Sharing Insightful Actions for a Brighter Future

More than ever, the world is faced with finding solutions to global issues that affect everyone and that is not the exception of the students who participate in IVECA’s cultural exchanges. This week, students from Sri Lanka participated in their very first IVECA Live Class! Meeting virtually with their partners from South Korea, the Sri Lankan students participated in presenting their solutions to creating a better future for us all.

Students shared their thoughts on the future after visualizing themselves in the year 2040 based on research data. Although Korean students admitted that it could be hard to save the world, they proceeded to offer potential solutions to some of them, especially focusing on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 3: ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all ages. Their predictions ranged from a future similar to today with improved environmental conditions thanks to the widespread use of passive housing, which reduces the energy needed to heat and cool a home, to an unfortunate dystopia filled with more “indiscriminate development, materialism, competition and selfishness causing social problems”. A rather fascinating thought they expressed was: “We know all of them [the issues] but we don’t think about changing ourselves.”

Sri Lankan students also imagined what their country might be like in the next twenty years, and they had surprisingly similar hopes and worries. Nevertheless, they shared their perspective on the problems and ways we can build a brighter future. One student made the prediction that in the future, most agriculture is likely to be lab grown. He said this would result in a loss of farming culture and traditional foods, pointing out that while there would be more food supply, there would also be a great loss of human history. Another student wisely proclaimed that it is our positive and negative habits of the present that can change the future. “Seeking a brighter future requires energy, knowledge and commitment,” he said, “It is not the stuff of wishes and hopes.”

Both groups of students addressed major problems the world is facing, and although both believe that technology has become an important aspect of our lives and that there are many benefits to it, they also are aware of the downside of technology. One such negative effect students discussed is that of declining mental health. As one student from Korea put it, the best course of action to combat this issue is to invest in psychiatric medicine and focus on mental wellness.

While the students from South Korea and Sri Lanka come from different backgrounds, locations and perspectives, they easily came together to share not only their solutions for the future but also wonderful cultural performances. South Korean students shared a powerful martial arts Tae Kwon Do demonstration with a traditional white uniform and black belt. In addition, Sri Lanka shared a fantastic vocal and musical performance. Dressed in red garb, one student boldly sang while three others accompanied on a guitar, Kirtan harmonium and a Dholak drum. These performances were well received by students and teachers, as big rounds of applause followed each act.

As the day’s festivities came to a close, students, teachers, and principals from each school expressed their gratitude for having had the opportunity to learn from each other and hoped to meet again someday. “Even after the IVECA exchange today,” one Korean student’s farewell letter read, “I hope we don’t forget each other and continue to communicate with [one another] and support the future, even if we are on the other side of the earth.”

#IVECA #InterculturalCompetence #IntercultualExchange #21stCenturyEducation #GlobalEducation #GlobalCitizenship

Algerian, Indian, and Korean Students Ready to Take Action on Climate Change

Young teenagers from India, Algeria, and South Korea virtually met their peers through IVECA’s Live Class. After three months of collaborating through IVECA’s virtual classroom, students discussed the impact of climate change and how it affects the lives of the citizens in their countries. As climate change issues become more severe across different parts of the world, many activists are raising awareness of these effects and campaigning for solutions. To raise awareness of the problem within their countries, students presented to their peers some of the outcomes of climate change in their communities, such as air pollution in Korea, landslides in India and rises in temperatures and droughts in Algeria.

These middle schoolers were challenged to create sustainable solutions and motivate their audience to adopt their new ideas. Students shared possible actions that can be taken by the local communities to protect their environment, such as saving energy, recycling, using public transportation and using water mindfully. By enabling them to learn from each other’s diverse perspectives, students’ global collaboration inspired them to take an active role in this cause. “The solutions were amazing and very helpful… we will try to follow them in our country,” said an Indian student about her Korean partners’ presentations.

In wrapping up the Live Class, students from all three countries commonly resonated that it was a meaningful semester in which they gained a new perspective on the influence of climate change and sought personally feasible ways to solve the problem. The schools’ principals also highlighted the sense of accomplishment that students became part of the mission of raising awareness about climate change. The Korean principal shared his remarks emphasizing, “We have a duty to the future generations of the world, and working together we can implement the shared solutions.”

#IVECA #InterculturalCompetence #LiveClass #SDGs #GlobalCitizens #GlobalEducation #InterculturalExchange #IVECAFall

Students Make Mindful Choices for A Global Society

In early December, partnerships from Korea and the United States came together to present mindful decisions to support UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Throughout the semester, high school students reflected on our daily choices that continue to produce negative effects around the world. After identifying two or three common choices and their impacts, students developed solutions for citizens to make conscious decisions in an effort to promote positive results. Group presenters highlighted choices to advance the progress of SDGs featuring environmental aspects and responsible consumption.

Climate change is noted to be caused directly by humans. It is human choices that affect the future of our global society. Students researched the consequences of specific choices and explained the best decision to their IVECA friends. Daily decisions that affect our environment include choice of transportation, duration of showers, consumption of food, and use of plastic products. Positive choices students proposed incorporated using a bicycle more frequently, taking short showers and being mindful of water consumption.

The current amount of product consumption by people around the world has created negative effects such as an increase in child labor, water contamination, and landfill usage. Korean students outlined three types of consumption; Impulsive, Conspicuous, and Imitation. Buying products from around the world has never been easier. With social media on the rise, consumers are quick to purchase items (Impulsive) to show a higher social status (Conspicuous) and fit in with others (Imitation). In order to combat this problem, American students suggested only buying what you need, researching products before you buy, and making the buying process inconvenient.

The goal of student presentations was met by raising awareness of how our everyday actions affect the future of our environment. An American student shared, “After all, I learned from you through IVECA, I am sure to make good environmental choices from now on. I plan on recycling more and reducing my consumption of unnecessary items for sure.” Through IVECA, students are making changes starting with themselves. It is beautiful to see future generations take accountability and make mindful choices for a global society.

#IVECA #interculturalcompetence #LiveClass #SDGs #GlobalCitizens #GlobalEducation #InterculturalExchange #IVECAFall