‘CHOOSE HOPE” MESSAGE WALL AND EXHIBITIONS

During the Youth Summit event days on 25 and 26 August, members of the public who have walked past the area outside the Public Service Centre and Festive Plaza at Our Tampines Hub would have noticed a 9-metre long large-sized “Choose Hope” message wall and 2 exhibitions on display side by side.

These are peripheral programmes alongside the Youth Summit performance that aim to spread the message of choosing hope over despair and to empower youths to stand up and take the lead to embrace diversity and empower the life of others.

“Choose Hope” Message Wall

The “Choose Hope” message wall amassed all the determinations of youth who pledged to unite to meet the challenges confronting mankind, to be authors of their own lives and of the history of the new century. Any youth who wish to join in this movement could obtain a determination card to pen his or her determination on what he or she is going to do to make the world a better place, and hang it on the message wall.

The promotion of the empowerment of young people through education for global citizenship is a joint call by Soka Gakkai International President Daisaku Ikeda in his joint appeal with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr Esquivel on 5 June 2018.

The SSA Youth Division members have also made a Youth Declaration to call forth to all youth to approach all challenges of the new era and unite in solidarity, and be the true agents of change to generate waves of hope to create lasting peace in our communities.

Guest-of-Honour Ms Sim Ann placing her determination card on the 'Choose Hope' message wall

Youth Declaration

We, the youth of Singapore and global citizens of the world, hereby express our commitment to:

Embrace Diversity – Expand bonds of friendship amongst the common people, transcending all differences, treating one another as equals through dialogues and exchanges;
Empower lives – Engage ourselves proactively in activities to bring about and promote a caring and inclusive society based on respect for the absolute dignity of all lives; and
Choose Hope – Embrace every individual and community, and inspire the positive values of hope, resilience, and courage, regardless of social economic status.

Together, we will unite in solidarity and take ownership in building a truly inclusive society and usher in waves of hope for humanity.

Exhibition – “Choose Hope ~ Embracing Diversity, Empowering Lives”

This exhibition showcases the harmony in diversity in our multi-racial and multi- religious society. Within the exhibition highlights real life experiences of individuals co-existing in harmony based on the respect for the dignity of life, including differences across socioeconomic status (SES), nationalities, age, physical abilities and many more.

Beginning with the joint appeal between Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr Adolfo Perez Esquivel and Buddhist philosopher Daisaku Ikeda titled ‘An Appeal to the Youth of the World: An Appeal for Resilience and Hope’, the exhibition presents efforts of Singapore youths in taking the lead to transcend differences, and also showcase the commitment of youth to embrace diversity, empower lives and choose hope through the Youth Declaration.

Exhibition titled "Choose Hope - Embracing Diversity, Empowering Lives" that showcases the harmony in diversity in our multi-racial and multi-religious society. It also features various activities that the SSA Youth Division has been planning with the community since March this year as part of the SGCares’ initiatives.

Exhibition – “Transforming Lives: The Power of Human Rights Education”

This exhibition was first launched on March 6, 2017 at the Palais des Nations, home of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

The exhibition raises awareness of the vital role of human rights education in promoting dignity, equality and peace and in preventing human rights violations and abuses. It was created to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training in 2017.

In addition to exploring the concepts of human rights and human rights education, the exhibition presents stories of how human rights education has led to transformation and empowerment in the lives of individuals and communities in Australia, Burkina Faso, Peru, Portugal and Turkey. The exhibition also examines what ordinary citizens and civil society organizations can do to nurture a culture of human rights.

The Exhibition is co-organized by Soka Gakkai International, HRE 2020, NGO Working Group on Human Rights Education and Learning, and the Platform for Human Rights Education and Training.

‘CHOOSE HOPE” MESSAGE WALL AND EXHIBITIONS