[MANNAM International Youth Coalition] Why Youth?

Dear all my friends,

I'm also one of young people who live on the earth. So, I know you lack of time because busy preparing future and success and enjoying the young days. 

But, what if we can do valuable things to change the world and create the moment that would be remembered forever in human history, preparing your future and enjoying all your young days?

And what if all the youth all around the world will unite to end war and achieve world peace?

Actually, I was not interested in world peace. I just was self-centered and am still self-centered. However, I found if war breaks out, my all precious things-my family, lover, friends, study, occupation, and all sweet future- will be lost. 

And then, I thought that many young people who are even dying during wars feel like me.

That's why I support the peace campaigns of MANNAM International Youth Coalition. Here I wrote my thought into a simple poem (I learned only how to interpret and write a critic so it's not beautiful, just simple!) that explain why I am here and work for peace-started to walk for peace. 

A boy is dying there

A girl is crying there

He is me 

AND She is me

They were thinking like me

They were feeling like me 

They have dreams like me 

She has dreams shining much more than me 

He has a very sweet girlfriend

They have family members who are waiting for them

Where are you?

Where are they?

Who are you? 

Who are they?

Who are we? 

He is you 

AND She is you

They are you

They are us

We 

We, the youth. 

[MANNAM International Youth Coalition] All Youth, All '靑年', Raise Our Voice

  MIYC is the acronym of MANNAM International Youth Coalition, which was formed from groups of young people coming together with the vision and determination to unite people across borders, cultures, languages and nationalities. It's not a kind of subgroup of MANNAM, but it's a 'coalition' that consists of many youth organizations around the world including MANNAM Volunteer Association. 

  MIYC coordination team is in MVA and they do the planning and core communication helping all affiliates. However, there are not a host and a guest. The constructive feedbacks and ideas for projects to help set up MIYC and realize a vision a world of justice, peace, security and prosperity by creating a new culture for all humanity are welcome. 

What Do You Feel When You Heard a Word, 'Youth' and'靑年'?

This is the time when hearts are pure and tender,
And with love's first emotions heedless melt;
When the mind shrinks not at the boldest venture,
And nature's gen'rous impulses are felt!

 

This is the time the soul needs no allurement--
No madd'ning influence t' excite its powers;
For, as the lark, that soars to heav'nly regions,
The spirit warbles through life's morning hours.

 

Oh happy youth! life's oasis of beauty!
What time in after years so pure and sweet?
Free from the lab'ring progress of great manhood,
It treads life's pathway with elastic feet!

-C. B. Langston, Youth 

 Above is some parts of a poem about youth. There are a lot of poems and quotes about youth. Why have so many people talked about youth? 

Youth is generally the time of life between childhood and adulthood (maturity). Definitions of the specific age range that constitutes youth vary.......Around the world, the terms youth, adolescent, teenager, kid, and young person are interchanged, often meaning the same thing, occasionally differentiated. Youth generally refers to a time of life that is neither childhood nor adulthood, but rather somewhere in-between. Youth also identifies a particular mindset of attitude, as in "He is very youthful". The term youth is also related to being young. The term also refers to individuals between the ages of 16-24. (Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youth)

 Its definition varies depend on cultures and societies, but it is used as a term refers to people between the ages of 15-35, and it is often connected to 'passion,' 'pure,' 'bravery,' and 'growth.' Many authors and poets have written about it, and people sometimes talk about that time with nostalgia. 

 In Korean word, youth is translated into '청년(靑年)' which is come from a Chinese word. 청(靑) means 'blue.' It is used in describing sea, green grapes, moonlight, blue jeans, etc. . Actually, I, grown in Asia, feel really inspired and fresh when I heard that word '청년(靑年)' than 'youth.' It makes me imagine a sprout. I would like to say, youth is the time that see the sign of hopeful future because it has the possibility and potential to grow surprisingly!

You can see pictures on the facebook page: www.facebook.com/miycyouth

 Meanwhile, one of the biggest characters of youth is 'flexibility.' They are flexible to change 
their thought, spread their feeling, or form a bond of sympathy and they easily can associate one another friend. You know, regardless of your nationality, most of the biggest social movements have been led by youth people in human histories. 

 That's why we, invites you to join MIYC, and do wonderful projects together, forming an international network of youth organisations  and youth movements. The more youth join us, the more powerfully we can raise our voice for the goal of world peace.

 So, don't you wonder what happens through forming this coalition? I'll post and link the news / any updated information here sooner. :)

World Leaders of Today, Peace Leaders of Tomorrow

The Ultimate Demand of Humankind: After MIYC Pledge of Peace Event -Shahin (Bangladesh)

  Peace is the ultimate demand of mankind. Rich-poor, Hindu-muslim-Christan-Buddhist, man- woman, black-white, who doesn’t want peace? Even a terrorist, thief, robber or a culprit wants peace in their own way, not for all but only for themselves. We, all, love peace. When people think about the peace, if he only considers himself, his own community, his own religion or his own country only then it becomes disturbance for others. 

