At the end of 2021, we, the 10th graders of Sapporo Sacred Heart, count our online New York United Nations Study Tour as one of our biggest blessings in the midst of Covid-19 crisis. Though not being able to visit New York, we had the most precious experiences, that made us focus on refugee issues and learned what women with a global perspective need to do to play an active role in the world. 

We are grateful for great talks and presentations from many people, including Sr. Sheila Smith rscj, Representative of the RSCJ UN-NGO, Sr. Rita Pinto, former RSCJ UN-NGO staff, Sr. Cecile Meijer rscj, former representative of the RSCJ UN-NGO, and Sr. Lynne Lieux, University of San Diego project team on education of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).

From them, we learned that the mission of Sacred Heart Education and of the United Nations is the same. We also need to be concerned with the education of girls, especially in areas where girls are not blessed with many opportunities for education. We also learned that we, the young, with role models like Greta Thunberg, are entrusted with the work of advocacy. We were challenged to consider whether we are consumers or creators/contributors. 

Other lecturers were: 
●    Mr. F. Queipo, Communications Officer from Department of Global Communications, UN. 
●    Mr. Y.Hosokawa and Ms. K. Shimme (our alumna) from Permanent Mission of Japan to the UN.
●    Mr. H. Kishimori, Senior Advisor, UN Development Programme.
●    Mr. K. Amanuma, from UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) Japan.
●    Judge T. Serita, from the Supreme Court of Queens County, New York.
●    Prof. Y. Yamanaka, from Hokkaido University Graduate School.

The world is populated by people of various nationalities, races, religions, and ways of thinking. It is difficult to unite everyone’s opinions, but we realized equality increases when we discuss ideas together to understand each other for the better. In addition, we think it is important to see what is happening in the world and then to grasp, share, and disseminate it to as many people as possible. We learned that doing even small things can accumulate to solve big problems.

We would like to share another blessing: our sister school in New York, Convent of the Sacred Heart 91st, sent a fantastic video letter to us. Our seniors had been invited to enjoy a great visit and homestay program there and had voluntary service with their host sisters. We were so disappointed in not being able to visit them.  But now, we could share their video letter with the whole school on the Feast of St. Madeleine Sophie, which must have pleased her, as well. In return, we sent them a video letter, and thus could have an exchange after all.  We are so grateful for our friends in New York to send such a token of friendship.

Thank you to all of the great lecturers and generous people who made this program possible.

By the 2021 10th Graders at Sacred Heart School, Sapporo

With the permission of the Convent of the Sacred Heart, 91st, we would like to share their great video letter and ours below:

Click here to watch the NY Sacred Heart MV (With Japanese subtitles).

Click here to watch the Sapporo Sacred Heart MV.