Voices on Youth All-Round Development Festival

 November 30, 2017

Youth All-Round Development Festival, a memorable once-in-a-lifetime event for Myanmar youth, will be held for three days from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on December 1-3. The event includes activities related to literature, arts, sports, IT and science. It will also have book sales, youth education program, discussions as well as entertainment performances like playing music, singing song and dances. Myanmar News Agency interviewed responsible officials who are making preparation for the event.

U Ye Naing (Director General), Information and Public Relations Department, joint secretary of Youth All-Round Development Festival Leading Committee

This festival includes sectors such as information, knowledge, creativity and entertainment preparation works are now 90 per cent completed.

High school and university students numbering about 400 from Yangon Region were invited to the opening ceremony. On the remaining days Ministry of Education had arranged transportation for students from selected universities to attend and some schools had sent a list of students that are visiting while announcement were being made in the media for the public to attend so we are expecting more than 10,000 visitors daily.

All can freely visit and security checks will be conducted on people and things at the inspection gates. The main aim is for youth to enjoy the festival and security measures are put in place appropriately for safety of everyone.

Ministry of Information (MOI) will mainly conduct literature related activities. In addition to youth discussion in Eco (University of Economics) and meeting between youth and famous artistes in RC (Recreation Center), literature exhibition around Thit Pote Pin (an old tree near RC that is a land mark of Yangon University) and poem recitation event will be held while music band from Myanmar Radio and Television will provide entertainments.

In the Arts Hall facing Thit Pote Pin, Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture will also provide an entertainment program. Arrangements are made so that anyone who comes to the festival can go directly to the program that they like. Fine Art hall will especially have entertainment programs. Ministry of Health and Sports is taking responsibility for sports events.

Sagaing Hall and the areas beside Adipati Road are designated as sports area and sporting events will be held. A group walk will be conducted on 6 a.m. 2 December.

2,000 T-shirts with logo of the ceremony will be distributed. The plan is to have the group walk conducted with participants wearing these T-shirts. The walk will start in Adipati Road and will end at the Adipati Road entrance to the university. The route will be along Adipati Road, University Avenue Road, Inya Road and Pyay Road.

This is a rare chance for youth. All are invited to participate enthusiastically. Youth All-Round Development Festival is held with an aim of providing not only information and knowledge but development of artistic and sporting abilities.

The festival programs were posted on MOI social media page. More than 60,000 had visited the page while questions about the festival raised at the page were being answered. Details about the festival can be seen in the page and inquiries made.

Dr. Pho Kaung, Rector, Yangon University

I am assigned the duty of exhibition holding committee secretary. Technology exhibition is in the empty area between Yangon University convocation hall and University of Economics and will have 15 booths. 13 will be universities and colleges booths while 2 will be Myanmar Computer Federation booths. Universities and colleges include Yangon Arts and Science University, University of East Yangon, Yangon Technology University and Technology University and Computer University around Yangon. Arts and Science side will show science exhibits while Technology University will exhibit their invention and computer technologies.

Yangon University was founded in 1 December 1920 and it is an honor for Yangon University to hold the first Youth All-Round Development Festival on its birthday of 1 December.

Dr. Kathy Kyaw (Director, Yangon Region Department of Social Welfare)

Five ministries are jointly hosting the Youth All-Round Development Festival. As Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement is responsible in drawing up youth policy, it is displaying exhibits, providing entertainments and conducting talks in the festival.

In the exhibition part in addition to history of Taunggyi Mingala Oo model Youth Center recognized by Social Welfare Department, making of Taunggyi hot-air balloon, Shan tradition costume made from lotus thread and making of Shan paper, activities against natural disasters, youth participation in humanitarian assistance to Rakhine region, exhibition on preventive activities on violence against women and abandoning new born child conducted by Women Affairs Committee is included.

Sale and demonstration of cloths (making), weavings, crocheting by Women Development Centers and Vocational Training Centers for Women under Department of Social Welfare will be shown. Schools for household work will also demonstrate Myanmar traditional foods making and sell the foods made. Drug rehabilitation works of Department of Social Welfare will be shown and activities related to drawing up youth policy will also be exhibited.

Information related to handicaps children school will be provided. There’ll be Q&A session with prizes. Talks on violence against women and abandoning new born child will be conducted in the recreation center in December 2 and 3 within 9 a.m. and twelve noon. The talks are jointly organized by Department of Social Welfare and related organisations. A group led by Khaing Hnin Wei will conduct talks, act in a play and hold Q&A session on human trafficking.

Handicap persons under the supervision of Department of Social Welfare will conduct entertainment programs in the Art Hall.

The exhibition of Department of Social Welfare faces the Recreation Center is on the side of the road where the University Library and Science Hall is located. Department of Social Welfare exhibits are displayed in time segments. A quiz on hand signals used by the deaf and prize awarding will be included. Child age training school will also show photography using computer.

U Hlaing Win Maung (Deputy Director, Department of Fine Arts, Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture)

I am assigned as the art activity sub-committee secretary. Entertainment sector, drawing sector and education sector is included. In the entertainment sector, students from National University of Arts and Culture, Yangon will entertain on 1 December. Students from State High School of Arts, Yangon, youth personnel from Department of Fine Arts and artistes will entertain on 2 and 3 December. Handicap youths under the care of Department of Social Welfare will entertain with performances throughout the 3 days.

In the drawing sector, students from National University of Arts and Culture will conduct a drawing exhibition on 1 December. Students from State High School of Arts will draw sketches, portraits, cartoons, caricature and postcards on 2 and 3 December. Poems related to the university will be included in the postcards. Drawings and sketches of views and sites selected on the spot by the drawers will be drawn/sketch in a demonstration. In the education sector, traditional dresses, cultures and foods of ethnic nationals of the country will be shown. It will include photographs, LED displays and videos.

Children can take pictures with the mascot animals. There’ll be quiz and puzzles in the Art Hall while paintings, sculptures, statues and artworks are displayed outside. All visitors can participate in it.

U Thein Soe (Thein Soe Thiha Yadana)

I’m responsible to show the images of 20th century authors and writers. Their works and conducts will be shown together with their images. There’ll be about 300 pictures in three display booths. More than 70 stalls under the leadership of Myanmar Publishers & Booksellers Association will sell various books at special and discount prices while rare books will be on display. This is a festival that young book enthusiasts ought to visit and all are invited.

Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar