 동등하게 대우하고 같이 어울려 지내고 있다. ‘Langley International Festival’은 이러한 ‘꽃다발’사회, 즉 피부색, 언어, 문화에 관계없이 모두가 동등하고 다양성을 자연스럽게 받아들이는 랭리의 다문화 사회를 기념하기 위해 매년 개최되고 있다. 이번 해는 여느 해보다도 큰 규모와 다양한 행사들로 사람들의 발길을 끌었다. 행사장 입구에 들어서자마자 랭리 지역 주민들을 비롯해 써리 등의 주변 지역민들로 가득 찬 모습을 발견할 수 있었다.

 ‘Langley International Festival’이 열린 장소는 Main Stage, Market Place, Theater, Children's Place, International Pavilion, 와 같이 크게 다섯 가지 파트로 나뉘어 갖가지의 볼거리를 선사했다. 먼저, Main stage에서는 International Show가 계속해서 펼쳐졌다. 각 국가를 대표하는 독특한 전통의상, 춤, 음악들이 사람들의 시선을 사로잡았다. 다양한 국가 사람들이 자신의 국가뿐만 아니라 타 국가 음악들에 흥겨워하고, 아이들 또한 음악에 맞춰 덩실덩실 춤을 추며 축제를 즐기고 있었다. 

Main stage 주변에서는 각 국가를 대표하는 음식을 판매하고 있었다. 우리나라의 야시장과 같은 분위기였으며 앙골라, 타이완 등 평소에 먹어보기 어려운 세계 각국의 음식들이 한 곳에 모여 있었다. 공연을 보며 친구, 가족들과 함께 세계 각지의 음식을 먹어보는 재미도 축제의 묘미 중 하나였다. 

Market Place에서도 역시 자신의 국가를 대표하는 물건들을 부스 별로 팔고 있었다. 꼭 물건을 사지 않더라도 상인과 관광객이 여러 국가에 관심을 갖고 물건에 대해 이야기를 나누는 모습을 쉽게 찾아볼 수 있었다. 이러한 소통들이 다양한 민족이 서로에 대해 한발 짝 더 깊게 이해하고 인정할 수 있게 만드는 계기가 되었다고 생각한다.  

야외 극장(Theater)에서는 여느 해와 같이 셰익스피어의 연극을 하고 있었다. 이번에는 셰익스피어의 희극 ‘뜻대로 하세요(As you like it)’으로 사람들에게 무료 야외 연극을 선사했다. 매우 더운 날씨인데도 불구하고 많은 사람들이 돗자리, 간이 의자 등을 가져와 잔디밭에서 연극을 감상했다. 

'Langley International Festival'에는 친구들과 함께 온 관광객도 많았지만 무엇보다도 어린 아이가 있는 가족 단위의 관광객이 많았다. 따라서 아이들을 위한 간이 놀이공원과 같은 놀이시설 역시 준비되어 있었다. 캐나다의 많은 축제는 자원봉사자들에 의해 이끌어진다고 해도 과언이 아니다. 행사의 성격에 따라 자원봉사자의 모집 요강이 다른데 'Langley International Festival'에서는 청소년들도 자원봉사자로 많이 활동을 하는 모습을 볼 수 있었다. 청소년 자원봉사자들은 이곳 놀이시설에 많이 배정이 되어있었고, 아이들이 안전하고 재밌게 놀 수 있도록 성실하게 돕는 모습이 매우 인상적이었다. 

마지막으로, 각각의 부스에서 자신의 나라의 특색에 맞게 홍보를 하는 International Pavilion이 있었다. 평소에 한국에서 쉽게 접해보지 못한 바베이도스와 같은 다소 생소하게 느껴지는 나라들도 이번 행사에 참여했다. 다양한 나라 사람들이 부스에서 홍보물, 아이들을 위한 장난감 등을 나누어주며 자신의 나라를 관광객들에게 알리는 좋은 기회를 가졌다. 

이틀간의 축제 기간 동안 국가별 축구대회, 자동차 쇼 등 다채로운 행사가 개최되어 다양한 국가의 사람들이 누구나 즐길 수 있었다. 캐나다에서 여러 국가의 사람들과 문화를 한 곳에서 경험하고 싶다면 매년 열리는 ‘Langley International Festival’에 참가해보길 권장한다. 서로 다른 민족이 모여 소통하고 그들의 문화에 동화되어 즐길 수 있는 소중한 경험이 될 수 있을 것이다.

