e-ShortNews

For several years, I have been taking as many opportunities as possible to learn and think together with young people. I have been attending meetings for young people and students organized by the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan (NFUAJ) such as a youth division of the National Convention (of UNESCO Movements), a youth seminar to train leaders, a children's summer camp, and a youth division of a study session for each UNESCO district (a district covers several prefectures). As a result, I have been able to learn many things. The greatest benefit has been the ability to dismiss my concern that young people and students might not keep the activities of UNESCO Association going in the future. I was especially convinced of this when I saw two voluntary study sessions at Waseda University at the end of last year and this year, and one at Machida City on June 18th. The reasons for my conviction are as follows:
Firstly, young people, especially those who have attended a NFUAJ youth seminar or a study tour, tend to have a stronger awareness that they should participate in and work for UNESCO activities. Secondly, several executive members will organize a study session and an event for a dozen people recruited via the Internet. Thirdly, those who have joined a study session will have the impetus to find new members to revitalize the UNESCO activities in their regions, which we have been dreaming about for many years. Fourthly, the voluntary effort is crossing the borders between local UNESCO associations, prefectural liaison councils, and districts.
What is the way forward for our UNESCO movements? To answer that, we should first think how each association can prepare for the positive development by young people and students and what activities we can provide for them. In some cases, we should think about the possibility of working beyond the framework of each association, i.e., at the prefectural liaison council or district level. We also have to better utilize IT, which has stronger influence on young people and students than we think, in planning, PR, and other areas. That is, “new bottles for new wine”.

Shigeo Tajima, an Adviser of Meguro UNESCO Association

May 27(Sat.), 2006, started from 13:00, at Moriya Kyoiku Kaikan, Attended by 29 members (with 163 letters of attorney)

The second General Assembly of Meguro UNESCO Association as an incorporated non-profit organization was held in the afternoon of May 27, Saturday, 2006, at Moriya Kyoiku Kaikan.
Unfortunately, because of the rainy skies, we had only 29 members attend the meeting, which was less than the extraordinary meeting held in March. But the meeting was formed thanks to 163 letters of attorney.
We had many guests to the conference, including Mr. Eiji Aoki, the Mayor of Meguro City, and many congratulatory addresses were given.
At the beginning of the meeting, Ms. Reiko Kato, the President of Meguro UNESCO Association, gave a speech, stressing the ideas of the prospectus of the organization: “We, people living in Meguro City, have to make every effort to spread the ideas of UNESCO and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to build an organization of people who love freedom, justice and peace to help the society.” Furthermore, referring to the association’s guideline to upcoming activity, she said that as well as the cooperation with the Meguro City and the Board of Education, we would be extending our hands to schools and the business community also.
We examined the bills, “Activity Report on FY 2005”, “Statement of Accounts on FY 2005”, and “Revision (in part) of the Articles of Association”, and all of them were approved.
After the meeting, Mr. Mitsutoshi Masuda, a youth member, reported “Youth Study Tour in India”, explaining his valuable experiences using many photographs. We hope his experiences in communicating with people he met in India as well as with his trip companions would lead him to his successful future.

- reported by Michiko Hisatomi, PR commttee

The 62nd National Convention of UNESCO Movement, under the direction of Mr. Masatake Matsuda, the new president of the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan, was held on June 3 and 4, in Hanamaki City, Iwate Pref. The place is famous as the hometown of Kenji Miyazawa, a poet famous for his poem titled “Ame Nimo Makezu” (“Undaunted by Rain”) and also as the hometown of Inazo Nitobe’s forefathers. Inazo Nitobe, the author of “Bushido: The Soul of Japan”, performed an important role in establishing “the International Committee for Intellectual Cooperation”, the forerunner of UNESCO.
We enjoyed Hanamaki in June, for the beautiful green leaves and fresh air.
The first day started with a theme, “Are you thinking of your neighbors? ? For a future of peace and coexistence?”. Following a suggestive keynote speech by Mr. Tetsuo Yamaori (former Director-General of the International Research Center for Japanese Studies), titled “A Vision of Coexistence among Different Civilizations”, a symposium was held with Mr. Yamaori as a coordinator. The panelists were Mr. Masashi Kojima, former President of the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan, Mr. Shinji Yoneda, the president of the Japan Society of Education for International Understanding and Ms. Wang Min, Professor of Hosei University, who joined UNESCO Movement influenced by Kenji Miyazawa. In their discussion, they often referred to Kenji Miyazawa and Inazo Nitobe. For example, they mentioned that you could find in the life and works of Kenji Miyazawa the wisdom of coexistence and contact with nature.
On the second day, the participants divided into 4 section meetings, which were “the World Terakoya Movement”, “the World Heritage Activity”, “Peace and International Understanding” and “Acting with Young People”.
“Aiming for the ultimate purpose, the human beings are at one. Our efforts have to be made toward the unity of people. Without this, we would never be able to obtain eternal peace, happiness or prosperity.” With those words by Inazo Nitobe, we braced ourselves up and with Kenji Miyazawa, we enjoyed heart-warming feelings through those two days.

