YOKOHAMA YOUNGSTERS BRING CITY’S GOODWILL TO UNited nations CHILDREN’S FUND

 

Four elementary and middle school students from Yokohama, Japan, chosen as “Yokohama Children Peace Messengers” will give $123,715, donated by residents of the city of Yokohama, to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), on Tuesday, 7 November.

Yokohama’s deep history of involvement in a range of international exchange activities and the city’s activities throughout the International Year of Peace (1986) won them official recognition by the United Nations as a “ Peace Messenger City” in 1987.

Since then, each year, as one of the city’s peace-related activities, students are chosen through an original peace-related speech contest and designated as “Yokohama Children Peace Messengers”.  The students travel to New York City, representing the international peace efforts that Yokohama has made throughout the year.

During their weeklong stay in New York City, the students will visit the United Nations and meet with Secretary-General Kofi Annan.  They will also visit the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations and UNICEF, as well as participate in classes at the United Nations International School.  There has been a long tradition of cooperation between the United Nations International School and the Yokohama Board of Education.  Indeed, they fully support two language teachers from Japan.

The “Yokohama Children Peace Messengers” will also hold a press conference on 9 November at 4:30 p.m., at the City of Yokohama New York Representative Office.  Please contact Steven Dennis tel.: 212 867 6070, or e-mail: stevem@cityyokohama.org for further information on the press conference.

For further United Nations information, contact Sylvia Fuhrman or Dolores Redding at 212 963 8729 or e-mail: fuhrman@un.org.

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For information media • not an official record