 

 

 

Getting Ready

Discussing the Debt Ceiling Crisis: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of the Democrats (left), and House Speaker John Boehner of the Republicans (right) (image from CBS.com)

          On July 31, 2011, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party passed several compromises regarding the debt ceiling of the United States. In return for the extension of the debt ceiling (the limit on the amount of debt the United States is allowed), the government had to initiate spending cuts of $900 billion over 10 years. Soon after the debt ceiling compromise was enacted, global markets plunged. The Dow Jones Index dipped below its 12,000 line, while Asian indexes like KOSPI of Korea plunged below the 2,000, and later, the 1,800 line.

Why take another Dip?

        The Standard & Poor’s Building in New York

           For the global economy, intricately linked to the US economy and its problems, the fall was caused by the US government. According to CNN, Dagong Global Credit Rating Company (based in China) lowered the US’ credit rating (the rating indicates the creditworthiness of the government of the nation) to an A+. Standard & Poor, the credit rating agency based in the US, devalued the US credit rating from AAA to an AA+ (*this view has been discredited by the US government: BBC News).

So what caused the US economy itself to sink? Guan Jianzhong, head of the Chinese Dagong Global Credit Rating Company, stated that "the squabbling between the two political parties on raising the U.S. debt ceiling reflected an irreversible trend on the United States' declining ability to repay its debts." As the US government failed to reach a concrete decision, many businessmen and investors began to lose confidence in the US government to honor its debts. As public funding is slashed, unemployment is predicted to rise, as well as decrease in demand for certain services.

Consequences

The New York Stock Exchange

Although US citizens generally agree that the compromise hurt the reputation and the economy of the US, many disagree on the appropriate action that should have been taken by the US government. The majority of the people in New York City (excluding the Wall Street & financial areas) believed that the US government should have raised the debt ceiling, while not slashing the budget at an extreme rate, sharing the Democrat’s argument on the debt ceiling crisis (*note: the state of New York is a mostly Democratic state according to the midterm elections of 2010). “Cutting budgets would only hurt the economy, where people want jobs and money is the main incentive of job creation,” argued one of the interviewees.  “As much as I want the government to spend responsibly,” said another interviewee, “I don’t want the government to slash funds recklessly.”

Although I expected to find Republican businessmen and investors the slashing of budgets, I found instead an opinion similar to the second interviewee. “The United States,” explained one investor, “has spent too much and we must stop spending recklessly; however, we shouldn’t cut our budget recklessly.” Another interviewee near the New York Stock Exchange building said that “many of the government programs that are being slashed include funds for small businesses to large corporations, so losing this budget battle also means bad news for US business.”

The Ripple from the Dip

  “I wouldn’t want the postal service to get even worse.” (Photo of New York Post Office)
 

The implications for the plunging of stocks across the globe, while clearly evident among investors and governments across the world are less clear for the general populace for now. Although cuts on spending have been passed, it hasn’t taken immediate effect. In fact, the faction that had most greatly felt the consequences of the compromise in the public sector was the private sector. “Ironically, the disaster of the public sector was most felt in the private sector,” said a businessman. “This is less about the American people, but more about the American government: the people may experience spending cuts, but it’s ultimately the government that was responsible for those cuts and the debt crisis it is in.”

Although the public hasn’t felt the budget cut yet, it doesn’t mean that they are less worried. In fact, because the spending cuts will affect or close government programs, the public sector is more worried than the private sector. “I’m worried about my next pay check, or even my job,” said a post office worker who wished not to be named. “I can’t believe the USPS (United States Postal Service) is going to be even slower,” joked an interviewee.

Apart from slower mail delivery, other important governmental programs could mean the difference between life and death. “In some neighborhoods, there aren’t even enough fire trucks or police officers because of lack of money,” said interviewee Mary Haltease (she has agreed to give her name). “That could be a real possibility for some cities of the United States 10 years from now.” For many people like Mary, the government caused a wave that swept its people.

On July 24th, Seoul Youth Center for Cultural Exchange, Mizy Center in short, welcomed the second guest speaker
for the MDG workshop provided for the Mizy Reporters, Kim Kyung Soo. Mr. Kim’s main field of activity is PKO:
Peacekeeping Operations. Starting with the interning at the UN, he has developed his career through working in the
Asia Pacific Council, the Korea Military Academy, the United Nations Military Observer group in India and Pakistan, and the United Nations Mission in Sudan. From his experiences, he realized that the MDGs goals were all parts of a big
cycle linked by two words, sustainable development. He explains the each goals based on his experiences and what
the future peacekeepers can do.

 

Picture from crcna.org-MDG hands

Goal1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger

Goal2: Achieve Universal Primary Education

According to the 2011 MDG Report, the Sudanese children’s school enrollment rate has been increasing recently.
However, when he was in Sudan, the children could barely attend school due to several reasons. Weather affected the most. 8 months of the year, it was too wet for the small children to walk the several kilometers to school, whilst 2 were too dry and hot. Even in normal weathers, parents feel it is too dangerous to send their kids on such a long walk, where
boys are frequently kidnapped by the army, and the girls, raped. Merely building schools in the nations and
recommending parents to enroll their children have not solved the problem of education, where such indigenous issues
are not taken into account. 
 

