Over the course of two days on June 3 (Monday) and 4 (Tuesday), an international workshop of the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) was held in Ulaanbaatar City, Mongolia, participated in by Mr. Kei Kunichika, a junior of the Faculty of Economics (and who belongs to the Global Citizenship Program [GCP]) and by Ms. Menn Jia, a sophomore at the Graduate School of International Peace Studies.

The international workshop was held under the theme, “Youth, Peace and Security: Perspectives for Dialogues in Northeast Asia,” with the aim to hold active discussions toward peacebuilding through presentations and panel discussions. With a total of approximately 60 in attendance, among the participants were individuals from the United Nations, governmental institutions, and civic groups, along with businesspeople and three selected youth representatives each from Japan, China, South Korea, and Mongolia (35 and younger). Mr. Kunichika and Ms. Menn attended as the youth representatives of Japan and China, respectively.

As a participant, Mr. Kunichika later shared the following comment on the workshop: “On day 1, we took part in various sessions regarding the role of the younger generation in relation to dialogue across Northeast Asian nations. On day 2, we visited a vast prairie, and a workshop was conducted inside a Mongolian ger. We also had the precious experience of participating in a workshop by a technological professional and of taking in presentations by a Mongolian serviceman. In addition to the contents, which were specialized, at the start, I was overwhelmed by the high standard of the discussions. But using my discussion skills and ability to think, as obtained through the GCP program, I was able to exchange views with other youth. I was inspired by the participants’ passion for peace and their thoughts from multi-faceted angles, and I learned a lot. In particular, when we discussed education, I was able to share issues and positive points about Japan’s peace education and also the peace education that I received in Hiroshima since I was very young. I am determined to continue to exert myself in learning, aiming to make Soka University the world’s foremost university for world peace.”

Mr. Menn shared: “The opening speech by the foreign minister of Mongolia left an impression in me. The minister said that by discussing a theme pertaining to peace, the younger generation will come to a certain agreement. And that idea can be reflected in the policy of their own countries. He said that this workshop was designed so that young people, who are active in global society, can gather together, and through dialogue, form an agreement. I feel honored to have participated in this wonderful first-of-its-kind workshop, which was held in Northeast Asia. During the two days in Ulaanbaatar, I was able to elevate my awareness that the youth generation possesses an inherent ability to make changes in the world toward a positive direction.”