Today may be Mid-Autumn Festival in China and parts of Southeast Asia, but on a grander scale, did you know that Sep 21 is observed around the world as the International Day of Peace?

Peace Day provides a valuable opportunity for students to consider the concept of peace and how they can be peace-builders in their communities, as well as to express their visions for peace – whether they be personal, local, and/or global. Observing Peace Day is also a powerful way to facilitate dialogues around interpersonal respect, compassion, and local/global citizenship. Peace Day activities are flexible and can connect with multiple curriculum areas and anti-bullying programs.

We invite you to join the efforts of the United Nations family by taking part in any of the following activities:

• Observe a minute of silence at noon on Sep 21 in the spirit of our shared humanity and desire for peace. This is a global activity that takes place in all time zones. Join the peace wave! You can silently say to yourself, “Breathe In World, Breathe Out Peace.”
• Plant a peace pole (there are more than 500,000 of these worldwide!), peace rocks, or a peace garden at home or on your school grounds.
• Organize or take part in a local volunteer project or a fundraiser to benefit people somewhere else in the world.
• Make and display “Pinwheels for Peace” outside your school, with art images on one side and wishes for peace on the other.
• Use sidewalk chalk to draw images of peace on your playground or sidewalks outside your school.
• Join the global “One Day One Dance” initiative!
• Watch “I Will Be a Hummingbird” (two-minute animated video) and then talk/write about how you can play your part in a more peaceful world.
• Have each student write and draw a Peace Pledge (you can download a template from the UN website). Students should be encouraged to put their peace pledges where they can see them daily.
• Write a letter to a child from a part of the world where there is conflict. Teachers can help research information about children elsewhere. Think about what it must be like to live in an area where there is war, displacement, lack of basic services, etc. (Suggested for 4th and 5th graders.)
• Research and write about one or more of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

Whatever you choose to do, share your Peace Day activities, ideas, and messages using the hashtag #peaceday.

The 2021 theme for the International Day of Peace is “Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world.” We can celebrate peace by standing up against acts of hate online and offline, and by spreading compassion, kindness, and perhaps most importantly, hope.

As we heal from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are inspired to think creatively and collectively about how to help everyone recover better, how to build resilience, and how to transform our world into one that is more equal, more just, equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and healthier.

The pandemic has been accompanied by a surge in stigma, discrimination, and hatred, which only cost more lives instead of saving them: the virus attacks all without caring about where we are from or what we believe in. Confronting this common enemy, we must be reminded that we are not each other’s enemy. To be able to recover from the devastation of the pandemic, we must make peace with one another.

And we must make peace with nature. Despite the travel restrictions and economic shutdowns, climate change is not on pause. What we need is a green and sustainable global economy that produces jobs, reduces emissions, and mitigates problems impacting the climate.

The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.

KEEP READING: 一，二，三! Methods and Apps To Help Your Child Learn Chinese

Images: United Nations / Manuel Elias 

It isn’t quite summertime, but we’re all looking forward to a little rest after the tumultuous year and a half that’s past. Some families treat summer like a lazy time, others as the fourth semester of school, but we all know that come July, some kind of break from the norm is in order. That’s where here we at Jingkids come in, ready to rock your scheduling world with these summer camp highlights. Each week we’ll go behind the scenes of a camp so you can make the right choice for your family!

Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword to make companies feel better about climate change, and it isn’t just a cute new way to reference environmentalism. But sustainable efforts can sometimes feel too abstract when you have your whole life ahead of you. The United Nations came together to create policies and challenges surrounding the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, but how to train our young people to take the charge and feel not just real ownership over their future, but the confidence they have the ability to change it?

That’s why the Dewey Center and WildChina decided to collaborate to bring the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development into the realities of Beijing teens, through an innovative summer camp that will not only give them hands-on, holistic experience to enact real change, but also offer career opportunities.