Goal3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women

The number of women with paid jobs is considerably lower than the number of men with paid jobs in Sudan. Most
women in Sudan do not realize that they are receiving unjust and unequal treatment. For them to know this, they need to be educated, but of unfortunately, everything has a price tag, even education.

Goal4: Reduce Child Mortality

In year 2007, during 3 months of time, 821 Sudanese children died of measle. That corresponds to two small elementary
schools in Seoul. Likewise, malaria is one of the diseases that wipes out children now and then. However, having
caught them twice, Mr. Kim says that they were somewhat like normal colds, gone in 3 days with medication. The 
diseases are not what raises child mortality rate, but it’s their extremely weak bodies and immunity, along with the
unyielding poverty that seems to beholding the Sudaneses’ ankles on all parts of their lives.

Goal5: Improve Maternal Health

The ratio of baby getting born under proper professional medical care was only 48% in year 2008. If the mothers’ health is deteriorating, the child mortality will rise. If the mother has AIDS, the number of new AIDS infectants will rise. If the mother receives low quality education, or no education, the child is less likely to have proper education, and so on. This
generation’s females’ problems are literally “inherited” by the next generation if they are not solved.  

 

Goal6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and other Diseases

Because of the high illiteracy, instead documents with definition and descriptions of AIDS, he and the team plastered a
large poster with the word “AIDS” on it, color print. The next day, the poster was found stuck in a home’s wall as
decoration. Due to lack of education and knowledge, the could not understand his explanations on why AIDS is
dangerous, what happens to kids born with AIDS, and where they can get the pills.

 

Goal7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability

Mr. Kim realized the seriousness of the water issues not only when he saw people using drinking water for washing, but also the vice versa. To help these Sudanese, an industry kindly sent high-technology generators that could pump out
water from the underground that ran on electricity. Unsurprisingly, the generators ended up in the children’s hands
because they did not have enough energy to operate such machines and did not know how such technology worked.
Similarly, he found out that the land is actually fertile enough to operate an agricultural system, but because they lacked
agricultural technology and knowledge, they fall into idleness.

Goal8: Global Partnership for Development.
 

From all these experiences, he realized that what he and other people working in international bodies and partnerships
that support the developing nations need to do is ‘research.’ To gather correct information and database so that they
actually “know” the realities of each nation, rather than planning on surmises and speculations. The UN might seem as if they are doing nothing, but it is they who do the research with which the NGOs and other international organizations
raise funds.

Sudan is an impoverished nation, but at the same time, the most supported by the UN. But why are they showing second to no progression when countries like India and China, which were once in the same line receiving same or less help
than them, are prospering? Mr. Kim says that he has never heard a ‘thank you’ in Sudan. Their history filled with betrayal and embezzlement, the Sudanese neglects to depend on other nations for development, making the effects of the UN and other international organizations’ help temporal. However, Mr. Kim explains that this is not their fault, but our ignorance of their unique culture and history. “Like humans have different characteristics, so does the nations. We need to understand these characteristics: the history, culture, the environment, the weather, and so on. You think that you know, but when
you look at the real scenes, you’ll realize that reality is very different.” To promote sustainable development, the main goal of MDGs, we need to firstly research and understand them.

 

※ Tip for those who are interested in joining Mr. Kim:

Mr. Kim says that many students ask him what major they should choose and how high their TOEFL, TOEIC, and other
English scores have to be to work in the UN or NGOs. He says that his answers are always the same: follow your bliss and dream. In the book Succeed as the citizen of the world, not of Korea(한국인이 아닌 세계인으로 성공하라), he recalls when he and his team members of the OCHA, Office of Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs, gathered after a long day of work. All eight members were from different countries and all had different majors, ranging from social welfare to computer programmers. He quotes “Don’t accommodate yourself to the international organizations but apply your own merits to their needs.” Doing what you can do best and with joy is the quickest way to helping others be happy.

 

Two faces of Audition Programs-Is it a chance, or is it planned?

           Lately, programs such as American Idol and America’s Top Model have been taking over the television in the United States. In the spread of audition programs, in Korea, programs like Super Star K, Dancing with the Stars, Shin Yip Sa Won (New announcer of broadcasting station MBC) and etc. have been showing up also. Audition programs differ from regular television broadcasts because they have regular people instead of stars. Regular people compete for the chances they dreamt up. In American Idol, contestants sing with all their might to be a singer through the show. In Shin Yip Sa Won, people competed to become the next MBC, a Korean broadcast channel, announcer. Today, I interviewed each contestant from American Idol and Shin Yip Sa Won. These two people both participated in audition programs. Yet, they take different views about audition shows. One says it’s an everlasting experience, and the other says it’s an unfair competition. Let’s hear about the two sides of audition programs from these two participators.

