Volume 1 / Issue 1 / 29 ~ 30, July, 2013

Opening CeremonyOpening Ceremony

The WFUNA Youth Camp: Korea, convened by Kyung Hee University Global Campus, is the first WFUNA

Youth Camp to be held in Korea. Debate and Model United Nations trainers from various backgrounds came to the

camp to train participants in the art of public speaking through different formats such as parliamentary debate. As

for the participants, students from all over the nation came to be a part of the event. The students will be participat-

ing in debate and Model United Nations lectures as well as other extracurricular programs for two weeks. The first

few weeks will feature debate lectures. The last week put focus on MUN lectures. The Extracurricular Activity

team has prepared several interesting events for students such as the “Shoes of Hope”, “Millennium Development

Goals”, and other educational experiences as well.

Seon Kyeong Kang, Michael Kang, Hyeok Ran Kwon,Min Ji Kim, Hyun Woo Jimmy Nam, Gil Hwa Lim, Seo Young Oh, Mingiu Paul Lee, Jung Eun Shin, Won Il Jang

- A debate trainer introducing himself to the WFUNA family during the opening ceremony. -

By Hyun Woo Jimmy Nam

WFUNA NEWS

Interview: Logandran Balavijendran, The Head trainer of WFUNA Youth Camp: Korea

Logandran Balavijendran, the head trainer of WFUNA

Youth Camp, is one of the most famous debaters in

World Debate society. The Malaysian comes from has

an academic background in engineering and originally

had no prior experience in debating whatsoever. How,

then, did he become the famous debater that he is now?

He began debating 13 years ago. The main reason he

started was because of his fear of public speech as a stu-

dent. To overcome this weakness, he participated in a

debate workshop in his college. Ironically, in spite of his

immense passion for debate today, he did not voluntarily

join the debate work-

shop; one of his friends

forced him into joining.

After the debating work-

shop, he got an oppor-

tunity to participate in a

debate competition in

Australia. He was nerv-

ous to debate with oth-

ers during this competi-

tion. However, he no-

ticed that everyone

shared a common fear in

public speech and per-

suading large crowds

regardless of their Eng-

lish fluency. From this

experience, he learned

that practice could help

overcome fears of deliv-

ering public speeches in

front of others. That’s why he participated in a lot of de-

bate tournaments and competitions all over the world

such as Worlds, the Australs, and so on. In 2007, he

came to Korea as a professor in the Department of Busi-

ness in Chung Ang University. He has been teaching

debate for the entire student body of the Business de-

partment. He was supposed to teach in Chung Ang Uni-

versity for only two years, but his stay eventually be-

came elongated.

He was very excited to hold the first WFUNA Youth

Camp: Korea 2013 as the head trainer. He mentioned

two interest points: firstly about the relationship between

the WFUNA Youth Camp and the United Nations, and

secondly about a new method of teaching debate.

The United Nations has done a lot of youth activities

of which most are Model United Nations, but debate is a

much broader field, meaning that it is not limited to is-

sues regarding the United Nations. Actually, although

the United Nations does sometimes have events regard-

ing debate, but it is the very first time that such a debate

program has been introduced in Korea. If it is to be suc-

cessful, the United Nations will continue to hold the de-

bate program in other places.

Something he is also

very interested in is pon-

dering about the question

of how to teach debate in

this camp. Much of de-

bating has a focus on be-

coming a better debater

by participating in a num-

ber of competitions. So to

be a better debater, stu-

dents go to academies

and often get very

stressed. This camp

shares the goal of trying

to become a better de-

bate, but not through the

tournaments. Winning is

a good motivation for

participating in debate.

However, a more im-

portant motivation is self-examination and building

communities with others. Through debate, participants

learn not only about competition but also about effective

communication with others. That is why WFUNA

Youth Camp is helpful for students; all the more, partici-

pants get the opportunity to be a part of communication

process where those fluent in English assist those that

are less fluent, and those that are more skilled in logic

assist those that are less capable in logic, forming a mu-

tually beneficial relationship.

By Hyun Woo Jimmy Nam

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WFUNA NEWS

The First Step for the Long Trip By Seon Kyeong Kang

- Shin Se Yeon (13) -

I want to learn how to debate from this Camp.

The level test was not too difficult. They asked me

questions like how I came to know debate. I have

never done debating before. I’ve never participat-

ed in MUN either. However, I hope it would be

fun in this camp.

