Biliran. Biliran's skyline is in the background. (Photo courtesy of the Biliran Provincial Government.)
(The Shitaba Seminar Activities as an International NGO)
I. The Beginning
The Philippines seems so near yet so far from Japan. The reason is that while we know that country by name, we do not know it very well. This means we do not know well what Japan did during World War II and what Japan is doing in that country now. In addition, most Japanese do not know what the Filipinos think about Japan.
We think that the relationship between Japan and the Philippines is important for the future. So we take an interest in it.
We get to know the problems of poverty and the environment in the Philippines through actual visits. We become aware of her many problems. Then we get to know how our own country thinks about these problems. And we can notice how our lifestyles (as Japanese) influence the Philippines.
We think that the problems of the Filipinos in the Philippines have some interconnection with the problems of Asia, Japan and our life. So we think that creating a better life in the Philippines is one requisite for the peace and benefit of Asia.
As “global citizens,” we are trying to help address the poverty problem in the Philippines. Our learning in this effort relates to our better life.
II. Our Goals and Methods
The Aims of Our Seminar
Why do we deal with the environmental problems? Why do we act as a sort of NGO (non-government organization) or interest group?
One of the reasons is that environmental problems relate to our lives, including the protection of our livelihood, security of our daily food and needs, and the state of the common property of the earth that we would hand down to the next generations. As Gareth Porter stated in his book, “environmental problems are the main issue in world politics, in parallel with security and economics.”
As we struggle to become powerful in society as an NGO, we found out that we are the ones who have to be changed, because the issues involved are attributed to our lifestyles.
We are also challenged by the global situation of poverty, human rights, war and peace, and education, which are easily influenced by politics and economics, just like the environmental problems. None of these problems is simple; instead they complicate each other. What this tells us is that we should also contribute to improve the situation of the other related social problems.
The ultimate purpose of our actions is to develop us into “global citizens.” As “global citizens,” we aim to develop an ability to adequately analyze and find the attributes of social, political and economic problems. The more important thing in this process is for us to make a move as active citizens. This is accorded to national interest as national power gains.
Methodology
We have three hypotheses to achieve our goals and to gain sufficient power and influence:
Firstly, we build up Peace Development Fund (PDF) in the Philippines mainly through the royalties earned from our books. This contributes to the School of Health Sciences (SHS), University of the Philippines, in Leyte. The SHS students have a share in social welfare activities that lead to the improvement of the country.
The Atitipalo Visual Arts Group, which plays a part for appeal for peace and human rights, is also supported by PDF. In this case, some of their works supposed to be sold by the Shitaba Seminar in Japan to help the group become self-sufficient.
We are also trying to make Eastern Visayas as an educational place, the equivalent of Hiroshima/Nagasaki (for WWII in Japan) related to the outcome of the Philippine-American War and World War II (outside Japan).
Secondly, we have an impact on society by spreading information about our actions through various ways such as publishing books, writing articles, arranging stage performances, displaying in festivals, making speeches in some institutes, and through the web.
In 2000, we achieved three major actions: 1) coordinating the performance of DAWN (Development Action for Women’s Network, a Japanese-Filipino group) in Tokyo International University; 2) several exhibits of the works of the Atitipalo Visual Arts Group; and, 3) delivering a speech in the environment and education institute.
Thirdly, we regard ourselves as part-time political actors out to propose alternative tacks and policies for government support to other countries through official development assistance (ODA). (Translated by Kayo Nagazono)
III. Our Activities
Overview
As we discussed in the previous section, our activities have been conducted both in Japan and in the Philippines. Needless to say, these activities are not for our own self-satisfaction but for 1) better government policy, and 2) global interest over national belongings. In order to make good national policies, changes in Japan’s society and the Japanese to become “global citizens” are very important. We indirectly relate to many national policies as voters, consumers, laborers and so forth. Directly, we can also make proposals for the better use of Japan’s ODA. Changes in the use of ODA (for the better) can impact on Japan’s national interest.
We focus on how to solve worldwide problems. We think that each problem relate with other problems very much. For example, poverty leads to overpopulation and food shortage. And we also consider that our lavish lifestyles connect to the problems in the Philippines; likewise, the problems in the Philippines relate to worldwide problems. Therefore, we believe that trying to solve the problems in the Philippines in not only good for the Philippines but also good for Japan and the world. That is what we call global interest over national belongings.
