Students share experience after attending World Tsunami Awareness Day Summit in Japan

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The Japan Embassy, on Wednesday, hosted a report session during which Selwyn College students who participated in the High School students World Tsunami Awareness Day Summit held in Japan, shared their experiences.

The five students, all in form four were chosen to represent the country as part of the ‘Youth Ambassadors for Tsunami Awareness’ program which took place in Kumamoto, Japan.

The World Tsunami Awareness day summit took place on October 23^rd and concluded on the 24^th.

“The summit was a memorable and inspiring occasion that left participants with a renewed sense of purpose and a commitment to making a difference in their communities,” said Benny Hovell Oligaro, one of the Selwyn College students who took part in the summit.

Monica Leoa Boe, another member of the Selwyn College student delegation underscored the importance of the event as well as its commemorating significance.

“This summit is aimed at empowering the new generation through raising awareness of the effects of Tsunami and the importance of tsunami preparedness and early warnings of tsunamis.”

“This year’s event is also aimed at commemorating the memory of the past and passing the lessons to the next generation and celebrating advancements in early warning systems which are vital in saving lives,” she said.

The Summit drew 313 participating students form high schools in Japan and 213 high school students from 40 countries with a total of 526 student’s participating.

The summit included students being divided into workshops where themes of disaster prevention through self-help and mutual assistance, disaster risk reduction in harmony with nature and creative reconstruction were discussed and presented.

The concluding day commenced with a tree planting ceremony as well as workshop reports and presentations of disaster action plan proposals to support their communities in disaster reduction.

The event concluded with the adoption of the Kumamoto ‘KIZUNA’ (Bonds) Declaration, which was drafted by the participating students.

“This declaration emphasized the importance of empowering the youth to play a central role in enhancing community resilience and preventing a culture of disaster resilience,” Oligaro explained.

Stella Liana Maebiru, another member of the Selwyn College delegation, stated that with the knowledge and experience gained through this program “we believe that we can better help our schools and communities become more disaster resilient and prepared.”

“We plan on sharing what we have learnt with our schools and communities and help spread awareness, plant disaster resilient trees and put what we have learnt into practice,” she emphasized.

The Japanese ambassador to the Solomon Islands, His Excellency, Yoshiaki Miwa, who chaired the report session, commended the five Selwyn College students in their weeklong program.

The Five, Form Four Selwyn College students who attended the summit included: Jordan Urwin Manehegna Kuruwai, Benny Hovell Oligaro, Rynella Rakeli Hamutagi, Monica Leoa Boe, Stella Liana Maebiru.

• By Ryan Iroga