[제 7차 한중일YMCA 평화포럼 Youth National Report : China]
2017. 12. 16-20. 광주 프라도 호텔
National Report by China YMCA Youth
A. What YMCAs in China have done to promote peace-building since the 6th Peace Forum?
In the past two years, National Council of YMCAs in China has held together with its counterparts in France and Germany the Sino-French-German Youth Exchange Program, in which young people had discussions over environmental issues, peace and democracy.
Youth representatives nationwide have been recommended by the National Council to join the Peace Boat program organized by the World Alliance of YMCAs since 2015, the Peace Pilgrimage held by Korea YMCA in 2016, and the Global Citizenship Program held by Japan YMCA in both 2016 and 2017, to enhance their global vision and intercultural understanding, build friendship with participants from other countries, and develop their awareness of global citizenship.
Besides, the YMCAs in China themselves have held varied kinds of activities to promote the idea of peace among its members and in the communities.
Chengdu YMCA held YMCA Peace Week in every September, including online activities like “100 People Challenge” and sharing of books, music and movies, and offline activities like “Smiling Test”, painting activity and workshops on the theme of world peace, in which a total number of 177 young people participated. Their “Outstanding College Student Award Program” held gathering on the theme of “Peace and Love” to facilitate young adults to discuss the issues of religion, terrorist attacks, affirmative movement, refugees and so on.
Hangzhou YMCA has implemented the poverty alleviation activities in some She ethnic minority villages in Jiande Ctiy, to help with their rebuilding and repair work; Hangzhou YMCA also organized volunteer service to the left-behind children there, and is now supporting 2 students of ethnic minority to continue their education.
Xi’an YMCA launched the International Volunteer Desert Tree Planting Service Camp together with Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong in 2009, which established a 666,000 square meters “Woodland YMCA” in the Mu Us Desert, Yulin City. Young volunteers from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taizhong and from Japan, Korea and the U.S. planted Mongolian pine & Chinese pine together, did trekking in the desert as well as delivered the service to the children in rural areas, during which they developed their awareness of environmental protection and built friendships as well as ideas of peace and connection.
Nanjing YMCA participates in Nagoya YMCA’s Christmas Card Design Competition, with its theme on wishing the world peace and promoting friendship between China and Japan. The original paintings of the Nanjing youth have been selected and sent to Japan for competition and exhibition.
Guangzhou YMCA has held many times the workshop on the theme of Identity and Conflict based on the curriculum of APAY’s School of Peace. Every summer a two-week youth service learning camp is held in Cambodia with youth from Guangzhou getting involved in the community services and peace education programs; young adults were also sent to attend the International Youth Camp held by Bavaria YMCA, Germany, where they learnt about the issues of refugees and made friends with the refugees there.
B. What are the most challenging non-peace issues that young people are facing in China?
1. The Only-Child Generation are about to be under great pressure of establishing their own family and taking care of the elder generation. According to the news, the number of the only child in China, who is the latest generation and the focus of a so-called 4-2-1 family, approximately reaches 150 million. On the one hand, they feel morally obligatory to meet the expectations of getting married and having baby for the sake of their family, on the other hand, the great pressure of having to support the 6 elder family members, esp. when someone gets sick, keeps them working desperately to cover the possible financial needs.
2. Young people are in lack of motives to care about peace and development issues and to take part in the political and public affairs. Since we live in a nation of peace and stability, the most representative non-peace issues such as war seem far away from us. Most young people cannot associate the topic of peace with their daily life, and they do not care or know very little about the non-peace issues and factors in other parts of the world, neither do they have much empathy for those who are suffering. They are too busy with their own life to get involved in the politics and other public affairs.
3. The information overload and cyber-violence that destroys young people’s ability of independent and deep thinking. The rapid development of information technology and the popularization of Smartphone have made young people highly adapted to the lifestyle of living with internet and Smartphone. On the one hand, the access to information has become much easier and cheaper, on another hand, young people are being given information that is entertainment-oriented, highly fragmented and homogeneous. There also lies the hidden danger of someone making use of the internet to deliberately direct and influence the public opinion for their own benefit.
4. The maldistribution of quality education and cultural resources. The limited quality education resources are unevenly distributed, esp between the Eastern and Western China, between the urban and rural areas, and between the first-tier cities and the other cities. In the cities, there’re the crazes for choosing school and for school-nearby housing. All these not only lead to the young people’s unfair opportunities in their own education, but also add to their financial and mental stress of providing the best education for their children. In the places besides the first-tier cities, there are not enough quality cultural resources, such as infrastructures, facilities, institutions and events, which left young people with a very narrow choice of healthy cultural recreation.
5. The communication and movement among different stratum of society and different circles are not clear and smooth. People from different stratum of society and different circles have very little in common in terms of their interest, opinions and lifestyle; they cannot naturally mix nor mutually understand. This constitutes risks of misunderstanding, antagonism, conflicts and even hatred, raising the question of how to build peace among young people from varied social backgrounds.
