e-ShortNews

Reiko Kato, President of the Meguro UNESCO Association

A fragile damselfly silently appeared in the shadow in the grass. I could see it again this year. I felt a secret delight. A common skimmer was flying about the surface of the water where flowers of water lilies floated. When I moved closer, it lightly and quietly nes-tled up to me. Come to think of it, in Tokyo, we rarely see a locust, which was my playmate when I was a child, nor can we see a lizard, a drone beetle, or a pro-cession of ants. I was frozen for a moment to think that nature is steadily vanishing in front of us. We cannot but uphold the UNESCO theme “Can we keep living on the Earth for ever?”.
The other day, I found children’s playthings from around 1937 to 1942, wrapped with newspapers in a corner of a closet. I donated a set of hina dolls to a ba-zaar held by Meguro International Friendship Associa-tion, and play-house toys and picture books for infants, which reflect the times, to the Edo-Tokyo Museum. I also found a miniature kitchen among the play-house toys. Behind the tiny sink there were catch phrases say-ing “Beware of fire”, “Don’t waste even a single grain of rice”, “Eat substitute food once a day”, and “Defense of the home front starts in a kitchen”. A newspaper dated July 19th, 1942 is filled with gallant articles in the midst of the war. I recalled the days of the Second World War.
In July this year, the World Congress of the World
Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centres and Associa-tions (WFUCA), which has been flagging, will be held in Athens. I would like to pay respect to Mr. Eiji Hattori, who has been working for the revival of that Associa-tion. WFUCA was founded in Paris in 1981 and the first World Congress was held in Sendai, Japan, in 1984. Japan has always been a leader of nongovernmental UNESCO movements. Also, note that the “Chronicle of Sixty Years of Nongovernmental UNESCO Movement” was published recently by the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan. It describes a precious history of nongovernmental movements with a chrono-logical table and commentaries, articles about WFUCA and UNESCO associations around the country.
July 19th is Nongovernmental UNESCO Move-ment Day. In August, we commemorate the anniversary of the end of World War 2. Summer is the season to re-new our vow for peace. Each of us should nip in the bud any belligerency in our heart. War can be more dif-ficult to end than to start. Whenever I flip a page of the chronicle described above, I renew my appreciation to our predecessors for the courage and efforts that have kept the movement going for more than half a century.
The summer day for spiritual consolation will come around.

Speaker: Mr. Masatoshi Sagara, Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, Hosei University
Date & Place: June 14 (Thu), 2007 18:30-20:00 at Sakura Plaza
Sponsored by Meguro Board of Education Organized by Meguro UNESCO Association

Professor Sagara specializes in modern French history and has been teaching the Meguro UNESCO French class for 10 years. His class is very popular among students for his friendly and humorous lectures. The theme of this UNESCO lecture was the foreign worker issue in France.
In October, 2005, riots broke out in France caused by young people discontented with unemployment. The underlying cause of the riots was the foreign worker issue. Japan can learn much from the French experience in accepting foreign workers.
There are about 2,400,000 foreign residents in Japan, including those here illegally, which amounts to 2% of country’s population. The foreigner ratio in France was also 2% around 1870. From the 18th century to the 20th century, when England and Germany had doubled or trebled their populations, the French, probably because of their aspiration for more affluent life, increased their population by only 1.2 times. So, to maintain their position economically (=workers) and militarily (=soldiers), France decided to accept foreign residents. They also implemented a policy which would make the foreigners’ living in France easier. They increased social welfare, such as child care and medical care, and also pushed forward the naturalization policy and adopted ‘jus soli’ (a Latin term meaning that one’s nationality is determined by the place of one’s birth) which made the acquisition of French citizenship easier.
Belgians and Italians emigrated to France in the mid of the 19th century, and since the 1960’s, there have been immigrants from North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, etc. The ratio of the foreign residents in the French population is now 10%, and that of the descendants of the naturalized citizens is estimated to be 30%.
The unemployment ratio of foreigners and the descendants of the naturalized citizens is higher than others, and the government has been tasked with urgent action to improve the employment situation. The appearance of President Sarkozy showed that French people decided to solve this problem by the competition policy which would enlarge the French economy.
Japan is now starting to accept a large number of foreigners, such as trainees from developing countries. It seems that we are going to experience the same as the French.
“Now, what should we do?” Professor Sagara closed his lecture posing this question to us with a smile on his face.
- reported by Tadashi Nakamura, director of Meguro UNESCO Association