Activities in the Philippines
During the Study Tour in 1999, we decided to become an international NGO to help improve the global situation and to bring basic needs and promote peace in the Philippines. The funds of PDF consist mainly of royalties from publications and personal donations. The detail of the fund use is mainly entrusted on Prof. Rolando O. Borrinaga. He coordinates our study tour and is a professor of the School of Health Sciences, University of the Philippines. He is also a journalist. Another journalist from Samar Island, Rev. Tax Rosaldo, columnist of Leyte Samar Daily Express, also helps Prof. Borrinaga.
The School of Health Sciences (SHS) is a unit of the University of the Philippines in Leyte. The PDF allocates funds for the purchase of books to be donated to SHS. Because of the “brain drain” in the Philippines, the local health care service has shortage of talents in the work force. Thus it is needed to encourage precious local talents to work for local development.
We are trying to implement an experimental project to develop a model for Asian-type local development and training of talents for the local health care service. With the cooperation of the Asian Community for the Asians (ACA), we are planning the “ACA-SHS-Barangay Project.”
The Asian Community by the Asians (ACA) is an NGO founded in 1997 and supported with the personal funds of the president of Mabuchi Motors. It aims to provide funding for activities to develop peace and wealth in Asia. Up to now, having been working with ACA, we made possible the donation of two cars and computers to SHS through the study tours. ACA is trying to implement the “barangay project” with the collaboration of SHS, which fulfill the local health and medical service needs in the Philippines.
Now, one former Shitaba Seminar student is working as ACA field staff while undertaking graduate studies in UP (College of Social Work and Community Development). To make the “barangay project” a success, we also endorse suggestions from him.
(Please refer to a later section detailing our activities for their group.)
We in the Shitaba Seminar have visited both domestic and foreign places where there are problems such as Mt. Kunugi in Saitama Prefecture and Mitake-cho in Gifu, Teshima, Kagawa Prefecture, where they have serious problems pertaining to the disposal of industrial wastes. In addition to places with industrial waste problems, we also visited Leyte and Samar in the Philippines, where the difference in economic status between the rich and the poor is serious.
We published books containing the results of our study to inform the Japanese society about the causes and outcomes of the problems we have identified. This is part of the effort to widen and strengthen our activities through the mass media, by making people aware of what we are doing, what we have discussed and the opinions we have formed about subjects we have seen, heard, felt and thought. All of these give us the chance to think what we can and should do to make our lives better and could become a key source of power to obtain results.
Recently, our efforts have taken a foothold in society. We have been featured in newspapers (Asahi, Jan. 15, 1998, June 22, 1999; Mainichi, Oct. 14, 1998, Dec. 12, 1998; Yomiuri, Oct. 11, 1998) and magazines, so that more people now know about us. When we went to the Philippines, we were featured in the Leyte Samar Daily Express. So we found ourselves as the bridge of our university to Japan, Japan to the Philippines, and the Philippines to the world. This is the reason why we realize we are not useless and we can ably work on society.
There are many traces of wars in the Eastern Visayas Region that includes Leyte, Samar and Biliran Islands. For example, the Philippine-American War (1899-1901) left ruins of the church in Balangiga, Samar, and World War II (1941-1945) left traces in Lemon Ridge, Hill 522, MacArthur Landing Site, memorials, etc.
The US Army during the Philippine-American War and the Japanese Army during World War II persecuted the people in Eastern Visayas. Thus, from the viewpoint of pursuing peace as part of daily life, we aim to make Eastern Visayas as a stronghold for peace study, by viewing it as a second Hiroshima-Nagasaki (Japanese cities destroyed by atomic bombs in 1945). This project involve the making of a guide book for a study tour of Eastern Visayas, construction of a peace memorial observatory designed by students, home-stay with local families, and even more, the foundation of a grassroots memorial museum.
