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Another appeal from the children was accepted. Thursday night was spent just for shopping!! Everyone grabbed this chance to buy one another gifts, buy souvinirs home or just enjoyed the atmostphere of traditional market of Seoul.The smell of festive season was all around in the air.Until that day, the children had got to know one another and shopping together was a sweet memory for all to carry home together beside piles of papers they gathered from the conference.
At night a group of key kids (each country had a key kid to evaluate each working day to organizers and helped facilitators to facilitate the conference better) gathered to prepare for the solidary night which would happen the next day.Tired after shopping, the
energy was still bubbling.
Friday was the last day and also the most busy day.In the morning we had skill workshop, the advocacy workshop host by Mr Jay while in the next room leadership skill workshop led by Lakan,our energetic facilitator. The participants learnt advocacy and leadership skills through various games,voice training,brainstorming together and other kind of practice.The skill workshops were both helpful and fun.At the same time the skill workshops went on, a group of delegates separated to work on drafting the Seoul Resolution.Lan Anh from Vietnam,Khairul from Malaysia,Peter from Fiji and Marlon from Phillipines took the task.The draft was then presented to the whole group to have inputs.At lunch time,Lan Anh went back to Computer’s room to incorporate all input and the final version was presented.In the afternoon,Khairul and Peter presented the Seoul Resolution again and it was finally adopted by all participants.
The rest of the afternoon was spent on the selection process and criteria for children and young people delegate to Prepcom of Ministerial Conference in Bali 2003.Each country nominated one candidate and ballots were used to ensure a democratic election.The Vietname delegation nominated Vu Thanh Ha.The delegates agreed to choose at least 2 boys and 2 girls to ensure gender balance.After an intense selection full of noisy cheers and also few dissapointed silence, five delegates were elected to represent the children and young people of 3rd regional forum to present at Bali conference.They were Peter Chung from Fiji,Michiko from Japan,Don from Korea, Yuyi from China and Ranata from Cambodia.The five representatives had a busy time receiving congratulations,high five and hugs from their voters and competitors.
Before closing the forum, regional and country projects nominated some key contact person to ensure furthur networking after the forum. Lan Anh was chosen the contact person for the Vietnam team.Peter Chung from Fiji and Khairul from Malaysia would be contact person for the regional projects.Lan Anh from Vietnam and Khairul from Malaysia would be coordinators for East Asia Paific Children and Young People’s Conference’s Network with support of Mr.Victor Karunna at Unicef Bangkok and Jay Wisecaser at Save the Children Alliance Bangkok.
The last activity of the conference was when everyone picked up a color paper heart and wrote down either a wish or a commitment. Some children wished they could tell their friends more about CRC,wished a world fit for children would be reality while other wished they could study English better to communicate easier at next conferences or hoped this networking and frienships they made at the forum would last forever etc. All the colorful hearts were sticked on a huge red heart with the Resolution from Seoul at its center.This heart from the children and young people would be dilivered to the Ministerial Conference in Bali by the 5 recently elected representatives.
The closing ceremony was held in the evening at Seoul University of Art guesthouse which looked like a some star hotel from outside and very simply yet cosy Korean style from inside.The closing ceremony was incredibly great!! Each country shared a cultural performance from beautiful dance of Mongolian troupe to groovy move of the Islanders,from traditional folk song of Vietnam to the rock version of Korean Arirang.After cultural performance and our hearty thanks to Angel’s heaven and organizers was disco time!! Colorful traditional costumes surpass the color lights the dosco.Everyone had great time dancing until midnight.After lots of photos,hugs and little tears,people said goodbye.
We, the representatives of children from 15 countries including Cambodia, China, East Timor, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Thailand, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Vietnam participating in the 3rd East Asia Pacific Regional Children and Young People’s Forum from 9th to 13th December 2002, make this resolution to kindly urge governments, NGOs and civil society to support child participation in the process of creating a world fit for us.
Children have historically been seen and not heard. We are now moving into a world where the governments are having concrete plans to promote child rights, NGOs are actively supporting children movements and the civil society taking responsibility for the children. The Convention on the Rights of the Child emphasizes that children have the right to genuine participation. This is simply because we have a better understanding and knowledge regarding our own issues. Our full potential, creativity and leadership skills can only be realized if given the opportunity.
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Ha Thi Lan Anh
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