미지센터의 청소년 국제교류이야기

Attractive mixture of Sahara and Mediterranean

- The Seoul Youth Center for Cultural Exchange (MIZY Center) hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government will have the 'month of Morocco' in December with the cooperation of the Embassy of Morocco from Dec. 2 to the 16th

- With the topic of Moroccan food, traditional costumes, and world heritage.

Located at the western edge of North Africa where both African and Islamic culture are co-existed, Morocco is known as “Africa’s small Arab.” As the last event of 'Mizy - Embassy Program' in 2011, Morocco month would be introduced from Dec. 2nd to the 16th.

With the cooperation of the Embassy of Morocco, students get a chance to leaern about Moroccan culinary culture, traditional clothes and World heritages in Morocco. Having elementary students as participants, all the programs are going to have fun activities and Said Dahabi, the First Secretary of Morocco Embassy, will introduce Moroco culture with the help of other Moroccans currently living in South Korea.

On Dec 3, the first program will be opened on the subject of 'food'. Students are expected to learn about the culinary culture and actually make Moroccan food 'bageurireu (Baghrir)' which is to be conducted over two hours. On Wednesday Dec 7 at 4:00 p.m. to 6:00, students will investigate about traditional Moroccan-themed clothing ( appeared as boasting brilliant colors of unique patterns). After then, they get to play some of Moroccan traditional games. At the last program, which will be on 10th December, 'Fez' and 'Marrakesh (Marrakeck)' known as the most popular World Heritage sites in Morocco will be examined.

During the period of events, December 2nd to the 16th, abundant exhibition materials are being displayed starting with the tradition of Moroccan salon and exhibits included with a recreational examination of the Sahara Desert. Moroccan flavors of traditional costumes and crafts will also be disclosed. This is where pretty much anyone could observe the spectacles of Moroccan culture.

Prospective participants who are interested about this event can visit the website (www.mizy.net) and download the application form which should be completed and submitted.

Entrance Fee is 5,000 won per person. This is a first-come-first-served basis.

Please Contact: 02-755-1024 (ext 114)

[11월30일자_영문_Press Release]모로코의 달, 미.hwp

Lithunian college women dress in Korean traditional dresses and spread the Hallyu

            In Kaunas, Lithuania, you can see Lithuanian college women dresses in Korean traditional dresses and singing Korean songs or talking about Korean movies. Through the teachings of Professor Seo Jinseok at Magnus College of Korea and Korean culture since 2008, a group of women interested in the Korean culture were formed. Seo JinSeok is a professor at the Magnus College and teaches Korean regional sciences to students. With the help of his knowledge of Korea as a Korean himself, they meet regularly and watch Korean movies, listen to Korean pop, eat Korean food and etc. These women are helping the Korean culture, hallyu, grow with their deep interest. Korea was always thought to be a “single race”. However, these foreigners are helping Korea grow out of this single race and spread the cultures and spirits of Korea to their country. Now Korea’s range of race is widening to a multicultural race across the globe.

 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.

 

 

 

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.

 

     ‘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

Aunt Lina in Berlin

     Lina (the first from the left of upper image) has lived in Germany for three years. Before, she had lived and worked in Korea for about a decade. She used to work as music department marketer in S company. Though she was living financially successful and stable life at Korea, she was dissatisfied with her life. She found repetitive and routine office work tired. Thus she decided to come to Germany – since she majored German language at the university – and refresh her life. Until now, she seems to enjoy her life in Germany.
     I asked the same question as I did to Nana, and Lina’s reply was very different from Nana’s. Her answer was simple: “Korea is closed and Germany is open.” She believed despite much globalization, Korean society is still conservative and closed minded. She continued that average life of an adult is too busy to rest. “Koreans work for the company and family rather than themselves. I think they should know how to work and play just like Germans or any other Europeans.”
     During the weekends she practices piano which she have always wanted to learn. And she attends German class at the university nearby. She advised us not to spend time merely studying and working; she wanted us three to try what we like.



Anonymous Backpacking Student at ICE (IntetCity Express)

     While heading to Berlin by night train, I met Korean backpacker. She 23-year-old student was traveling Germany alone. According to her she had traveled Swiss and Austria with her friend, and they separated at Germany.
     She was taking time off university for a year and travel around Europe. I asked, “Why did you decide to travel for so long?” Just like previous two ladies, anonymous backpacker wanted some change. “Having lived as a typical Korean university student for few years, I forgot what I wanted to do. I cannot grasp what I would like to do in the future. I needed some time to meet people, get advices, and learn more about ‘life.’”
     She added, “I think traveling around Europe gives me a lot of time to ponder. Why do not you try imagining your future while traveling? It might give you an insight.”