It has been claimed that the serious poverty situation in Eastern Visayas is mainly due to historical factors. However, through the stronghold for peace study, we could organize efforts to realize the goals of historical peace study and encourage local development where everybody can have common benefits as daily survivors. We strongly believe that this could lead to total peace in the Philippines and, ultimately, to Asian peace. (Translated by Mituhiko Miyoshi)
Activities in Japan
We publish books to let people know about our activities. Publishing is one way to send our message to society. The published books are reports of our research. Through these books, we send our message to change the organization of society.
a) Messages to the Future (April 1994)
This book contains proceedings of our panel discussions held in 1992 and 1993, during which we discussed environmental problems. This book also contains our research. The purpose of this book is to publicize our suggestions for changing the organization of society. After understanding our lives in relation to international society, the students wrote this book with a critical mind about what we should do.
This book was also published in the Chinese language in 1995.
b) How to learn and how to live (October 1998)
There are many problems in the world that relate to our lives. Issues at different levels - international level, country level, and area level - cause these problems. We think that people need for abilities - knowledge, attitude, value and skill - to solve these problems. We need to educate people to have these four abilities. We tried to acquire these four abilities through our seminar activities. Then we could achieve growth. This book contains the educator’s vision and historical studies of students.
c) We will change ourselves, and we will change the world (June 1999)
The Shitaba Seminar has visited many places to study. From these visits, the students felt many things and observed what kinds of problems there are in the places visited. What the students have seen with their eyes also changed their personal outlooks and values.
This book contains reports of research through the visits, suggestions for structural change, causes of problems, and what the students attempted to change the structure. It also contains the proceedings of a panel discussion where the students discussed the observed structure with people who had taken an active part in the places visited.
We held a symposium and panel discussions at our campus, Tokyo International University. The purpose of these activities is to send our message, telling our audience the problems we have observed, giving our opinions on how to solve these problems, and receiving messages from the outside. We met with a lot of people who have different points of view. For example, we discussed with other students, families, friends, teachers, scholars, journalists, politicians and so on.
a) Lecture of Ms. Katuko Nomura (July 3, 1999)
We will change ourselves, and we will change the world is the book that contains reports of our study tours. We invited Ms. Katuko Nomura to celebrate its publication (book launching). Ms. Nomura is a founding-member of both the Japan Life Cooperative Society and the Japan Consumer Union. At her lecture, she gave her message based on her life story.
b) Panel discussion at the school festival (October 31, 1999)
The theme of the panel discussion was “How we create people’s power - environmental issue and people’s power.”
The people should be approached to solve problems. However, people’s power in Japan is not enough (weak). To improve people’s power in Japan, we took up the possibilities through the education system. We discussed about the kind of education needed to achieve this goal.
c) Symposium and panel discussion (December 18, 1999)
The symposium on the theme “Power to live - to make relationship between high school and university” was held to think about three things. There are approaches to making the best use of one’s character, a life that is satisfied, and to study how we can get these two things. At this time, we also had a panel discussion. We invited Prof. Oota of Tokyo University. We discussed the power to live and to study.
d) Interchange (July 1, 2000)
We invited OB and OG who are already working. Job-hunting is a very important thing in our life. We talked with OB and OG about the ability (qualifications) that companies and society want. We also talked about how we can use of our studies at the university. At this time, we thought about how to create our life for the present and for the future.
e) DAWN - performance by the acting group AKEBONO (October 9, 2000)
The members of this group are children who have Japanese fathers and Filipino mothers. We have been visiting the Philippines since 1996. From the study tours, we thought that the solution of problems should be approached from different points of view. We thought that thinking about the problems in the Philippines is important to us. From facilitating the public performance of this group in Japan, we got a chance to know this group. This was also a good chance to create good relationship between Philippines and Japan.
The purpose of our homepage is to send our message and let people know about our vision and our activities. Information technology (IT) is very important in sending our message, share information, and, at the same time, in getting the opinions of other people.
Now we are making the English version of the homepage. We thought that this version could help send our message to many more people. We home that many people would visit our homepage. We also would like to get a lot of opinions.
Here are some of the latest articles featuring our activities.
a) Saitama Newspaper Item
On the 19th of February, at a café in Urawa City, Saitama, the Shitaba Seminar in the Tokyo International University held an art exhibition of the “Atitipalo Visual Arts Group,” an art group in Palo (town), Leyte, the Philippines. A theme of the art group is “Peace, Equality and Democracy.” One of the artists pictured a baby asking for fruits, which tells us about the miserable poor situation in the Philippines, which heavily relies on economic assistance from industrialized countries for its development.
