http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/ en Copyright 2010 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:55:55 +0900 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.2-ja-2 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Reiko Kato, President of Meguro UNESCO Association Was it the Indian Ocean? I was having dinner in the dining room on the upper deck, when I found the sky dyed with dark grayish purple through a round window. I immediately put down my chopsticks to clatter onto the deck with some other members, holding an orange slice served for dessert in one hand. ¡ÈI shall remember how I feel now for the rest of my life¡É said a member at my side to herself. As the sun set below the horizon, the sky and the ocean changed their colors from moment to moment. I saw myself transfixed before the vast extent of the sky, the deep blue sea, and a white boat floating in between. I felt myself tiny. I felt something sublime. I felt the harshness as well as the richness of nature¡Ä. I was on the ocean in the early spring 40 years ago on the 4th Japanese Youth Goodwill Cruise organized by the Cabinet Office. The previous paragraph is an excerpt from the report I wrote on the ship. The ship was the Sakura Maru (12,600 tons), which used to be a trade fair ship. We visited 6 countries including the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, India, and Taiwan over 51 days. More than 350 people joined the program and young people from various countries were on board. We forged close relationships with each other while discussing a topic entitled ¡ÈWhat should we do together with young people from other Asian countries?¡É, learned many things, and experienced the strict discipline required to live as a group. Thanks to sincere efforts by the leader, we still try to learn from each other, and keep the strong bond. In January this year, some 50 people who used to participate in Meguro UNESCO¡Çs youth activities had a reunion. The former youth members are now mothers and fathers. Most of them have left the Association since they moved to other areas for work or set up their own organizations. Nevertheless, we had a wonderful time seeing smiling faces of former fellow members. Mr. Nutt was also there. He studied in Japan and returned to his home country Myanmar. He came to Japan after a 15 year absence to join the gathering. He told that he is ardently engaged in volunteer activities in education, motivated by the encounter with UNESCO activities. However far away, the bond has not been broken. What people learn from experiences in their youth can enrich and guide their lives. On a Sunday in March during the last cold snap accompanied by cherry blossoms, young people¡Çs voices on the street calling for donations are still ringing in my ears. (Please refer to the picture) I sincerely hope that the UNESCO movement will resonate with as many people as possible to carry over the bond into the future. Postscript: Recently, the International Exchange Programs of the Cabinet Office has been diversified. In FY2010, the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan started to recommend young members of UNESCO Associations in Japan for candidates for the programs. I would like many young people to try it. I myself came to seriously work on UNESCO activities after I experienced ¡ÈThe 4th Japanese Youth Goodwill Cruise¡É. ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡- translated by Hiroko Minowa ]]> http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/07/carry_over_the_bond.html http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/07/carry_over_the_bond.html 264-266¡¡Jul, 2010 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:55:55 +0900 Noboru Mochizuki, Vice President of Meguro UNESCO Association In March, 2010, the Meguro UNESCO office received a copy of a JIM-NET newsletter, in which Dr. Minoru Kamata, Representative of JIM-NET, expressed his appreciation of our donation to the Valentine¡Çs Chocolate Campaign. The headline read ¡ÈThank You. Thank You So Much!¡É. In FY2009 Meguro UNESCO Association participated in the Valentine¡Çs Chocolate Campaign. What we prepared for the occasion was ten chocolates, made by Rokkatei, in a round tin box printed with a cute picture. The boxes sold for \500 each and luckily all 120 boxes we prepared were sold. Four different pictures printed on the tin cans were drawn by Sabreen Hafed, a girl from Basra, in the southern part of Iraq, who was studying at a class in hospital. She had eye cancer and passed away last October at the age of 15. I am very sad to say that Sabreen never had a chance to see her own pictures on the cans. JIM-NET is a NGO of Japan Iraq Medical Network. This NGO actively works for saving those Iraqi children who have cancer or leukemia after