Dr. Rebecca Nadin, the Assistant Director of the Sports & Science Team of the British Council Beijing, delivers a speech at the national Paralympic Training Center in Beijing on September 7, 2008. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]

The "International Youth Forum" officially opened in Beijing on Sunday as part of the "Young Advocates Program" initiated by the British Council. 200 young able-bodied and disabled people from home and abroad gathered at the national Paralympic Training Center to share their passion for the Paralympic Games. CRI reporter Han Yueling takes a closer look.

Reporter:

The "International Youth Forum" has attracted 200 people between the ages of 18 and 25, half of whom have a disability. Mainly from China and the United Kingdom, the group is comprised of athletes, community volunteers and college students majoring in social work and special education.

James Lusted, a web designer and gold medal winner in badminton at the Dwarf Athletic National British Games, says he was very impressed by the opening ceremony of the Beijing Paralympic Games on Saturday.

"We went to the opening ceremony last night. I was absolutely blown away with the magnificent spirit in the stadium."

Starting from Sunday, the forum will offer young people a unique four-day experience. It focuses on a series of colorful workshops with intensive skills training, ranging from communication to short film production. Leading UK educators participating in the program include the Royal Opera House, the Northern Ballet Theater, Yeast Culture and 100 Words Inc..

Toby Harris is working at the Digital Media Workshop given by Yeast Culture.

"This is almost like a mini-Paralympic Games. On a practical level, things we are doing here are related to the organizing and participating in the Games. Yeast Culture are here as the media. So we are teaching practical media production skills such as camera work, editing and using Photoshop."

The forum will last until September 11 and end with a Mini-Paralympic festival and a showcase featuring the workshop creations.

It is part of the "Young Advocates Program" which was jointly organized by the British Council and the China Disabled Persons' Federation. Starting from May this year, the forum has already offered skills training to more than 100 young people with and without disabilities from various regions in China.

Dr. Rebecca Nadin is the Assistant Director of the Sports and Science Team at the British Council in Beijing. She says the program aims to help participants enhance their employability and tries to spread the Paralympic spirit.

"Perhaps we'll be delighted that some of our advocates could go on to be the 2012 volunteers and work within the organizing committee. That would be fantastic. We really hope this experience is a true learning experience for them, because we hope these young advocates will gain skills that would benefit them in their colleges and universities and ultimately help them gain employment and contribute positively to the society."

After the Beijing Paralympics, the program will be promoted globally to young people worldwide. Natasha Betteridge, the Creative Director of 100 Words Inc., expresses her expectations for the project.

"Our dream now is to link this Paralympic Games culturally to London 2012 Games. So there is a longevity. It is not about something doing in the moment and forgetting. It is about carrying something forward."