The total population of Cambodia figures about 9 million.
FSUN constructed the Cambodia Friendship Rehabilitation Center in Phom Phen.
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The Center is a tri-partite operation consisting of a production facility for the manufacture of prosthetic devices; a rehabilitation center and a vocational shcool for the handicapped.
The total population of Cambodia figures about 9 million. |
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The death toll by the conflicts counted up about 3 million, and numbers of victims caused by explosions of minefield has been reported thirty thousand to three hundred thousand.To date, FSUN, through the center, has created over 4,000 prosthetic limbs and attendant rehabilitation services.
The quality of limbs was praised by the Secretary of Social Welfare Ministry Sui Sem as strong and fitting enough to the farming, and its quantity shares about sixty to seventy percent of all those created in Cambodia.
In addition, the Women's Training Center containing six rooms built in the premises was also donated.
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| FSUN donated 4,000 prosthetic limbs to victims caused by mine explosions. | |
Eight of elementary schools (Rakar, Prek Pou, Ampe hnom, Cong Chen, etc.) ware constructed and donated to students in Cambodia. Because of shortage of classrooms, many students are still taking lessons in the system of three to four time sifts.
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In responce to the request of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), FSUN arranged 60 tons of paper enough amount for forty hundred thousand textbooks donated to elementary school.
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The vocational training for the handicapped using seventy sawing machines donated by FSUN members in Chiba Japan, started at the Women's Training Center.
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Involving and collaborating positively through activities of the United Nations, and expressing our interests or our own views should be our central attitude.
Through exchanging Scholars, Cultured persons, Experts, Civilians, Students and NGOs, etc,.
FSUN contritutes in holding International cultural events, strengthening cultural exchanging and keeping a close relationships between nations.
FSUN organized lectures in Japan in 1991 by former Under Secretary-General Brian Urquhart on the necessity and role of the United Nations peace keeping operations.
These lectures were well received by leaders and opinion makers in Japan.
PKO Symposium with Former Under Secretary-General Brian Urquhart
FSUN organized lectures in Japan in 1991 by former Under Secretary-General Brian Urquhart on the necessity and role of United Nations peace keeping operations.
These lectures were well received by leaders and opinion makers in Japan.
The fundamental idea of the WPC in which parliamentarians throughout the world gather to discuss and support goals and the work of the United Nations, was very well recieved.
FSUN, in collaboration with the Parliamentarians for Global Action and 15 of the parliamentarians Leagues for the Promotion of the United Nations (Japan), held the first and second WPC in 1992 and 1995.
At the WPC1, on January 13th, 1992, representatives from 14 countries and 6 International Agencies, including the former prime minister Mr.Miyazawa and other ministers gathered in Tokyo to discuss on themes such as environment, drugs, arms reduction and reform of the United Nations.
The former Secretary-General Boutros Boutros Ghali sent us his message. The WPC2 was organized in cooperation with the prefecture and city of Gifu, Japan in September 1995.
About 100 representatives from 40 countries gathered and attended presentations by leading experts on the following subjects:
The UN and the Post-Cold War Era and Issues of Peace and Disarmament;
Sustainable Growth and the Issue of Environment and Development;
UN Reform, Civic Involvement and NGOs;
The Conference deiced to hold the WPC3 in the year of 1999 or 2000.
The WPC2 was organized in cooperation with the prefecture and city of Gifu, Japan in September 1995.
About 100 representatives from some 40 countries gathered and heard presentations by leading experts on the following subjects:
The UN and the Post-Cold War Era and Issues of Peace and Disarmament;
Sustainable Growth and Issue of Environment and Development;
UN Reform, Civic Involvement and NGOs;
the UN and the Asian/Pacific Region. (Resolutions adopted at the conference and set forth In the "Gifu declaration" and have been forwarded to the Secretariat).
The Conference deiced to hold the WPC3 In the year of 1999 or 2000.
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One of annual projects made by FSUN Is the Study Tour to New York or Geneva, where the UN headquarters are located, for the purpose of learning International spirits. Participants are mainly youths, women and university students. |
FSUN has undertaken a variety of projects to accomplish the goals of the United Nations through activities promoting peace, security, preservation of the natural environment and human rights, etc. at the private or non-governmental level.
