Oct. 26, 2010
“Gentle Japan” expected to do more to overcome global issues
Japan was once regarded as a former enemy country for the United Nations, which was established just after the end of World War II. This is based on the so-called enemy clauses of the United Nations Charter, which provide a basis for punitive military actions against the countries who were enemies of the 51 founding members of the United Nations if and when they violate the Charter. The countries are not mentioned by name, but it is believed that they include Japan, Germany and Italy, the three former Axis powers.
Japan restored its independence in 1952, but it was not a member of the United Nations until 1956, when it was allowed to enter the world body as its 80th member. While striving to remove the enemy clauses from the U.N. Charter, Japan has steadily increased its contribution to the world body’s activities, becoming the second biggest donor to finance its budget.
Oct. 24 is the birthday of the United Nations, who combines a total of 192 countries now. Specialized U.N. organizations and related entities celebrated its 65th anniversary around the world over the weekend. In Tokyo, 26 U.N.-affiliated organizations operating in Japan, led by the world headquarters of the U.N. University, organized a panel discussion and provided a talk show and performances for the U.N. Day 2010.
The events came at a time when Japanese people are becoming aware of the need for them to play a more active role, bilaterally or through the United Nations and other multilateral organizations, to help resolve the global issues. But it is also true that not a small number of Japanese are dissatisfied with the United Nations, mainly out of suspicion that its business has been influenced by the United States. They are dissatisfied that Japan has not been granted a position or a say commensurate with its financial contribution to the world body.
The 30-minute talk show was designed for Kurara Chibana, a celebrity partner of the U.N. World Food Program, to discuss “Things I have seen and felt in the field.” Chibana, a 2006 Miss Universe World Contest participant, visited Zambia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka from 2008 to 2010. (Her official web site can be found at http://chibanakurara.com/english)
In Zambia, she visited a school, a mobile clinic, a flood-hit area and a poor family’s home and met children, mothers and other people living in a hard situation. In Manila, the Philippines, she saw people living in the slums and children living near a dump. In Sri Lanka, she visited a food distribution point and saw a family trying hard to pick up cereals which fell out of a small hole of the bag on the floor until the last one piece. The scene made her think “How many people would be saved with the food I left yesterday?”
Speakers at the panel discussion focused on what must be done to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, or MDGs, established to resolve eight areas of global challenges, including poverty, gender inequality in education, and maternity and infant mortality, before the target period of 15 years ends in 2015.
Japan is planning to host a conference next year to follow up on a leaders’ meeting at U.N. headquarters in September to promote efforts for the MDGs, and this is a very important step, said Shunichi Murata, Tokyo Office Director of the United Nations Development Program. “I hope that Japan’s politically gentle image will be demonstrated to push the Japanese government’s initiative for helping developing countries through the MDGs,“ he said.
“What each of us can do may be something very small. Maybe, we won’t see the results right away. Yet, why don’t we start sowing seeds for the future now?,” Chibana wrote in a paper distributed at the event.
There is no national consensus as yet on whether Japan should play an international role in the military field in view of Japan’s war-renouncing constitution. But Japanese are ready to do more at least in the nonmilitary field, providing necessary assistance to the socially weak in developing countries, such as children and mothers.
Japan’s gentle political and social culture, which has been nurtured under the pacifist constitution, is expected to help overcome challenges facing the Mother Earth, paving the way for the future generation to live peacefully together.
Chibana’s talk show, which was held in front of the building that houses U.N. University headquarters, drew an audience of about 100, who listened to her report earnestly and sometimes with tearful eyes. Established around the setting of the talk show were booths to introduce the activities of eight U.N. specialized agencies, including the U.N. Population Fund, the U.N. Environment Program and the UNICEF Children’s Fund. At some of the booths, young Japanese staff and volunteers were seen talking to visitors and passers-by while showing various materials to them. It is hoped that internationally active persons will emerge from among the young Japanese who supported the U.N. Day event to lead Japan in the international community in the generation to come.
