FSUN NEWS, January & February, 2000
Wisemen/women's Conference at Kyoto Talking about Korean Issue
November 28, 1999 at Harvest Hotel in Kyoto was held FSUN Wisemen/women's Conference with topic "Korean Peninsula." Participants were Dr. Johan Galtung and his wife, Fumiko Nishimura, professors of Ferris University, and Buddhist University and Ichiro Watanabe, Senior Advisor and Michiko Watanabe, Director of the Board of FSUN. (See the photo)
They discussed analysis and measures of the Korean issue during conference stretching for as long as six hours.
Excerpt Remarks of Dr. Johan Galtung
The "Sun Policy" of Kim Dae-Jung, the President of the Republic of Korea, is originated from "GRIT Policy" of Mr. Willy Brandt, former prime minister of West Germany with "G" standing for Gradually, "R" for Reduce, "I" for International and "T" for Tension. The idea of the GRIT is that the tension between countries will be gradually mitigated, which is similar idea to the "Sun Policy" of Kim Dae-Jung who has his own idea that you have to take cooperative policy however hostile activities taken toward you.
This idea can be said to be Gandhiism in international policy, advocated originally in the 1960s by Mr. Osgood, a pacifist, and introduced by former Prime Minster Willy Brandt.
When you have a conversation with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, you should not think about destruction of the country and never expect reword from the country. Moreover you should not use the term, "Unity of Korea," which would threaten the country.
During the conversation you have to start talking about nonpolitical agenda such as construction of railways and road and cultural exchange. If the negotiation between the Governments is stalemated, then NGOs, local governments or private companies can take over the negotiation.
The Excerpt of the article in News Week dated January 12, 2000 written by the Secretary General of the UN
The article is as follows:
Now people are facing vulnerability of humans on the earth, suffering such as global warming and the proliferation of mass destructive weapons. These threats urged us to organize the UN and common market. This idea came from that if we joined our forces together we would be stronger. We have all kinds of international laws and agreements on human rights as well.
Everybody takes it for granted that we all have equal opportunity.
Some critics say that "international society does not exist in this world but is just people's false imagination. Nor exists international laws or international rules, which could be strong enough to be foundation of our society. Such skeptic argument is wrong. An international society does exist, being active and having so much achievement.
The international society moves into action by convincing creditor governments of mitigation of the extremely indebted poorest countries and by pressing many countries in the world to sign the international treaty to ban antipersonnel landmines.
Our activities from the East Timor to Kosovo are too many to enumerate. There
are however, the serious problems; there are so many issues we cannot take into action right in time when they need it. In Rwanda, we were not able to stop mass murder and in former Yugoslavia we were not able to take decisive measures against ethnic cleansing.
In East Timor, as well, our measures were too late to save so many people's life and their houses. We could not give our helping hands toward them when they really needed them.
We have also unsatisfactory result in this world. There has been extreme imbalance economy in this ever prosperous world such that 3 billion people, equivalent to half of the world population, have been suffering poverty, making their living of less than 2 dollar per day.
Over the past century the framework of the world has been on the basis of confrontation between the nations seeking pragmatic policies and market economy. We could have done better and we have to now.
I would not say that impeccable accordance among nations will come soon. Of course there are conflicts of interest and disagreement of ideas here and there always. Yet we could look for better world based on the grim experience of the twentieth century.
Inaugural Party for Hiroshima Branch
The inaugural ceremony for FSUN Hiroshima Branch was held December 12, 1999 at Hiroshima. It was significant to have the branch here at Hiroshima, the first atomic-bombed site, and to seek "peace and prosperity". Some twenty members of the branch, headed by Yasuko Masuda, started activities.
Congratulatory cable was sent by Yasushi Akashi, the former Deputy Secretary General, Shoji Azuma, the Administrative Vice Foreign Minister, Tadatoshi Akiba, Mayor of Hiroshima-City. After Ichiro Watanabe, FSUN's Senior Adviser, give a lecture, Toshio Hagiwara, FSUN's Director of the Board, made a speech as follows.
