The judging for the 2025 Land-Sea International Youth Envoy recruitment campaign, held under the theme "Seeking Unity Across Lands and Seas," has recently been completed. The campaign garnered over 2,000 submissions in various formats—including paintings, essays, and videos—from young participants across China, North America, Western Europe, and other countries and regions. This enthusiastic global response vividly demonstrates the youth's sincere yearning for civilizational dialogue and their remarkable creativity.

2025 Land-Sea International Youth Envoys judging panel. Photo by Chen Wei

A panel of judges from education, art, and foreign language studies agreed that the initiative has not only built a robust bridge for cross-cultural understanding but has also planted seeds of empathy, inclusivity, and innovation in the hearts of young participants.

Dr. Zhang Jun, PhD in English Language and Literature and Vice Dean of the School of Foreign Languages at Southwest University, emphasized the power of "local narratives" from a cultural communication perspective. He observed that many of the most touching entries originated from these authentic and nuanced depictions of daily life. Whether describing a Chongqing student's routine of climbing sixty steps to school or a Sri Lankan teenager's portrayal of Kandy's ancient city and the Esala Perahera festival, these expressions, rich with the warmth of lived experience, became the key to creating resonance among young people from different cultural backgrounds. "Mutual learning among civilizations should not be a grand slogan, but a tapestry woven from such concrete and nuanced stories," he noted.

The judging scene of the 2025 Land-Sea International Youth Envoys Essay Contest. (Photo by Chen Wei)

"The children's works revealed a kind of warm power that transcends geography," said Wang Yongmei, Associate Professor at the School of Foreign Languages of Southwest University, who was deeply moved during the judging process. She specifically mentioned a young girl's concept of "Peace Bubbles"—transforming bombs from wars into candy and chocolate to bring sweetness and hope to children suffering from conflict. Wang likened the event to "a rainbow bridge," enabling young people to actively lean out and "look into their world" through activities such as painting, essays, and videos. In expressing themselves, she noted, they also learn to understand others' lives and realities.

From the perspective of esthetic education, Tang Xiaohui, Director of the Inside-Outside Classroom Intelligent Aesthetic Education Research Institute and Secretary-General of the Chongqing Art Education Promotion Association, observed that many paintings skillfully incorporated elements of intangible cultural heritage and local culture, such as Sanxingdui, Sichuan Opera, and Chongqing hotpot, becoming "vivid vehicles for telling China's stories." However, she also noted that traces of "excessive adult intervention" remained in some works, somewhat diluting the childlike innocence and authenticity that should characterize children's creations. She advocated for aesthetic education to return to fostering children's aesthetic experience and cultural understanding, allowing creation to become a natural process of mind growth.

The judging scene of the 2025 Land-Sea International Youth Envoys Painting Contest. (Photo by Chen Wei)

"Intercultural competence is an indispensable quality for young people in today's world," Zhang Jun further emphasized. He stated that "Seeking Unity Across Lands and Seas" connects not only continents and oceans but also diverse cultural perspectives and ways of thinking. He pointed out that during the event, youths from different countries spontaneously converged on global issues such as peace, environmental protection, technology, and humanity. This demonstrates the younger generation's conscious global awareness and willingness to take action, which closely aligns with China's vision of a shared future for mankind.

It is reported that the event will invite 100 Land-Sea International Youth Envoys to participate in the annual exchange conference in mid-December. This event aims to continue using culture as a medium and co-creation as a pathway to deepen and broaden international understanding. As a relevant official from the organizing committee stated, "We hope that through these works, the world can not only witness the power of youth, but also that young people themselves can see the diversity and possibilities of our world."

The judging scene of the 2025 Land-Sea International Youth Envoys Video Contest. (Photo by Chen Wei)

In this dialogue that transcends mountains, seas, cultures, and ages, "Seeking Unity Across Lands and Seas" has evolved beyond a mere competition into a window and a beacon. It empowers global youth to build confidence through expression, fosters empathy through exchange, and envisions the future through creation. This, precisely, is a profoundly moving beginning to mutual learning among civilizations.