On August 8, the United Nations Headquarters on the eastern shore of Manhattan, New York, hosted a special event dedicated to children. A group of young artists, averaging around 10 years old, showcased their imaginative art at the UN headquarters. On this day, dozens of children attended the event to engage in collaborative art creation, interact face-to-face with UN representatives, and give speeches sharing their unique insights on sustainable development. This event was not only a display of artistic creativity but also a profound educational experience.
The event, titled “2024 ANOBO ‘1 World’ Children’s Global Competence Education Panel Discussion at the United Nations Headquarters, New York,”was organized by the NO-BOundaries nonprofit organization in collaboration with various international schools, institutions, and artists. The 2024 annual children’s global competence education launch kicked off with a special exhibition featuring creative art pieces from children across the globe, conveying their vivid ideas and feelings. The exhibition hall displayed the artworks sequentially, with the children’s dynamic brushstrokes coming to life in vibrant colors, presenting a cross-cultural and artistic feast. The exhibition comprised two sections: “Growing Peace” and “1 Planet.”
“Growing Peace” featured collaborative art created by students from Beijing Montessori International School, Italian artist Jacopo Della Ragione, and New York youth. Children from Beijing and their peers in New York worked together to produce a symbolic piece of art. Young artists such as Feiyu Chen, Ziming Huang, Valerie Wang, Nova Wang, Jerry Zhang, Jay Wu, Joshua Minghong Li, Louise Roux, Lucas Wang, Lucien Wang, Vincent Liu, William Wu, William Zhang, Xinyang Qin, Xinyue Qin, Yitong Wang, and Zuzanna Pawlaczyk-Pan, guided by artist Jacopo Della Ragione, contributed to this creation. Their artwork conveys the ideas of cooperation and respect, aiming to promote awareness and pursuit of peace on Earth.
The art was drawn on paper cut into the shape of two hands coming together to form a peace dove. The children used colored crayons to freely depict their longing for world peace. These drawings were then attached to a “tree” outlined by the children, symbolizing the vibrant life of peace thoughts and the growth of children nurturing dreams of peace.
The “1 Planet” section emphasizes human connections, linking young artists from different regions to create collaboratively. Each child painted their vision of the world on a semi-circular paper representing half of a “planet.” These “half-worlds” were matched with another child’s artwork to merge into “1 World.” The process highlighted the diverse understandings of a single planet, showing how future developments are rooted in history, and how cultural respect and exchange enrich the macrocosm of our universe.
The fusion of art and education allowed the children’s boundless imaginations to be concretized and visualized, further stimulating their creativity. Through the artistic creation process, children actively discovered and explored the world, understood their connection to it, recognized its diversity, and developed an awareness of “unity in diversity” while expressing their hopes for peace and envisioning the future world. This unique educational approach enlightens the children’s minds, helping them build bridges between themselves and the broader world through exploration and discovery.
During the interactive session, host Wang Zaozao invited Khalid Sulaiman Ba Omar, Permanent Observer of the Gulf Cooperation Council to the United Nations, and Henry Ye, Director of the NO-BOundaries nonprofit organization, to interact with the children. Omar encouraged the children to fully utilize their artistic talents to contribute to world peace and become future peace ambassadors.
Subsequently, representatives from Beijing Montessori International School, China Soong Ching Ling Youth Science and Culture Exchange Center, ANOBO Global Sustainable Development Goal Ambassadors, and bloggers Guo Yushan, Michael Xiang, Du Kefi, Qian Kangming, Roger Eckner, and Allyana Filiault etc took turns giving speeches on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, expressing their understanding and hopes regarding environmental protection, poverty alleviation, and international cooperation.
The children’s speeches on sustainable development not only showcased their deep understanding of the topic but also reflected their valuable experiences gained through hands-on practice. On August 1 and 2, student representatives from the ANOBO “1 world” children’s global competence education program participated in the Educational Field Program at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University. They collaborated with leading geologists, marine scientists, and the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory team to explore the Hudson River field station and the Earth and Polar Sciences Department. Guided by researchers, the children learned about marine food chains, conducted water quality and clarity tests, compared glacier melting rates, and analyzed laboratory data to deepen their scientific understanding. This experience enhanced their scientific inquiry skills and deepened their environmental awareness, instilling a sense of responsibility for the future and driving them to become active advocates and ambassadors for sustainable development.
This special panel disscussion was not just a practice in art education but also an exploration of the world. It is believed that the event will nurture the children’s creativity and imagination, inspire their hopes for peace and visions for a sustainable future, and encourage them to broaden their horizons and strengthen their sense of social responsibility. Let us look forward to these hopeful seeds blossoming into brilliant flowers in the future, bringing more beauty to the world!
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