17th Annual International Understanding and Cooperation Essay Contest
Junior High School Competition Winning Work

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On International Cooperation

by Sayaka Momoi
First Year Student, Kobuchizawa Junior High School

For the past seven years-since my first year of elementary school-I have been collecting donations for UNICEF in front of Kiyosato Train Station.

At first I didn't really know the meaning behind what I was doing, but now, after looking into the struggle of Afghan refugees and other UNICEF issues, I've realized that fund-raising is something I must actively do from the heart. What I've learned through fund-raising-mostly through UNICEF-is that even in Japan, there was once food aid; it was for elementary school lunches during the post-war period, just about when our grandmas and grandpas would have been in school. But how many people in Japan today know about this? I doubt very many. I think that the Japanese people are very civil and strongly moral, and so I'd like them to take a minute and think about UNICEF donations. Because I believe that sometime, you have to return the favors you've received.

Right now my contribution to international cooperation is pretty much limited to fund-raising, but I'm sure that by being active in society and meeting many new people, my chances to contribute will soon increase. And when that time comes, instead of thinking it a hassle, I should try to stop and really think about what I'm doing. There are many Japanese citizens all over the world contributing to the international community through NPO's and the like. I've seen their work on the TV news. And so instead of just what I'm able to do now, I'd like to think about international cooperation in terms of what I'd be able to do if I tried even harder.

Since there's no direct necessity to think about it in order to live our daily lives, we must all actively strive to keep international cooperation in our consciousness.

As terrorism, war and infighting are all emphasizing their own self-centered ideas, the thing that is bringing peace to the world right now is the simple (but in certain respects, difficult) idea of mutual respect and caring. I believe that international cooperation is the best shortcut towards international peace.

Many people might think that international cooperation is beyond their own grasp, but I don't think that's the case. Talking with friends about the pain of the most recent war or terrorist act can be the first step towards international cooperation. If you are aware of what is going on in the world, if have your own opinion about it and want to express that opinion to others-then you are already a contributor to international cooperation. I'm not sure how many people will actually end up reading this paper, but I consider the writing of this essay, too, an act that contributes to international cooperation.

I'm not the best writer, so I'm worried my message might not have come across. At any rate, I'd like to think about not just what I can do now, but what I could do if I tried even harder.