The students will be empowered by experiential learning in this camp. Haena Kim, Director of WildChina Education, explains how “During the program students investigate urban economies and cultures from a global perspective, take part in creating and designing urban green spaces, hike on the wild Great Wall, work on the Great Wall restoration project, examine and model sustainable water systems, participate in Model United Nations activities and, in short, truly exemplify the Dewey concept that “education is life.”

Dewey China Center Senior Vice President and Head of Asia Eric Yuan elaborates that they are “committed to empowering a new generation of international young elites for a better world.”

Yet benefits of this camp can extend far beyond just the week of attendance. Besides the opportunity for teens to present their ideas to such esteemed leaders as Irina Bokova or Ban Ki-moon, the camp also sets the stage for students who want to launch diplomatic and political careers. Kim tells us that “certain students will be representing the Dewey Center at international conferences held at places like Geneva, Switzerland as a result of participating in this summer camp, and all teens involved in the camp will also get extensive experience in “exactly how peer-to-peer cooperation, systemic cooperation, and dialogue can enact change.” Thanks to the camps’ connections to the Ban Ki-moon center and the UN, teenagers will understand firsthand how important good communication is to their future.

“I believe it’s only a start,” Yuan tells us, “both Dewey Center and our partner Ban Ki-Moon Center will work together later to select young leaders domestically and internationally for joint international initiatives which will be in partnership of World’s leading universities and international organizations after [the]pandemic. Now is the best opportunity to be part of Dewey’s SDGs community for future global engagement.”

No one can underestimate the importance of summer camps for reasons outside what they’ll actually learn, and that’s why Kim also believes that “Going to a summer camp is one of the best ways for kids to interact with each other and form new relationships with people who aren’t in the same school, or from the same background.”

Summer Camp Facts

Who: The Dewey Center and WildChina, endorsed by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and former UNESCO Director-General Ms. Bokova

What: Reimagine the urban communities of Beijing and “greenness” to make green space a more integral part of their urban, everyday life, industries, and nature.

Where: The Dewey Center’s new international center in Beijing
西大望路爱工场文化科技融合产业园
Xidawang road Aigongchang Wenhua Keji Ronghe Chanyeyuan

When: Camps will run in July and August; more details forthcoming

How: Email dewey@wildchina.com for more information

Ages: 12 – 17

Prices: RMB 10,500/student including room and board, meals

Curriculum: The Model United Nations curriculum of the Dewey Summer Program gives students the opportunity to present their thoughts and have in-depth exchanges about the SDGs with former UN Deputy Secretary-General Kim Won-soo, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State James Keith, amongst many other esteemed international and Chinese experts and scholars in the field.

Conclusion: Students participating in the camp will receive a completion certificate from the Dewey Center and outstanding participants will be extended an invitation to participate in high-level international dialogue and activity events jointly organized by the Dewey Center and the Ban Ki-moon Center. Furthermore, once international travel allows, these students will have the opportunity to visit and interact with members at United Nations offices in Switzerland, world-renowned universities, and at the Dewey Center’s global conferences.

About the Dewey Center:

Eponymously named after the world-renowned educator Dr. John Dewey, the Dewey Center and its programs encapsulate Dr. Dewey’s philosophy such as “Learning by doing”, “Education is not preparation for life, education is life itself”.  Dr. Dewey has had a lasting influence in China and indeed many 20^th century leaders of education in China such as Tao Xingzhi, Jiang Menglin, Feng Youlan, were his disciples. The former president of Peking University, Cai Yuanpei, who was also a student of Dr. Dewey called him a modern “Western Confucius.” In 2019, which commemorated the 160^th anniversary of Dr. Dewey’s birth and the 100th anniversary of his visit to China, the Dewey Center China opened by the support of  Ban Ki-moon Center, the University of Chicago, and its Lab school, the world-famous “Dewey School”. His excellency, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, 8^th Secretary-General of United Nation attended the ceremony and declared the opening of the Dewey Center China.