     Traveling around Germany, I could not see many Koreans among Asians. Though short chats with three ladies gave me a lesson which I could not have learned from other travels: to try and challenge. Wish we continue questioning for our future.

/MIZY Youth Reporters Yeong-ran Ahn

On April 5th, an interview was done with the Korean bestseller Shin Kyung-sook, who published her book <Please Look After Mom> in the United States. Her book caused the ‘mother syndrome’ three years ago and has also succeeded in captivating the American and European readership. One hundred thousand were published for the first editions of the book, followed by three thousand second editions. It was selected as Amazon’s Bestselling Books of the Month for April, 2011 and was also selected as one of the 15 books at Barnes and Noble’s “Discover Great New Writers: 2011 Summer“ program.

Shin once compared the publishment to snow by saying “The book is the first-snow for both myself and the Korean literature in foreign publishment. I hope that more beautiful works will accumulate over it.” Following the publishment, the American critics praised on her ability to catch the truest feelings of all humanity regardless of the language or culture.

We often assume that different cultures and traditions make emotions differ from one culture to another. This might be true, but the novelist Shin Kyung-sook has proven that the truest feelings are borderless. She provided a chance for all Korean daughters, sons, and husbands to reconsider the existence of “mom” for once, and has also succeeded in making the Americans hold onto the Kleenex box during their reading. As an author, as well as a person, Shin Kyung-sook is a true global leader who has opened up both the Korean literature to the foreign audience and the world to their deepest, most forgotten and regretful emotion.

Shin is currently staying in New York, and this interview was done over e-mail. She has finished her book tour in the States and is preparing another one around 8 European countries that will also publish her books soon.

MIZY & Embassy Project 'Danish Month' Held from May 11st to June 1st at MIZY Center

  


What comes to your mind when you hear the word 'Denmark'?
To most Korean youth, Denmark is an unfamiliar country where they only can relate to 'Denmark diet' and or yogurt. This May, Denmark meets Korean youth, starting from the 11th to June 1st, in a cultural exchange program held at Seoul Youth Center for Cultural Exchange (MIZY Center). Denmark, a far away Northern European country but in fact very near.

Meet LEGO in 'Danish Month'!

For May is a month for family, the theme for 'Danish Month' is Lego, Denmark's worldwide children's toy. 'Danish Month' is part of MIZY & Embassy program held by MIZY Center and Embassy of Denmark in Republic of Korea. It will open with 'Lego day' on May 11st and visitors can experience Lego throughout the whole month in the exhibition at the center. Especially on 'Lego day', children will have a chance to use their creativity and imagination through Lego competition. The winners of the competition will be given small boxes of Lego provided by Lego Korea.

Various Denmark Attractions

This month's MIZY & Embassy program will hold an event especially for under priviledged children, the children will have an opportunity to bake Danish sweet bun 'fastelavnsboller' with embassy staff, free of charge. Also on 17th 'Meatball day', participants can cook Danish meatball 'frikadeller', and on 24th 'Andersen Day', there will be Andersen storytelling, drawing favorite Andersen characters and other various activities ready. Meanwhile, the exhibition of Danish ceramics 'Royal Copenhagen' and Danish children's books will be set, in addition of photo zone, where children can be the Queen of Denmark and marching Tivoli soldiers.

Cultural Exchange Opportunity with Danish Students

In addition, on 21st of May, an event for upper grade students from middle school to university will be held, where students can have casual talk with Danish students about each other's culture. The participants will be provided Denmark's favorite food, open sandwich 'smørrebrød'. Especially, Peter Lysholt Hansen, Ambassador of the Embassy of Denmark in Republic of Korea, will visit MIZY center this day to share words about Danish culture and education for Korean students who are interested in Denmark.

Those would like to participate can register by downloading the application from MIZY Center website(www.mizy.net) The fee is 5,000 won. (Under priviledged children program excluded) RSVPs are on a first-come first-served basis. The MIZY Center is a specialized place for a diversity of cultures, currently operated by the Korean National Commission for UNESCO under the auspices of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, which have been hosting MIZY-Embassy program as multicultural education program since 2007.

MIZY-Embassy 'Danish Month' Outline

1. Theme : LET'S GO, DENMARK!

2. Programs

A. Program Outline

 1) Participants : Elementary, junior high, high school and university students

 2) Date : May 11th - June 1st

 3) Venue: MIZY Center

 4) Fee : 5,000 won (Free of charge for under privileged children)

B. Program Detail

   1) Elementary School Program

  2) University Student Program(Junior high and high school students allowed)

  3) Exhibition (5.11~6.1)
    
     -Danish ceramics, books, photo zone, banner, pictures and etc.