The students of the Shitaba Seminar say, “We have mutual interactions between the Philippines and Japan in terms of politics and economics. In this sense, the problems in the Philippines are not only issues for the Philippines but also for Japan. We want many Japanese, especially young people like us, to know about the problems in the Philippines as well as our problems in Japan. Then we hope we can do something new to put an end to such problems, even in Japan.”
The Shitaba Seminar has been to the Philippines every spring and summer as students’ study tour. The students visit Manila, Leyte, Biliran and Samar Island, which were hard battlefields during World War II. The students meet various types of the people there. Some of them are people who have experienced World War II. Others are professors and students of the University of the Philippines, journalists and (local government) officials who get involved in development in the Philippines, especially in the very poor areas. The students also observe some of Japan’s ODA (official development assistance) program sites.
After these experiences in the Philippines, they hold some symposium in their university to report their observations in the Philippines and discuss solutions of the various problems both in the Philippines and Japan.
Mayuka Nakahira, 25 years old, the person in charge of the exhibition, says, “People is some poor areas in the Philippines live desperately under miserable situations. But they are very lively and seem to enjoy their lives in spite of their poverty. I deeply feel their lively spirits from the pictures of this art exhibition. I want many Japanese, especially young Japanese, to see the pictures.” (Translated by Tamami Osawa)
b) Yomiuri Newspaper Item
Students of the Shitaba Seminar in the Tokyo International University are holding an art exhibition of an art group in the Philippines until 19th of February at a café in Urawa City, Saitama. The artists express in their paintings some Filipinos who suffer from poverty such as the lack of basic human needs and economic support.
The seminar has gathered much information about situations in the Philippines during World War II and the present people’s situation. They also go to the Philippines, experience the life of the poor and observe the program sites of Japan’s ODA (official development assistance) to argue how to spend Japan’s ODA in the Philippines to meet people’s needs.
In 1999, they established PDF (Peace Development Fund); royalties from the seminar’s publications are main sources of this fund. In striving for peace in Asia and the world, the aim of the fund is to make a peaceful community like Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the Philippines, especially in the Eastern Visayas Islands. As a peace support activity, PDF has donated books and computers to SHS (School of Health Sciences), one of the branch schools of the University of the Philippines. They also plan to make a guidebook for visiting the islands named Eastern Visayas, where there are many traces of the Spanish-American War and World War II. The art exhibition of “Atitipalo Visual Arts Group of Palo,” (with the theme) striving for peace, equality and democracy, is also supported by PDF. (Translated by Tamami Osawa)
c) Overview of the Art Exhibitions (from the printed brochure)
The “Atitipalo Visual Arts Group of Palo” is an artist group in Palo (town), Leyte, the Philippines. They express problems in the Philippines and the world by various art works. Its theme is “War and Peace, Equality and Democracy.” Students from Tokyo International University contributed P60,000.00 for the art group from PDF (Peace Development Fund), which was sent to them in July 1999. On March 28, 2000, the artist group held the first exhibition in the Philippines with financial assistance from PDF, and then the students also held exhibitions in Japan.
Schedule of the exhibitions in Japan:
July 15-16, 2000: At Children’s Forum in Saitama, with exhibition of Anne Frank (in Urawa City)
August 5-6, 2000: At exhibition of atomic bomb pictures drawn by people of Hiroshima (in Sakado City)
August 10-14, 2000: At exhibition of atomic bomb pictures drawn by people of Hiroshima (in Kawagoe City)
We could tell visitors about the activities of the arts group in these exhibitions and discuss how to put and end to worldwide problems such as war and poverty and to think about the “damage by atomic bomb.” We could also get various advise about our activities from visitors. We will keep holding this exhibition as one of the activities at striving for peace in cooperation with the arts group. (Translated by Tamami Osawa)
“Echoes of the Art Exhibitions in Japan”
Reporter: Mayuka Nakahira
We held exhibitions (of art works of the) Atitipalo Visual Arts Group (of Palo) four times during the summer of 2000 and spring this year. I would like to report on the following points:
1) Schedule of the exhibitions in Japan
2) Echoes of the art exhibitions in Japan
3) Change of heart of seminar students
4) Reaction of the media
5) Towards the next step
a. July 15-16, 2000: In parallel with exhibition of Anne Frank at the Children’s Forum in Urawa City, Saitama.
b. August 5-6, 2000: In parallel with an exhibition of the atomic bomb pictures in Sakado, Hiroshima.
c. August 10-14, 2000: In parallel with an exhibition of the atomic bomb pictures in Kawagoe, Saitama.
d. February 16-19, 2001: An art exhibition of “Atitipalo Visual Arts Group” in Urawa, Saitama.