About WildChina:

The execution partners for the Dewey Center’s Summer Programs, WildChina Education have been recognized by the National Geographic, the Global Youth Travel Awards for its creativity in experience design. They are the curators of experiential learning experiences for the world’s leading institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Dulwich, Nord Anglia, Wellington, Harrow, and many more. Their commitment to safety, sustainability, and innovative high-quality programming has made WildChina Education Asia’s oldest and most established leader in experiential education. Programs run by WildChina Education integrate the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as creativity, action, and service and is a proud member of the Global Sustainability Forum as well as the International Ecotourism Society.

KEEP READING: WildChina, Roots & Shoots Empowers Young Women to Travel for Sustainability

Images: WildChina, Dewey Center

Are you starting to feel a bit helpless in the face of COVID-19? We’re quarantined at home and it’s been over a month since life in Beijing has been normal.

While medical professionals have traveled to Wuhan to fight COVID-19 on the frontlines, not all of us have the option to help out in such a way. Recently though, United Nations has started looking for online volunteers, giving those of us in quarantine a place where we can do our part in the fight against this devastating disease.

Their website states, “The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) program contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. Online volunteering allows organizations and volunteers to team up to address sustainable development challenges – anywhere in the world, from any device. Online volunteering is fast, easy, and most of all, effective. When skilled, passionate individuals join forces online with great organizations working toward sustainable development goals, everyone wins.”

Areas where they’re looking for volunteers include:

• Writing and editing
• Translation
• Research
• Project development and management
• Outreach advocacy
• Teaching and training
• Technology development
• Art and design
• Leadership and strategy
• Community organizing
• Healthcare services
• Administration
• Event organization
• Manual labor and skilled trade

The United Nations volunteer program works with over 12,000 online volunteers engaging in 187 different countries a year. To learn more about becoming a United Nations Volunteer, visit their website.

Source: www.onlinevolunteering.org/en
Photos: speakactchange.com, onlinevolunteering.org, www.onlinevolunteering.org/en

In 1959, the United Nations officially adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, which asserted that children are entitled to receive education and equal opportunity, such that they can develop their abilities, judgement, sense of moral and social responsibility, and ultimately, become a useful member of society. Moreover, it was agreed that children should be “protected from practices which may foster racial, religious and any other form of discrimination,” adding that, “[they]should be brought up in a spirit of understanding, tolerance, friendship among peoples, peace and universal brotherhood, and in full consciousness that [their]energy and talents should be devoted to the service of [their]fellow [humans].”

A lofty ideal to be sure, but certainly not anything that doesn’t seem absolutely necessary for an equitable world.

Flash forward to 1989, and the UN, working with its partners at UNICEF, went one step further when they ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which outlines 54 Articles describing how children the world over should be protected and advocated for, so that they all have an opportunity to thrive.

While it’s one thing for a bunch of adults in faraway places to make these rules, it is something else entirely when children themselves are privy to the plight of their peers; children the same age as them, who have few of the same chances to succeed in life.

That’s why Going Blue, a project within Yew Chung International School of Beijing’s (YCIS Beijing’s) G100 and Life Skills curriculum, is such an important initiative. According to the project’s description, Going Blue provides students at YCIS Beijing the opportunity to “[raise]awareness of and [educate]others about Children’s Rights, as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.” They did this by working individually, or in small teams, to create public service announcements (PSAs) that touch on one of the Convention’s articles, culminating in a presentation of their work that coincides with UNICEF’s World Children’s Day on Friday (Nov 20).

When asked why he thinks this project is important, Duncan C., year 9, told beijingkids, “I think that it is important because if people don’t care about others before themselves, then there would be a ton of chaos and world wars. There wouldn’t be any progression in the making of technology.”

One of YCIS Beijing’s mission statements is to raise globally competent student leaders who exemplify the school’s commitment to the tenants of the CARES philosophy: Critically explore local and global issues; Act for and believe in a better world; Respect and value all with compassion; Ensure equality, peace, and sustainability; and Sense a belonging to humankind. And in speaking to students involved with Going Blue, it’s clear that these qualities are shining through.