- reported by Yoichi Shimosato, PR Committee

It is almost twenty years since the Japanese class of Meguro UNESCO Association started. Through a trial and error process it has gradually grown into many classes, and in recent years we have welcomed a total of approximately four hundred people from more than fifty-some countries a year. At present we have about one hundred and forty people from forty-five countries in our classes that started on April 11 this year. Thirty five of us on the teaching staff take care of the twenty-three classes held on Tuesday & Thursday mornings, Saturday mornings, and Tuesday evenings.
What makes Meguro UNESCO Japanese classes different from the increasing number of other Japanese classes run by volunteers in Meguro City, is that we offer group lessons and teach the basic rules of grammar according to the level of the class. The participants from various countries can learn each other’s different cultures as well as grammatically correct Japanese. Asked what they like about their UNESCO class, they say, “I like its warm atmosphere,” “I enjoy talking with people from various countries”, “The teachers are very kind,” etc.
In order to give a group lesson that can satisfy every participant, we always have various issues to examine ? whether we should divide participants into even smaller groups or not, how to choose good textbooks, etc.
We have planned three events this year to offer a forum for friendship members studying in our Japanese classes and Meguro UNESCO members. As a summer program, a class “making Uchiwa of Chigiri-e (torn paper art)” was held on June 27. In the autumn we will organize an excursion for viewing scarlet maple leaves, and in winter a cooking class, intending to introduce Japanese culture. We look forward to your participation.
With a lot of changes in the world situation, there will be more and more people who want to learn Japanese. We hope we can help them not only learn Japanese but also understand each other’s cultures in a friendly atmosphere.

Date: Jun. 20 (Tue) 6:30pm- Venue: Nakameguro Juku Center
Speaker: Ms. Mariko Furusawa, in charge of India Project, Educational/Cultural
Division, National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan

This UNESCO Lecture was held as an orientation to the English conversation course for young people. Being young herself, Ms. Furusawa was the perfect lecturer to convey UNESCO’s message to her own generation. She has been visiting a project site in India quite often to monitor whether the project has been managed properly. It must have been a surprise for the audience to hear that.
One in five people in the world are illiterate. Of those, 70% live in Asia and most are women. The World Terakoya Movement is funding local NGOs and local administration offices (Educational Committees) in developing countries, such as India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Nepal. We take going to school for granted but at most project sites, school-age children work during the day to contribute to the family’s income, and then go to Terakoya in evenings. Also, Terakoya is used as a “learning place” for adults who have not had any opportunity to learn, and it is a place for vocational training. The staff at Terakoya expect it will gradually become a place to help children “continue making efforts in the long-run perspective” or “get in the habit of saving”.
With the use of videos, the lecture gave us quite a lot of information. What can we do now to make people in this world live happily? What is the best we can do? That was what I thought from the lecture.

- reported by Fumiko Harada, Public Relations Committee

On June 27 (Tue), a Chigirie-no-Uchiwa art class was held at Sakura Plaza. Twenty people joined in, including seven from Korea and two from Nepal, who are studying at the UNESCO Japanese classes.
The event was so relaxing and enjoyable. First, you have to tear bits of Japanese paper with your fingertips to create flowers and leaves, then carefully paste each piece to the fan. Never mind if you make a little mistake when you tear the paper; the material has its natural beauty to conceal that. Ms. Hashimoto taught us how to make pink colored morning-glory and green colored stems and leaves, which was a perfect design for the summer season. Each attendee’s fan was bright and they proudly carried them home. They left the comments: “It was difficult but I enjoyed”, “I am happy because I could make the fan so beautiful”. As for my own attempt, I cherish it too much to use as a fan, so I display it on the wall.
We would like to hear requests and plan various events. In the autumn, we are expecting to go and see the autumn leaves changing colors, so we hope you will join this event, too.

- reported by Yuko, Kano, staff member of Exchange Programs

On July 10 President Kato and Ms. Hashimoto, in charge of accounting, visited the Indonesian Embassy and handed Mr. Ronny P. Yuliantoro, counselor, the total of 215,821 yen that you kindly contributed during our emergency appeal to help rebuild damaged schools in the disaster area in Central Java hit by the earthquake on May 27.
Mr. Yuliantoro said, “More than 400 school buildings were damaged by the quake. We have just started building a junior high school in Bantul. We also plan to rebuild one school after another. We are very grateful to those who have kindly made donations to support us