  People from all over the world gathered in Soul grand park, Korea on 21st April, 2013 to express their unity in the demand of ultimate peace of the world. MANNAM Busan North, a part of MANNAM Volunteer Association also participated in the MIYC Pledge of Peace and Peace Walk. We started from Busan at 8:00am and reached in grand park at 12:30 pm. We MANNAM Busan North expressed our inseparable unity with the main event. Then we took part in peace rally around the grand park. It was really an amazing opportunity for us to meet so many people of different country, different culture, different community and so on, but the demand was still “a peaceful world”. We shared our feeling regarding peace, what is peace, how we can make the world peaceful. We enjoyed our journey by singing song, dancing, joking, taking photos and so on. We arrived in Busan at 11:00 and went to sleep with a dream of a peaceful and happy world where there are no discrimination, no terrorism, no war; only peace is there.  

Md. Anwarul Haque(shahin)

Bangladesh

평화는 인류의 궁극적인 요구사항입니다. 부자나 가난한자나, 힌두교-무슬림-기독교인-불교인도, 흑인이나 백인이나.. 누가 평화를 원하지 않겠습니까? 심지어는 테러리스트, 도둑, 절도범 등의 범죄자들도 모든 사람을 위해서가 아니라, 오직 그들 자신을 위해서, 그들의 방식으로 평화를 원하는 것입니다. 우리는 모두 평화를 사랑하죠. 사람들이 평화에 대해 고민할 때, 자신만을 생각하고 그 자신의 공동체를 위해 또 자신의 종교와 나라만을 위해 평화를 생각한다면, 그것은 다른 사람들을 해칠 수 있습니다. 

전 세계로부터 많은 사람들이 2013년 4월 21일 서울 대공원에 모였습니다. 그들의 세계 평화에 대한 궁극적인 요구를, 연합을 통해 표현하려고 말입니다. 만남 자원 봉사단의 한 지부인 만남 부산 북부도 이 평화 서약 및 평화를 위한 걷기에 동참했습니다. 우리는 부산에서 8시에 출발해서 대공원에 12시 반에 닿았습니다. 우리 만남 부산 북부지부는 우리의 똘똘 뭉친 연합을 메인 오프닝 행사와 함께 보여주었죠. 그리고 서울 대공원 주위를 도는 평화 행진에 동참했지요. 이 행사는 우리에게 많은 다른 나라, 다른 문화, 다른 공동체 등에서 온 사람들을 만날 수 있는 멋진 기회였습니다. 그러나 궁극적인 목적은 역시 '평화로운 세계'였습니다. 우리는 우리의 평화에 대한 느낌-평화란 무엇인가, 어떻게 세계를 평화롭게 할 것인가-을 나누었습니다. 노래하면서, 춤추면서, 재미있는 이야기를 하고, 사진을 찍으면서 여행을 즐겼습니다. 그리고 부산에는 11시에 들어왔고, 차별도, 테러도, 전쟁도 없고 오직 평화만 있는, 평화롭고 행복한 세계의 꿈을 꾸며 잠에 들었답니다. :))

MANNAM Volunteer Association & MIYC - 10 Km in Their Shoes (Pledge of Peace)

  Luckily, I joined MANNAM volunteer association at the end of 2011, and took part in events last year, 2012. One of the biggest events was 10 Km in Their Shoes: Global Awareness Campaign. The 2nd 10 Km walk-a-ton was for global awareness about people who suffered from natural disasters. They are still in need, but many people easily forget their pain. 10 Km in Their Shoes was first held in 2011, to remember people suffered from natural disasters, and a friend from Turkey gave a speech to thank MANNAM, which was covered in Turkish news.

  And the next year, the 2nd 10 km-walk was held on a nationwide scale on 14th April. And from MANNAM Busan branch, around 500 foreigners walked for awareness to generate more support by better understanding suffers of people who fight an endless struggle against the forces of natural disaster. The walk focused on the following countries: Pakistan, Thailand, Japan, Turkey, New Zealand, Austrailia, and the United States.  

  I was also volunteering as a staff last year, and the route of MANNAM Busan branch was from Haeundae to Dalmagi. Many friends came and reminded us of how many people are being suffered and walked together. 

  This year, on 21st April, The 3rd '10 Km in Their Shoes' was finally held! It was in Seoul Grand Park, and It was supervised and planned by MIYC, which is a coalition of international youth communities/organizations and MANNAM do planning and core communication as an organization of it. This walk was for global awareness for PEACE, remembering 13 countries who experienced/ are experiencing wars, but many international friends, over 1,000 people, from all over the world came together and walked for world peace!

  From MANNAM Busan North branch, about 110 members came to Seoul. First, when we arrived, already the speeches from youth organizations were almost done and speaker had some problems, our branch couldn't listen to the speeches well. Next, we learned world peace flash mob dance (was very easy even for me who is a bad dancer!) and danced together! 

(I am among the people in the right picture! So exited face:-P)

   After exiting dance time, we started 3Km with flags which were chosen as 13 representative countries. We walked along with India row, but our Bangladesh Members found their national flag and other Bangladesh people from other cities, then they greeted each other, then they held their flags and walked together! The Busan North and some branches not from Seoul, walked 3Km, considering the distance and time taken to come to Seoul. 

   On a sunny day, with great people, we had a meaningful time through this walking campaign. The first meet-up and big event for MIYC, and there were some mistakes and negative feedback. But, I believe MIYC to develop more and more and will do a great project this year. I saw the sign of hope in our MANNAM members' face with smiles when they danced, greeted other global families from other cities, and walked for peace! Hope World Peace to Come Finally ! Now, I met and am with Peace Leaders of Today :)