According to Jenny Y., year 7, “This project has taught me that children’s rights to make decisions are widely neglected,” adding, “[Going Blue] is important because not many rights are followed and children are not being respected.”

Likewise, Seraphina W., year 8, expressed a similar sentiment when she told beijingkids that, “This project has affected me because it has taught me a lot about children’s rights.”

Despite the fact that these UN resolutions were passed 60 and 30 years ago, respectively, it’s quite clear that globally, we still have a long way to go in protecting the rights of children worldwide. Nevertheless, through projects like YCIS Beijing’s Going Blue and its student leaders, we are one step closer to ensuring an equitable future for all.

For examples of the work students did, follow the links below;

Rights of a Child PSA by Eamon

Rights of a Child PSA by Gabriel

Photos: Mina Yan

The middle of March saw the amassing of over one thousand students from around the world. The middle of March saw the passing of BEIMUN XX. One would imagine that students flying into China from all corners of the globe every year for twenty years in a row would signify an important event. Yet, many international students barely know what MUN is, and those that do wonder why participate in MUN at all.

Of course there are the common answers: “Oh, it’s good for developing leadership” or “MUN will help with your public speaking.” Of course, there’s also the old adage, “MUN is great for CAS hours!” However, if you put all these relatively unimaginative and mundane reasons aside, you’re not left with very much at all. To understand why MUN can be useful, we must first understand what MUN is.

MUN, or Model United Nations, is exactly as the name suggests: a model of the United Nations. Its goal is to “reflect the ideas and principles of a peaceful post-Cold War world.” Put simply, MUN is where a student represents a country and meets with other delegations of different countries, so as to solve pressing world issues. Some may dismiss this as an excessively simple task, but the converse of this is generally the case. To truly excel in a MUN forum, one must know their assigned country better than, perhaps, their own.

One must know the state of the country’s economy, political affairs, social welfare and financials. That student must also know what the country’s people want or don’t want, and how any resolutions passed could influence culture and religion.

The question still remains, “So what? It’s not like the solutions and resolutions they come up with are going to be of any use, let alone be put into action.” To that, all I have to say is, yes, you would be completely right, and no, you’d be looking at it completely wrong. If we turn to the opening ceremony speeches of the Executive Student-Officers, we see a recurring message: we’re developing ourselves, we’re laying foundations.

Ferris Wang, the Secretary General, said in his speech that MUN “is a test” to discover more about himself, and urged delegates to “choose to take on a role [they’re] not used to.” He also reminded delegates, “The possibilities for you to discover yourself through your choices at BEIMUN are endless” and stressed that if BEIMUN was a play, there would be “no restrictions to who you can be and how you can contribute to the production.”

Deputy Secretary General Heather Budimulia was once a cynic who believed MUN was all talk and no action. In her speech, she warned delegates against making the same mistakes that she did: “It’s easy to fall into a trap and focus on the things we can see immediately, while writing off actions that take months, years, decades, even, to have observable effects.” She described conferences of BEIMUN’s scale as a “crazy collision of ideas” and likened MUN to a long-term solution.

MUN then, is not about producing tangible results, nor about actually helping the people the resolutions cater for. MUN is about creating globally minded citizens with the ability to problem solve, and then share their solution. Wang encouraged delegates to “push the boundaries” of BEIMUN, while Budimulia hoped that delegates would leave the conference empowered, “feeling that their heads were able and their hearts were willing” to achieve change.

Over the course of the conference, voices spoke out, suggestions were made, compromise reached and the world represented. Most importantly, global citizenship was fostered, and a new generation of leaders took the floor. As Joseph Liu of the Youth Assembly said at the BEIMUN closing ceremony, “We may be the leaders of tomorrow, but we should not wait till tomorrow to start leading.”

Beijingers at BEIMUN
Host school The International School of Beijing (ISB) sent a big delegation and represented Indonesia, Serbia, Austria, Uruguay, Human Rights Watch and the United Kingdom.

Beijing World Youth Academy (BWYA) represented Fiji, Jamaica and Israel at this year’s BEIMUN conference.