Publishing advertizement for the United NationsThe first project made by FSUN was publishing monthly advertisements in the Japan Economic Times (Nikkei Shinbun) from April 1991 to September 1991 in a two full page presentation on various aspects of the work done by the United Nations. |
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The FSUN provided financial support to the Assembly of the Peace Messenger Cities that was held in Yokohama, Japan in August of 1991. The event was co-sponsored by, the United Nations Information Center, the United Nations Association of Japan, and the United Nations University, (among others) |
| FSUN has provided financial support annually to students participating in the Model United Nations in Japan as well as the Model United Nations in the United States. |  |
It is our great pleasure to announce that, our promoting organization Foundation for the Support of the United Nations (FSUN) was authorized NGO Category 1 from the inquiry committee for NGO at the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). At the moment, we were very much delighted with the great news and felt like shaking hands with each other. We have been longing for the honor for eight years.
Generally speaking, there are three different categories of the groups taking part in the United Nations. The first is a group of the delegations from each nation and the second is an IGO (Inter-Governmental Organization), and the last is an NGO (Non-governmental organization). The main UN members are the representatives of each nation, and their governments pay assessed contributions for the United Nations and discuss agenda theme and make a decision for that. Therefore, we might say that these three groups manage the UN.
The second group consists of Inter-Governmental Organizations, for short IGO, such as ILO (International Labor Organization) or IMF (International Monetary Fund). Staffers of the Ministry of Labor in each country for example, organize ILO. IMF consists of financial authorities of each nation. These organizations function and work just like other administrative organs around the world.
The organization of the other group NGO is not governmental, as you know, but the private activities will reflect its opinions in the UN. The origin of NGO dates back World War 2. Towards the end of World War 2, the victorious five countries ― the U.S.A, France, United Kingdom, China and U.S.S.R (now, Russia) ― were having meetings and planning to establish the United Nations. There already existed many world-wide active groups of volunteers within their own countries. At that time, the volunteers insisted that U.S.A and France would organize such united groups, what you call United Nations. And they insisted the volunteers also should have the right to speak at the UN conferences. They strongly pointed out the fact that World War 2 had been caused because the League of Nations was composed of the delegations from governments only. Therefore, at the stage of drafting the Charter of UN, the movement of recognizing international volunteer organizations a likes NGO was generated. It was believed that they could effect on the UN activities with their own opinions. This is the reason why the group called NGO was born in U.S.A and European countries. The UN made a decision to write down on the provision about NGO's right to speak out.
There are a lot of NGO groups as members of UN, it is said about three thousand groups. In fact, the number of such NGO's ranges from 50,000 to 100,000, although UN did not recognize them all. I sometime made statements and had some activities for UN. In the meantime, there were a lot of cases of solving problems in the world.
Then the UN established a system that the UN could hear the opinions from selected NGOs which were given the right to speak or the right to hand in their reports. In these NGOs, particular NGOs were registered as official NGOs by ECOSOC.
The NGO judgment is held biannually. The selected NGOs are categorized into three groups. The first group is called Roster. The second one is called Category 2. The third one is called Category 1.
If some organizations become a Category 1, the organizations will be given the right to propose agenda, to participate in conference as an observer, and to make proposals. The difference between a delegations from a governmental organs and from Category 1 is the only thing -- not to rate.
Accordingly, it is possible to say that Category 1 NGOs have extensive privileges. In Japan, 10 groups have been recognized as the official NGOs by ECOSOC, and there are two groups as Category 1. One is FSUN and the other is OISUKA International. OISUKA International was originated from a religious group and performs assistance in agriculture in the South East Asian region with the Japanese government's financial support. Their work is greatly appreciated.
As you know, we FSUN have the legal corporation approval from American government. Though there are a lot of good senior groups in America, the point is that the main members of FSUN are Japanese. I think that the honor of certification of Category 1 is a big success for us.
Then our task comes to thinking what we should suggest and what we should discuss.
In 1995, Ms Seiko Watanabe mentioned it, as you heard to "Ladies 21" project declare in the 4th World Women Conference in Beijing states that the need to prohibit the use, possession and production of land mines was called for many times through their connection to Secretary General of Women Conference. The activities had effected on the International Conference and it had been held two times for prohibition of the land mines.