6. The severe environmental challenges. The quick development of industry, the accelerated process of urbanization and the prevailing consumerism have brought great pressure to the environment. Young people are facing the severe environmental challenges, esp. of air pollution, water pollution and waste disposal, which would deeply affect their health.
C. What kind of society young people want to make? What is peaceful society to young people?
A peaceful society is where people, regardless of their gender, nation, religion, social background and status, are equal in terms of human dignity, where people have no discrimination against one another, where people are willing to respect, trust and take efforts to integrate with each other despite their differences.
A peaceful society is where order and safety are ensured, where a balanced economic development that benefiting all and a well-equipped infrastructure that meeting the needs of the people are ensured, where social security system and social welfare is highly developed to cover all the underprivileged.
A peaceful society is where the public all take peace issues as serious and important, where people in general have high civic awareness, the spirit of contract and the willingness of taking responsibility, where people prefer to resort to non-violent communication for the resolution of conflicts, where good is returned for good and justice in return for injustice.
A peaceful society is where fair opportunities and payment in job market are guaranteed, where everyone can fight and find their way to realize their own value, in spite of their gender, education background and place of registered permanent residence, etc. where personal experience and ranks in hierarchy are respected but do not legitimize the monopoly of resources and power, where sincere intergenerational relations are developed.
D. For making a peaceful society, what kind of support young people need from the seniors?
1. Young people need to be heard, to be understood and to be taken as friends instead of apprentices. The present time is a time of technical and social transformation which witnesses the most dramatic and rapid changes in all aspects. Compared to the time when the seniors grew up and were used to, it carries with it distinctive features and unprecedented challenges that both the young and the seniors are new to. Young people need to be heard by the seniors and be understood of where they really are and how they actually feel. Pretending to be understanding doesn’t help at all, giving simple and perfunctory answers are not better than being indifferent. Young people expect to be treated equally, fairly and frankly by the seniors, so that they could have real communication and face the common challenges with concerted efforts and shared perspectives.
2. Young people need to be supported, guided and corrected by the seniors. Although young people of any time have their own difficulties to tackle, and all once in their life have experienced confusion and helplessness, but people are so easily tend to forget about their struggles and state of deficiency after they came through them, they would even consider others’ same or similar experience as indispensable and reasonable, feeling reluctant to lend a helping hand. Young people need to be trusted, empowered and practically supported by the seniors. The guidance, suggestions and encouragement are all very important to young people, and they are open to comments and corrections.