Serving Society; the Most Significant Life (the Summery of Hagiwara's Speech)
Atomic bomb in Hiroshima is the starting point of my whole life. I was six year-old at that time. Seven members of my family including my father were burn to death and I, fortunately being inside of the house, could survive but have been suffering from all kinds of agony caused by being exposed to radioactivity.
Mother with three infants got remarried and I, then thirteen year-old, went out of the house to work as apprentice. In 1958 I went to Tokyo to enter a collage. When I was writing manuscript for speech contest during my collage days, thinking about my experience as an A-bomb victim, I found out where my life work was.
Ever since, I have been involved into varieties of movements and volunteer activities whole my life as lifetime tasks deeply thinking about themes such as war, peace, health and happiness.
Among them are a support program for the children who lost parent/parents as a traffic accident victim, save-the-refugees campaign and a support for Japanese orphans left behind in China during World War II.
Since 1988 when FSUN was founded, I have been among the board members of the organization. When I became forty-year old, I made it a rule to share 10% of my income with people who needed support or for society.
Now I am over 60 and have had something to think.In this modern society, development of medicine, technology and science enables us to enjoy ever-long life expectancy, making it double over the past decade. Meanwhile people have increasingly been impatient and restless in this society maybe caused by the facts that the countries' boundary have been less and less insignificant and that too much information has been available, that the environment has been worse and worse and that the violent crimes have been increasing. How should we live in this uneasy society.
Seneca, Roman Philosopher, said, "People live as if we could live forever." Also in Buddhism, Shaka said, "Being alive today does not mean you will be alive tomorrow."
We all have "finite live"; how to live rest of my life is my greatest theme of my remaining life.
Japanese Being Lost
The world has been more and more borderless in these days. Therefore your value and your culture cannot survive unless you make yourself understood by the rest of the world. Your happiness and peace cannot be achieved but for the help by the rest of the world; especially your economy cannot be survive but for the information from the rest of the world.
When Japanese are required to be more and more active in the world, actually people ask us how to live well as Japanese. Our peace and happiness that we all hope would be never achieved without great deal of effort.
There is happiness of three kinds; first it is "the happiness given by the others." When you are baby and crying, your mother comes and changes your diapers and then you are happy.
Second; "the happiness you can do" When you can write alphabets or you can ride a bicycle, you would be happy. And then third; "the happiness you will give to others." When you do what others want you to do, you would be appreciated and happy yourself. This is the best of all.
They also say:
If you want one-hour happiness, take a nap.
If you want one-day happiness, go fishing or play golf.
If you want one-year happiness, expect your parents' property inherited.
If you want lifetime happiness, then devote yourself to others.
What kind of happiness would you like?
Jose Rizal, Philipino hero for its independence said, "The purpose of human is to seek for happiness for both others and yourself while you are pursuing develop and completion. How could we have real happy life? Psychiatrist Adler said, "Those who always think about how to please others are happy themselves and those who think about themselves are unhappy."
Nobody could be raised up without help others including parents. Here in Hiroshima we were helped by many others when we were bombed, with city being ruined, many people losing their family and suffering starvation and the disease caused by atomic bomb radiation. From all over the world much stationery such as notes, pencils, etc. was given to us. Also many Japanese children were relieved by some food such as milk and medical supply through UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund).
A novelist Hiroyuki Itsuki said in his book, "Love, caring, volunteer activities are all unilateral. You do not have to expect you will have reword. If you never think about reward, then something will come out.
If you have some intelligence, give it to them. If you have some time, give it to them and if you have some money then give it to them. Do not wait for something to be given by somebody, instead, give something to the people in the world. Do it what we can do right now and you will have satisfactory life.
Music Festival for the Young in Tomakomai Branch
Four high school brass band groups got together December 23, 1999 in the Music Festival for the Young, joined by Sapporo Philharmonic Orchestra.
Lecture and Meeting at University of the United Nations
January 19 and 21, 2000 were held the meetings and lecture titled "Peace, Environment, Development and Governance." (See the photo.) The president and vice president of the United Nations University and the director of the Foreign Ministry gave a speech followed by the lecture by the Deputy Secretary General of the UN.