being exposed to radiation of depleted uranium shells left from the Iraqi War. All the profit from the Valentine¡Çs Chocolate Campaign is used for those activities. Japan is the only nation that has experienced the devastating atomic radiation, and it is widely known that there are still victims suffering from the radiation exposure. The documentary film by Steven Okazaki, White Light / Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which was shown by Meguro UNESCO Association last July, is still fresh in our minds. When I visited the JIM-NET office, I happened to meet Mr. Maki Sato and Mr. Kumagai who had just returned from Iraq and they updated me of the condition there. They said that the predicament of Iraq seemed almost forgotten in Japan, but they were still in great need of reconstruction of infrastructure. Hospitals were not properly functioning and they needed a big support in the form of medical goods. Naturally the support by Meguro UNESCO Association is limited, but we would like to offer some help to the Valentine¡Çs Chocolate Campaign again this fiscal year to save as many Iraqi children as possible. ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡- translated by Nobuko Matsushita]]> http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/07/iraqi_children_part_lll.html http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/07/iraqi_children_part_lll.html 264-266¡¡Jul, 2010 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:52:53 +0900 ¡Á Welcome to Meguro UNESCO Association! ¡Á May 19 (Wed.) 10:00~11:50 / Meguro UNESCO Office Attendees: 20 students of Suko Junior High School (9th grade) 2 escorting teachers Lecture: ¡ÈReport on the Study Tour in Cambodia¡É Lecturer: ERI HOJO, a youth member This year, students from Iga Municipal Suko Junior High School visited our office, in the course of their school trip, following an earlier visit by Iga Municipal Aoyama Junior High School students. After a welcoming address and introduction on activities of Meguro UNESCO Association by Ms. Akiko Miyashita, vice-president, two members (Ms. Saito and I) introduced ourselves and expressed our thoughts about UNESCO activities. The lecture on Cambodia kicked off by introducing its national flag, population and the capital, by Miss Eri Hojo, who visited Cambodia last year as a member of the Nongovernmental UNESCO Movement Promotion Committee. Subsequently she introduced its culture (including Apsara dance, Angkor Wat, etc.), issues of education (literacy rate above 15 years, shortage of elementary schools, etc.), as well as peace (injury by land mines, etc.) in the form of quiz questions. After having group work discussing photos, Miss Hojo told them about her junior high school days, club activity, student council, and study, including her experience of the Junior Red Cross Training Center and a student delegation to Hiroshima. She then disclosed her amazing motto, ¡ÈWhenever you intend to do something; then is the best time to start!¡É There was some vigorous dialogue between students and the members, such as ¡ÈAre you engaged in activities to found more schools?¡É and ¡ÈThe World Terakoya Movement is not only for building schools, but also for developing human resources such as teachers, which requires money and knowledge.¡É Having tea together, the students shared with us valuable impressions, such as: ¡ÈIt¡Çs fun to learn in the form of quiz questions,¡É ¡ÈNow I¡Çve perceived how I¡Çm blessed, although I thought I was less fortunate,¡É and ¡ÈI want to raise money by collecting miswritten postcards.¡É I do believe it was a memorable day for them. ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡- written by Emiko Nishimura and translated by Sumiko Hattori]]> http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/07/students_from_iga_municipal_su.html http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/07/students_from_iga_municipal_su.html 264-266¡¡Jul, 2010 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:50:49 +0900 The General Assembly of this year started with an opening address by Ms. Mai Ito, a youth director. After a silent prayer for members who passed away over the last year, Ms. Reiko Kato, the president of Meguro UNESCO Association, extended her gratitude towards all the people who gave cooperation to Meguro UNESCO Association, and she mentioned her intention to devote energies especially to youth activities this year, regarding the "Meguro UNESCO Action Award" that was started last year as a springboard. Congratulatory speech by the guests: Mr. Aoki, Mayor of Meguro City / Mr. Oshio, Superintendent of Education of Meguro City / Mr. Suzuki, Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly member / Mr. Ito, Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly member / Ms. Kamoshida, Vice Chairperson of Meguro City Assembly Agenda: The following items were discussed and approved. 