When the second discussion in International Conference was held, Mr. Owada, ambassador to UN, stated the opinion quoted from FSUN paper that had handed in the International Conference before. The information is from Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. And in the Women Conference in Beijing, the part of prohibition of land mines had been entered into an action platform by about 5 pages.
Therefore the reason to send on representatives abroad is not only for colleting views a pictures but also for stating our opinions by our selves at an International Conference. We can change something for peace of the world. This graceful will was generated from "Ladies 21".
We from now on by FSUN, as recognized NGO got a chance to speak out about all problems for the UN except a security treaty and peacekeeping operations. We would like to learn a lot of meanings by acting something out our belief.
Consequently we would like to continue proposing our opinion something to create some valuable rules for human beings in the world, if we can make some contributions to security and peace of the world is it would be.
Today, I would like to talk about a brief and progressive account of our Foundation for the support of the United Nations. And we have two types of guests today, one is doing activity with us and the other is first attendant. So I am going to have presentation in a little different way from usual meeting. Instead of going by chronological order, I will pick up few topics which would highlight our glory and frustration for eight years of our activities.
We, FSUN registered as a foundation under the authority of the State of New York in November 1988, and therefore we submitted our registration to the taxation office in New York, United States of America.
In the United States, only the taxation office is involved in authorizing a foundation. The taxation office performs a strict check on whether an organization will do correctly along with the purpose or not. However other matters do not seem to concern them much and they give approval to the organization. If some organizations would not do working that according to was not their purpose, the office would strictly look into the organization.
In Japan, the approval condition is quoted opposite. If someone wish to establish a foundation in Japan, he or she needs capital fund about half a billion yen. Furthermore, we are required to purchase national loan or other public loan, and by its interest rate is run the organization as the financial basis. Then we must report to the related government agency which the foundation belongs to, depending on its field. After being authorized by that ministry, then the foundation can do activities but they must hand in their report annually to each ministry.
This process shows two weaknesses. First, it usually takes five or six years before a foundation can be authorized. Second, it is very difficult to make half a billion yen for a capital fund, besides we have to purchase national loan which interest rates are presently no more than one or two percent. So even if we can make one billion yen, we only get ten million yen as dividend. They don't have enough money to carry out any project but hiring a few people. Especially during the economic recession, the interest rates are extremely low, so small foundations can't afford to have activities.
In addition to this situation, volunteer organizations don't have to work in Japan. All the important works should be performed by the government, so we just pay the tax. This is not actually my opinion, but the opinion expressed by an executive of a major foundation.
The other day, a foundation with a capital of twenty billion yen invited us to join their project of sending ten scholars to the U.S.A for their studies. We were putting forth various projects such as building artificial leg production factory and schools in Cambodia. They may have thought that we are a foundation with a capital of about thirty billion yen. We must have seemed very well off, and we are fluttered by the honor.
As we are an American foundation, there is no problem even if we use almost all of our capital as long as we can raise the income up next year; this is big difference between Japanese and American organization. To tell the truth, at the beginning of FSUN, we had a great suffering from becoming an exempted organization. We need 300 million yen to establish foundation in Japan, but, thanks to UN workers and layers, we switched the idea to establish foundation in the United States.
In the beginning, we were actually supported by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan. There also was a time when governor of Hyogo prefecture (where I am from), and its mayors supported us. In Tokyo, we were supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs both directly and indirectly. Thus our struggle and difficulties lead us to successful start for the next eight years of activities.
In these eight years, we have a difficulty that is unbelievable in Japanese criterion. Suddenly American Department of Treasury of United States have checked our accounts, it means that they came without any notice to check our documents. They said that, their work is public service and we should pay their business trip fee. Therefore the office in Japan would cost us too much, and we naturally have our accounts books in our lawyer's office in New York. We adopted a freely look book system, so our accounts book could be looked through anytime.
Another fact surprised us, it is the difference in the concept custom so called "receptive" and its treatment. For example, it is a customary practice to serve tea and cake at a meeting in Japan, and we may even provide lunches in case we are discussing a complicated issue.
However, while we included such expenses in our official reports, the United States government did not accept. They said the furthest could accept only self-service coffee as a conference fee. All the other expenses would be considered as payment to each individual person rather than conference expense. We were cautioned by U.S government that we are an American foundation and we should do as Americans do.
Greatly shocked by this experience, we decided to divide the expenses ourselves. I express my respect toward executive patience at the time by these strict rules. In our foundation, there are many staffers in twenty different countries. Although most staffers are Japanese or American, we are planning to give the chance to all staffers hired in these twenty countries to be important executive position. At the same time, we hope that women leaders would be a lot. Now we have sixteen branches, out of ten branches leader are women. This is reflection of our will. Beyond any kind of obstacles, every leader should do their best to support 21st century world process, and equally opportunities should be taken in the leader election, with no sex discrimination.
We have been working, in full activity under these concepts. However, a quite serious incident occurred in January 1993. The reason for the happening is our wrong recognition of UN logo. The logo mark of foundation was authorized by United Nations headquarters. It embodies United Nations' mark and UN permitted us to inscribe the name of the Foundation for the Support of the United Nations in Japanese or English, "OUR HOPE FOR MANKIND" diagonally. Because of the authority of UN logo mark, the State of New York law and the rules of the United Nations would be strictly applied to this circular UN mark embodied in our logo. The rule is that we cannot use this logo mark for any kind of commercial purposes.
But we thought of the permitting of the establishment foundation with this logo, we would make pins with the wonderful logo and sell them like Olympic logo. For we knew that the Olympic association sell these pins as major part of their fund raising, we thought of following their example and using the raised money for the benefit of the public as same. However, when we expressed this intention, we were reprimanded that it would be considered as a commercial act that is forbidden under the New York state law and the illegal act might have taken our right of UN organization. We were very surprised at the fact. It was not generated from malice idea. Still further surprised, when we made credit cards with our logo mark, we were reprimanded immediately that this was exactly commercial act, and this is not an acceptable activity as a foundation, and if there were no sufficient explanation, FSUN would be dissolved right away.
As soon as we received this massage, I rushed into New York to give the explanation to UN. It was a cold winter day in January in 1993. When we arrived there, the UN was too furious to see me. There is no choice but to beg help from Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but I was instantly told "There is no way to contact them." I was even told, "UN secretary-general will not have meeting with lower class of Ministers of Foreign Affairs." "He world will see you if you were a president or prime minister of your country."
While waiting at the hotel in New York City, a lot of snow were falling down measuring about two meters, and all transportation systems were cut off. As a result, the Secretary-general, who was one of the busiest men on earth, become free from his work on that day, with the only work left to have meeting with me. Therefore I, who am neither president nor prime minister, could see him.
I was told before that the best gift which you would present for someone you meet for the first time, is a philosophy book. So I brought the English version of famous discourse between A.J.Toynbee and D.Ikeda, the "Dialogue for the 21st Century" (Uncertain of the English title). To tell the truth, I brought the book study English.
As you know, Dr.Toynbee set forth the concept "The way of the historical fusion between Western and Eastern culture." And in his last year, he contacted Dr. Ikeda by himself to carry out the dialogue, I've heard. Then I was going to meet UN secretary-general, but the translator from Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has gone somewhere. Still worse, good French speaker secretary-general Boutros Boutros Ghali's English translator has gone too.
At first, I decided to take out the book before discussing a complex topic and said in English to him "Here is a collection of dialogues between my teacher and Dr. Toynbee. And this book mentioned the way to combine Western and Eastern culture. I wonder if you would like to read it." And before my words finished, he grabbed the book away from me and said "Dr. Toynbee was the teacher for me, so I have learnt great deal of his thought through reading the complete collection of his work over and over again. But I could not get just only this book which was published after the collection, and I was very interested in the book. I am pleased that I actually get this book. Thank you very much." Then he was holding the book preciously, he was about to leaving and saying, "See you again", but our translators came back to us. Afterwards, we were able to communicate in friendly atmosphere on the topic of Dr. Toynbee. Finally, He said to us about our foundation "I understand your will to truly contribute to the international society. I will explain it to the head of Judicial Department so you will be able to settle with them well." Therefore we could pass through the compelling UN regulation without many problems.
