Thinking about various social issues facing the world with TV personality and university student Marika Sera, “I want to know the world better! The theme of the fifth session is “Peacebuilding. The theme of the 5th session is “Peace Building. We interviewed Anas Hijazee, who came to Japan as a refugee from Syria, Tomohiro Hayakawa of Sankakusha, an NPO that supports youth in Japan, and Ayako Ooi, Director of JICA’s Peacebuilding Office.
(I’ll tell you about it in the video and in the article)
Escape now!” What will you run away with?
Tsunaki Ito, JICA Public Relations Department (hereinafter “Ito”) Mr. Sera, this is sudden, but imagine this. You are at home. Someone suddenly attacks you and you have to run away. You have 20 seconds to pack your bags.
Marika Sera (Sera) 20 seconds! (Packing up)
Marika Sera
Born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 2002, she is currently enrolled in the Faculty of Policy Studies at Keio University.
Photo shows Mr. Sera hurriedly packing.
Ayako Oi, Director, Peacebuilding Office, JICA (hereinafter referred to as “Oi”) This is what refugees are actually experiencing. All over the world, conflicts are occurring and people are saying, “I have to flee now.
Anas Hijazee (Anas) You actually have less than 20 seconds to run away with something you can pick up in 5 seconds. Money and a computer are the most important. And of course, your passport.
Sera Can you tell us about the situation when you were actually evacuated from Syria?
Anas The conflict began in 2011 and buildings were destroyed in most towns. Electricity is only available for about one hour a day and there is no cell phone signal. The monetary value of the Syrian pound dropped and we could not buy anything. I was planning to flee as soon as I graduated from college. Government forces were arbitrarily arresting young people, and it was a dangerous situation every day.
On the actual day of the escape, a cab my father called came at 5:00 AM. My father said, “It’s not safe, get in the cab now!” and gave me $200. I rode in the cab for about 5 hours, crying all the way to Lebanon, without being able to say goodbye to my family.
Anas Hijazee.
Born in Syria. He fled the Syrian Civil War and came to Lebanon before coming to Japan in 2019.
A graduate of the third phase of JICA’s “Bridge to Peace and Human Resources Development Program for Syria (JISR),” working for a foreign company in Japan from 2022.
(Left) A Syrian town where buildings have collapsed due to the conflict.
(Right) The kitchen of the apartment where Anas lived. (Right) The kitchen in the apartment where Anas lived. Even the marble building material was stolen by pro-Assad militiamen.
Sera I see that you did. ……
Anas I was lucky enough to find a job quickly in Lebanon that allowed me to be independent. But life in Lebanon was extremely difficult. There was discrimination and my salary was half that of the Lebanese. When I complained, my supervisor told me, “If you don’t like this job, leave. There are millions of replacements in the refugee camps.
Tomohiro Hayakawa of NPO Sankakusha (hereafter, Hayakawa) What was your housing situation at the time?
Tomohiro Hayakawa
Manager of the NPO Sankakusha Whereabouts Project.
After graduating from university, he worked for a recruitment agency before assuming his current position. In addition to managing and operating a consultation center for young people, he is also involved in creating a place for them to stay.
Anas For the first three months I lived in a cargo container. After that I lived with 13 other Syrians in three rooms in an apartment. Life in Lebanon was quite difficult, but I always wanted to go on to a master’s program at the university. However, the company did not allow me to do so at all and told me that I would be fired if I did.
Sera: Why did you come to Japan after that?
Anas: I thought I could find a better job if I went on to a master’s program at a university, then I learned about JICA’s JISR program and applied.
Oi JISR is JICA’s human resource development project for Syrian refugees (Syrian Bridge to Peace/Human Resource Development Program) JICA has accepted about 80 Syrian youth as international students in Japan since 2017.
Ayako Ooi: center photo
He is the Director of the Peacebuilding Office of JICA.
After working for UNDP Timor-Leste office, he joined JICA.
Served as Deputy Director of the South Sudan Office, Afghanistan Office, etc., and has been in his current position since January 2024.
Tsunaki Ito: right photo
She joined JICA in 2014 and is a member of JICA’s Public Affairs Department. Facilitator of this project.
Why is the number of refugees in the world continuing to increase?
Sera How many refugees are there in the world?
Oi: It is said that the total number of people who have crossed borders and become refugees due to conflicts and other reasons and those who are internally displaced exceeds 120 million. This means that one out of every 67 people in the world is a refugee. How long has it been since you left Syria?
Anas, 12 years.
Oi: Some refugees live for 10, 20, or 30 years, and some have children born in the refugee camps, resulting in two or three generations of refugees. The largest number of refugees are from Syria, followed by countries such as Venezuela, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Palestine. Over the past decade or so, the number of refugees has been increasing rapidly.