1. FY 2009 activity reports (by activity committee chairs), statement of accounts, and audit report 2. FY2010 activity plan and budget 3. Appointment of Mr. Noriaki Sagara to the board of directors 4. Amendment to the articles of incorporation: Some articles being needed to be revised after 5 years from the establishment of incorporated nonprofit organization, draft revisions were prepared. The draft revisions reported by Mr. Sagara, Chair of the ad hoc committee on amended articles of incorporation, were discussed and approved. All the discussions progressed smoothly, and the conference closed with a closing address by Eri Hojo, a youth member, at 15:20. ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡- written by Yoshio Shimizu and translated by Mami Kawaguchi]]> http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/07/report_on_the_6th_general_asse.html http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/07/report_on_the_6th_general_asse.html 264-266¡¡Jul, 2010 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:48:40 +0900 Steady and dedicated activities in 23 years Sponsor: NPO Meguro UNESCO Association, Co-sponsor: Meguro Board of Education Participants & Grade: Foreigners aged 16 and over, Group lessons for Beginners ~ Intermediate Classes: 1) every Tue. & Thu. 10:00~ ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡2) every Tue. 18:30~ ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡3) every Sat. 10:00~ Place: Meguro School Support Center (3-6-10 Nakameguro) Term: 3 terms a year (Note: Next term starts in mid. Sept. at Sakura Plaza at 2-4-18 Chuo-cho, and in Oct.~Dec. at above place. ) Started with one participant in 1987, now 150 from over 40 countries enjoy learning with 40 teachers. The number of participants at our Japanese language classes varies from class to class. The members of teaching staff teach their classes with equal eagerness if it is a class of a 2~3 participants or as many as more than 30 participants. The teaching staff¡Çs background also varies from those teaching for 23 long years since its very beginning, those having experience in living overseas, those devoting their time after child-raising, and those challenging a second life after retirement. In teaching a language, being a native speaker is not good enough, it is necessary to see and understand the country where the language is spoken and its language itself from outside, from foreigners¡Ç point of view. As many sample sentences as possible useful for participants need to be prepared for the class. Such background of the teaching staff, with various knowledge and experience in their career serves as a great advantage when they teach Japanese. Being Meguro UNESCO Friendship Members, participants also enjoy joining cultural occasions, including cooking classes, tours in Meguro or events introducing Japanese culture. Thus by attending Japanese language class, participants and the members of teaching staff share and mutually promote the nongovernmental UNESCO movement in the world. ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡- written by Mariko Omae and translated by Hiroe Nitta]]> http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/07/meguro_unesco_japaness_languag.html http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/07/meguro_unesco_japaness_languag.html 264-266¡¡Jul, 2010 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:42:03 +0900 Masayuki Inoue, President of Japan Educational Exchanges and Services I retired from a civil service position after 33 years or more in the year 2006. My last position was Secretary-General of the Japanese National Commission for UNESCO. After that, I worked as ambassador to Bangladesh, one of the world¡Çs poorest countries in terms of per capita income, for 3 years or more. Since last August, I have been working at Japan Educational Exchanges and Services, which is located at the north end of Meguro City. I am honored to have been appointed as a member of the selection committee for the ¡ÉMeguro UNESCO Action Award¡É, which was set up to mark the 55th anniversary of the foundation of Meguro UNESCO Association. I was only too happy to come here. It is very hard to follow through on one thing for as long as 55 years, however significant it may be. I would like to express my sincere respect and gratitude to the president and people supporting the activities. For the last 55 years, the world has been in the midst of turbulence. There have been a start and end of the cold war, ethnic conflicts, international terrorism, an explosive population increase in developing countries, and so on and so forth. And at home, we are encountering new challenges such as a prolonged recession after an economic