After meeting Secretary-General in New York, I noticed his scholarly diplomats, he said as followings: "I would like to support scholars in developing countries around the world. We can support students with scholarship. But there aren't many opportunities to support young scholars to become in future president, prime minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, or rector. Therefore, somehow I would like to encourage them by giving awards."
Unfortunately, the government could not handle this kind project at that time, so I immediately reacted to it and established "1994 Boutros Boutros Ghali Award." He was very delighted by establishing of this award, so to say "a Novel Prize for young generations".
We will hold Third Award Ceremony this winter (1996). The awardees are nominated, provided that they have wisdom to be recommended by United Nations Universities (UNU) and they are each chosen from five continents. The awardees are selected by the members of the Selection Committee in which Mr. Takeshi Mukaibo and Mr. Michio Mukaibo, both former rector of the University of Tokyo and Kyoto repetitively, and other scholars and men of experience in Japan participated.
So far, we held this Award Ceremony twice. Madam Deng Nan, a daughter of Deng Shiao-Ping, was awarded at the First Ceremony. She was a vice chairman of the State Science and Technology Commission in China at that time, and her contribution to this award has been well known in the science and technology field in her country.
And, from Jordan, Dr. Mohammad Maqusi who has become a rector of the University of Jordan recently, was awarded. He represented the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan and visited Japan a couple of times since then, and made a red-letter day named "The day of Jordan and Japan". He has also contributed to the settlement of a hot dispute a between his country and Israel. He probably will be next leader of Jordan.
From U.S.A, Prof. Faye Duchin was awarded. She paid attention to the psychological factor on basis of economics and established a new field called psychological-economy. She is very innocent and penetrative. It is an honor for FSUN to have an opportunity to award young scholars like them.
The accidental friendship with Boutros Boutros Ghali had made us a very fortunately initiative plan and we are very pleased with that.
(We have been thinking and trying to make such an award)
Next, we become involved in assisting Cambodia. As you may know, due to the fact that Mr. Yasushi Akahshi has supported our foundation from its conception, when he became in charge of the United Nations Transitional Authority Cambodia (UNTAC), we have supported him by assisting Cambodia. Our foundation has established eight schools, and is presently supplying artificial legs through the artificial leg center. So far there have been 4000 artificial legs supplied all together. According to the Minister of Education of Cambodia, half of the artificial legs supplied in Cambodia were from our foundation.
Out of the Cambodia population of 9 million, 35 thousand are said to have lost their leg by anti-personnel land mines. If we make artificial leg in Japan, it costs about 750 thousand to 800 thousand yen. However, the cost of living in Cambodia is about 2 to 3 thousand yen per month, so there is no way that they could provide themselves with such an expensive commodity, and we cannot gather enough money for that either.
Thus we searched for a place for building an artificial leg, and found an artificial leg factory in Sian, China. We tied up with that factory to build an artificial leg of around 50 thousand yen. Further we were able to send engineers and doctors from Sian. We also employed doctors in Cambodia. After we built an artificial leg center in Cambodia, the patients fitted their artificial leg, which adjusted by engineers and doctors there.
The Cambodia Ministry of Welfare stated officially through their minister "FSUN artificial leg have the highest functionality and mobility", after testing various artificial legs. They gave us an approval that we have speedy and credibly after care. In the end, we were granted subsidies from the "Volunteer Accounts" run by the (Japanese) Ministry of Post and Telecommunication.
To our surprise, there was the great number of volunteer organizations in Cambodia. Some are respectable, but others are pseudo-volunteer groups which make money out of Cambodia. How ignominious.
We have learned great deal from this type of facts. However, there are more that we learned from Cambodia. This was when my colleague brought pens and pencils as a gift in commemoration of the establishment of new schools. These were given out to parents and children at the commemoration party. Yet, this caused us to receive severe complaint from the principal.