Four closed-door subcommittee meetings on 19 and 20 and open-door meeting on 21 were held discussing "Human Development," "Security," "Governance" and "Environment."
UNICEF (the United Nations Children's Fund) released "White Paper for World Children of 2000" in Berlin December 13, 1999. According to the Paper, during a decade, since 1998 when Agreement on Right of the Child was signed, poverty has worsened and the incidents of conflicts and violence have increased as well as women have still been suffering discrimination.
"The twentieth century has been the age of laziness during which we have had no specific principle and courage," says the Paper.
It also says that 30500 children less than 5 year-old have died everyday of disease and child abuse that should have been prevented, and especially in the developing countries approx. 250,000,000 children from 5 to 14 year-old have been forced to work.The Paper calls this reality as "the war without declaration" and emphasizes the necessity of leadership in each country."
Also it argues that during this decade some 2,000,000 children have died of regional war and 6,000,000 children have been wounded. It also calls for quick action to clean up antipersonnel landmines by which many children have been victimized.
The Secretary General of UNICEF told during media interview that it is the high time to stride one big step to secure the safe society for children in the 21st century. We must do it now.
Lecture and Concert at Kashiwa Branch, Joined by Mayors from Neighboring Cities
December 25, 1999 was held a concert and a lecture to cerebrate establishment of ICERI of FSUN at a hotel in Kashiwa-City, Chiba Prefecture.
Participants were the members of FSUN living the Prefecture including mayors of Kashiwa-City, Noda-City, Nagareyama-City and Matsudo-City.
After Ichiro Watanabe, the Senior Advisor of FSUN had a speech titled "Creation of Peace and Culture" to describe history and prospect of FSUN, quartets of Mozart, Bach, Elgar and Dovorak were performed, followed by some Japanese children songs. The second part of the ceremony was a friendly party, cerebrating the foundation of ICERI each other.
Letter from the Secretary General of the UN to Mr. Yano, Papyrus Researcher
Letter from the Secretary General of the UN came to Mr. Yano, president of Kobe Papyrus Institute, who is a member of FSUN and world-famous papyrus researcher. (Photo: second from left) He participated in the opening ceremony of FSUN building in November and gave beautiful picture made of papyrus to the Secretary General through the Ambassador of Japan.
Papyrus has been used as material for paper since BC. 2000 in Ancient Egypt. Now depletion of wood as raw material for paper has been a big issue with rapid increase of paper demand. As technology of producing papyrus can be relief from deterioration of environment and short supply of woods, the research and development of papyrus by Mr. Yano has drawn worldwide attention.
Photographic Exhibition for Taiwan Earthquake at Tokyo, Kobe
A rapid recovery from the big earthquake hitting Taiwan last year can be seen thanks to relief effort from all over the world. Recently photographic exhibition of Taiwan Earthquake was held at the Tokyo Government Office and Phoenix Plaza in Kobe-City. Realistic disastrous scenes and rescue efforts by rescuers and volunteer members were presented. Our "grass-root fund" was a one of the relief effort for them.
FSUN Branch in Mongolia in June, 2000
Foundation of FSUN Branch in Ulaanbaatar of Mongolia has been applied to FSUN Tokyo branch. Ulaanbaatar has developed as a commercial basis to Central Asia and Europe and establishment of the branch can be significant step for further development of FSUN. The Board of FSUN has approved the Branch January 11, 2000 that consists of some 21 members of scholars, businessmen and leaders of organizations.
Inaugural meeting will be held in early summer because the temperature now is below ?
20 in Mongolia; too cold to have a ceremony. Some participants will be accepted from Japan.
(Details will be in next bimonthly FSUN News.)
Stationery with logotypes of FSUN will be made for sale. Letter pad is blue in color and A4 in size and the price is \1000 for each booklet with 100 sheets plus \400 for transportation; \5400 for 5 booklets and \10,400 for 10 booklets including transportation. The price for seal is \100 for 5 pieces with transportation \80 for less than 200 pieces.