For cooperating with Office of the Special Adviser on the preparations for the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations, the UN75 work team of the SIPA held a series of dialogue activities among foreign and domestic young students and teachers. We provide a platform to new era youth all over the world for communication, and draw a beautiful blueprint for new millennium together.
The UN75 Dialogue series activity Ⅱ was successfully held on June 4. This dialogue focused on UN new millennium development agenda, “Eliminating Extreme Poverty, Overcoming Inequality and Building a Better Future-Focusing on UN Development Issues in the New Millennium”. We listened to the students' different views on global development issues and discussed common expectations for future UN actions through online teacher-student interaction.
As human step into new millennium, the theme of peace and development has gradually become the common aspiration of people all over the world. Narrowing the gap between rich and poor, improving inter-Korean relations and overcoming inequality become our major issues. This dialogue was introduced by listening to the aspirations of young people from different countries for 2045 (the 100th anniversary of the United Nations). We invited Teacher Cui Yue and students from different countries to focuse on topics such as narrowing the north-south/rich-poor gap, global poverty and poverty reduction measures etc. They expressed their predictions about the human development prospects and their expectations for the UN better promoting global development. Our school 2014 graduate Yang Yizhong also participated in the interaction between teachers and students as a special guest.
The dialogue is about the following: Will the world be better, as it is, or worse in 2045? What would you most like to see the change of the world in 2045? What are the other major problems and difficulties human facing until 2045?
1. Global Poverty and poverty reduction
2017 Class undergraduate student Li Chen
On account of the current international situation where cooperation and consensus far outweigh conflict and war, I think the world will greet a more peaceful era by 2045. People are or have already been well educated and the various international economic organizations established after the Cold War have also contributed greatly to promoting global economic development and defusing global financial risks, which depend on the long-term efforts of the UN.
However, we should also see the new challenges, such as the conflicts between the North and the South, especially in development goals, ideas and paths. This will also cause great difficulties and obstacles for the UN to persistently promote global economic development.
Oversea student Kone Nantis (Mali)
I think human will be happier in 2045, and the UN will give the people more opportunities to express and think. This means the young people will have a greater chance to create a better world, and the global poverty rate will decline sharply at that time.
But if we look only at Africa, we can also see their lives still not be guaranteed today. Therefore, we should pay more attention to the special local political environment and the status quo of people's livelihood, for example, improving the quality of university teaching and basic education are as important as providing financial support in my view. I hope the young people voices in global governance will be heard and recognized more.
2. Narrow the gap between the rich and the poor and the North and the South
Oversea student Sun Meilin (Indonesia)
As people's lives get better, so do the threats they face in 2045. Human living conditions are likely to deteriorate further and difference in education levels and economic development are likely to continue to widen, which lead to the development gap between the North and the South continues to widen and inequality become more serious.
We should stop measuring others by nationality and wealth and continue to boost the cooperation in the North and the South in the great era. After all, no country is absolutely perfect. It cannot maintain long-term prosperity and stability without friends and active cooperation.
3. The UN play in development inequality, poverty and future
Teacher of SIPA Cui Yue
Inequality is not only based on income, gender and ability, but also on economic, political, social and environmental factors today. The UN has taken a central and practical role in reducing inequality. Of course, there are huge differences in the positions and interests of all countries, especially between the North and the South, but in a long time, it is difficult to achieve global cooperation in a certain field in fact, so the UN is likely to remain very limited effect in the future.
The 2045 is only 25 years away, it is too short to fully solve inequality and ask the UN have discourse power on global issues. But the ability of the UN in tackling poverty and inequality remains highly regarded, and we also hope the UN get greater success.
Oversea student Mater Francis (Ghana)
Even though the UN is still weak in solving international problems and coordinating international relations, I still look forward to seeing the United Nations take bigger steps and achieve greater development in the future. The world hope the UN play a greater role in solving world problems where threats and difficulties exist. We wish the vision of the UN declaration could be transformed into reality.
I want to see all the nations and the people share the world goodness more equally. I want to see a fairer world, where countries work more closely and make greater political progress, where everyone strives to build their own country on the 100th anniversary of the UN. The UN will create a better world for you and me, and we should do our part to contribute to the UN.
4. Promote equity and development of education
Oversea student Anna Kolotova (Russia)
Each country and region has the phenomenon of unfair distribution of educational resources and imbalanced education level. In some countries or regions, textbooks have not been revised or updated for years which reflects the national education failing behind the era development.
The number of professional teachers is declining sharply in many countries because of low social status and pay level, which cause the shortage of teachers and affect the teaching quality to some extent. As a result, high quality education has not been properly implemented.
I hope all the students around the world can enjoy more equitable and high quality education resources, and people's physical and psychological qualities can be better developed.
The development inequality in the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications for us
Oversea student Yoohan Kim (the South Korea)
The achievements of the UN in promoting global economic development are obvious over the past decades, so I think the UN will have more success in strengthening education and coordination in 25 years later.
The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 this year make us see clearly that all human beings are equally insignificant in front of the disease. In the process of fighting the epidemic and salvation, we have had more profound reflection in Equality & Equity and Difference & Discrimination).
At the end, our school teachers and students exchange their ideas online in how the UN should reform and develop in the future.
Everyone needs to talk, we need to come together. The UNSG Antonio Guterres extends a sincere invitation to global citizens, especially the youth, in the promotional video for the 75th anniversary of the UN.
The road ahead is uncertain and long, but strengthening cooperation and seeking common ground while reserving difference will remain the belief of the UN in promoting global development and eradicating poverty. We also hope the UN will play a greater role in global affairs and human will make greater progress in the future.
Everyone has a desire to tell the world what they think, and the world is also more interested in solving common challenges through communication and dialogue. Global Vision and Patriotic Passion. We hope to see more young students join us and let the world hear their voices.