During the four art exhibitions we mainly discussed with visitors the following topics: “What is the relation between the Philippines and Japan in terms of trade, development, aid and ODA?” and “A historical linkage between the Philippines and Japan.”
The exhibitions allowed us to discuss what war had brought to human beings, particularly with young people who came to view the art works. The war in the Philippines was connected with other countries, including Japan, and this is a fact that we did not learn in compulsory school. I believe the effect of the discussions was great.
As a result, people who came to the exhibitions realized how important and valuable is peace.
3) Change of heart of seminar studentsTwo years have passed since Peace Development Fund (PDF) was established in September 1999. We have been doing broad NGO activities through PDF. For example, we have donated to SHS new books for its library, personal computers (PCs), a world map to an elementary school, and so forth. The art exhibition was the first NGO activity of PDF in Japan.
We study international politics to analyze various problems like the environment, human rights, war and peace, development and so forth, and then to identify solution to these problems. In this sense, there is an excellent opportunity for seminar students to study and report about them and then to join the Philippine study tour.
It is a present situation in the seminar that “only students who went to the Philippine study tour were motivated to help solve various world problems.” But this art exhibition gave us “practical places,” so that other seminar students could get an opportunity to have “high motivation to learn and study.”
We wrote essays after the exhibitions were finished. In one essay it was written, “I felt and understood that the problems in the Philippines are serious. But how can we solve them through these activities?” Like this reflection, the exhibitions ended with good results and many students had improved their awareness of the various problems.
We did not (originally) put the art group under our supporting activities, but seminar students who joined it discussed the meaning of the exhibition in Japan. To some extent, we were able to have common awareness on the following:
a. Let the audience to know the various circumstances in the world.
b. We can do something to make peace in the world, by supporting the art group.
c. This exhibition is one of the ways to reform Japanese and Philippine society. And we want to make the art group part of our supporting activities.
From the results of the meeting with members of PDF, Prof. Borrinaga and the Art Group, we expect developments toward another art exhibition in Japan this winter of 2001.
We reflect that we did not contact you or could not have the both intention between seminar students and art groups in this exhibition. We understood “What does the art group want to let the Japanese feel? What do you want to inform us through the paintings? What goal do you achieve by using PDF?” And when we can tell the audience about it, “grassroots development” would be built in the real sense of the word.
4) Reactions of the mediaThe Saitama newspaper and Yomiuri newspaper reported about the last (fourth) exhibition. The reporter reacted, “Why do you choose the Philippines? Why do students hold exhibition as one of your NGO activities?” In response, we explained about the activities and meaning of PDF, and the main point of its “activities to build a better society.”
Some people who shared their reflections with us are NGO workers in the Philippines. They included Japanese who have lived in the Philippines and married to Filipinos, NGO workers concerned with the refugee problems in the Philippines, staff of NGOs organized by high school teachers and so on.
Young people who have interest in the Philippines also sympathized with our activities.
If the exhibition had been featured in the newspapers weeks earlier, “reactions” from a broader sector of society would have been expected. But the articles appeared only during the last two days of the exhibition. Next time, we would do public relations work at least two months before the exhibition. We want our PDF activity to get more “reflections.”
5) Towards the next stepWe got some advice about holding an art exhibition and selling art works from people who viewed our exhibition. Some of their comments are as follows:
a. As a common sense in Japanese art, paintings nailed on a frame can be regarded as “the art has a flaw.” This may cause the price of the work to go down.
b. If the exhibition hall has a photograph of the members of the art group, the viewers could feel their existence more closely. It would be better if the art works would have some message to the Japanese from the artists.
c. Showing the works produced by each artist and telling the situation they are in.
d. Introducing not only paintings but also other types of artwork (sculpture, carvings, etc.).
We will try to make future art exhibitions better, based on the advice we received and in cooperation with the art group. (Translated by Yumi Murata and Takaaki Tominaga)
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