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Liaison Newsletter > LIAISON Volume 6, Issue #1, January 2002
Canadian Youth Demonstrate Support for Global Peace In October 2001, the United Nations Association in Canada (UNA-Canada) had opportunities to engage Canadian children, in formal and non-formal settings, in activities that demonstrate their support for global peace. Through colourful art and recreational soccer activities, Canadian youth communicated their desire for and commitment to world peace. The Global Peace Games In early October Canadian boys and girls (Under 14, 16 and 18) participating in the National Club Championships in Montreal, Charlottetown and Edmonton, commemorated the UN International Decade (2001-2010) for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the children of the world. In collaboration with the Canadian Soccer Association we arranged for youth competing in the National Championships at the three locations to shake hands at the end of each match and express friendship stating: “Peace is in Our Hands”, and then to sign the Manifesto that pledges their commitment to:
Their signatures bear testimony to Canadian children’s commitment and responsibility to uphold the principles of peace. Their signatures have been combined with those of youth from Cameroon, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Kenya Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Niger, Panama, Romania, Rwanda, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, South Africa, Togo, United States and Zambia, and symbolically presented to the Office of the Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan. Grade Four Children Visualize Peace On October 16 I gave a presentation to Grade 4 students at Knoxdale Public School in Ottawa. The interactive presentation enabled the children to identify and learn about various issues that the UN deals with in an effort to achieve and maintain peace throughout the world. Under the supervision of their teacher, the children later drew individual pictures illustrating how they now visualize peace. The children’s art can be accessed at UNA-Canada web site at: www.unac.org/learn/wrld/peace/peace.htm. The original artwork was given to UNA-Canada as a special gift from the students. UNA-Canada continues to engage Canadian youth in learning about global issues, being an integral part of the global community and having a role in finding solutions to complicated world problems. To find out more about UNA-Canada’s educational programmes please contact Sarah Kambites, Project Officer for School Programmes, at 613-232-5751 ext.248 or skambites@unac.org
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