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Mitsutoshi Masuda, Vice President of Meguro UNESCO Association

The fifth Meguro UNESCO International Exchange Summer Youth Program, a major event of youth activities, was a great success.
My first encounter with UNESCO was through the Meguro UNESCO International Friendship Youth Retreat, a predecessor to the Summer Youth Program. That was in the summer of 1995. In the spring of the same year, I transferred to Tokyo to attend university. For me it was very exciting to see many young Japanese and foreigners gather and exchange opinions. I also felt they were all a warm family.
Since then, I have been involved in youth activities in Meguro UNESCO Association, although I had to stay away for some time. While in school, I was busy with study and research. Since becoming employed, I have also been busy dealing with work. It is boring just to study and work, so I have been trying to find time to participate in UNESCO activities. I would like to be of some help to society in areas other than my line of work.
Youth activities in Meguro UNESCO Association have ups and downs over time, just like the economy. Now, they seem to be on a rising note and in good condition. I hope we can improve on the activities together with new participants. Recently, the activities have extended beyond the Association. To cite some examples; in March, Ms. Hanae Nishimura visited Cambodia on a study tour organized by the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan. In April, five youth members of our Association joined the UNESCO Youth Study Tour in Gunma hosted by the Tokyo Liaison Council of UNESCO Associations. Ms. Eri Hojo, who played an active part as a leader in this year's Summer Youth Program, is undertaking a one-year training program for membership of the Nongovernmental UNESCO Movement Promotion Committee. In September, she will visit a Terakoya Movement site in Cambodia. Furthermore, all over the country, we see more progress being made in setting an organization to connect youth members with each other. This is in accordance with a new article of incorporation announced in a general assembly of National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan held in June. The article says an organization to bring youth members together shall be organized and board members shall be elected from that organization too.

I was glad when I heard a first-time participant in this year's Summer Youth Program say that they had a good time because everybody was very kind and warm just like a family.

I hope when we engage in UNESCO activities, we cherish each encounter with a person, caring for them as if they were a family member, even if the organization has expanded to offer a wider range of activities we can engage in.
-translated by Hiroko Minowa

Great Success! TURUGI¡ÁChant de YAMATO et Dance de Sabre

Performed by the members of O-Getsu Ryu Sword Dance School
Sponsored by Meguro Board of Education / Presented by NPO Meguro UNESCO Association
Date&Time: June 17(Wed) 19:30¡Á / Place: Meguro Persimmon Hall (Small Hall)

Before the performance the President of Meguro UNESCO Ass., Mrs. Kato welcomed the audience and Mr. Eiji Hattori, Advisor, introduced the group of O-Getsu Ryu Sword Dance School explaining how they got to perform at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris last year. He related that as soon as he heard there was a young group of people performing an interesting O-Getsu Ryu Sword Dance, he immediately went to see the performance and was very much impressed by their stage which recreated the original atmosphere of Japan. The girls¡Ç fashion in Shibuya and Manga are known worldwide as a culture created by Japanese young people but the dancers¡Ç performance was an eye-opener for him to recognize that there were other young people challenging Japanese tradition.
Intending to introduce such a group to the world, he appealed to the Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of Japan to UNESCO and other related people, and finally their performance was realized at the Headquarters.
From curtain-up at seven-thirty, breath-taking performances were given on the stage. The main performer was the head of O-Getsu Ryu, Ms. Mihoko Kamiya, whose grandmother had handed down Shinto rituals, which were incorporated into the performance. The unique melody of ¡ÈYamato-uta¡É sung with airy voice and powerful sword dances by Ms. Kamiya and the co-stars, showed us various themes expressing ancient Japanese aesthetics of wind, moon, cherry blossom, etc. The evening¡Çs program consisted of 14 parts, all of which combined traditional motions and modern stage technology, evident in each sword dance sequence. The costumes varied from the traditional Japanese attire of Shinto priests and shrine maidens, to modern Westernized dress. Piercing cheers, fast and powerful movements, interspersed with tranquility from which one could even hear the breathing of the performers, were skillfully balanced out in the sword dance. The audience was very much impressed by the performing art that had overcome the boundary of culture and language, and grasped the hearts of the young people by introducing highly traditional Japanese culture. No wonder that their performance at the Headquarters last year received unprecedented praise from delegates of over 100 countries. I sincerely hope O-Getsu-Ryu stays active in the future as well.
The audience of that night were people from various embassies, people taking Meguro UNESCO Japanese language classes and many other people from overseas, as well as residents of Meguro, fans of O-Getsu, and Meguro UNESCO people. The 200 seats of the hall were totally filled. The applause lasted for a long time after the curtain fell. It was also rewarding to see that there were many friendship circles among the audience and the performers, between and after the performances, in the lobby.
-written by Shigeru Tamesue and translated by Nobuko Matsushita

