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Character Education
Values Education Seminars Taught in Fiji
Written by Santosh Neupane, chair, FFWPU-Fiji
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Suva, Fiji—Campus student leaders and selected teachers from Fiji’s most esteemed schools have attended Values Education seminars.
The seminars were organized by UPF-Fiji together with the Fiji chapter of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU), an affiliated organization.
The main speaker and lecturer of the seminars was Mr. Gregory Stone, the UPF regional secretary general for the Oceania region.
Mr. Stone’s lectures stimulated interest and lively responses from the participants, who were excited about the positive implications of values education for Fiji.
The seminars were approved enthusiastically by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Fiji.
The first seminar was conducted at Saraswati College in the town of Nausori on March 29, under an agreement between the Saraswati Foundation and the Fiji chapters of UPF and FFWPU. The senior students and the vice principal of the college attended the seminar. After hearing the lectures, they broke into groups of four to write reflections, which the group leader then read to the entire assembly. It was a very successful seminar in that it led the students to realize the importance of values education.
The one main point that impressed all the reflection groups was the principle of living for the sake of others. They understood how this principle should be applied among students and also within a family. The participants resolved to share this values education with their families, friends and neighbors.
The second seminar was held on April 2 at Tilak High School in Lautoka, Fiji’s second-largest city.
Ninety-five percent of the 97 participants were highly qualified and interested teachers from selected campuses of Lautoka City, and the remaining 5 percent were senior leaders of girls and boys on selected campuses.
Some of the teachers realized that the basic solution to the problems of today’s society, especially in Fiji, is the kind of values education that they were hearing in the lectures. They expressed the opinion that students, teachers and parents should know the importance of parenting values education.
One teacher added that the information that they were hearing should not be used just for themselves but rather should be shared throughout Fiji and even the whole world.
One student expressed his gratitude at being part of the seminar because he said it helps students to understand their responsibility as students and as members of a family. This student said that living for the sake of others is so important in a family, that every member should respect everyone, and that there should be unity between parents and children.
Mr. Wasu Deo, the secretary general of UPF Fiji, reported that, according to the reflections of the teachers and students, the most important thing is love. He shared a humorous anecdote about his own experience of expressing love to his family, which drove home an important lesson.
FFWPU Chair Santosh Neupane told a touching story of how his young daughter wrote a letter of appreciation to him. Through this he realized the importance of spending quality time with each member of the family. The seminar ended successfully, with participants hoping that it will influence the curriculum and character-building aspects of teaching of the Ministry of Education.
The 1st World Tong-il Moo-do Federation Fiji Training and Workshop was held on April 2, 2016, at Tilak High School in Lautoka. It was attended by the entire martial arts club—37 students and two martial arts advisers.
FFWPU Chair Santosh Neupane gave introductory remarks about the World Tong-il Moo-do Federation. The training was given by Sahbunim Geovane Gella, an instructor from the Philippines.
In addition to teaching the history of Tong-il Moo-do, its philosophy and basic points, he emphasized the spiritual discipline and development of the practitioners. This inspired the principal and advisers of the martial arts club.
The second phase of the workshop was the technical aspects of Tong-il Moo-do. Sahbunim Geovane demonstrated the meditation process, warmup framework and basic techniques of Tong-il Moo-do.
Tong-il Moo-do Clubs have been established at Saraswati College and Tilak High School, as well as at the UPF Peace Embassy.
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