Gwangju YGA Joint Club, Peace March for Ukraine

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] The Gwangju YGA Joint Club (Salesio Middle School, Yongdu Middle School, Wolgok Middle School, Sungui Middle School, Bitgoeul High School, Sepum Christian School) recently held a march to pray for peace in Ukraine, which is suffering from war.

According to Gwangju YGA on the 18th, about 90 middle and high school students belonging to the YGA clubs participated in this peace march.

They conducted a march from the main gate of Chonnam National University to Gudo Government Square under the theme "Life and Peace for Ukraine!" to urge the cessation of Russia's invasion war against Ukraine.

The "Gwangju YGA (Youth Global Action) Joint Club" was established with the slogan "Think Globally! Act Locally!" to realize the value of learning that moves from "knowing" to "acting."

Currently, it is engaged in activities to learn about various global issues such as climate, environment, human rights, and peace that the world faces. It is a joint club composed of middle and high school students in the Gwangju area who understand and act on practical efforts to solve these problems.

Teachers and students belonging to Gwangju YGA walked the May Road (Torch Course), where they could experience the spirit of democracy, peace, and solidarity of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, commemorating its 42nd anniversary.

This was a small but meaningful action to pray for the cessation of the Ukraine war and for life and peace in Ukraine.

In particular, Andrei, an activist originally from Ukraine who is currently a teacher at Saenal School in the Korean Village and whose father and brother are fighting as Ukrainian civilian soldiers, personally visited the Gudo Government site, drawing more attention.

Meanwhile, Gwangju YGA plans to donate all the funds raised through this peace march and school activities directly to Ukrainian refugees (Global Friends) residing in the Gwangju Korean Village.

Student Go Gabin (Yongdu Middle School, 1st grade) said, "The march was very difficult, but I regained strength by recalling that Ukrainian refugees walk a path several times harder," adding, "Through this march, I became more interested in the suffering of Ukrainian refugees."

Yang Mihyun, a teacher at Salesio Middle School who oversaw the event, said, "Wouldn't the world created by children like the Gwangju YGA joint club students, who can hold the world and someone’s pain in their hearts, smile a little more than now when they become adults?" and added, "Gwangju YGA will continue the spirit of 'Act Locally!' for a sustainable world."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.