 

                                            Tiffany Preston

                                                American Idol in United States.  

Q. Could you please introduce yourself?

A. My name is Tiffany Preston. I'm 19 years old, currently attend Grand Valley State University with a major in psychology and have a huge passion for music, my family and friends, and God.

Q. How did you get to participate in the American Idol show?

A. In order to participate in the American Idol show, I had to register in the audition city which was Kansas City, MO for me. You have to fill out forms and then when you register, you get a wristband and a number for your audition.

Q. What kind of experience was ' American Idol' to you?

A. American Idol was an interesting experience to say the least. It was a great opportunity to meet new people who have the same love for music as you and fun to be able to show the world what you love doing. Some things about the competition weren't very fair, including letting on contestants who obviously weren't on for the right reasons but to get fame or letting contestants on who couldn't sing. This didn't give people who actually had a talent to succeed in the competition because someone who wasn't talented at singing took their spot.

Q. Is there anything different about before the competition and after? If there is, what is it?

A. Before the competition, I didn't have as many opportunities to grow in music until I made it on the show. After the show, I was contacted by radio stations and newspapers which made me feel so blessed and humbled to be able to do these things.

Q. Would you recommend 'American Idol' to people with dreams of a singer? If yes (or no) why?

A. I wouldn't necessarily recommend American Idol to others who have dreams of becoming a singer because I believe the process isn't very fair. Those who don't make it with talent normally get cut if they don't have a shocking life story which in unfair.

 

                                                            Lee Siu 
                                            Shin Yip Sa Won  in South Korea

Q. Could you please introduce yourself?

Hello. I am model Lee Siu that has been taking responsibility of the Korean fashion. Actually, to be exact, I was. Now I’m Lee Siu who wants to take lead in Korean broadcast.

 

Q. How did you get to participate in the ‘Shin Yip Sa Won’ program?

Since I was young, I liked to talk in front of many people. Also since it made me very happy to make others laugh, I had a dream of becoming a MC. However due to my situations, I was bent on making money. So I chose the career of a model. While modeling, I forgot my dream. However through the encouragements my friends I decided to participate in the audition program. Most of all, the biggest appealing part was that there was no age or educational background limit. 

 

Q. What kind of experience was ' Shin Yip Sa Won’ to you?

It was the greatest experience in my life. Through the program I met many people. I’ve only met people in the fashion industry. However through this chance, I’m so happy to get to know many people in the broadcasting field. Most of all, despite of educational backgrounds, I felt that that I can do it through my passion in my dream.

 

Q. Is there anything different about before the competition and after? If there is, what is it?

When I walk around, many people seem to recognize me and cheer up me. If there is anything bad, because my image on the audition show was kind of humorous, the image still lasts even when I’m modeling now. It’s been hard to stand on runways.

 

Q. Would you recommend ‘Shin Yip Sa Won’ to people with dreams of a singer? If yes (or no) why?

I really recommend it. You earn what very much and I believe that learning in this kind of experience will give you lots of help.

 

Q. Was there a specific reason why you dreamt about becoming an MC, even while you were standing top in the fashion industry as a model?

While I was modeling, I had a chance to MC a show. Through this experience I was able to feel that this job was very charming. The woman MC was Ahn Hye Kyung and watching her talk so well impressed me. By this experience, I was able to dream about broadcasting once again.

*These two opinions about audition programs are personal opinions according to their very personal experience.

     ‘Behind these professional, well organized UN charts are stories of humanity.’

     Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight international development goals that all United Nations member states and some international organizations have agreed to achieve by 2015. The goals encompass from eradicating poverty to forming global partnership for development. Promised due date is only four years away. 
On July 31st 2011, Ju Hun Kim (김주헌) former UNEP consultant and an author of 'Cross the World'(하루에 국경을 두번 넘는 사람들) reminded us the importance of MDGs. He lectured on “MDG Goal 7 and TEEB” at MIZY Center. He divided his lecture into two and emphasized the importance of ecosystem, MDGs, and TEEB. Overall, he tried to encourage our participation by keep asking questions. It was easy to understand, even though the content was quite challenging.

