CNMI students return from kid’s convention

The six-student delegation led by Brenda B. Repeki from the Marianas Visitors Authority returned to the CNMI on July 23 after participating in the 20th Annual Asian-Pacific Children’s Convention in Fukuoka, Japan. The annual convention took place July 11-23, 2008.

This year, the Asian-Pacific Children’s Convention marked 20 years of the continuing summer invitation program. The APCC’s slogan: “We are the BRIDGE: We connect dreams around the world” reflected the main goals of the convention: to generate appreciation for a variety of cultures through exchanges between children from all over the Asia-Pacific region, to promote mutual understanding throughout the Asia-Pacific region, and to raise young people with a global perspective who will work to increase international awareness in their local community.

The youth ambassadors’ first experience was the Marine House camp, while the APCC coordinators prepared activities for the chaperones and junior ambassadors to interact with people from other countries and to learn their cultures, heritages and way of life.

The APCC was launched in Fukuoka in 1989 by the Fukuoka Junior Chamber with the aim of nurturing children—the “bearers of the future”—to become global citizens. Since then and for the past 20 years the APCC has continued this activity, conducting Fukuoka’s annual international exchange project and operating in a unique style where the business community and citizens get fully integrated.

The 20th Anniversary Project Execution Plan Commemorating Event also took place during that time with a total number of about 3,000 participants. An estimated 700 children from Asia-Pacific and from Fukuoka, Japan, chaperons and host families participated.

The Emperor and Empress Hitachi were also present during the Commemoration celebration and at the sports event. The Emperor gave a speech during both functions.

For the second half of the event, the invitation also included guests who have long supported the APCC, and showed the children’s dynamic cross-cultural exchanges.

“The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands has been sending groups of Junior Ambassadors, accompanied by a chaperone to participate in the annual Asia-Pacific Children’s Convention, held in Fukuoka, Japan, each year. It is a truly unique event that allows approximately 700 11-year-old children from 43 regions around the Asia-Pacific rim to share in a truly international exchange,” said MVA managing director Perry Tenorio.

This year’s participants were Johnny Roger Duenas Penalosa, James Arthur Lifoifoi Phillips, Katsutoshi Comia Pangelinan, Allysha Hillary Sabanal Lloren, Marika Joleen Pascua Cabay and Franory Lynn Pluhs Mesngon, accompanied by Brenda Ann Blas Repeki.[B][I] (PR)[/I][/B]