In Chinghua University, Taibei, Dalian, Cambodia, Mongolia, Shanghai, Qingdao, Queens Land University, Vietnam, Paris, etc.
NPO will lead the world in the 21st century.
The Secretary General Hanin, announced his target figure on the poverty rate of the world in his report, titled "the Role of the UN in the 21st century" that the poverty rate of the world, currently 22% of the world population, would be cut by half by the year 2015.
In the mean time, FSUN, which is now its twelfth year, has been in a new stage of worldwide operations, with so many applications for new branches all over the world. The applications are from Chinghua University, Taibei, Dalian, Cambodia, Mongolia, Shanghai, Qingdao, Queens Land University, Vietnam, Bali, etc. In the Japan Nagareyama Branch will be established on May 14, 2000, followed by the Nagano and Nagoya.
Secretary-General Hanin published the report April 3, 2000 titled "the Role of the UN in the 21st Century" for the Millennium Summit of July 6-8, 2000. He emphasized several reforms to be done, implying that Japan should be a permanent member of the UN's Security Council. "All the members of the UN, should waste no time to reform the current system, which has been based on the major powers since 1945, and has not met the needs the today's boundless society.
As to international disputes, during the decade of the 1990s since the end of the cold war, various peacekeeping operations have increasingly taken place, which brought about those countries, political and economical reform.
The Secretary-General put stress on the need for more powerful peacekeeping operations by the UN, suggesting, "Rwanda massacre in 1994, which the UN was not able to stop, gave us a lesson, and that the structural defect of the UN peace keeping operation, can be reformed only by the members of the UN. He articulated his advocacy of humanitarian intervention, an issue of which has been brought up in the course of the air raids on Yugoslavia & Kosovo by NATO. "When no peaceful solution can be found, the UN has an ethical obligation to do something in the cause of world justice. Even the sovereignty of a state, cannot be a shield for a crime over its own people."
The Secretary-General announced that by 2015, 1. The poverty rate, currently at 22% of the world population, will be cut by half, 2. The population, who cannot obtain safe drinking water, currently at 20% of the world population, will be cut by half, 3. Spread of HIV/AIDS virus will be checked and the population with HIV virus will be reduced.
The Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's of Korea announced in April 10, that a Summit Meeting would be held in June at Pyongyang. This would be a historic and landmark event and could be a turning point in the history of South-North relationship. According to the Government of the Republic of Korea, President Kim Dae-Jung has been invited to the Democratic People's of Korea by Chairman Kim Jong Il and will visit Pyongyang from June 12 to 14 to talk about peace of the peninsula, and financial support.
FSUN's Senior Advisor, Ichiro Watanabe said, "pacifist Dr. Johan Galtung was devoted to this issue and on various occasions including a speech in the Wisemen/women's Conference held by FSUN, and advocated the humanitarian solution on the North-South issue. Dr. Johan Galtung's perspective, should be highly praised for the sake of peace in Asian countries, and the alleviation of world tensions."
Opera "the Tale of Genji" which is a spectacular love romance of Japan in the 11th century, will be performed in June at the Opera Theater of Saint Louis in the US, sponsored by the Tokushima Branch (led by Sadako Hashimoto). The activity of this branch has been put stress on culture and art. Early this year, January 21, 2000, the completion ceremony for the opera "the Tale of Genji", composed by Minoru Miki, took place at a hotel in Tokushima in which a 200 audience was present, including the Governor of Tokushima. Participants were very impressed with the story by Minoru Miki who said that this opera had taken him 10 years to complete.
Composer Minoru Miki, is famous for his opera "Sumidagawa /Kusabira" and has won high credit for the opera when it was performed in November of 1998 in Tokushima. Ms. Hashimoto, the branch leader, had kept appealing to what should be done by the activists, to support the music in Tokushima-Pref. ever since "Minoru Miki Performing Art Center" was built. This long effort towards music has finaly come to fruition. At the next day of this ceremony, January 22 the Biwa, a four-stringed Japanese lute, was performed by Yang Jing, a Chinese gifted player.
Yang Jing will perform in the US at Saint Louis Opera Theater, and members of the Tokushima Branch will also make a visit.
"The Ladies 21 (L21)" which has taken place monthly since 1985 was held March 15 at a hotel in Tokyo.
The Speaker for the day was Ms. Michiyo Arita, the leader of "Volunteer Group to Support a Blood Bank from Umbilical Cords." Ms. Arita is a grass root activist who has made an effort to establish a marrow bank for decades and to spread the knowledge of blood transplant of umbilical cords. After a continuous process of trial and error, a blood bank from umbilical cords has finally been authorized.
In the US the blood bank from umbilical cords has functioned since 1993; whereas in Japan it has taken her a decade for her long effort to be rewarded.
Her persevering effort had been supported by grass root movements, by housewives, ordinary people, and religious groups. This tenacity moved statesman and also bureaucrats. This is a good example for NPO movements, as the Japanese proverb says; "Continuation gives itself a power."