Part 1. MDGs and Environment
     

                             
      Ju Hun Kim especially discussed the 7th goal of MDGs. The 7th one is on environment. He began the lecture with his worries on the earth – despite people’s increasing interest on environment, people still lack understanding on global environmental issues. He stressed environmental issues are essential; they affect people, countries, and the earth.
      He explained different sectors of environment – forests, ozone layer, natural resources, and water – with statistics. The statistics revealed “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer” reality.
      “2011 is International Year of Forests …” Forests alone absorb one sixth of world’s CO2 emission. In other words one sixth of CO2 emission is lingering in the atmosphere, left unabsorbed by no longer existing forest. Developed countries in Europe and Asia know this and try to form forests in their nations. And Asia and Europe are getting greener. However countries in Latin America and Africa which used to have rich forests are losing trees. It is because they need to export natural resources to sustain their lives. In short developing countries are more suffering from decreasing and lack of forests.
      Similar situation occurs with water. “The UN proposed that world is likely to surpass drinking water target by 2015 though more than one tenth of people would still be without access to clean water,” said Ju Hun Kim. Ironically the poor need to pay more to get drinkable water since clean water is rare. It is shown in statistics that poorer people are less opportunity there is to be accessible to clean, sanitized water: people in the city had more access to clean water while 32% of people in rural areas still used contaminated water.
      But there is also success story; it is about ozone layer. Montreal Protocol helped restore the ozone layer. It legally prohibited consumption of ozone depleting substances (ODSs) to 2%. This was possible because the protocol was legally binding.

Part 2. Ecology and Biodiversity
     

                             After a short break, the resumed lecture began with the introduction of the second phase: Ecology and Biodiversity. Two ecological terms were introduced: “ecological footprint” and “ecological capacity.” Ecological footprint shows how much environment is destroyed due to economic development. Ecological capacity is self explanatory – how big an ecosystem can stay balanced in a nation. When the footprint overwhelms the capacity, the nation is in a seriously environment deprived situation.
      Governments are used to abusing the environment for their convenience. Why are they not so hesitant to do so? Is it because environment is just everywhere and does not requires monetary exchanges. “Just because it is economically invisible, it does not mean that it is not economically valuable.” He suggested that environment must be valued to our currency. It should be visibly monetarily numerable so that they will be cautious of letting their money spill out.
      Nation’s economic strength has been measured by simple economic compass like GDP. However, for ‘sustainable’ development, natural capital must be taken into account when deciding national competence.
 “We may dismiss ecosystem service as only 10-20% of GDP, but they are actually 50-90% of the GDP of the POOR.” – Pavan Sukhdev, Head of the UNEP Green Economy Initiative TEEB.
      Poor class of the society is more dependent on environment for their economic activity since many work in primary industry. When climate change gets out of our hands, the first ones to be affected will be nations in archipelagos and poor, rural class. I was moved by this explanation. People seeing gray skies everyday in enormous headquarters will never learn the reality by heart, even though they may know all the statistics. Statistics may even be foamy and the reality could be quite different from the graph.
      RIO+20 2012 is coming up. There should be a 3 month experience of Maldives for high governmental executives and law makers without any help of the civil culture. Then, the world should be in much better shape.

                          

/ MIZY Youth Reporters Yeong-ran Ahn & Chorok Lee

Diplomat; a Public Servant

             In the 2011 state-administered examination for diplomats, 1659 people applied-making the competition rate 55 against 1. 38 people passed the 2^nd part of the exam and moved on to the 3^rd part, interview. Finally, on 16^th of June, 26 people for the diplomacy trade duty, two as an English linguist and one Russian linguist has been chosen to as the diplomacy of South Korea. A total of 29 people passed and gained the chance to stand on world stages with a Korean flag. Out of these 29 people, Hyung Kwon Jung, a student of Seoul National University, passed with the highest score, average of 71.62. He graduated Dae Jin Boys High School and currently is a senior at Seoul National University as international relations major. Jung said he was worried before starting to prepare for the examination for diplomats because he didn’t know how long it would take for him to pass. However with passion, he tried to reach his goals and at his 3^rd try he managed to pass and now is ready to stand on world stages.

             Since Ban Ki Moon has been inaugurated as the Secretary General in United Nations, many teens dream about working as diplomacy like him. Hyung Kwon Jung gives advices to teens with the dreams in the diplomacy field and reveals one’s plans as a diplomacy.

