Sep 2008 Newsletter: Pangaea ring - Ms. Sophia Ji-hye Yoon
From my personal background and experiences, I believe that "knowing
and understanding others" could mean "knowing and understanding one's
ego" at the same time. While I, a Korean, studied European culture
for a long time, I became, ironically but naturally, more and more get
interested in discovering mine including my-self.Therefore, I have been quite sure that international understanding programs invite youth not only to get aware of each difference and respect it while making friends from all over the globe, but also to meet more closely and deeply inner self.
The Seoul Youth Center for Cultural Exchange (MIZY Center), which is managed by the Korean National Commission for UNESCO has played a role as a Korean partner organization for the Pangaea Project since 2006.
As a Korean counterpart,
I am convinced that the Pangaea Project
provides Korean children with invaluable opportunities for international
cross-cultural communication through various ranges of games during
Webcam Activity and messaging of pictogram called Picton at PangaeaNet,
a cyberspace homepage created by project participants, with their peers
from Austria, Japan and Kenya regardless of barriers of language,
geographical distance and time zones.
Moreover, it is more meaningful for me to witness that the Pangaea Project helps Korean participants, who are more led to their scholastic achievement than to their self-reflection, to examine their selves through creative and expressive activities based on drawing.
It is an important point that Korean facilitators who are indispensable volunteers present positive feedback to have been experiencing their growth step by step while meeting Korean children and conducting the project. Me also, I take a look at myself considering the perspectives of Korean children, facilitators and other staffs at the scene of the Pangaea Project and it gives me always good lessons.
Finally, the Pangaea Project helps not merely Korean children but every single person involved to grow up slowly but surely.
The Pangaea Project plays thus like mirror, through which we could reflect ourselves. I am sure that the mirror allows us to show others with whom we live together, but who we do not know and understand, as well as, to know and understand ourselves more correctly and deeply.
Sophia Ji-hye Yoon
Head, Multicultural Program Team
Seoul Youth Center for Cultural Exchange (MIZY Center)
Moreover, it is more meaningful for me to witness that the Pangaea Project helps Korean participants, who are more led to their scholastic achievement than to their self-reflection, to examine their selves through creative and expressive activities based on drawing.
It is an important point that Korean facilitators who are indispensable volunteers present positive feedback to have been experiencing their growth step by step while meeting Korean children and conducting the project. Me also, I take a look at myself considering the perspectives of Korean children, facilitators and other staffs at the scene of the Pangaea Project and it gives me always good lessons.
Finally, the Pangaea Project helps not merely Korean children but every single person involved to grow up slowly but surely.
The Pangaea Project plays thus like mirror, through which we could reflect ourselves. I am sure that the mirror allows us to show others with whom we live together, but who we do not know and understand, as well as, to know and understand ourselves more correctly and deeply.
Sophia Ji-hye Yoon
Head, Multicultural Program Team
Seoul Youth Center for Cultural Exchange (MIZY Center)
Posted by: kumakinoko | 3. Newsletter , 4. Pangaea Ring
