Accompanied by the performance of the brass band, Agnes Chan entered with a smile, and all the students of the high school greeted her with applause.
In this Global Career Course lecture, we invited Ms. Agnes Chan, who is active in a wide range of fields including being a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, a singer and educator. She spoke after presentations by several groups of students.
The students’ presentations were about “child security”. They were divided into four themes: “Model United Nations”, “human trafficking”, “child soldiers” and “UNICEF”. The students presented opinions based on current situations, problems, causes and solutions.
Student insights included things like “The problem is closely related to Japan, not only to distant countries,” “Child soldiers are brainwashed, driven into conflict, and they were also sometimes forced to carry out suicide bombings.” “Let’s learn about the current situation with the participation from all parties. I think it is important to communicate that to others. “.
Ms. Chen watched the presentations with interest and took notes on them as well.
“What I remembered when I heard your presentation was when I was invited to work as a UNICEF Ambassador.” They said “We want to help children, do you want to work together?”. This was Ms. Chen’s first reaction after the presentations finished.
Since taking office as Ambassador of the First Japan Unicef Association in 1998, she visited 17 countries including Thailand and South Sudan. She talked about her experiences learning about the harsh reality of “child prostitution”, “human trafficking ” and “child soldiers” during her activities there.
The realities she encountered in the countries she visited as UNICEF Ambassador were unbelievable.
She recounted experiences where Thai children who work like slaves were cast aside when they get sick. A boy who became a child soldier before even finishing school lost his best friend to a land mine. Girls who were trafficked being rescued and returned home, but then got sold again.
The shocking events she encountered there transmitted the reality very vividly. During the speech students had to catch their breath while listening due to the somber nature of the stories.
“UNICEF offers vocational training and rehabilitation for the children and works to educate parents who sell their children but promise that they will never do it again. Sometimes the mothers cry “I had no choice but to sell ” and I see how poor their life is. Sometimes I could not say anything to them.”
“In search of the release of child soldiers, I also went to negotiate directly with the commander of the rebel army. I felt like giving up because it was not going well, but after three months, he released all of the soldiers! At that time I was really, really happy. ”
Ms. Chen said that she did everything she could do for the children. Although there were times when she had good results, she was always aware of the difficulties of resolving the fundamental parts of the problem.
The work she was promoting were often criticized and she faced slander and intimidation even from Japanese people.
She refused to give up though because she had actually met children who suffered and seen the people responsible.
Ms. Chen said that wherever they are, whatever the circumstances, the children are wonderful.
When she met children who were infected with sexually transmitted diseases, saying “I have become so dirty”, she hugged them. “Nobody can make you dirty. To me, you are all born fresh, lovely angels. You are all beautiful! Don’t worry!” She cried together with children. This unspoiled affection caused the audience to become very emotional.
The students asked questions like “What kind of attitude do you take when you visit there?” “What kind of things do you feel the most from your various experiences?” Ms. Chen answered frankly and honestly.
“Everyone lives on the earth, and the lives of children and our lives are the same. My mental attitude is simple; to make more children live for even a single day longer, that’s all.”
“Why don’t the problems with trafficking and child soldiers ever stop?”
She answered “It is because war does not end. Poverty is created by war and poverty causes problems, so without peace we can not save the children”
Her words had a deep impact on the students.
“Japan is kind and has power in the world. If Japan moves, the world will improve. But, I can not solve everything alone by myself. By increasing the number of people who share these intentions, I believe it will surely have a real impact on the problems in the future.
After seeing Ms. Chen’s energy and hearing her story the students applauded loudly at the end of the lecture.
This lecture helped the students realize that they have the power to contribute in the world because they live in a privileged environment; Japan. Her lecture left the students with a sense of the importance of having a belief and enthusiasm and having the courage to act.
