The Start of Something New

-The 1st International Teens' Rights Public Forum-    

        As a new year dawns, it does not only bring us to a new page of the calender but also brings new things to look forward to, and to plan for. While many have their own plans to greet the year, participating in The First International Teens' Rights Public Forum could be just the right start for the new year, 2012.

        The First International Teens' Rights Public Forum is hosted by Korea Center for United Nations Human Rights Policy, on the sixteenth of January, 2012 with 150 participants and guest speakers from the UN and NGO. Its goal is to spread the importance of human rights and to bring human rights to those suffering teens who are depleted from them. It could sound like any typical forum but there is something special that makes it stand out from all the others. It is that the whole forum is planned, progressed and directed by young teens themselves, age raging from 13 to 24.

        The teens meet up together once a week to work out all the specific details, such as setting the date, funding the money needed, and inviting the professional speakers. They also do heated debates when trying to adjust plans to the point of full satisfaction of the participants. As they talk feverishly, forgetting even to take their meals, it shows how passionate they are in their act of bringing human rights into our society and helping the underprivileged neighbors in our community. If anyone is doubtful about teens working without the help of adults, he or she can just listen to the Son Seung Woo, the president of the preparation committee - 'In our society, there are so many stereotypes against the young teens that it is hard for them to show their voice to the public. This forum, which is directed and made by the teens will give the teens an opportunity to share their thoughts with the world.'

        The forum's main topic is 'Education' and 'Discrimination' and it is subdivided into six categories: 'The True Meaning of Education', 'Self Directing Progress', 'The Culture of Recreation', 'North Korean families', and 'The underprivileged'. The participants would give presentations of one specific topic and discuss the issue with professionals, and question and answer time will be followed.

That's not all. The forum provides all the participants with a series of lectures on the topics for free, three times before the main forum, so as to give further information and knowledge on the issues and to encourage more active discussion.  In addition, for those who cannot afford to join due to the entry fee, the forum will grant scholarships, relieving the underprivileged teens economic concerns.

        Through the forum, many will learn about human rights and will be able to attain more concrete ideas what we can do to help our society to regain them. The forum will affect and inspire many people, especially young adults and teenagers, nurturing the precious virtues in their hearts. Even after the forum, it is expected that the voice of the teens will still be able to be heard from the society and be appreciated. And this can be the start of something new.

Reported by Ahn Kyu Won