According to him, a ballpoint pen costs as much as ones average monthly income. We were told "Once you give such pens to children, do you think they would listen to their parents?" We were told, "Giving things out of good will, self-centered assistance is not good enough". We have learned that "It is only for self-satisfaction to give things that we want". We have also learned "Such an act is only to make you look superior, which is just worthless". From all of these, we came to realize that "We were grotesque Japanese charity groups as well. The important thing is "to give what they want". Japanese ODA is partly detested and despised. Why is this so? We have learned through are experience in through field work that Japanese government grab the idea that assisting couple hundred million yen without any consideration and the country give appreciation and a bow at next conference to Japanese government is OK. It is a big misunderstanding.
There was another incident that made us disappoint. In the capital of Cambodia Phnom Penh, there is center market, which used to be a place where many big markets gathered. Right now, it is sort of like the black market in Japan after the war. At the end of market, there is a stationary shop. Our colleagues went there often to buy stationery, and become friends with the shopkeeper. However we were forced to learn a great deal from this friendship. Once, there were packs of Japanese notebooks at the shop.
There were the exact notebooks that we planning to donate. Furthermore, the price was one third of that in Japan. Why was this so inexpensive? If it was cheaper to buy in Cambodia, there is no meaning in bringing heavy packs of notebooks from Japan. When we asked the stationer, "why is this so cheap?"
he did not answer anything. However, we did find it out later. When volunteer groups come from Japan, they donate school supplies and what not. Then, most of them are carried into the black market right away, like the notebooks we saw.
What is needed? Teachers need money to survive. Children also need money to survive. Therefore luxury, of using the school supply as it is, is not possible. Nevertheless Japanese, without haveing any idea of this, gave out school supplies, took pictures and what was the result? I felt disgusted by this, and concluded "There is nothing more vain then to give assistance without knowing to whom you are assisting".
During the process of assistance, we learned great deal. That is why I say in simple term, "we must go by the field centered way to really know the hearts of people". We go to the field, meet the people who we are assisting, be friends with them, sing with them, learn their names, and assist with the real understanding of heart to heart, kindness and sympathy...this is my honest opinion.
Organizations in the United Nations are fightiing against poverty for 50 years. Four thirds of the UN's total expenditures are used to battle agains poverty. Total amount of expenditures that is used in present UN is approximately 130 billion yen per year. There is an increasing amoung of money that is being overdue among this number; it is said that there are 2.6 billion US Dollars (260 billion Yen; 1US$=\100) being in arrears. The contents are: 90 billion Yen for ordiary costs, and 170 billion Yen for the peace Keeping Operations.
Out of this 130 Billion Yen, however, four thirds is used to poverty alleviation. Could you imagine how difficult it is to fight against poverty?
There is a phrase "a desperate fight against poverty" used in the UN documents. I'm afraid we need to discuss in accordance with a common rule on world prverty. We live in Japan. Our living standards are high and we all are content with our life; however, we sometimes face unfortunate neighboring people through TV and newspapers. We even see the situation when we travel. Though there aren't any Japanese who can be happy even if there are people in need help.
Lately, we are pointed out oftentimes that our apology for causing many damage to the world during the World War is insufficent. However, the past is irrevocable even if we deep apologies. Instead, what I think for us Japanese as a member and a friend of citizen of the world to do most is to give a hand and try hard together, An era of division is approaching to every country. If we could somehow combine this era of division and about with one big family or race of the world, 21st century will be a glorious era for sure. In order to do so, we should never forget a smile and friendship when addressing the international society, and we should provide others with every happiness we possibly can provide.
We ought to make 21st century a wonderful one. Who has the power to make so? I think we do. There shouldn't be a life without a will for volunteer or ignorant about people who are in need of help. We could do something. Let's begin something. We should act as a humanbeing like.
There exists many problems around the world. Instead of being shrinky by whose problems, we should live by taking them positively as a work that needs to be carried out in our ordinary life. For instance, the reason fo the UN being deadlocked is that the organization itself is a gathering of countries' profits. UN should not be a place to speak for country's profits but a plce to speak for the benefits of people around the world and a place where people could get together.
The history of FSUN was a continuity of trial and error. We admit this fact, and we still are acing difficulties. We, however, would like to bring about UN in hands of NGOs and people insead of letting it kept in country's hands in the near future. In addition, in order to make a new era, our small foundation would like to give out its effort to what the UN expects us to do.
I thank all of you listening to may speech, today.