growth, rapid aging of the population, a low birthrate, and an increase in the foreign population. We, who are living in the present age, should be responsible for dealing with global warming, maintaining and developing the environment, and so on. It is significant to grant the ¡ÈMeguro UNESCO Action Award¡É, which is a fruit of the cooperation of people who sympathize with the UNESCO spirit, to children for their efforts focusing on international cooperation exchanges and environment. Although UNESCO has made every effort to adjust itself to a changing situation, adhering to the standing principles, the lofty principles stay unchanged. I firmly believe that children¡Çs efforts made under the challenging circumstances described above will be handed over to the next generation forever as their proud achievement. The University of London has conducted the World Happiness Survey. Bangladesh has been ranked at the top of the Survey although it is registered as one of the world¡Çs ¡Èpoorest¡É countries from an economic perspective, and directly affected by global warming in the form of floods, etc. Among many other reasons, Bangladesh people point out the human bond in the family and the village. The Nobel Peace Prize for 2006 was awarded to Dr. Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank, a village bank of his own founding. He saw that a village woman bought a chicken with the little money she borrowed praying for the healthy growth of her children, and that the chicken laid eggs that hatched and grew to more chickens. The doctor told me that he was sure that the project would be a success when he saw the self-help endeavor they made and the solidarity of women. It seems ¡ÈBond¡É means connection with people, which I think is embodied by UENSCO. Again, I would like to extend my congratulations on your 55th anniversary. ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡-translated by Hiroko Minowa ]]> http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/04/unesco_and_human_bonding.html http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/04/unesco_and_human_bonding.html 262-263¡¡Apr, 2010 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:09:10 +0900 Fifty-five years have passed since Meguro UNESCO Association was founded. Looking back on its history, we realize that the association has developed various activities deep-rooted in the local community. We now hope to further strengthen our ties with the community, and to have children, the next generation, inherit the UNESCO spirit. In order to give a concrete shape to our desire, we have set up the Meguro UNESCO Action Award. At first we had some concerns about how many groups would apply for the award because the application period was short. Fortunately, however, we received applications from 13 groups (from 12 schools). We were surprised to find that all those schools were engaged in wonderful activities, and were especially impressed by their steady efforts over the years. We asked six intellectuals including the Superintendent of Meguro Board of Education to serve as judges for the Meguro UNESCO Action Award. Two schools (Meguro Municipal Midorigaoka Elementary School and Meguro Municipal Dainana Junior High School) were chosen for the award in the category of ¡Æenvironmental protection¡Ç, and two other schools (Meguro Municipal Mukaihara Elementary School and Tokyo Metropolitan Kokusai High School) in the category of ¡Æpeace, international exchange, and cultural activities¡Ç. Those representing the four award-winning schools received a certificate of merit and a commemorative gift at the award ceremony held at the Meguro City Office Complex on February 13. By setting up this action award, we have come to recognize a very wide range of activities conducted by elementary, junior high and senior high school students in Meguro. We expect them to continue to work actively for the promotion of culture in the community, international exchanges, and environmental protection, in accordance with the UNESCO spirit to ¡Èconstruct the defenses of peace in the minds of men." We would like to express our gratitude to many people who kindly helped us with this award project. ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡-written by Masako Miyashita and translated by Michiko Miyamoto]]> http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/04/commemorative_event_of_the_55t.html http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/04/commemorative_event_of_the_55t.html 262-263¡¡Apr, 2010 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:06:02 +0900 A Talk by Mr. Sai Non Nutt (Organized by Meguro UNESCO Youth Activity Committee) Jan. 19 (Tue.) 19:00-¡¡¡¡Meguro UNESCO Office / 14 attendees In 1989 Mr. Sai Non Nutt came to study in Japan from Myanmar, and actively participated in Meguro UNESCO¡Çs youth activities until he returned home in 2004. His first visit here since his return home gave us a chance to learn about his experience as a foreign student in Japan and his educational activities in Myanmar. Visit to the Meguro Eco Plaza and the Waste Disposal Factory (Meguro UNESCO Exchange Salon) Feb. 4 (Thu.) 12:00-¡¡¡¡38 participants (including 21 friendship members) The participants talked happily while making Japanese paper postcards from milk cartons at the Eco Plaza. ¡ÈI¡Çll send this to my parents in my home country.