Sponsored by NPO Meguro UNESCO Association
Supported by Meguro City, Meguro Board of Education, National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan
Date: July 4th, 2009 / Place: Meguro Persimmon Hall (Small Hall)l

Part 1 : Speech : ¡ÆLosing my family in Hiroshima¡Ç
¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡by Yoshiko ISHIBASHI, Director of Meguro UNESCO Association, Former Chairman of Meguro City Assembly

Ms Ishibashi was born and bred in a house¡Êhospital¡Ëwhich was located only 40 meters from the hypocenter.¡¡By the A-bomb attack all the lives of her parents, relatives, doctors and nurses and the inpatients were lost in a flash. She was safe as she herself was out of Hiroshima with husband and children in Seoul. But the life afterward was hard to live. She lost her husband and one of the sons to sickness soon after their returning to Japan. It¡Çs often said that for those who really had severe lives it¡Çs almost impossible to speak out their experiences to others. This is true to many of her friends and acquaintances. Ms Ishibashi still hesitates to visit the Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima. We really thank her for telling us the inmost feelings which will never be cured.

Part 2 : Screening the film ¡ÈWhite Light /Black Rain¡É
¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡- Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Steven Okazaki, the director, spent 25 years to complete this documentary film, interviewing up to 500 hibakusha. He chose 14 of them to appear in the film, and added 4 Americans who carried out the atomic bombing of Hiroshima or Nagasaki to testify. The film showed the scenes and their witnesses quietly but faithfully. Radiation effects with the atomic bomb are not only the acute disorders, but also various disorders continuously threaten the health of survivors for several decades causing leukemia, various cancers or sometimes disorders due to exposure in mothers¡Ç womb. Furthermore, it¡Çs hard to believe, but even discrimination to hibakusha sometimes exists! After finishing screening the film of 86 min, the deep silence prevailed. I believe it was a moment for everybody in the place to be united to pray for peace.
In the documents distributed at the venue and the speech by Ms Ishibashi, peace programs by Meguro City were introduced. Also, the exhibition by JIM-NET (Japan Iraq Medical Network) caught the eyes of participants at the entrance hall. It is said that not a few children in Iraq suffer from leukemia caused by depleted uranium bomb.
This year both at home and abroad, voices appealing ¡Æno more Hibakusha¡Ç and campaigns against nuclear war were louder than ever before, especially in August in Japan. That would be greatly owing to the speech of President Obama in Prague in April, declaring America¡Çs commitment to seek the peace and security of the world without nuclear weapons. Cases of radio-active pollution and victims of them at the US and Russian testing grounds etc. are coming disclosed one by one recently after a longtime concealment. What a tragedy!
When we think back the starting point of UNESCO after World War­¶, wishing for the world without war, we feel we should act together for the peace with friends all over the world!

*1000 paper cranes folded by the participants, and later by foreigners of Japanese classes, were offered at the foot of Children¡Çs Peace Monument, by the Elementary & Junior High Peace Messengers of Meguro on Aug.6th with our message ¡ÈWishing for the world without nuclear weapons for the future of all the children¡É.
-written and translated by Fumiko Harada

¡ÈUNESCO Associated School in Ekaterinburg, Russia¡É

Sponsor: Meguro Board of Education Organizer: NPO Meguro UNESCO Association
Speaker: Ms. Coline Hattori, Former Lecturer at Athenee Francais
June 4 (Thu), 2009 18:30 ~ at Sakura Plaza / Attendees: 58

Ms. Coline Hattori, who inspected UNESCO associated schools in Russia together with her husband Mr. Eiji Hattori (Advisor to Meguro UNESCO Association) last year, began to talk about her impressions of the visit, speaking with a smile, mixing French and Japanese.