Study tour in 2000 to the UN with 16 participants took place from March 17 to 22. FSUN's fundamental idea is "Let the people know the operations and principles of the UN." The attendants had the general knowledge about the UN through the lecture by the UN staff, on a general introduction about the UN, and other issues, including food shortage on video tape they watched over the two day period. Also speeches by representatives of NGO and the Japanese Government, gave them a chance to acquire knowledge of the relationship between the UN and the other NGO/NPO groups. The language used was Japanese, which made it possible for the students to understand in detail and have a lively discussion. Lunch in the UN's Chinese restaurant, was especially popular among them. Participants' essay are shown below:
The atmosphere stimulated me by Tomohiro Kato
I've learned a lot of things through this study tour. In my middle school I learned about the general knowledge of the UN. In the UN many Japanese especially young people about my age, work very enthusiastically. This stimulated me into my desire that I wish to work at a place like this. (As a matter of fact, I have to work much much harder to make my dream come true.) At least I would like to work in an environment where I have to communicate with foreign people. The knowledge about the UN also has inspired my desire to work for underprivileged countries. In order to do so I have to work harder. That is what I have acquired through the study tour of the UN. "
How I can contribute" by Rie Tukamoto
This tour gave me a lot: friends who participated in this tour and also new knowledge from the tour. I made many friends whom I have still kept in touch with. Also I made up my mind to study English harder. What I need is first to have something important to communicate but I also need English as a tool. It is necessary for me to keep thinking what I can do for the international society. I enjoyed this tour very much,
"Independence is important" by Michiko Ohi
The thing that impressed me most is the headquarters of the UN and the lectures by the UN staff. They explained to us that independency is the most important thing for an individual as well as a state. This has been a good incentive to me, as a high school student, which made me think I had to study English much harder in order to compete at the university of the US.
Photos:
Ms. Michiyo Arita (right) of "Supporting Group for the Japan Blood Bank from Umbilical Cords" talked her 10-year grass root activities and appealed "Continuation gives itself a power."
The exhibition "Japan-Australia Cultural Exchange through Quilt" was held from April 17 to 19, 2000 at Australia Embassy, sponsored by Japan-Australia Quilt Cultural Exchange Committee and NPO's Japan-Australia Cultural Exchange Association.
An orchestra group of Tomakomai High School, led by an excellent instructor, performed very well and received loud applause.
FSUN's Senior Advisor Ichiro Watanabe had a talk with the director of a Mongolian trading company at the FSUN's Tokyo office on March 31.
Watanabe expressed his deepest sympathy towards the people in Mongolia suffering the disaster by the recording cold wave.
They reached consensus that the unity of both countries will lead to peace in Asian countries in the 21st century after talking about the history of relationship between Japan and Mongolia.
The director is expected to be leading the FSUN's Mongolian branch, which is to open in June. The details of the schedule were on the agenda there.
After a 2 hour meeting, Senior Advisor Watanabe gave him a commemorative mirror in which FSUN's seal is carved, hoping reunion.
Essay Contest in 2000 for High School Students
(For Tomakomai and Kashiwa High Students)
Australia Trip for the Winners
FSUN has determined to have an essay contest for high school students, supported by a traveler agent, Sun World Tours Ltd. Applicants are accepted only from Tomakomai and Kashiwa High Schools this year, because this is only a trial. Next year nation-wide contest will be carried out.
The theme for the year is "Environment;" such as "What could be done routinely?" or "What could be discussed among high school students to protect environment?" Any proposals from high school students, or Japan's role in global environment, will be fine. An Australian trip will be awarded to two winners
FSUN Hiroshima Branch hosted a lecture meeting April 14 in Hiroshima-City. The lecturer for the day was Mr. Kohtoku Nakajo, Honorary Advisor of Asahi Brewery, who is author of "Grandpa, Tell Me about the War," and also a friend of Toshio Hagiwara, Hiroshima Branch Manager (Photo: above left). He said that identity of yourself, is the most important in this borderless society, referring to his book "Grandpa, Tell Me about the War."
His granddaughter who studies in a university in New York, wrote to him that she was not able to join the debate because she did not have anything to say. Japanese education has never trained its students to establish their identity but has kept cramming students with a lot of knowledge.
He emphasized that a country or an individual, whatever it is, had to have its own inherent figure, shape and characteristic acquired through its own history. Without seeking that identity, you will never find out what you are and what you want to say, and you'll find it difficult to play a role in the world. He also stated about the recession in Japan, saying, "we will experience transition period and we must be ready for various hardships that accompany a turning point. I know we Japanese all will be ready and never give in." Each of us should understand our history correctly and should have confidence in our own culture, when we establish our own identity in the world. Besides "it is very important for us to discipline ourselves to establish our own identity.
One of the participants remarked that his speech had encouraged her who had lost confidence under the current political and economical circumstances of Japan. And internationalization does not simply mean that we need language skill, but means that we need to have our own thinking and belief.