¡É ¡ÈI¡Çll use it as a pot coaster.¡É All of their cards turned out to be artworks in good taste!]]> http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/04/photo_gallery_2.html http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/04/photo_gallery_2.html 262-263¡¡Apr, 2010 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:00:24 +0900 Prof. Sagara first lived in Paris when he was a 5th grader, and then went to study there in his 20s. In his 30s, 40s, and 50s he lived in Paris from time to time, going back and forth between Japan and France. Showing us some slides, he first introduced the history of Paris, which smoothly acquainted the audience with the city; including myself, who has never visited Paris. The city initially extended only as far as Cite Island, a sandbank in the Seine. Paris was named after the Celtic Parisii tribe who lived there in the 3rd century BC. Thinking of Paris, we Japanese used to have an impression of a city admired by all sorts of artists; literary figures such as Kafu Nagai and Riichi Yokomitsu, and painters Leonard Fujita and Yuzo Saeki, all of whom were once attracted to live there. But, contrary to being ¡Èthe most beautiful¡É, the city had long been a very unsanitary and smelly place. A ditch made in the middle of a street was a sewage path and filth was thrown into it from people¡Çs windows. When plague prevailed, victims who were poor were simply thrown into a mass burial hole. Even the Palace of Versailles, which seems big enough to have accommodated everything, didn¡Çt have any toilet facilities, and people used the privacy of bushes in the garden. Several attempts to improve the situation now and then had ended in vain, and finally the city was remodeled by Baron Haussmann, Governor of the Department of Seine including Paris, at the time of Napoleon III in the mid 19th century. These changes included: 1. construction of main streets, 2. making additional parks and squares, 3. restoration of buildings, 4. making waterworks and sewerage system, and 5. installing outdoor lamps. All these efforts set the foundation of the beautiful city we see today. At present, 1% of the national budget is earmarked for culture. In addition, 1% of the construction costs for new buildings is to be spent on things that are not merely functional parts of those buildings. Valuing practicality may be a step to civilization, but the French tend to find worth in something that seems useless at first and think culture exists in the uselessness. Prof. Sagara concluded his lecture by saying ¡ÈThe dignity of the nation exists in this sense of value.¡É I was highly impressed by the lecturer with his deep insight toward his study of culture. ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡-written by Atsuko Shimizu and translated by Nobuko Matsushita]]> http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/04/meguro_unesco_lecture_seriesho.html http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/04/meguro_unesco_lecture_seriesho.html 262-263¡¡Apr, 2010 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:57:07 +0900 Prof. Yoshimizu is researching archaeological finds including gold swords, crowns, accessories, glassware and glass balls, which have been excavated at the site of the Silla Kings¡Ç tombs, located at Gyeongiu City in the Korean Peninsula, used during the 4th~5th centuries. Showing us various photos in PowerPoint, he presented factual evidence that the culture of ancient Rome in the west of Eurasia had already spread to the east end of the continent. For example, a gold crown found there, decorated with agate comma-shaped beads, was typical of a crown of ancient Rome with tree branch-like ornaments; an excavated golden sword was decorated with comma-shaped emblems of the Celt from the river Danube; and some gold necklaces, bracelets, and rings with designs in common with those of Italy. From his viewpoint as an art historian, the presentation was very persuasive and impressive. Roman culture had been introduced all the way to Silla from the area of what is now Bulgaria and Romania, along the river Danube, through the northern part of the Crimean peninsula, across the continent using the route now followed by the Trans-Siberian Railway, on to Datong, which was the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty, along the River Hwang Ho, and down to Pyongyang. This route, a path for equestrian people, was used instead of the Silk Road. After the mid 6th Century, however, the route was disrupted due to chaos in Rome and Persian goods were subsequently brought to Silla through China. Although the above theory hasn¡Çt been recognized for years by mainstream academy, it has lately been reviewed. Moreover, Prof. Yoshimizu told us that KBS TV in South Korea was planning to broadcast the cultural relationship between Silla and Rome in February. Afterwards a couple of questions were asked, and it really was an enthusiastic seminar. ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡-written by Shigeru Tamesue and translated by Sumiko Hattori]]> http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/04/meguro_unesco_lecture_seriesth.html http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/04/meguro_unesco_lecture_seriesth.html 262-263¡¡Apr, 2010 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:50:53 +0900 Reiko Kato, President of Meguro UNESCO Association The sun rises and time passes equally for everyone, as we greet a new year. I sincerely wish you all peace in this year. Meguro UNESCO Association, established in 1954, has its 55th anniversary this year fulfilling the aspiration of our predecessors for a UNESCO movement. In connection with this, we have set up the "Meguro UNESCO Action Award" and are now calling for candidates. The award is to honor young people in Meguro who have been actively devoted to the UNESCO spirit and its activities, directly or indirectly, in the hope for their healthy growth and the expansion of the activities. Specifically, private and public schools in Meguro City that are engaged in volunteer activities to protect the local environment, international cooperation and exchanges, and so on, have been invited to apply for the award. It is true that we have some concern about how well young people and school officials understand the project because this is a new initiative, and the application period is short. But we have proceeded with the project anyway, receiving support from local government, the local institutions concerned, and various other organizations. The closing date for application is January 25th. I would like to ask for everyone's cooperation. (Please visit the website of Meguro UNESCO Association for more details) On November 20th, ten organizations were accepted to enter the first "Future Heritage Project" organized by the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan. In the Tokyo district, the project called "Let's Enhance IKI* Culture in Kagura-zaka" has been registered. On the same day, "Father Sadaharu Oh and His Daughter Rie's Super Talk Show" was held at the Persimmon Hall in Meguro where a lot of local residents gathered. Together with the Mayor of Meguro City, I appeared on the stage representing Meguro UNESCO Association and Meguro International Friendship Association (as seen in the picture). The theme of the show was environmental issues. In line with the theme, I made a speech about the "UNESCO World Terakoya Movement", making a point that the Terakoya Movement will produce environmentally conscious people in the long-run, and that people living in Meguro are contributing to making the earth sustainable through various activities such as "Miswritten Postcard Collections", a bazaar, and a concert. The guests of the show were Mr. Sadaharu Oh (the chairman of the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks) and Rie (who acts as Meguro City¡Çs Ecology and Health Messenger). That evening, I felt a deep respect for Mr. Oh's sincere way of life. I was also attracted by Rie's charming and likable personality. I encountered a phrase "Earth, Environment, and Peace" along a street in Marunouchi. I would like to add "Hope and Dream" to that phrase. We will proceed with the movement with tomorrow in mind. Fifty-five years have passed since its foundation and as the organization grows, there will be more challenges. There is a tremendous amount of administrative work and I am most grateful to those who manage the organization. This year, I hope we can share the happiness of working hand in hand based on the common UNESCO spirit, participating in enjoyable, energetic, if at times challenging and hard, activities. * IKI culture was developed in the late Edo period. IKI can be translated as urbane, chic, or stylish. -translated by Hiroko Minowa ]]> http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/01/make_it_enjoyable_and_energeti.html http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/01/make_it_enjoyable_and_energeti.html 259-261¡¡Jan, 2010 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 