On May 22, the International Disaster Reduction and Humanitarian Assistance Council (DRA), of which the Kansai Center is a member, hosted a symposium in memory of the late former UN Ambassador Kenzo Oshima (former Vice President of JICA). 140 people, including online participants from DRA related organizations and the general public, attended.
Remembering the deceased and renewing our thoughts
Mr. Kenzo Oshima, who passed away in May 2021, was instrumental in bringing the JICA Kansai Center and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Kobe Office to the Eastern New City Center of Kobe (HAT Kobe) after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and contributed to the formation of an international base for disaster prevention and humanitarian assistance in the area.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Makoto Iokibe, President of Hyogo Earthquake Memorial 21st Century Research Institute, mentioned that the DRA, the host of this seminar, has a cluster of intellectual institutions that are engaged in activities that are in line with human security, and that this cluster was realized through the efforts of former Ambassador Oshima. He mentioned that this clustering was made possible by the efforts of former Ambassador Oshima, and that it is necessary to understand his thoughts in the context of a broad relationship with the various institutions involved.
As the guest of honor, Tsutomu Himeno, Government Representative/Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for Kansai, introduced the personality of former Ambassador Oshima, who had a desire to do what was good for people and help those in need, and was a senior ambassador full of vitality and work ethic.
All participants then observed a moment of silence and watched a video memorializing the deceased.
In his keynote speech, Toshizo Ido, Special Advisor to the Hyogo Earthquake Memorial 21st Century Research Institute (former Governor of Hyogo Prefecture), explained the connection between former Ambassador Oshima and Hyogo Prefecture, starting with how it all began, and how the prefecture’s current international contributions through disaster management were made possible by his great contribution. He explained the connection between former Ambassador Oshima and Hyogo Prefecture, starting with how it all began.
The keynote speaker, Mr. Toshiya Hoshino, Auditor General of the Joint United Nations (JIU), then introduced the characteristics and persistence (empathy, sense of mission, etc.) of the diplomacy promoted by former Ambassador Oshima as “Oshima Diplomacy. He pointed out the need for us to change our behavior and build a new era of solidarity in order to inherit the legacy of “Oshima Diplomacy” and build a sustainable future of peace and prosperity.
This was followed by a panel discussion on the theme of “Future International Disaster Reduction Cooperation/Humanitarian Assistance and the Role of Japan/Hyogo.” The panelists were Tadashige Anan, former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to China; Kentaro Serita, Professor Emeritus, Kobe University; Yoshiaki Kawada, Director, Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution; and Katsura Miyazaki, JICA Director.
Through the panelists’ stories and experiences with former Ambassador Oshima, his personality and accomplishments were described in three dimensions, reminding us once again of the significant role he played in the internationalization of HAT Kobe and the development of the city into a disaster prevention center.
The need for international humanitarian assistance, disaster prevention, and reconstruction activities has not disappeared, not only in the case of natural disasters, but also in the case of man-made disasters, such as the massive earthquake that struck southeastern Turkey in February of this year and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia that began in February of last year.
In situations where support is needed, we do not look at the people who need support as a single “number,” but rather respond with compassion and empathy, with each person in front of us. This leads to solidarity. The seminar was an opportunity to deepen our thoughts on the need for such humanitarian assistance through the stories of the speakers, while also touching on the personality of former Ambassador Oshima before his death.
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