ITOH: What is the cause of the increase?
Oi: There are still many conflicts taking place, and the number of people who are able to return to their homes after the conflict is resolved is overwhelmingly small compared to the ever-increasing number of refugees. in 2023, the number of conflicts worldwide rose to 59. In addition, about 70% of the countries hosting refugees are low- and middle-income countries. JICA is not only assisting refugees, but is also working to reduce the burden on host countries and improve the lives of the original inhabitants. For example, in Uganda, which has hosted the largest number of refugees in Africa, JICA has provided training in rice cultivation to both refugees and residents.
Farmers in a Ugandan refugee settlement receiving JICA training in rice cultivation
Social connections lost due to conflict
Sera Why do conflicts occur in the first place?
Oi For example, inequality and discrimination in society, poverty, government dysfunction, dissatisfaction with government and administration, and the influence of armed groups are some of the causes. Conflict also causes young people to lose educational and job opportunities, as well as family and social ties. These points may be common to the Japanese youth with whom Sankakusha is involved.
Hayakawa: That’s right. There are various backgrounds that isolate young people in Japan, such as abuse and poverty, which deprive them of opportunities for childhood experiences, education, and recovery. As a result, lack of access to solid information can lead them to poverty businesses through social networking sites.
Oi: Such a situation is also happening to young people in conflict areas. For example, in the Sahel region of West Africa, which JICA supports, young people without jobs or money sometimes join armed groups.
Sera: From what you say, there are similarities between refugees around the world and Japanese youth. How can we end that is the challenge.
Oi: That is exactly what peacebuilding efforts are about. It is a very difficult problem to solve, but we need to work to reduce the risks of conflict, such as inequality, discrimination, poverty, and dissatisfaction with government and administrative institutions in society. For example, in the African country of Burkina Faso, a young man who lost his parents in a conflict and who had no relatives, was on the verge of joining the armed forces at one point, but participated in vocational training provided by JICA. He was able to work and earn an income thanks to the skills he learned there, and he was able to connect with residents and live independently in society.
Empowerment” for the future of refugees and youth
Sera What kind of support do you provide to the youth of Japan, Mr. Hayakawa?
Hayakawa: As an organization, we provide support in the three areas of “housing,” “work,” and “place to stay,” and I support “place to stay. The name “Sankakusha” comes from “social participation,” and we work to help young people participate in society.
Sankakkichi was established by the NPO Sankakusha. A base to support the independence of young people who have difficulties in living and working.
ITOH: It is important not only to provide support, but also for the individual to participate in society.
Hayakawa: That’s right. Rather than a relationship between the “supporter” and the “recipient,” I would like to have a sense of mutual trust in our relationship.
ITOH: JICA also values the message that we are not “supporters” and “recipients” and also “trust”. I am surprised to hear the same words.
Oi: Refugees, youth from conflict-affected areas, and Japanese youth are not “poor people who can do nothing. They have the power to be independent and to contribute to society. Support and protection are necessary, but it is important to “empower” them so that they can fulfill their potential and participate in society.
Anas Providing sustainable solutions is also important. For example, rather than giving them food, teach them how to make rice so they can grow their own food. This kind of opportunity allows refugees to become self-reliant. Before I came to Japan, I myself thought that this situation would continue until I die, but thanks to the JISR program, my life has changed 100% for the better.
Sera You need support to be independent.
ITOH: Japan is at least a country without war and economically blessed. Yet, we are still in a situation where many young people commit suicide. How do you feel about the youth of Japan, Mr. Anas?
Anas: Human suffering is not comparable. Each of us has different problems. There was a war in my home country, but I definitely don’t think that makes my problems greater. Japan also has social problems and stress, and I think Japanese people are very strong.
Sera: The idea of not comparing hardships is also an important perspective.
What do we need to create a peaceful society?
ITOH: Lastly, I would like to ask you all to write a flip for the theme, “What is necessary to create a peaceful society and world.
Hayakawa: For me, it is “imagination within a 5-meter radius. I think it is important to go one step further than one’s own reach and use one’s imagination to look into the background of the person in front of one’s eyes and what is happening there.
Anas I dignity and equality. Dignity and equality are the most important things on this planet. We are the same people, and if each of us has equal rights, there should be no conflicts. And if we can protect the dignity of the other, there should be no problems.
Oi: I am “trust”. I believe that the lack of trust is the root cause of the world’s conflict problems. I believe that we can create a strong society that is less prone to conflict by building trust among people close to us and within society.
Sera I would like to mention “compassionate imagination. It may be difficult to understand everything that is happening around us and all the people around us, but I thought it was important to try to imagine with interest what kind of background a person has.
© Source JICA
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