Children commemorate UN Day in art show
Children commemorate UN Day in art show
JAKARTA (JP): Children from 25 schools, international and local, held an art performance here over the weekend to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the United Nations.
Farsida Lubis, an officer of the United Nations Development Program, said in opening the performance that she hoped that, through artistic activity, children will be able to understand the world's cultural diversity.
"The understanding will hopefully lead them to mix better with others," she said.
The performance was held by the Lab School of the Jakarta Teachers Training College (IKIP). The theme: "United for a Better World."
Lubis said that fifty years ago nations gathered to create peace in the world, but that war is still everywhere today.
Eight international and 17 local schools sent delegates to the show which was held in the open air at the IKIP complex. It went ahead despite rain.
Students of the Lab School opened the performance by demonstrating their ability in gamelan (Javanese traditional orchestra) and a marching band performance.
Later. two solo dances were performed by students of the Gandhi International Memorial School. Vidhu, 14, performed a traditional dance from India, while Swati, 18, performed a modern dance called Mera Piya Ghar Ayaa.
"Children of different nationalities and cultures now gather to demonstrate their artistic abilities. I think we need more events like this," Vidhu said.
Mayuka, Naoko and 20 other students from the Jakarta International School (JIS) demonstrated traditional Japanese gymnastics, called kumitaiso.
"The event would have been much better if the weather had been clearer," said Mayuka, a Japanese student of the JIS.
The student orchestra of the Deutsche Internationale Schule played classical songs, such as Blue Danube and Halleluya.
Arief Rachman, principal of the Lab School, said the commemoration of the UN was the sixth held at the school.
Arief said he was convinced that such events helped the children to understand better that their spirit for unity can help create peace in the world.
The event was prepared for about two-and-a-half months by students of the Lab School, Arief said.
Foreign members from the American Field Service student exchange program also took part in the commemoration. The students introduced themselves and said in broken Indonesian: "How nice it is to live in this country, although some cannot stand the traffic jams."
They said they had only been here for three months.
The commemoration was closed by Sundanese gamelan music played by Lab School students.
Boys, dressed in traditional Sundanese costume, played gendang drums and the girls, wearing T-shirts combined with gray skirts, accompanied them in playing the gamelan. (05)