With supports from various Consulate Generals and more than 160 organisations, teachers and students from more than 30 schools and institutions, the UNESCO Hong Kong Peacemakers' Cultural Celebration was launched successfully with about 6000 participants.
The Celebration was co-presented with HK.WeCare and Rotary Club 3450 on Feb 18 as part of the 2016-17 Peace and Sustainable Development Youth Programme from UNESCO HK. The 6-hour event was packed with performance, booths, and Peace Actions to convey the message of Peace.
Here's some hightlights of the day. We hope to see you all next year.
Opening Ceremony
The event opened with 14 Qi-lin, celebrating the Hakka tradition in Hong Kong. The Qi-lin dance is listed in both the Hong Kong as well as the China National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Action for Peace
The Actions for Peace activities were the highlight of the event. With Calligraphy for Peace, Plant for Peace, and Paint for Peace, series of activities and workshops contributes to UNESCO's "Building Peace in the Minds of Men & Women" were the highlight of the event. Calligraphy (a traditional Chinese art) for Peace gathered more than 500 students, parents and teachers to calligraph PEACE in Chinese characters on-site.
Work from Paint for Peace was displayed on the Art Wall which was constructed with reusable paper tubes. Designed by the Division of Humanities, Design and Social Sciences of Hong Kong Community College, this was easily set up and removed, and was remarkably flexible and sustainable. On the Wall were displayed all the peace messages in pictures drawn and painted by students and participants in the Paint for Peace workshop.
Plant for Peace encourages urban farming and greening, which is not only important in helping reduce carbon footprint of the city but also creating a sustainable living environment.
Performances
Booths
Visitors could discover what different companies and organisations in Hong Kong had already been practising the 17 Global Goals. From the cutting-edge robotic arms and 3D printing technology to the ancient oracle bone script, from society enterprises to local cultural minority groups, a large variety of more than 20 companies and organisations showcased their efforts to build a better future for the students and the public. The booths displayed their work and background, and were so inviting.
Belt and Road country booths
Totally 20 country booths were operated by students from 15 international and local schools. Each booth focused on one country, aiming to introduce to visitors that certain country. This year, the theme was One-belt-one-road and the named countries included India, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, etc. Each booth gave the visitors a taste of the particular country, through games, exhibitions, or a literal taste of food and drink.
Sustainable Fashion Show
The Sustainable Fashion Show from the fashion design students of technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi) aimed to showcase their ideas of upcycling designs, ways to add value to recycled materials, and raise the awareness in sustainable living.
More photos and videos of the 5th Peacemakers' Cultural Celebration can be view in UNESCO Hong Kong's Facebook Page.