- Jeong Yeon Tae (15) -

I am participating in this camp because my friends

talked about debate a lot and I wanted to join in on

my friends’ conversation. In addition to the learning

the intricacies of debate, I hope to learn how to come

up with ideas to persuade others. Though I’ve never

participated in MUN or debate before, I believe I will

not have a hard time since my friends tell me it is not

too difficult.

Two weeks of in depth education has finally begun. The WFUNA Youth camp 2013 has just be-

gun today and students are gathering from far and near to participate in the camp. To find out what

students expect from the camp in general, we interviewed some students after their level tests.

WFUNA NEWS

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- Kim Jae Woo (17) -

I am participating in this camp because I want to

work in the United Nations. I have lived in the United

States for a year. While living there, I learned about

the poor and wanted to help them. Through this

camp, I want to know and listen to what the United

Nations has to say about the world, especially regard-

ing human rights. I have never done formal debate or

MUN. I have, however, done MUN in world history

class at school before.

- Hwang Si Eun(16) -

In short, I think this camp can help me achieve

my dream, which is to work in UN, rather than

sitting on my bottom all summer. Particularly, I

hope to improve my English skills which, again,

would help me to step closer to my dream. Alt-

hough I’ve never done MUN or debate before, I

want to give it a shot here. I am really looking

forward to actually starting this camp.

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WFUNA NEWS

I think I will gain much from participating in this camp,

and that is why I joined. Plus, it was pretty well adver-

tised, so that helped. I have never participated in MUN or

debating, but I am really excited to try them out for the

first time. By participating in this camp, I hope to improve

my debating skills and learn about world issues.

- Tommy Lee (15) -

- Emily Hong (17) -

I was looking for something to do in summer, and

through this camp, I thought I could make new

friends, especially Korean friends. Because I live in

Canada, I don’t have many. As I want to go to a Kore-

an university I want to make many Korean friends.

So, I thought why not participate and make some Ko-

rean friends and learn how to debate! In addition to

making friends, I want to learn how to construct my

arguments coherently and talk formally in the camp.

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Surrounding this article are pictures of students

coloring shoes. It seems somewhat of an odd

activity to do at a camp sponsored by World

Federation of United Nations Associations

(hereafter WFUNA); it is not, however. Stu-

dents participating in today’s 'The Shoes of

Hope' project draw pictures and write messages

on white shoes to be sent to poor children in the

Republic of Zambia.

Before starting the activity, students viewed a

short video clip about how countless children in

developing countries commute to schools in

harsh conditions. A memorable scene from the

video was one in which a pair of siblings in

Beogeobeoddi, Nepal go to school that is atop a

mountain. The school is about an hour walk

from their home. Instead of proper shoes they

have nothing but flimsy slippers to wear and are

forced to climb the mountain. Needless to say,

they often fall. They continue to go to school

without protection for their feet. Even worse,

they have to go home to help their parents with

work when they are done with school—right

after their painful journey. Just like the two chil-

dren in Beogeobeoddi School, many other stu-

dents in Africa and developing countries are

suffering due to lack of basic supplies. Shoes

are one of the essential goods that those children

need to live. In the case of the Nepalese sibling,

only one percent of students from this school

have shoes. In a sense, their human rights are

being violated.

The purpose of this project is to send shoes to

children who wear slippers or walk barefoot so

that they can protect their feet and live adequate-

ly. Painted shoes are sent instead of white ones

because it is meaningful for both the children

who receive shoes and for people sending the

painted shoes. Sending painted shoes also pre-

vents the creation of black markets that may

arise if new, white shoes are sent.

With this in mind, the participants enjoyed

painting shoes. After drawing sketches, they

drew on the shoes. Each person showed unique

designs of their own. They also wrote messages

conveying the sincere wishes of the students to

send with the shoe to Zambia. Participants, then,

wrapped up their work by knotting the shoe laces

along with the messages they wrote.

While taking part in the activity, students

learned how helping others can be a pleasurable

activity. Many young students already know that

volunteer work involves a lot of time and labor.

However, this experience provided them an op-

portunity to find out that time and labor spent on

volunteer work does not always have to be ardu-

ous, but that it can be entertaining and very, very

meaningful in terms of learning to think about

others. By Jung Eun Shin