Asian Pacific Children's Convention and The Bridge Club

Overview | Junior ambassadors - 2008 | Experiences from the 2007 APCC | Past exchanges and experiences

Junior ambassadors - 2008

The eight Junior Ambassadors who will be representing Auckland at the Asian Pacific Children's Convention (APCC) this year are:

Left to right - Amelia Law, Hannah Swedlund, Kezia Lynch and
Sedef Duder-Ozyurt

Left to right - James Patton, Kane Telea, Ming Yap and Sung Woo Baek

They leave for a two week trip to Japan in mid July and will be accompanied by two chaperones (Jo Wyeth and Abigael Vogt from Auckland City Council) and a Peace Ambassador selected by Japan.

The convention is a non-profit organisation which aims to promote international cooperation between children so that they will grow into adults who have a strong sense of their identity as 'Global Citizens', people who are aware of their social responsibility for people in every country or region.

The APCC was founded by Fukuoka Junior Chamber in 1989 as part of the Asian-Pacific Exhibition and is now in its 20^th year. Children from more than 30 countries/regions throughout the Asian-Pacific area take part every year.

The junior ambassadors will be attending regular orientation sessions over the next six months in preparation for their trip. These sessions consisted of basic Japanese lessons, team building exercises and Kapahaka practice. They will perform a cultural item at the conference and also in a local Fukuoka school.

Upon arrival in Japan, the New Zealand contingent will be staying at a camp for a few days with children from over 40 participating countries. They will then be hosted by Japanese families for the remainder of their stay, allowing them an insider's view of life in Japan.