Welcome everyone to the first edition of The GYC Times 2018.
Yesterday, we welcomed people from far and wide to Tosabori for our official opening ceremony.
We were first introduced to our MCs for the week, Miho and Cayden, who will be making important announcements during each meal, and throughout the day.
To set the scene for what is in store for our delegates this week, a video of the previous three GYCs was shown. What type of fun do we have in store for participants this year?
A-chan and Rishi helped explain the sugoi fun we’ll be in for, as they introduced our workshop facilitators, and briefly ran through the schedule.
The ice breakers run by Rishi during the day were a great way for delegates to get to know each other. One of his questions was: “Why did you choose to come to the GYC?”
Quite a number of our delegates have participated in previous GYCs. Did you see them in the video?
Other participants have been recommended by friends, their YMCAs and schools. Perhaps ask during breakfast how each other got involved in th GYC.
Once we arrived at Rokko-san, delegates had time to meet their new roommates. The international quiz before dinner made us realise that although we may know a lot about other countries, there is still so much that we don’t know (like what type of power socket Switzerland uses!)
While we may not know everything, developing our ability to be a global citizen is an important aspect of the GYC. Being a global citizens means being able to:
• Build your understanding of world events.
• Think about your values and what's important to you
• Challenge ignorance and intolerance.
• Get involved in your local, national and global communities.
“I hear a lot of people say ‘I’ve been to 68 different countries and counting!’ But my question to you is, of those 60 odd countries you went to, how many did you actually live in, and how many did you understand? There’s a difference between visiting a country and understanding.”
This year’s Keynote Speaker is Travis Beard, an Australian film director, photojournalist, and musician. After travelling to Afghanistan in 2001, Beard worked with the local Afghani community to reintroduce a culture beyond the war-torn world they knew.
Beard’s discussion about understanding a new culture is very important in becoming a global citizen. You must learn about the world by admitting that you don’t understand. By working with their local, and international communities, you can learn about what is important to them, as well as learn more about what is important to you.
Have you been overseas before? How many countries have you been to? How many communities do you think you understand?
At Rokko-san, Beard gave the GYC delegates the first official viewing of his documentary Rockabul in Japan. Did you get to watch Rockabul? Following the journey of Afghanistan’s first metal band, delegates were stunned with Beard’s honest story of living and working in Afghanistan.
Sometimes people and the media only want to hear stories which confirm their beliefs about a culture. But as global citizens, it’s our job to tell the truth about each culture – the good, the bad, and the interesting.
And that wraps up our first day of GYC! Stay tuned for more tomorrow, as we continue to update you on the incredible experiences people have here.