3. Young people need to be inspired by the noble character that embodied in the words and deeds of the seniors. Different generations face different specific challenges, but no matter what, they all need people of noble and righteous character who can make responsible and very often courageous decisions if to be handled properly. Young people are watching and learning, sometimes unconsciously from how the seniors handle their challenges. They need to be inspired and strengthened by the good examples.
[Youth National Report : China]
第七届中日韩基督教青年会和平论坛
中国青年代表报告
一、过往两年，中国青年会在和平建设方面采取了哪些行动？
过往两年，中华基督教青年会全国协会参与组织一年一度的中法德青年交流项目，积极选派中国青年代表参与青年会世界协会和平之船项目、韩国青年会和平骑行项目、日本青年会全球公民项目等，促进青年交流与民心相通，建立友谊与互信。
此外，中国各地城市青年会在过往两年也举办了形式多样的和平主题活动。
成都青年会每年9月举办“YMCA和平周”系列活动，包括线上“百人挑战”、书籍音乐和影视作品分享，线下“微笑测验”、主题绘画、工作坊等活动，传递对和平的美好期盼；其“非凡”大学生奖励计划举办“爱与和平”主题联谊，讨论宗教问题、恐怖袭击、平权运动和难民问题等。
杭州青年会通过在建德畲族村落开展扶贫济困和援建工作，帮助少数民族群体建设家园；同时开展留守儿童夏令营和困难学生助学，为留守儿童拓展视野、继续学业提供机会。
西安青年会自2009年起，与香港中华基督教青年会共同倡议策划，于每年夏季举办国际青年义工沙漠植树服务营，在位于陕西榆林定边的毛乌素沙漠地带建立了占地一千亩的青年会“常青林”；来自中国内地、港澳台地区、日本、韩国以及美国的青年义工参与其中，通过植树、沙漠徒步、乡村儿童服务等形式，提升环保意识，增进彼此情谊，传递环保与和平的理念。
南京青年会每年参与日本名古屋青年会的圣诞贺卡设计大赛活动，选送南京青少年的优秀作品到日本参赛参展；作品以中日友好、世界和平为主题，代表了青少年对和平的美好祝愿。
广州青年会面向大学生举办多次“身份与冲突”主题工作坊；每年暑假举办青年赴柬埔寨义工服务学习营，共33名青年赴柬开展为期两周的义工服务与和平教育学习；举办暑期青年赴德国交流营，共10名青年参与，在过程中了解难民问题、参与难民服务，与难民青年建立友谊。
二、 在中国，青年人面临哪些“不和平”的挑战？
1. 独生子女一代压力大：据统计，中国有约1.5亿独生子女，“4-2-1”式家庭令作为独生子女的青年人背负着沉重的婚恋生育期待和家庭养老压力。青年人一方面被催婚、催生孩子，一方面在未来家庭养老的经济重担之下，在职业发展上不能懈怠。
2. 缺乏关注世界和平与发展议题、参与政治生活及社会公共事务的动力：由于我们生活在一个相对和平的国家，距离战争等有代表性的不和平事件较远，很多青年人对“和平”一词没有太深体会，对国际社会的诸多不和平事件和因素缺乏深度了解，对经历之人缺乏同理；大多青年人忙于应付个人生活，着眼于自己的"小确幸"，极少参与政治生活和社会公共事务。
3. 信息冗余与网络暴力：信息技术的发展尤其是智能手机的普及，大大降低了信息获取的难度和成本；过于依赖网络和手机的生活，令青年人获得的信息呈现娱乐化、碎片化、同质性等特征，阻碍了青年人独立和深度思考能力的发展，同时也给部分人利用网络传播的特点对社会舆论进行负面引导留下空间。
4. 优质教育和文化资源的分布不均：优质教育资源有限且地域分布不均，东西部地区之间、城乡之间、一线城市与其他城市之间的资源差异较大，城市中“择校热”、“学区房”现象突出，这不仅让青年人在成长过程中面临资源和机遇的不均等，也增加了青年人教育下一代的经济和精神压力。在除一线城市之外的其他地区，高质量的文化资源较为缺乏，公共文化设施、青年文化社团均有待发展，青年人可选择的文化活动形式有限。
5. 各阶层与圈子之间缺乏交流、流动的渠道：不同阶层和圈子的人的关注点、观念、生活方式等各个方面都有巨大差异，难以彼此交流和理解，难以真正融合，容易引发误解、对立、冲突甚至仇视等不和平的情况。
6. 发展带来的环境问题：工业快速发展、城市化进程加快、消费主义盛行，给环境造成了巨大压力，尤其是大气、水资源、垃圾处理方面的严峻挑战，严重影响了青年人的体质健康。
三、 青年人期待一个怎样的社会？对于青年人来说，什么才是“和平的社会”？
一个和平的社会，是众人无论性别、民族、地域、信仰、阶层，在人格上是平等的，没有歧视、彼此包容，尊重友爱、相互信任；
一个和平的社会，是整体和谐稳定、发展相对均衡、基础设施完善、社会治安良好、环境干净整洁，是公平、公正，贫富差距小，社会保障制度完善，幼有所育、学有所教、劳有所得、病有所医、老有所养、住有所居、弱有所扶；
一个和平的社会，是人们普遍对和平议题有所思考，素质普遍提高，有规则意识、契约意识和责任担当意识，能够形成并习惯于诉诸立足长远与整体利益、有效协商且理性和平的冲突解决机制，以德报德、以直报怨；
一个和平的社会，是有公平的就业机会和就业待遇，就业不受性别、院校、户籍等各类歧视，每个人都能通过奋斗实现自我价值；资历辈分受到充分尊重，但不成为资源和话语权垄断的理由，代际间加强交流、坦诚相待、彼此同理、相互扶持。
四、为创建和平的社会，青年人最需要前辈的哪些支持？
1. 青年人需要前辈的倾听、理解和友谊：当今时代是人类历史上科技进步、社会发展最为迅猛的时代，相比前辈成长和生活的环境，这个时代有着截然不同的特征与前所未有的挑战，青年人需要前辈用心倾听青年人的声音，真正理解青年人的处境，不要简单敷衍地回应青年人的观点与需要；青年人需要被前辈真正平等对待，双方能够平等对话、深入交流、建立友谊、共同成长，而不单单是教育与被教育、支持与被支持的关系。
2. 青年人需要前辈的支持、引导和勘误：虽然每个时代的青年人都有其不易之处，虽然每个人都曾经历一定程度的迷惘无措，但人们事后往往忘了自己曾经的挣扎与渴望，甚至会把后来者的这种经历“合理化”；在学习、工作、生活和社会参与的各个方面，青年人都需要前辈的信任、赋权和资源支持，需要前辈的指导、建议和鼓励，在犯错时需要前辈及时指出。
3. 青年人需要前辈作高贵品格的示范：每一代人面临的具体挑战都是不同的，但真正成功地应对这些挑战，都离不开人高贵的品格。青年人目睹前辈在挑战面前，是如何回应、如何选择，是为求真务实、长远大局考虑，迎难而上做出负责任的选择，还是从眼下之利、一己之私出发，做出不负责任的回应。青年人需要前辈以身作则的榜样力量。