Sponsored by Meguro Board of Education / Organized by Meguro UNESCO Association
Presenters: Mari Kawaguchi, Keiko Okamura
Date: Jun.19, Tue., 2007 Venue: Nakameguro Square

The latest UNESCO Lecture was presented by a college student, Mari Kawaguchi and business person Keiko Okamura. Mari and Keiko were members of four, who visited Myanmar with youth leader, Mitsutoshi Masuda. It was a regret that Mitsutoshi and Shotaro Kimpara, a college student, weren’t able to join the lecture this time.
On Mar.1-9, 2007 they visited the former national capital, Yangon, followed by Bagan, the town of numerous pagodas, and Kyaungkone Primary School in Kyaungkone village. The tour members came back to Japan with excitement after they met Mr. Sai Non Nutt, a former Friendship member of Meguro UNESCO, who had helped to build the new school building of the primary school, and children studying in the school.
The youth members have already started discussing their future plan. The plans are, 1. Responding to a request from the children, they will start working on creating and publishing picture books (expecting cooperation from Chiho Katsuyama, picture book writer), 2. Correspondence with pupils of Kyaungkone Primary School, 3. Reporting, 4. Study tour once a year.
I see enthusiasm in Meguro UNESCO’s youth activities. Even in the past one and a half years, as I recall, Mitsutoshi’s leadership was seen in study-tours to India and Myanmar, youth seminars held in Tokyo and Nagoya, Meguro UNESCO International Exchange Summer Program, climbing Mt. Fuji, Kamakura sightseeing trip, year-end and new year party, etc. He has shown a trustworthy leadership. Another wonderful person to be noted is Keiko, a former student of “UNESCO School” for repatriates from China and their family members. She is extremely busy as a Chinese court interpreter now, but whenever we ask her, she cheerfully accepts our requests. It is our great joy to know that she will be the teacher of our Chinese conversation class starting in autumn. The future youth activities will be another excitement.

2007. 8.17〜19 at Tozanso International Conference Center
Participants: 54 from 8 countries, France, Sudan, Yemen, Myanmar, Mongolia, China, Korea and Japan
Organized by: NPO Meguro UNESCO Association
Supported by: Meguro City, Meguro Board of Education, Japan Student Services Organization,
Meguro International Friendship Association, National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan

“Bright Future Ahead” Takashi Saito
Vice President, Meguro UNESCO Association

Again this summer I joined in the International Summer Exchange Program hoping to support and help the event. Every time I go there I find new leaders and members, which I feel very promising. There were participants from eight countries, mainly from Asia, and I want to give the organizing committee credit for the big success.
This Program offers young people lots of opportunities to meet with people from different countries and get to know their culture. Hand in hand we all strolled to Mt. Fuji at night and walked up along the steam of the Samusawa. Those experiences must have given something precious that school could not. I cannot wait to see how this program would develop next summer.

“The Global Environment – Be aware, Learn, Take Action and Let others know” Mitsutoshi Masuda
Executive Chair of Summer Program Committee

We decided the theme of this summer program as “What we can do now to preserve this Planet”, wishing to have a good talk on the theme, which is one of the most urgent social problems, with young people from many different countries.
On the 18th of August, with our lecturer, Mr. Yasushi Funahashi, CEO, Fuluhashi Environmental Institute Co. Ltd., we first saw a picture card titled “Buriccha Became a Rainbow”. It was originally written as a picture book by Mr. Funahashi, but this time we enjoyed the picture card read by his assistant, Ms. Yuko Mori.
The next step was that the participants were asked to think about an after-story of “Buriccha”. What would happen to Buriccha and her surroundings after the ending of the story? Many ideas, some realistic, some dreamy, all of which reflected our expectation towards the world ecology, were brought up and made into picture cards.
On the 19th we cut out food pictures on various flyers, sorted them out according to the production districts and made a food map. We were shocked to know how much energy it consumed for inland distribution just to have a normal meal. Mr. Funahashi pointed out that in order to conserve our global environment, it is crucial for us to be aware, learn, take action and let others know. Through this summer program I became aware of many things. I want to enhance what I have noticed to further learning, taking actions and handing down to others.

July 2 (Sat.), 13:00 - , 38 participants
Norma Barr, friendship member from U.K.

I have walked past the NHK Studio Park a few times but I never would have believed it that it was so interesting and interactive. The tour takes about 2 hours and during this time you can take part in several high-tech activities. For example you can see yourself appear in an animated film, become a newscaster and read the news, dub the words to a famous TV drama, and watch a 3D programme without those funny blue and red glasses, as well as learning about NHK’s digital broadcasting. UNESCO’s tour was really enjoyable so I would recommend you to try it out sometime.