03:28:09 +0900 ]]> http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/01/meguro_unesco_lecture_seriesvo.html http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/01/meguro_unesco_lecture_seriesvo.html 259-261¡¡Jan, 2010 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 03:25:03 +0900 Discussion: Ms. Yoshino Oishi and Prof. Eiji Hattori Sponsored by NPO Meguro UNESCO Association, Meguro Board of Education Lecturers: Ms. Yoshino Oishi, Photojournalist, recipient of many prizes including the Domon Ken Award; Prof. Eiji Hattori, Scholar of the Comparative Study of Civilizations, Adviser to Meguro UNESCO Association October 23(Fri), 2009 18:30- / Meguro City Office Main Conference Room / 120 participants Part 1: Slideshow of 60 photographs (commentary by Ms. Oishi) ¡ÈI want you to take a look at those children, driven to the very bottom of society by government violence, and imagine how they feel everyday. I want you to know that there are children who are deeply hurt and still have to live in despair under the same sun that is peacefully enjoyed by the Japanese. Can you really accept this reality, that those weakest of the weak, babies and babies in mothers¡Ç wombs, are the victims of misgovernment?¡É Ms. Oishi calmly stated the situation with her photos which explained the despair even more vividly. Tears never cease to flow. The tragic inheritance from the war 30 years ago left incalculable misery among the people. A mother who lost her daughter through an accident with an unexploded shell, a boy who lost his father who had been shot seven times in his face yet still tried to save his family, and a young girl whose fingers were deformed by an accident. All the faces in the photos were telling us not only their actual losses but also the incurable wounds deep in their hearts. We are asked to take time to think about those people in Vietnam, Laos, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Chernobyl, etc. who were on the other side of her lens. Part 2: A talk by Prof. Eiji Hattori Prof. Hattori first commented that the photos of Ms. Oishi were peaceful and calm. Supported by his worldwide activities and experiences, he talked about how this world has been moving, and stated his historical views. What took place in Asia in 1979? After the Vietnam War, the US troops were withdrawn from Asia, and Vietnam defeated the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia, the truth about which none in the world had known. And the Soviet Union, which had been supporting Vietnam, invaded Afghanistan. The Islamic revolution in Iran also started then. The National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan started an educational support, which later led to the Terakoya movement, at Cambodian refugee camps in Thailand. At Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan, schools of the Koran were started by the support of Saudi Arabia, and the Islamic theology students, the Taliban, that later on became very controversial, were born. Histories are linked to one another in certain aspects. A rotten structure is inherent in power, and the power steers to a tragic massacre of war once the instinct of destruction awakes. In order to realize a peaceful world there are so many things left for us to deal with as a grass-root UNESCO movement. At the end, Ms. Oishi concluded the discussion by saying that as a thrown pebble makes ripples spread, through her photos she wants to make ripples in people¡Çs heart and wishes to have a peaceful world where all the children can talk about their own dreams. We thanked the lecturers who had given us a couple of impressive and intensive hours on this vital subject and gave them a big round of applause at the end. -written by Masumi Saito and translated by Nobuko Matsushita ]]> http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/01/meguro_unesco_lecture_seriesis_1.html http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/01/meguro_unesco_lecture_seriesis_1.html 259-261¡¡Jan, 2010 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 03:19:14 +0900 Program Liszt: ¡ÈDream of Love¡É, Bizet: from ¡ÈCarmen¡É, Granados: ¡ÈSpanish Dance¡É, Debussy: ¡ÈMoonlight¡É, and others. -written by Takako Hayashi and translated by Keiko Matsuura ]]> http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/01/meguro_unesco_peace_concert_20_3.html http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/01/meguro_unesco_peace_concert_20_3.html 259-261¡¡Jan, 2010 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 03:15:21 +0900 ]]> http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/01/the_17th_meguro_unesco_interna.html http://www.meguro-unesco.com/e-ShortNews/2010/01/the_17th_meguro_unesco_interna.html 259-261¡¡Jan, 2010 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 03:00:48 +0900