Students from elementary to high school study together in this school in Siberia, said to be ¡Èin the middle of the ice¡É for half a year. In this village the most impressive building is their UNESCO associated school. The most surprising thing was that the children were really energetic and lively. School is from 8am to 7pm. From 3pm the classes are devoted to art education, for example ballet and drama, and Ms Hattori said she was truly moved by their high level of study. She said she definitely wanted to show the success rate of the children who, under strict guidance, were cheerfully striving at their lessons, to parents who are worried about child-raising. She said that Japan and Western countries have various concerns about child-raising, but the starting point for raising children is found in this school.

On the other hand Ms. Hattori also talked about the ideal education that the children receive in the incredible environment at the UNESCO associated school in Ekaterinburg, a sizable city rich in natural resources. These students are the crème de la crème who have successfully passed the cut-throat entrance examination (acceptance rate is one out of seventy), and they carry the future of Russia on their shoulders. They are skilled in languages, and of course here too they are active in art education. Not sparing money when it comes to culture and art is a national characteristic, and she said she was really touched by that artistic nature! In addition, tuition is completely free. Presently Russia has around 300 UNESCO associated schools. Japan has also at last begun to put serious efforts into spreading this education system. Of course it is impossible to compare with a country where everything is paid for from public funds.
However, isn¡Çt there some value to listening to the opinion that as they complete art education, students¡Ç academic ability also grows?

In the last half Mr. Hattori joined in, sharing many interesting anecdotes of their exchanges with the local people and showing slides. The lecture was such a success that there were even people standing, and people¡Çs high level of interest was seen.
-written by Takako Hayashi and translated by Emiko Nishimura

¡ÈGo hand in hand! – the way to make world peace is understanding different cultures¡É

August 14(Fri.)-16(Sun.), 2009 / 51 participants from 10 countries / YMCA Tozanso, Gotenba
Sponsored by NPO Meguro UNESCO Association / Supported by Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO), Japan Educational Exchanges and Services, Meguro City, Meguro Board of Education, Meguro International Friendship Association, and National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan (*This project has received NFUAJ subsidy to promote grassroots activities)
Misaki Nishikawa, youth member of Meguro UNESCO Association.

The season of Summer Youth Program has come.
The theme was decided as ¡ÈGo hand in hand! – the way to make world peace is understanding different cultures¡É, in accordance with the Preamble to the UNESCO Constitution ; ¡È¡Ä ignorance of each other's ways and lives has been a common cause, throughout the history of mankind, of that suspicion and mistrust between the peoples of the world¡Ä¡É.
On the first day, first of all, we walked, picking up litter from Subashiri Entrance of Mt. Fuji to Kofuji. After that, we enjoyed the game ¡ÈKURURINPA - trick picture¡É as ice-breaking and clapped hands, admiring each other¡Çs idea. On the 2nd day, we began the program with thinking ¡ÈWhat is culture?¡É, and experienced, through role-play, the embarrassment or problem which could occur between different cultures and thoughts, then considered cross-cultural understanding. In another program, each group tried to invent an original festival, and on the last day, each group presented it and we voted for the best one. During a ¡ÈRed vs. White¡É athletic contest, everyone earnestly played a hopping game and a three-legged race. And at the camp-fire, we enjoyed singing songs from many countries, dancing and games. Even in the free time, we played basketball or ¡ÈBlob Tag¡É game.
People of various ages, from various countries, gathered for this event, and there was a warm communication as a big family. I do hope we continue to be friends in the future, remembering the song ¡ÈTo be a friend¡É that we sang hand in hand at the closing ceremony.
Lastly, I want to say thanks to every participant. The success of this Summer Youth Program is attributed to their cooperation. Thank you very much.
-translated by Mami Kawaguchi