다문화 국가 캐나다의 모든 것을 보여주는 Canada Day 퍼레이드

 캐나다는 각 인종의 다양성을 인정하는 다문화정책을 가장 먼저 채택한 나라이다. 언어, 인종, 종교 등의 사유에 관계없이 모두가 동등한 인격체로 바라보기 때문에 다른 국가들에 비해 다문화에 대해 매우 관대하고 개방적이라고 볼 수 있다. 이번 Canada Day 퍼레이드의 가장 특징적인 점은 바로 캐나다의 다문화정책을 한눈에 볼 수 있었다는 것이다. 우리나라를 비롯해 중국, 일본, 포르투갈, 브라질 등 각 나라를 상징하는 퍼레이드가 펼쳐졌다. 다양한 국가 사람들이 캐나다에 정착해 사는 만큼 볼거리도 풍부했고 흥미로웠다. 우리나라의 경우는 전통 의상인 한복을 입고 사물놀이, 부채춤을 보여주었다. 한국이 아닌 타지에서 보는 사물놀이와 부채춤은 사뭇 색다른 느낌을 주었고 무엇보다도 반갑게 느껴졌다. 
 

 
다양한 국가의 행렬이 다문화의 집합체인 Canada day 퍼레이드의 끝이 아니었다. ‘Vancouver Pride Society'의 색다른 행렬은 사람들의 이목을 단숨에 끌었다. 캐나다는 동성애를 떳떳한 하나의 문화로 받아들이고 있다. 다문화정책에 의해 성적 소수자들에게도 관대한 나라가 바로 캐나다이다. 밴쿠버에서는 성적 소수자들이 ‘Vancouver Pride Society’ 라는 이름으로 커뮤니티를 만들어 활동하고 있다. 이들은 그들의 권리를 주장하고 사람들이 자신들을 이해하는데 조금 더 도움이 될 수 있도록 매년 ‘Pride Festival’을 개최하고 있다. 밴쿠버에서는 올해 7월 31일에도 역시 ‘Pride Festival’이 열린다고 한다.

세계 각국의 여행객, 캐나다 국민들이 한 자리에 모여 퍼레이드를 구경하는 것을 한 해에 몇 번 없는 기회이다. 그래서인지 이 자리를 빌려, 자신들의 의견을 사람들에게 주장하려는 행렬도 보였다. ‘9/11 Truth Ends 9/11 Wars’라는 내용을 전달하려는 한 행렬이 내 기억에는 가장 남았다. 

남녀노소, 인종에 상관없이 하나 되어 즐기는 Canada Day!

 행렬이 끝난 후, 사람들은 모두 음악에 맞추어 캐나다 국기를 흔들며 춤을 추기 시작했다. 사람들 모두가 주변에 있는 사람들과 함께 손을 맞잡고 춤추기도 하고, 전통춤을 선보이기도 했다. 나 또한 친구들과 함께 주변의 일본인, 캐나다인, 프랑스인 등 다양한 국가 사람들과 손을 잡고 춤을 추었다. 우리나라에서는 쉽게 해볼 수 없는 처음 보는 다양한 국가의 사람들과 행사를 즐길 수 있다는 것이 매우 색다르게 다가왔다. 사람들이 자발적으로 ‘We Love Canada!’ 라고 모두가 한마음이 되어 외치는 모습에서 그들의 캐나다를 사랑하고 아낀다는 것을 진정으로 느낄 수 있었다. 

캐나다란 어떤 나라인가 나에게 묻는다면, 자연 환경도 좋고 많은 장점이 있지만 그 중에서도 ‘다양성이 존중되는 나라, 모두가 평등한 인격체로 대우받는 나라’라고 말하고 싶다. 이곳에서는 피부색이 다르거나 몸이 불편하다거나 성적 소수자거나 모두가 하나의 동등한 인격체로 대우받는다. 또한 상대방에 대한 배려와 상대방을 존중하는 모습을 내가 보기엔 사소한 것에서부터 찾아볼 수 있다. 나는 이러한 캐나다 사람들의 행동을 보며 매우 감명을 받았고 많은 것을 생각하게 됐다.
 
만약 ‘진짜’ 캐나다를 보길 원한다면 매년 열리는 ‘Canada Day' 페스티벌을 참석해보길 바란다. 페스티벌을 통해 캐나다의 다문화를 한 번에 느낄 수 있을 것이다.

I could not understand why people in Africa laid tens of children when they could not raise them all healthily. Neither could I comprehend why an enormous continent, Africa, with so much resource left underground, they would not dig them up and make use of them. But as it turns out, we were lucky that we were not born in Africa. Most chances are that we too would be suffering from extreme poverty and malnourished if we were simply out of luck. Just as we are protected, since birth, under a relatively stable environment, African children did not choose their destiny either.

‘Phew, that was close..’ Sure. We successfully made a narrow escape from not being born in Africa. But this is not an attitude to be encouraged. We cannot put off solving the seemingly endless chain of poverty forever. As a same human being with a sense of compassion, we feel sorry to hear their everyday lives. We will never experience that pain but 2 billion populations is covering their stomach, not in hunger but knife sticking pain.

