Spotlight

Friend Ship

Youth programme helps crush cultural cliches

By Nuttaporn Srisirirungsimakul, Photographs by Nuttaporn Srisirirungsimakul

Did You Know : Government spokesperson Jakkrapob Penkhae participated in the 15th SSEAYP programme.

Kawete (middle) poses with his Thai friends.

Imagine living on a boat with total strangers. While they may be irritating, you would see them every day, sitting at the same dining table with them and with one or two even sharing your bedroom. Could you cope with the tension? How would you see beyond your differences and befriend your unfamiliar companions?

All questions the young people participating in this year�s Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSEAYP) had to ask themselves during their 50 days on board a ship named the Nippon Maru. And eager to find the answers for ourselves, Student Weekly caught up with the Nippon Maru crew when the ship docked in Thailand.

TRADITIONS AND TEAM-WORK

The SSEAYP is the result of a collaboration between 10 Southeast Asian countries and the Japanese government. It offers selected young people a chance to visit their nearest neighbours and experience different cultures, lifestyles and attitudes as well as learn to live with a wide range of people and personalities.

Notice boards on the Nippon Maru.

�The programme promotes friendship and mutual understanding among the youth,� said Chai Nimakorn, president of the Association of the Ship for Southeast Asian Youth of Thailand.

As well as shore-based activities in each country, the ship also hosts on-board activities such as a culture night, aimed at promoting participants� understanding of each other�s society and traditions.

�We performed traditional dances from every region and gave away OTOP products,� said Jitlada Singkum (Nune), a 22-year-old representative from Thailand.

While experiencing different traditions is the main purpose of the culture night, it also serves to encourage teamwork among the performers, said Kawete Kentaro, a 19-year-old representative from Japan.

�To deliver a good performance, we had to work as a team,� Kawete said. �We learned how to put everyone�s ideas together as well as how to be patient, forgiving and open-minded.�

SHATTERING STEREOTYPES

Of course, being open-minded is not always easy � at least on the first few days on board, when prejudice still surfaced. �Before, I thought Cambodians were poor and inferior to us,� Nune said. However, once she started getting to know her Cambodian comrades, she found that they spoke English fluently and shared interesting ideas in discussion groups. �I was totally wrong to prejudge them like that,� she said.

Catherine Datungputi, a 21-year-old representative from the Philippines, also had her stereotypes shattered after joining the SSEAYP.

�I thought Thais were snobbish,� said Catherine. �But all the Thais I met on board, as well as my Thai host, have been very friendly.�

Ultimately, the 50-day journey destroyed all cultural preconceptions and brought all the participants together. �We learned to love and understand other people,� Catherine said. �Once you open your heart and accept other people, you�ll find that after all we aren�t that different.�

Vocabulary

cliché (n): a phrase or an idea that has been used so often that it no longer has much meaning
tension (n): a situation in which people do not trust each other or feel unfriendly towards each other
dock (v): if a ship docks or you dock a ship, it sails into a harbour and stays there
collaboration (n): the act of working with another person or group of people to create or produce something
mutual (adj): shared by two or more people
shore (n): the land along the edge of the sea or ocean
participant (n): a person who is taking part in an activity or event
open-minded (adj): willing to listen to, think about or accept different ideas
stereotype (n): a fixed idea or image that many people have of a particular type of person or thing, but which is often not true in reality
prejudice (n): an unreasonable dislike of or preference for a person, group, custom, etc.
inferior (adj): not as good as somebody/something else
comrade (n): a friend or other person that you work with
prejudge(v): to make a judgment about a situation before you have all the necessary information
snobbish (adj): thinking that having a high social class is very important
preconception (n): an idea or opinion that is formed before you have enough information or experience