ipyg-Please don’t hurt the girl anymore. (the Gaza strip)

I read the pitiful news on the Internet a while ago.

It was the news regarding a 16 years old girl, Baker. She wrote about her situation very urgently: ‘I can die even tomorrow.’

It was because of the Gaza strip conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Can you imagine how was the feeling of a 16 year-old girl who has many days to live, when posting a video saying ‘I can die even tomorrow’ on SNS?
Real-war situations were on that video.

She pleaded that she can die even tomorrow at the age of enjoying her life while playing and studying with her friends. 

This war was already third to the girl who is just 16 years old.
She is going through the wars three times already, though her life was not very long.

How would it be pitiful if children in trouble nations remember their childhood with only memories of wars?

Wars are derived from adults’ greed but innocent children are being sacrificed.
What should adults do for these children?

Adults should leave the world of peace to their children, emerging from petty and selfish mind.


“Please don’t hurt children anymore.”

ipyg-International Day of Peace - LOVE & PEACE

Do you know what day September 21 is? It is International Day of Peace set by UN.It was set for wishing all the wars and violence in the world to be stopped. 

An international peace movement, ‘PEACE ONE DAY’ is held annually for spreading International Day of Peace, then making all violence in the world stopped and being united as one with forgiveness and reconciliation. On this day last year, Peace Cup Game which has a message of peace was held internationally in the places which represent each country or peace. In Korea, it was held in Imjingak Pyeonghwanuri Park (Imjingak Unification Park) and War Memorial of Korea which are the meaningful places representing the only divided country in the world, Korea. However, do you know so far the only 10% of world population remembers such messages of peace?

So we, IPYG (International Peace Youth Group), are working for letting more people know the importance of peace. 
IPYG is working with a mind that wants to stop all the violence in this world that wars and conflicts are continuously happened and make a peaceful world with forgiveness and reconciliation. IPYG is an organization which all the people around the world are gathered as one and work for peace through the peace walk events. After I got to know this organization and how it has been working for peace, I was shameful that I was just saying, I want peace and a peaceful world. But now, I became a member of IPYG and put it into practice for making peace can be really achieved. I think it would be the shortcut to world peace to put our minds and acts for loving peace into practice. :)

ipyg-I want to introduce 'Institute for Cultural Diplomacy(ICD)'

What is Cultural Diplomacy?
"Cultural Diplomacy may best be described as a course of actions, which are based on and utilize the exchange of ideas, values, traditions and other aspects of culture or identity, whether to strengthen relationships, enhance socio-cultural cooperation or promote national interests; Cultural diplomacy can be practiced by either the public sector, private sector or civil society."
History
Cultural Diplomacy (or "Diplomacy between Cultures") has existed as a practice for centuries.  No longer relegated to the periphery of the international relations discipline, cultural diplomacy today is a vibrant and innovative academic field of research and has successfully established itself as a stand-alone theory and practice.

Whilst the term "cultural diplomacy" has only recently been established, evidence of its practice can be seen throughout history and has existed for centuries. Explorers, travelers, traders, teachers and artists can be all considered living examples of “informal ambassadors” or early “cultural diplomats” (for example, the establishment of regular trade routes enables a frequent exchange of information and cultural gifts between traders and government representatives). 

Such deliberate efforts of cultural exchange can be identified as early examples of cultural diplomacy. Indeed, any person who interacts with different cultures, (currently or in the past), facilitates a form of cultural exchange, which can take place in fields such as art, sports, literature, music, science, business & economy and beyond.

Through the interaction of peoples, the exchange of language, religion, ideas, arts and societal structures have consistently improved relations between divergent groups.

Cultural Diplomacy in Practice
Cultural diplomacy in practice (or applied cultural diplomacy) is the application and implementation of the theory of cultural diplomacy, including all models that have been practiced throughout history by individual, community, state or institutional actors in order to facilitate and improve relations and collaboration between disparate cultures. These models include for example diverse cultural exchange programs, international delegations (e.g., American jazz ambassadors) or sports competitions. The examples are uniquely able to affect intercultural and interfaith understanding and promote reconciliation.

The Importance of Cultural Diplomacy
In an increasingly globalized, interdependent world, in which the proliferation of mass communication technology ensures we all have greater access to each other than ever before, cultural diplomacy is critical to fostering peace & stability throughout the world. Cultural diplomacy, when learned and applied at all levels, possesses the unique ability to influence the “Global Public Opinion” and ideology of individuals, communities, cultures or nations, which can accelerate the realization of the 5 principles below. By accomplishing the first principle, one enables the second, which in turn enables the third until the fifth ultimate principle of global peace and stability is achieved.

ipyg-Michael Jackson – heal the world

I think it will probably be a song that everyone has heard at least once.

Yes. It is "Heal the World" by Michael Jackson. People all around the world loved this song when it was released. When I listened to this song, I also felt that I am cured and peace would come soon to the world.

However, peace didn't come to this world yet. Why?

Before we find out the reason, let's look over the lyrics to "Heal the World".

The lyrics is generally about:

 Let's make the world a clean and better place. There are people dying for you and for me and the entire human race. If you care enough for the living, there is the answer to achieve peace.

 So, what should we do in order to bring about peace? Is there the answer in love? 

If we love each other, there won't be any panic or fear in us. 

Then, peace that we've dreamed of will be turned into reality. 

If we'd be one for peace, there will be the world without fear.