Dulwich College Beijing (DCB) represented Central Africa Republic and Iceland.

Beijing City International School (BCIS) debated on behalf of Ukraine.

Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) delegates represented Canada, Cuba and Sudan.

Tsinghua International School (THIS) students represented Cyprus and Senegal.

Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS Beijing) students were also at BEIMUN and made up the delegation of Switzerland.

British School of Beijing (BSB) students assumed the roles of delegates from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Bahrain and Rwanda.

BEIMUN: What People Are Talking About
“BEIMUN is so different from normal debates or speech competitions. Some people think it’s a waste or time or that it’s just for smart people, but BEIMUN actually offers a wide range of committees that could suit anyone joining. It was such an exciting experience and I look forward to the next one.”
– Mandy Chung, YCIS, Delegate of Switzerland, Human Rights Council

“BEIMUN XX is the best MUN conference I’ve been to yet. The people were all friendly, the chairs were helpful, and the atmosphere had just the right balance between seriousness and messing-around-ness. BEIMUN is definitely a worthwhile experience, and a place to "make facebook friends, friends, and ‘more than friends,’" a quote from the Secretary General.”
– Guohao Sun, WAB, Delegate of Canada, Special Conference Sub-Committee 2

"Being in the Advisory Panel this year allowed me to see BEIMUN in a different light. The small committee allows more interaction and communication between the members and each individual advisor had more opportunities to speak. This again reflects how the variety of committees in the BEIMUN conference offers a range of possible debating experiences as well as numerous opportunities for meeting new people and forming new acquaintances." 
– Lily Zhao, WAB, Delegate of Sudan, Advisory Panel

“You’d think wearing a bright red t-shirt over a long-sleeved dress shirt would make me feel stupid, but with a stack of BEIWATCH copies in my hand, I couldn’t have felt prouder."
– Kevin Zhao, ISB, Reporter, BEIWATCH

“BEIMUN is the best conference that I have ever participated in. What makes BEIMUN special is that everyone who participates is friendly and supportive. I feel it is one of the only conferences that people are satisfied with and want to return to. I also look forward to returning to BEIMUN next year and enjoying the warmth of the conference!"
– Ji Hwan (Danny) Kim, DCB, Deputy Assistant President, Special Conference Sub-Committee 2

My experience in BEIMUN has been invaluable and worthwhile. It not only gave me a chance to expand my knowledge and understand world issues from different perspectives, it also taught me leadership like no other program. Most importantly, I have learned a great deal about how to work in a professional environment with others to reach a common goal.
– Anny Park, ISB, Deputy Assistant President, Special Conference Sub-Committee 1

This article originally appeared in the March 2013 issue of UNIT-E. It was written by Gavin Tan, a student at the International School of Beijing.

About UNIT-E

UNIT-E was founded in the spring of 2010 with the aim of establishing a non-profit, student-run magazine for international students in Beijing. Staffed by current students from a range of international schools, the magazine provides an amalgam of cultural tidbits, fragments of Beijing student life, and a broad spectrum of unique perspectives from a diverse group of young adults.

Photo courtesy of UNIT-E

It was much the same as I remember it, and I was amazed to see some of the veteran actors, including Maria and Gordon, still at it after all these years. On the other hand, some of the newer characters – i.e. Elmo – lost me; and I couldn’t help but notice the differences in the new voices of the muppets (Kermit the Frog, Ernie) once voiced by the late creator Jim Henson – I’m old school like that.

Speaking of old school, I recently discovered that one of my favorite rappers, MF Grimm, was one of the earliest kids on Sesame Street (he got on the show after being recommended by his neighbor Morgan Freeman). How he went from riding on the back of Mr. Snuffalufagus to being paralyzed from the waist down after a drug-related shooting is beyond me, but the man’s story is still quite remarkable. And now that Harvard and the UN are recognizing the show for its profound international influence, it’s indeed heartening to see Sesame Street carry on in this age of crass merchandising and thirty-minute long toy commercials.