“Gentle Japan” expected to do more to overcome global issues
Japan was once regarded as a former enemy country for the United Nations, which was established just after the end of World War II. This is based on the so-called enemy clauses of the United Nations Charter, which provide a basis for punitive military actions against the countries who were enemies of the 51 founding members of the United Nations if and when they violate the Charter. The countries are not mentioned by name, but it is believed that they include Japan, Germany and Italy, the three former Axis powers.
Japan restored its independence in 1952, but it was not a member of the United Nations until 1956, when it was allowed to enter the world body as its 80th member. While striving to remove the enemy clauses from the U.N. Charter, Japan has steadily increased its contribution to the world body’s activities, becoming the second biggest donor to finance its budget.
Oct. 24 is the birthday of the United Nations, who combines a total of 192 countries now. Specialized U.N. organizations and related entities celebrated its 65th anniversary around the world over the weekend. In Tokyo, 26 U.N.-affiliated organizations operating in Japan, led by the world headquarters of the U.N. University, organized a panel discussion and provided a talk show and performances for the U.N. Day 2010.
The events came at a time when Japanese people are becoming aware of the need for them to play a more active role, bilaterally or through the United Nations and other multilateral organizations, to help resolve the global issues. But it is also true that not a small number of Japanese are dissatisfied with the United Nations, mainly out of suspicion that its business has been influenced by the United States. They are dissatisfied that Japan has not been granted a position or a say commensurate with its financial contribution to the world body.
The 30-minute talk show was designed for Kurara Chibana, a celebrity partner of the U.N. World Food Program, to discuss “Things I have seen and felt in the field.” Chibana, a 2006 Miss Universe World Contest participant, visited Zambia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka from 2008 to 2010. (Her official web site can be found at http://chibanakurara.com/english)
In Zambia, she visited a school, a mobile clinic, a flood-hit area and a poor family’s home and met children, mothers and other people living in a hard situation. In Manila, the Philippines, she saw people living in the slums and children living near a dump. In Sri Lanka, she visited a food distribution point and saw a family trying hard to pick up cereals which fell out of a small hole of the bag on the floor until the last one piece. The scene made her think “How many people would be saved with the food I left yesterday?”
Speakers at the panel discussion focused on what must be done to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, or MDGs, established to resolve eight areas of global challenges, including poverty, gender inequality in education, and maternity and infant mortality, before the target period of 15 years ends in 2015.
Japan is planning to host a conference next year to follow up on a leaders’ meeting at U.N. headquarters in September to promote efforts for the MDGs, and this is a very important step, said Shunichi Murata, Tokyo Office Director of the United Nations Development Program. “I hope that Japan’s politically gentle image will be demonstrated to push the Japanese government’s initiative for helping developing countries through the MDGs,“ he said.
“What each of us can do may be something very small. Maybe, we won’t see the results right away. Yet, why don’t we start sowing seeds for the future now?,” Chibana wrote in a paper distributed at the event.
There is no national consensus as yet on whether Japan should play an international role in the military field in view of Japan’s war-renouncing constitution. But Japanese are ready to do more at least in the nonmilitary field, providing necessary assistance to the socially weak in developing countries, such as children and mothers.
Japan’s gentle political and social culture, which has been nurtured under the pacifist constitution, is expected to help overcome challenges facing the Mother Earth, paving the way for the future generation to live peacefully together.
Chibana’s talk show, which was held in front of the building that houses U.N. University headquarters, drew an audience of about 100, who listened to her report earnestly and sometimes with tearful eyes. Established around the setting of the talk show were booths to introduce the activities of eight U.N. specialized agencies, including the U.N. Population Fund, the U.N. Environment Program and the UNICEF Children’s Fund. At some of the booths, young Japanese staff and volunteers were seen talking to visitors and passers-by while showing various materials to them. It is hoped that internationally active persons will emerge from among the young Japanese who supported the U.N. Day event to lead Japan in the international community in the generation to come.