There was a lecture by Song Shin Hye (The Korean Committee for UNICEF, Manager of Education Development Division) in MIZY center (Seoul Youth Center for Cultural Exchange) in July 20th, with the topic of ‘MDGs, for A World Where Every Child is Happy’. The lecture was originally for the Youth Reporters of MIZY, but it became open for anyone who is interested in child well-being and MDGs.

Song Shin Hye, Manager of Education Development Division, The Korean Committee for UNICEF alks about how UN can be compared to a galaxy.

I was surprised to hear there were so many close relations between MDGs and children. MDGs are Millennium Development Goals, approved by UN in 2000, Summit Meeting. It has designated 8 conundrums to be solved upon decided percentage by 2015. (See below for more information) She declared very shocking statistics from the beginning of the speech, that 50 percent of the social class to be protected by MDGs is children, by definition, people of five to eighteen years old. They are vulnerable; immune system is to be developed by thorough nourishment. Yet, overwhelming number of children in South-West Africa, for instance, is heavily dependent on infrequent, unsustainable foreign medical aids. They are so depended on those aids that the number fluctuates according to the foreign aid given.

MDG declares: ‘As leaders we have a duty therefore to the entire world’s people, especially the most vulnerable and, in particular, the children of the world, to whom the future belongs. ’ However this promise is not being kept very well. The average life expectancy for people in Zimbabwe is 36. A third of children are dying of malnutrition. Pneumonia derives from simple cold. Many African children suffer from diarrhea because they drank filthy water. Malaria is easily overcome than common mosquitoes’ bites but they are known to be deadly because people in Africa have weak immune system to fight against malaria.

                                                               MDG slogan

UNICEF is facing several responsibilities: First they must increase maternal health (MDG Goal 5: Maternal Health). When mothers are healthy, entire household becomes healthy (MDG Goal 4: Child Health). Children do not have to work instead of their parents but go to school. This is how universal education comes true (MDG Goal 2: Universal Education). People become more intellectual, and develop their insights towards the world through education. This leads to eradication of extreme poverty and hunger (MDG Goal 1: End Poverty and Hunger) in the long run, because educated people are more likely to have better jobs than simple labor or going through trash. Someday, female version of Nelson Mandela will be leading Africa. At this moment, women are less educated compared to male, but through ‘universal’ education, more women will fight for gender equality and empower women (MDG Goal 3: Gender Equality). Ultimately, national strength and sovereignty will come to stand firm, and their governments will focus on basic sanitation as their life quality increases. HIV/AIDS and other diseases will be eradicated (MDG Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS) by increased sanity.

                                           UNICEF(United Nation Children's Fund)
 

There is a time limit to MDG goals. Until 2015, all the goals should be met. However it seems to me it would be very hard in any goal to reach the expected level. Nevertheless, I think we should keep going like we used to. It doesn’t mean the world will end in 2015, the time will pass but people stay the same. The time limit exists to give pressure and prevent from nations saving the issue for later but encourage instantly putting action to it. Whenever we believe it is already late, it is the earliest it can get.

 

Now: how can you contribute to UNICEF and to the world’s being?

Go to https://www.unicef.or.kr/donate/main.asp

You can send gifts or monthly donations. 1,000 won a day can save a dying child. In your pencil case, you are carrying lives of 10 children. What would you do? It is in your hands.

 

 

 

MDG goals

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

           - Halve the proportion of people living on less than $1 a day

           - Achieve Decent Employment for Women, Men, and Young People

           - Halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger

Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education 
       - By 2015, all children can complete a full course of primary schooling, girls and boys

Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
        - Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005, and at all levels by 2015

Goal 4: Reduce child mortality rates
          - Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate

Goal 5: Improve maternal health

      -       Reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio
-       Achieve, by 2015, universal access to reproductive health

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases

      -        Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS
-        Achieve, by 2010, universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all those who need it
-       Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases

Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

      -  Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs; reverse loss of environmental resources

      - Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss

      - Halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation (for more information see the entry on water supply)

     - By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum-dwellers

Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

     -        Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system

     -       Address the Special Needs of the Least Developed Countries (LDC)

     -       Address the special needs of landlocked developing countries and small island

     -       Deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries through national and international measures in order to make debt sustainable in the long term

     -        In co-operation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable, essential drugs in developing countries

     -       In co-operation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications

 

비가 추적추적 내리는 오후. 궂은 날씨에도 불구하고 남산 국립극장 앞 광장에 사람들이 모이기 시작한다. 하얀색, 하늘색 풍선들이 곳곳에서 눈에 띄는 이 곳은 바로 <2011 유니세프 사랑의 맨발걷기 대회>의 출발지점이다. 광장 앞 무대에서 걷기대회의 시작을 알리는 축하행사에 참여한 어린이, 중고생, 대학생들과 할머니 할아버지에 이르기까지 약2500명의 다양한 사람들의 표정이 설레임으로 가득 차 있었다. 비가 오는데도 불구하고 신발을 벗고 젖은 남산을 걷던 시민들. 그 어느 해보다 따뜻했던 2011년 사랑의 맨발걷기 대회의 이야기를 시작한다.