Let's not regard peace as an abstract concept, and let's put it into practice!

If we have thoughts like "peace will come one day.." and do nothing to achieve it, peace will never come to the world. 

 You can think that "How can we put it into practice for peace?". You're right. We cannot do it by oneself.

So we, IPYG (International Peace Youth Group), are here!

 IPYG is an organization that youths from all around the world are gathered and work for peace.

When the war happens, who are dragged to the field of war? It's youths. How sad are the youths thrown away in the field of war without having a chance to bloom? Therefore, let's gather together with those who have these minds and work to bring about peace. When we try to achieve peace by oneself, there will be many restrictions, hardships and fears. But if we are gathered as one for the world peace, I am sure that peace could be achieved soon.

ipyg-German Village in Namhae - A wonderful vacation spot

 Today, I would like to introduce “German Village in Namhae” (Namhae refers to the Southern Sea in Korean) for a summer vacation spot.

It is located in Namhae-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do.

It was built for nurses and miners who went to Germany to earn foreign currency when South Korea was in poor economic condition.
They intended to come back to Korea individually, but they worried about cultural difference.
In this regard, Namhae-gun made a village for Korean Germans to allow them to live together; this is Namhae German Village.
Due to this reason, it has plenty of unusual attractions.

You can experience German culture through exhibition concerning miners and nurses dispatched to Germany in 1960s-1970s, German children’s songs, and German popular songs that they sang in Germany.
If you choose Namhae Germany Village as a summer vacation spot, you would catch two birds with one stone by experiencing German culture and eating food that you can have a taste only in the coastal areas along the Southern Sea.

ipyg-[Movie] Fanny And Alexander

We Need Love and Peace

 Ingmar Bergman is a world famous director in Sweden. He is a movie director whom a lot of present movie directors express their respects and praises to. His movies always seem to contain questions about religion and God. His style like this was appeared well in his last directed movie ‘Fanny and Alexander’ that I will introduce today.

This movie’s running time is for about 3 hours. It can make audience feel quite bored in the beginning of the movie. But, in the latter half, there are a lot of thrilling and passionate scenes.


The background of the movie is Uppsala, Sweden in the early 20th century. The main character’s father runs a theater.  Characters’ class is various from the high to the lower.However, they are all actors so that the Ekdahl family treats them as precious guests.  Though a hierarchical society remains, the theater company shows classless democracy. So Fanny and Alexander, Oscar’s children get on with the members in the theater group.

This movie shows actual life of the Ekdahl family like a beautiful picture for about an hour. They live freely always with gratitude, enough tolerance and love each other. And then one day, Oscar, Fanny and Alexander’ father, fell down and died while he was performing his play performance. After that, their mother remarries. Since the day, the movie starts to face hardships.


After their mother remarried, Fanny and Alexander have lived in a Catholic church where a bishop lives. Anyone should obey the rules unconditionally in there. Their lives with bishop, such an oppressive and narrow self-righteousness, seem like a hell to Fanny and Alexander who had lived freely. Because the bishop shows us that only he is always right, I was wondered if he is a man who really serves God. He is described like a devil.  

However, a conciliatory gesture shows up in the latter part of the movie. First of all, the bishop bursts into tears because he didn’t know that someone hates him. He regrets being blinded by self-righteousness. After he was died from an accident, Fanny and Alexander were set free from the bishop’s bondage. Peace came back to them.

This movie doesn’t want to criticize religion. This movie says, “Look at the world kindly with full of peaceful smile.”

In fact, it is not matter whether people have religion or not. It is more important to have loves in order to have much better relationships with others. Furthermore, we should have loves in order to bring an end to war and bring about peace all over the world. What we, IPYG, also pursue is the love.

Even now, wars are constantly happening in the world because of religion, economy, the race, or ideology. After I saw this movie, I realized again how dangerous such a petty mind that I am only right is. And again, I was sure that IPYG and I are treading the path of virtue.

Ipyg- One chance ;movie review.

Recently I watched a movie named "One Chance". This movie based on a real story. Although I watched the movie knowing how the story ends, there were some scenes that I was impressed with.

 The story of the movie goes like this.

It is a story of an ordinary cell phone salesman winning the audition "British Got Talent" and becoming famous worldwide.

But there were a lot of bumps along the way.

In his childhood, the main character wanted to be an opera star, but he was too meek and timid that the neighborhood kids picked on him. He had a plain childhood until the day he won the prize at a talent show in town, and he entered a music school in Venice. He had a chance to sing in front of his hero, Pavarotti, but he got too nervous that he blew his chance. 

Eventually, he gave up singing and came back home. After his return, many things happened.  One was getting married to his wife who was his computer chatting partner. There were many ups and downs in his life. He had a surgery for appendicitis, and the scar opened up when he was performing on stage. He suffered from a car accident, and removed a tumor on his vocal chords. These were many hardships.

 In the end, he applied for an audition on British Got Talent. As mentioned above, he won the competition. The world was took interest in this cell phone salesman who became the winner of British Got Talent. He made it as a singer. He overcame all the hardships, and I think he did because of his wife's love and sacrifice.

  

I learned three lessons from this movie.

First, never give up on what you desire.

Second, be thankful to the love and sacrifices of your mother and wife.

Third, men grows through sufferings.

The story of Paul Potts made me look back at myself and I was surprised that the movie was based on a real story.