A dream by 86 Yr. old retired architect Billy Lee 李名信 July 2018
Share your smile with the world.
It’s a symbol of Friendship and Peace.
Attending the third and final session of a special ICAF-sponsored FRIENDSHIP WORKSHOP – on July 4th weekend 2015 at the National Mall, Washington DC – twenty-four international teenagers ( 12 boys and 12 girls preselected from 70+ foreign countries ) were buoyant and anxious to summarize what they have learned from the first two days and what inspirations they have gained.
They learned in the first session how to break ice with strangers from many different cultures. In the second session, they brainstormed on the pros and cons in making friends – touching on the deep impacts of Wars vs. Peace and Hatred & Suspicion vs Love & Trust. For these teenagers, they simply can not understand why we humans can send a spacecraft to the moon and can make robots play chess, but cannot learn and teach one another on how to tolerate and befriend each other.
They decided that sometimes Children must push the Adults on basic ideals. They heard for example that the world’s children in fact played an important role in advancing Environmental Awareness these past few decades. Environmental problems were taken for granted forty some years ago, but today one can not discuss most issues without reference to Environment. This workshop has inspired them to work together and push for greater awareness about the need to promote Friendship world-wide .
Following one of the facilitators’ advice to set a clear goal and write down
their many urgent wishes, the group spontaneously decided to create a “DECLARATION OF INTERDEPENDENCE” on this July 4 Weekend noted for U.S.’s “DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE ”. They further decided that an “INTERNATIONAL CROSS-CULTURAL INSTITUTE ON FRIENDSHIPOLOGY” should be established in order to study this complex matter holistically.
It’s interesting to observe how things progressed during this critical third session. An American girl first proclaimed that we must emphasize Compassion with Friendliness. A boy from Brussels said, “we must emphasize Connectedness and Collaboration. A Chinese girl added “ Harmony “. A Japanese Boy: “Peace”. A German Boy: “Repentance”. French Girl: “ Forgiveness”. Indian Girl : “ Fabric Woven with many treads “. Boy from England :” Nature-Environment”. Boy from Norway : “ Sustainability “. An African Boy: “Education for All”. An Arab Girl added: “Equality”. There were many other suggestions, but one Chinese Boy uttered last: “Don’t forget the word INTERDEPENCE “. One of the facilitators also suggested : “Seek Commonality”.
The students google-searched in teams for ideas and inspiration.
On “TEAM BUILDING” they selected the following graphic pictures:
For FRIENDSHIP BUILDING they selected the following gestures.
Many also liked the Buddhist and Native American Peace Symbols and this
Picture of a Calumet – Peace Pipe or Friendship Pipe.
Famous quotes that delighted them most were:
- Share your smile with the world. It’s a symbol of Friendship and Peace.
- Friends… they cherish one another’s hope and kind to one another’s dreams.
- The bird a nest, spider a web, and man FRIENDSHIP.
- A life without a friend is a life without sun.
- Unity is strength. L’union fait la force.
- This is, because that is. This is not, because that is not.
- All things come into being through the interaction of various Causes and Conditions.
Their final collective production was this letter below :
Dear Family Members, Teachers, Friends, Government Leaders, and Fellow World Citizens- young and old,
At this 2015 ICAF Global Children’s Festival at Washington D.C., we, the 24 International students representing different countries and cultures around the world, were truly inspired by learning from each other and discovering the following truths :
When we first started with an earnest intention to “get to know each other and to learn from one other”, much curiosity and anxiety existed in us.
By opening up to each other and sharing some heart-felt ideas, feelings, and questions etc., we somehow became closer bonded.
All of us subsequently felt a miraculous desire to build deeper friendships –individually and collectively.
We now feel that there is a real need for more and more frequent opportunities for young people around the world to have this kind of enlightening encounters.
We are determined to spread this “Interconnected Spirit and Joy”
when we return to our home countries, and we will nurture the long-term connectedness of this newly bonded group of strangers.
We want to challenge our adult leaders to give more attention to Friendship Building which has been taken for granted and ignored.
We want to urge our adult leaders to focus on world concerns, instead of just national interests, since we are truly interdependent.
We urge for a Global Declaration of Interdependence, and hope for the creation of an International and Cross-cultural Institute on the study on Friendship or Friendshipology –as soon as possible !
Most sincerely,
Names and signatures of the 24 International Students
( 12 to 14 year olds )