Learning Japanese for the First Time (13 lessons)
Dates: Every Tues. & Thus., from Sept. 11 to Oct. 23
Time: 10:00 – 12:00
Place: Sakura Plaza 1F (2-4-18,Chuo-cho)
Instructors: Members of Meguro UNESCO trained in teaching Japanese
Eligibility: Foreign residents studying Japanese for the first time, Age 16 and over
Class Size: up to 30 students (First 30 applicants will be accepted.)
Fee: \2,500 (for materials)
Inquiries & Application: Meguro UNESCO Association

Meguro UNESCO
Japanese Language Classes
Beginners- Advanced (No classes on public holidays)
*1) Tue. & Thu. 10:00-11:45 Sept. 11 - Dec. 13
*2) Sat. 10:00-11:45 Sept. 15 - Dec. 15
*3) Tue. 18:30-20:15 Sept .11 - Dec. 11
“KANJI” classes also available on Sat.
Place: Moriya Kyoiku Kaikan (2-20-17 Gohongi)
Eligibility: Foreigners, 16 years of age and over
Instructors: Members of Meguro UNESCO (Japanese language instructors)
Fees: [tuition] (1) \8,400, (2) \3,900, (3) \4,200, [others] cost of textbooks
For Application: R. Iwasaki (Tel/Fax: 03-3771-3105)
Y. Yoshitake (Tel/Fax: 03-3717-7418)
Application is also acceptable on the day of your attendance

Elementary Chinese Conversation Course
~ Let’s Learn Chinese to enjoy the Beijing Olympics ~
Dates & Time: Sept. 12 – Dec. 19, Every Wed. (18:30 – 20:30)
Place: Moriya Kyoiku Kaikan (2-20-17, Gohongi)
Instructor: Keiko Okamura, court interpreter”
Fees: \6,000
Class Size: up to 30 students (First 30 applicants will be accepted.)
For application: Write the course name, your name, age, address, phone number on a double postcard and send it to Meguro UNESCO.
* The first day of the course will include a UNESCO lecture and some orientation.

UNESCO Peace Concert 2007　
~Klavier Quintett, Wien~
Members of Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and Yoko Fog
Date & Time: Oct. 29, Mon. (19:00 ~ Doors open at 18:00)
Place: Meguro Persimmon Hall (Main Hall)
Program: Haydn’s String Quartet in D major “The Lark”, op.64, No.5; Mozart’s Piano Concerto in A major, KV 414; Dvorak’s Piano Quintet in A major , Op.81
Tickets: \3,500 for adults (\4,000 at the venue), \2,000 for students
(All seats non reserved)
The first 200 applicants (elementary and junior high school students) will get a free ticket.
Inquiries & Application: Meguro UNESCO Association

The 20th Meguro City International Exchange Forum ~ Introduction to Japanese Culture ~
“Charm of Kyogen” with English interpretation
Date & Time: Oct. 31, Wed. (19:30 ~ Doors open at 19:00)
Place: Meguro Persimmon Hall, Main Hall, (1-1-1 Yakumo, Meguro-ku, 7 minutes’ walk from Toritsudaigaku Station)
Program: Bo Shibari – “Tied to a Stick”, Kagyu – “The Snail”
Performance: Shigeyama Kyogen-kai
Explanation: Ippei Shigeyama
English interpretation: Mark Oshima
Admission: \900 (All seats non reserved)
Inquiries & Application: Meguro UNESCO Association

Meguro Citizens’ Festival
The Meguro Citizens’ Festival “SUN Matsuri” will be held at the Citizens Center (2-4-36 Meguro) on September 16 , Sun. (10:00 – 16:00). Meguro UNESCO plans to open a street stall as in past years to make Maguro citizens aware of UNESCO activities and to raise some money for the acitivities. Some foreign embassies in Meguro will open stalls together with us. Come and enjoy the festival with your family and friends.
Volunteers wanted!!
Please contact Meguro UNESCO if you could work with us at the stall.

Welcome New Members!!
Regular Members: Mayumi Sakamoto, Keiko Watanabe, Eri Hojo, Toeko Nakao
Corporate Members: Omiya Ryoshoku Kogyo Co., Ltd.
Friendship Members: Kim Dong Hyun, Jeong Jae Ik (Korea); Rodolfo Livan Gibert Yanee (Cuba); Kamau Ferdinand (U.S.A.); Dorjusuren Nyamkhand (Mongolia); Oi Kan Wong (Hong Kong, China)

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(email address:meguro@unesco.or.jp)