The second edition of the International Youth Forum held in Changsha, 21-23 may 2018, cu tema “Amplification creativity development”. Approximate 80 delegates attended the International Youth Forum 2: 40 young people from countries in Africa, Arab States, Asia and Pacific and Europe 40 delegates from China. The participants then moved to Nanjing, 24-27 may 2018, to participate in “Forum of creativity and literature”.
The objectives of the International Youth Forum were to provide a chance to express their interests and concerns related to the advancement of creativity, heritage and literature for development, as well as to mobilize their increased involvement in the cultural and creative industries and in the protection and promotion of our common heritage.
Romania was represented at the Forum by Dr. Daniela Popescu, President of the European Federation of Clubs, UNESCO Centres and Associations, President of the ALUMNUS Club for UNESCO and representative of the National Commission of Romania for UNESCO and prof. univ. dr. Luminita Balan, Director of the Confucius Cultural Institute of the University of Bucharest. Also, Romania had a representative among the young participants at the Forum through Ioana Panaite, member of the ALUMNUS Club for UNESCO.
The Romanian delegation was able to exchange ideas and best practices related to the preservation of intangible cultural heritage, as well as to introduce and promote Romanian approaches through initiatives such as Future Folk and Internal competitionþional Jeunesses Musicales.
The opening ceremony of the Forum took place on Monday evening (21 may), with the participation of over 900 guests. The agenda was opened with speeches by high-ranking officials, including the Chairman of the UNESCO Executive Board, E.S. Ambassador Lee of the ROK; General Secretary of the Changsha Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, dl Hu; and the Director and Representative of the UNESCO Beijing Office in China, DPRK, Japan, Mongolia and ROK, Mrs. Marielza Oliveira. At the opening ceremony, UNESCO presented Changsha with the award “City of Media Arts”. Changsha, together with the four winning towns of Enghien-les-Bains, Franta; York, Great Britain; Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel; and Austin, Texas, SUA in format “World Media Arts Alliance”.
Tuesday, the discussions within the Forum started with the theme "Advancement of creativity for development". Mayors of the cities of York, UK; Enghien Les Bains, Franta; and host city Changsha, China, alongside Mrs. Oliveira, director of the UNESCO Beijing Office, debated city strategies and programs to promote creativity and creative industries especially with young people as actors and beneficiaries. The meeting also benefited from a question and answer session with the participants, mentioning the relevance of creativity for the generation of new ideas: creativity is the engine of sustainable development; it is necessary to transform traditional industries; youth is the present - not the future; young people can provide vitality, the ideas and energy needed to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development goals.
An accountability session concluded the morning meeting. During it, UNESCO presented the progress of the commitments made at the first edition of the International Youth Forum in 2017, especially in terms of promoting platforms for youth exchange and dialogue. Eight young people who will participate in a three-week immersion program, generously sponsored by the city of Changsha, had the opportunity to introduce themselves to all Forum participants and provide an overview of the projects they intend to develop within the program.
After a visit to the P8 Innovation Lab in the afternoon, participants took part in a cruise on the Xiang River and watched a fireworks display, unique by combining traditional methods and media arts to produce visual displays.
"Different countries and regions should understand each other and appreciate their cultural traditions". The young delegates present enjoyed the fact that Changsha is a historical city, culturally full of creativity, force.
The second session of the International Youth Forum on Creativity and Heritage along the Silk Roads kicked off in Nanjing on Thursday, the capital of Jiangsu province, which applied to become the first Chinese city to be declared a UNESCO City of Literature.
The first day in Nanjing started with a visit to the Nanjing Library, cea de-a treia cea mai mare bibliotecă din China, unde participanții au învățat despre tehnici antice de păstrare a cărților vechi în cadrul Ancient Book Repair and Research Centre. Doi dintre tineri au avut chiar șansa de a face o donație de carte Bibliotecii. Agenda a inclus, also, vizite la muzee precum Parcul de Porțelan din Nanjing, librării și studiouri faimoase din Nanjing, cum ar fi studioul dlui Zhu Yingchun, autorul celei mai bine vândute cărți „The Language of the Bugs “.
Participanții la Forum au luat parte la ceremonia de deschidere a celei de-a 8-a ediții a Expoziþiei Mondiale a Orașelor Istorice și Culturale, unde au fost prezenți peste 300 de oaspeți internaționali distinși, printre care primari din orașe istorice și culturale din întreaga lume, academicieni și reprezentanți ai ONG-urilor ce au participat la discuții și activități axate pe tema principală: „înțelegere, împărtășire și câștig”. În această etapă, România a fost reprezentată de Dr. Daniela Popescu, President of the European Federation of Clubs, Centrelor și Asociațiilor UNESCO și reprezentantă a Comisiei Naționale a României pentru UNESCO și prof. univ. Dr. Luminita Balan, sinolog și director al Institutului Cultural „Confucius” din București, declarat Institutul Confucius al Anului 2017.