   유니세프 사랑의 맨발걷기대회가 17회를 맞았다. 올해 맨발걷기대회는, '맑은 물 파란 꿈 친구와 함께'라는 주제로 물을 얻기 위해 매일 먼 길을 신발도 없이 걸어야 하는 아이들을 생각해보고, 체험해 보자는 취지로 열렸다. 이번 행사에는 맨발걷기뿐만 아니라 각종 구호물품 체험, 물긷기 체험 등 행사의 취지에 맞는 다양한 체험행사도 같이 진행되었다.

   아프리카의 아이들을 돕는 데 쓰이는 구호물품을 알아볼 수 있는 스티커이다. 스티커를 다 모아야지 봉사시간을 받을 수 있었다.

맨발걷기대회가 개최되었던 5월 21일, 어두운 하늘은 당연하다는 듯이 비를 내렸지만, 개그맨 변기수의 진행으로 시작된 축하행사가 진행되는 동안, 비가 서서히 멎어가 순조로운 진행을 할 수 있었다. 인사말 및 행사안내가 끝난 후  <GO, Go아프리카>라는 이름으로 아프리카 인들의 전통악기 연주 및 춤 공연이 열렸다. 그들은 경쾌한 음악과 함께 아프리카 특유의 음색으로 참가자들을 사로잡았다. ‘한국 너무 사랑해요.’ 를 서툴게 발음하며 노래해 분위기를 더욱 끌어올리기도 하였다.

행사는 개그맨 변기수 씨의 사회로 진행되었다.

   축하행사가 끝난 후, 참가자들은 모두 걷기 대회의 시작을 알리는 선언과 함께 남산을 올랐다. 하지만 그날 비가 많이 내렸기 때문에, 신발을 벗지 않을 것을 권장하였다. 대부분의 시민들이 우산을 쓰고 신발을 신은 채 걸었다. ‘맨발’의 의미가 큰 행사이기에, 많은 기대를 하고 왔기 때문인지 몇몇 참가자들의 표정에 실망함이 역력했다. 그 때, 참가자들이 하나 둘 신발을 벗기 시작하였다. 아이의 신발을 벗겨주고 함께 맨발로 걷는 가족, 친구, 학생들과 할머니 할아버지까지. 과감히 신발을 벗고 비가 내린 땅을 밟는 사람들은 굉장히 설레고 뿌듯한 표정이었다. 맨발을 택한 그들은 신발을 신고 걷는 사람들의 시선을 받으면서 즐겁게 대회를 즐겼다. 초등학생 아이들은 차갑다고 하면서도 누구보다 신나있었고, 엄마 아빠 손을 잡고 걸어가는 어린아이들도 처음 해보는 경험에 들뜬 표정이었다. 우리가 지금 왜 맨발로 걷는지 설명해주는 학생들과 함께 온 초등학교 선생님도 있었다. 유니세프가 왜 ‘맨발’걷기 대회를 열어왔는지 가슴으로 깨닫게 되는 순간이었다.

   맨발로 걷는 길은 차갑고 딱딱했고 발은 금새 더러워졌다. 하지만 약 2시간의 걷기대회는 참가자들에게 평소에는 생각 조차 하지 않았던 지구 반대편 아이들을 생각하게 하는 시간이었다. 도착지점인 목멱산방에 다다른 참가자들의 발은 흙으로 지저분해졌지만 누구 하나 싫증 내는 사람 없었다. 비가 와서 오히려 더 특별했던 <2011 유니세프 사랑의 맨발 걷기 대회>는 그렇게 마무리 되었다.

   유니세프 사랑의 맨발 걷기 대회는 가족, 친구 또는 연인들과 특별한 추억도 만들고 5000원의 참가비는 기금으로 활용되어 내가 직접 가난한 어린이들을 도울 수 있는 일석이조의 대회다.
매년 열리는 행사이니, 올해 참가 기회를 놓친 사람들은 내년에 한번 참가해보도록 하자.

 

<영상취재: 서용민, 리포터: 최한나>

참가 신청은 유니세프한국위원회 누리집(www.unicef.or.kr)에서 할 수 있으며, 참가비는 5000원이다. 행사에 참여하는 모든 참가자에겐 4시간의 자원 봉사 확인증을 준다.